उठो लाल अब आखें खोलो

Nostalgia! A simple poem. I never read it as a child but probably my mother did. She used to wake me up sometimes by reciting this poem. She did this jokingly even after I was 30...sometimes splashing my face with water when I would refuse to get up on lazy winter mornings!

She passed away 10 years ago. I saw this recently and was reminded of her. How cruel destiny seems sometimes.

Rules for Sons

RULES FOR SONS:

1. Never shake someone’s hand while you are in a seated position.
2. Don’t enter a pool by the stairs.
3. Being the man at the BBQ Grill is the closest thing to being king.
4. In a negotiation, never make the first offer.
5. Request the late check-out.
6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
7. Hold your heroes to a higher standard.
8. Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas.
9. Play with passion or not at all.
10. When shaking hands, grip firmly and look them in the eye.
11. Don’t let a wishbone grow where a backbone should be.
12. If you need music on the beach, you’re missing the point.
13. Carry two handkerchiefs. The one in your back pocket is for you. The one in your breast pocket is for her.
14. You marry the girl, you marry her family.
15. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like crazy underneath.
16. Experience the serenity of traveling alone.
17. Never be afraid to ask out the best looking girl in the room.
18. Never turn down a breath mint.
19. A sport coat is worth 1000 words.
20. Try writing your own eulogy. Never stop revising.
21. Thank a veteran. Then make it up to him.
22. Eat lunch with the new kid.
23. After writing an angry email, read it carefully. Then delete it.
24. Ask your mom to play. She won’t let you win.
25. Manners maketh the man.
26. Give credit. Take the blame.
27. Stand up to Bullies. Protect those bullied.
28. Write down your dreams.
29. Always protect your siblings (and teammates).
30. Be confident and humble at the same time.
31. Call and visit your parents often. They miss you.
32. The healthiest relationships are those where you’re a team; where you respect, protect, and stand up for each other.

The rules were adapted from the “whatgirlswant” blog on Tumblr
The Art of Manliness

Calvin and Hobbes

All Calvin and Hobbes Ever Published

Secularism: Required or not?

Does India need secularism? Do we need secularism? In this era of “sickulars”, is secularism under threat in India? Is Modi really a non-secular leader?

What exactly is secularism? Do we understand it? While political scientists or learned politicians will know this, I feel that the average person on the street does not really understand the exact meaning of this term.  And that is a big source of confusion.

Secularism, as defined by the dictionary is, “the principle of separation of the state from religious institutions”. Its origins are in the fight over power between the church and the state in medieval and modern Europe. The Popes were utilised by the Kings to gain legitimacy for their rule and their approval meant a lot for the peasantry. A peasant feared religion and God and if the Pope said that the King was a representative of God on Earth, and his will was God’s will, then the peasant accepted that, inspire of taxes, tyranny and torture. Thus, the Popes were actually more powerful than the Kings in some way. That led to the rise of the power of the Popes, especially the politically motivated ones. This led to a power struggle between two power centres. Over a period of time, the Popes and the Kings realised that there was no way they could win the battle against each other and arrived at this principle of keeping religion and state separate from each other. With the advent of the age of science and Enlightenment, this principle has only gained following, so much so that many modern democracies have adopted secularism as a state policy.

India, when gaining independence, was yet another modern democracy. It also struggled with the idea of declaring India as a secular country or not. The proceedings of the Constituent Assembly from 1946-1949, show the intense amount of debate that we went through on this important topic. It was crucial to discuss this, because India was being partitioned ostensibly on religious lines. But, we finally did NOT declare ourselves as secular.

This comes as a surprise to many of us! Are we not secular? But doesn’t the Preamble to the constitution mention the word “secular”. We have read this in our NCERT text books in school. Well, that is true. But do you know the history of that word?

Our original constitution did not declare us as Secular. The word secular is not present in the original constitution except for Article 25(2a), where the use is to merely define activities that are non-religious in nature. For a nation that was suffering a massive loss of territory and people due the partition, it was a strange thing to not declare us secular. 

The reason for this is what I have already explained earlier; the meaning of the word. If we were to declare ourselves to be secular, then that would not mean no interference in the domain of politics by religion and no interference in religion by politics and the state. For a country so steeped in religion and rituals and other such, it was practically unimaginable. Our rulers were ruling us in the name of the God (the British did that and so did the Indian Kings, Rajas, Maharajas, Nawabs, Sultans and Nizams etc.). For our people to have a new reality that the new leaders of the country were not going to interfere in religion or gain legitimacy from it was something perhaps hard to adjust to. 

It was equally hard for politicians to let go of the powerful imagery of religion. Mahatma Gandhi regularly used religious imagery, Hindu and Muslim, in his political discourses. His mother, Putlibai was a Jain and Jainism is described as the fountainhead of his doctrine of non-violence in his autobiography. Sardar Patel was actively engaged in the repair and reconstruction of the Somnath Temple, which had been ravaged by marauders from the Central Asian region. Nehru and Jinnah had aversion to religion (both were far removed from the supposed tenets of their respective religions in their personal lives) but had no compunctions in using it in achieving their political ambitions. Ambedkar too felt that religion had a strong role in mobilising people and he converted to Buddhism in his twilight years, more as a social and political statement than any real benefits that accrued to him. Tilak had used Ganesh Utsav as a massive social and political movement generator in and around the Bombay-Pune belt in the 1890s, a movement that still reverberates as a massive cultural phenomenon. Many other politicians had similar ideas about secularism. It simply wasn’t the thing for India.

