Pride and Prejudice (An article from TOI)

Who carries you on a rickshaw or an autorickshaw in Delhi? Biharis. Who drives the cars of Delhiites? Biharis. Who made Punjab the most prosperous state in the country? The answer again is Biharis. (Here too you may not agree.)

The credit for building the Delhi Metro or making Punjab prosperous will never go to Biharis. Does anyone ever say that blacks built America?

In colonial days, Bihar supplied the "girmitiya", or indentured, labour force that built countries like Mauritius,Suriname and Fiji. A bulk of the labour employed in the Raj capital of Calcutta came from Bihar. After Independence, as opportunities grew, Bihari workers flocked to places like Delhi, Punjab and Mumbai.

At the same time, Biharis excelled in other fields. Many of them became great political leaders, ICS and IAS
officers, scientists, doctors, engineers, writers and artists. Delhi and other Indian cities attracted huge white-collar Bihari populations and Biharis formed a large part of the Indian diaspora of professionals.

But in the eyes of the rest of India, "Bihari" had come to mean a labourer, a person doing menial jobs. It had become a term of scorn and contempt. In their anglicized lingo, places like Delhi University turned the word into "Harry", but the pejorative tone remained unmistakable.

Heaping scorn on the working classes is a universal phenomenon. That is how words like Negro, Paki (used for Pakistanis and Indians in Britain) and some of the words denoting dalit castes in India earned contemptuous connotations.

In fact, while Biharis were getting their hands dirty on Punjab's farms, Punjabis were migrating in hordes to the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. Never mind that they would take up blue-collar jobs as taxi drivers, petrol pump attendants and waiters in those faraway lands.

As the years passed, many of the Biharis who had come to Punjab or Mumbai as manual labourers started moving up the economic ladder as did the blue-collar Indian emigrants abroad. A usually unnoticed aspect of the so-called racial attacks against Indians abroad is the threat the rise of working classes poses to the entrenched social order. This accentuates the contempt they face. Viewed thus, the attacks on Biharis in Punjab, and Mumbai, and the attacks on Indians abroad are manifestations of the same phenomenon.

What stopped Biharis from bringing about a green revolution or building a Metro in Bihar? The answer is geography and history. Geography, because ravaged by floods, the land of Bihar was unable to feed its growing population. And history, because what was the centre of the biggest Indian empire in ancient times was reduced to an obscure provincial existence. The skewed landownership system introduced by the British rulers worsened the situation.

It is a story of a couple of hundred years. Things could have improved after Independence had the political leadership of Bihar been able to exert influence on the rulers in New Delhi to get enough funds for development projects and set off a process of industrialization in the state.

On the contrary, Bihar continued to live the same, conveniently ignored, provincial existence. A system built on casteism, nepotism, corruption and crime came to dominate the state. It spawned a neo-rich class of netas, babus, contractors and government engineers who would build palatial houses for themselves with the money meant for dams, power projects, ration for the poor or even fodder for cattle.

The money meant for roads, other infrastructure and public amenities would go into their bank accounts. No wonder, the roads - supposed to be built with public money - in front of those houses would be full of ditches and become the playground of pigs every monsoon.

With limited options of higher education and hardly any employment opportunities in the state, the youth of Bihar started looking out. They flooded places like Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University. They started dominating the country's toughest competitive tests like the IIT Joint Entrance Examination and the UPSC's civil services examination. With this success, Biharis started believing that they were the brainiest. As for others, they at least began to acknowledge that Biharis were inferior to none when it came to brainpower.

The academic success, however, did not do much to rid the word "Bihari" of the scorn it had gathered. People in Delhi continued to laugh at those who spoke with a Bihari accent. Those who spoke without an accent would get this compliment: "Oh, you are from Bihar? But you don't sound like a Bihari."

Biharis, meanwhile, were retreating into a shell, with little but the glory of ancient and medieval heroes like Buddha, Mahavira, Chandragupta, Chanakya, Ashoka, Aryabhatta, Guru Gobind Singh and Sher Shah to bask in. Now comes 11% growth. The state can recover from the damage it has suffered over hundreds of years only if such a high rate of growth can be sustained for many, many years. Then Biharis would not have to till others' land or build cities and countries elsewhere.

The writer is proud to be a Bihari. So am I.

AVATAR

What a phenomenon!! Refreshing & Re-defining movie experience.

Once in a while...OR rather...ONCE In a decade comes a movie that can re-define movie-making and give it a new direction..this happened with Gone with the wind - Ben Hur - The God Father - ET - The Shawshank Redemption - Independence Day -Titanic and then the latest 2012. They all brought about a different kind of change and perspective. I would place this new bewildering experience called AVATAR in a similar league...

But...it still stands CLASS apart..why?

