T H i N K

Goodbye To Life as We Know It

2007-03-29T17:17:00.000+05:30

These are the Editor's words to the readers for THiNK : 0

The name of this piece. Its a homage. To Pink Floyd.It's taken from the name of a special in their Dual DVD edition of PULSE.
And it describes the feeling I have had at every major experience I care to call a watershed in my life. This one, the launch of THiNK zero, is up there with the best of them.

Well, I wont lie.This isn't my biggest moment ever.

Not as great as listening to Hey You on a perfect English morning on the lawns of Oval Maidan just before sunrise. Free . Floating.

Not as great as sitting on the deck of Libra, under a pale moon, with theocean stretching out in every direction, listeing to Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture. Feeling Omnipotent. Feeling Alive.

No. But this is what I have put my heart and soul into over the last sixmonths. Sometimes, I came close to giving up. Sometimes, I felt like crap. Mostly though,I was a happy deluded ignoramus out to change the world and people's perception of it with my small idea.

But always, their was this feeling, this shimmer of hope, that I ain't alone in believing in expressing my thoughts. that there are others here who have something to say out to the rest of us.

That my motto is not mine alone. That it has meaning for others as well. My motto, my statement, my answer to everyone who asked me to explain my actions.

I Am.
Nothing else. Just that. A plain two word reply.

Coming back to Floyd. I first heard it 8 years ago. And have rediscoveredsomething new everytime I lay back, closed my eyes and floated away.

That was the first Goodbye. This is another one. I hope it is one for youtoo. That this effort on part of my friends who took the time out to shape this dream into something concrete has some meaning to you.

Maybe I'm hungry. Maybe I'm Foolish.
Maybe you understand. Maybe You Don't.

But at the end of the day, all that matters is those two words.
Your Answer. Your Justification for Your Existence.None.

I Am.

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THiNK : 0 shall be launched on the First of April 2007.

An ode to Counter Strike

2007-03-24T20:34:00.000+05:30

The bug has bitten us. The Counter Strike epidemic is spreading. And fast. I guess it's one of the side effects of a "wired" life. All you hear all day long now in the lobby is: "Fire in the hole!!" No one seems to be able to resist the Counter Strike juggernaut....AOE fundamentalists have converted. Warcraft is passe. In the realm of LAN gaming, CS rules supreme unchallenged. No one seems to be caring about the exams either!

So do I like what's happening? Can't say. I'm an addict too. I mean yes I'm tired of the snipes and headshots that I end up on the receiving end of, but then there's always that desire to keep playing.

Bleary eyes, aching metacarpals and throbbing temples..... no physical discomfiture seems to be strong enough to curb the zeal for the game. Servers run 24x7, interrupted only by the not-so-infrequent power cuts( that are greeted with the choicest expletives). DC++ forums are flooded with CS talk... casual banter on the games of the day and innumerable requests for CS IP's....

Wonder if this will ever end. I know for sure I don't want it to. 2 months of summer vacation may only increase BIT's obsession for CS.... So next semester when placements commence, don't be surprised if you hear a distressed call from inside the cell... I'd bet I heard something like :"Need Backup!!"

A Design Contest

2007-03-19T17:36:00.000+05:30

THiNK is having a design contest, sponsored by JAM.

Here is the deal :

YOU draw/sketch/paint/create(as in collage / or on the comp) a piece of art, based on the theme provided by us.

In return,
The top 2 Entries get an year's free subscription of JAM,
with 3 Runner's up getting a 6 month's free subscription of JAM.

In case you are wondering what JAM is,
see it for yourself at JAM

Here is the theme:

The basic idea is to depict the need to break down walls created by social conventions, dogma and prejudice; to explore what lies beyond, irrespective of the consequences.
stay hungry, stay foolish !

One possible image (a suggestion) has been described by Zog, as:

Image :
From the perspective of the viewer :
He/she sees a wall. On the side of the wall, facing the viewer, he/she sees a numbar of fetal forms breaking the wall down with hammers/pikes/any other instruments they can lay their hands on.

Fetal Forms :
In the later stages of human fetal development, the embryo looks like a worm, with ridges on the back, a somewhat disproportionately large upper half with enormous eyes and a tapering tail like formation at the lower half. This fetal structure, with the hands and legs attached is the "Fetal form" of the image. They represent, in a sense, curiosity and freedom from predisposed notions - the ideal state for an anthropod.

What lies beyond, on the other side of the wall, is unknown, and yet something really big. It's nature however, is ambiguous. We do not know for sure, whether the knowledge of the unknown can cause a beneficial, malevolent, or other influence. Whatevr the case, explore it we must, because it will definately change the way we see ourselves and the world.

Hence, The ideology of THiNK.
The question to be asked is not Why? Its Why Not.

Honour, Courage and Fear

2007-03-18T16:29:00.000+05:30

They say that a man can lose anything in his life and still be himself. But if he loses honour, then the man that was him does not remain. We will all disagree because in this world of ours, honour counts for nothing. Honour is just another commodity that people are willing to sell in the market for some price. Maybe it is money, maybe a favour or maybe even the hand of a person you have wanted for years. In any case, the word honour and the ideas associated with it have disappeared or are fading away like a dying sun in winter. Maybe a twilight sun but dying away nevertheless. To such an extent that a man who keeps his honour is called a fool, taunted and made fun of behind and in front of his back.

In times like these, a man of honour should have one more thing. They call it courage. This is not the courage that you associate with a person on a battlefield. Yes, the basic ideas are the same but then the essence will change a little bit when the courage a man possesses is for the protection of his honour. Contrary to what the multitude thinks, courage is not the antithesis of fear. Courage is not even the absence of fear. Courage is what keeps a man going even when he is afraid. Fear is a sickness. A man living in a community, if he becomes afraid of anything, starts reeking of fear. The fear that he walks around with is contagious it spreads around him wherever he goes. It brings a feeling of unease into people even when they do not know what they are afraid of. Maybe nature has programmed us to be afraid when we do not know what is waiting for us out of our eyesight. This makes the mind make up a figure that maybe waiting for us. For people who have had a bad experience in life with something else, a frightening one maybe, this figure in their mind takes that shape. For the others, this figure remains a faceless one, on without identity or name. Maybe we are made that way so that we survive a longer time. What is waiting beyond your sight maybe a harmless monkey. But it may also be a ferocious and wounded lion. The dangerous kind. So why take chances, isn’t it?

Why take chances….this seems to be the mantra which people follow in their daily lives. If anything is going on well, why take a chance and ruin it all? There is only one area where people have been known to take great risks believing that that elusive lady called Luck may kiss them one more time. It is called Gambling. But then when a man is confronted with the possibility of losing his comforts, wealth, happiness and all that he holds dearly if he takes a risk, will he go for it?

I am drifting away from the original topic. Courage is a great thing, and one that is for a honourable causes automatically becomes greater. But then excessive courage becomes something that we are all very familiar with. Folly. Courage and folly are cousins, according to some and brothers according to others and twins according to the cowards.

Modern literature does not say much on the concept of honour. Some areas where you can see courage and honour are in the ancient epics, be it Indian, Geek, Norse or Egyptian. Commentaries on these books are abound with mentions of honour of heroes, heroes who would give up everything to keep their honour intact. And in the end what does it serve them? A man will die no matter what. So why can’t he keep his honour in some dark corner of his conscience to save what he loved?

We cannot answer this question. Why? Because we don’t know what it is to have honour. We don’t know what it is to feel like when we and our nearest suffer to save the honour. Weird thing, this honour. Coming back to modern literature’s take on honour, if one searches hard enough, he will reach the realm of fantasy literature in his search of honour. No, I am not talking of Harry Potter. His world is set in our own time and hence the concept of honour does not apply. But if one cares to look at those literatures which create a timeline and world of their own like Tolkien’s Legendarium, or George R.R Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire”, honour stares back at us from every page. You always have people saying yes or no according to the situation for the sake of honour. Not necessarily theirs but for honour nevertheless.

Bismarck said once that the End Justifies the Means. This is the line that is a reflection of our thoughts. No one cares how success was achieved as long as it was achieved. Loss of lives or honour does not faze these success addicted people. A good example would be of course The Great Adventures of George.W.Bush, Jr. I am not going into this topic as it is a clichéd subject and there are many others who will willingly write a 1000 page treatise on this topic.

I have been thinking about the thing called Fear. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that it s a disease. Two people traveling in a plane talked to each other in sign language. A woman who saw this got scared. Pretty soon the whole flight was scared to death and the next thing you know, two fighter planes escorted the plane to an airport and the people who started it all were interrogated for hours. This is what the terrorists are so good at doing. All they have to do is strike fear in the hearts of the common folk and the next thing you know is that half the countryside is scared shitless.

Even history is full of accounts in which invading Kings have used nothing but the power of fear to conquer cities. One good example is Genghis Khan. He would attack a city and sack it. The battle finishes fast but the slaughter continues. You have rape, pillage and murder all going on side by side. Women are raped and killed in front of their husbands, children are killed in front of their mothers and in the end, Genghis would have a mountain of heads belonging to the former occupants of the city. The few people who manage to flee the sack rush to the nearest city and pretty soon all the cities in the neighborhood are drowned in fear which makes it easy for the great conqueror to finish off his job.

But there are also instances when armies pushed off fear and fought to the death instead of cowering like cowards. Take the case of the Battle of Thermopylae. A huge Persian army numbering million according to some, hundred thousands according to others were facing an army of less than thousand Spartans. The Persians waited for days hoping to intimidate the Spartans by the size of their army. The Spartans, seemingly unconcerned about the opposing army’s size also waited for the Persians to attack. The Persians were incredulous that an army numbering barely a thousand would dare to face its huge army. So then they fought, and the Spartans made the Persians pay dearly for each life that they lost. The Persian army won but not before the bravery of those Spartans was etched for eternity in the annals of history. I believe they are now making a movie out of it…

Read history, it is a fun thing. So much can be learnt from it that no one can teach…

Targaryen

You Are Fortunate If, Your Mom Is 'Mean'

2007-03-12T17:16:00.000+05:30

the foll. is taken from the 'Speaking Tree'(TOI)

Some day when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, i will tell them, as my Mean Mom told me: I loved you enough... to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep. I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken me just 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children: Parents aren't perfect, you know.

I loved you enough to let you assume the responsi-bility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, i loved you enough... to say "NO" when i knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all.

I'm glad i won them, because in the end you won, too. And some day when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them. Was your Mom mean? I know mine was.

We had the meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.

When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them.

She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less. We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labour Laws by making us work.

We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs.

I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do. She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalising others'property or ever arrested for any crime.

It was all her fault. Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was. I think that is what's wrong with the world today.

It just doesn't have enough mean moms!

METAL GAUNTLET

2007-03-02T16:50:00.000+05:30

One of the major and most popular forms and styles of music is metal. It is so popular in some parts of the world that many people believe that it’s a way of life and it fulfils and completes them when they feel inadequate. This style of music can be traced to its origins in the late 70s and 80s along with its cousin ROCK. Influences to this style are many and some ironic such as Blues, Folk and operas. Many of the major scales in the guitar work have been adopted and imbibed from these styles. One of the founders of this kind of music has been BLACK SABBATH, a British band with an inclination towards the dark side of the human psyche. Along with bands like Judas Priest, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath created a huge impact on people who wanted something different, something raw and something aggressive. From then on, there was a rapid increase in the number of bands, styles and subspecies of metal.

The most popular subspecies were Black, Death, Goth and Heavy. The front runners in Death were Cradle of Filth, Corrosions of Conformity. Death metal was ruled by bands like Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, Venom etc. Heavy Metal bans were Pantara, Sepulture etc. Besides three subspecies there were many variants such as Doom, Melodic Death, Blackwave, Darkwave, Speed, Trash, New Wave of British and American metal, Metal Core, Viking, Operative, Symphonic, Industrial, Shock and many more.

One thing common to all these styles and variants was that they all exhibited an aggressive and rebellious attitude towards the normal man and his way of life. They showed their uniqueness by their music. Many of these outfits came under fire for their antics and views on sensitive issues like society, religion etc. They did not create their music to go commercial but to express their emotions on certain issues. Another important feature in metal music is that most of the metal outfits deal with emotions of man such as hate, pain, sorrow, misery, envy, greed etc. these bands create songs related to their past experiences and their feelings. Since they are commercial they hit right in the hearts of people who can relate their feelings to the songs. With the rise in the styles of music, there have been many new techniques invented and practiced to perfection with a flare of uniqueness.

Growling gutturals and screeching vocals, galloping bass, screaming guitars and thunderous drums are the main stays of metal. In a glance the combination of all the above may sound like noise to any layman. But people with ability to understand can appreciate and enjoy metal. Its like any drug, once you have tasted it you want more and more and are never stop loving it. It’s so addictive that it becomes a part of you. One last thing, people who don’t appreciate the beauty, superiority of this music and claim that they are music lovers, I can say only one thing ---- F*#Φ YOU.

Leper.

RIPPED

2007-03-02T16:48:00.000+05:30

Alone on a misty road, when the night froze like hell,

When the snow from God’s womb reaches down with a chilly smell,

My ripped heart that drips with sorrow, in vain I try to fill the holes,

That fire burning inside me as it slowly smokes my soul.

Slice by slice my life was cut and my world came crashing upon my feet.

Hopes shattered, dreams lost, alone I was facing that strange cold heat.

Many questions were unanswered and even more answers unasked.

I tried to search the missing in me but a tear slipped and dropped.

Under the dark night sky I walk, with nothing but a heavy heart,

I question the existence of this overburdened life and the answer cuts me further apart.

I see a ray of light in that dark tunnel of pain,

I looked up in search of a hint and down poured the rain.

For those times we spent together,

Those promises to each other we made,

All disappeared like castles on the beach,

When they are hit by the coming wave.

With an ambiguous mind and a restless soul I hope that you return,

A single birth was too short for me to know you and I never got my turn.

I hope that we cross again and that love between us always stays the same.

No matter how many times God takes you away from me, I will be born for you again.

Ankur Saxena

HEROIN-FROM BUNKER 13

2007-03-02T16:45:00.000+05:30

Aniruddha Bahal

It was during that period (Renaissance) in the sixteenth century that the Swiss-German physician Bambastus von Hahenheim accomplished the pharmacological breakthrough of producing a tincture of opium by mixing it with alcohol and calling it laudanum. The concoction saturated Europe and civilization was on track for sedation on a mass scale. The following generations fiddled with Hahenheim’s pharmacological forerunner, which became the indispensable tool of medicine in the eighteenth century.

In 1805, however, it was left `to another German, Frederick Serturner, to isolate the alkaloid of morphine from opium. This separation of the principal ingredient from the parent compound was a dazzling feat. It unleashed into the market a drug ten times more powerful than opium. There was another first for Germany, when Bayer company started the commercial production of heroin in 1898.

Heroin wasn’t Germany’s only area of chemical triumph. In 1855, the German physicist Frederick Gaedcke isolated the active principle of cocaine. World War II also saw the invention of methadone as a substitute for Heroin in Germany.

Brace up for the future..

2007-03-01T10:00:00.000+05:30

I don't belong to the doomsday cult and I'm not a pessimist, but there are reasons to believe that the future MAY not be as rosy as we may want to expect. India has had a honeymoon run in the past three years....everybody's feeling great....and there are a lot of jobs out there....But we have reason to believe that things might change. The US is going the recession way. Any American slowdown will imply a global slowdown and recessions in emerging markets like ours...The symptoms were clear yesterday.... the Sensex crashed not only due to a sucky budget but also because global markets are sniffing an American recession... and India's markets being more globalised than ever could not have stayed unaffected...

We've had it pretty good in the last couple of years haven't we? Plenty of jobs in the marketplace..higher salaries...lots to choose from....but any reality checks will force companies to constrict their recruiting habits...which will affect us directly...

Of course all this may never happen. In which case we may continue our dream runs.....but it's nice to know the possibilities

Medical college blues...

2007-02-24T14:36:00.000+05:30

This is an unedited version of a letter my sister sent me recently. (Unedited except for the identity of my latest crush and yes, why I want to blow BIT up). She wrote it for THiNK, hoping that I would convert it into some sort of story. I don't have time. She's 8 months into her MBBS course. The letter follows:

Dearest Chechi,

I’m sorry I was so late sending this thingy. How are you? Do you still feel like blowing up the place? Sometimes life is boring, you just have to bear with it.

You asked me to describe the first few months in medical college. You know I ‘m not much of a writer or an observer, still. When it comes to memories, dissection table would be the most distinct. After the first dissection, we felt so sick. We had lunch break right after dissection. Most of us used to miss lunch the first few days…coz after spending time with the cadaver it was impossible for us to swallow anything. (Note that we are not allowed to use hand gloves so that we got over the disgust and we also got the real feel.) Its funny, coz nowadays, it’s dissection that seems to stimulate my appetite. Weird how things just become a part of your life I remember how we used to wash our hands with Dettol and God knows what else before we used our hands for anything, now who’s got the time? It was weird standing in front of a naked body especially after studying for 10 years in a girls’ school. Thankfully we had two classes to get accustomed to the situation. I guess our Profs sensed our discomfort. Tsk! Tsk! A guy was the only person who fainted in our batch. That shows the power of today’s girls! (Chechi, just some of my own feminist crap). The first day we opened our dissection box, the scalpel, the blade with which we mercilessly tear open the bodies (it’s real sharp), fell on a girl’s foot. Soon we got accustomed to these minor mishaps; most organs were not a problem. But when we did external genital organ, I still remember the guys gasping when the penis was cut. When we took out the testis from the scrotum, I felt really disgusted. I never took the trouble to hold it and find the anatomical position…n guess what??? I got it for my internals. I was forced to hold it. I guess a Doctor just has to know something of EVERYTHING.

Nothing however would rival the shock I got was when I realized that we had to get our own real bone set, not plaster of paris, but a real person’s bone, and everyone was telling me about how difficult it is to get it. Why all the stressing on a real bone set you may ask. Apparently, every individual’s bones are unique and there are certain contours and properties of real bones that synthetic substitutes can never perfectly reproduce. Back to my story, sometime later this real scary guy came up to me, he looked real creepy. He was trying to sell bones on campus and was milling with the outpatient crowd to avoid being noticed. He was ready to sell a bone set for 1000 Rs. You should have seen the bones! They were fresh! I mean they had a little bit of flesh on them. Damn scary, real bones, like they just popped out of this horror movie show or something. And I, carried away by that new feel of being independent, guess you lose your senses in the battle to prove yourself, bargained for 800. But my friends told me not to buy it coz it was fresh or something like that. So after all that mindless bargaining I told the guy I wasn’t going to buy it…and the guy started crying. His soulless, grey eyes were actually filled with tears. Guess everyone has feelings. Later, my friends told me he was a grave digger. I was petrified-the real world of medicine exposed in all its gory details. To save a life, we take another person’s dear ones remains…sad…and I bargain for it. I felt like crap. It suddenly forced itself on me, like an immense burden, how man has to go to the extremes, just to survive. He forgets everything. Even I forgot in the heat of being a good medical student. I sort of hated myself then. But now, I have become insensitive to such things. I carry the bones of some person in my bag whenever I go for osteo class, sleep off with them on my bed. Guess it’s a part of being a doctor.

Recently we learnt about the skull. And I was listening in class as usual, answering anything I knew (which was not often), when sir brought a foetus skull. You should see it, it’s so small. The bones are not ossified. You could really see what a delicate thing it was. It was so sad, a mother’s hope, her greatest dream…still-born. And here it is - a specimen for us at the embryology lab. There are all kinds of specimens here, kept soaked in formalin, for us to study. They are all so cute, you couldn’t possibly believe anything was wrong with them, but yes they were still-born. A mother’s 9 month long wait and just one of the many specimens in every medical college. It’s pathetic really. To save lives, for medicine to go on, we have to become so ruthless, so insensitive. But without it, there would never be medicine coz you can never understand without seeing. It’s just not about mugging up. It’s another one of those paradoxes in life that you can’t explain.

But it’s not that bad. We get to see every guy in our batch bare chest, not something you get in every college. I still remember how shocked we were when the tutors asked us if any of the guys were ready to strip up to the waist for us to study. I mean we were like: What was she up to? And the worst was when she asked each one of us to come up and feel for the apex beat. It was really weird. It was like they get a free massage in exchange for stripping. But now whatever, every other person is just a subject. Who cares! (Except for the fact that I screwed up my percussion during the exams) It’s fun in a way.

And you won’t believe it, every week I prick my finger more than three times just to get the blood and test it. I hated the idea. Pricking my delicate fingers. Some of my friends haven’t been able to get over it yet. You see, we even shed our blood to get through these five years and become the so called doctors. And as if that wasn’t enough, we need another ten years to be able to practice. But the good part is- it’s fun all the way. Why? Coz we deal with people. Real people. And you just realize how unique each human being is. Not just character-wise but also anatomically - the arteries, the nerves, the veins, the organs, everything is so different. No two specimens are identical. And you have to be so careful. It’s amazing. You actually start thinking: Can Science explain everything? There is something supernatural about life that defies comprehension.

Whenever we go to the college there is a shortcut through the leprosy center. Most of the residents have recovered fully and yet no one has come to reclaim them. As we go by, they just look at us, passing through the center to the college, waiting, to see if someone would come for them someday, someone they can call their own. I’m so lucky to have everyone. And sometimes I think I am real lucky to belong to this generation, a generation without prejudices like the one before. Then again, I think maybe I’m fooling myself, maybe we’re just a generation with a whole new set of prejudices.

The psychiatry and alcohol rehab center is another place we have to cross always on our way to college. I remember when Sameetha was walking by one day, one of its inmates called out "Hello sister! On your way back, get me a pack of cigarettes." They used to call us by all kinds of names when we walked by, hoping we would respond. It was like try your luck. If you hit, you get a girl to look back at you (mostly in fear / anger / annoyance), otherwise you have nothing to lose. For us, it was our silent zone. We used to be so quiet while crossing these areas. Now they know us by name, and we are the least bothered, after all, we are all humans. In fact, Sameetha got her first and only proposal from one of the inmates. It’s sad how life can just slap you right across the face. Whenever we walk, we get flattering comments like- you look so pretty, and I love you and what not. It must be so difficult to be stuck behind those rails. Only they know what they are going through, and boy! How desperate they must be. It’s sad and, I must confess, funny at the same time.

