Depiction of Mob Violence in Media

 

Lack of sensitiveness in media is going from bad to worse. With CCTV cameras installed everywhere these days, there has been an explosion in availability of crime and accident videos. Such videos started filling social media first, then digital news, and finally TV news. These media houses do not even blur the images most of the time and do not even post a trigger warning – they just show the accident or crime video as if they are helping the humanity by their insensitive act.

Yesterday, a politician was attacked in Bengal and TV media kept showing his videos with huge amount of blood dripping from his face. Another poor man was lynched by a mob in UP and the internet and TV media showed his face at the crime scene. As I saw his face in picture, I became affected by it, with heart filled with pain and grief. Should I blame myself or the insensitive media for it?

The closest I have witnessed a mob action is when I saw a huge gathering near our village chowk where people were beating up a man. I asked what that was about and got to know that the man was caught red-handed stealing a “bicycle” and hence people were beating him up. I saw the man and he clearly looked drunk. People were hitting his head with their hands, boys were laughing and taking turns hitting him with fists, their faces beaming with pride, as if they were earning some kind of punya. Is that how it feels: beat up a weak unarmed man and feel you are the saviour of humanity? The scene was sickening. I remember the drunk man was neither crying nor shouting for help, but just moved in slow motion, as if in a hangover. Next day, there was no such news in any newspaper, which meant the man had survived the assault.

On one hand, our society is filled with blood thirsty parasitic mobs and on the other hand we have this media which has become their ‘cheerleader’ by showing their action in pictures and videos. No one cares anything about being sensible and caring about how some people can get affected by their content.

At its best, the society is becoming more like a fool’s paradise. In a fool’s world, perhaps we need to be a fool too, to thrive. Or may be a little drunk, like the guy who allegedly stole a bicycle from the roadside.

- Rahul

Nature: Up and Down

 

The Innocence and Sadness of Being Salman Khan

 

Most Hindi movie channels on TV show dubbed language films from the Southern states, filled all through with mindless violence, which make no sense. And then a few other TV channels show old Hindi movies which again makes little sense. I don’t know what will it take for the TV channels to realize that people would like to watch films of the current time, made in the same language, because otherwise how would one ‘connect’ with a film? But these TV channels are run part of bigger organizations and each need to have a movie channel, a news channel, a general entertainment channel, and so on. Therefore, there is little focus on quality, and customers are left to fend for themselves – meaning, keep browsing channels till a tolerable show can be found.

I happened to land on a movie channel which was showing an old movie of Salman Khan from the year 1990, meaning Salman Khan was 25 at that time. I watch him on the Bigg Boss show these days and hence am aware of how he is now. I was shocked to find how he was at the age of 25 in this old movie. 

In this old movie from 1990, his name was “Sajan”. In the film, he spoke so innocently, with such softness, that it is difficult to believe he was the same person that he is now. He was young, thin, with sensitive eyes and a soft voice. Nothing in the texture of his voice matched his current voice. No facial expression, nothing from his personality from that time matches his current self, as seen in Bigg Boss show on TV. Is this what ageing is – it makes the same person so “different”?

In the film, Salman Khan’s character falls in love with a girl, who again was young. I read now that it was her first film. Like Salman Khan, her expressions were also so pure in the film. There was not an iota of artificialness of acting. Salman Khan talked to her in the film in such a gentle manner. In the first scene when he sees her, he just stares at her for several minutes, as if the world had stopped. There is so much innocence in his face, which is remarkable.

At the same time, when I look at him in the reality show on TV now a day, he appears mostly bitter all the time. When he has to congratulate any participant, he gives an expression which is borderline hatred, and rest a mix of apathy, indifference, and bitterness. There is clear artificialness in his behaviour now. His bitterness seems like just an outward expression of sadness he feels inside. Otherwise, what else could explain it?

I am of course not in a position to judge his life situations or his journey, but I am just wondering based on what I see on screen and read in newspapers. It was a disaster that he did not marry. Looking at how he treated the actress in this film from 1990, it is clear that he was a good person and would have made a good ‘family man’. I am inclined to put lot of blame on his family for not getting him married at the right age, due to which he came to the situation where he did not want to marry at all. At the same time, from media reports, it seems he decided not to marry because the women he loved declined to marry him. Due to such things, I detest this whole business of falling in love. Falling in love is good only if the two get married. The one-sided love, or rejection in love, can harm a person’s psychology, like perhaps it did to Salman Khan.

I am still in shock to see no resemblance between Salman Khan of 1990 with his current self. His innocence replaced by sadness expressed in bitterness, I don’t know if it was worth it all for him. But I know, in the end, only we are the best judges of our lives, and no one else can take into account all the things we underwent, in order to be able to judge us. Therefore, I would definitely give him a benefit of doubt. And I shall keep wondering about the complexities of human life.

- Rahul

Threat of the Internet: Smartphone Zombies and Need for Digital Minimalism

 

Recently, actor Akshay Kumar shared an incident where his little daughter came across an objectionable content while playing an online game. The news was covered extensively in the media as a case for cyber awareness and cybercrime. But everyone knows that merely “awareness” is not enough, and the situation is only going to be worse with time.

Long ago, when I started using the internet, I came to understand that the internet was an ideal platform for people not accepted by the society. People looking for nudity, selling illegal drugs, defaming religions and insulting gods and revered figures, bullying, all which they could not do in real life, they were able to do so on the internet-based platforms. We come across so much negativity on the internet and we cannot just ignore everything saying, “it is only virtual”. Internet is not safe, and no one is doing enough to make it so.

The primary role of keeping the internet safe is on the internet-based platforms. Unfortunately, all sort of recklessness from these platforms is excused in the name of calling such companies “tech startups”. It is high time government should make it mandatory for all companies running these platforms to be registered and being under regulation for their practices and systems. It will benefit everyone in the tech ecosystem too.

The second role is with the government. They must stop seeing internet as a “virtual” media but need to regulate every aspect of the online world in the same manner as the physical businesses are regulated. Without government playing its role honestly, nothing can be achieved.

If we look at common worker class people like taxi and auto drivers, security guards, labourers, carpenters, etc, they spend most of their idle time at their work watching small videos on their smartphones. They are not even paying attention to what they are watching but are just glued to the screen as if they are worshipping God or meditating. Very often we see pedestrians and people on the roads, totally lost in their smartphone screens, as if they are all in meditation. The situation is only going worse with time.