In such a scenario, it is hardly surprising that the founding fathers of the modern country did not think of separating these two powerful forces from each other. They were using religion in their political lives, since it was and remains a powerful tool to motivate/channelize people’s energies.

However, what changed during the Emergency in 1976 that prompted Indira Gandhi to insert the word secular (along with Socialist, another of her pet ideas) in the preamble to the constitution of India? In fact she made so many changes to the constitution with this, the 42nd Amendment to the constitution, which it is commonly referred to as the mini constitution.

We can only enter the realm of speculation as to why she did it? She was shrewd and could see the rise of right-wing parties. While they may not have been massively successful till her time, they were finding their voice. Many states had experimented with limited right wing movements and some, like Punjab, had openly chosen right wing parties. Her calculation could have been that by limiting the role of religion in politics, she could checkmate these religion based parties in advance. Whatever the reason, we were suddenly declared secular, after more than 25 years of no such ideas.

When the Emergency was lifted, the word came under much scrutiny. The Supreme Court was asked to rule on this word and its place in the Indian Constitution. The court said that it was duly voted in and is therefore an integral part of the constitution. But that presented some peculiar problems. If we were indeed secular then state should have no role in religious institutions. But the government had active interference in religion and religious bodies. It gave subsidies to pilgrims (e.g. for Haj to Muslims and for Kailash Mansarovar to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains), states had temple ministries that actively managed temples, priests and their funds (e.g. in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan) and they paid salaries to clerics of various religions (e.g. in UP today). Either all this had to stop or the word had to be removed but not both. The court said that both must co-exist. And for that, an ingenious solution, in the form of a change in the meaning of the word was introduced. The court said that secular in the Indian context means not that state has no interference in religious institutions; rather, it means that all religions were to be treated equally by the state!

So that is where matters stand today. Our government can interfere in religious matters, as long as it interferes equally :)

So when you discuss secularism in India in its modern context, which definition are you using? Unless there is basic agreement on what we are discussing, it is simply not possible to discuss at all.

As far as the benefits of secularism are concerned, personally I prefer that the original definition of non-interference be applied to India. Religion should not have a place in running the government of the country. Religion is a matter of personal choice and it should remain so. We need only look at the example of countries with state religions like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or erstwhile Nepal to realise that their levels of social, economic, political and other manners of development are much lower than truly secular countries. These countries are run by diktats that are based on out-dated ideas that do not take into account modern realities. As a personal choice, people are free to practise their religion but states should not be run according to ideas that cannot be changed. 

India is not a secular state by the original definition. Even by the modified definition, we are not really there. Most of our political parties when in power will try to favour one religious group over another in an attempt to garner votes and find favour with vote banks. And thus, our development too suffers. Actions speak louder than words. You need to look at not what parties claim about their secularism, but what they actually do about religion based priorities.

True secularism will require the Indian voter to demand it from the politicians. Only then will we be able to achieve it.

© Ankur Jain, 2015

The History of the Internet

The Pictorial History of the Internet.

Interconnected Tech Companies

A very nice look at the world of tech companies  - They are all the same :)

Click on the image to see the complete version.

Urzu Durkut

Lovely Song......


Lyrics
Chann Se Bole Chamake Jab Charaar Bole
Kwaab Dekha Hai Aankh Ka Khumaar Bole
Kwaab Chalke Toh Aankh Se Tapake Bole
Channa Chlake Toh Poora Aabshaar Bole
Urzu Urzdurkut Urzu Urzdurkut
La La La Laa
Urzu Urzdurkut
Tank Tank Tank Tank Tana Tana
Chann Se Bole Chamake Jab Charaar Bole
Kwaab Dekha Hai Aankh Ka Khumaar Bole
Kwaab Chalke Toh Aankh Se Tapake Bole
Channa Chlake Toh Poora Aabshaar Bole
Urzu Urzdurkut Urzu Urzdurkut
La Laa La
Urzu Urzdurkut Urzu Urzdurkut
La Laa La

Naa Naa Naa Na Naaa

Hare Kwaab Ki Yeh Hari Choodiyan
Kalayi Mein Kisne Bhari Choodiyan
Hare Kwaab Ki Yeh Hari Choodiyan
Kalayi Mein Kisne Bhari Choodiyan
Uti Neend Se Chali Aayi Mein
Saath Hi Aagayi Meri Choodiyan
Saath Hi Aagayi Meri Choodiyan


Ankh Bole Kwab Kwab Deelthe Raho
Roz Koyi Ek Chand Bhelte Raho
Chaand Toote Toh Tukde Tukde Baatlena
Bol Pahiyaan Hai Raat Din Takelte Raho
Urzu Urzdurkut Urzu Urzdurkut
Lala La

Urzu Urzdurkut Urzu Urzdurkut
Chann Se Bole Chamke Jab Charaar Bole
Kwaab Dekha Hai Aankh Ka Khumaar Bole
Kwaab Chalke Toh Aankh Se Tapake Bole
Channa Chlake Toh Poora Aabshaar Bole
Urzu Urzdurkut Urzu Urzdurkut
La Laa La
Urzu Urzdurkut Urzu Urzdurkut
La Laa La
Hmm Hmm

Three Things One Must Know

There are three things that if a man does not know, he cannot live long in this world:
What is too much for him,
What is too little for him, and
What is just right for him.
     -- Swahili Proverb

From a student - Aditya Goel  - The juvenility in a child's thoughts, the full play in his actions, the range of his imagination, compel me to wish if each person could be as innocent, and not let facts get in his way. As puerile as it could get, your imagination will keep you calm in tribulations; and who knows, one of those unconventional dreams might come true.