The best part of my first year would be, when I finished just one month of MBBS and I went home for vacations, our domestic help came up to me with her lab reports, asking for my opinion on the case. I just stared at it the X-ray and the blood tests results. And I am like, what in the world is going on?! It was still Greek and Latin to me. Then I go like what the doctor said was absolutely right. (Sophisticated nod plus grave raised eyebrow) AND she surprisingly agreed, when I didn’t even ask her what the doctor said.

It’s so funny how people think that less than one year of MBBS is more than enough to make me a super specialist in every subject in the medical world, even better than the super specialist he/she is visiting, who has spent more than 20 yrs dedicated to the subject.

My first few anatomy classes felt like entering foreign territory –phalanges, superolateral, nasion, cerebrohematoma, shentons line. I never used to follow a word. It took me 2 whole months just to get used to the lingo. These days, I see how the interns come in the morning after working the entire day, just to see that there is no food left. And I keep thinking, that’s me in five yrs. No food! I can’t even imagine the situation. Oh well! From here to there there’s still five years. On the whole I am so happy where I am. I love my college, my batch, my friends, everything! It’s a profession I am sure I will love. It’s tough, requires a lotta determination and focus but I think its fun at the same time. You feel you’re doing something useful, important, relevant. And I hope that this belief stays for the next five years.

Love
Nandhu

POLL

2007-02-24T14:32:00.000+05:30

Sample population: 20 not so randomly chosen BITians

Question: Where should BIT be located?

The Answers:

1) Goa
Reason: So that the guys would have something else to look at

2) Alaska
Reason: So that we have interesting sports during P.T. like skiing

3) Saudi Arabia
Reason: So that all the girls would come out in burkhas

4) Bangladesh
Reason: As it is people speak such pathetic English

5) Cherrapunji
Reason: So that due to heavy rains we get lots of holidays

6) Chocolate factory
Reason: Because I love chocolate

7) NIT Durgapur
No comments

8) In my bedroom
Reason: So that I have an excuse to sleep in class

9) On the internet
Reason: BIT would be virtual

10) USA
Reason: That’s the place where I eventually hope to land up

11) Gujurat
Reason: I’m so obsessed with Ekta Kapoor serials to think of any other place

12) Kashmir
Reason: The lovely scenery

13) My dreams
Reason: I open my eyes and it’s gone

14) On some planet where there is no reservation
Reason: It’s very obvious

15) At the centre of a square with Mc Donalds, CCD, Pizza Hut and Barista at the four corners
Reason: I’m a foodie

16) Floating on the sea
Reason: No reason

17) On the ramp
Reason: Censored

18) Singapore
Reason: That that we have a better place to go shopping

19) Hollywood
Reason: So that I get to see Tom Cruise every day

20) Wherever there is complete internet and cell connectivity

Submitted by: Manasi Khare (BE/94/05)

Wonder Years

2007-02-23T16:07:00.000+05:30

"Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house like a lot of other houses, a yard like a lot of other yards, on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back, with wonder."

If it were a novel, it would be my favourite one and I’d read it through all my joys and sorrows. If it were a movie I’d watch it over and over again till I knew all the dialogues but still be amazed by it. But it is a TV series that spanned 5 years and something I grew up with.

Wonder Years tells the story of Kevin Aarnold as seen through his eyes. It is narrated by an older, wiser but equally wacky Kevin. Kevin is a typical boy somewhere between boyhood and teenage. In each episode he shows us the world around him( USA in late 60s and early 70s). He has a loving mother, an indifferent( yet sometimes amazingly caring) father, a hippie sister and a dumb bully elder brother. He finds an amazingly loyal friend in Paul Pfeiffer. His life also revolves around Winnie Cooper, the beautiful girl next door and his classmate.

Kevin tells us about his first kiss with Winnie (most of us waited for it with more anticipation than our own first kiss), his crush on his English teacher Miss White, his physical fights with his brother, his neighborhood and school. We experience his friendship with Paul grow stronger through many minor tiffs. Over the years Kevin realizes that it doesn’t matter if your friends are not typically ‘cool’, what matters is that they care. Winnie and Kevin go from being neighbors to friends to lovers to friends again. The best part about their relationship is that every time they break up and have a round of faultfinding and yelling they sit together and discuss where things went wrong.

The unique thing about Kevin’s narration is that he blows up the most ordinary of situations by his theatrics and talks in the simplest of terms about the big, complicated situations in life.

There are few things in life that are timeless and Wonder Years is surely one of them. No matter how old or young you are once Kevin starts speaking you can’t help feeling that he is talking about the best part of your life, your childhood.

So, go watch it. It is being freely shared on the LAN. The warmth it gives you is nice to experience in these cold winter nights.

Ancients knew how to catch the water

2007-02-21T19:39:00.000+05:30

Water scarcity has become a serious concern. The security experts are already trying to find ways out to avoid possible water wars in future. Water was a commodity that was freely available to us. Partly due to anger of the weather god and partly due to our own doings, per capita availability of water is declining fast.
Mismanagement of available resources, over exploitation, tendency of people and also the government to make money out of water, pollution of surface resources like rivers and encroachment of ponds and lakes are some of the factors that are making the situation grave. The viable resource left now is groundwater. Pollution of ground water is rampant and due to excessive drawl and less recharge the aquifers are becoming dry. As the days pass water is becoming scarce even in the areas where it was thought to be in plenty. It is important to take lessons from the pages of history and learn what our ancestors and elders were doing in the past.
For them water was a revered commodity.
Water conservation in ancient India:
It appears our ancestors understood the significance of conservation of water better than us. The water harvesting techniques used by them reveal their amazing ingenuity.
Mohenjodaro and Harappa (2600 BC) on the banks of the river Indus in the north and Dholavira located on a low plateau in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat have well developed underground drains. In the Western Ghats about 130 km from Pune exists one of the ancient water harvesting systems in the form of square tanks cut in the rocks to store rain water along a route frequented by the tradesmen.
In the Himalayan terrain, despite scarcity of water townships were established on ridge tops because of a number of flowing springs. One such town is Almora situated on a ridge in Uttaranchal. A strategic location and presence of about 200 flowing springs around the ridge was one of the main considerations for Cahnd Rajas to establish the capital there in 1560. In Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal small tanks were constructed to allow the spring water to accumulate and these were subsequently covered with a roof. These structures are called as ‘Naula’ in Uttaranchal. Names might vary, but the objective was clear to our forefathers; conserve water.
Apart from ‘Naulas’ the other methods of water harvesting in Uttaranchal include ‘Dharas’, ‘Panderas’, ‘Mangras’, ‘Khals’, ‘Chals’, ‘Guhls’ and ‘Gharats’. It is interesting to note that a ‘Naula’ becomes a ‘Dhara’ when an oulet is provided. ‘Guhls’ are same as ‘Kuhls’ of Himachal Pradesh. Water from a river or a stream is diverted into a narrow drain ‘Guhl’ at a point much higher than the village or fields. Water is thus transported long distances by gravity. In Himachal Pradesh the village ‘engineer’ or ‘Kohli’ repaired the temporary bund of boulders and the channel (Kuhl) to the fields before the beginning of the sowing season. ‘Kohli’ also manages and ensures water supply to individual fields. ‘Gharats’ are the water mills common all over the world.
In addition to above in Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh ‘rectangular, deep pits are made on the hill slopes in hard rocks where rain water is collected. These are called ‘Khatris’ and traditional masons construct them. There are ‘Khatris’ that collect rain water from roof tops as well. Depending on terrain a ‘Khatri’ now costs around Rs 10 to 20, 000.
In the matter of water harvesting/conservation the traditional methods of even northeast were not lagging behind. A system to impound runoff, termed ‘Zabo’ is still in vogue in Nagaland. Rainwater is impounded on the highest terrace and as it trickles down it fills up ponds for the acttles in the middle level terraces and finally irrigates the lowest paddy growing terraces.
Ganga plains forming the huge agrarian belt of U.P., Bihar and west Bengal had a large number of ponds (locally termed as ‘Talab’, Talayya’, ‘Pokher’, ‘Pukur’ etc). These were either remnants of cut-off meanders of the rivers (Ox-bow lakes) or dug by the community. These were and still are the ideal harvesting structures. In Tikamgarh in M.P. and Udaipur in Rajasthan dried up smaller ponds were used for cultivating paddy Next season again the pond was available for harvesting water. Unfortunately in the urban areas such water bodies have been meticulously and systematically usurped by the land mafia and to some extent by the government as well in the name of ‘land development’.
In Western Rajasthan rainwater from roofs was directed into underground tanks. The statues of elephant at a lower level and horse at a higher level in some tanks of Jaiselmer worked as water level indicators. If water touched the elephant’s feet meant water will be available for the locality for two years. If the water level rose and touched the ears of the horse, indicated availability of water for five years. Despite being in desert Jaiselmer never had famine for more than five years in the history, says eminent waterman of India, Rajendra Singh. The forts of Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh, Golkunda and Bijapur in Andhra Pradesh and Aurangabad in Maharashtra still have underground baked earthen pipes and tunnels that transport water to distant tanks.
While surveying Mehrauli area for groundwater resources in 1966 author had observed three medium sized ponds with bore-wells. Within three decades the traces of ponds was obliterated. Similarly in Mellur area of Kolar district in Karnataka village ponds made on ‘Chettu’ or weathered granite held sufficient water for the population and also for luxuriant sugarcane crops. Now Mellur is a drought affected area.
In the contemporary circumstances rainwater is the only ray of hope for replenishing the groundwater reservoirs. Need of the hour is to use a mixture of wisdom of the ancestors and modern technical expertise and catch the water before it is lost into oblivion.

VK Joshi

IS THE ENVIRONMENT OF ALMORA ENDANGERED?

2007-02-21T19:25:00.000+05:30

Almora Township is situated on a horseshoe shaped five-kilometer long ridge at an altitude of 1646m. An important district in the newly formed state of Uttarakhand, the historical town has a mention in the Skand Puran as well. It has been described as a holy mountain between the Kaushik (Kosi) and Shyamli (Suwal) rivers.
During the dynastic rule, the Chand Raja shifted his capital of Kumaun from Champawat to Almora due to strategic reasons. Apparently the location on the ridge gave an unhindered view of the approaching enemy. The availability of plenty of water from the springs surrounding the ridge must have given the place an edge over others.
At the time of independence the population of Almora town was around 5000. Now it has crossed 60,000. The rising population and the pressure of tourists have brought the ecosystem of the area under great stress. Land for urbanization and water for drinking, both are in short supply. Hill towns situated on the ridges require special attention of the planners and builders. Construction activity on the hill slopes upsets the slope stability resulting into landslides. Though no major landslides are reported, yet during the monsoon of 2000, as many as 17 landslides were noticed around the ridge of the town.
The pressure on the land is tremendous. While constructing houses people ignore the fact that a construction across the dry nala bed can be hazardous. Any construction on the slope has to provide adequate drainage for the rain - water. This is ignored and consequently due to pore pressure water bursts out from the weak points of the retaining or breast walls. Result is a small slide, causing misery to the people living in the houses down the slope. The daily requirement of water in Almora town is nine million liters whereas the available supply is only five million liters. Though population has increased in logarithmic proportion, the waste disposal system for solids and fluids, both has not been developed. Consequently, litter can be found rolling on the hill slopes. Even today the waste is burnt on the slopes. A proper sewage disposal system is the need of the hour. Since the availability of water is scarce the sewer system should be of a type which can be run on small quantity of water. A biological degradation of waste should be preferred.
The natural hazards plaguing the Almora district are: earthquake, landslide, and scarcity of water, forest fire, and flash floods. The anthropogenic hazards that affect the environment at Almora are: unchecked urbanization, lack of sewer system and interference with the springs
When Chand Raja established Almora as the Capital of his kingdom, the strategic location and availability of water from about 120 springs situated around the ridge must have been the guiding factors. Later generations of society in a hurry to develop the historical town into a tourist center perhaps ignored this fact. Today only a handful of springs are left as remnants. The springs located on a ridge can have only one source of water, that is rain. No doubt the change in the rainfall pattern must have affected the discharge of the springs, but the human interference cannot be absolved of the responsibility. Efforts can be made even now to save the remaining ones.
In a recent study published by the Geological Survey Of India, it has been recommended that rain water harvesting in Almora town will definitely help to boost the scarce water source. It may be mentioned here that hill women practiced this in the recent past and Almora was no exception. The concept can be scientifically and practically popularized amongst the townsfolk once again. For the development of a sewer system it has been recommended that the town may be divided into four sectors, two on either side of the ridge, and treatment plants be suitably located to take care of the waste product. GSI has also carried out a slope study for the Almora town and slopes on the northwest towards Kosi River and southern slopes have been found suitable for urbanization.
This pristine, historical town can revive its glory with just a little care on part of planners and a firm hand on part of the authorities. A balance between the demand and supply of resource like land and water has got to be struck. If the construction activity goes on unchecked and rampant, the day is not far when fresh drinking water will be available at Almora in bottles only.

-- VK Joshi

Engineer

2007-02-21T19:20:00.000+05:30

Engineer woh hain

Jo aksar phasta hain

Interviews ke sawaal mey

Badi companiyon ke jaal mey

Boss aur client ke bawaal mey

Engineer woh hain

Jo pak gaya hain

Meetings ki jhelai mey

Submissions ki gehraai mey

Teamwork ki chataai mey

Engineer woh hain

Jo laga rehta hain

Schedule ko failane mey

Targets ko khiskaane mey

Roz naye-naye bahaane banane mey

Engineer woh hain

Jo lunch time mey Breakfast karta hain

Dinner time mey Lunch karta hain aur

Commutation ke waqt soya karta hain

Engineer woh hain

Jo paagal hain

Chai aur samose ke pyaar mey

Cigarette ke khumaar mey

Birdwatching ke vichaar mey

Engineer woh hain

Jo khoya hain

Reminders ke jawaab mey

Na milne waale hisaab mey

Behtar Bhavishya ke khwaab mey

Engineer woh hain

Jise intezaar hain

Weekend nights par dhoom machaane ka

Boss ke chutti par jaane ka

Increment ki khabar aane ka

Engineer woh hain

Jo sochta hain

Kaash padhaai par dhyaan diya hota

Kaash teacher se panga na liya hota

Kaash ishq na kiya hota....

Kaash..............................

by an Ex-BITian

I still don’t know

2007-02-21T18:55:00.000+05:30

Yeah!
Just a thought of that very bird who,
I thought was trying to soar above the rest,
Spreading her wings with eternal delight,
Lost in the mystery of the full moon night,
Disappeared behind the trees to go out of sight,
Who she was I do not know,
Just wished that moment would go slow,
The thoughts that fled in that one row,
But who she was I still do not know…..

All I did was to take a sigh,
All I wished it to be sweet lie,
For all that happened in a blink of an eye,
Leaves rustled under the faint blue sky,
And who was she I know not now,
All I know she made me wow,
The bird in black, who swirled and turned,
And from her face the laughter churned,
And in her moves was a divine spirit,
And in her looks, a trumping turret,
And then it was the time for me to go,
For that black bird that I still do not KNOW!

Peeyush Rohela

LiFe

2007-02-21T18:32:00.001+05:30

Ever pondered upon the word called life,

It’s nothing but a life long strife,

Moments come and soon they go,

Often raise your spirits, often leave you low,

No one knows its when, why or how,

All that matters it is simply wow,

Life is running the longest race,

One who wins has the fastest pace,

And as the time ticks and the pendulum sways,

It’s time to go out and find new ways,

To lead it full, you need your dove,

And those who find it are all then love,

Go out, seek, know, learn and dare,

For these times are very rare,

Treasure your life and against the tides you row,

Because all you get is for what you sow,

Life is wonderful, a pleasant surprise,

Laws of inaction it does not devise,

Make it worth, let it grow,

With its tides, learn to flow….

So many things for which we crave,

But to get all that, are we so brave,

We desire all what these eyes can see,

And to own those things, all our lives we flee,

Away from home, away from shore,

And freak out our grudge when grapes turn sour,

We have confined ourselves to the laws of physics,

Classrooms, books and lectures on morals and civics,

Where belongings rule and the owners turn slaves,

And when someone dies, we stand near the grave,

And say few words so his soul may rest,

And soon we’re partying out at a fest….

We live as if we would never die,

And then die as if we had never lived,

We let our lives out of our hands,

Stay firm, what if below you is sand,

Do not let life be plain and hollow,

Make a goal for you to follow,

AND SING AND DANCE TO THIS PLEASANT TUNE,

FOR THIS IS LIFE WHICH MAY END SOON………...

Peeyush Rohela

Free Publicity - The Virgin Way

2007-02-21T18:29:00.000+05:30

THiNK, folks THiNK

2007-02-21T18:27:00.000+05:30

Think, for thoughts are integral to your life

Think, to splash your ideas, In the pool you dive,

Think, coz’ after you are gone, only your thoughts survive,

Think, coz’ from every beginning, there’s an end to arrive.

Think, to break free from the monotone of every second’s blink,

Think, make your convictions so strong, so your heart may never sink,

Think of colors of life, from blue to pink,

Think, what you believe, and not what othes about you think.

Think, coz’ you hold the bridle to make others think,

Think, to resurrect those who have forgotten how to think,

Think, coz’ to make a chain, we need to add on links,

Be a sport, don’t just wink, simply think!!

Think, FOLKS think!!!!

Peeyush Rohela

Parable of My Dream

2007-02-21T16:25:00.000+05:30

Just wait for a little while,

I told myself with a hint of smile,

It was coming to me, I’d always thought,

The only dream I’d always sought,

It kept me waiting all the time,

In a hope that some day I’ll hear its chimes,

My aspirations needed an alteration,

Me n my conscience was in altercation,

Then one day it stepped down on the dais,

Dais of my dreams, I knew I was never bias,

And now it stood right there in place,

Still n frozen, never had I seen it in that phase,

Overjoyed n thrilled, I made my move,

My nerves racked n my spirits shove,

I assured it,” Fear not dear, I’m by your side”,

Was I too keen to take my ride?

Swift it was as blows the wind,

Serenity it held when the torrent set in,

With it was established a long acquaintance,

Still worthy was its sole dependence,

Faith instilled was strong, no voids no elusions,

A voice that faded before conclusion,

It dreamed of fairies n fair mansions,

The prince’s conquest and devils’ evasions,

A spirit divine wrapped in the tranquil white,

In this shackled world, a true respite,

Rendezvous with it always were divine,

For it I wished to evolve, to outlive n outshine,

Everything for now is just half down the lane,

What the new day holds, radiance or rain,

Was the world I visited full of gleam,

Or was it just another parable of my dream.

Peeyush Rohela

More Poems

2007-02-21T15:52:00.000+05:30

Brother
For 16 yrs. you have been with me;
A staunch support, an inspiring tree,
whenever I went wrong you corrected me,
Whenever I went right you applauded me,
U have never been far away,
So far as happiness,
The last few words of you are a reminder to me
'prepare well',as tears fell,
The train whizzed by,
I shivered in my solitary...

Lost but Won
I had a dream in my eyes,
My goal was to touch the skies.
I had worked hard to achieve it,
But never thought would lose it,
My dad said Be victorious
My teacher said rise
With the early sun in my eyes,
I set off to the journey of skies.
I lost in an event not prepared,
But had faith would survive
With a success on my head
And a fire in my eyes
And then came the final day
when the results were declared
Lost had i in all the events
Tears melted, dreams shattered like a
piece of glass that falls
I had lost but we had won
I had lost but we had won

Passer By
My world was invaded by the thoughts
the thoughts of this passer by
The roses were red and asked me to
Think. with closed eyes;
The feeling brought a new life
to every object in my world
what was it... i could not describe.

The melodies seemed to make sense
the passer was very kind
but i thought it was a state of mind
and would blow off into the air
i was wrong...the thought was right.
Though i could never speak
i was wrong...the thought was right.
i wish. i could speak

Copyright © 2007 by Pratik Dhaboo

food line in h9 on sunday

2007-02-20T17:12:00.000+05:30

A Crush

2007-02-17T16:35:00.000+05:30

These are those few days in college when I get to stay alone … all by myself … when I can think back into time… think bout those days when all I would have to do is go to school and come back … do my homework at times and then happily indulge in extracurricular activities… then came the days when to the same routine… “ going to tuitions “ had to be added and then we started indulging in more taxing extracurricular…..where less of running around and brainwork was required and more of eye exercise was involved … along with extra rounds of oohhhhs and ahhhhs and 50 more of “ oh!!! He looked at me.”

It was only the second week of going to physics tuitions … it was tiring… coming back from school at 2:30, somehow stuffing myself with “ daal, bhaat and ever so necessary fish curry” , watching ninja robots from 3:30 and then rushing to the tuitions and making it by 4:20 when it would start at 4...