I believe one thing fuelling the online world is “cheap data”. Telecoms have come up with around Rs 250 per month recharge and give users enough data to waste whole day, along with limitless phone calls which has made all taxi drivers become ‘phone-zombies’. The world is increasingly resembling a scene from some science fiction film, because of such robotic, zombie like people lost in their phones due to cheap data.

I was thinking if there were ways to change this situation. One theoretical idea was to make the telecoms increase the data prices, so that the monthly recharges needed for limitless data increases to a limit which starts pinching people. Higher cost will reduce demand, and people will start spending more time in real life. But, as individual customers, we are not empowered enough to influence the telecoms into raising prices. Government can certainly do that, but I am not sure if they are interested.

At the same time, there is need for public awareness campaigns about “digital minimalism” and for promoting offline alternatives like books, and community events.

Given the present situation in our country, where government is promoting digitization instead of discouraging it, the road towards my ideal world is yet to take shape. Perhaps the developed Western countries can take a lead in encouraging digital minimalism and maximizing real world social interactions, to show the world a way forward.

- Rahul

We can understand from Mridul Tiwari how Youtube is winning and Bollywood is losing

 

This year too, Bigg Boss 19 on Colors TV has an interesting cast. We can notice an increasing trend of bringing in Youtubers and Social Media influencers as participants on TV screen, perhaps in the expectation that each one of them would help promote the TV show on their digital channels, giving the show easy and free publicity. It is not a bad strategy. But where this strategy fails is when most of these social media influencers turn out to be introverts and not much happening, unlike how they appear in their online content. In the current season of Bigg Boss, we can see how Awez Darbar, Mridul Tiwari and Praneet More are not impressing the host Salman who criticizes them every weekend.

I heard in the show that Mridul Tiwari is a very popular Youtuber. But on the TV show, he just plays the “gentleman”, keeps silent amidst chaos, just tries to be friends with everyone, has been more comfortable with a set of people who have taken dominant role themselves leaving him in a hopeless situation where he faces threat of elimination any weekend, just like Awez.

I searched for his youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheMriDul and found that he has nearly 2 million subscribers! I watched a couple of his videos, including one on Raksha Bandhan and other about Exams, and eureka moment! I loved his content!

I noticed that Mridul’s youtube videos perfectly capture the nerve of common man’s life in India. The content is funny, acting by all actors/actresses in his videos is excellent, camera work, background sound, direction, everything is perfect. Then instantly it came to my mind why Bollywood is missing to earn money these days, ever since they upped their “premium game” by showing mostly Westernized lifestyle and ignoring the real life in India. Mridul’s youtube videos show how Youtube is winning and Bollywood is losing in India.

So far I was skeptical about Youtubers whom I thought were overhyped, but after seeing the content created by Mridul, which are btw of about 30 minutes length each, which is the time of a typical episode of a TV series too, I am tending to change my opinion. All these actors who act in Mridul’s videos are extremely talented and deserve accolades just like regular TV and film artists get. Given the lack of resources they have and still the mind-blowing creativity they unleash, they are as big artists in their own world, as are the best actors, writers and directors in the film industry.

It is high time Bollywood and Indian film industry should stop aping Western films and put their feet on the ground, showing content rooted in the real life of real people in our country. When they do that, there won’t be any complaints about lower footfalls and fading movie businesses. They need to realize the fact that Youtube is the biggest competitor of Bollywood now. 

- Rahul

Travelogue: Bike Trip Around Pune Lonavala

 

Travelogue: Lohagad Fort, Near Pune, Maharashtra

 

Way back, when I was living in Mumbai, I used to go site seeing every weekend. I used to search on the internet which places to visit, and go by local train and buses and visit the places of historical importance. I still have many such memories from those visits in my mind. Once, while I was doing MBA, a group of my classmates went to visit Lohagad Fort. When I came to know about it and saw their pictures, I felt left-out, since I would have loved to visit the fort. I remember from those pictures that it was a long trek and my classmates had gone by local train and had all become tired returning from the one-day trip. Afterwards, I always had the plan to visit this fort at the back of my mind. After about seventeen years, finally I made it today.

Lohagad fort, as its name indicates is a very strong fort made of stones and it is in a very good condition. It is about 5-6 kms from the Malavli railway station, but this whole area is hilly and hence it takes lots of efforts to walk even a little distance. There is a parking at the base of the fort and I went up to that point by my bike to make it easy for me. But I found even the road leading up to the Lohagad fort parking very narrow with really steep turns and it felt very dangerous. We need to go on first gear most of the journey and need to honk at every turn to avoid any accidents. To be safer, I went on a week-day instead of the weekend when the rusk to such places is more, and seeing the dangerous terrain, I felt it was a good decision. Even the trek leading up to the fort from the parking is steep and strenuous since the steps have good height and can’t be compared with normal steps we have in our buildings. The weather is wonderful in the rainy season, but it makes the whole area wet and there is water constantly flowing on the stone steps, making those dangerous. Luckily, govt has made stone steps really rough and it was not slippery with the shoes I had and hence I never faced any problem. There are chairs and sitting area at short distances, where we can catch our breath while climbing. I would recommend the trekking for only young people and the elderly and those who are not 100% fit should not try to go.

Government has done good job in getting mobile tower at this place and hence telephone and internet connectivity is good. I saw many people making video calls to their family members from up the fort, showing the area proudly.

At the base of the fort, there are many monkeys by the side of the road and those are really harmless and hence no one needs to be scared. But somehow, don’t know because of the season, I saw so many baby monkeys all around and it felt the baby monkeys had outnumbered the adult monkeys. I also curiously saw a dog climbing up the stairs all the way to the top till the fort and after reaching the top, I saw that there were 3-4 more dogs and all were resting besides the Nandi ji in front of Shiva Temple. Yes, there is a temple of Mahadev (Shiv ji) in the fort, perhaps remade by the govt at the original place of the ancient temple.

While trekking on my way up, I was amazed seeing the names of the major doors of the fort:

- Ganesh Darwaja

- Narayan Darwaja

- Hanuman Darwaja

- Maha Darwaja

You can search to read about the historical importance of this fort. It is mentioned that the  fort was initially built by a Rajput dynasty in 10^th century who were descendants of Lav (younger son of Bhagwan Shri Ram). Later, the fort was under control of many kingdoms. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj used to keep his treasure at this fort. And Nana Phadnavis lived in this fort for some time and made several structures in the fort.   

