When I Sold Laddus

Our school used to celebrate ‘fun fair’ on every Republic Day. We used to sell its tickets in the neighborhood and then ran stalls selling sweets and games. One year our Principal also gave me the opportunity to sell. Perhaps my qualification was my personality which suited it most; so he declared “Rahul will sell laddoos”! I got a tray of laddoos to keep company for the whole day while my friends enjoyed being vagabonds as usual. It did not help either that the Bundi Laddoos were of immensely tempting color and aroma and I always had a sweet tooth. Though I found it surprising that not many came to buy so lovely laddoos which cost Re 1 each. By evening, since the sales were low, I had to eat some of those and keep the money in my collection box out of my own pocket money. With regretful heart, I returned the remaining laddoos in the tray and explained the accounting of sales to the Principal. I think it is always better to be customers than salesmen; especially if the items of sale are so delicious…

(Childhood memories...)

Supporting Narendra Modi!

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We live in a country where a young boy who once had to sell tea to passengers in trains along with his father could grow up and become the Prime Minister, using his hard work, honestly and talent; despite big empires and international forces working against him. The day Narendra Modi becomes our PM, we shall prove that "the Indian dream" works; our democratic system works (no matter how hard some leaders try to break it into pieces); and no matter how much some leaders complain and crib, we have plenty of reasons to be proud of!

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Thought about Narendra Modi coming to UP from Gujarat and an interesting observation came to mind. Lord Krishna was born in Mathura (in present day UP). Lord Krishna left UP and settled in Dwarka (in present day Gujarat) making it his capital. So the "UP-Gujarat connection" appears to be very old; Modi is only refreshing it!

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Giving and Receiving it While Debating

Someone wondered why people who are seeing putting hard truths even at the cost of hurting others personally, take it otherwise and are offended when they are at the receiving end. If they expect others to take it, why can’t they themselves take it without getting offended?  

I think it is not about "truth" per se. There are people who choose to put their opinion bluntly (not all opinions can be called true/false, so I think key is that they share their opinion which they know may not be liked). When it comes to receiving feedback, they may not agree with the other person who is trying to give blunt feedback to them; and they get angry because they take it personally and feel insulting. Their anger is understandable and I don't think it is hypocritical if you are thinking it as, since while sharing rude opinion they know that the other person will get angry. Getting angry is a common way people react to rude personal comments and in such case both parties are getting angry, so it becomes a game. Just like badminton or tennis; both players hit the other hard; and if one is not hitting hard it is considered weakness rather than being gentle.

I think comparison with games is good way to understand it. Arguing and debating is king of "game", literally and figuratively. I myself play such "game" at times :) I think when I am playing it, even if my comment may hurt the other person, I am not personal. Means it does not matter who the other person is, at the heat of argument I would still say what I wanted to say, strongly/bluntly. Just like when we are playing the game, it is not that we are "personally" trying to defeat the other person. The other player can be just anyone and we shall play at our best. And when it comes to receiving it :), we take it in the same sportsperson's attitude. After a few weeks we should ideally forget who was exactly the person, who said what. So we should be debating with a person for months/years all on different topics without agreeing much, but we seldom quit :) Because it is a game...

An Encounter

It is not regular that we encounter a policeman in our daily lives. That day was one for a change. As the policeman settled himself down on a seat of the bus I was also travelling in, I decided to have a good look at him. He had boarded the bus carrying a long barrelled heavy gun and a leather bag with some items hidden in it. His uniform indicated that he should be from the lower ranks, perhaps a hawaldar. His body was rugged but strong; skin tanned and made coarse by the elements; and his hand bore marks of several cuts and bruises from the past. Somehow that brought respect in my heart for him. His cap fitted his gradually balding head very well, which he adjusted once in a while perhaps as a little self-indulgence he could afford. Act two began when his cell-phone rang. To my surprise, it was a touch-phone which he preserved well in a leather case. As he answered his phone there was something that was not sailing smooth. He was holding and speaking in his cell-phone as if one spoke on a Walkie-talkie! With one hand he held his heavy gun tight while with the other he struggled to manoeuvre his touch-screen cell-phone like a walkie-talkie. I could notice the other two men sitting behind him busy controlling their chuckles. After a while the object of my distraction, our policeman, reached his destination and left to get down. The other two men smiled looking at each other. It was interesting that men who perhaps knew nothing about guns could laugh at one who knew how to fire and shoot but won’t know how to handle a cell-phone! Oh man! Men and their machines…