It was on one of those unusual days when I left early for tuition or rather was thrown out of my house so that it appears that I have left early for my tuitions…. Neways… it was pretty cloudy and already had started to drizzle…

It was a perfect weather to njoy outdoors .. For a fast bike ride….just feel the wind blowing past ur hair … ur clothes clinging to ur body as if some gaint vacuum cleaner is following u. I was passing by the k4 type quarters when I heard his voice for the first time… it was so mature, so full of bass, so … mesmerizing that I almost fell off my bicycle… for a split second I was Tran located to some sort of a paradise where the air was full of the sound of the church bells … a lively choir singing their heart out … small children enjoying on a Sunday morning… and all of a sudden it all came crashing down as I crashed into a huge banyan tree and landed inside not so well attended drain… in order to retain the tinge of honor left in me I quietly and quickly got up , brushed myself …. Picked up my then wave like cycle… left for my home as I was too late for … actually too dirty for my tution…

Before leaving …for once i had to analyse the cause of this disaster …. So I looked back into the house from where the voice had called out for me… or atleast I thought had called out for me….but once again … twice in one day I was too late… all I saw was the huge banyan tree laughing out at me…

It was the tution day agin and I would not embarass myself today again by leaving early and colliding into a dumb big tree… so I left late…I was crossing “ the house “ with my complete concentration on the road… I had promised myself that I will not get misguided by any voice of any kind… so I was alert… I had almost crossed the gate… man was I pround or what that soon I heard the voice again… and I stopped (without falling)… turned back for a quick look and what I saw made my heart skip a few beats…I couldn’t breath and could feel Goosebumps coming up … I stood there spell bound with my mouth half open…

I knew what to do if I heard “ the “ voice but what bout when I get to see the one with “ the voice”… and that to when he is someone so cute to look at … his dark brown wavy hair… with a brilliant shine… his brownish grey eyes… gazing at me… I wondered if he liked the look of me… and I don’t know why but I quickly combed my hair with my fingers… he was tall… pretty tall for his kind… kind of well built a little on the heavier side but I didn’t mind… though he had a serious expression something bout his face suggested that he was smiling…he was breathing heavily… probably because he must have been exercising … playing throw ball with his friend…
I soon realized he had come to the gate and was calling out for someone to pass him the ball which had rolled out of the gate and into the drain…but even after this realization dawned on me … I didn’t move a step forward or backward instead kept staring at him with my eyes and mouth wide open…he called out to me again and I got anchored back to the real world…I picked up the ball and gave it to him…and with it flew away a part of my soul … as for him… thanked me with a “ u’r weird “expression turned around and with a big “hhhmmmmfffff” ran back to his friend…

I stood there for a moment … trying to figure out what just happened? And I couldn’t so instead I rushed for my tuition half dazed…

Surprisingly this Sunday I was up and ready very early for my tuition… like a good child I finished my breakfast and zoomed off on my brand new cycle… I had to show it to “Monty”… oh I forgot… after that day of meeting my dream man… I went back to gather more information…
Series of undercover instigations followed… peeping from a hole in the back yard wall when Monty played throw ball…gathering information from sources bout what kind of a being was he? About his relations and all that a gal needs to know bout “the one” . as we noticed that he was very attached to his mom … prerana and myself started meeting his mom more often… more of “namaste aunty ,s” , extra waiting at the gate for quick chats with “aunty”… we even started gathering flowers for her morning pooja….so that she would let us play with her son… after lot of hard work we finally got what we wanted… permission to interact with Monty …. We used to play his favorite throw ball… and then chasing squirrels up the tree…. At times we would also play hide and seek… or just sit back and relax , speak to each other bout how our parents don’t understand our needs… or what’s the need to learn or go to school… or how best friends hurt our feelings and we couldn’t do nething bout it…

Soon we grew very close to each other… I started spending more time at his house… I started bunking classes… and went for walks with Monty… racing to the next lamp post…
we used to walk up to the lake on early Sunday mornings … v had carved out a small niche for ourselves… it was a patch of barren ground surrounded by three big boulders… and all around it grew huge evergreen trees… and our feet would touch the warm water as we enjoyed the filtered sunlight… I would spend hours watching Monts plays with the shadows of the leaves… enjoying the fragrance of the sweet small white wild flowers… careful studying the chirping birds… I was amused to see the strong bond between monts and the beautiful nature… It was a pleasure to play “ catch “ with him… it was fun to be chased round by or just run after monts… he looked so handsome when he would come running to me… his long hair bouncing with every step… his face full of a big smile… ohhhh… how much I wish he could be mine forever….
One day when we were resting after a big throw ball game beside the lake… monts slowly crawled up to me … lay his head gently on my lap and snuggled in… then slowly as if unknowingly put his hand on mine…a shiver ran down my spine and my heart felt as if it would burst into million pieces…and soon I fell asleep…

Only an hour had passed by when I suddenly woke up … and I saw Monty sitting straight up in front of me … and looking into my eyes… I felt as if he had thousands of questions to ask me but somehow couldn’t express himself… after a few seconds of staring at each other I couldn’t stand it nemore and shied away… I could feel my cheeks burning … and am sure they must have turned red… Monty understood just how i felt so he soon got up and signaled for me to follow him… and so did I… as we were walking back it dawned on me … that my exams were coming that meant I would no longer be spending time with Monty…

I had already started missing him…

We reached his house first… I looked into his eyes…trying to tell him all I could in just one look but I failed… as we were standing on the road we had to part for almost 3 weeks with this last stare only…

My head bent and more than semi wet eyes… I started heading for my house… then I suddenly turned back ran to Monty who was about to enter his house… and unabashedly planted a small kiss on his cheek… and ran back home ….

That night as I lay on my bed all I could think of was “MONTY” … his eyes… his hair… his soft yet sturdy body…as ne other girl would have done I at once called up m best friend and spoke to her bout all this… she couldn’t help but laugh at me… I was disappointed and at once cut the line….

Days went by in gloom… and atlas the blessed exams came to an end…

Again it was time to get back to my love… as soon as I came back from school I got ready and left for Monty’s house…

With various plans cropping up inside my head…and my heart full of glee… I almost flew to Monty’s house… but what I saw left me utterly confounded…

A big lock on the main gate… I didn’t know what to do…so I tried trespassing the property and of course got caught…

As the nosy neighbors scolded me for my behavior, all I could think bout was what if Monty was some where inside the house… if only I could get a glimpse of his smiling face but all I could see was darkness…

My voice cracking … I somehow managed to ask what had happened …soon Monty’s friend recognized me and came running to me… it was such a relief to see him for now I was sure that it was only a matter of seconds that I could meet my monts again…

I asked jaggy what happened to Monty and his friend replied “ sahib to chale gaye…. Doosre sheher mien. Saath mine le gaye Monty ko… mem saab to keh rahi thi ki usko bechne ko….par sahab aur baba nahi mane….”

I couldn’t believe my ears…this couldn’t be true….

How could they have left without informing…I didn’t even get to meet Monty for the last time…
Monty’s owner had left for kolkata and had taken him with him… he was the best dog I had ever seen and my best friend ever since the first time we played throw ball together….I turned to leave when I saw something near the gate …. I turned back for a second glance … the bright red ball lay near the gate with a grim expression, feeling unwanted, perhaps missing Monty as much as I was or may be even more…. I picked it up and held it close to my heart…. Closed my eyes and started weeping loudly regardless of the fact that I was standing almost on the main road…

That day I was forced to think if its really true that
TRUE LOVE CAN ONLY EXIST BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS DOG…..
And today when I sit on my bed finishing this story… I m forced to think again and am missing Monty even more…. Wish he could be mine …. MINE FOREVER.

-- pooja

Poems

2007-02-17T16:07:00.000+05:30

CHIMERA

Stealing the light of the candle
She had danced with the shadows once.
Shadows
That now stand
Stripped naked.
The candle,
Extinguished.

CHASM

The soft, silent pain in your eyes
Betrays the silk in your laugh
And questions
The love between us.

FILLERS

Interlinked fingers
A face buried in the hollow of a neck
Lips tracing the meanders of an ear
The swirl of a tongue around a navel
An embrace erases the gap between arms
An insertion swallows up the chasm between legs
For love is all about filling the voids
As is sex

LOST

I slipped in my dream in your eyes, quietly
While you were looking the other way
Thinking it would flourish
With other dreams of yours
Would be nurtured by you
That you won’t know it from your own
I saw it from a distance for several days
Growing
At times, it would rush to one corner of your eye
(I could see it when you smiled, when your eyes crinkled at the corners)
Then, to another
Ready to flow down with a tear
Trembling
Making me tremble
But then you pushed back your tears
And with it, my breath
When you threw up your head to laugh the other day
It was sparkling with a new lustre
It warmed my heart to see it there
Resplendent, in all its glory
I moved a light finger to touch it
The lashes fluttered
The elusive elf vanished
Into the unknown recesses of your eye
Now I don’t know my dream from yours
Keep trying to find it
Sifting yours

--by Ankita

Raat Ki Daastan

2007-02-09T17:32:00.000+05:30

Raat ki pakad dheeli pad rahi hai aur chaaand bhi ek taraf chala ja raha hai. Akhir wo jaana kahan chahta hai? Shayad wo kahin chhip jana chahata hai. Subah ke aanchal me chhipne ko betaab ye chaand bekhabar hai suraj ke us tez se, jo uska namo nishaan tak mita jaega. Shayad.....andhera hi chaand ka ujala hai. Sab ujale se pyar karte hain, chalo andhere se kisi ko to kinaara mila.
Raat hoti hai to har taraf hoti hai bas khamoshi,sannata aur andhera, sab so rahe hote hain, bas akela chand hi jag raha hota hai. Sundarta aur prem ka paryaay bana ye chaand sari raaat idhar udhar bhatakta hai , talaash hai use apne humsafar ki, lekin wo abhi tak tanha hai. Hamsafar ko khojte khojte subah hoti hai aur chand ko lagta hai ki uska hamsafar use milne wala hai. Ab chaand bahut khush hai lekin ye kya? Chaand ki chamak pheeki kyun pad rahi hai? Kya suraj pe uska itna vishwas karna galat hai? Aur ye kya, suraj ne to pure chaand ko hi nigal liya hai. Jispe itna bharosa kiya usi ne itna bada dhoka diya. Lekin shayad chaand hi galat tha. Usne galat shaks pe vishwas kiya. Usne us cheez ko paane ki koshish ki jo kabhi uski ho hi nahi sakti thi aur hoti bhi kaise, puri raat pagalon ki tarah uska saath dene wale andhere ko jo usne chhod diya tha. Aur dekho ab khud ko hi kho baitha hai ye chaand. Chaand pe agar sabse jyada haq kisi ka hai to wo hai andhere ka lekin... sabhi darte hain andhere se ki kahin wo unhe nigal na le. Andhere ka dard to koi samjh hi na paya. Bechare ne ghut ghut kar dum tod diya aur apne sangharsh me haar gaya. Kya andhere ka kasoor sirf itna hai ki wo khamosh hai,dard lapete hue hai,bilkul tanha hai???
Praveen(IIT Kgp)

Courage!

2007-02-08T17:53:00.000+05:30

This is the effluvium of emotions of a person who has to leave her love because of this unjust world.

There is no sun today. Its foggy. Probably the way my life is, or everybody thinks their life is. People are praying for the sun to come out, but its already out in my imaginative world- spreading its radiant arms over my body, inciting me with its warmth. I’m probably still in dreams, but I have to come out of it, open my eyes and face the reality, howsoever harsh it might be.

I start to draw my inspiration from the sun perched in my dreams. I do not love the beautiful rising or setting sun. I like the cruel sun, at its peak, at midday. There it shows that it had the talent to go up and has the courage to come down and come up once again the next day.

This reminds me of the altruistic moon. The most unselfish nature’s gift. It has nothing of its own to offer. It receives light from the sun as alms and that too it donates to the people on the earth, as insignificant as you and me, without keeping anything for itself.

There is a faint line of dark nimbus across the skies. People say the storm blows and dies, the flood gushes in and leaves. They are evanescent. I learn from them. Howsoever small their life may be, they fulfill their purpose and then leave. They shatter and annihilate all that comes their way pillaging their way towards their goal. The goal matters the most and as far as remembrance is considered, people do that for ages in their nightmares.

The nimbus has already made the trees start dancing to its tunes. Trees show how a relationship is made to be broken, how the people you associate with are the ones who leave you and go. The leaves start their life there-sprout, bloom and sway. The tree cares for it as a mother does for her child-food, protection and love, but what happens of the relationship? One fine day all of a sudden the wind comes and says lets leave and even without a goodbye the leaf leaves the person who has cared for it more than himself. Who thinks how the tree shall bear the loss, but it does and does not debilitate in the process. It comes out of it and prepares itself for another generation of leaves.

Somebody said you cannot derive inspiration from the nature because they cannot speak, but I think they are a bigger source of inspiration than us who can at least speak to give vent to our sorrows. Taking a real life example- when I had dropped a year for IIT. I used to attend tuitions and there everyday a beggar who was physically bereaved, had the same torn shirt on for all seasons, used to spread out his arm in front of me with that somber look. I would never even give him a nebulous glance, but he persisted. There was not even the faintest glitter of hope of receiving even a look of sympathy from me, leave aside any penny. He still persisted and at the end, on the 365^th day I gave him Rs 365.

Why then despite so many examples I cannot learn from them. Why then is it that I cry for every loss, give lachrymose performances foe every dolour. Why then I cannot bear not living without one person-who’s thoughts, actions and words tirade my soul. Why then are my parameters for judging a person dependant on the characteristics of that guy. Why cannot I take in things without thinking about him. Why do small things afflict me. A mosquito crying initially generated the response-“switch on the good night”. Now the acrimonious response is–“kill the bastard”. Why is it that I look for a coffin when I smell of flowers.

Who gives me the right to say I cannot come out of this. Why do I demand to forget my own responsibility towards the whole world as I become answerable to just one person. Nobody. I don’t have the right to spoil other’s expectations from me to coerce myself to come down correctly on one person’s expectations. I don’t have the right to take my life. If not for myself I have to live for my dad who even when I was a kid, held me in his arms-not affectionately but as you display a prized trophy, up in the air. Things change, but change is natural and I do not need to change here. Rousseau said freedom is the power to choose our own chains and I decide to desert this chain. I shall get up and be what I always dreamt of being- a girl of poise, belligerent and filled with oodles of attitude and I think by writing this article I have already started doing so!

I Am Grateful ...

2007-02-05T01:35:00.000+05:30

That day is vividly etched in my memory. I remember clearly the ride in the auto that brought us (me and my parents) to BIT. It was a bright sunny afternoon, and after a two day train journey I should have been exhausted but somehow I wasn't. I was too excited for trifles like that. I watched amazed as we passed the long hostels. The perfect facade of the BIT institute building emerged out of nowhere and offered a sudden breath-taking view. I hadn't experienced anything so imposing before. Whoever says that he wasn't awestruck when he first entered BIT is lying. I was astounded too, and though I acted cool about it all, I saw being here as a culmination of my efforts of the last few years.

Somewhere in between the pride in their glances to me, my parents must have harbored a deep concern for me. As such, amid the sense of achievement there was a silent under-current of apprehension. It was then that I decided, I will belittle all the sorrows this place gives me and herald all the joy I am afforded. "That should be easy", I said to myself. I couldn't have imagined how hard it would be.

The first rude shock was that I was to share a small, nay, tiny room with my roommate. (Looking back it wasn't that bad). The ordeal of the admission process, complicated further by the gutkha eating, incompetent babus and peons in the offices. One of the first things to strike me about this place was that security guards were all over the place, and were getting things done...they were more helpful then the officials. "There goes meritocracy out of the window", I thought. I reconciled myself by saying that this is probably the case with most colleges...chalta hain...little did I realize now how often I have to say that in my stay here. It was the same with the food, the way classes were conducted, the labs, the curriculum...hey wait a minute...I couldn't name one thing that this college offered that was better than the others...everything was either as bad or worse.

I hate to look back and say "If only…", but sometimes we have to and learn to admit our mistakes. So I think sometimes, was it a mistake to come here? Had my dreams been shattered mercilessly? I got the answer eventually. Education is not only the gain of knowledge and a tool to win a livelihood...no, it is much more than that...this place gave me amazing friends, I came in contact with great seniors and juniors, I learnt from them, I learnt from great men like Mr. B.B. Pant, this was what this college had given me. It has taught me how to live, amid chaos and confusion, how to carve a niche for myself; it showed me who I really was. These things people say, are achievable in other institutions too, but I don't know and I don't want to find out. All I know is that I wouldn't be the same had I been elsewhere. I am what I am today because of these years in college and I am grateful for that.

Saurabh Khadke

UBUNTU TO SAVE US ALL FROM BILL

2007-02-03T18:01:00.000+05:30

"Ubuntu" is an African word that means 'Humanity for all'. And sure it is; we all need to be saved from the wrath of Gates and Windows.

How many times have you had to restart your computer? How many times have you had to upgrade your processor just to keep up with your spaghetti coded operating system? How many times have you opened out your arms to the heavens and cried out in pain on reading an error message?

I do not wish to resort to the cliched, but it seems so apt here- "Only the worthy find the grail". That might explain why so many still use Windows; they have not discovered Linux.

To revive a dinosaur of a desktop, which would seem to most people, only worthy of trashing, one but needs to get rid of the spaghetti-coded Windows that harries it. It probably has seen too many viruses to have much hope itself. Shutting down and restarting might have caused its quick extinction. For all these problems, there is Linux. Its robust kernel cannot be attacked by virus or hacker. I will not mince my words, it won't crash.

This is where Ubuntu comes in. It is the best version of Linux going around now. Red Hat is more or less neglected, and others have meandered too much, Ubuntu is alive and kicking. It is further enhanced by the fact that Google endorses it and they use their own version of it, Goobuntu. This should further urge the fence-sitters; all Goobuntu updates are available instantly for all on the internet.

Who needs Windows and Gates to enter through the hallowed doors of deliverence? Ubuntu comes couriered to your doorstep in a nifty compact disk. If you still do not have it, then prepare to be swamped over along with Virus Vista through the Gates of Crash, Restart, Control-Alt-Del, 'Where is the @#$%ing MCSE dude?"

Lakshmi

Memories Of The First Year

2007-02-03T13:32:00.000+05:30

You hear a lot about college from your elder brothers and sisters. You imagine this place with no uniform, no parental guidance and very little studies, in short, a place where the party never ends. But this dream bubble gets brutally popped when you enter the gates of Birla Institute of Technology (they should add a :ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK board there).

For the first five minutes you see nothing but trees, trees and more trees with hostel buildings peeking from behind done up in gay(pun intended) yellow and spotted with undies. Finally you reach your own cellular jail. And then your warden says the two magic words “IN TIME”. Things get worse with the stuff they call food and hell holes called toilets.

First day of class, hope rises again. With buoyant steps you enter the building. A swarm descends upon you- SENIORS. From the next day on salwaar kameez, oily hair and bathroom chappals become your style statement. They make you sing, dance or act the fool anytime anyplace. At night you sob your stories to parents and hope you had never left home.

After the first week something happens….something they call orientation. You get used to it. You tell yourself, “It maybe bad but it is what I have to live with now”. And then the fun begins…..

You share your sorrows with your jail mates. You form a team and have fun at Techneek. You enjoy the sad show at Fugia. You experience the joys of free SMSing. You slip off to Subarnrekha right under the guard’s nose. You learn how to study the night before the exam and still get good marks. You learn to play the guitar. You come across funny words like PMC and BABA. Seniors don’t seem so bad when they hand over notes and treat at CCD.

College campus is a place where rumors spread fast. For one whole week you gossiped about a girl from your hostel getting married even when she lived as a happy spinster in the next room. You hear one day that your room was raided and enough stuff was found to earn a narcotics officer a lifetime achievement award. In reality not even a room heater was found!!!

Suddenly you realize that this jungle is always abuzz. Drishtant, Genesis, Dope Seminar. During BITotsav you wish you had Hermione’s time turner because you have to participate in 4 events at the same time.

And now as you finish this blog entry from home you can’t wait to go back. The place has somehow grown on you. The administration may be cold and apathetic or plain non-existent (except on registration day) but the students take care of the rest. The best soldiers are the ones that take the hardest obstacle course. So cadet tie up your boots for another action packed semester !!!!!

--Lioness

2007-01-20T08:09:00.000+05:30

Why THiNK………….

First think about your web-life. Has it not changed rapidly? You no longer mail friends…..you drop by scraps. Your photos are up for display to the world. You have suddenly started preferring random videos on YOUtube to chat shows with famous personalities. Where do you go looking for information, not Britannica but wikipedia. Firefox and Linux spreading like wildfire. And the biggest one of ‘em all……THE BLOG.

WHY?

Because, as Time magazine suggests, the spotlight has shifted to YOU. We don’t want to listen to the general on a news channel briefing us about the situation on the warfront when we have a soldier pouring his heart out on a blog.

We don’t want one professionally made movies anymore……some moron with a camera filming an average day in his dorm seems much more interesting.

We don’t want telephone calls or even e-mails when social networking rocks.

GLORIFYING MEDIOCRACY???

Are bloggers just a bunch of wannabe writers doling out crap about non-consequential things? Should a regular Joe be allowed to tamper with the baap of all information- the encyclopedia? What is so good about the amateurish video clips the world is going crazy about?

I SAY,NO

Because blogs, wikipedia, YOUtube and the gazillion social networks are not trampling upon the already existing ways of information interchange. They are carving a new space for themselves, an alternative. And like it or not everybody riding this wave( now officially called WEB 2.0….though nothing official about it!) is lovin’ it. We have lived linearly too long relying on a bunch of specialists to tell us what we know or do. Its time for a different perspective.

CHANGE

Maybe it’s time when the junta jumps up from the ‘ people’s poll’ corner of the newspaper and spreads to the pages.

BUT, WHY AM I WRITING THIS?

Because bitrip and now THiNK are both a part of this phenomenon. I might now recognize many of my fellow BITians on the road but I get a peek into what they think and do from their blogs. Calvin and Hobbes may tickle me a lot but it is an altogether different experience to read a comic strip about the life around me done by someone living in the adjacent hostel. A book on famous one-liners may be good but it cannot beat the nonsensicality of H4ism. News channels with hundreds of investigating teams blew up the death of a student here but Rhea’s simple observation and remembrance was closer to the truth.

So….START THiNKing but don’t forget to open the lid of your head when you do so that the world can peek in.

COME and be a part of the first THiNK forum/meeting/briefing/celebration on 24^th January……

BECAUSE it’s time ME AND YOU took over.

Questions Anyone?

2007-01-19T20:19:00.000+05:30

Did the egg come first or the chicken? Did the tree come first or the seed? What is ‘God’? Why can’t we have the cake and eat it too? How did the universe originate? These questions which seem to bring all physical explanation to an end are the fundamental problems in metaphysics. It is a branch of philosophy that takes us into a world beyond our own world in a quest to understand the ultimate truth that governs the universe.

‘Meta’ in Greek means ‘Over’ and is understood in some contexts as beyond or after. Physics is, again, a Greek word meaning nature. Hence metaphysics is a study of something that’s beyond nature. The ball was set in this direction by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. In organizing his works, he placed the section on philosophy immediately after physics. Although he called it ‘First philosophy’, the early Aristotelian philosophers called it “ta meta ta physica biblia” which literally means “that which comes after the books on physics”. Co-incidentally, the name fits the subject very aptly since metaphysics attempts to answer questions that transcend the physical world.