Well all through these ages (and ever since i opened up to this world and learned to speak & understand) in movies, we have seen & been intimidated by ALIENs - (creatures whom we have tried to learn and understand in our motion pictures) threatening to dominate our mother Earth and posing a greater challenge to eradicate the human race. AND the world gets UNITED to fight this threat.

NOW Just turn this situation around...make ourselves the superior species, with overwhelming powers and technology posing a threat to other planets OR one in particular called - PANDORA(owned & dominated by a still evolving race called NA'VI - peace-loving indigenous inhabitants, who need to relocate or else will be destroyed with bombs by Alien humans. NA'VI - pose a stark resemblance to our very own Hindu mythology in some way (a clan known as ARYANS, color skin, god like appearance, monkey tails from Ramayana era, background hymns and many more). And this leads to a fight between extra terrestrials, fight for a ground to gain freedom of existence - and leading to unification of various clans to match the so called Aliens (humans) who just wouldn't understand their(Na'vi) perspective. Thank you MR. JAMES CAMERON

This guy is a genius...he just does n't believe in usual stuff...he gained ground with Terminator 2 - then vanished, returned back with TITANIC which was mind boggling - and again disappeared only to come back after more than a decade in his new AVATAR - although in a different way from his previous works - WHAT an Idea..wonderful characterization...genuine flow of emotions...such exquisite finesse, aesthete and eye for detail, he almost takes your breath away. This movie would take you to a whole new world filled with all the colours of life & hopes of existence.

You will be thrilled to enjoy the computer developed characters and their instant flow of varied emotions. SAM WORTHINGTON playing JAKE SULLEY in AVATAR who did catch our attention in Terminator 4 and made me look forward for his forthcoming BATMAN series ! BUT in this movie particularly he just couldn't match the might of his own AVATAR. Well we are still glad.

Rather all the animated characters looked so overpowering and just intact with their acting skills and keeping the audience on the edge of their seat.

Without going in to much details, i would recommend one and all to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience. I really admired James Cameron and must say i am a huge fan of his perfection, the only thing i hate about him is that he takes a long long time to come in with a new concept. Few years back i read about his research on BISMARCK and how he was going to transform it into a motion picture, but may be the subject din't excite him enough...WELL lets thanks----else we wouldn't have got exposed to this whole new world of Avatar.

So enjoy - this TITANIC of a movie with definition of ALIENs redefined - at the backdrop of a love story & a race's commitment to fight for its rights & continuity of its existence!

Summing up - AVATAR is the mother of all blockbuster movies ever made till date; it is too enchanting and long lasting because of its elegant cinematic experience. SO rush to theaters NOW..coz I just can't wait to watch it third time...

Signing off.

Empty Spheus

The world has changed for me. And it seems - i have for the World.

There is a deep rising beneath from a vacuum filled of emotions - that's killing me. Is it because of failed relationships or friends that i think i've lost in my quest to grow professionally. I was a social animal, i had my own breed of cattle, but i cant find it any more.

Who is responsible for that. Well i dont know, but in life you are meant to make sacrifices ! These were mine.

I am in doldrums, my feelings are down and out. I have become stoic, unimaginative, unimpulsive - so not SINGH. But that's what you wanted - right! Well here i am.

But for those uninspired SOULS - Guys don't be stupid; Remember - "change the WORLD - never change for the World"

Don't make a fool of yourself.

A time of my life !

I just read a blog written by my very good friend parihar. It really inspired me to open up my blog and pen down few memories from my college book.

I miss college days a lot, but more than anything, i miss my friends and the frolicking time we had together. We were 6 of us, closely knitted, closely bound, meant to be together, till time did us apart. TAPAN, PARIHAR, SHANU, ADITI, PAYAL and Myself - we were like one big family of friends.

I dont have as sharper memory of my early days as parihar, so i dont remember when and how WE happened. But i think we ppl just clicked and found comfort and solace in each other.

So if someone was out and dry, there were always others to console and cheer up, all it took was few butter samosas and a treat in sri maya... (payal , shanu!!)

Shanu, Aditi and Payal's home were like our own home away from our native places. Parihar me and tapan were good at finding reason for all of us to hangaround at any of these places. Aunty never used ot mind, as we were like her own kids OR we were good at - "personification of decency "- at least i was ;)

Time passed on and we grew stronger together - be it studying for exams (i used to be very attentive then), bunking, pastime, movies, ralamandal (parihar babu), long driving, appearing for CAT, visiting IIM Indore, brand quizzing - we would just be together. Not to say, many would jealous us.

