Fight Fire With Fire??

Originally written sometime in Jan 2009

Ahimsa.A word that all over the world today is associated with one man, Mahatma Gandhi ..the father of our nation.But in times like these;is ahimsa even a practical concept??

If you've reached this far,you've probably started criticising me...'Who's this guy to question the ideals of the man who freed our country from tyranny and opression???'The answer is simple...im one of the billions of humans who just pray for peace.

On 26th November 2008,Indians all over the world watched in horror as one of the jewels of the great city of mumbai crumbled.A sad day in Indian history: The day the so called "revolutionaries" decided to bring the terror to india.It was then that the war for peace truly began.

Terrorism isn't a new concept.It's been around for decades.The 9/11 attacks in the US of A was the beginning of the era of global terror,when organizations of power hungry madmen decided to try and take over the world.

We all know that terrorism must be stopped.We cant just try to ignore the fac that terrorists have started their reign of terror in India as well.But how do we tackle this problem. The US of A decided to literally fight it out.The Iraq war was just one example.

But how will India tackle this problem.Granted: Im no soldier or politician so neither am i trying to fight a battle out myself nor am i one who is privy to what goes on in the government.Im just an Indian citizen whose heart goes out to the victims of the terror attacks in Inndia.Im one of the billion citizens who wants to know what the new Central government intends to do about this problem.

Are we going to go out with our guns blazing shouting war cries,or are we going to continue with gandhi ji's policy of non violence.

But the question is...which is the right way.

We finally get stuck in this paradox.Do we walk with our heads held high into the hail of bullets proclaiming ahimsa;or do we pick up a gun and fight to keep our mortal lives??

It's like reaching a fork in the road.there are 2 different paths which theoretically lead to the same result.But these paths can never meet.We can choose only one path...and there are no second chances.We just cannot fail.Our ultimate aim is peace and it's in our best interests to take the path that will get us there faster.

But how do we do it? Do we follow the ideal 'Fight fire with fire'?And if we do so,can we fight only for peace and not for revenge.If we let these thoughts of anger and revenge enter our minds do we still remain morally just or are we now a new form of evil?

Gandhi ji believed in non violence and his ideals united a nation and finally brought us independence.But have his ideals stood the test of time??Will they have the same effect on the terrorists that they had had on the British?Can they bring us peace again??Or will this just aggravate the situation.Evey religious book preaches non violence in one way or the other.So if we pick up arms doesnt it make us go against the ideals that were handed down by our ancestors millenia ago???

In today's world,violence has become the creed.Serial blasts,public displays of violence and street shootouts have almost become commom.However,what always remains is the pain and anger in our hearts.the pity and sorrow that we feel for the victims and their loved ones can never die out.Everytime i read about these horrors and look at pictures of the victims, a thought comes to mind "This could have been me."

How much longer must we suffer like this?How do we make it end?

That sadly, is a question i cannot answer...... I hope you can.

Sea Of Madness

Originally written sometime in Jan 2010

Let’s face it. We live in a crazy world. It’s a fact we can no longer fail to ignore. From the moment we are born we are exposed to this violence. Violence in advertisements. Violence on television. All around us are scenes of anger and greed; of dominance and persecution.

We live in a sea of madness, and our governments fail to notice this. This latest ‘telangana’ issue is a perfect example of human stupidity. Men and women out there are committing suicide everyday. And what for? To lobby for a state that they will never be able to live in because they are killing themselves for it. Their peers may call it heroism, martyrdom and self sacrifice. I call it plain stupidity. They call themselves followers of Gandhi and in his name undergo fasts so that the central government will form another state. A little fact that they seem to have forgotten is that Gandhi was fasting to save us from the British rule. He was also opposed to the partition of Bharat into India and Pakistan. Wouldn’t he then be opposed to the very separation of our state??And its’ not only the political activists who seem to have gone mad. Even students from Osmania University, one of the most respected colleges in the country are taking part in this act of protest. And for what ? For the hope that they will get better jobs when a new state is formed?? If they can truly believe this then Osmania needs to check it’s screening process for new students.

If you think that only the state of Andhra Pradesh is pitiful, think again. People all over the country are still reeling after the Ruchika case hit the media. To think that our own police officers could sink to such low levels!

I could go on and on about the horrors that go on. But that would be of no use. We have to find a solution. Isn’t it time we made changes? I mean, what better time and place is there?

Say that I’m the one who’s crazy; Say that I’m the one who is wrong. Say it doesn't matter. But nothing is going to alter the course of my destination.
I know I've got to find some peace of mind, or else I'll go crazy.

Holy Smoke

Originally written sometime in Jan 2010

“Hey dude! Wanna light up?” “Sure. Why the hell not?” – A general conversation starter at the IIT Bombay fest. It’s sad ;but true. Colleges these days frown on drinking but turn a blind eye to smoking.

