Here comes - The Highest Civilian Honour

I see large part of our society today is rejoicing the fact that Atal Ji has been conferred with well deserved Nation’s highest civilian award. Atal Ji - One of the greatest Orator our country saw, a dedicated statesman, a true politician showcasing the unmatched wit. If we look back, we see the man has dedicated his entire life for his passion – The Nation.

Atal Ji spent major part of his life being in opposition in the parliament. He was known for his sharp comments and even Nehru welcomed them. These two, Atal ji and Nehru, never had anything in common but Nehru saw this young MP as future PM of India! While Atal Ji was in Govt, Opposition craving for issues against him never got much and they finally concluded – "Atal Ji ache hain, but galat party me hain!!" 

And today as he turns 90, I wish to thank him and remember Operation Shakti – the nuclear success of India. The Nuclear plans existed much before he became PM, but i salute him for the way he handled what followed the tests. 

In May 1998, India conducted five underground nuclear tests in Pokhran desert in Rajasthan, 24 yrs after India conducted its first nuclear test Pokhran-I in 1974. This test is called Pokhran-II. The tests were held just a month after the BJP government had been in power. Two weeks later, Pakistan responded with its own nuclear tests making it the newest declared nation with nuclear weapons.

While some nations, such as Russia and France, endorsed India's right to defensive nuclear power, others including the United States, Canada, Japan, Britain and the European Union imposed sanctions on information, resources and technology to India. In spite of the intense international criticism and the steady decline in foreign investment and trade, the nuclear tests were popular domestically. Effectively the international sanctions failed completely in swaying India's decision to weaponize its nuclear capability, something that was planned for and anticipated by the Vajpayee administration.

Almost all the bans were taken off within 5 years. Our country still survived and we did well. This speaks a ton about the man and his courage. And "Bharata Ratna" is the least we could do for this man.

I would like to quote an example of his sportsmanship.

In the parliament, they had hung a photo frame of Jawahar Lal Nehru. Vajpayee noticed that frame every time he got a chance to be in that room. But when Janata party came into power in 1977, and Atal Ji became the minister for the first time, someone had removed that frame. Where is the picture gone? he asked. People had no answers. And soon the picture with due respect was restored in the same place on Atal Ji's Instructions. Our MPs should learn a lot from him :)

Today we are giving him the highest honour, but I wish we had given him votes too. We gave this man just 5 years. Strangely people who didn't vote for him in 2004 are equally happy about him getting Bharata Ratna. I wish to think what it would have been if he had got another term? I feel its time to retrospect! We cant go back in time and undo the done, but may be it’s a lesson we can take forward for future.

What could have possibly gone wrong? Why people chose not to vote him?

I feel these are the reasons:

1) Coalition Govt- He didn’t have numbers. People saw what is in for them rather than how can they contribute to the nation and in turn they let him down.

2) Gujarat riots- India and Gujarat alone had seen worst riots before the 2002. But large part of media made sure they dedicated all their attention and showcased Modi and BJP as reason for this one. Riots were bad, but media hype was so much that we chose to let Atal Ji down. where did our common sense go?

3) RSS & team – Atal Ji is a product of RSS. The discipline he showed has its root in RSS. But it seemed liked they too supported him to a lesser extent than they did in the earlier elections. The pressure RSS had put on Atal Ji on issues like Ram Mandir were tremendous. RSS could have given him a little more space. But good to see the change now, RSS doesn't seem to interfere in Modi govt. I wish they had done the same for Atal ji.

4) Voters – Finally, all of us who didn't vote are responsible. Our sense of responsibility was badly hit by “let whatever happen” attitude. A large part of so called educated middle class didn’t vote and look what happened. We lost our 10 years to govt like the one we had. I believe it’s a very strong lesson for us. Lets not do the same to Modi. He looks promising.

Atal Ji is man of principle and even his opponents respected him. His smile, his wit, his courage, his dedication and his love for our nation gave us a new hope. He handled post nuclear test sanctions really well. Kargil victory is another feather in his cap. The beautiful highways connecting our metros are his efforts. India dreamt of being a superpower under the leadership of “Atal –  APJ” duo. 

I just take this as an opportunity and thank him for his service! #WeLoveYouAtalJi

Now that we all are "Market Ready"...

M.Tech 2^nd year? Oh that’s so perfect time to start  finding a groom for our little girl, said my aunt last year. My god, that almost made my heart skip a beat.

My dad handled it well with “let her finish her studies. Whats the hurry?”  Thanks dad.  And… few days passed…

Placed in Oracle?? My other cousins’ husband’s brother’s son is in Oracle too. When will your term get over? Where will you be posted? Hyderabad or Bangalore? Asked my aunt again. -let me get the offer letter aunty, relax.