ख्वाबों के किस्से,

अगर सुबह से होते,

अपने मन की करते,

और मीठे सपने पिरोते.

अपने नामों को लिखना,

गीली मिटटी में होता,

हर रोज़ का गुस्सा,

बस किताबों से होता.

डर वोह मन का,

सिर्फ माँ से ही होता,

हर झूठ, हर रोना,

एक खिलोने में खोता.

रियासत के किस्से,

झूठी कहानियों में होते,

और उनके हिस्से,

हम सोते ही होते.

कभी परेशानियों में,

वोह मुस्कुराना सच्चा होता,

क्या दुनिया वोह होती,

जहां हर कोई बच्चा होता.

- आदित्य गोयल

Soar Beyond your Fears!

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace

window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, "May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem." So he cried out to his court, "Go and get a farmer."

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, "Bring me  the doer of this miracle."

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"

With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting."

We are all made to fly -- to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling.

So let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight.

Tees Maar Khan

So...I finally watched Tees Maar Khan. Despite strong protestations from so many, I had decided to watch it and watch I did.

Here's my take on the same.....

It was a different movie. If you have seen Hollywood spoof movies then you would understand this movie. I have seen at least three. I do not remember the names of even one but there are three I have seen. One is the spoof Hollywood action movies with exaggerations of the silly scenes of these movies. Then there was one which was about Superheroes and all the silly things of such movies, like wearing your underwear over your pants etc. being highly exaggerated. And then there was this movie with Angelina Jolie which was a spoof of Troy and some other American/Hollywood stuff.

What Farah Khan was trying was to make a spoof of Bollywood and its associated idiosyncracies. The Punjabi secretary (better pronounced as sectry), the Oscar crazy actor, the insider jokes over Danny Doyle and Manoj Day Shayamalan are clear cases to prove this.

However, where she fell short is that her self-referential locus could not maintain the centrality of the ideas as a result of the confusion of goals and hence the resultant amalgamation of ideas instead of the expected dichotomy of the two genres! In simple words, she forgot that she is making a spoof. End result, it is neither a movie nor a spoof. It is both and hence neither! 

It could have been way better had only one aim been maintained. She is two boats and hence in the water.

Sachin Tendulkar

It has happened - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has hit his 50th test century. And it once again set my memory rolling back to the past. I have always wanted to write this post every time he has hit a new record but I think everything has its time.

I was mad about cricket since 1986. The passion started  in class VI when India brownwashed England in England 2-0. It intensified in 1987 when Gavaskar reached 10,000 runs in test cricket, the first batsman to do so. And then, World Cup happened in India. Although India lost in the semis (damn you Gooch, you with your sweep stroke!) the fever was all set. The greats of those days were Gavaskar, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Abdul Qadir, Vengsarkar, Krishnamachari Srikanth, Vivian Richards, Curtly Ambrose, Malcom Marshall, Gordon Greenidge etc. I was greatly influenced by Qadir, whose mesmerising action I completely imbibed.  I was always running with his diagnol action, even when I walked on the road!

And then I heard about Sachin Tendulkar. It was 1988 and this boy shattered a few records with a record partnership of 664 in a school tournament in Bombay along with his classmate, Vinod Kambli. Kambli made 349 and Tendulkar 324. The newspaper article made a lot of their young age (they were 15 and I was 13). That impressed me :) The wonder boy made it to the Ranji team of Bombay very soon and hit 100 on debut against Gujrat. That was cool.....and then soon we heard that he was going to Pakistan in 1989. 

He hit Qadir for four consecutive sixes in a practice game and that had me hooked. To me, no one was over Qadir and here was this tich of a boy, hitting him all over the ground. My Qadir fascination ended soon after :-)

He was playing for India when I was in school. He was there when I was in college and then when I was doing my MBA, he was murdering Warne & co. I had been placed and there was a lot of time in the final trimester of MBA when Australia toured India. Warne was massacred....and we were thrilled. Watching cricket in a hostel has its own charm....with the running commentary of 50 other people adding to the whole atmosphere.

I still rue the 136 in Chennai where India lost by 12 runs to Pakistan. I think it makes us realise that he too is human, not God. And that adds to his charm. Had he won every match for India, it would be less fascinating. It is the recognition of the fact that he too is like us, fallible and prone to mistakes, that makes him all the more appealing.

His 98 against Pakistan in 2003 WC was another innings that stands out in my memory. The aerial shot against Shoaib Akhtar was the pinnacle of that innings.

He is still out there....it is amazing that almost all my cricket memories are with Sachin. To me, he is Indian cricket. His humility, and his perseverance are commendable. He still practices and is the hardest working cricketer. That is what sets him apart from the others. It is not just a God-gifted ability or a natural talent but the honing and polishing of himself that makes him what he is.