Let us look at some basic problems of the subject. We see so many ‘things’ around us. Pens, books, chains, mirrors and so on. What is a thing made of? We could say everything is composed of atoms and molecules having certain properties. But the question remains as to what atoms or molecules are made of. Are they just a bundle of their properties? If a certain thing exists, how did it come there? Did the egg come first or the hen? These are questions of origin. Similar questions could be raised when a thing ceases to exist. After I have eaten a cake, the cake doesn’t exist any more. Where did it go? What happened to the properties it possessed? What happened to the sweet taste? When a person dies, he is no longer the person he used to be. His body is now a corpse, a thing. But when he was ‘alive’, he had a mind, a ‘consciousness’. Where does the mind go after death? What is consciousness? If the mind and the body are two different entities, how is it that the mind controls the body? Where do thoughts come into the mind from? …………..Another barrage of questions follows. Understanding the nature of the mind is perhaps the single most challenging problem faced by philosophers and scientists.

And then there is the question of space and time. What is space? Would space exist if all the objects were taken out of it? Did space exist before the origin of the universe? Or did it take birth with it? What is time? Why can’t we stop time? Why can’t we travel back and forth in time? Did time exist before the universe?

One question leads to another and question after question can be asked endlessly. What makes things difficult is that the theories in metaphysics are generally not testable or provable. Most conclusions drawn are based on one’s perception and experience. Nobody can force one to think like himself for there is no evidence to justify his beliefs. The more data one tries to find to corroborate his theories, the more theories he finds which falsify them. Yet another reason for obscurity is that all our thoughts are controlled by our mind. Firstly, we do not understand the working of the mind. Moreover our minds can only reason what we perceive within this world. We try to model what we do not know on the basis of what we do. We are like fish in an aquarium wondering what the world outside might be like while the truth is that we can’t even find the walls.

Metaphysics is a bottomless well of assorted questions. The deeper you sink, the more questions you unearth, and somewhere at the bottom of those questions is an answer. An answer to all the questions that one could ask. An answer that could be the solution to all problems. That is the answer that metaphysicians seek….

How deep is the well? How long and how deep should we dig before we find out? Nobody knows and the quest continues…….

Amal

THiNKing

2007-01-16T22:27:00.000+05:30

Well, close to three months have elapsed since the first conception of THiNK.
a quarter of an year and people in the college know of it atleast. Given the just up and (barely) running LAN that works sometime in the day when im not using it, the junta has definitely changed. or seems to be headed that way. nevermind that. more on that later on bitrip. more importantly, a discussion forum seems to be on the cards. the discussion shall focus loosely on books (a reader's club) and a generic topic, which will be "Engineering Syllabus:Time for Change" most probably.
now, as someone pointed out earlier today, there isnt much to be achieved by sitting and discussing this. the point in case is similar to the reservation issue that rocked the awareness of every other youth in this country. im not saying that we do something of that sort, merely that we spaek among ourselves and have a voice, a point of view. that we THiNK together and give vent to our thoughts. peacefully. over coffee.

the tentative date for the meeting and the venue is too tentative for announcement yet, but it should be in the week starting 22nd January.

As they say Vox Populi, Vox Dei - the voice of people is the voice of god.
Well, let's get together and find our voice. maybe its just the cold getting to me. maybe its the rdb track playing in my earphones. maybe it's just me.

Oh Well, What the Hell.
See you around the campus next week.
till then,

THiNK

The Shape of Things to come

2007-01-10T15:01:00.000+05:30

If you’d ask me what’s the single greatest challenge that we as individuals face in our lives today, I’d say: change. I believe that we are all susceptible to the uncertainty that permeates the world around us today. As a species, we have reached a stage where the pace of change is simply phenomenal. The only thing certain about the future is that it will be different. Don’t expect a status quo because you won’t find it. What is the norm today will be archaic tomorrow and what today are matters of science fiction will be part of our daily lives. Well, that’s what has been happening over the last century. We somehow seem to catch up with our imagination and create for ourselves a new and different world every day.

So if things are changing, it’s probably a given that you must change too. Now that’s difficult. It doesn’t take much to proclaim to the world that you are open to change, that you are flexible as an individual and are prepared for whatever the future has in store. In fact, there are countless such examples of individuals and organizations that do just that. The truth, however, is that we are always less prepared for change than we may have ourselves believe.

We all resist change. We hate uncertainty. That’s built into our systems. Some individuals fight this inner urge to resist change and succeed. Others wonder what hit them and why they weren’t prepared. Which category you fall into is entirely a matter of choice.

In the times to come, I believe we will witness change like no other generation before us has. We are at a historical inflection point of sorts; generations to follow may well see us as the people who stood in the eye of the storm. The world around us is rapidly changing in every realm: we may be at the cusp of an energy crisis that may trigger another war. We may have already strained our planet too much; our resources may just not be able to support the burgeoning billions of us. I’m not predicting doomsday. This may never happen. Again, if we prevent this from happening it will only mean that we would have effectively dealt with change.

We live in uncertain, albeit interesting times.

The Promise

2007-01-03T23:41:00.000+05:30

Look at the moon shining, smiling saying HI,

Watching his stars giggling, playing in the garden of sky,

Feeling the pain of those one who left him alone,

Blackening his face,

Reminding him The Promise to mourn,

The promise which he inherits from his father,

Spreading lights in days or scolding the nature rather,

Looking at the horizon to meet his end,

Counting his days, humming prayers to touch the Almighty's hand,

Looking his children again,

Giggling, twinkling throwing the lights aloud,

But fretting about something when facing the cloud,

The promise, The promise suddenly flashes in his mind,

"Come here my dear, my love" asks the giant,

"The promise I say to you,

The promise you say to me,

You must hold the gleam,

You must make the passage clean,

For the sons of my sister,

For those who seek the ecstasy and fight the sinister,

Throw them your light of wisdom,

Make them as you are,

Show them the way to truth and give the breath of freedom,

Why you look so hazy?

Why you look so shy?

Stand with the glory,

Climb this nature, climb this sky,

Make the clouds to shame and to pass by,

Tell them that they are just the bunches of dusts,

Rubbing them will not even take us to sigh,

You are the one, you are my son,

Show everyone that

You'll carry The Promise,

You'll define the life what it is,

Say me The Promise,

Say me The Promise."

The father looks at the horizon,

It is The Promise reading his son.

- Manas Chhabra

The Fall of Heroes

2007-01-03T18:12:00.000+05:30

Green Goblin: "...But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you. "

In general I do not like quotes nor speeches... most of them are of no use to me anyways... instead I am the kind of person who is driven by examples. But then there are a few quotes which set me thinking. Like the one above. Its very true. Everybody seems to wait for that one sign of weakness that the superman amongst them might possess. Although the person in question might not want to be acknowledged as a superman; it might very possibly be their own creation. In most cases it so happens that the person followed what he thought was right and to his liking. Then comes along another person who in retrospect thinks he also could have done it, but since he was not the person who had done it, starts to idolize the other. Thus starts a chain of followers which the hero doesn't want. Because by the time people have actually noticed his achievement he has moved onto things more meaningful to him or has progressed to the next stage.

So the person in question tries to live to the expectation of the others and forgets what he wants for himself. As if this is not enough, in sometime people start to question his motives and methods. Far as I think, that hero is not concerned in social service nor in charity. He is more involved with the concept of his ability to do things, to create, to bring unto fruition his wants and needs. And when the needy gets a part of the fruit of his labour, he has the audacity to question the methods of the hero.

In this context, I remember a passage from "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand, where Peter Keating goes to Howard Roark for the designs to the government housing project and around the end of the deal, Peter Keating says: "You are getting more than me." Oh! how true!

-Suchintya

Life is No Longer Straight

2007-01-03T18:10:00.000+05:30

Can all of us really lead a life of merit and just merit? How fair is it to expect to get returns based on the fact that you are good and performing? Or is it wrong in itself to ask for returns? But then what do you do when your performance does not count to take you to the top? Stop participating! That would be a good thing to do but the nagging fear remains... if you do not do as the romans do when you are in Rome, you are sure to be left behind with a hungry stomach when you go to bed. Am I wrong? It would seem so atleast from my dad's viewpoint. Do what you like to do and what you morality tells you to do? Let's see... Had always thought that I am addicted to nothing... really thought that nothing could bind me except family ties... But it seems that I still harbour aspirations of adulation on stage... of showing that I am good... somehow that insecurity still lies within me that I still have got a lot to do... that I am still not started on the path to my destiny... let's see where I can go when I actually do start on such a journey... meanwhile all I can do is prepare. Experience is what will count later on. Being able to recall past

happenings and being able to draw inspiration from current defeats and wins is all that would count I guess. And this time I seriously will stop following others morality. Amen to that!

-Suchintya

I Am Scared

2007-01-03T18:02:00.000+05:30

As I stand on the threshold of the door leading unto the real world I feel scared. The last 25 years of education I hope has not been able to subdue my intellectual curiosity. I hope that I can still challenge and change my views and notions built of "study" and mould them to real learning. I fear that now that the time for real learning has come, my education may prevent me from doing so. It was not all bad but what it did do was never allow me to ask questions and led me to only believe in what I was taught. Nobody would tell me the meaning of education. All anyone would say it will help you in leading a better life, which I think in all probability means a better lifestyle. But is that all there is to education: a better lifestyle. Will it ever help me to contribute in some way that only I can. Will it not help me to find who I am. I guess not. Such questions cannot be dealt with by formal education. When I see the kids these days carrying a bag full of books and learning by rote what they are taught, I feel like crying. Why is there no individuality found for them. Or do the teachers believe in "all are born equal". Yet they do not question why some are good at numbers and some are good with creative arts. The best that I have yet come across in literature dealing with this subject is Sherlock Holmes, when he says to Dr. Watson. "Now that I know that the earth goes around the sun, I will do my best to forget it." As he points out to Dr. Watson that this basic fact is of no use to him or his profession.
There's lots more to write on this subject. But I will today only put down this thought. I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I hope it is not a train rushing onto me. I hope it the light of knowledge and sunshine.

-Suchintya
This is a post taken from his blog, dated Feb 19, 2006

QUANTUM MECHANICS vs. LORD KRISHNA

2007-01-03T18:01:00.002+05:30

Or should it have been somebody like Ashoka, who spread the gospel of eastern philosophy of oneness of being like nobody before him did. Muddling thoughts all going through my brain... Just completed this book on quantum physics and reality "In Search of Schrodinger's Cat" by John Gribbin... Maybe I did miss the point that the author wanted to convey... but one proof that he gave of each particle being aware of every other particle in the universe at the quantum level and that means every other particle in the universe... mind boggling... the first thought that occured to me was - isn't it the same thing as "Aatma parmatma se hi janam leti hai aur usi mein leen ho jaati hai..." ( gotta better my roman hindi/english ? )... In essense what Lord Krishna told Arjun on the battlefield of Kurushetra - "Sab maya hai... apna kartavya karo". Same way the quantum particles do not bother to stop and think what we shall think of them... They go merrily about doing what they want to do; and they do quite a lot of amazing stuff. In the analogous Young's Double slit experiment performed with electron instead of photons, the electrons behave quite expectedly from previous experiments, giving the same results of interference patterns as in the case of photons. But experiments conducted to observe their travel make them bashful I should say from displaying their true capabilities. In the case of one electron being released from behind the two slits and no observing equipment or intelligent observer at any of the two slits, they give their normal interference pattern at the screen. BUt as soon as their is an observer at any of the slits, it decides to show itself up at any one of the slits and gives a pattern that would be expected of a matter particle in the classical sense. Its as if they come to know that somebody is poised to watch their quantum ( cosmic? ) dance... Then the author supporting his pet theory of many worlds existing at right angles to each other... which seems to be able to explain lots of everyday phenomenon, the most interesting being the time travel grandfather paradox. By this many worlds explanation, there is a different world that exists for each throw of the dice. So if you killed your grandfather you land up in a world where your grandfather does not exist and you are born because of other forces... Simply each choice in many probable choices exist, only that few of them might give rise to this (our) kind of intelligent beings... others choices that may be more highly probable might not even do so... All this means that we are part of a superspace... The book ends explaining various current thought processes going on the physics-philosophy world... One of them says that maybe we are part of some vacuum fluctuations and the universe is finally going to collapse into the vacuum again... something like the fire that comes out of the matchstick when you strike it and then collapses into nothingness. This kind of nothingness is something that I am not able to palate... that there is no world after this world... that what I do in this world has no meaning... that I am a mere puppet in the great show... frightening to say the least.......... that I am prebound to take the actions that I take and therefore something like being an emu, knowing that it is a bird but unable to take flight... don't know where I have veered off to... but the phrase in Geeta that frightens me the most goes "Manushya to nimit maatra hai..." Maybe someday I will be able to see this phrase in a new light... but now all that is signifies is I am free to do anything that I please simply because my actions are predestined. Ugh! Can I go and get drunk now ( 1:36 am ) and then maybe do something that would being grief to people near me... something like beat up people I don't like (?) and then give an excuse, "maine kuch nahi kiya sab uparwaale ka doshh hai". Sounds exciting? This is one philosophy that I never prescribe to and would not be doing so in future: When one does good it is by the grace of GOD and when that same person goes and pushes somebody into a well, that person has done bad and GOD does not feature... What kind of thought is this: GOD is good and we are bad? neways enuf of blabber.... Should go to sleep... although am sure it is going to be a long time in coming... ( I don't know how to count sheep!!! )

-Suchintya

Vedic Maths

2007-01-03T18:01:00.001+05:30

Some tricks of vedic mathematics, essentially for elementary arithmetic.

To find the square of any number ending in 5, multiply the number obtained after deleting 5 from it with a number incremented by one for a number so obtained and place 25 after it. eg: 25^2 = 2*3 25 = 6 25 = 625; 75^2 = 7*8 25 = 56 25 = 5625; 115^2 = 11*12 25 = 132 25 = 13225

To multiply a number by 11, first put down the digit in the units place in the units place for the answer. Then add the digit in the units place with digit in the tens place for the, substitute the units place digit of the number so obtained the for the tens place digit of the answer, and treat the tens place digit as carry for the addition between tens place and hundreds place of the original number. eg: 23*11 = 2 (2+3) 3 = 253; 765*11 = (7+1) (7+6+1) (6+5) 5 = 8415; 29043*11 = (2+1) (2+9) (9+0) (0+4) (4+3) 3 = 319473.
Also taking analogy from above, to multiply a number by 22,33,44... first multiply the number by 11 and by 2,3,4...

To find the square of a number between 26 and 49, first subtract the difference of the number from 50, from itself. Then divide the number so obtained by 2. Now jot down the square of the difference of the number from 50 in the end of the result of division, allowing for only two places ( not more not less ) and treating the hundreds place digit as carry over, if any. eg: 46^2 = (46 - 4)/2 4^2 = 42/2 16 = 2116; 39^2 = (39 - 11)/2 11^2 = 28/2 121 = 1 (4+1) 21 = 1521.
Drawing analogy from above, to find the square of a number from 51 to 74, add the difference instead of subtracting. eg: 56^2 = (56 + 6)/2 6^2 = 62/2 36 = 3136; 70^2 = (70 + 20)/2 20^2 = 90/2 400 = 4 (5+4) 00 = 4900.

To multiply a number by 125, first add 3 zero's at the end of the number, then divide by 8. eg: 394*125 = 394 * (125*8) /8 = 394000/8 = 49250.

To know the remainder when a number is divided by 3 or 9, first add the digits of the number and then divide the sum by 3 or 9 as the case maybe and take the remainder of this division; it gives the same result. eg: to find remainder when 480275996 is divided by 3 - sum of digits = 50 / 3 = 16 2/3, so remainder is 2; for division by 9 : 50/9 = 5 5/9, so remainder is 5.

This above does not even cover the tip of the tip of the iceberg of knowledge that can be gleaned from Vedas.

Why Do Men Socialise ?

2007-01-03T17:59:00.000+05:30

Leave alone those gatherings which take place to celebrate life and real friends. But the others in my opinion are held because men do not want to keep their mind idle. Most believe in the age old adage "Idle mind is the devil's playground". Hence most do not even think out the consequences of reasoning out this proverb. They fear that keeping away from such social gatherings will lead to them being alone. And it is a no brainer that when you are alone you are lead to introspect. You are lead to think and reason your actions, your motives, your philosophy in life. It is something that most would like to run from and hide. All realise that if they do not work nobody will earn for their food. It is he who is responsible for his own survival. And man not being a being which can hunt for his food each day of his life, he has to plan ahead. Even the gangster who loots from people at gunpoint has to work. And to work you need to think, to plan. Instead people would rather go for gossip where they get opinions for earning their own living from people who have the same purpose of coming to that gossip: to know how to earn their living. To use the fruits of somebody's else's thinking. Let such sit down for a few days and not socialise. Most would refuse outright. Some I believe would be led to drastic measures. But there will be a handful who will realise who they are and what are the consequences of their actions. To those few I say: please gather the courage and develop your philosophy in life.

-Suchintya

Was Wondering

2007-01-03T17:57:00.000+05:30

if I really want to write consolidated ideas in my blog in the first place. Is it not meant to be a space where you can express yourself without having to oblige oneself to the audience. Which, I guess, is what I would be exactly doing my consolidating my ideas and writing a good piece of prose everytime.

In the meanwhile found a nice rejoinder to the quota policy... came as forward in the mail...

I completely support the PM and all the politicians for promoting Reservations. Let's start the reservation with our cricket team. We should have 10 percent reservation for Muslims. 30 percent for OBC, SC/ST like that. Cricket rules should be modified accordingly. The boundary circle should be reduced for an SC/ST player. The four hit by an OBC player should be considered as a six and a six hit by a OBC player should be counted as 8 runs. An OBC player scoring 60 runs should be declared as a century. We should influence ICC and make rules so that the pace bowlers like Shoaib Aktar should not bowl fast balls to our OBC player. Bowlers should bowl maximum speed of 80 kilometer per hour to an OBC player. Any delivery above this speed should be made illegal. Also we should have reservation in Olympics. In the 100 meters race, an OBC player should be given a gold medal if he runs 80 meters. There can be reservation in Government jobs also. Let's recruit SC/ST and OBC pilots for aircrafts which are carrying the ministers and politicians(that can really help the country.. )

Ensure that only SC/ST and OBC doctors do the operations for the ministers and other politicians. (Another way of saving the country..) Let's be creative and think of ways and means to guide INDIA forward. Let's show the world that INDIA is a GREAT country. Let's be proud of being an INDIAN..May the good breed of politicians like ARJUN SINGH long live.

As for my stand I firmly oppose quota in super-speciality streams in medicine. The rest I can take the burden, as I have been doing for the last 4 years, having come from a state studying in a college that has more than 50% seats reserved.

- Suchintya

This is a post taken from his blog, dated May 03, 2006

Never Say Die

2007-01-03T17:52:00.000+05:30

"No battle is lost till the last boat is sunk."

Both the above quotes are a variation of the same theme. Essentially do not give up. I just happened to remember a sunday evening, in which my group in the college fest was supposed to perform a skit on stage. We had not rehearsed even once. All the characters knew their parts. That was it. The appropriate background scores had not been found. Just before we were to go on stage, I lost all hope of putting up atleast a decent performance that would not earn any boos from the full packed audience. Stubborn in my belief that it was no use to get up on stage and then find everything screwed, I decided not to appear. Had this sunken feeling in my heart and total hopelessness. Then a few people around encouraged me. Somehow, I got up on stage and did the small part that I had. Then came the bomb. The pre-recorded voice over we had brought along did not work/stopped working. Even the audience had started loosing interest. But two guys handled the situation by providing real time background lipsync.

Anyways at the end of the skit when the audience burst into cheers, I was pretty relieved of having passed through a very trying circumstance. Haven't felt so low on confidence since then. If there was one thing that I realised that night, it was the fact that until you put in effort and pursue what you set out to do, you don't know if you will pass or fail. It the courage of conviction in my ability that I must carry with myself as my sole weapon against all opposition in life.

And then there is this good anecdote that I always quote:

A man enters a party, where there are among the guests 100 women. He knows that there is exactly one woman amongst them all that he will be able to take out that night. So his probability of success is 1/100 or 1%. That sounds pretty imposing. But we must see ahead. He goes upto one and proposes. She refuses. Now the probabillity of success increases to 1/99 or 1.01%. He goes up to a second and so on. Each time his probability increases 1.02%, 1.03%, 1.04%, 1.05%, ... So we see that he fails each time, he also keeps increasing his probability of success each time, until such time that he succeeds. Some might find the example a bit crass, but I find it much more potent in driving home the point of not giving up till the last, than most that do the rounds, especially by the so called management gurus.

Anyways for the sake of information the quote at the beginning of the essay (No battle is lost...)can found on the desk of the late Shri Pramod Mahajan. His loss is going to hurt the BJP a very good deal. Sometimes I do wonder if his death was really by a wronged younger brother, or was it a part of a larger political gameplay. Who knows...??

- Suchintya

A Brief History Of BIT Mesra

2007-01-03T17:48:00.000+05:30

B.I.T. Mesra is a "Deemed University" under Sec. 3 of the U.G.C. act 1986. It functions under the overall supervision, direction and control of a high power Board of Governors, comprising representatives of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, the U.G.C., the State Government, The Chancellor, the A.I.C.T.E., The Hindustan Charity Trust and the Institute Faculty. Shri G.P. Birla is the Chairman of the Board of Governors. The Governor of the state of Jharkhand is the Chancellor of the Institute. The Technical Council decides the academic policy of the Institute.

The Birla Institute of Technology was established in the year 1955 at Mesra, Ranchi, by the Philanthropist- Industrialist Mr. B M Birla with a vision to be recognized as a world-class learning institution for engineering and technology by providing the highest-quality academic programmes that foster student development and connect knowledge, practice, and outstanding scholarly research.
Over the last fifty years, the Institute has not just kept pace with the times; it has often taken a lead in introduction of programs in emerging areas. The Institute today offers Under Graduate, Post Graduate as well as Doctoral level programmes in Engineering & Technology, Applied Sciences, Remote Sensing, Computer Applications, Information Science, Bio-Medical Instrumentation,Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Business Management & Hotel Management & Catering Technology. A rich heritage of academic excellence; a strong commitment towards creation and constant upgradation of academic infrastructure; an unremitting interaction with the industry; an unrelenting endeavour to develop effective teaching skills of its faculty and to provide an environment that promotes productive research and most of all a stringent intake of the best talent have placed BIT amongst the frontrunners in the domain of technical education and research. With students drawn from all the States of our Country, the Institution has endeavoured to maintain its all India character. BIT has graduated over 15,000 Degree holders in Engineering & Technology and over 2000 Post graduates. The active research programmes of the Institute have produced a number of Doctorates (PhD's) in various areas.