Let’s face it. Smoking kills. But you already know that, don’t you? You don’t need me to tell you this. You’ve probably read about it in the newspaper—MAN DIES OF CANCER. Probable cause- smoking.

Everybody knows that smoking can cause cancer. More often than not ;Cancer is fatal. Two basic, simple facts that we all know. But do we all understand them? I doubt it .If we did, wouldn’t smoking be illegal?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not blaming or criticizing smokers. I do however, blame the tobacco companies . Tobacco companies are famous for their insidious marketing techniques. More than 200,000 adolescents are lured into smoking because of these advertisements. These companies aren’t allowed to advertise on television, so they put up huge billboards that catch everyone’s eyes. They hire glamorous models to market their products as hip and trendy. Department stores have cigarette packets at the shopper’s eye level hoping to increase sales. And you know what? These methods actually work. The number of smokers is rising day by day.

You may ask why I bother so much. Why do I even give a damn? Recent studies show that passive smokers have a high chance of contracting cancer as well. So excuse me if I’m not comfortable having people all around me smoking, knowing that I too could suffer because of their actions.

I think the media deserves it’s fair share of the blame too. Some sleazy rag gets a picture of a famous actor taking a few puffs from a ‘harmless’ cigarette. And before you know it, young kids are following suit.

Why is smoking even allowed? Is it because freedom of speech is an ideal worth a person dying every six seconds? I’m not sure myself. Tobacco companies talk of having a conscience and doing their best to protect the sanctity of human life. How can they claim to do so when their own products are killing their customers.

I can’t tell you not to smoke. I can’t decide your future for you. I could tell you of the ill effects of smoking; But let’s face it. You probably knew that before you took your first puff. I will tell you this. If I could choose how I would die, I’d rather it not be the five rupee cigarette bought at some roadside stand.

Fade To Black

Originally written sometime in September 2009

It was dark all around. All the light around Him had disappeared. He knew that his time was short.

He could see that he was alone. And yet for some strange reason ,he knew that he wasn’t. Death loomed above him like a dark cloud and would at any time swoop down upon him. He had resigned himself to his fate. He would die. His mind was plagued with fear and doubt.

He only wished that he had a little longer. A short period in which he would be able to bid farewell to the ones he loved most. For whom he would readily do anything for….He knew that they had been there by his side during his illness. They had spent countless hours holding his hand watching as helpless as he fought a losing battle against the virus that plagued his body.

And then it struck him. His life was incomplete without them .And for them, he would live through the pain. He would survive, if not for himself, then for the ones who mattered most to him. And with that thought came courage. Death would not be able to take him so easily. He would fight Death, and win the battle for now. He would live to see the joy on their faces.

He knew that all he had to do was open his eyes, And the fear and doubt would fade to black .

Something Stupid

Originally written sometime in Jan 2009

Everbody is born stupid.Some abuse that right.

Everyone's heard ofthis one.Its one of the most famous of Murphy's Laws.But the question is, whydo so many people want to abuse the god given gift of stupidity? Why cant we all stay stupid??? Why is there a so called fire burning within us that makes us want to be smarter? Ignorance and stupidity are such natural traits; why dont we want ignorant. Ignorance is after all bliss, isn't it.If the aim of human life is eternal bliss, then reaching this state is pretty simple.Just sit down and do nothing.But as it turns out,that's just too easy for such great souls such as yourselves. Instead of just trying to remain stupid and ignorant, many go about trying to learn more and more so that they may some day become enlightened souls which will,in turn , make them happy.Why put ourselves through so much trouble to achieve what has already been given to us??A state of mind in which we perceive only happiness. Isnt that what stupid,ignorant people acheive without any strain to their brains??

Accept it; if we had all been stupid, the world would have been a better place. We'd still be what today's "intellectuals" call sapiens,hunting down sabre tooth tigers and wild mammoths.We'd live in caves and sleep around a camp fire.We'd only have one responsibility and that would be to feed ourselves and our families.We'd live in a pollution free atmosphere and we'd all be "Kings" of our own domains.What a life!!!! Today people actually pay good money to go on safaris and wildlife tours so that they can experience such trills.

But instead today,we're all part of one big system.Each one of us has a specific role to perform.And the ones who run the system are the rich businessmen who abused their right to stupidity and decide to take control of the whole human race.
Look at the life we live today.There's corruption in almost every walk of life,terror attacks take place almost everyday,Countries form and break alliances everyday.The stock market crashes and people go bankrupt.Suicide rates keep rising.Why do we have to suffer like this?Turns out that the root cause to all our problems is that some people are smarter than others and decide to take advantage of it.

The only way to solve this problem is to convince people to remain stupid.So to all those reading this, id like you to take an oath to remain STUPID and pass on this message to the future generations.