Salutations, O great One! Play as long as you enjoy. We enjoy your craft!

Entitlement Mentality

One young, academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview and was to make the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".

The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.

The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time. Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?" The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'

The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings." The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?

You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

PJ Shayari

वो सड़क के इस तरफ थे,

हम सड़क के उस तरफ थे,

(वाह वाह)

वो सड़क के इस तरफ थे,

हम सड़क के उस तरफ थे,

(वाह वाह)

कुछ हम बढ़े, कुछ वो बढ़े,

कुछ हम और बढ़े, कुछ वो और बढ़े,

हम कुछ और बढ़े, वो कुछ और बढ़े,

(अबे आगे तो बोल)

अब हम सड़क के इस तरफ हैं,

वो सड़क के उस तरफ हैं!

Raavan

Saw Raavan.....essentially Ramayan+Stockholm Syndrome+Modern politics. Very good movie. As I read somewhere....poetry in motion. The visual impact is best enjoyed in a cinema hall.

Mani Ratnam has the guts to present such a fantastic interpretation of the timeless epic.

Great work !

ABC of Bengalis

A is for Awpheesh. This is where the average Kolkakatan goes and spends a day hard at work. And if he works for the 'Vest Bengal Gawrment' he will arrive at 10, wipe his forehead till 11, have a tea break at 12, throw around a few files at 12.30, break for lunch at 1, smoke an unfiltered cigarette at 2, break for tea at 3, sleep sitting down at 4 and go home at 4:30. It's a hard life!

B is for Bhision. For some reason many Bengalis don't have good bhision. In fact in Kolkata most people are wearing spectacles all the time.

C is for Chappell. Currently, this is the Bengali word for the Devil, for the worst form of evil. In the night mothers put their kids to sleep saying, 'Na ghumaley Chappell eshey dhorey niye jabe.'

D is for Debashish or any other name starting with Deb. By an ancient law every fourth Bengali Child has to be named Debashish. So you have a Debashish everywhere and trying to get creative they are also called Deb, Debu, Deba with variations like Debopriyo, Deboprotim, Debojyoti, etc. thrown in at times.

E is for Eeesh. This is a very common Bengali exclamation made famous by Aishwarya Rai in the movie Devdas. It is estimated that on an average a Bengali, especially Bengali women, use eeesh 10,089 times every year. 'Ei Morechhey' is a close second to Eeesh.

F is for Feeesh. These are creatures that swim in rivers and seas and are a favourite food of the Bengalis. Despite the fact that a fish market has such strong smells, with one sniff a Bengali knows if a fish is all right. If not, he will say 'eeesh what feeesh is theesh!'

G is for Good name. Every Bengali boy will have a good name like Debashish or Deboprotim and a pet name like Motka, Bhombol, Thobla, etc. While every Bengali girls will have pet names like Tia, Tuktuki, Mishti, Khuku, etcetera.

H is for Harmonium. This the Bengali equivalent of a rock guitar. Take four Bengalis and a Harmonium and you have the successors to The Bheatles!

I is for lleesh. This is a feeesh with 10,000 bones which would kill any ordinary person, but which the Bengalis eat with releeesh!

J is for Jhola. No self-respecting Bengali is complete without his Jhola. It is a shapeless cloth bag where he keeps all his belongings and he fits an amazing number of things in. Even as you read this there are two million jholas bobbling around Kolkata, and they all look exactly the same! Note that 'Jhol' as in Maachher Jhol is a close second.

K is for Kee Kaando !. It used to be the favourite Bengali exclamation till eeesh took over because of Aishwarya Rai (now Kee Kando's agent is trying to hire Bipasha Basu).

L is for Lungi, the dress for all occasions. People in Kolkata manage to play football and cricket wearing it not to mention the daily trip in the morning to the local bajaar. Now there is talk of a lungi expedition to Mt Everest.

M is for Minibus. These are dangerous half buses whose antics would effortlessly frighten the living daylights out of all James Bond stuntmen as well as Formula 1 race car drivers.

N is for Nangto. This is the Bengali word for Naked. It is the most interesting naked word in any language!

O is for Oil. The Bengalis believe that a touch of mustard oil will cure anything from cold (oil in the nose), to earache (oil in the ear), to cough (oil on the throat) to piles (oil you know where!).

P is for Phootball. This is always a phavourite phassion of the Kolkattan. Every Bengali is born an expert in this game. The two biggest clubs there are Mohunbagan and East Bengal and when they play the city comes to a stop.

Q is for Queen. This really has nothing to do with the Bengalis or Kolkata, but it's the only Q word I could think of at this moment. There's also Quilt but they never use them in Kolkata.

R is for Robi Thakur. Many many years ago Rabindranath got the Nobel Prize. This has given the right to all Bengalis no matter where they are to frame their acceptance speeches as if they were directly related to the great poet and walk with their head held high. This also gives Bengalis the birthright to look down at Delhi and Mumbai and of course 'all non-Bengawlees'! Note that 'Rawshogolla' comes a close second !