BIT was the very first Institute to establish a Department of Space Engineering & Rocketry in the year 1964. BIT also introduced the concept of Small Industries Entrepreneurs' Park and became the first and the only Institute in the country not just to provide 'nursery sheds' and central designing and workshop facilities to young entrepreneurs, but also to facilitate the initial project funding. BIT became the very first technical University to establish overseas extension centers in the year 2000. It is one of the few Universities to be accorded a Super Computer at the core of its ultramodern IT infrastructure.
The Institute has also been active in initiating as well as becoming a part of International ventures and tie-ups. It has collaborative arrangements with Universities in the USA, UK & Canada. It is an active member of the EAGER NETWIC Project of ASIA LINK programme of European Commission for establishing a world class academic network of Higher education in the rapidly growing field of Wireless and Mobile Communication between the five partner Universities.
BIT has been catering to the manpower needs of almost all the major sectors of the economy since the last five decades. BIT alumni have made the Institute proud of their achievements, many of whom are amongst the leaders of the Industry, both in India and abroad.
The Institute along with its extension centres at present has more than 7500 students enrolled for different Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes. It also has more than 150 registered students for the Ph.D. Programmes.

-Shabda Raaj

Programming Quotes

2007-01-03T17:46:00.000+05:30

UNIX is simple. But It just needs a genius to understand its simplicity.

--Dennis Ritchie

Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.
--Fred Brooks

Theory is when you know something, but it doesn't work. Practice is when something works, but you don't know why it works. Programmers combine theory and practice: Nothing works and they don't know why.

It's hard enough to find an error in your code when you're looking for it; it's even harder when you've assumed your code is error-free.
-Steve McConnell Code Complete

If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilisation.
-Gerald Weinberg

*The Six Phases of a Project:
Enthusiasm
Disillusionment
Panic
Search for the Guilty
Punishment of the Innocent
Praise for non-participants*

Good code is its own best documentation. As you're about to add a comment, ask yourself, 'How can I improve the code so that this comment isn't needed?' Improve the code and then document it to make it even clearer.
--Steve McConnell Code Complete

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.
--Bertrand Russell

No matter how slick(efficient) the demo is in rehearsal, when you do it in front of a live audience the probability of a flawless presentation is inversely proportional to the number of people watching, raised to the power of the amount of money involved.

One of the main causes of the fall of the Roman Empire was that, lacking zero, they had no way to indicate successful termination of their C programs.
--Robert Firth

Fifty years of programming language research, and we end up with C++?
--Richard A. O'Keefe

C programmers never die. They are just cast into void.

If debugging is the process of removing bugs, then programming must be the process of putting them in.
--Edsger Dijkstra

You can either have software quality or you can have pointer arithmetic, but you cannot have both at the same time.
--(Bertrand Meyer)

There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third works.
--Alan J. Perlis

Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft building progress by weight.
--Bill Gates

Before software can be reusable, it first has to be usable.
--Ralph Johnson

The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development time. The remaining 10% of the code accounts for the other 90% of the development time.
--Tom Cargill

Programmers are in a race with the Universe to create bigger and better idiot-proof programs, while the Universe is trying to create bigger and better idiots. So far the Universe is winning.
--Anon

As soon as we started programming, we found to our surprise that it wasn't as easy to get programs right as we had thought. Debugging had to be discovered. I can remember the exact instant when I realized that a large part of my life from then on was going to be spent in finding
mistakes in my own programs.
--Maurice Wilkes discovers debugging, 1949

I did say something along the lines of "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot; C++ makes it harder, but when you do, it blows your whole leg off."
--Bjarne Stroustrup

It has been said that the great scientific disciplines are examples of giants standing on the shoulders of other giants. It has also been said that the software industry is an example of midgets standing on the toes of other midgets.
--Alan Cooper About Face

Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
--Pablo Picasso

If the code and the comments disagree, then both are probably wrong.
--attributed to Norm Schryer

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
--Will Rogers - THE BEST

Einstein argued that there must be simplified explanations of nature, because God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the software engineer.
--Fred Brooks, Jr.

As we said in the preface to the first edition, C "wears well as one's experience with it grows." With a decade more experience, we still feel that way.
--Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie

Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability
--Edsger W.Dijkstra

I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
--Dennie van Tassel
(P.S: just like revision changes for hardware or new version release for software)

Rules of Optimization:
Rule 1: Don't do it.
Rule 2 (for experts only): Don't do it yet.

--M.A. Jackson

Most software today is very much like an Egyptian pyramid with millions of bricks piled on top of each other, with no structural integrity, but just done by brute force and thousands of slaves.
--Alan Kay

Every program has (at least) two purposes: the one for which it was written, and another for which it wasn't.
--Alan J. Perlis

Technology is dominated by two types of people: Those who understand what they do not manage. Those who manage what they do not understand.
--Putt's Law

Copy and paste is a design error
--David Parnas

Any code of your own that you haven't looked at for six or more months might as well have been written by someone else.
--Eagleson's law

The primary duty of an exception handler is to get the error out of the lap of the programmer and into the surprised face of the user. Provided you keep this cardinal rule in mind, you can't go far wrong.
--Verity Stob

When Girls Change Tubelights

2007-01-03T17:45:00.001+05:30

The problem was simple.

Panks wanted her tube light changed. So when she entered my room looking for someone who knew how to do it, I jumped at the opportunity. I call it an opportunity because I love changing tubelights and bulbs. Yeah, it looks strange for a hobby but I can’t help myself.

I removed the functional tube from Anu’s room (who had long ago moved out) and took out the dead one from Panks’. Now this presented a problem as the holder was a bit twisted and my position was hardly comfortable. The chair, which was in turn on top of Panks’ bed, was shaking. The simple solution would have been to fix the twisted holder with a pair of tweezers. However my enthusiasm for changing tubes is equaled by my fear of getting electrocuted. I cannot touch the damn thing even if the mains are switched off (strange combo!!!)

So there I was trying to get the thing in when Poo entered. I was so happy doing what I was doing and turned to tell her about it. I, however, forgot that the fan was on. Clang! The tube was split into half as if by a blow by Darth Wader himself. The three of us stared at the broken pieces now scattered all over the place. Shit!!

However the spirit of a tube light changer is not easily broken. While cleaning her room another idea struck!! Panks agreed.
At midnight we slipped into the guest room of our hostel, replaced the working tube there with our dead one and ran as if we had just looted Swiss bank. Half an hour of twisting and turning the holder the tube light finally fit. Both Panks and I were covered in sweat (the fan was OFF this time!). We prayed to god, blew the conch and flicked the switch on. Nothing!!! Like a madman I flicked it again and again!! No result after six hours of hard work and sweat can be depressing and with a glum and broken spirit we went to bed.
Two days later the electrician told us that it was the switch that was not working properly.

- Lioness

You've got to find what you love

2007-01-03T17:44:00.001+05:30

You've got to find what you love(Text)

You've got to find what you love(Audio)

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

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

Aging

2007-01-03T17:43:00.001+05:30

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50
and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them "

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9 Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every o pportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming Whoo what a ride".

I Say Evolve

2007-01-03T17:41:00.001+05:30

"You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else. We are all part of the same compost heap. We are the all singing, all dancing, crap of the world. You are not your bank account. You are not the clothes you wear. You are not the contents of your wallet. You are not your bowel cancer. You are not your grande latte. You are not the car you drive. You are not your fucking khaki's.
You have to give up, you have to give up. You have to realize that someday you will die. Until you know that, you are useless. I say let me never be complete. I say may I never be content. I say deliver me from Swedish furniture. I say deliver me from clever arts. I say deliver me from clear skin and perfect teeth. I say you have to give up.

I say evolve, and let the chips fall where they may."

Courtesy Dust Brothers, The Fight Club

Wouldn't you hire me ?

2007-01-03T17:40:00.001+05:30

EDUCATION /Qualification:
Stood first in BA (Hons), Economics, Punjab University, Chandigarh, 1952;
Stood first in MA (Economics), Punjab University, Chandigarh,1954;
Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St John's College,Cambridge, 1955 and 1957;
Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge, 1957;
DPhil (Oxford), DLitt (Honoris Causa); PhD thesis on India's export competitiveness

OCCUPATION /Teaching Experience:

Professor (Senior lecturer, Economics, 1957-59;
Reader, Economics, 1959-63;
Professor, Economics, Punjab University, Chandigarh, 1963-65;
Professor,International Trade, Delhi School of Economics,DU,1969-71;
Honorary professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University,New Delhi,1976 and Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi,1996 and Civil Servant

Working Experience/ POSITIONS:

1971-72: Economic advisor, ministry of foreign trade
1972-76: Chief economic advisor, ministry of finance
1976-80: Director, Reserve Bank of India; Director, Industrial Development Bank of India; Alternate governor for India, Board of governors, Asian Development Bank; Alternate governor for India, Board of governors, IBRD
November 1976 - April 1980: Secretary, ministry of finance (Department of economic affairs); Member, finance, Atomic Energy Commission; Member,finance, Space Commission
April 1980 - September 15, 1982: Member-secretary, Planning Commission 1980-83: Chairman, India Committee of the Indo-Japan joint study committee September 16, 1982 - January 14, 1985: Governor, Reserve Bankof India
1982-85: Alternate Governor for India, Board of governors,International Monetary Fund
1983-84: Member, economic advisory council to the Prime Minister
1985: President, Indian Economic Association
January 15, 1985 - July 31, 1987: Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
August 1, 1987 - November 10, 1990: Secretary-general and commissioner,south commission, Geneva
December 10, 1990 - March 14, 1991: Advisor to the Prime Minister on
economic affairs
March 15, 1991 - June 20, 1991: Chairman, UGC
June 21, 1991 - May 15, 1996: Union finance minister
October 1991: Elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam on Congress ticket
June 1995: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
1996 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the ministry of
finance
August 1, 1996 - December 4, 1997: Chairman, Parliamentary standing
committee on commerce
March 21, 1998 onwards: Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha
June 5, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on finance
August 13, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on rules
Aug 1998-2001: Member, committee of privileges 2000 onwards: Member,
executive committee, Indian parliamentary group
June 2001: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
Aug 2001 onwards: Member, general purposes committee

BOOKS:

India's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth -Clarendon Press, Oxford University, 1964; also published a large number of articles in various economic journals.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Adam Smith Prize, University of Cambridge, 1956
Padma Vibhushan, 1987
Euro money Award, Finance Minister of the Year, 1993;
Asia money Award, Finance Minister of the Year for Asia, 1993 and 1994

INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS:

1966: Economic Affairs Officer

1966-69: Chief, financing for trade section, UNCTAD

1972-74: Deputy for India in IMF Committee of Twenty on International
Monetary Reform

1977-79: Indian delegation to Aid-India Consortium Meetings
1980-82: Indo-Soviet joint planning group meeting
1982: Indo-Soviet monitoring group meeting
1993: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Cyprus 1993: Human
Rights World Conference, Vienna

RECREATION:

Gymkhana Club, New Delhi; Life Member, India International Centre, New Delhi

PERSONAL DETAILS

Name: Dr Manmohan Singh
DOB: September 26, 1932
Place of Birth: Gah (West Punjab)
Father: S. Gurmukh Singh
Mother: Mrs Amrit Kaur
Married on: September 14, 1958
Wife: Mrs Gursharan Kaur
Children: Three daughters

Late Sitting at work

2007-01-03T17:38:00.000+05:30

Infosys Chairman - Mr.Narayana Murthy's Speech on Late sitting

I know people who work 12 hours a day, six days a week, or more. Some people do so because of a work emergency where the long hours are only temporary.Other people I know have put in these hours for years. I don't know if they are working all these hours, but I do know they are in the office this long. Others put in long office hours because they are addicted to the workplace. Whatever the reason for putting in overtime, working long hours over the long term is harmful to the person and to the organization. There are things managers can do to change this for everyone's benefit.

Being in the office long hours, over long periods of time, makes way for potential errors. My colleagues who are in the office long hours
frequently make mistakes caused by fatigue. Correcting these mistakes
requires their time as well as the time and energy of others. I have seen people work Tuesday through Friday to correct mistakes made after 5 PM on Monday.

Another problem is that people who are in the office for long hours are not pleasant company. They often complain about other people (who aren't working as hard); they are irritable, or cranky, or even angry. Other people avoid them. Such behaviour poses problems, where work goes much better when people work together instead of avoiding one another.

As Managers, there are things we can do to help people leave the office.
First and foremost is to set the example and go home ourselves. I work With a manager who chides people for working long hours. His words quickly lose their meaning when he sends these chiding group e-mails with a time-stamp of 2 AM, Sunday.

Second is to encourage people to put some balance in their lives. For instance, here is a guideline I find helpful:
1) Wake up, eat a good breakfast, and go to work.
2) Work hard and smart for eight or nine hours.
3) Go home.
4) Read the comics, watch a funny movie, dig the dirt, play with your kids
etc..
5) Eat well and sleep well.
This is called recreating. Doing steps 1, 3, 4, and 5 enable step 2.
Working regular hours and recreating daily are simple concepts. They are hard for some of us because that requires personal change. They are possible since we all have the power to choose to do them.

In considering
the issue of overtime, I am reminded of my eldest son. When he was a
toddler, If people were visiting the apartment, he would not fall asleep no matter how long the visit, and no matter what time of day it was.!

He would fight off sleep until the visitors left. It was as if he was afraid that he would miss something. Once our visitors' left, he would go to sleep. By this time, however, he was over tired and would scream through half the night with nightmares. He, my wife, and I, all paid the price for his fear of missing out. Perhaps some people put in such long hours because they don't want to miss anything when they leave the office. The trouble with this is that events will never stop happening. That is life !

Things happen 24 hours a day.
Allowing for little rest is not ultimately practical. So, take a nap.
Things will happen while you're asleep, but you will have the energy to catch up when you wake.

Hence "LOVE YOUR JOB AND FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANY"

- Narayana Murthy

Nathu Ram Godse's Speech At The Trial

2007-01-03T17:36:00.000+05:30

" On January 13, 1948, I learnt that Gandhiji had decided to go on fast unto death. The reason given was that he wanted an assurance of Hindu-Muslim Unity... But I and many others could easily see that the real motive... [was] to compel the Dominion Government to pay the sum of Rs 55 crores to Pakistan, the payment of which was emphatically refused by the Government.... But this decision of the people's Government was reversed to suit the tune of Gandhiji's fast. It was evident to my mind that the force of public opinion was nothing but a trifle when compared with the leanings of Gandhiji favourable to Pakistan.

....In 1946 or thereabout, Muslim atrocities perpetrated on Hindus under the Government patronage of Surhawardy in Noakhali made our blood boil. Our shame and indignation knew no bounds when we saw that Gandhiji had come forward to shield that very Surhawardy and began to style him as 'Shaheed Saheb' - a martyr - even in his prayer meetings...

....Gandhiji's influence in the Congress first increased and then became supreme. His activities for public awakening were phenomenal in their intensity and were reinforced by the slogans of truth and non-violence which he ostentatiously paraded before the country... I could never conceive that an armed resistance to the aggressor is unjust... Ram killed Ravan in a tumultuous fight... Krishna killed Kansa to end his wickedness... In condemning Shivaji, Rana Pratap and Guru Govind as 'misguided patriots,' Gandhiji has merely exposed his self-conceit... Gandhiji was, paradoxically, a violent pacifist who brought untold calamities on the country in the name of truth and nonviolence, while Rana Pratap, Shivaji and the Guru will remain enshrined in the hearts of their countrymen forever...

....By 1919, Gandhiji had become desperate in his endeavours to get the Muslims to trust him and went from one absurd promise to another... He backed the Khilafat movement in this country and was able to enlist the full support of the National Congress in that policy... very soon the Moplah Rebellion showed that the Muslims had not the slightest idea of national unity... There followed a huge slaughter of Hindus... The British Government, entirely unmoved by the rebellion, suppressed it in a few months and left to Gandhiji the joy of his Hindu-Muslim Unity... British Imperialism emerged stronger, the Muslims became more fanatical, and the consequences were visited on the Hindus...

The accumulating provocation of 32 years, culminating in his last pro-Muslim fast, at last goaded me to the conclusion that the existence of Gandhiji should be brought to an end immediately... he developed a subjective mentality under which he alone was the final judge of what was right or wrong... Either Congress had to surrender its will to him and play second fiddle to all his eccentricity, whimsicality... or it had to carry on without him... He was the master brain guiding the civil disobedience movement... The movement may succeed or fail; it may bring untold disasters and political reverses, but that could make no difference to the Mahatma's infallibility... These childish inanities and obstinacies, coupled with a most severe austerity of life, ceaseless work and lofty character, made Gandhiji formidable and irresistible... In a position of such absolute irresponsibility, Gandhiji was guilty of blunder after blunder...

....The Mahatma even supported the separation of Sindh from the Bombay Presidency and threw the Hindus of Sindh to the communal wolves. Numerous riots took place in Karachi, Sukkur, Shikarpur and other places in which the Hindus were the only sufferers...

....From August 1946 onwards, the private armies of the Muslim League began a massacre of the Hindus... Hindu blood began to flow from Bengal to Karachi with mild reactions in the Deccan... The Interim government formed in September was sabotaged by its Muslim League members, but the more they became disloyal and treasonable to the government of which they were a part, the greater was Gandhi's infatuation for them...

....The Congress, which had boasted of its nationalism and socialism, secretly accepted Pakistan and abjectly surrendered to Jinnah. India was vivisected and one-third of the Indian territory became foreign land to us... This is what Gandhiji had achieved after 30 years of undisputed dictatorship, and this is what Congress party calls 'freedom'...

....One of the conditions imposed by Gandhiji for his breaking of the fast unto death related to the mosques in Delhi occupied by Hindu refugees. But when Hindus in Pakistan were subjected to violent attacks he did not so much as utter a single word to protest and censure the Pakistan government...

Gandhi is being referred to as the Father of the Nation. But if that is so, he had failed his paternal duty inasmuch as he has acted very treacherously to the nation by his consenting to the partitioning of it... The people of this country were eager and vehement in their opposition to Pakistan. But Gandhiji played false with the people...

....I shall be totally ruined, and the only thing I could expect from the people would be nothing but hatred... if I were to kill Gandhiji. But at the same time, I felt that Indian politics in the absence of Gandhiji would surely be proved practical, able to retaliate, and be powerful with armed forces. No doubt, my own future would be totally ruined, but the nation would be saved from the inroads of Pakistan...

....I do say that my shots were fired at the person whose policy and action had brought rack and ruin and destruction to millions of Hindus... There was no legal machinery by which such an offender could be brought to book, and for this reason I fired those fatal shots...

....I do not desire any mercy to be shown to me... I did fire shots at Gandhiji in open daylight. I did not make any attempt to run away; in fact I never entertained any idea of running away. I did not try to shoot myself... for, it was my ardent desire to give vent to my thoughts in an open Court. My confidence about the moral side of my action has not been shaken even by the criticism levelled of against it on all sides. I have no doubt, honest writers of history will weigh my act and find the true value thereof some day in future. "

Who Am I ?

2007-01-03T17:35:00.000+05:30

Who am I? Where did I come from?
The philosophical quest continues...

(A beautiful verse from Rig Veda that tries to analyze creation so rationally and humbly that it doesn't contradict science even to this day.)

In the beginning
There was neither existence nor nonexistence,
Neither sky nor heaven beyond …

That One breathed, without breath,
By his own breathless power.

The first born was the Creative Will,
The primordial seed of the mind.
All else followed.
The sages, searching for the truth within themselves,
Discovered the eternal bond between the seen and unseen.
This bond was an endless line stretched across the heavens.
What was above?
What was below?
Primal seeds were sprouting, mighty forces were moving;
Pulsation from below, pure energy above.

Who here knows? Who can say for sure? …
When it began and from where it came-this creation?
The gods came afterwards
So who really knows?

From where this creation came,
By what means it was formed,
Only He who watches from the highest heaven knows
or perhaps even He does not know!

[quote(s) / poem(s) n° 3007: Rig Veda [presentation], most ancient of the Vedic collections of hymns, considered the Hindus most sacred scripture., Hinduism

Rig Veda, Book X, 129]

The Great One

2007-01-03T17:32:00.000+05:30

I am not a star
There's no halo over my head
Fate doesnt like the colour of my eyes
Struggle and strive are old friend of mine
Who am i ?
I am guts. I am survival. I am pride.
For I have met fate
She can be pretty mean
When shes not in a mood
I will not take life as it comes
I will scratch and claw
I like odds.
Especially when they are stacked against me
Because there will come a time
when i will stare them in their eyes
and smile the smile of one who pulled it off
I am the guy who will have deep lines on his face someday
and it would make me look good when i laugh
Because that is the day-I will fear no fear
Success has no address-no landmark-no calling card
The path is steep; some will take the elevator
I will take the stairs
Some will get there faster but I will get there stonger
YES, Thats will be the day
When I stand at a bay window
And unclench my fist
For there will be no more odds to conquer
Not even in the mind
I like odds -They help me get even
Society has name for guys like me - STUBBORN

- Harbir Singh Rissam
(From MSVV to BIT and back to Life)

Strong Winds

2007-01-03T17:25:00.001+05:30

They are everywhere, blowing with Might,
Whether it be a desert or a mountain sight.
Even in Canyons, plains or Valleys bright,
Or in busy cities and seaside at night.

They twist and blow round and round,
Taking whatever comes in the Way, they make sound.
Whether it be a free object or with a rope bound,
All go with it and fall to Ground.

Strong winds shake cities and nations wide,
Bringing power, glory and success to their side.
Who can stop a strong wind?
None! not even a strong body or strong mind.

-by P2

Peace

2007-01-03T17:24:00.002+05:30

It is not joy nor sorrow,
But that which is between,
It is not nought nor morrow,
But that which joins them in.

It is sweet rest in music;
And pause in sacred art;
The silence between speaking;
Between two fits of passion --
It is the calm of heart.