There is also a beautiful well in the fort and I never imagined that there could be a well filled with pure water at the top of a mountain like this. It felt dream-like.

In the rainy season, this whole area is beaming with natural beauty and is a place to remember. I could feel pure calmness and peace at the fort.

Seventeen years late at it, but this is how I shall aways remember Lohagad fort at Lonavala.

- Rahul

Social media for non-influencers

 

I just read a blog post where author reflected about role of social media in our lives. It would be difficult to ascertain what all the time spent on social media would have turned out to be, and it seems everyone overrates the role of social media in our life. So, what if we came across 1 or 5 or 10 great guys on social media. By all probability, if we were not there on social media but went out spending the same time in society, we still would have met 10 other wonderful people. Although this could be true for many of us but not for all of us, due to various reasons.

I started on social media many years ago, as it evolved in India. I joined Orkut when it was the most popular social media platform and I was very popular there. Afterwards, I was on Facebook for many years and shared my writings, and poems as I had many likeminded people there. And later, on Twitter. I also spent huge time on social media, as it was designed to engage us and waste our time. Social media is designed to be additive and everyone ends up spending more time there than planned. By now, all its secrets are out, including how it causes dopamine cycle in our body. But during the initial days, nothing was very clear. Now I spend very less time on social media, but I often come across many people who are still spending a lot of time there.

By the end of her article, the author asked not to make social media part of our life, but just use it as a connection tool. It is very good idea. The author also reflects how our life would have been without social media. She thinks most of us won’t be missing much. It makes sense.

Everyone has their own set of experiences in life and social media experiences are also part of the same. In a few decades from now, perhaps social media would be seen very differently. It is possible that future generations would really wonder and laugh at the previous generations for how seriously they took social media in their lives, how much of personal information they shared, and how little they cared about privacy and confidentiality. The way artificial intelligence and other tools are evolving, which are sweeping the internet to make use of the data into useful information, the internet has become a den of thieves and frauds. Our future generations are very lucky that by their time, we already know about pros and cons of the internet and the related etiquettes. The first generation of users are always the guinea pigs for any new technology or business and bears the maximum brunt.

All said and done, I think it would be fair to say that after social media came, first we reaped its benefits and then paid the price. By now, we are aware of how dangerous it is, and why it is possible to not be on social media and still lead a life.

- Rahul

Movie Review: Emergency (2025)

 

I watched the film ‘Emergency’ (2025) recently on TV. This is the famous film made by Kangana Ranaut based on the life of late PM Indira Gandhi, and had faced legal issues before its release due to some scenes including the assassination scene.

I found the movie surprisingly good. As compared to most of the other biopics on political figures, I found this one extremely well made. Although, the film tries to capture historical events which are numerous and hence it becomes a challenge to tell the “story” and keep it about the protagonist and not get lost in the historical events. Due to these challenges, I could feel that the pace of the film was slightly faster than could have been. But I know it was near impossible to depict the enigmatic life of late Indira Gandhi ji in a single film and Kangana Ranaut has done it so well!

I remember all the controversies and press reports at the time this movie was being released. I have anyway almost stopped going to the theatres for watching movies and hence I had totally skipped this one at the time it was released. Now I realise what I had missed. But better be late than never and I am happy that I caught it on TV now.

It is very rare to lead a life which late Indira Gandhi had led. Those days, our country was poor and not strong. It is really incredible how our great Prime Ministers of those decades led our country so well. Despite “Emergency” being the theme of this film, which is considered a blot on the face of our democracy, the film does capture many more important events from the history of our country which I have read about and hence was able to relate well. Though I was not aware that Indira Gandhi was arrested by the Janata Party led Govt at the centre and later released due to public pressure. There are many more aspects shown in the film which I have read in newspapers and magazine articles, and the film has very honestly shown those without malice or political colouring. For example, the depiction of Sanjay Gandhi and his role prior to and during the Emergency of 1975. Vishak Nair, the actor who played the role of Sanjay Gandhi has given a really remarkable performance. So has Milind Soman in the role of Army Chief Sam Manekshaw. I was expecting this movie to be all about Kangana Ranaut, as the Press often depicts her, but found that the film will be memorable due to many such actors and characters, and not only for her.

It is very rare to remain relevant and enigmatic all through our life. It is also very rare for one’s death to match the enigmatic life one has led. Mahatma Gandhi had a glorious death matching his life, and perhaps the other person would be Indira Gandhi. I was a very small kid when she was killed, and I still remember the morning. I was at my hometown, standing in front of our house, when the news had broken about her death. I remember that my grandfather, father and uncles were all talking about it. Like most noble families those days, I guess my grandfather and his family were her supporters too. I have some visuals of that morning still in my mind. It is said that kids smaller than 5 do not remember much from their childhood. I don’t know how rare it is, but I have vivid memories of that day. It is a shame that this great film was marred into controversy for depicting her assassination which is very sensibly covered.

This film has tried to depict the complex personality and psychology of Indira Gandhi. I have read many articles where journalists and authors have written that it was very difficult to characterise her. She was not a simple person. And this film has attempted a near impossible task of capturing some of the complexities of her mind and her life. The movie makers get full credit for it.

I highly recommend this film for one and all. And I wish our nation is slightly grateful for the great political leaders we have had in the past.

- Rahul

 

 

 

 

Swiped (2025) and the Evilness of Workplace Harassment

 

Watched ‘Swiped’ (2025), a film based on the life of businesswoman Whitney Wolfe. I was not aware what the movie was about before I started watching it and later discovered that an integral part of the movie’s plot was about workplace sexual harassment. The movie genuinely depicts the scenarios of workplace harassment which women face, as well as the working environment in the tech startups. Although, no movie can do 100% proper judgement to all the characters and all the events, so the movie can also be accused of showing a one-sided story from the point of view of the lead character Whitney. But being a biographical film, this comes hardly as a surprise.

When Whitney joins the startup, and she was not a coder or a software engineer or big marketing name; she joins from the scratch. The credit to spot talent in her goes to one of the founders, Sean. And for a while, everything goes in a dream-like fashion. She is happy at work, is appreciated by all, and the company gets its mojo and everything is going great. But then, she starts dating another co-founder named Justin. The movie does not even show a hint that there was anything objectionable in a “workplace romance”. And thereby, it tries to hide a very pertinent truth about the whole scenario about to unfold.