S is for Shourav. Now that they finally produced a genuine cricketer and a captain, Bengalis think that he should be allowed to play until he is 70 years old. Of course they will see to it that he stays in good form by doing a little bit of 'jawggo' and 'maanot'.

T is for Trams. Hundred years later there are still trams in Kolkata. Of course if you are in a hurry it's faster to walk.

U is for Aambrela. When a Bengali baby is born he is handed one.

V is for Bhaayolence. Bengalis are the most non-violent violent people around. When an accident happens they will fold up their sleeves, shout and scream and curse and abuse, "Chherey De Bolchhi" but the last time someone actually hit someone was in 1979.

W is for Water. For three months of the year the city is underwater and every year for the last 200 years the authorities are taken by surprise by this!

X is for X'mas. It's very big in Kolkata, with Park Street fully lit up and all Bengalis agreeing that they must eat cake that day.

Y is for Yesshtaarday. Which is always better than today for a Bengali (see R for Robi Thakur).

Z is for Jebra, Joo, Jipper and Jylophone.

Bhains Chalisa

महामूर्ख दरबार में, लगा अनोखा केस
फसा हुआ है मामला, अक्ल बङी या भैंस
अक्ल बङी या भैंस, दलीलें बहुत सी आयीं
महामूर्ख दरबार की अब,देखो सुनवाई
मंगल भवन अमंगल हारी- भैंस सदा ही अकल पे भारी
भैंस मेरी जब चर आये चारा- पाँच सेर हम दूध निकारा
कोई अकल ना यह कर पावे- चारा खा कर दूध बनावे
अक्ल घास जब चरने जाये- हार जाय नर अति दुख पाये
भैंस का चारा लालू खायो- निज घरवारि सी.एम. बनवायो
तुमहू भैंस का चारा खाओ- बीवी को सी.एम. बनवाओ
मोटी अकल मन्दमति होई- मोटी भैंस दूध अति होई
अकल इश्क़ कर कर के रोये- भैंस का कोई बाँयफ्रेन्ड ना होये
अकल तो ले मोबाइल घूमे- एस.एम.एस. पा पा के झूमे
भैंस मेरी डायरेक्ट पुकारे- कबहूँ मिस्ड काल ना मारे
भैंस कभी सिगरेट ना पीती- भैंस बिना दारू के जीती
भैंस कभी ना पान चबाये - ना ही इसको ड्रग्स सुहाये
शक्तिशालिनी शाकाहारी- भैंस हमारी कितनी प्यारी
अकलमन्द को कोई ना जाने- भैंस को सारा जग पहचाने
जाकी अकल मे गोबर होये- सो इन्सान पटक सर रोये
मंगल भवन अमंगल हारी- भैंस का गोबर अकल पे भारी
भैंस मरे तो बनते जूते- अकल मरे तो पङते जूते
अकल को कोई देख ना पावे- भैंस दरस साक्षात दिखावे
अकल पढाई करन से आवे- भैंस कभी स्कूल ना जावे
भैंस के डाक्टर मौज उङावैं- अकल के डाक्टर काम ना पावैं
अकलमन्द जग से डरै,भैंस मस्त पगुराय
भैंस चलाये सींग तो, अकलमन्द भग जाय
मंगल भवन अमंगल हारी- भैंस कभी ना बकती गारी
भैंस कभी अतंक ना करती- भैंस मेरी भगवान से डरती
तासौं भैंस सदा मुसकावै- अकल लङे ओर अति दुख पावै
अकल तो एटम बम्ब बनाये- झटके मे संसार उङाये
भैंस दूध दे हमको पाले- बिना दूध हों चाय के लाले
अकल विभाजन देश का कीन्ही- पाक बांग्लादेश ये दीन्ही
भैंस अभी तक फर्क ना जाने- एक रूप में सबको माने
हिन्दू मुस्लिम सिक्ख ईसाई- भैंस सभी को दूध पिलायी
भैंस न कोइ इलैक्शन चाहे- भैंस ना कोइ सेलेक्शन चाहे
इसकी नज़र मे एक हैं सारे- मोटे पतले गोरे कारे
भेदभाव नहिं भैंस को भाया- भैंस मे ही जनतन्त्र समाया
भैंस ना कोई करै हवाला- भैंस करै ना कोइ घोटाला
पासपोर्ट ना वीजा पाती- जब चाहे विदेश हो आती
फिर भी स्मगलिंग ना करती- भैंस मेरी कानून से डरती
ता सौं भैंस हमें है प्यारी- मंगल भवन अमंगल हारी
अकल बेअकल जो मरै, अन्त सवारी भैंस
भैंस बङी है अकल से, फईनल हो गया केस !!

Quotes on paradoxes

Excellent quotes on paradoxes :)

On Books

There's many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.

-Flannery O'Connor

The covers of this book are too far apart. -Ambrose Bierce quotes

From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it. -Groucho Marx

Thank you for sending me a copy of your book - I'll waste no time reading it. -Hadas

Never lend books, for no one ever returns them. The only books I have in my library are books that other folks have leant me. -Anatole France

Someday I hope to write a book where the royalties will pay for the copies I give away. -Clarence Darrow

Everything comes to him who waits, except a loaned book. -Kin Hubbard

Never judge a book by its movie. -J.W. Eagan

This paperback is very interesting, but I find it will never replace a hardcover book -- it makes a very poor doorstop. -Alfred Hitchcock

There are two motives for reading a book: one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it. -Bertrand Russell

Every night, I have to read a book, so that my mind will stop thinking about things that I stress about. -Britney Spears

Americans like fat books and thin women. -Russell Baker

If my books had been any worse, I should not have been invited to Hollywood, and if they had been any better, I should not have come.