Swami Vivekananda

More…

2007-01-03T17:24:00.001+05:30

A beggar wishes a piece of Bread,
A homeless wishes a Roof over his Head.
An unemployed wishes a job, wiping his Brow,
And an Employed wishes his salary to grow.

Poor wants to become rich and better,
Rich wants to become still richer.
A king wants more power in his hands,
Countries want more Oil in desert Sands.

A wife would wish more jewellery from her honey,
The kids would wish a bigger pocket money.
A tenant wishes to have a house of his own,
Fixed-line users wish to have a cell phone.

Tata and Birla want more companies under their control,
And Ronaldo wants to score one more goal.
NASA wants to go farther into Space,
And Williams siblings want to score many more Ace.

You won’t find someone who wishes nothing More…
Even a Lion would like to have a louder roar.
I too wish something more from All,
Its more love a blessings to fulfil my goal.

-by P2

King

2007-01-03T17:23:00.000+05:30

Often you have heard that debate,
Who is better for a State.
Is it a dictator unopposed,
Or a leader in an elected post.

Some say democracy is the Best,
Anyone can compete to be Ruler with the rest.
It brings out the best in the country,
And keeps a check on the ruler from giving People Worry.

Others say dictator is Better,
He can discharge his duties quicker.
He can curb corruption and bureaucracy,
He can make State a real fantasy.

But is democracy in true sense followed?
It is by fanatics and powerful men completely swallowed.
And what about the dictator so Great,
His Rule makes the Eyes of people wet.

A king should be one, so that all love him,
In his reign, in happiness the people Swim.
He takes care of his People like his sons and daughters.
And makes the state and the World better.

-by P2

It is not about the reservations.

2007-01-03T17:22:00.000+05:30

Make no mistake about it. Its been executed with such finesse,it can put the state controlled pogrom in gujarat to shame-wonder if there is some training ground where they learn these dexterous skills. But then, one gets better, with practice. And its not just wine that gets better with age. To dismiss this as vote bank politics would be being courteous. To call this an exercise in futility would be well, churlish. To credit it as a master stroke,err, nothing would be further away from the truth. Truth is, this is a failure of imagination. Yeah, its a dismal failure of the senses because we take pride in having the largest written constitution on the face of this earth. It is a farce because we say that it took us many long years to sow the seeds of liberalization since we are a calibrate democracy, a vibrant democracy at that. It is a sham because we say that free speech and expression is the cornerstone of our egalitarian society. Yea,Like hell it is.

Let me then, enlighten you, Honorable Minsiter of HRD, Shri Arjun singh,that dissent is what distinguishes communist China from democratic India. A Hitler from a Nehru. A rigid fascist from a liberalist. A despot from a meritocrat. Hell, when George Bush-,the redoubtable foot in the mouth exponent- visited Great Britain, and tens of thousands of angry protestors assembled in front of the Buckingham Palace, to protest his presence in their country, all he could say was that he loves going to a country where there is freedom of speech; dissent. Affirmative action, dear sir, can be imported later. Learn the rulings of democracy first. Take away dissent, and we are as good as dead.

And I am not yet drawing myself into the debate of whether the government should or should not uphold the bill seeking the 49.5 reservation. For its not about the reservation at all. Reservations, beloved sir, are a manifestation of a form of anachronism, which was shameful even in a society which prevailed in your prime. And the anguish, the despair, the despondency, and the desolation are a function of this utterly shocking and reprehensible proposal . That fifty eight years into the life of a nation, we still haven’t imbibed the first imperative of democracy. I can almost hear the founding fathers quiver in their graveyards.

I was thrilled, delighted even that interns and medical students my age stood up for what they thought was right. For no cost is too high to stand up for what one thinks is right. Kids my age who have little to do with this imbroglio, many of them ,who will either join elite hospitals or head abroad, kids who have nothing to gain and everything to lose, risk their careers, their lives. For the uninitiated, a doctor cannot apply for a visa or practice, if she has a police statement against her name.

They voted with their feet and you lathi charged them?. They protested in a silent , non violent manner, and you thumped them with 3rd gear water cannons? They stood up for equality and you tear gassed them? Its quite some time since holi and quite some time left for diwali, but never mind. In more ways than one, you have invoked our collective consciousness. We knew our generation was up for it. You helped us prove it. And lest, you misunderstand us, this is no flash in the pan. When you flushed them out, they formed a huddle. When you canonized them, they held on to each other for their lives. When you detained them,they didn’t even so much as to raise a whimper. When their futures were being decided by god forsaken cops,they couldn’t think of influential names to bail them out. And sir, perhaps, what was the last nail in the coffin, was when you arrested 6 of them, an overwhelming 400 of them quoted mass arrest.

And perhaps, we don’t have much to lose. Let me correct myself then. How many of you in the government would want your grand children to be delivered by mediocre doctors? How many of you would want to come under the knives of surgeons who got through on reservation grounds. Terra Firma. How many of you would want your intestines and kidneys removed by well, at best, ordinary doctors?

We learn from history that we learn nothing from history. And if history repeats itself and yet what happens catches us off guard, how incapable are we of learning from our mistakes. Our best doctors- Naresh Trehan, Pratap Reddy- and the like are all great men not because they hail from a Tulu or an Iyer background, but inspite of it.

Even as I type this, a rather buoyant news reporter claims a probe has been ordered and I quote NDTV here. “The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra has ordered a probe after police use batons to disperse anti-reservation activists.”

A Probe? Prime time televison disemminates live pictures of students being attacked, battered and bruised. And you order for a probe? You don’t trust your eyes! Ahh…fitting, aint it?. Or else I would have been forced to believe that human beings can commit such heinous,atrocious fallacies. Yet again, this is not an effort to stem the rot. This is a charade. A farce. A bloody travesty.

And Sir, if you still can’t hear us, let me assure you that the screech is going to get shriller. Today we ve got to the streets; Tomorrow we are going to be in the south and the north blocks. We will fight with every last inch of determination left in our souls, every last drop of blood left in our bodies.

Thanks to people like you, we have arisen from what is seemingly a long , long siesta. Thank You sir for leaving us with no choice but to take the future of this nation in our collective hands. It’s thanks to you that we are potentially at the cusp of what is seemingly an awakening of a generation. Indeed, thank you sir for making us realize our strength of character. Yea,finally, We ve stopped existing. We ve started living.

This sums up the mood really- ( quoted by a friend who was a part of the protests)
"chadha do gaddi....kya farak padta hai....seat to le hi lee hai....ab jaan bhi le lo.

Now you know why Rang de Basanti was as big a phenomenon as it turned out to be. You don’t play with our self respect Mr.Singh. I understand you successfully implemented a 49.5% reservation in Madhya Pradesh a couple of decades back. Lightning strikes just once. And yeah, what goes around comes around. Except that, its your turn to be hit by the collective thunder.

In conclusion, all I would state is, even after having said what I have, I would still want you to have a peaceful twilight of your life. So heed the call of a generation.A generation which will not let merit become a victim of whimsical eccentricity.A generation which will be celebrated for its resurgence and tenacity. A generation which will not take things lying down. A generation,clearly, whose time has come.

Else, kindly keep off from the morning walks. Like I said, Rang de Basanti is cult. And to us, defence minister ho, ya human resource, kuch farak nahi padta.

Amen.

Anon.

Gone are the days

2007-01-03T17:21:00.002+05:30

Gone are the days...........
When the school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and benches.
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books and notes.
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays,
yet Managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.
We learnt writing with slates and pencils,
antiperspiranted To fountain pens and ball pens and then micro tips.
We began drawing with crayons
and evolved to Color pencils and finally sketch pens.
We started calculating first with tables
and then with Log tables and advanced to calculators and computers.
When we chased one another in the corridors inIntervals,
and returned to the classrooms drenched in sweat.
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,Playgrounds,
under the trees and even in cycle shed.
When all the colors in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays.
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons.
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls.
When few played "kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun,
While others simply played "book cricket" in the confines of classroom.
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy.
When we used to watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks.
When few rushed at 1:45 to "Conquer" window seats in our School bus.
While few others had "Big Fun", "Chock-o-bar","kulfi ice" and "Pepsi"at2:00 Clock.
Gone are the days Of Sports Day,
and the annual School Day,
And the one-month long preparations for them.
Gone are the days Of the stressful Quarterly,Half Yearly and Annual Exams,
And the most enjoyed holidays after them.
Of tenth and twelfth standards,
when we Spent almost the whole yearwritingrevision tests.
We learnt, we enjoyed, we played, we won, we lost,
We laughed, we cried, we fought, we thought.
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more.
Gone are the days when we used to talk for hours with our friends.
Now we don't have time to say a HI.
Gone are the days when we played games on the road.
Now we code on the road with laptops.
Gone are the days when we saw stars shining at night.
Now we see stars when our code doesn't work.
Gone are the days when we sat to chat with friends on grounds.
Now we chat in chat rooms.....
Gone are the days where we studied just to pass.
Now we study to save our job
Gone are the days where we had no money in our pockets and fun filled on our hearts
Now we have the ATM as well as credit card but with an empty heart
Gone are the days where we shouted on the road.
Now we don t shout even at home
Gone are the days where we got lectures from all.
Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....
Gone are the days
But not the memories,
which will be Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever
and Ever and ever and Ever.....

NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE,
DON'T FORGET TO LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL EXISTS.
IT WONT BE THERE FOR EVER

Anon.

Faith

2007-01-03T17:21:00.001+05:30

Time is passing like Meteors in Sky,
I am eager for the final Time to pass by.
Will it bring me Glory,
Or Will it make me Sorry?

I rely you, for the Answer,
Will you fulfil my Great Desire?
Can you send me a notice ahead,
May be when I am sleeping in my bed.

Everything rests on you The Mightiest,
I reiterate my Faith a continue My Quest.

- by P2

Desires of the heart

2007-01-03T17:20:00.001+05:30

5'6" jiski height ho,
Jeans jiski tight ho,
Chehara jiska bright ho,
Weight mein thodi light Ho,
Umar me difference slight ho,
Thodi see wo quiet ho,
Aise apni Wife ho...
Sadak per sab kahe kya cute ho,
Bhid me sab kahe side ho, side ho...
India ki paidaish ho,
Sas ki seva jiski khwahish ho
Aisi apni Wife ho...
Padosi jab baat kare to haath me knife ho,
Dinner candle light ho,
Dono me na kabhi fight ho,
Milne ke baad dil delight ho,
Hey prabhu teri archana uski life ho.
Yeh kavita padke sab kahe "Guru, tum right ho",
Aisi apni Wife ho...
Kaash yeh concept 0.0001 percent bhi right ho
Agar aisi apni wife hoto kya hasin life ho
Har kisi ki yahi farmaish ho
kudrat ki bhi aajmaish ho
Khudah ke software mein bhi bug ki na gunjaish ho
Ay kaash, kahin to ek aisi paidaish ho
aisi apni wife ho, aisi apni wife ho....

-Anon.

Farewell

2007-01-03T17:19:00.000+05:30

The end is so near,

And deep down inside,

Are you sure you’re not afraid,

Of what may happen,

After the last good-byes.

Doesn’t your heart palpitate with emotion,

As you think of the loneliness that follows so close,

And soon you’ll be…

One of the crowds,

Doesn’t anxiety reach its peak,

Thinking about the future,

That may or May not be.

The finishing line draws near,

So let me cease to say Farewell,

Telling you that you’ll be remembered and loved,

For what you were, are and will be,

Wishing you the best,

In whatever you seek and venture,

And hoping,

That there will be no end to your success.

- Harbir Singh Rissam

Conflicts

2007-01-03T17:18:00.002+05:30

I am a firm believer in GOD. I stare at his world in disbelief.

So much is wrong. Inadequency, it seems, is in excess. Poverty, hunger, malice are widespread and common. Too common in fact. They are fashionable things to talk about. Simply cured and easy to prevent diseases take lives in regions that lack basic medical provisions. Brothers, fathers sons die in combat. Mercenaries slit throat after throat. In the name of religion, man kills man.

Whilst all this happen, we remain unaffected. Parties, social-does at which face-less people enjoy themselves, drowning in moolah. They worry about the scratches that come to their cars while "other" people wonder whether they'll get to eat that night.

Yes, the world is a mad place with mad residents. Where is HE? Where is God at this time? You might think that he's sitting pretty somewhere, eating out of a big bag of pop-corn. It isn't so, He's very much here. We see glimpses of him in ourselves.

The other day, I was in a bus, at a crossing. I saw a simple sight. A father and son were playing with each other. They lived in a slum on the roadside. They were a picture of tattered clothes, bruised bodies and filth all around. Yet they were happy, they laughed and played with each other fondly.

The world is not a perfect place, far from it. But we still have each other. In the words of Ernest Hemingway, " The world is a beautiful place, it is worth fighting for". I agree with the second part.

- Harbir Singh Rissam

Beauty

2007-01-03T17:18:00.001+05:30

by: Anacreon (c.572-488 BC)

Horns to bulls wise Nature lends;
Horses she with hoofs defends;
Hares with nimble feet relieves;
Dreadful teeth to lions gives;
Fishes learn through streams to slide;
Birds through yielding air to glide;
Men with courage she supplies;
But to women these denies.
What then gives she?
Beauty, this Both their arms and armor is:
She, that can this weapon use, Fire and sword with ease subdues.

TRANSLATED BY THOMAS STANLEY, 1651

AGE

2007-01-03T17:16:00.000+05:30

Found this poem called "AGE" written by Anacreon.It beautifully expresses the joy of living in the present.

AGE
by: Anacreon (c.572-488 BC)
OFT am I by the women told,
"Poor Anacreon! thou growest old;
Look; how thy hairs are falling all;
Poor Anacreon, how they fall!"
Whether I grow old or no,
By the effects I do not know;
But this I know, without being told,
'Tis time to live, if i grow old;
'Tis time short pleasures now to take,
Of little life the best to make,
And manage wisely the last stake.
TRANSLATED BY ABRAHAM COWLEY (1618-1667)

A Brief History of Change

2006-12-24T10:30:00.000+05:30

BC 65 million:
An Asteroid Strikes; Wipes out Dinosaur Population, the course of evolution of Life on the Planet Changes

BC 10 million:
An ape takes a small step upright; humanity takes a leap forward, the saga of anthropology Changes

BC 3200:
An Egyptian develops hieroglyphic writing, the process of communication and knowledge aggregation Changes

BC 509:
Roman Republic is founded, political and social setup of human civilizations Changes

AD 1:
The Christ is born; A Mel Gibson gets the subject for his passion; Eras of Beliefs and Calendars Change

AD 820:
An Al-Khwaizini invents Algebra; Comfort levels of Generations of High School Students to come Change

AD 1492:
A Columbus discovers America, the destination of freedom and prosperity seekers for generations to come Changes

AD 1776:
A James Watt invents steam engine, an Industrial Revolution Changes the scale of Human Enterprise

AD 1879:
An Edison invents Incandescent Bulb Power Equation of Day & Night Changes

AD 1969:
A Concorde is airborne; the relative Speed of Transatlantic sound waves Changes

AD 1991:
A Manmohan Singh assumes office; a nation’s economic orientations Change

AD 2000:
A Y2K bug mania bites computer Systems, the face of Indian IT Industry Changes

AD 2007:
A magazine by the name of THiNK is published in BIT Mesra.

Crash! Boom! What the Hell!

Wait a second! I thought we were talking about change here?!
Yeah!

Change.

That's what THiNK is all about.
About stepping out of the cast mould. Away from the mindless rush of life to ascertain one's identity. No, THiNK is not a movement. It's just a thought. Exhorting you to THiNK.

To stay hungry. To stay foolish.

In these two lines lies the paradox of this idea.
Stay Hungry.
For more knowledge. For more of everything in life.
Stay Foolish.
Not dumb. Not arrogant. Humble. plain ol' simble you.

Like all good things under the sun, this idea was born during a time when ideally the idle mind where it sprung to life should have been doing something else. Like studying Electromagnetic Theory. or Linear Control Theory for that matter. But it was elsewhere. Musing to itself, to try and do something different. Something off the beaten path. I think the original idea came to me sometime around idle week following the mid-term papers, when we were preparing to return home and stuff our faces with good food. It went something like this:

Left> so what are we gonna do this semester?
Right> something different?

{
Note to reader:
Left and Right (L & R henceforth) can be freely interpreted as per the limits of your imagination. They are however to be both treated as mutually exclusive integral parts of the author. Suggestions include parts of:
a> the brain
b> vacuum occupying the place of the AWOL brain
c> alter egos - without the obvious political leanings of course
d-z> your imagination?
}

L> let's continue blogging.
R> Na, that was last year's idea. Something else.
L> like what?
R> how about actually writing?
L> you mean like a novel? That will take umpteenillion millennia to finish, and longer to spell-check, proof read, plus it will never be published.
R> hmmm. Point.
L> so what to we do?
R> you temme.
L> ahem. I know this may sound lame, but how about resurrecting Zog's idea?
R> which one? Starting a movie library?
L> No dude. The other one.
R> Ok. You mean setting up a propah coffee shop-cum-eating joint near the library wi-fi hotspot, right?
L> seriously! I am surprised I happen to be connected to you. I am talking about Buzz-In-Town. R> What! Not that Gossip rag! Isn’t that the reason she buried it in the first place?
L> exactly. Let's come out with something more like, you know, my style...
R> you mean a half-baked re-incarnation of Douglas Adam's writing that no one this side of the galaxy can interpret?
L> uh.........
R> loaded with brain teasers, quizzes, useless trivia, comic strips, smart alec comments on everything under the sun and over it, et al?
L> uh.........
R> that is sure to ruffle some feathers and other appendages of most people that hear about it? That will be another time sink for you?
L> uh.........
R> Well, You are absolutely right. Sounds exactly up your alley. Let's do it. But how are you gonna mange it?
L> uh........., what?!
R> I said, how are you gonna manage it? What form will it be? What will it be called? Who’s gonna do the designing? Who will contribute to it?
L> I think I need to sit down.
R> what you need is another shot of caffeine.
L> yes that will do just fine.

Post Caffeine Ingestion

L> hmm. Name... the obvious moniker will have to serve as a placeholder till I THiNK of something better.
R> and what’s the obvious moniker called in these parts?
L> think.
R> I am.
L> no, THiNK.
R> Huh, why can’t you just say it?
L> i already told ya. T H i N K.
R> oh. Right then. What about the....
L> you know what your problem is? You never...
R> Eh? Which one?
L> What?! Now how am i supposed to know which one?
R> you should. You are the one that brought it up in the first place.
L> ya right. So why don’t you just make a proper numbered list of all of them and we could check later which one it is that we were discussing, or add it to the list if it isn’t already there.
R> ok.
L> as i was saying, your problem is...
R> but what am I gonna call it?
L> call what?
R> the list of course.
L> how about things that aren't right?
R> but that describes you doesn’t it?
L> yes, but not exclusively. Or completely.
R> ok. "Things that aren't right" it is. You were saying...
L> saying what?
R> that my problem number is...
(whispering- x being a placeholder for its number on the list you see).
L> ah yes. Since you ask, just not these down. Firstly …
R> you are dictating a list.
L> that’s right, and you are to be taking it down without interrupting me, get it?
R> ok. Go ahead, make my day
L> ya rite. Ok, where was i?
R> 3rd rock from the sun
L> i mean where as in...
R> Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
L> Jesus Christ Bananas!
R> Alright, alright. Firstly?
L> God! Yes. Firstly, you never stop
Secondly, you make hyperspace jumps at every pause for breath on part of the other person communicating with you, or trying to.
Thirdly, you leave all others confused, dazed and tired from jetlag / spacelag / whateverlag, trying to keep up with you
Fourthly ... what are you doing?
R> … … …
L> hello? I’m talking to you.
R> … … …
L> will you bloody answer me?
R> No.
L? No?
R> N. O.
L> why?
R> I’m trying not to interrupt your stream of thought, seeing how hard it is for you to get into it in the first place.
L> ok. I give up. What do you say we do?
R> are you sure you can handle it?
L> ya
R> absolutely?
L> yup
R> positively?
L> yes
R> lock kiya jaaye?
L> Y.E.S. Is that clear, or you want it in writing on stamp paper, signed in triplicate, attested in duplicate and sealed by legal counsel?
R> Nah. that will do.
L> so...
R> so what?
L> WHAT DO WE DO?
R> oh that? Yes yes.
L> well?
R> ya. catch some carbon based life form, show it how hard it is living the way we do, with this endless stream of ideas and thoughts, focus on the one's about fun, food, enjoyment, college and print THiNK diagonally in bold across it.
L> and?
R> that should be enough to put things into perspective. Meanwhile we can think of more things to shock the living daylights of the poor thing. What say you?
L> Seems like a plan.

Ok.
(deep breath)

So that is something of what went on in the devil's workshop before i manage to dupe Mr. insaneunknown into listening to my latest brainstorm
(believe me; you have no idea why it is called a Brain-STORM!). He further suggested SS (Not the Schutz Staffel, in case you were wondering) & logistics undefined. I decided to call everyone to a war conference at the canteen, threw in the zog as part of a forgotten package deal and Voila! We had the editorial team of THiNK ready. That left the creative group/team/person issue dangling. At which point the lioness was lured in, putting my fears to rest (in pieces…) with sharp measured ninja chops of creativity. Whatever that means. So the next day at the canteen, i managed to dole out the stuff swimming in my mental cavity, between bites and sips of a free treat from idontknowwho. Well, that's that, and this is THiNK now.

What originated as a bored gestation of thought seems to have picked up some wind, even if it should only be from half a dozen individuals, at least it's there.

So come the Ides of March in the year of our lord 2007, THiNK shall be distributed as a PDF on orkut, Gmail and bit-mesra.ac.in (God & Pant Sir be willing).

Dear weary reader, if you have managed to reach here unscathed, drop me a line and I promise to treat you to a coffee at the canteen and a copy of THiNK.
Alternatively, you can also take your revenge by sending in your contribution to bit.think@gmail.com

Auf Wiedersehen
(Google it out if you don’t know German! that's what I did.)

And meanwhile,

THiNK
stay hungry, stay foolish.