Workplace romance is riddled with dangers, that is why most good companies have a policy against it. It is a recipe of disaster. Whiteney and Justin are dating and in love, and it is not kept a secret. After a while, the real face of Justin starts showing off, as he starts taking credit for her work, starts sidelining her and pushing her away from the media limelight. Perhaps, he was cunningly aware of what was going to happen after the two broke up. The decision to break up was taken by Whiteney after she had had enough of sidelining by Justin. Things go totally downside after they broke up, with Justin showing totally abusive behaviour by harassing and defaming Whitney. I wondered what Whitney was thinking when she went on that road of workplace romance. Men are typically known to be sore losers when it comes to handling rejections from women they like.

Later, the whole story shows how Whiteney fought against the system which is against women as well as anyone who takes a stand against the workplace harassment. It is an inspiring story of how Whiteney goes on standing for what is right. But it is more of an inspiring story because of the fact that Whiteney did not go down fighting and goes on to achieve greater success in her career. And when a tricky situation comes again in the next company she joined, she still stands tall. Hats off to Whitney Wolfe and her inspiring courage.

At the same time, I can’t stop but reflect on the root cause of all the harassment she was subjected to, which was workplace romance to begin with. In one of my previous companies where I witnessed absolutely toxic work culture, workplace romance was not only tolerated but even ‘encouraged’. There was a policy banning it, but the management just went around the policy by changing the official reporting manager of one of the couples, to avoid detection. I knew of many colleagues, who went on to marry other colleagues, only by seeing the encouragement of this practice. I believe it was purely incompetence and a decision not to take a stand, which made the senior management not respect the company policy of not allowing workplace romance.

The truth is that workplace romance and workplace harassment go hand in hand. Male employees, often in superior positions in the company, if faced with rejection by attractive female employees in junior positions, are inclined to harass them until they are forced to resign or go emotionally broken. Whiteney Wolfe was able to come out unscathed, and the movie shows the harassment situations very well. She went through hell and came out safe, but unfortunately not all are strong enough like her. And even if one woman is subjected to harassment at workplace, it is a failure of the whole company’s policies and the senior management who are supposed to uphold the values.

I feel like wishing that may there be more Whitney Wolfes in the world, but I know this would be a wishful thinking. Laws and polices are designed to protect the weakest in the community; and the fact that the strongest ones come out unscathed of the hostile situations does not mean slacking the rules. Multinational companies are seen to be often lacking stricter enforcement of policies and rules because of lack of accountability of the senior management who know their ‘time is ticking’ and would be out of the door in a few years. So, why take stands and try to improve the workplace environment for the employees, and why not spend most of the time just to improve the company’s performance in the stock market, which is most rewarding for them.

Workplace harassment should be taken more seriously by all companies as well as by the lawmakers of every country. And when it comes to harassment as an aftermath of workplace romance, the only way to prevent it is not to go down the lane in the first place. I am of the opinion that everyone should maintain a purely professional relationship at the workplace, for one’s own safety and for the safety of others.

- Rahul

Nature: Flowers of September

 

Travelogue: Patna Airport

 

Travelogue: Ramachandra Shahi Museum, Muzaffarpur, Bihar

This museum was established by the antique collections and efforts of late Ramchandra Shahi from Shahi-Minapur in Muzaffarpur, by his son Dr. Vijay Kumar Shahi in the memory of his father. Ramchandra Shahi was born in year 1912 in the Shahi-Minapur village of Muzaffarpur and he had special interest in collecting antiques and historical objects and he had established a museum there in the memory of his father late Brajbhushan Shahi. The current museum building was constructed by the govt and municipal corporation in 1987 and inaugurated by Bihar Chief Minister Bindeshwari Dubey on 23^rd of May, 1987. 

Entry to this museum is free of cost and you just have to make an entry in the visitors register. The museum is in a big hall on the ground floor which is air conditioned. There are 3-4 people available all the time to watch over the historical artefacts and will go with you if you are visiting there. And they will instruct you not to take photographs of any of the items. The pictures of artefacts shown above are taken from public sources on the internet.

- Rahul 

A Beautiful Bicycle Ride

 

Bicycles are special for children, and I am sure we all have some very nice memories associated with bicycles from our childhood. I used to have a small, beautiful, green tricycle when I was very small, a cherry red Avon bicycle with two side supporting wheels later, and I got a proper Hero Hansa bike when I went to the high school. But I shall share my memories later. Recently I saw something which was more than curious.

In the morning, a man was riding his bicycle with only one hand on the handle. With his other hand, he was holding a small kid of one or two, perhaps his son or daughter. The kid was standing on his lap and was enjoying the ride from there very confidently. I could notice that the kid was dark skinned, had been given a bath, wore a new bright red cloth, and his hair was oiled and fixed with a small “Rasna Choti”.

I wondered where the man was taking his kid in this manner. After some time, I saw him returning after having taken a U-turn, meaning it was just a casual stroll to entertain the kid before he went to work. As the man rode the bicycle, occasionally he would turn towards the kid and kissed him on his cheek. The whole scene was so heartwarming that would melt even a stone.

I don’t know if the kid would remember this when he would grow up, since he was very small, and how his relationship with his father would be after growing up. Life is full of ups and downs and we can’t say “happily ever after” for everyone. But I hope the kid would grow up to be a little grateful and loving, the way he received love from his father.

- Rahul

 

The Samosa Seller

 

In my hometown, I had gone to a neighbouring sweets shop after a long time. I found that while other sweets were handed over to the customers inside the shop, for samosas we were asked to take from the outside stall. When I went to the stall, I saw that there was a small boy of about 10 years old packing and handing over samosas. When I visited the shop the next time, it was the same arrangement. But this time I noticed that the boy was not only packing and handing over samosas, but also frying it in a big iron kadhai.

Since samosas are typically consumed as evening snack, and by evening the weather is already tolerable, it was fine that day. But when I went there for third time, it was day time and hence sunny. Even during the daytime, the same boy was making samosas, frying it in kadhai, packing and giving away to the customers who paid for the same inside the shop. I was shocked to observe that there was no real roof above stall since the stall was made outside the shop. The boy was standing in partial shade and partial sunlight and making samosas whole day. This time, the boy was appearing weak, perhaps he was not keeping well at that time. His hand was shaking while picking up hot, fresh out-of-pan samosas.

