Does Satyagraha rocks?

Prakash Jha's Satyagraha raises more questions than it answers. Power is corrupting, we know that. But even an iota of semblance of power seems to ruin the rational thinking. Channeling the minds and power of million people, and to control those levels of energy and passion itself requires a continued impartiality, time and again.

Media played this role effectively with the Jessica Lal case few years ago, and helped get the justice rolling. Since then, there have been many more cases where either media, social media or few people have brought together masses to protest or demand from the Government. This begets another question on the role of media; with the powerhouse of information that it can dessiminate, as the provider of platform where discussions can take place or bringing a balancing act between factions of different thoughts - is it walking the talk?

In the last couple of years, this form of social justice has primarily been led by social media, and it has been a more of metro centric phenomenon. In this digital age, with the help of few entrepreneurs or support from corporates, these movements can really reach to masses across cities and states to be more effective in bringing about the social change that this country really needs. The angry young man of 1980s of Bollywood has emerged as the angry, silent masses of this century who are on the verge of bringing another social revolution. While these Bollywood heroes can do all to bring this to forefront,  what is really needed is a Gandhi-like crusader with a reined passion, disciplined energy, detached emotions and unbiased mind to tie all the threads together to bring another Satyagraha.

That brings me to the beginning, did Gandhiji's satyagraha really achieved what it set out to? Did we win the short term battle of India's independence and lost out on a bigger and long term agenda of social independence? Did the leaders of the original satyagraha also became victims of passions of power and chose to be governed by emotions over logic? And thereby leading to deteriorating sensibilities of our sovereign rulers.

In search of more answers,

Pooja

September 1, 2013

Workaholic Wednesday

Mid-week blues is the right way to describe the day.  Arguments, conference calls, discussions and presentation making concluded the day. Planning for next day started in the elevator while it stopped at various floors through its journey from 12th floor.

I walked out of the office building to a beautiful sight of a setting sun. Manicured, freshly mowed green lawns on the sides of a water body that runs into a small fountain, frangipani trees flowering at the borders of the lawn, watered flower beds and peeping from behind the trees - a big round orange ball. Smell of flowers hit as I walked towards the massive iron gates.

Calm and peace flowed through me and stayed throughout the chaotic one hour drive to delhi.  Can we not take more time to smell the flowers, see the natural beauty, listen to birds and just enjoy the everyday things around us while we go around earning our living everyday?

To a thoughtful Thursday,
Pooja

To the Iron Will...

RIP Margaret Thatcher!

For the generation of us born in 70s, the names of Margaret Thatcher along with Indira Gandhi and Sirimavo Bandaranaike was synonymous not only for the women politicians, but also for the women who made their mark as the first women Prime Ministers of their countries.

In that era where the women liberation was still gaining ground, these strong women shattered the glass ceiling in the hitherto male dominated profession. For the common women though, professional life was still a struggle, except in some old fashioned professions like teaching; the society by and large was still safe and tolerable for women to live and let live.

Three and half decades later, the glass ceiling has been broken many a times. The role models are many a plenty, in almost all professions. And the changes are visible around us, largely in the intolerable behaviour of still a male dominated society. The roads are unsafe and so are homes. Women liberation has happened, but at the cost of the lives of those very women.

So while the world remembers the Iron Lady and her legacy, will it be also be relevant to remind certain sections of society that "Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."

In salutation and in hope that the Iron Will in us never rusts,
Pooja
April 8, 2013

Dil maange more!

Another classical musical evening, a slice of Banaras, and memories of time gone by. Listening to three generations of violin player playing together, N Rajam with her daughter and grand-daughter, transported me to my childhood days, when she shared the boundary wall with my masi, and we could hear the strains of violin almost throughout the day. The joy on their faces as they played the classical ragas, the seamless coordination between the trio and the mutual encouragement to each other showed a shared warmth of similar such rituals and practices. The Banarasi in her could not resisted playing a Bhajan celebrating ramnavami as well as a Banarasi dhun. This performance was not only the showcase of Indian culture of teaching, guru-shishya parampara, but also of the myriad musical culture the country has.

From instrumental to vocal, it was the turn of Pandit Jasraj to take the stage. My first introduction to him was also at Banaras, at the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh - an annual musical festival in the temple. He is the reason why I started listening to Hindustani classical vocal music few years back, and today I fell in love again. On the menu today was Bhakti Ras, and he spread the Ras in the audience. I have listened to him couple of times in the last two years, but it was different today, almost magical. For me personally, it was to hear him singing live my favourite compositions that truly made my day.

A lovely evening which came to an end too soon ... The music still haunting me as the day too comes to an end.

