Magic of Internet

It has been literally years since i have even thought about writing and putting down mu thoughts, in what i think is a journal of my personal thoughts, reflections, opinions, fears etc.

When i look around on railway stations, airports and street-side shops, the number of books on sell, sometimes i feel dizzied by looking at the range of topics, aspects and areas numerious peopple writing and that many out there must be reading, flipping through them, and i wonder what is it that is making us read so much. what urges us, to write, what urges us to read.

whats in all of this communication? even writing a blog, like this is a comunication, only it has far more 'economical', atleast resource-consumption wise, way-about. Atleast thats what it seems like, probably the resource consumption in electronic-media is of different nature and different magnitude, which is invisible.

But there are some aspects of this form of communication, i think its far more selective-elective in its nature, from both ends, from the one who is communicating and for the one is receiving it, both can selct-elect at will (almost, unless overzealous agencies snooping down, but that too with some effect not complete).

This freedom of information, is probably a phenomenon which can be seen in parallel what Guttenberg's printing machine must have been duringits early days.

Suddenly those who held control (specially the Church in Europe) and over which control was held by the means of 'Bible' suddenly was liberated, and each one could choose not only to read what he/ she wanted but even to communicate what he/ she wanted by writing about/ around it.

Internet is an amazing world, i mean this is sheer magic, how this is all happening. The very joy is in imagining how this all is being played out without anyone really been able to control it.

The information democratization is subtle but its effects are slowly beginning to become visible, in many spheres of the human world. Politics is just one of the aspects of many.

A Dead Rat in the Kitchen Sink

I kept watching, as having eaten the Rat-poison the day before (dutyfuly distributed by me) the ever so elusive rat was gasping for his last breaths and parched himself on the sink in our kitchen. It was part fear, part repulsion and part shame that i avoided even going near the sink, let alone think of doing something about the dying rat.
And as i kept thinking about the whole episode and my attitude to the dying rat, a set of thought was set in motion; what was happening inside myself, while i waited for the rat to take his last breath and die in the sink, waiting for an ‘aid’ to come and help me get rid of the ‘carcass’ .
The idea to deal with what is ugly, the filthy or the rotten makes me uneasy, restless and agitated so i try to postpone or procrastinate it, try so tha someone else may do the ‘dirty-job’.
I realised that i avoid anything that involves ‘getting my hands dirty’, to deal with the ugly, the filthy and the unwanted part of the story; the death, loosing battles, the oncoming disasters (physical, emotional, social as well economical) and sheer rottenness in the middle of our political and governance systems in India. I distaste and ignore what is the darker side of anything.
By choosing to ignore death, i am trying to ignore the very nature of life ‘death’ and in the process avoiding the guilt that may come for not doing anything for it. I always think of an Ostrich, who during the storm prefers to sink his head in sand, wanting to ignore it.

Fear, is my companion from childhood, I may not show it outwardly and may want to ignore it, but it will surface at the most mundane acts of daily life, like watching a scary-movie and just when its a show-time for dear ghost/vampire i will close my eyes, knowing full well that its going to come out in hideous forms.
And this fear, haunts my decision, the choices the actions consciously or sub-consciously. Why am i afraid? Of what am i afraid? I keep asking these questions, but with no answer.....

Shashi Tharoor and Electoral battle as backdoor entry in the Mainstream Governance

Shashi Tharoor, sometimes writes eloquently, i enjoyed reading his book 'The Great Indian Novel', that seemed to understand the Freedom struggle in the light of the epic story of Mahabharat.

After 29 years in the United Nations, and a lost bid for post for Secretary General of United Nations, Mr. Shashi Tharoor has come back to India and is contesting an election to seek what he termed as 'Rebooting of Self'.

Loosing a high-pitched battle, which seemed almost won-over at one point, is not easy to get over with and that to one for such a high-profile post like secretary general of United Nations. even though at many times it is made obsolete by dictates coming from Washington-London and Moscow, add to it Beijing now.

Initially i could not fathom a reason why mr. Shashi Tharoor has decided to contest a Loksabha Elections in India. The elections in India generally become murkier, high-pitched, demanding a series of compromises, voicing of opinions 'one may not really believe' and harnessing the divide within society for sake of democratic victory.

Looking through the prism of reasoning, i presume, that Mr. Shashi Tharoor is not really bothering about the electoral victory. The election for Loksabha, for Mr. Tharoor looks more like a stepping stone which will pave his way into the power corridors in New-Delhi, if the Congress (I) emerges as the single largest party after the polls.

Battling the contest for the Loksabha will help install Mr. Tharoor in the middle of political spectrum. This will also help prepare a ground for the congress, if tomorrow Congress I wants to induct him into the Government. Mr. Tharoor then can become a Rajyasabha candidate from any part of India, and blissfully get absorbed in the central-government.

Imagine, that After few months, if Congress would have suddenly invited Mr. Tharoor to hold a prestigious post in ministry, there would have been huge hue-and-cry. But now the sailing would be lot smoother.