Aditi, Shanu and Payal had specific responsibilities of reciting lectures - 2 hrs before the paper - so as to enable me to pass the cut off - i never dissappoined them. Sometimes parihar and tapan also used to worry about me - and helped me in covering the course, although deep inside they knew "ye nahin sudhrega".

well life moved on and one by one we started getting de-engaged. First payal got married - we really missed her during our last few semesters - she used to be the cutie pie of the group - always ready to be pampered by her loving brothers (that would be me, tap and parihar).

Shanu on the other hand was a loving and caring sister who would just keep on babbling. She was a real chatterbox never short of energy, which made US a good companion - we would move around the college pestering everyone and anyone - (stupid cupid).....time moved on - she is well placed in hyd - should get married soon, but she doesn't speak to me any more. I dont know why.

Aditi, my best friend, who understood me better than anyone else, was the real powerhouse. Lots of energy, esp in her voice - it irritates me till date - while speaking to her i made sure to be at a safe distance from the speaker (she wil kill me for this).

She would just know what and how i feel, if i was low she would be the one to share my pain (when girls ditched me) she would care the most for everyone. Sometimes it really used to annoy me, coz she was just so much possessive of us. If we speak to anyone outside our "circle of trust", we knew we'll get a good spanking. She is married and well settled now, her's been the only marriage i have attended (others who trod that path are - tapan, parihar and payal) and it was just amazing to be wth old friends.

Tapan bhau, praihar and me shared a very special bond. We were like three legs of tripod. (with a support in form of aditi, shanu and payal). Tapan is one of the most genuine, down to earth person i have ever met, which makes him all the more vulnerable. He is one good samaritan always ready to help others.

Parihar on the other hand is the person who is a hallmark of gravity and maturity. He is the most learned of us all, (also coz he's seen the world more than us ;), most well behaved, best of ettiquete and mannerism, highly sentimental and very trustworthy. Well which mean an excellent ingredient for a long term good freind and that's exactly what he is. I learned from him a lot, but never told him this. Me, tapan and parihar were so different individually but somewhere we compliemented each other in many aspects.

Well we would be with each other in all moments, but time really changed after job. Distance started mattering, job becaome a priority, i personally could not invest much in fostering the relation, though i always liked and loved my freinds. I missed Tapan's and Parihar's marriage, sth we vowed to be part of (during college ) becoz of certain other commitments which became a priority then..well i dont sound to be giving excuses..but i sometimes i think i 'have missed some really good moments of my life...

Wish all of us could be together again, cherishing old memories and deeds..wish only this time could roll back (just like benjamin button)...

wish we could be friends..WE WERE ONCE...

I just WISH...

Fall of a LEGEND - Michael Jackson

I was devastated by the news & in such a pain, i just cldn't contain myself from writing few things about this legend who entertained mankind through his moves and blockbuster numbers for decade.

This day will be remembered as one of the most mournful day in the history of mankind. A true entertainer's demise overshadowed the whole world. Like any other human being, Michael was also susceptible & vulnerable. He had his shares of controversies BUT ages from now he will be remembered for giving the world "music videos and moonwalk". In my opinion he was and he will be the best on-stage entertainer through ages.

I am so out of words right now, i have grown up on MJ's antics and performance. He may have left this world but in our hearts he will always be there.

Singh

Happy New Year

Hi Guys

Wish you and your family a prosperous and peaceful new year 2009. Hope you achieve what you desire and attain amazing feats in all myriads of life. Dream dreams that are feasible...dont over/under estimate yourselves.

Be convinced of your ability and have strength of conviction.

Godspeed.
Singh

Rise UP

Mumbai faced the worst terrorist attacks ever and the aftermath will continue to haunt our souls for a longtime.

Many lives were lost and reason for my anger and frustration is that by calculated and timely response even more lifes could have been avoided, ONLY IF our ministers 'd been little more proactive. The whole administartion needs an autopsy. They behave like puppets to the hands of such elements, whenever the nation has faced a crisis situation like this. Instead of using advanced intelligence to their advantage and taking charge of the situation, they have always fallen prey to it.

So why suffer a common man for act of men, nominated by us and who have always deceived us. AND Why suffer a common man, for the act of men who fail to qualify as humans.
Time has come for us to react strongly to the situation and take the charge of our SOIL.
We recently saw a revolution of a sort on 3rd Dec, when people assembled for peace march at Gateway of India (Mumbai) and the message was strong and clear - we hate our politicians as much we hate these fucking terrorists - no more bloodbath - else.....

there was anguish, frustration, respect (for our martyrs), and ambition for a better India.
We do not want to be showcased as helpless- so better our very ministers understand the message.
We know our ineterst better than any one else and RIGHT NOW, what we want is to - ERADICATE TERRORISM .....which means hard measures to be taken immediately to counter all the punishable offence and set a tone to the terrorist world.

RISE UP