Do I dare say I want more of this,
Pooja.
April 6, 2013

I still have faith in this country, its people & its military …

January 26 has been synonymous for me with Parade at New Delhi for a long long time, and it remains so even today. But it is the Beating Retreat ceremony which I look forward to more than the Parade. Yesterday as I walked the entire stretch of Rajpath just to see the lights, the only wish I had was to watch this ceremony LIVE at Vijay Chowk someday.

As the cavalcade of cars brings the VVIPs, the TV camera pans down to a bird’s eye view of the North & South Block, and one sees the military bands come marching down from the Raisina Hills towards the ceremonial area. The bugle sounds, the national anthem plays and the musical journey starts. The much-decorated camel cavalry lines alongwith the setting sun against the almost majestic structures in sandstone.

It is a spectacle of a beautiful setting with music played by men in uniform marching to the tunes of varied music forming varied patterns. My personal favourite has long been the drummers and pipers, in varied colours of their battalion swaying gently to the music they play along. And too soon the hour is over, when you hear the haunting tunes of Abide With Me – the chimes accompanying the music of the hymn. As a kid, I used to wonder where does this bell like sound comes from?

The collection of tunes has changed drastically over last few years, but the aura of the ceremony hasn’t changed for me.The military precision of various bands as they march in tune, and other motions around the ceremony defines the phrase itself.  And as the national flag is lowered, and the bands march back playing Sare Jahan se Achcha, there is always a familiar lump in my throat … I am reminded that I am an Indian. The musical spectacle of bands fades away to the bright lights at Raisina Hills, the celebration of Incredible India comes to a close!

Proud to be an Indian,

Pooja

January 29, 2013

Facing the music ...

It was an eventful day today, first half being at an event which was semi-organised by me and later half of the day at another event as an audience. As i began my day at 4 am, having driven from Delhi to Gurgaon while it was still dark, reaching the venue almost when the dawn was breaking, i remembered an old poem "utho lalji, bhor bhayi hai. Chidiya chunmun bol rahi hai ...". Though when the birds started chirping, i was already inside the auditorium to start the day, missing the music of the birds and facing the music inside!

I have always enjoyed organising events, can safely say it is my forte, so it was natural that it would have been somewhat eventful, each event with its own crisis and challenges, fire-fighting and then the ultimate satisfaction of things gone right.

However, it was the past four hours that truly transformed the day through pure music. Music that touches your heart, soul, body and mind. Music that makes you smile with joy and sometimes move you to tears. The first day of Delhi classical music festival - music that is true to its being. I don't know music never learnt it nor understand its techniques or tunes. However, I still love and enjoy music. It was time to switch off the mobile (not literally but figuratively) and let the music flow ...

It truly was such a day today, from Dhrupad to Santoor. From the sheer rhythm of vocals to the sounds from valley of Kashmir. From the vocal sounds that sounded like multiple musical instruments to the soulful yet playful string sounds. Music that took away the tiredness within, rejuvenated mind and brought a smile to the face. 

It has been 20 hours since I woke up to face the day and I wish the day was not yet over, I can still hear the music in my ears and in my heart. Truly the sound of music transcends all that surrounds us!

Load shedding

Every year there is a New Year resolution, to loose weight and if not that, at least to control  and not gain. A resolution that gets beyond control somewhere during the year. This year I did not make any resolution, but as soon as the year started, my body it seems had other plans. Which came to surface by February, giving me scare!  And while the doctors tried to figure out, and tried to ease my pain, I made a promise to myself. And as soon as the pain was under control and I could start walking normally, I started my evening walks. 20 minutes of walking - the world and the people can wait. It has not been easy, with my love for paranthas and anything fried, control to not eat what you see - but it has not been difficult either. And when my medicines started finally in April, it was with another set of instructions from the doctor. Less fat, less sweets, less carbs and compulsory walking. Now I had no respite, with or without my own resolution.  I have rediscovered nature as well as music, seen the winter give way to scorching summers and advent of monsoons. I have walked in 45 degrees though the temptation to stay in AC after a hard day of work was too high, and so was the temptation to go walking when the weather was great.  It was easy to control sweets, me being not too fond of it! And equally easy to remove alo and rice from the menu. What was difficult was to control my fondness for certain food items, and there were certain times when I gave into my cravings.  And after 4 months and half a dozen kilos off, I remain motivated with a target of couple more. And as my clothes start to get loose, and I get to fit in some old clothes, and while my shadow seems to be getting slimmer, I wonder what to do with my overstuffed wardrobe of Fabindia which once fitted me perfectly, and now not so :(