I felt really bad this time seeing this child-labour happening in front of me. When I went home, I told my mother about all this. She gave an instant solution by asking never to buy anything from that shop again in future. After doing a little ponding if that will benefit or harm the kid, since such situations are complex in real life, I concluded that it was a better idea not to buy from that shop. I did not want to inform the government authorities because child labour cases are rampant all across our hometown and if I complained about that shop, the boy may just get employment somewhere else.

I can remember boys of similar age working at kirana shops, welding shops, painting shops, etc. Even in the 21^st century and amidst so many claims of good governance, this child labour is happening rampantly. And in most of the cases I can see only boys and not girls working in such shops. When people talk about “male privilege” etc on social media, they forget to check real life on the ground. It also reminds me that many people like us take childhood for granted, believing it is always beautiful for all of us, without being aware of many such kids who skip whole childhood for a few rupees. Thanks to human greed which has no limits.  

After that incident, I have been to the sweets shop area and purposely avoided that shop once. I plan to continue doing the same in future. It may not improve the overall situation in the city, but at least I can feel a bit better that I am not part of it.

- Rahul

The Kid On a Traffic Signal

 

I have a few memories of the time when I was a kid and used to go to school on a ‘school rickshaw’ in my small hometown. It was a manually pulled rickshaw, with specially made wooden trailer, where four or five kids used to sit facing each other in each of the two parallel rows. I think I still have some glimpses of the rickshaw-wallah who used to service our school-rickshaw. He was dark skinned, had nice hair, and was very talkative. And how the roof of the rickshaw was made of “tin” like metal which used to make sound whenever the rickshaw moved or came across a jerk! When railway ‘gumti’ (level crossing gate) came, a couple of boys used to get down and push the rickshaw so that it could ride the small hill called the ‘railway gumti’. We also enjoyed the other side of it, when the rickshaw rolled down at high speed due to the slope.

Recently, after many-many years, I had stopped at a traffic signal and noticed that there was a ‘school van’ standing besides me. I think it was a yellow colored ‘Tata Magic’ vehicle which is popular as a school van these days. There was a kid sitting near a window, perhaps a boy, and he happened to observe the vehicles who were stopping at the red traffic light and said to his friend in Hindi, “Jo log imaandaar hote hain, wo rukte hain” (Those who are honest, follow the traffic rules and stop when the signal is red). His statement instantly went deep inside my heart.

The kid had thought that stopping at a traffic signal was a conscious choice of riders which could tell about the person’s integrity. This was such a touching thought. I think after growing up, today I believe that most of the people who do not stop at traffic signals do so because of general carelessness and disregard to the traffic rules, irrespective of their personal integrity. Although I stop at traffic signals most of the times, but the boy’s statement made me reflect on several occasions when I did not. I did feel a little embarrassed. I was not aware that if I did not stop at a traffic signal, a kid could be watching and judging me, thinking that I was not an honest person.

The way the innocent kid pronounced the long word “imaandaar” in Hindi still wanders in mind when I think about the incident. May the magical thing called childhood be always enjoyed by all kids everywhere, in all times and places.

- Rahul

Cow, in the Middle of the Road

 

While going somewhere in my hometown, I came across an interesting scene which made me wonder. In the middle of the road, unfazed by the passing traffic, a cow had started feeding a calf. The cow was totally white while the calf was totally black; but it was possible that it was her own child. I was in awe with the cow’s courage, or her lack of bother for ‘external validation’ (if such a thing exists in animal world too), that it decided that the calf needed to be fed then and there because it was hungry.

At the same time, I felt disgusted at the owners of the cows who force them to wander on the streets and eat whatever they can scavenge, just to save some money. This happens only in the towns and cities and not in the villages where there is plenty of free natural fodder available.

There is a very popular idol of a cow feeding her calf which is considered sacred in Hinduism. Cows are associated with many gods in Hinduism, along with Shri Krishna who acted as a cowherd in childhood. But I never imagined I would come across the sacred cow feeding her calf in such a modern context: in the middle of the road.

May the cow and her calf enjoy a happy long life, always.

- Rahul

Travelogue: Delhi Airport (Terminal 3)

 

Travelogue: Area around Patna (Bihar) in Rainy Season from an Airplane

 

Travelogue: Night View of City from an Airplane

 

Stray Dogs Menace in India: Why Everyone Should Cooperate and Rid Our Streets from Dogs

 

Currently, there is a huge outrage in India over the increasing population of stray dogs, increasing dog bite cases and deaths due to rabies. Supreme Court of India has taken Suo moto cognizance of this problem in Delhi after which hell has broken loose and from media to common people, everyone is discussing this subject. Here are few of the points I want to mention about this issue.

Disclaimer: I love stray dogs, especially pups and if you read my blogs, you would know; otherwise also it is fine.

1. There are many people who are saying that they do not have any problem with stray dogs and stray dogs have never bitten them. But it is important to note that the most common victims of stray dogs are small children, old men and women, poor people, ragpickers, maidservants and beggars. We need to think about welfare of these vulnerable groups of people instead of our own feelings about this issue.

2. Population of stray dogs increases because of easy availability of food on the streets. India is plagued with general lack of hygiene in public spaces and hence it has created this situation where there is huge quantity of food is available for dogs, cats, insects, pests, etc on the roadsides and in the garbage thrown everywhere around.

3. Due to the above reason, people who go out on the streets to feed stray dogs are actually being foolish. It is an invitation for stray dogs to exist in areas where they do not find enough garbage. If dogs are dependent on their artificial feeding, what will the dogs do on the days these people do not go out to feed the dogs?

4. Because of easy availability of garbage and leftover food, dogs’ population is expected to keep increasing exponentially. It is important to understand that stray dog population will increase “exponentially”, just like any species population. And hence, a point will come when things go out of hand and mass culling of dogs will be needed. Hence, it is important to manage this problem before things go out of hand.

5. Municipal corporations in many cities spend lakhs and crores of rupees doing forced sterilization of dogs, which is expensive; since the same money could rather be used for better purposes, like feeding homeless people or educating children of the poor. No amount of sterilization will be able to control dogs’ population if it keeps rising exponentially. 20 years of population control through sterilization can be undone in 5 years if sterilization is stopped. Hence, sterilization is not a sustainable or permanent solution to this menace.