And that auspicious day came when I finished the college finally! Official now, bakra tayyar hogaya halal hone :P

Well, I am told everyone needs a partner in life, fair enough. At some point of time we all need to face the reality of life called “marriage”. Its destined, just like harry potter was destined to meet voldemort! Er.. bad example ok ok.. coming back to point, there are so many notions about marriage. Learned say its like a laddu- khaya toh problem, na khaya toh problem. And now that we all are “market ready”, there are lot funny things happening around us, which surely we all will remember and laugh about in few years from now.. it’s a period of tension for some, while fun time for others.. and for me, craving for logic in everything that happens in life, this is the funniest ever time :P

Boy is an engineer.  Girl is a doctor. Boy is in America. Girl is very beautiful. Can you send me the boy’s pic? Can u send me the girl’s pic-one in saree and one in salvar? Duh.. must be very common with you if you belong to my age. Clearly everyone else is more interested in getting you married than you. And sometimes it pisses you off and you say-I am just out of college give me a break! And elders tell you, you are too young to tell them what they should do or not do and of course they remind you that you don’t know life yet(but you are perhaps old enough to get married).

You have more problems if your parents are on Facebook. You have to carefully like your friend’s marriage pics else wish them in private messages(I choose this). Now that all wickets are falling one by one, I mean now that my friends are getting married one after another and your parents know it, their worries are multiplying. Your classmate Supriya got married no? Her birthday was three four months after yours right? yes.. but she was born the previous year, I lie.

Little exaggerated here though, but friends, all of us are facing this in our own ways may be in different magnitudes. It is funny at times irritating at other.  Arranged marriages are bad I concluded!!!!

Here I was wishing - if only I had heeded to some kind people who dared to propose me in the past. Some old crushes passed through my mind like credits at the end of a movie(not UV or Virat though, they never proposed me). if only I had fallen in love with someone! may be I would have saved myself from all this.. Damn.. why didn’t I?? I asked my dad. yea correct, I asked my dad.

What happened to that guy who proposed to you in school?? U made him brother? Dad started teasing me. And what about that tall guy in college, you told him not to talk to you ever again right? Lol.. dad knows everything! And thanks to my recent fb post, dad even knows UV!

I am so blessed to have such a cool parents, I share almost everything with them, specially my dad. But I was literally sad.. Why arranged marriage for me?? Love marriage is better no!!!!! I was putting across my own theories about the same..

well, God has his own ways to confuse us.. My phone rang and my friend suddenly started crying her eyes out crashing my ear dumb-"I don’t wanto live."

What.. kya huwa??, I asked

"I cant live without him.. and we cant get married.." sob sob.. more sobs… and she broke out asking me what should she do?

I consoled her and told her we will think on what they should do, and convinced her that I am with her whatever be her decision and ended the call..

Not funny I know.. but er pardon me, stupidest thing it is…!!!!!!!!

But for me, Oh ya… that was a nice, much needed reminder about the love marriage!! Now, if you are in love with someone, story is little different  but trust me, no less interesting than the one I told about arranged marriages. You might be having your own drama live at your home - How can you marry someone not from our cast? What?? He earns lesser than you? She doesn’t speak our language? 

Well, again everyone else is more worried about your marriage than you. same story here too. In short band bajne wali hai, phanda tayyar hai!!! All you need to do now is say yes :P what do you do now? Where do you go?

I hear a lot from my friends about their fear of marriage, thoughts of losing their bfs/gfs, their 10 year old love story, and their concerns about how to spend life with an unknown guy/girl. majority are worried how to tell about their bfs/gfs at home. What if parents reject him/her is haunting them. and some great people are still searching for girl friends. In short we all are in that age, where “sab ki band baji huyi hai” :P what do we do now? Escpe or face?

Well, I say enjoy it. J Life has no guaranty. I know this from the day when I saw my parents meet a road accident in front of my eyes. That day haunts me even today at times. I can’t forget that moment, but that incident has strengthened my belief in god beyond limits. You never know what life has for you tomorrow, so live the most of it each day, everyday! dad tells me- its not about the money, its about the happiness.. its not about how successful you are, its about how happy that success has made you.. and I completely agree with him. stress, uncertainties, unknown scary future are all going to be with you all the time, there is no escape. So let the life take its way. be smart, be careful, be cautious, think before you act. But enjoy too. Because this time will never come again J all I want to say is (especially to the girl who called me and cried, to you my friend)–trust an unknown future to a known god, everything happens for good! J 

On this very beautiful age, let me dedicate a song to myself  /* and the ppl out there who empathize with me */

Naaa, naa na naa.. na na naaa, naa na na..

Hope u got the song! :P

Cheers :D