Random thoughts

Politics please!

These days I am reading "Kane and Able". A few days back I read "The Class". Both the books are written by American authors, or so I presume. Anyways, the books definitely deal with Americans. The then happenings in that country and (hence) the world. Its fiction alright, but the events mentioned are real. The important people are real. So invariably we get to know a lot about them. The politics, the history, the culture. Even the latest fashions during that time! A couple of more such books and I would know almost everything about most American presidents!

This set me thinking. How many books have I read that have dealt with India? Have I ever come across a book that talks about the important happenings in my country and how it affected the life of a common man? And by important happenings I don’t mean only Partition. Books abound on that subject. Apart from “A Suitable Boy” I haven’t read a book where a story progresses with Indian political background. I have read autobiographies and biographies which depict the freedom struggle and the emergency era. But nothing in fiction. And are Freedom struggle and Partition the only “historic events” that our country, so rich in history, can boast of? What about a story of a person who simply witnessed a riot? Or even on changing of governments? Is it that the politics of our country does not affect the common man on the street? Maybe it does not. Never mind who is the Prime Minister of the country the potholes on the road to my home stay intact. Indo-Pak talks do not solve my maid problems. But the fact is it does! Indo-Pak talks can save thousands of innocent lives. Our Prime Minister represents our nation to the world. He has the ability to change the way the world thinks about us and treats us. And also the way we treat the world.

What we lack is the involvement. We are totally indifferent towards it. But I think we should make politics an active part of our lives. By active, I don’t mean just casting our vote once (and hopefully only once!) in 5 years. But I mean, being aware of the rules of the game and how they are bent! We need more books that depict the current social and political scenarios of our nation. We owe it to the next generations!

posted by Ila @ 1:51 PM 2 comments

Sachin

The other day I read a blog, I should say one of the many such write-ups, stating how India and Indians are giving more importance to Sachin Tendulkar than the game of Cricket. I know it’s not quite the fashion these days to say Sachin’s the greatest cricketer, but I beg to differ.

The very fact that a player has more importance, rather is given, more importance than the game itself proves the greatness of the player. The game existed before the player and would continue to exist after it. I think it’s rather silly to blame the people for liking a player more than the game. I mean, liking someone or something cannot be forced down people’s throats! Instead one should into the causes for such a thing to phenomenon to happen. I would not go into the statistics to prove the greatness of Sachin. Its for everyone to see. But it’s the way his play (it is not always just the play, but lets stick to that for the time being ;)) affects the common man. It wasn’t long before when I used to get extremely depressed when Sachin failed to score a century or a 150 or even a 200! Never mind how many runs he made, it was never sufficient. He had to play. To make my day. And I used to be an angel when he did make my day. One of my friends dreads going home from office on a day when Sachin has performed poorly because her son would be very cranky that day! This is what I mean by his greatness. I know some (rather most) people would call it madness – to be so affected by a person you haven’t even met or who doesn’t affect your daily life. But they are wrong. He affects our lives. He has the power to make or break our day. And when he does that, its not less than a billion lives he affects!

posted by Ila @ 1:38 AM 1 comments

Dreams

Just finished reading “The Class” by Erich Segal. It’s about a class, a batch, that joins Harvard and graduates in 1948. It superbly depicts the immense pressure the students withstand, or at least attempt to withstand, in such a competitive world. So when I first read about the purported “suicide” of a student in IIML, I couldn’t help but wonder if things have changed at all since 1948! I have quite a few (proud) friends in these prestigious colleges which cannot be deemed less than the Harvard university. And I am aware of the extremely hectic life these people lead just to stay afloat. Sometimes I wonder if it’s really worth it. I mean, these people spend the best years of their lives studying day in and day out just that at the end of 2 years they get the best jobs in the country or even world. And the rest of their lives they spend in working harder to retain the job!

I have always been an “ambitionless person”. So it’s very likely I simply cannot understand the thrill that comes with fulfilling one’s ambition. I am more of a dreamer. I dream about what I want to become and what all I want to achieve. On the surface both are just the same things. But I think dreaming is more passive. I mean, something that is there at the back of your mind, but is not necessarily a part of your daily life. "A dream that will need every love you can give, everyday of your life, as long as you live". It drives your life, not your routine. Something that you look forward to doing “someday of your life”. A dream’s more subtle and hence its chances of surviving in this extremely competitive world are higher. It suffers from lesser burn out. And the beauty of it is its utter impossibility (most of the times!). And that’s why it’s a dream :)

posted by Ila @ 4:00 PM 0 comments