-Raymond Chandler

It had been startling and disappointing to me to find out that story books had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders, coming of themselves like grass. -Eudora Welty

For though he'd very little Latin beyond 'Cave canem,' he had, as a young dog, devoured Shakespeare (in a tasty leather binding). -Dodie Smith

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force. -Dorothy Parker

One always tends to overpraise a long book because one has got through it.

-E. M. Forster

I hate books; they only teach us to talk about things we know nothing about.

-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

My sole literary ambition is to write one good novel, then retire to my hut in the desert, assume the lotus position, compose my mind and senses, and sink into meditation, contemplating my novel. -Edward Abbey

Communication Gap

A judge was interviewing a lady regarding her pending divorce,and he asked her, "What are the grounds for your divorce?"

She replied, "About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by."

"No," he said, "I mean what is the foundation of this case?"

"Why, it is made of concrete, of course," she responded.

"I mean," he continued, "what are your relations like?"

"I have an aunt and uncle living here in town, as well as my husband's parents."

He said, "Do you have a real grudge?"

"No," she replied, "we have a two-car carport and have never really needed one."

"Please," he tried again, "is there any infidelity in your marriage?"

"Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don't necessarily like the music, but the answer to your question is 'yes'."

"Ma'am, does your husband ever beat you up?"

"Yes," she responded, "about twice a week he gets up earlier than I do."

Finally, frustrated and at the end of his rope, the judge asked, "Lady, why do you want a divorce?"

"Oh, I don't want a divorce," she replied. "I've never wanted a divorce. It's my husband who does. He says he can't communicate with me."

Inspiring - Volvo

An interesting reflection someone sent me -

It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.

Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x number of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

Said in other words:

1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in Brazil.

2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.

3. Stockholm, has 500,000 people.

4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its renowned companies. Volvo supplies the NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot." To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don't you think? Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe named Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being". French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has brought forth the US's attention, pupils of the fast and the "do it now!".

This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living.

It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance to a tango.

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time.

As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".

An Ex-Wife's Revenge

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases. On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things. On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candlelight, put on some soft background music and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar and a bottle of Chardonnay.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp dipped in caviar, into the hollow of the curtain rods.

She then cleaned up the kitchen and left. When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days. Then slowly, the house began to smell. They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steamed. Air Fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days, and in the end even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.

Nothing worked. People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit. Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move. A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls. Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly, and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad t he smell was, he agreed on a Price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day.

She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork. A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home....

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including the curtain rods.

Aaram Karo

This is a famous poem, that I read as a child...saw its link on Facebook today and was instantly transported to my childhood. Enjoy!

आराम करो

एक मित्र मिले, बोले, "लाला, तुम किस चक्की का खाते हो?
इस डेढ़ छँटाक के राशन में भी तोंद बढ़ाए जाते हो।
क्या रक्खा है माँस बढ़ाने में, मनहूस, अक्ल से काम करो।
संक्रान्ति-काल की बेला है, मर मिटो, जगत में नाम करो।"
हम बोले, "रहने दो लेक्चर, पुरुषों को मत बदनाम करो।
इस दौड़-धूप में क्या रक्खा, आराम करो, आराम करो।

आराम ज़िन्दगी की कुंजी, इससे न तपेदिक होती है।
आराम सुधा की एक बूंद, तन का दुबलापन खोती है।
आराम शब्द में 'राम' छिपा जो भव-बंधन को खोता है।
आराम शब्द का ज्ञाता तो विरला ही योगी होता है।
इसलिए तुम्हें समझाता हूँ, मेरे अनुभव से काम करो।
ये जीवन, यौवन क्षणभंगुर, आराम करो, आराम करो।

यदि करना ही कुछ पड़ जाए तो अधिक न तुम उत्पात करो।
अपने घर में बैठे-बैठे बस लंबी-लंबी बात करो।
करने-धरने में क्या रक्खा जो रक्खा बात बनाने में।
जो ओठ हिलाने में रस है, वह कभी न हाथ हिलाने में।
तुम मुझसे पूछो बतलाऊँ -- है मज़ा मूर्ख कहलाने में।
जीवन-जागृति में क्या रक्खा जो रक्खा है सो जाने में।

मैं यही सोचकर पास अक्ल के, कम ही जाया करता हूँ।
जो बुद्धिमान जन होते हैं, उनसे कतराया करता हूँ।
दीए जलने के पहले ही घर में आ जाया करता हूँ।
जो मिलता है, खा लेता हूँ, चुपके सो जाया करता हूँ।
मेरी गीता में लिखा हुआ -- सच्चे योगी जो होते हैं,
वे कम-से-कम बारह घंटे तो बेफ़िक्री से सोते हैं।