6. Many people are calling for pet keepers to adopt stray dogs, but this is not going to be widely popular because people keep dogs of foreign breeds for status-symbol purpose and most of them won’t keep local stray dogs because the purpose they keep dogs is not for charity but for amusement and companionship.

7. Since the matter has reached the Supreme Court which has already ordered all stray dogs to be captured and sheltered, everyone should cooperate, and municipal corporation of Delhi should obey the order religiously and leave not a single stray dog on the streets.

8. Govt should make a law that if anyone abandons their pet dogs on the street, the dog owners will be sent to jail.

9. Municipal corporations all across India should use mix of sheltering and sterilization of dogs to reduce the population of stray dogs to zero.

10. After stray dogs population will be reduced to zero, population of stray cats will rise, and municipal corporations must ensure good cleanliness of localities in order to avoid us getting into a similar stray cats’ catastrophe.

- Rahul Tiwary

To Speak or Not to Speak is the Question: The Marital Fraud Conundrum

 

Everyone comes across frauds at some point of time or the other. In this world, there are cheats, there are liars, there are backstabbers, and there are frauds of all kinds. But if we come across a fraud who takes away only objects and things from us, we are lucky. Worst kinds of frauds are those who take away the very essence of what constitutes us – a part of our life. I am talking about marital frauds.

There are people from both genders, who marry only for money. If they marry for money but still be with you, it is still a win-win. If they marry you but steal only money and objects from you, you are still lucky. But what if they marry and then take away part of your family – how can you cope with that? You feel incomplete forever. Marital frauds are the worse kind of inhumanity on earth.

When something like this happens to you, you find it very difficult to keep it all together. Would you still have faith in the goodness of this world? Would you still be able to trust others? Would you still have faith in the institutions you have trusted and revered all through your life? Will you still be looking at the roses and not the thorns? It is one thing to be left to die. But if you are victim of a marital fraud, your every living moment is hell. You wish every moment that you better die and then perhaps this endless pain stops.

There is a term called “heartbreak”, which we do not understand until we go through it. Every boy experiences it in his teenage, when they realise that the girl they though was the prettiest in the world does not love them. Then if your friend ignores you, or someone you respected abandons you. All these are nothing when compared to if your spouse defrauds you.

I remember coverage of Raja Raghuvanshi on Times Now Navbharat channel. This TV news channel has a wonderful host named Sushant Sinha. He was telling about this crime and when he came to the point where Raja Raghuvanshi’s wife asked her friends to kill him, he described the moment in a very touching manner. He asked to imagine how Raja would have felt when he realized that his very loving wife was getting him killed. At that moment, would he think of saving himself or be pained with the reality of his wife? That was heartbreaking and beyond it altogether. I would say Raja Raghuvanshi was very lucky that he departed. He would have found it more difficult to live with the true identity of his wife he so loved.

While marital frauds destroy the very fabric of our soul, sadly, there are no laws and institutions to give us justice once we are its victims. There is no surprise that so many people can’t come to terms with it and just give up. Everything has a breaking point.

The worse part of it is that this is not a legal problem to solve. This is not even a social problem for all – because it does not happen with everyone. Those who are at its receiving end suffer mostly in silence. They are silent because they fear ridicule if they speak up.

Hence the title: to speak, or not to speak, is the question.

- Rahul

A Saint from the Internet

 

I know many people have very low opinion of those who watch or enjoy ‘Bigg Boss’ TV show. But I happened to watch and follow last season’s beginning and later episodes and hence became well versed with it. If you followed it too, you would have found one participant of the show, his name was Afreen Khan if I remember correctly. He was introduced as a “life coach”. The producers of the show thought it was worthwhile to explain to the audience what a “life coach” does, and hence they consumed many hours around the same theme. Luckily, I had come across one such man claiming to be “life coach” on the internet before this Bigg Boss happened, and hence I was aware of it.

I had happened to find one “life coach” on the internet. Initially I had mistaken him for another man I used to follow many years ago on Orkut, but later realized he was a different person. Now, this person was an author – he had just published a book at the time I started following him. You can guess the topic of the book – it was motivational – in line with his “life coach” badge. Reading about him, I got to know that he had a family business in manufacturing which he had joined and was devoting his life to it, until one day he met with a road accident and took time to recover. After surviving the accident, he quit managing his business as a full time executive, hired employees to manage everything, and just overlooked the work as an owner. Instead of doing real work, now for many years or decades, he was just focusing on his health and wellness. He used to tour around the world along with his wife, took very nice wild life photographs with his expensive camera, and had a knack for writing and hence he used to write all through the day on the internet. The topics of his writings were about teaching people what to prioritize in life and what to focus on – which was health, peace of mind and family life. It was pretty basic stuff – he was preaching what he was practicing. I was impressed and fascinated with his writings and things he was doing.

Given that he was a life coach and a writer of motivational stuff, he used to always preach others on how to speak, how to behave, how to dress, how to manage money, etc. Hence, I chose the title of this blog post as “a saint from the internet”. Everything was going on well and many months or more than a year passed, when suddenly I discovered a new face of his.

Once he had written about something, praising some people who were doing something, and I felt differently and hence I posted a comment mentioning my disagreement and futility of what he was appreciating. I received a terse reply from him within a minute! He did not use any bad words but just used “sarcasm” to ridicule what I had said. I was taken aback, since I was not expecting such a response from “a saint from the internet”.

Exactly same behaviour repeated afterwards whenever I posted anything in criticism. Through his terse replies, he had made it clear that he did not like what I said (i.e. he did not like me expressing what I did not like). At the same time, he never used any bad words, or did not block/ban me, which was a relief. Since I understood that he did not like criticism, I almost stopped writing any comments/replies on his posts. I even avoided writing comments in appreciation, because naturally, if he did not want both good and bad from me, then he did not deserve anything from me.

Many times I did not like what he said but stopped myself from writing any comment in criticism, fearing his reaction. But after a year or so, this morning I once again posted a comment in disagreement with what he had written. Again, within a minute, his sarcastic reply came. He did not change!