Her Tender Touch

2006-12-23T20:47:00.000+05:30

Her Tender Touch would cure all Pain,
Her Godly smile was like drop of Rain.
Robed in a white saree bordered blue,
She looked heavenly True.

A leper in the street was cared by None,
Mother came in his life like bright sun.
If it was not foe her care,
Thousands would have lived in despair.

‘City of Joy’ felt her presence,
She changed poor people’s life’s essence.
To bring Joy to the neglected in the City,
She worked day and night till she was eighty.
And when she bade the World Goodbye,
Hearts and Eyes filled with tears, looking towards the Sky.
Shall we call her Saint, or Mother,
I think Mother, which is more intimate, is Sweeter.

--by P2
(about Mother Teresa)

Shade

2006-12-23T20:45:00.000+05:30

One fine morning I took out my Old Car,
Drove around merrily and went very Far.
But Oops, my Car broke down,
Far away from busy Town.

Sun was shining overhead,
Its scorching heat made me sweat.
I searched around and found a Mango Tree,
Sat under its Shade and felt a bit free.

Another day I was in the middle of Thar,
(The Great Indian Desert)
I was betrayed again by my old Car.
Any guesses, the tree for shelter I found,
It was a Tall Date tree, with nothing around.

I found no Shade, my worries didn’t fade.
A tree so Tall, does not give pleasure at all.
Its better to be humble than be Tall,
Live a Life such that, it helps all.

---by P2

The Apple

2006-12-23T20:44:00.000+05:30

I was wandering in an Orchard, Big and Green,
Among Trees of all size, I saw a beautiful Scene.
An Apple Tree so wonderful and Fine,
Caught the attention of Mine.

The tree was loaded with apples mostly Green,
Leaves were hiding a Red one like a Screen.
I went towards the Apple attracted by its Shine,
I didn’t know what was I doin’

The Apple was Shiny, Fresh and Red,
I plucked it, and then away I sped.
I sat on Green Grass admiring the Fruit,
It seemed Juicy, Sweet and Cute.

After a while I cut it into Two,
What I saw, would please not even a Few.
Black in colour, filled with worms that cause irritation
Bitter in Taste, producing burning Sensation.

Never Judge anything as I judged the Apple,
A thing which most people are not able.
Outward Shine can make you Regret,
An advice, all of you, please never forget.

---by P2

The Journey

2006-12-23T20:38:00.000+05:30

With a loud whistle the train started,
Slowly, its haven (station), it parted.
A Journey of quest, a Journey to end in Rest.
Ready to move through odds, fight them with Swords.

I sat on a seat beside the window,
And saw the distant mountains moving slow,
But when I saw the Bushes near,
They hurried away like sparks of Fire.

I see the past, the scenes, the places gone by,
When I sit on the seat in front, the Future is in my Eye.
Smokes from the Engine cover the Future,
When I reach there, they are beautiful creations of Nature.

I sit now watching the Rivers, Mountains and Sky,
And great towns and beautiful villages passing by.
Indeed, life is a beautiful Journey,
Not without Ups and Downs, Days Cloudy and Sunny.

---by P2

The River

2006-12-23T20:37:00.000+05:30

Cutting the Rocks, She flows so Gracefully,
Sometimes swiftly and sometimes slowly.
Twisting and turning, she makes so sweet sound,
She appears to be dancing within her bound.

She makes everything around her Green,
She makes the world around her serene.
She brings life and makes it grow,
She is there whether there is Joy or Sorrow.

She can give you everything,
She can leave you with nothing.
She can make you drown,
She can give you Crown.

And sometimes, if she flows out of her Bound,
Provoked or unprovoked, She can ruin everything around.
She can become a lethal knife,
And rip your Life.

She is so powerful, yet so tranquil,
She can change the World at her will.
God’s most wonderful creation,
I can’t stop singing your admiration.

---by P2

HIVisms

2006-12-23T20:32:00.002+05:30

Quotable quotes, that originated from their point of origins without the influence of Elements. It just happens that this particular assortment of malapropisms happens to be by the residents of H IV.

Bibek
"The moon is falling towards the Earth and the Earth dodges it"

Bibek
"All form of heat is created by infrared rays"
(I guess Microwave ovens also use infrared.....Wanna kill someone rub your hands together n emit infrared towards him to smoke him!!!!!)

Bibek
"The objects color that you see is not its actual color but its complimentary color (white is actually black)....so extending the argument day is not actually day its night"

Bibek
“I knew everything in today’s paper. It totally rocked. Way too easy. Only, there was this small problem. I couldn’t remember any of it on time to write it down.”

Ankur
"Nepal has the best navy in the world"

Ankur
“Vijayawada is a country.”

Ankur
"When sea horse's come out of the water they become horses"

Ankur
"Dolphins grow old to become whales"

Ankur
"Orkut was developed in BIT (R&D bldg) by BIT'ians"

Varun
"Nagaland is India's neighbor"

Varun
"Odomos is a multi purpose cream (sun screen, face cream, toothpaste, hair cream...and not to forget mosquito repellent"

Robin
“You wish.........”

Vyas
“What do you call a person who gives giving fundas?
A fundamentalist... which fundamentalist group do you belong to??”

Harsh (Puppy)
“The frequency of dc is 50Hz.”

Anon
“Tsunami waves were 1000 km tall.”

Bibek
“Light exhibits a dual property, which means it has definite mass. When it passes a black hole light travels with a speed greater than light. Of course it’s true. Don’t you know F=ma?”

Ankur
Dumb Charades Situation - Ankur enacting Shawshank Redemption to Frankie.
He turns to Frankie, starts off: English. 3 words. SHAW SHANK REDEMPTION

Ankur
Dumb Charades Situation - Ankur enacting Frequency.

Jay, Gogin & Smaran
Jay: "Good Friday is on a Thursday man."
Gogin: "how is that possible?"
Jay: "It’s according to the stars or something."
Smaran: "oh yeah, that’s possible man."

Smaran
"Why was the Jessica Lall murder case started after she was murdered?"

Chimpu
“I don’t wanna go to Chilka Lake (Puri) because of the man-eating dolphins.”

Chimpu
(On Gangtok / Darjeeling trip)
“I don’t wanna go to Tiger Hill; there will be too many tigers there.”

Anshul
“Hey, do dolphins come to the beach?”

Chimpu
“Are dolphins man-eaters?”

Jay, Gogin & Smaran
Once, Jay was explaining some kind of situation to Smaran when he said..."Undy was sitting on my left and Gogin on my right." Then confused Smaran asks Jay, "If Undy was sitting on your left and Gogin on your right, Then WHERE WERE YOU SITTING?”

Shrikar
SAT is an IQ test.

Vyas & Ankur
Vyas: Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I’m a schizophrenic,
And so am i.
Ankur: How?

Varun
The reason why Varun cannot say 'r' in any word is, that when he was small all he would do is 'rrrrrrrrrr'. So by the time he grew up he had finished the entire quota of 'r' for his tongue!!!

Vedant & Ranga at Physics Lab
First Question
Prof: Haan CRT ka phull phorm batao..
Ranga: ummm hmmmmmm aaaa hmmmm uummmmm Sir mmm Cupid R.. something
Prof: (bewildered) passes on the question to me.
Ranga 0/5. Vedant 5/5.
Second Question
Prof: Ab LASER ka phull phorm batao..
Ranga: ummm hmmmmmm aaaa hmmmm uummmmm Sir mmmmmmmm Sir I know SONAR... ummm aaaaah but LASER.. ummmmmmm
Prof: (in a daze) passes on the question to me.
Ranga 0/10. Vedant 10/10.

Sujith at Chemistry Lab performance
Scene: 4 Profs seated at the desk and students choosing experiments through lottery.
Sujith's roll number is called out. So our stud walks across the lab and approaches the desk n then sits down in front of the Profs. Then they ask him to choose one experiment. Sujith takes one sheet, cuts out the experiment name and writes his name on it!!
And then when he finally realizes what’s going on. He is in the wrong lab and has no idea where the equipment is.

Jibran & Sujith at Physics Lab Viva
Scene: Prof seated on one side of the desk, Jibran & Sujith on the other.
The 'missionary position' for any viva.
Preface: Jibran & Sujith were told not to tell that they were NRI’s in any viva.
For obvious reasons ;-)
Prof: achcha..toh..(pointing to Jibran)..kahan se ho tum??
Jibran: sir, hum?? hum Patna ke hain!!
Prof: (thinks) "arre bihariiii hai, kuch nahin toh 5 mein se 4 toh mil hi jayega"!
(speaks) achcha..theek hai..(pointing to Sujith)aur tum kahan ke ho?
Sujith: Sir,um? I am frum kerela sir.
Prof: (thinks) "chalo isi des ka hai, kuch hain to 5 mein se 3 to mil hi jayega.
Sujith: (continues suddenly) But sir actually, I did my schooling from 'Our Own English High School, Sharjah’!
Prof: (says some shit but means) " !@!@#!@#$@#%$%#$(%@#($$^)(%*)&*#$)_!!"
Translates to “you are dead meat!”
Result:
Sujith 0/5, Jibran 3.5/5, Although Sujith answered much more!

Robin at Physics Lab
Cast: Robin and some random dude from our batch.
Robin picked up his experiment sheet and confidently walked to his experiment. He had a potentiometer experiment. Surprisingly, Robin gets off to a great start and starts making notes of his readings also!! The random dude walks up to Robin all confused and tells him that it was his experiment. So Robin grabs hold on the dudes sheet reads his experiment name and tells him "Hmm.. No No. Yours is in the other lab. Go fast you don't have much time left to do it. Hmmm go go…" Then for some reason Robin is not getting the answers he has on the chits so he calls the Prof and tells the Prof that the apparatus is faulty. Prof checks and screams at Robin "You fool this is the resonance experiment. Yours is in the other lab."

Zameer, Varun, Akshay & Jibran at Physics Lab
Varun and Zameer had no clue about their laser experiments in the dark room, but they were well prepared. Varun had the whole bunch of the practical sheets tucked in his pants hidden by his t-shirt. So Zameer finishes copying everything and goes out. 5 minutes later, Varun walks out all happy that he finished the experiment, BUT does not realise that he's tucked the practical sheets away while his t-shirt is tucked under it. So the bunch is popping out of his pants for everyone to see. And The Prof sees him.
At exactly this time, Akshay n Jibran are doing their experiments n obviously they have no clue what they are doing. So Akshay manipulates and calls the Prof. But little does he know that the results he reached are not obtainable by any means. So the Prof starts screaming at him. So basically Varun and Akshay are going to get screwed. Then Jibran comes to the rescue. He amazingly manages to blow up the transformer. All the Profs run towards him screaming "YOU FOOL"!

Vyas at some Lab Viva
Pulls out a toothbrush out of his pocket thinking it was a pen to draw a diagram.

Anshuman
PDC Lab Viva
Prof:“Why have you come? The idea of any Viva is I ask you questions and you answer them back. Your answers are full of ummmmmm... aaaaaaa..... oooooooo..... eeeeeeee....
Why have you even come for the Viva ?”
LD Lab viva
The Prof himself was a pretty meek and sober guy. Still, he fianlly ended up saying “Sach sach Batao tum Kaun Sa Subject Padh Ke Aaye ho? What you're saying has nothing to do with LD even by a mile!”
General Lab Viva Tactics
1. Answer exactly the same thing that your other guy is saying
2. Speak so quickly so as to disorient the Prof
3. Smile. Make the Prof comfortable.
4. 'Sorry Sir....' 'It JUST slipped out of mind sir.....' 'Good question sir...... Next question sir...?’
5. Engage in small talk about the Bihar-Jharkhand. Most of them always fall for it.........

Prof Given Names
SP Bhyus for SP Vyas
Subhanshu for Sudhanshu
Jeevan for Jibran
Manpreet for Mandeep
Gameer/Jameer for Zameer
Rubin for Robin

Lab Experiences

E.Mech.
2K2-
All NRI’s walk in. 2 minutes later, they walk out.
Toughest question - How many experiments have you done? Some got even that wrong.

2K3-
Prof: Name one application of Flywheel.
Feroz: (after thinking a whole minute) Sir, Lab sir!

Workshop
Zameer and Ashutosh - Oxygen is the fuel for gas wielding.

DIAC
Vyas - Didn’t know if he should answer the question or laugh at the shocked face of BB Pal when one of them proved 5V = GND.

BEE
Circuit = burnout (both students and circuits)

Quote

2006-12-23T20:32:00.001+05:30

KARMANYE WADHIKARASYE MA PHALESHU KADACHANMA KARMA- PHALA-HETUR BHUR MA TE SANGO'STV AKARMANI

(You have a right to work, but not to the result thereof. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.)

The Story of Infosys

2006-12-23T20:26:00.000+05:30

This is written by Sudha Murthy, wife of Infosys Chairman Narayanamurthy, in Ananda Vikatan newsletter, about her life . sweat equity and the story of how Infosys was born... it goes like this from the proverbial horse's mouth...

It was in Pune that I met Narayan Murthy through my friend Prasanna who is now the Wipro chief, who was also training in Telco. Most of the books that Prasanna lent me had Murty's name on them,which meant that I had a preconceived image of the man. Contrary to expectation, Murthy was shy, bespectacled and an introvert. When he invited us for dinner, I was a bit taken aback as I thought the young man was making a very fast move.
I refused since I was the only girl in the group. But Murty was relentless and we all decided to meet for dinner the next day at 7.30 p.m. at Green Fields hotel on the Main Road, Pune. The next day I went there at 7 o'clock since I had to go to the tailor near the hotel. And what do I see?

Mr. Murthy waiting in front of the hotel and it was only seven. Till today, Murthy maintains that I had mentioned(consciously!) that I would be going to the tailor at 7 so that I could meet him... And I maintain that I did not say any such thing consciously or unconsciously because I did not think of Murty as anything other than a friend at that stage. We have agreed to disagree on this matter. Soon, we became friends. Our conversations were filled with Murty's experiences abroad and the books that he has read.

My friends insisted that Murty was trying to impress me because he was interested in me. I kept denying it till one fine day, after dinner Murty said I want to tell you something. I knew this was it. It was coming. He said, I am 5'4" tall. I come from a lower middle class family. I can never become rich in my life and I can never give you any riches. You are beautiful, bright, intelligent and you can get anyone you want. But will you marry me? I asked Murty to give me some time for an answer. My father didn't want me to marry a wannabe politician, (a communist at that) who didn't have a steady job and wanted to build an orphanage...
When I went to Hubli I told my parents about Murty and his proposal. My mother was positive since Murty was also from Karnataka, seemed intelligent and comes from a good family. But my father asked: What's his job, his salary, his qualifications etc? Murty was working as a research assistant and was earning less than me. He was willing to go Dutch with me on our outings. My parents agreed to meet Murty in Pune on a particular day at 11 a.m. sharp. Murty did not turn up. How can I trust a man to take care of my daughter if he cannot keep an appointment,asked my father. At 12 noon Murty turned up in a bright red shirt! He had gone on work to Bombay, was stuck in a traffic jam on the ghats, so he hired a taxi (though it was very expensive for him) to meet his would-be father-in-law.

Father was unimpressed. My father asked him what he wanted to become in life. Murty said he wanted to become a politician in the communist party and wanted to open an orphanage. My father gave his verdict. NO. I don't want my daughter to marry somebody who wants to become a communist and then open an orphanage when he himself didn't have money to support his family.

Ironically, today, I have opened many orphanages something, which Murty wanted to do 25 years ago. By this time I realized I had developed a liking towards Murty, which could only be termed as love. I wanted to marry Murty because he is an honest man. He proposed to me highlighting the negatives in his life. I promised my father that I would not marry Murty without his blessings though at the same time,I cannot marry anybody else. My father said he would agree if Murty promised to take up a steady job. But Murty refused saying he will not do things in life because somebody wanted him to. So, I was caught between the two most important people in my life.

The stalemate continued for three years during which our courtship took us to every restaurant and cinema hall in Pune. In those days, Murty was always broke. Moreover, he didn't earn much to manage. Ironically today, he manages Infosys Technologies Ltd., one of the world's most reputed companies. He always owed me money. We used to go for dinner and he would say, I don't have money with me, you pay my share, I will return it to you later. For three years I maintained a book on Murty's debt to me.

No, he never returned the money and I finally tore it up after my wedding. The amount was a little over Rs. 4000. During this interim period Murty quit his job as research assistant and started his own software business.

Now, I had to pay his salary too! Towards the late 70s computers were entering India in a big way. During the fag end of 1977 Murty decided to take up a job as General Manager at Patni Computers in Bombay. But before he joined the company he wanted to marry me since he was to go on training to the US after joining. My father gave in as he was happy Murty had a decent job, now. WE WERE MARRIED IN MURTY'S HOUSE IN BANGALORE ON FEBRUARY 10, 1978 WITH ONLY OUR TWO FAMILIES PRESENT.

I GOT MY FIRST SILK SARI. THE WEDDING EXPENSES CAME TO ONLY RS 800 (US $ 17) WITH MURTY AND I POOLING IN RS 400 EACH. I went to the US with Murty after marriage. Murty encouraged me to see America on my own because I loved traveling. I toured America for three months on backpack and had interesting experiences, which will remain fresh in my mind forever. Like the time when I was taken into custody by the New York police because they thought I was an Italian trafficking drugs in Harlem. Or the time when I spent the night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with an old couple. Murty panicked because he couldn't get a response from my hotel room even at midnight. He thought I was either killed or kidnapped.

IN 1981 MURTY WANTED TO START INFOSYS. HE HAD A VISION AND ZERO CAPITAL... initially I was very apprehensive about Murty getting into business. We did not have any business background. Moreover we were living a comfortable life in Bombay with a regular paycheck and I didn't want to rock the boat. But Murty was passionate about creating good quality software. I decided to support him. Typical of Murty, he just had a dream and no money. So I gave him Rs 10,000 which I had saved for a rainy day, without his knowledge and told him, This is all I have. Take it.I give you three years sabbatical leave. I will take care of the financial needs of our house. You go and chase your dreams without any worry. But you have only three years!

Murty and his six colleagues started Infosys in 1981, with enormous interest and hard work. In 1982 I left Telco and moved to Pune with Murty. We bought a small house on loan, which also became the Infosys office. I was a clerk-cum-cook-cum-programmer. I also took up a job as Senior Systems Analyst with Walchand group of Industries to support the house.
In 83 Infosys got their first client, MICO, in Bangalore. Murty moved to Bangalore and stayed with his mother while I went to Hubli to deliver my second child, Rohan. Ten days after my son was born, Murty left for the US on project work. I saw him only after a year as I was unable to join Murty in the US because my son had infantile eczema, an allergy to vaccinations.
So for more than a year I did not step outside our home for fear of my son contracting an infection. It was only after Rohan got all his vaccinations that I came to Bangalore where we rented a small house in Jayanagar and rented another house as Infosys headquarters. My father presented Murty a scooter to commute. I once again became a cook, programmer, clerk, and secretary, office assistant et al. Nandan Nilekani (MD of Infosys) and his wife Rohini stayed with us. While Rohini babysat my son, I wrote programmes for Infosys. There was no car, no phone,just two kids and a bunch of us working hard, juggling our lives and having fun while Infosys was taking shape. It was not only me but the wives of other partners too who gave their unstinted support.

We all knew that our men were trying to build something good. It was like a big joint family, taking care and looking out for one another. I still remember Sudha Gopalakrishna looking after my daughter Akshata with all care and love while Kumari Shibulal cooked for all of us. Murty made it very clear that it would either be me or him working at Infosys. Never the two of us together. I was involved with Infosys initially. Nandan Nilekani suggested I should be on the Board but Murty said he did not want a husband and wife team at Infosys.

I was shocked since I had the relevant experience and technical qualifications. He said, Sudha if you want to work with Infosys, I will withdraw, happily. I was pained to know that I will not be involved in the company my husband was building and that I would have to give up a job that I am qualified to do and love doing. It took me a couple of days to grasp the reason behind Murty's request. I realized that to make Infosys a success one had to give one's 100 percent. One had to be focused on it alone with no other distractions. If the two of us had to give 100 percent to Infosy then what would happen to our home and our children? One of us had to take care of our home while the other took care of Infosys.

I opted to be a homemaker, after all Infosys was Murty's dream. It was a big sacrifice but it was one that had to be made. Even today, Murty says, Sudha, I stepped on your career to make mine. You are responsible for my success. I might have given up my career for my husband's sake. But that does not make me a doormat...

Many think that I have been made the sacrificial lamb at Narayan Murty's altar of success. A few women journalists have even accused me of setting a wrong example by giving up my dreams to make my husbands a reality. Isn't freedom about living your life the way you want it? What is right for one person might be wrong for another. It is up to the individual to make a choice that is effective in her life.

I feel that when a woman gives up her right to choose for herself is when she crosses over from being an individual to a doormat.

Murty's dreams encompassed not only himself but a generation of people. It was about founding something worthy, exemplary and honorable. It was about creation and distribution of wealth. His dreams were grander than my career plans, in all aspects. So, when I had to choose between Murty's career and mine, I opted for what I thought was a right choice. We had a home and two little children. Measles, mumps, fractures, PTA meetings, wants and needs of growing children do not care much for grandiose dreams. They just needed to be attended to. Somebody had to take care of it all.

Somebody had to stay back to create a home base that would be fertile for healthy growth, happiness, and more dreams to dream. I became that somebody willingly. I can confidently say that if I had had a dream like Infosys, Murty would have given me his unstinted support. The roles would have been reversed.

We are not bound by the archaic rules of marriage. I cook for him but I don't wait up to serve dinner like a traditional wife. So, he has no hassles about heating up the food and having his dinner. He does not intrude into my time especially when I am writing my novels. He does not interfere in my work at the Infosys Foundation and I don't interfere with the running of Infosys.
I teach Computer Science to MBA and MCA students at Christ college for a few hours every week and I earn around Rs 50,000 a year. I value this financial independence greatly though there is no need for me to pursue a teaching career. Murty respects that. I travel all over the world without Murty because he hates travelling. We trust each other implicitly. We have another understanding too. While he earns the money, I spend it, mostly through the charity. Philanthropy is a profession and an art... The Infosys Foundation was born in 1997 with the sole objective of uplifting the less-privileged sections of society. IN THE PAST THREE YEARS WE HAVE BUILT HOSPITALS,ORPHANAGES, REHABILITATION CENTRES, SCHOOL BUILDINGS, SCIENCE CENTRES AND MORE THAN 3500 LIBRARIES. Our work is mainly in the rural areas amongst women and children. I am one of the trustees and our activities span six states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Orissa, Chandigarh and Maharashtra. I travel to around 800 villages constantly. Infosys Foundation has a minimal staff of three trustees and three office members. We all work very hard to achieve our goals and that is the reason why Infosys Foundation has a distinct identity. Every year we donate around Rs 5-6 crore (Rs 50 -60 million).