अदवायन खिंची खाट में जो पड़ते ही आनंद आता है।
वह सात स्वर्ग, अपवर्ग, मोक्ष से भी ऊँचा उठ जाता है।
जब 'सुख की नींद' कढ़ा तकिया, इस सर के नीचे आता है,
तो सच कहता हूँ इस सर में, इंजन जैसा लग जाता है।
मैं मेल ट्रेन हो जाता हूँ, बुद्धि भी फक-फक करती है।
भावों का रश हो जाता है, कविता सब उमड़ी पड़ती है।

मैं औरों की तो नहीं, बात पहले अपनी ही लेता हूँ।
मैं पड़ा खाट पर बूटों को ऊँटों की उपमा देता हूँ।
मैं खटरागी हूँ मुझको तो खटिया में गीत फूटते हैं।
छत की कड़ियाँ गिनते-गिनते छंदों के बंध टूटते हैं।
मैं इसीलिए तो कहता हूँ मेरे अनुभव से काम करो।
यह खाट बिछा लो आँगन में, लेटो, बैठो, आराम करो।

- गोपालप्रसाद व्यास

Fantastic Video

This is superb!

Punjab Airways

Gud marning, Ladies and Gen'lemen. P'rajee aur Behnjee. Sat Sri Akal.

We apalogize for the two-day delay in taking off, b'cause the sun was not shining brightly in the fog. And we are knowing the sun does not shine in the night.

Landing in Ludhiana is not dafinite, but with good luck we can be landing d'rectly in your v'llage.

P'njaab Airways has exc'llant record for safety. In fact our safety
standards are so high that even the fully trained tarrists and hijackers are afraid to fly with us.

I am pleased to 'nounce that starting this year over 20% of our p'ssaingers have reached to their dest'nation. That is a 100% improvement over the last year.

For the rest 80%, the P'njaab Airways staff has lots of experience for consoling the next-of-kin. Our Hostess Balwinder (Bubbly) Kaur will be haippy to brief you on our out-of-court settlement policies and other plans.

If engines are too noisy, on p'ssainger request, we can turn them off for comfart, but your flight will become late and you may become the late also.

For our religious p'ssaingers, we are the only airline who can help you to contact God at once. In case of sudden loss of cabin pressure, Holy Books will be quickly distributed.

We regret that today's in-flight movie will not be shown as we could not record it from the tallyvision due to power cut.

But we will be flying right naxt to Air India, where their movie can be seen from the right side cabin windows. These windows have been opened for you to enjoy sound effects.

For your viewing convenience. For p'ssaingers on left side, we have put binoculars under the seat. You can see the sarson fields and klownies while you travel.

If AirIndia flight is again cancelled, then for your in-flight ent'tainment. Our trained hostesses Bubbly Kaur; Cuckoo Kaur will do the Bhangra with flight stewards Pappu and Tappu. Oye, Balle Balle!! Please give them enough room to dance in the walkway as they are big in size.

Your in-flight Menu has a choice of Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori Fish, Dal makhani, unlimited P'ronthas and Lassi..

There is a half charge for Red Label Whiskey served from Black Label bottles. **Charge is only 10% for country liquor served from Red Label Bottles. *

*Patiala** pegs will be served only on Patiala flights for genuine Patiala psaingers who can be easily identified by their special aroma by our trained air hostesses.

As per safety rules, smoking is not allowed on all P'njaab Airways flights over P'njaab. Any smoke you see in the cabin is only the early warning system on the engines. Please make sure that pilot is awake when you go to inform him.

Please do read the 'structions on the Safety Card in seat pocket in your front side. This will also be used as a hand fan. Please fold and keep it back for next psaingers before you alight. The P'ssainger behind you must read the card in your backside.

Life jackets are placed under your seats for emergency water landings on any of our 5 rivers. Do not use life jackets on the land.

Kindly keep your seat in upright position for take-off and landing.. Also do not use force. Broken seats will not be replaced and you will be tied to the floor during take off and landing.

Please be seated first and then fasten your seatbelts. Do not call for steward or airhostess for a glass of water when plane is taking off.

We are about to take-off. We wish you a pleasant flight. For air sikness problems we have echo friendly jute bags in the sit pokets. Please take the used bags with you and throw in the kachra bin kept outside the airport for your convenience.

Thank you once again for flying with P'njaab Airways. We hope you will go where you wanted to go.

Amazing photos of the volcanic eruption in Iceland

Have a look at the Eyjafjallajokull eruption here...

Old Sher

An old sher that I was reminded of today...


चंद जले आशार, कुछ हसीनाओ के खतो-खुतूत,

बाद मेरे मरने के, सामां यह मेरे घर से निकला ...

Ooof....too much dard!

True Teachers

True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own.

-Nikos Kazantzakis, poet and novelist (1883-1957)

Bhagwad Gita and Junk Mails

Bhagwad Gita -Lord Krishna's explanation of Junk Mails !

Krishna: Arjun , Try to respect the e-mails of your elders ..

Arjun: But Vasudev, how dare I send junk mails to my honorable elders who are logged on to honorable domains?

Krishna:  Paartha,  at this moment they neither are your friends nor your foes. They are mere mail-users. So follow your Net-dharma. Logon and send dozens of junk mails. This is your Karma and this alone is your Dharma.

Arjun: Murari ! After seeing all this, I feel like resigning from Software

Industry itself...