The reason why I am writing this blog post is to send a central message that the “saint from the internet” was not really a saint but just a human being who had learnt to tell nice things to others. He had projected an image of being a very successful businessman (while he had already quit his full-time job), a man in total self-control and a role model to follow for others (while he snapped at every single criticism like his deck of cards were to fall down with a single gush of wind). He was living in a make-belief world, and I decided I was done with him.

I know it is pretty common for people to be very protective of their writings or ideas and to get upset whenever someone criticises them. But they do not claim to be saints, or life-coaches! If one is putting himself on a high pedestal of being a life coach and a motivational writer, one has to also practice a bit of self-control and show some tolerance and empathy. I have seen many people who are not very brilliant or geniuses at what they do – but they are more tolerant and accepting of criticism, and such a maturity is often rated more highly over other forms of excellence.

As I shall let him go down my forgettable memory lane, I would take away a lesson from his life. It is better to be a human who does mistakes, than to be a saint who shouts at any finger that points at one's mistakes.

- Rahul Tiwary

Death of an Influencer

 

Recently, a very popular Indian social media influencer died due to an ailment. He was a meme creator and a photoshop artist. He went by a pseudo name on social media platforms and had used a profile picture which showed his face only partially but gave away his age and fitness to a certain extent. I had come across his posts many years ago, and although I suspect I could have interacted/commented on his posts a few times many years ago, now I don’t have any memory of any interaction with him.

After news of his death came, his fans and other social media users started mourning his death. There was a huge shock and disbelieve among people, though all newspapers had published about the death. People were horrified with the news; perhaps many even cried. He was still young, to make it worse, newspapers told he was only in his late 20s. After reading people’s posts, I understood that they did not know how to cope up with this news. This brings into my memory my first experience of coming across such a news: death of an influencer.

I used to write blog posts, and there was a very popular blogger who wrote mainly on politics. I shared his political inclinations too and I understood that he was a senior person while I was only in college. I quickly began to look up to him and was fascinated by his knowledge and understanding. I remember he adored me too, like his younger brother. A few times he would write comments to guide me or enlighten me on political topics, since I was really a novice back then. He had an image of Bhagwan Ram carrying a Dhanush Kaman as his profile picture, since those were the days of post-Ram Janmbhumi Andolan and perhaps he was inspired by the movement. Both of us had a few common connections (bloggers) who we mutually respected and I remember once another blogger said to me, “Oh, you are also a Ram Bhakt” and I took it as a huge compliment because I knew she was a big fan of that senior blogger and I was flattered because she had counted me in the same league of Ram Bhakts.

After many years, the blogging platform looked deserted since most people migrated to social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and after a gap of few years once I found him on a platform. He was very popular there too and I realized he had entered politics by that time as I understood he assisted some politician in Haryana.

Once he gave me his phone number, asking not to share it with anyone else (since he was in politics) and he asked me to call him and meet him whenever I was in Delhi. Once a common connection had tried to call him for a get together but he was not available. Afterwards, I visited Delhi few times without remembering to meet him and then once finally I thought to call him. Now I don’t have exact memory if I did call him or if my call did not get through or what happened. But I remember that I tried to check his blog and social media accounts to check on him and I came to know that he had died a year or few years back due to an illness. I guess he must be in his late 50s or early 60s or somewhere in his 60s when he died. His daughter had posted using his social media account about his death. I was shocked for many days and I remember I did not know how to process that news.

How to mourn the death of a person you never met but have only read his writings on the internet? You have never met him, so you don’t have his images and pictures in your mind. You have never heard his voice, so you can’t recall what he said and how he said it. With passage of time, you do not remember even his exact blog posts or writings. All you can garner are glimpses of his posts and some broad category of topics which he chose to write on. I don’t think human brain has evolved to fully connect with totally virtual experiences. Or maybe it has, by believing virtual entities as real, just like I imposed “big brother” image on him based on how he interacted with me in the comments section or chats.

This whole experience of coming across death of social media influencers also makes us think about the time we shall be in their place. If we are writing/posting on the internet, there are many others who know us only by our writing. Maybe they also project some kind of image on us, like a brother, friend, senior, or an enemy. In the end, everyone deserves a coping mechanism.

It has been about three weeks since the photoshop genius died. I searched about him on the internet and realised that barring the news of his death three weeks ago, not a single media house published any single news about him after that day. Maybe because they did not know anything about him other than the known facts that he was a photoshop artist, his age, real name and picture, which they had shared in their breaking news article about his death. Or maybe they did not care.

Such things make us realise the mortality of everything we are about. After we die, a few family members will remember us for many years in the real world. But in the virtual world of the internet, people will not really remember us because they never knew us, and now, with fading memory of many things, I am not even sure people will remember our writings, or our poems, or anything about us.

In the end, we shall all become like an unnamed star in the vast sky. Or maybe, we were always one and did not know.

- Rahul Tiwary

 

 

Books: Stories Short and Sweet, by Ruskin Bond

'Stories Short and Sweet' is a wonderful collection of 12 short stories by Ruskin Bond, set in the hilly small towns of India. The book captures various facets of life, including humor, nostalgia, love, friendship, trust, and betrayal, often through the lens of childhood experiences.

Here are the chapters (stories) included in the collection:

1. Those Three Bears 

2. The Coral Tree

3. He Who Rides A Tiger

4. The Thief’s Story

5. When the Trees Walked 

6. A Bouquet of Love

7. The White Pigeon

8. Pret in the House

9. The Overcoat

10. The Tunnel

11. The Snake Charmer's Daughter

12. The Wild Fruit

I loved the stories, "The Coral Tree", "The Thief’s Story", and "A Bouquet of Love " a lot. “The Coral Tree” tells the story of a young man leaving his grand father’s house in India for England permanently, and touches the emotional aspect of parting with a place. Reading the story, it strongly feels like we are the boy and an urge to make the boy not leave. "The Thief’s Story" is a touching story of a thief who tries to steal from his own friend, and the associated dilemma. “A Bouquet of Love” tells the story of an elderly woman living a solitary life in a cottage on a hill station and how once harsh weather takes her life.

Each story is crafted with Ruskin Bond’s signature warmth and gentle humor, making it a delightful read for all ages.

- Rahul

Book Review: ‘Do Epic S*it’ by Ankur Warikoo

 

Ankur Warikoo is an author who later became social media influencer after a stint in entrepreneurship (he cofounded several companies and websites). He is highly educated (MBA from ISB-Hyd) and well versed with the ecommerce and startup space. “Do Epic S*it” is his first book which came out in 2021.

