Close your I, Open your Eye.

Internet, with its firebrand of anonymous 'Hindus', is today, a successful mass communication device. It has penetrated the most unusual sections of society and has thus garnered a cult status. So much so, that it has become a tool for both- offense and defense. Support a cause and you risk being labelled. Pass a comment and you risk being branded. Post a tweet and you risk being arrested! Quite recently, an interesting piece of drama unfolded in the Gujarat assembly election campaign. It was of course the eternal, BJP Vs. Congress dilemma, yet it had a virtual undertone to it. A malnourished child, proposed to be from Gujarat but traced to belong to Srilanka, appeared in an electoral advertisement of the Congress. Understandably, the BJP raised a massive hue and cry about the picture being 'fake'. The media too, lapped up the information quickly and passed its verdict- reinforcing the 'Con' of the Congress. I was left wondering how significant the issue real...

Faridkot , a small, nondescript, sleepy village is located near Depalpur. It neither boasts of agriculture, nor industry, as its primary occupation. Being considerably impoverished, most people are either forced to find jobs in faraway towns or are indulged in local vending activities. One such vendor, Amir , has been living in consistent poverty for generations. He begins his day by preparing his cart for selling dahi-puri , travels miles in search of customers and comes back home with whatever meager amount he can manage. Within the bounds of this money, he has to cater to an ailing wife, arrange for the education of a young son and yet save enough to get his daughter married. Food, in this family, is a welcome exception. Whenever the father can get hold of vegetables, he fetches them home. Otherwise, onion or tomato coupled with Roti serve as the sole nourishing meals. It was the Eid of 2005. Despite the auspiciousness of the occasion, Amir ,this time, could not make both end...

Corruption is the latest chick in town. Its hot, Its happening and its trendy. Everyone seems to be talking about it. It has caught the imagination of this 'Young' country and the population has begun to display a rat-like behaviour- running after the pied piper, who himself is surrounded by rats of extraordinary quality. In case you didn't get the subtle reference, I meant Lord Anna here. People are out on the streets demanding 'freedom from corruption'. The youth is bombarding the social media to bring about an 'Indian spring'. The country is boiling in a delicate frying pan, despite the fact that the gas beneath it, is visibly turned off. Just the other day I came across a teenager wearing a white Gandhi cap. He was a part of a group that was protesting against corruption. Here is a transcript of the conversation that I had with him- " I Love your cap", I said, "You mind telling me where you bought it?" "They are distributing ...

Disclaimer- The following has been written solely for the purpose of registering an online protest against the outrageous incident that happened in Guwahati. I, of course, am merely a shocked citizen who finds no other way to express his anger than to write about it. Let not this incident serve as a prequel. Let this be the Final Nail on the coffin of those who display their animal instincts in the name of manhood. Dear, 'Sexy', Women, Hey! Don't Jump at that remark. 'Sexy' is a compliment. Ask the braggy Chairperson of your toothless commission and she will endorse it. How have you all been doing? I heard, a few of my brothers molested a girl in Guwahati? Wow! I truly appreciate their zeal. Groping a girl on the main road, in full public view, in the heart of the capital, a few kilometers away from the State Secretariat- Kudos! You guys sure deserve a treat! And what a treat you have got. Your faces are being flashed in the National media! Can you imagine? Yo...

The massive brouhaha over Sonia Gandhi's citizenship and her prime ministerial ambitions have dotted the Indian political landscape for quite a while now. Since 18th May, 2004, when Ms.Gandhi 'sacrificed' the coveted post, a number of conspiracy theories have been triggered, each one of them, more fascinating than the other. It is quite another matter that none of these explanations hold any more ground than the stories of Uncle Scrooge or Alladin. The first rooster to have cried hoarse was the BJP led NDA. Each one of its constituents, was shocked when they were informed that the 2004 general elections had mandated Ms. Gandhi to lead the country. It was apparently a direct attack on their ' Right to rule '. How could a woman with foreign roots be placed at the helm of affairs? How could India be foolish enough to disregard the experience of Mr.Advani and push for a dynastic novice? In other words, how could the 6 year stint of BJP in the government have failed an...

At this day, At this time, At this point, Almost everybody wants to be the President! As you step inside the beautiful courtyard, after having gone through numerous security checks, the ' Rashtrapati Bhavan ' greets you in full glory. The massive central dome and the nuances of Lutyen's architecture, are too overbearing to take in at one glance. Nevertheless, as your eye quickly scans the outer building, you realize the enormity in its entirety. The red sand in the forecourt casts a deep-orange hue on the walls and quite instantly you are reminded of the true 'red', the blood, which might have flown on these very grounds, in an enslaved India. Quite literally, it did. Not many people are aware but the grounds of Raisina Hill have a murky history. To build this palatial building, hundreds of families, who had been living here for centuries, were made to vacate the area. Those who didn't were forcibly evicted and those who resisted were immediately killed. Iro...