Krishna:  Bandhu, it seems you are caught in a vicious circle of Maaya. In this material world you have none and you are committed to none. Junk mails have existed before you came to this world and shall remain long after you are gone. Rise above this Maaya and perform your duty. Just keep sending junk mails.

Arjun:  but Devaki Nandan...........!

Krishna:  Victory or failure is not in your hands. So stop pondering about results. Don't waste your knowledge on the junk shastra bestowed by your Guru Dronacharya.

Arjun: Hey Keshav, how is junk mail related to the ' system ' ?

Krishna:  Junk mail is just junk mail. It has no connection with Hardware. However, it is another matter that it overloads the system... fills up the hard disk....but you are not supposed to worry  about it. Listen Kunti putra, the way Aatma leaves one physical body and moves onto another, likewise these junk mails move from system to system.

Arjun:  How can one define junk mail?

Krishna: Neither fire can burn it.., nor air can dry it... neither it can be conquered nor it can be defeated. He who sends junk mails cannot be looked down upon even by Mahadev... Junk mails are immortal.

Arjun: Hey Narayan ! Now all my doubts on junk mail are crystal clear.You have opened my eyes Yashoda Nandan, or else I would have lost myself in Maaya and read all the junk mails myself.

........ MAHAAABHAAAAARAT .............

Years have passed since then, generations have come and gone, seasons have cycled, technology advanced, but junk mails remain  So, go on, contribute something to the history by hitting that forward button yet again to send this junk mail to all!!

A brief history(??) of India

A BRIEF BUT Complete History of India : As written by a Std X schoolboy, with all the original spellings. Please pay special attention to the spellings and the "derived" nomenclature. If you don't know all this -- you are history!!!

The original inhabitants of ancient India were called Adidases, who lived in two cities called Hariappa and Mujhe-na-Darao. These cities had the best drain system in the world and so there was no brain drain from them.

Ancient India was full of myths which have been handed down from son to father. A myth is a female moth. A collection of myths is called mythology, which means stories with female caricatures. One myth says that people in olden times worshipped monkeys because they were our incestors.

In olden times there were two big families in India . One was called the Pandava and the other was called the Karova. They fought amongst themselves in a battle called Mahabharat, after which India came to be known as Mera Bharat Mahan.

In midevil times India was ruled by the Slave Dienasty. So named because they all died a nasty death. Then came the Tughlaqs who shifted their capital from Delhi because of its pollution. They were followed by the Mowglis.

The greatest Mowgli was Akbar because he extinguished himself on the battlefield of Panipat which is in Hurryana. But his son Jehangir was peace loving; he married one Hindu wife and kept 300 porcupines. Then came Shahajahan who had 14 sons. Family planning had not been invented at that time. He also built the Taj Mahal hotel for his wife who now sleeps there. The king sent all his sons away to distant parts of India because they started quarrelling. Dara Seiko was sent to UP, Shaikh Bhakhtiyar was sent to J & K, while Orangezip came to Bombay to fight Shivaji. However, after that they changed its name to Mumbai because Shivaji's sena did not like it. They also do not like New Delhi , so they are calling it Door Darshan.

After the Mowglis came Vasco the Gama. He was an exploder who was circumcising India with a 100 foot clipper. Then came the British. They brought with them many inventions such as cricket, tramtarts and steamed railways. They were followed by the French who brought in French fries, pizzazz and laundry. But Robert Clive drove them out when he deafened Duplex who was out membered since the British had the queen on their side.

Eventually, the British came to overrule India because there was too much diversity in our unity. The British overruled India for a long period. They were great expotents and impotents. They started expoting salt from India and impoting cloth. This was not liked by Mahatma Gandhi who wanted toproduce his own salt. This was called the swedish moment. During this moment, many people burnt their lion cloths in the street and refused to wear anything else. The British became very angry at this and stopped the production of Indian testiles.

In 1920, Mahatma Gandhi was married to one wife. Soon after he became the father of the nation. In 1942 he started the Quiet India moment, so named because the British were quietly lootaoing our country. In 1947, India became free and its people became freely loving. This increased our population. Its government became a limited mockery, which means people are allowed to take the law in their own hands with the help of the police. Our constipation is the best in the world because it says that no man can be hanged twice for the same crime. It also says you cannot be put in prison if you have not paid your taxis.

Another important thing about our constipation is that it can be changed. This is not possible with the British constipation because it is not written on paper. The Indian Parlemint consists of two houses which are called lower and higher. This is because one Mr Honest Abe said that two houses divided against itself cannot withstand.

So Pandit Nehru asked the British for freedom at midnight since the British were afraid of the dark. At midnight, on August 15, there was a tryst in Parlemint in which many participated by wearing khaki and hosting the flag.

Recently in India , there have been a large number of scams and a plaque. it can be dangerous because many people died of plaque in Surat . Scams are all over India . One of these was in Bihar where holy cows were not given anything to eat by their elected leader. The other scam was in Bofor which is a small town in Switzerland. In this, a lot of Indian money was given to buy a gun which can shoot a coot.

Presently India has a coalishun government made up of many parties, left, right and centre. It has started to library the economy. This means that there is now no need for a licence as the economy will be driven by itself. India is also trying to become an Asian tiger because its own tigers are being poached. Another important event this year was the Shark meeting at Malas Dive. At this place, shark leaders agreed to share their poverty, pollution and population.