We run Infosys Foundation the way Murty runs Infosys in a professional and scientific way. Philanthropy is a profession and an art. It can be used or misused. We slowly want to increase the donations and we dream of a time when Infosys Foundation could donate large amounts of money. Every year we receive more than 10,000 applications for donations. Everyday I receive more than 120 calls. Amongst these, there are those who genuinely need help and there are hood winkers too. I receive letters asking me to donate Rs five lakh to someone because five lakh is,like peanuts to Infosys.

Some people write to us asking for free Infosys shares. Over the years I have learnt to differentiate the wheat from the chaff, though I still give a patient hearing to all the cases. Sometimes I feel I have lost the ability to trust people. I have become shrewder to avoid being conned. It saddens me to realize that even as a person is talking to me I try to analyze them: Has he come here for any donation? Why is he praising my work or enquiring about my health, does he want some money from me? Eight out of ten times I am right. They do want my money. But I feel bad for the other two whom I suspected. I think that is the price that I have to pay for the position that I am in now. The greatest difficulty in having money is teaching your children the value of it and trying to keep them on a straight line....

Bringing up children in a moneyed atmosphere is a difficult task EVEN TODAY I THINK TWICE IF I HAVE TO SPEND RS 10 ON AN AUTO WHEN I CAN WALK UP TO MY HOUSE. I cannot expect my children to do the same. They have seen money from the time they were born. But we can lead by example. When they see Murty wash his own plate after eating and clean the two toilets in the house everyday they realise that no work is demeaning irrespective of how rich you are. I DON'T HAVE A MAID AT HOME BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THE NEED FOR ONE.

When children see both parents working hard, living a simple life, most of the time they tend to follow. This doesn't mean we expect our children to live an austere life. My children buy what they want and go where they want but they have to follow certain rules. They will have to show me a bill for whatever they buy. My daughter can buy five new outfits but she has to give away five old ones. My son can go out with his friends for lunch or dinner but if he wants to go to a five star hotel, we discourage it. Or we accompany him. So far my children haven't given me any heartbreak. They are good children. My eldest daughter is studying abroad, whereas my son is studying in Bangalore. They don't use their father's name in vain. If asked, they only say that his name is Murty and that he works for Infosys. They don't want to be recognized and appreciated because of their father or me but for themselves. I DON'T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT HAVING MONEY FOR WE HAVE WORKED HARD FOR IT. BUT I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE FLAUNTING IT... IT IS A CONSCIOUS DECISION ON OUR PART TO LIVE A SIMPLE, SO-CALLED MIDDLE CLASS LIFE. WE LIVE IN THE SAME TWO- BEDROOM,SPARSELY FURNISHED HOUSE BEFORE INFOSYS BECAME A SUCCESS. Our only extravagance is buying books and CDs.

MY HOUSE HAS NO LOCKERS FOR I HAVE NO JEWELS. I WEAR A STONE EARRING WHICH I BOUGHT IN BOMBAY FOR RS 100. I don't even wear my Mangalsutra until I attend some family functions or I am with my mother-in-law. I am not fond of jewellery or saris. Five years ago, I went to Kashi where tradition demands that you give up something and I gave up shopping. Since then I haven't bought myself a sari or gone shopping. It is my friends who gift me with saris. Murty bought me a sari a long time ago. It was not to my taste and I told him to refrain from buying saris for me in the future. I am no good at selecting men's clothes either. It is my daughter who does the shopping for us. I still have the same sofa at home, which my daughter wants to change. However, we have indulged ourselves with each one having their own music system and computer. I don't carry a purse and neither does Murty most of the time. I do tell him to keep some small change with him but he doesn't. I borrow money from my secretary or my driver if I need cash. They know my habit so they always carry extra cash with them. But I settle the accounts every evening. MURTY AND I ARE VERYCOMFORTABLE WITH OUR LIFESTYLE AND WE DON'T SEE THE NEED TO CHANGE IT. NOW THAT WE HAVE MONEY. Murty and I are two opposites that complement each other... Murty is sensitive and romantic in his own way. He always gifts me books addressed to From Me to You. Or to the person I most admire etc. We both love books. We are both complete opposites. I am an extrovert and he is an introvert. I love watching movies and listening to classical music. Murty loves listening to English classical music. I go out for movies with my students and secretary every other week. I am still young at heart. I really enjoyed watching "Kaho Na Pyaar Hai" and I am a Hrithik Roshan fan. It has been more than 20 years since Murty and I went for a movie. My daughter once gave us a surprise by booking tickets for Titanic. Since I had a prior engagement that day, Murty went for the movie with his secretary Pandu.

I love travelling whereas Murty loves spending time at home. Friends come and go with the share prices... Even in my dreams, I did not expect Infosys to grow like the way it has. I don't think even Murty envisioned this phenomenal success, at least not in 1981. After Infosys went public in 1993, we became what people would call as rich, moneyed people.

I was shocked to see what was happening to Infosys and to us. Suddenly you see and hear about so much money. Your name and photo is splashed in the papers. People talk about you. It was all new to me. SUDDENLY I HAVE PEOPLE WALKING UP TO ME SAYING, OH, WE WERE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS, WE HAD A MEAL 25 YEARS AGO. THEY CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN PRESENT AT OUR WEDDING (WHICH IS AN UTTER LIE BECAUSE ONLY MY FAMILY WAS PRESENT AT MY WEDDING). I DON'T EVEN KNOW ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO KNOW MURTY AND ME SO WELL. But that doesn't mean I don't have true friends. I do have genuine friends, a handful, who have been with me for a very long time. My equation with these people has not changed and vice versa.

I am also very close to Narayan Murty's family, especially my sister-in-law Kamala Murty, a schoolteacher, who is more of a dear friend to me. I have discovered that these are the few relationships and friendships that don't fluctuate depending on the price of Infosys shares. Have I lost my identity as a woman, in Murty's shadow? No. I might be Mrs. Narayan Murty. I might be Akshata and Rohan's mother.

I might be the trustee of Infosys Foundation. But I am still Sudha. I play different roles like all women. That doesn't mean we don't have our own identity. Women have that extra quality of adaptability and learn to fit into different shoes. But we are our own selves still. And we have to exact our freedom by making the right choices in our lives, dictated by us and not by the world.

SUDHA MURTHY

stay hungry stay foolish

2006-12-23T20:23:00.000+05:30

Someone asked me for a justification of the motto of THiNK :
sTaY hUnGrY, sTaY fOoLiSh.

Here is where i first came across it, explaining it's relevance-

This text is an excerpt from the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005, at Stanford University.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Remembrance

2006-12-19T21:32:00.000+05:30

A guy went for a picnic with his girlfriend n friends to a waterfall where he lost his life. He will be remembered as a boyfriend , (as the papers claim!) a brilliant student or by many as the (misleading) "Don" ka beta… But I have a very different reason to remember him by….Our college bus was as usual overcrowded…this time there were small school children when all of us boarded the bus… around 20 excited girls…. A few minutes later when luckily I had found a little place to sit (hoping not to go sprawling onto the floor when the thoughtful driver would apply the brakes!) I noticed 2 guys enter… The above mentioned person was one of them… unkempt hair, stubble, tight t shirt n if possible n even tighter pair of jeans with a suspiciously low waistline … obviously they left me unpleased… finally when those two had found seats in front the bus started…there was still the fair chance of us making it to college before our in-time…But the bus slowed down again…this time an old man in a Dhoti kurta climbed up… There was no place for him to sit… so many species of the fairer sex (considered kind n revered for their soft hearts) n yet none of us stood up to make room for him… But surprisingly someone else did… The same "brilliant Don" ka beta made the old man sit while he remained standing whistling the tune of a song as the bus continued its journey…And while he remained unaware of my furtive glances I thought of the age old saying… looks can be deceptive…One cant bring the dead back to life but remembrance helps to keep their memories alive…. And while the newspapers n TV channels continue their pointless discussions (at least that's what they seem to me) about the cause of death…I pray to God to give a certain female courage and whatever happened or may happen I empathize with her because she loved a great guy….

By Rhea Sinha

Kri8vity

2006-12-19T21:28:00.000+05:30

This is from my creative team - NJoy...

Think People Think

2006-12-13T00:16:00.000+05:30

NATIONAL INTEGRITY-golden letter words in any country’s diary of “Great Speeches By Political Leaders”. It is the most common topic given for any debate, any speech competition and tea parties of the intellectual working class of our country. Following the trend, B.I.T put up the same topic for the extempore competition in the youth festival.
Variety of students came up with the same points –“different flowers forming the subparts of the same garland”, “unity in diversity” etc.

My first question is, where does the word unity hold when we have already mentioned diversity before unity? Unity does not lie in diversity. Flowers of various shapes cannot form a perfect garland. What unity do we boast about when we mention Maharashtra or Gujarat before India when asked about our native place. Why cannot we talk of India and not our individual states. We cannot stand Bihar and Madhya Pradesh not being divided. Why divisions when we shall still belong to India. Or maybe… Bihar will become a part of Bangladesh. To top all anomalies we cannot even stand nature benefiting 2 states-the Cauvery issue. We honour the army above all-even that has divisions-gorkha rifles, maratha unit etc etc. These flabbergasting issues really allows us to talk about national integrity.

The recent uproar over the incendiary reservation issue- it does prove our stand on national integrity. Our political leaders never felt shy of boasting how their respective parties stood for all castes and creeds of society. That is why we need to have reservations. My primary question-why do we need to call a particular caste or tribe as scheduled-just because some part of the population is financially backward? We have school dresses so that there is no distinction between kids but we have reservations to identify who is forward and who is backward. What is the basis of this classification-educational levels….nah, mental strength or physical disability…….no ways. Vote bank politics…………correct answer. Ludicrous! This gives us a right to praise India’s integrity.

All the candidates without fail mentioned the whole episode concerning Prince-the kid who fell into a gorge. Each praised his /her state for the number of yagnas and lachrymose performances by them for the safety and well being of the child. Who cares a fig about the country’s future falling into a gorge. We wanted that kid’s life to be saved and beside our house, in our neighbourhood, each day a kid dies of malnutrition, leave aside the figures for the whole of India. Even if we save the life of that one kid we shall be doing a great favour on humanity. We are not bothered about that because it does not bring in publicity. Egregious! Who can stop us from talking about national integrity.

The time has come when it is imperative to take national integrity from the pedestal of debates and discussions to emotions. The time has come when Republic day and Independence day do not signify holidays and parties. The time has come for us to realize that a 9-5 job and 20000 p.m. is not what we are living for. We have to rise to the situation. Sitting comfortably and recriminating the hegemony for every wrong that is done is easy enough, but it takes guts to stand in the political arena, to withstand the gushes of corruption and take the onus for every wrong that is done. Dr.B.R. Ambedkar had truly said on India’s independence ”We have lost the right to blame the Britishers for every wrong that happens. From now on we are responsible for it.” This applies equally well to the Indian youth. If we cannot do it we don’t even have the right to crib about it.

To admire the moon you don’t have to hold it in your hands. You can do so even by seeing its reflection in the water. To do what our ancestors did, we do not need the Britishers again. We can make national integrity a reality even without them and we shall. The umbilical connectivity with India cannot be severed. As Mahatma Gandhi said” Almost anything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” Be like the fountain that overflows, not like the cistern that merely contains. Generally at the end of such patriotic speeches, people write Jai Hind. I shall do that only when I have done something for my country which gives me the right to say “JAI HIND”

उसकी आँखों मे नमी थी

2006-11-17T07:16:00.000+05:30

उसकी आँखों मे नमी थी
उसकी खामोशी में दॅद का एहसास था
होठों पर कोई अनकही दासतान थी
दिल में गम का तूफान था
हर गुजरते पल के साथ
उसकी सांसे बोझल हो रही थी
एक पल ऎसा लगा जैसे
रूह भी उसकी रो रही थी
जाने कौन सा दॅद दिल में समाकर
वो निकला था मुLकुराने के लिए
खुद बाती बुझाकर जैसे निकला हो
अंधेरा मिटाने के लिए
बात कया है उससे पूछूँ
इतनी मुझमें हिEमत न थी
बात कया है वो बता दे
ऐसी उसकी फितरत न थी
उसकी खामोशी मुझे
उससे दूर कर रही थी
अब तो कदमों की आहट भी
शोर कर रही थी
जाने कया बात थी
वो खुद से लड़ रहा था
इतनी भीड़ में भी जैसे
तनहा ही चल रहा था
सUनाटे के कोहरे में
हम दोनों खो चुके थे
इतने करीब होकर भी
अजनबी हो चुके थे़

....contributed by V.S.

ORKUT CHIRKUT

2006-11-17T06:49:00.000+05:30

Two frnds bitten by d orkut bug….

S:hi…….u seem

2 b on orkut al day haan……wassup??

M: well it seems u too r right der 2 check it out…caught u!

: S:wot to do…dis d only place I get all d taza info first hand…masala et al!

M:u r right man…u dnt kno wot I saw on xyz’s scrapbook….i’ll tell once v meet…orkut’s not d place…

S:shit…m dyin to know! Ny hot news frm BIT?

M:BIT”s toh sizzling nowadays…nyways hope d youth fest is a success unlike d fugiya…

S: I was d inti one sleepin in m room on fugiya,u only mad ppl went to dat….

M:leave d borin stuff…nything NEW???

S:arre…abc wrote a testimonial for me, dunno wheather to accept it or not…..

M:omigosh…accept it man…varna dukhi ho jaayega bechara..speakin of BECHARAS …u know who sent me a frnd request…

S:arre dnt talk abt frnd requests..they keep pourin in …did u come across dat community,”reservation”?

M:reserv shud be banned…be it 30% or 50%…be it for girls or otherwise….

S:yaar…kaise docs aur enggs banenge…chal lets speak to arjun singh…

M:u dunno hw I hogged on chocolates after I came home…

S:speakin abt food…d mess ka khana is..goin goin gone…its pathetic man…

M:listen…remove ur pic frm ur profile…shudnt do that orkut…

S:I was abt to tell ya…lets search our juniors on orkut…nd read their profiles..we dnt kno them ,do we???

M:what if dey find out???

S: what makes u think we care????

M: yeah…so many ppl keep checkin my profile day in day out….

S:did u wish pqr on her bday??? Orkut gave me a reminder…

M:yeah..dats d bst part…the remnder..it dsnt let us f’get…seriously man…orkut is a blessin..cant tell u hw many school frnds I hav found…

S:bt thers one thing wrong wid our frnds here..they scrap u, bt dnt talk to u on ur face…wiered…bt yes…orkut helped me improve my frnd circle immensely..

M:don’t u think orkut should a music station of its own???

S: yes..nd an e-library too…it’ll be awesome..

M:yaar.. waapas jaake midsem marks!!!

S:I know…d shock is also a part of college life…njoy…

M:arre..what does “orkut” mean?

S:who knows..bt to us it means…

O- opportunity to find lost frnds nd make new…

R- remindin ur dear ones that u r just a scrap away….

K- kaleidoscope of emotions…

U- ultimate gossip channel…

T- testimonials faked…..

M:man u givin gyaan nd all haan…..

S:go to hell u…gotta go..lotsa work…

M:yeah yeah….i know wot work u hav…bye…c u!

S:b’bye…tk care…

How was technIEEk like

2006-11-16T15:48:00.000+05:30

technIEEk is the ultimate experience one can have in BIT. You can find the most cream people of BIT gathered together. The best platform where one can use one’s talents to the fullest. I got to meet the real talents through technIEEk. Not just that, I got to learn more than I have done in past two semesters. The best part is students really put all their efforts and struggle hard to get into the core night of technIEEk, a cherished place to reach.

technIEEk is an assembly of a number of events which can otherwise be called technical games. These games are such that one really wants to put his brains into it. These events are to sharpen one’s mind. The technIEEk’06 had an event called brand image which impressed me the most. A drink was to be launched which had its distinctive features so as to take over coca cola drink. The presentations that were given for launching the drink were commendable.

These presentations were unique in themselves and the event as such was an equipment to take out all the creativity one can have. The coding contest and robocode (coding to make a battle robot) are most interesting ways of testing coding skills. The best part of technIEEk, which people love the most and find most exciting is Blitzkrieg.

There were five events going on all together in five different places. The exciting part is that, the team has to divide its members according to their skills to participate in those events. These constitute number games, vocabulary games, IQ tests and general knowledge tests. technIEEk is something to keep a person busy in something which is productive. Three days of struggle are completed with all the above mentioned events. Now, comes the core night with the top 6 teams performing excellently in the events. This night teams have to prepare a skit to justify their team names which require team work. Other events like spin a yarn, Dumb C, etc are again team events which are a good display of team spirit.

technIEEk is a blend of productive work and enjoyment and one who misses it I feel really loses a great substance in life. Don’t miss it is what only a participant can say. It’s really great that we have technIEEk in Bit. All these and much more is technIEEk which you can get to know only when you form a team and participate in it as a part of the team.

contributed by a 2k5 female, about her first encounter with what was known as technIEEk.

Life In Biotech Department

2006-11-08T21:52:00.000+05:30

Hello people,
Loads of people wonder what actually happens in the pompous dept of biotechnology of B.I.T. Mesra looking abominable impassable from a distance. Here's my account.
Lab starts at 8:00 a.m. thereby giving you full freedom to stem from your dreams at 8:30.
People manage to reach the department at around 9:00. Then starts the usual (yawn) "aaj kya karna hai?" We decide what to do by 9:30. Its an autonomous department so the teachers don't decide what you have to do. Work begins by 10:00. It involves staring at senior's samples, admiring an empty flask, complaining about the placement scenario and for the serious ones observing the instruments. Mind it! You cannot touch any instrument. It costs more than 10 lakhs and students cam make even the best quality steel brittle like bone china. So basically you tour the museum called "The Department".This extend till 10:30 when you finally reazlise that you are very hungry & have to leave. Give the attendance and run off fast because the last one gets the gali for not doing any productive work. Losers! We contribute generously one and a half hours of our precious life which can be better utilised in the canteen(if you have cash) or at the I.C.(Onlookers).
Then comes the second half strting at 12:50 (officially) and 1:15 (pragmatically). You need to have a lappie to survive in this highly advanced and technical department. Come early if you have to get the benches near the switchboard. Otherwise you have to relie on the unreliable battery of your lappie. Switch it on (mind you in silent mode or else the teacher might confiscate your lappie to show his slides). Surf on the net & check out the latest technologies in (?) while the teacher continues with his never ending list of his achievements and great contributions to this field. You bloody nobel laureates listen to them and you willl donate your prize out of utmost shame.
Strike 3:00. Come out because the teachers in association with the research scholar and supervised by the "khai ke paan banares wala" H.O.D. have to do top secret research work. They are about to launch the next nucleus bomb (midsem marks, but don't worry bout that coz the dept believes in judging what you know rather than what you do not and everybody knows how to fill in pages of crap shit.)
Now is the most important part. How to embellish your dept. Anybody you meet has to be told, yaar abhi wapas jaana hai. expt chal raha hai. It gives you glory(its an engg college) and saves you from any gureilla attacks on your pocket.
So guys and gals, you have to repent for not being in this dept. Besides the halo on your personality it also gives you decent placements in dream companies like biocon err T.C.S Infosys etc.
So you know how to counsel the 2k7 batch about this dept
HAIL BIOTECH!

Disclaimer : This inside information has been leaked by a 3rd year Biotech student whose has just escaped a grueling 6 hours of viva-voce with no meaning attached.... Who calls herself S.S.

THiNK - FAQ's

2006-11-06T01:30:00.000+05:30

Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions to shed some light on what THiNK is:

1.What is THiNK?
Ans. An e-magazine, to be launched early in the next semester, Spring 2007, from Birla Institute of
Technology, Mesra.

2. Which club/organization is publishing this magazine?
Ans. None. It's a collective initiative by a group of students who are working independent of all club
banners.

3. How does THiNK mag function??
Ans. We are an e-magazine. We have posted our mag online and on this blog. The mag shall be
modified regularly to include your contributions. The final compiled version shall be posted online
sometime around February 2007.

4. How can I contribute to THiNK?
Ans. With any piece of knowledge/information/creation/idea/point of view that you would like to share
with the BIT community(and beyond...)

5. What can I write about?
Ans. Just about anything!!! Essays-poetry-scientific facts-technical articles-projects-points of
view-incidents--to name a few...

6.Can I make direct references to other people in BIT?
Ans.We suggest that you refrain from anything like that, unless the person you are referring to has no issues. We will not be publishing the names, until we check with the people attached to those names.

7. How do I send in my contributions?
Ans. Simple.
A>Email your articles to bit.think@gmail.com
or
B>Hand them over personally to any of these individuals in the campus:
Nikhil Kumar Verma / Abhishek Sahoo / Shradha Shrimal / Peeyush Rohela / Neelakshi Joshi

8. I submitted my article/contribution. It wasn't published. Why??
Ans. we at think mag are looking for all kinds of contributions.we intend to publish as many contributions as possible.however if your contribution was not included in think mag, do contact us and we will help you out!!

9. How do I express my views/suggestions on an already posted article?
Ans. Post a comment on this blog or send us an email with your feedback. kindly identify yourself.If you wish to remain anonymous, kindly say so. We shall mark you as Anon on request.

10.How do I get my copy of THiNK?
Ans.We will mail you when we publish it. Till then you can check regularly a this blog.

11. Why THiNK mag?
Ans. THiNK mag follows the CLP (Community Learning Programme) Model. We intend to share
knowledge and information about a plethora of topics and issues through this medium. The idea is to reach out to as many people as possible and include them in this initiative of ours.

mail in your ideas, suggestions, contributions, brickbats et al at bit.think@gmail.com

T H i N K logo

2006-10-30T17:43:00.000+05:30