Up I come

Thousands of miles across, the sun continues to scorch this earth. Wilted crops are being harvested by emaciated farmers; they smile and wave as they see me. Why have I become so thin, they wonder.
I am becoming one of them once again. Once again, my land has begun to attract me and once again I wonder if this is really where I belong to.

India & Pakistan;how do we help ourselves?

Do we agree that we need to see a new India in coming decades ? If yes, we must do 'something' about troubles bequeathed by our history and do that somthing more confidently. Mending relationship with Pakistan is one of them. If we agree on this, then we shall have to talk about Kashmir, whether we like it or not. And yes, 'they' also must realise that terrorism shall have to go...in whatever way they define it. The point is, these two points must move together; otherwise, both people and political parties across the borders shall remain on the defensive about this detente. That is why we must welcome the new sets of decisions agreed in Havana.

That said, I do understand that we are dealing with a country that is fragile and fragmented. What happens if General Musharaff is replaced by someone after elections? What happens if, as many Indians ask, anti-India feelings and acts continue even after Kashmir issue is settled, just as a result of their own internal bickerings ? These questions can not be wished away. But they can not be an excuse to sit back and keep our fingers crossed. On the contrary, we must have a more nuanced, engaging and forward looking policy towards them precisely because of these questions. We have two choices; bid our time and keep things dragging as they go worse ( as moderate and reasonable elements in Pakistan loose ground to more fundamentalist elements) or stand up and begin acting more intelligently. The BJP sort of approach does not take us any farther than a month or year. We need to look beyond that.

Vidya's wonders; II

And when she smiles, her open lips stir up a mound of her left cheek. Thick chocolate curls come flowing down to claim that mound. Triumphant curls!
Vidya, the wild geographies of your face...

Address changed!

I shift my home next tuesday. On the plus side, I shall get to see and explore the other side of London. I shall have a lot of stuff on my plate for the first couple of weeks-visit the Freud's museum, see the Camden Arts Centre and also take long walks to the Hampstead Heath lakes. Sounds pretty exciting.
On the minus, I shall miss my old companion, the river. Tower bridge will miss me now. And walks along the Thames are also going to be a distant dream.
And I shall also not be able to blog for a long time now; there is no net connection there.

All in all, the life takes a gentle curve.

devotion deficit

It has been more than two months struggling with this essay. Yeah, it is pretty long-20,000 words or thereabouts. Nevertheless, the truth is that I have not really given myself to it completely.
That is why I continue to suffer.

Chinese puzzle

China continues to tell us, in its own ways, who is the master; the state power or the technology?

when that man was born..

Today, 100 years ago, Gandhi began what was his maiden campaign of truth and non-violence in South Africa. I have often tried to imagine the ambience of that night which created Gandhi; thrown out of the train for his colour, he says he shivered in cold..in the dead of the night, he sits on the lonely platform..see-sawing between thoughts of a retreat and a resolve to stick around. Pregnant time..when time ticked away in silence to shape history...of a nation and the future of an idea . As we march on, the profoundity of that night and that decision shall become only more sublime.

( and also today, some boys thought of having fun by throwing a beer can at me near tower bridge, as I surveyed the Japanese photograph exhibition. I wonder what Gandhi would have thought of it. )