The book comes close to “self-help” space and since thousands and thousands of books are already written in this area by both foreign and Indian authors, Ankur has chosen to build this book heavily on his own life experiences. After reading this book, we get a very clear idea about the author’s life journey, including his parents, wife and kids and it seems the author has used this book for his personal “branding” (after all, he is a social media influencer now). And when it comes to the “content” of the book, it comes across as genuine and written with a good intent to help others.

In this book, the author reflects on what is success and what is failure. He says that most of the time, it is “others” who decide for us what is success and what is failure. We need courage to define these two for ourselves, in our own ways. We need not do things to please others, but we should do things which make us happy, because if we are happy doing things, we do not need any external push or motivation. 

The author says that most battles are won or lost in the mind. Ego is a major roadblock to learning and growth. Money offers freedom, but only with discipline. Avoid taking loans for expenditures that your income doesn't support. Holding grudges drains energy. Treat people with respect, empathy, and then sympathy. The way we can identify true friends is that true friends celebrate our success and are not jealous of us. You are the average of the thoughts you spend time with, not just the people.

To summarise, this book is a natural summary of all good things the author learnt in his life till the time. And he has expressed those very well and with a good intent. I found many of his key points from this book are already out in the domain. But as we know, every Guru teaches the same lessons, but the manner in which those lessons are taught makes a difference. It feels that the book is by and large targeting young readers who have just started their professional journey. I would definitely recommend this book to these readers. 

- Rahul

Books: The Commonsense Diet: Stop Overthinking, Start Eating: By Rujuta Diwekar

 

I had heard the name of nutritionist and author Rujuta Diwekar on the internet a lot and this is her first book I chanced to go through and I found her book totally worth the hype. After reading the book, I understood why she was so popular. It is because she makes so much sense in what she says. I highly recommend this book to one and all.

At first glance, I had also wondered if her name had a spelling mistake, because we come across Rutuja (meaning seasonal) but not Rujuta a lot. I searched and found that Rujuta is a real word/feminine name and it means Honesty/Sincerity.

This book is written in a witty style, perhaps her trademark style and it is real fun reading it. I shall remember this book as much as for the facts and education in it as much the humorous way it is written.

The book encourages us to reject fads and extreme restrictions in favor of traditional Indian wisdom in foods and nutrition. Her core philosophy revolves around making sustainable, guilt-free food choices rooted in local, seasonal, and homemade meals. She emphasizes that "diets" don't work in the long term because they are temporary fixes. Instead, good health is a result of consistent, common-sense habits. She debunks popular myths, like eliminating carbs or fats, stressing that these demonizations are harmful.

Key points from the book:

Local, Seasonal, Traditional Food: The book strongly advocates for consuming food that is grown locally, available seasonally, and prepared using traditional methods. This means embracing regional staples like dal-chawal (lentils and rice) with ghee, poha, or idli, rather than imported superfoods or processed items.

Mindful Eating: Rujuta Diwekar promotes paying attention to your food, savoring each bite, and eating slowly. This helps in recognizing hunger and fullness cues, preventing overeating, and fostering a healthier relationship with food, free from guilt. She even proposes the "Jordan formula" – taking a second bite only if you're sure you can eat a third, to encourage mindful consumption.

No Meal Skipping: Especially breakfast, regular meals are crucial for stable blood sugar and sustained energy, preventing cravings and overeating later.

Ghee is Good: Contrary to popular diet trends, she champions the inclusion of ghee (clarified butter) in moderation, highlighting its benefits for nutrient absorption and satiety.

Holistic Wellness: The book extends beyond just food, emphasizing the interconnectedness of diet, exercise, sleep, and mental well-being. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and managing stress are integral components of her "commonsense" approach.

Rejecting Fad Diets & Overthinking: Rujuta constantly urges readers to simplify their approach to food, tune out the constant noise of conflicting diet advice, and trust in the inherent wisdom of generations before us. Health is not complicated; it's about going back to basics.

Ultimately, "The Commonsense Diet" aims to empower individuals to make peace with their plates, enjoy food without fear, and build lasting healthy habits by embracing simple, time-tested wisdom of our country.

- Rahul

 

Article: Why People Post Negative Things on Social Media about a Deceased Person

There are several psychological and social factors that can contribute to this behavior:

1. Disinhibition Effect (Online Anonymity/Distance): Social media provides a sense of anonymity and emotional distance. People feel less accountable for their words when they are not face-to-face with the grieving family or the deceased's supporters. This can lead to a disinhibition effect, where they say things they would never say in person.

2. Lack of Social Norms for Digital Grief: While traditional grief rituals have well-established norms, social media is a relatively new space for discussing death. "Digital etiquette" around death is still evolving, and some individuals may not fully grasp or respect the sensitivity required.

3. Personal History/Unresolved Conflicts: The death of a person can sometimes open up old wounds or unresolved conflicts. For individuals who had negative experiences, grudges, or perceived wrongs committed by the deceased, their death might be seen as an opportunity to air those grievances without fear of direct retaliation from the person themselves.

4. "Truth-Telling" or "Setting the Record Straight" (from their perspective): Some individuals might genuinely believe they are "telling the truth" or "setting the record straight" about the deceased, especially if the deceased had a public persona that conflicted with their private actions or if the commenter felt personally wronged. They might feel an obligation to present what they see as a more accurate picture, even if it's negative.

5. Seeking Attention/Validation: In some cases, people might post controversial or negative comments to gain attention, provoke a reaction, or validate their own feelings. The outrage generated by such posts can be a form of perverse gratification.

6. Moral Policing/Judgment: Some individuals feel a need to pass judgment on others, even in death. They might see the death as an opportunity to deliver a final verdict on a person's character or actions, often from a position of perceived moral superiority.

7. Impulsivity and Lack of Empathy: Social media encourages rapid, unfiltered responses. In the heat of the moment, or without fully considering the impact of their words on grieving loved ones, some people might post insensitive or cruel comments impulsivity. A lack of empathy can also play a significant role.

8. "Piling On" or Mob Mentality: If a few negative comments appear, others who hold similar sentiments might feel emboldened to join in, creating a "piling on" effect or a mob mentality.