Sunder Kaand

 It has been now a good 25 years now of my work life, starting from 1998 and not one day goes by where I am not concerned about what others think about me. One of my very good friend says, "One should be agnostic about what others think about you"! Well she might be right because she lives in her own head and she indeed is ignorant to people's thoughts. I am not like that. Speaking about what people think about you, haven't all been taught like that right from the time we become self aware. My son will be 5 years old this April, 2023 and until last year, he lived a life what my friend said about. Kids can but we do not let them be until they become self-aware in the name of society, education, school, etiquettes and habits. Until last year, my son wore anything, slept anywhere, ate anything, peed anytime, anywhere even in his pants (only we used to make him wear diaper, because we cannot make the bed messy or rather wash the bedsheets...! Grownups!)! I feel he had a l...

The title of this post sounds an encouragement to rebel attitudes but in the last 1 and half year this could really be a system than a rebel provoking world.  A chance chat with one of my friends who is also a concerned parent about today's times where his son is in XI std without appearing for the draconian board exam, has led me to thinking about it... COVID has changed or brought something that will have long term impact in our lives, especially the working class like us. Let me take a short digression about the seed of this post to the 90s or more precisely 1992-1993.  In 1993, I appeared for my X Std Board Exams and by far, the most revered exam of all middle class till date too. Board Exams apparently are so draconian till date too maybe, that many kids before me and also later committed suicide due to the results. I won't blame the Board Exam as such but yes they were game changers.. at least they were thought to be...  Today after 28 years when I look back on...

One of the most famous phrase we heard in school was A friend in need, is a friend indeed . Class monitors or the prefects would write this at least once a year on some blackboard (classroom's or general) as "thought for today". Some of us were emotional on that front too just by reading it. Some really thought their friend in school will remain with them forever only to realize later that once the school is over, the friend has sailed swiftly to some place where we don't tread.  Then came the days of colleges where those who couldn't bond in school had really great bonds from then on. As for some it lasted for a while in school, same it was in College too. For some the friendship lasted life-long; well those are exceptions.  Then came the hormonal imbalances spiced by Bollywood as below... where friendship was given a stage of initiation for love & romance. A girl and boy first become friends and then they (have to) fall in love (typically at first sight or p...

We Indians anyway have EGO in many things, from buying a TV to Car to going for specific schools to calling oneself IITian. Now when we add being a scientist who has contributed n terms of papers under Govt funding, he/she quite often thinks (leaving few exceptions) that he/she is so important that his fellow professionals are lesser souls. So petty thinking on such issues is natural, though you might call irrational; in fact it's being UNREASONABLE. To win a Nobel there has to be lot of other things than Science. I see westerners work in Collaboration from inter-department within a University/Research Institute to across borders. Indian scientists on the other hand might not do it with their neighboring scientist of the same department on the same floor. The only time they come together is during the 4 p.m. tea time, where in the name of scientific reckoning a show off is made of their skills with no absolute base on the discussion; these discussions are more of criticism and ...

I had an odd conversation during the lunch-yap (the obligatory conversation during the lunch, somehow we grown-ups cannot eat quietly; neither lunch nor dinner, we have to talk about something while serving hypoglycemia (hunger)) about Physics vs Physicist . My colleague, who has established himself in Physics, academically (unlike me) threw this at me. He said, unlike the era up to 80s, where pursuing Physics meant something, being a Physicist was not only honor but was also more like 'being in demand', today it is not the same for Physicist. Many top IIT-JEE rank holders used to pursue integrated M.Sc. Physics, especially at the christened mecca, IIT Kanpur and the dejected but still in the top 100 or 200 ranks would run pillar-to-post to at least go for BTech in Engineering Physics. The ones who did not go for IITs, would still pursue Physics somewhere. Physics was hot and so were Physicists , back then. Unfortunately, today the situation is not the same. The essence o...

The 1981, phenomenal saga tailored by one of the greatest Woman Film Makers of India, Sai Paranjpe... The particular point to be mentioned is, Sai was way ahead of her times & a Woman in a Man's world as compared to today's Farah Khan or Meera Nair or others, where liberalization is second nature bagged by Western influence & technology. No woman in India dared to make movies in those days. Sai Paranjpe for first, never made movies for women. Her stories themed around a collective set of characters irrespective of gender. The fairer sex always had fair share. Amongst Sai's many movies such as, (ref Wikipedia...) The Little Tea Shop (TV 1972) Jadu Ka Shankh (1974) Begaar (1975) Sikander (1976) Dabcherry Milk Project (1976) Captain Laxmi (1977) Freedom From Fear (1978) Sparsh (1980) Chasme Buddoor (1981) Books That Talk (1981) Katha (1983) Ados Pados (TV 1984) Chote Bade (TV 1985) Angootha Chhaap (1988) Disha (1990) Papeeha...

What is the best way to spend time when you want to get entertained when you want your heart and also mind to get involved(which goes without saying, most entertainment is with no mind... matter rules mind)? I'd say, go with your loved one(s) to watch a subtle romantic movie, recently released, called "The Lunchbox"!  I cannot stop being gaga over Good Romantic Movies, ever. Some of the great English Romantic movies that I vouch for are: Casablanca Gone with the Wind You've got mail...  One fine day Pretty Woman ... and so many... The one from Hindi movies' lot, Bollywood actually rides on numero-uno concept of Love, Romance etc. Dream merchants like Yash Chopra have always snow-ladden as a backdrop of the lead pair. Personally, I never liked this personification or caricaturization of 'Love' , though as glamor it is ultimate. I detest such concepts, since it takes us away from reality. That does not mean, in real life there is no Love/R...

Why we do not respect women? ('We' means exclusively Indians)! I do not know about western countries and their attitude towards women, but as far as I know, their culture and law are way too different than ours. I mean a man can sue a woman just because she was dressed inappropriately and he got distracted & hence he rammed his car into lamp-post. At the same time, there are cases where women get away with lot of legal support. So, let me not talk about West. India is a country where boys are taught not in regular sessions, but sub-consciously that the fairer sex is to be looked upon. I remember my school days when we used to have Devi Pooja etc, my father used to make me sit next to him to recite the sermons & also explain them. The recitals embodied what Goddess Kali is about or Goddess Durga was about or Saraswati the Goddess of Knowledge was about. In all this, it was Goddess after all, a woman. But I used to see my Mother being subjected to scolding or reprim...

I am back in the blogging circle after year and a half. Reasons are not so trivial. There have been many things that happened that I possibly can neither put here in brief nor justify the absence with something substantial. I would like to put the perspective directly. Pardon me for speaking in indirect references or pronouns but diplomacy is what I have learned from this journey. I am on the drive which is 'supposed' to lead me to a Career that encircles Knowledge. But sadly, the experience has been a Real Education. Although it has not been a complete disaster , but the administrators of knowledge, my fellow participants and the system overall have been a Big Disappointment. I would create the caricatures of the participants to narrate the story in brief. The battle is between these three candidates - The Knowledge Keepers, The Fellow Participants & The Administrators, all encompassed in a Sphere of Time. Those who have experienced what I have, will readily identify the c...

Most of us often spend time in becoming what we are not and forget who we actually are. Well, I do not mean by profession but by person. I have comic examples for that, He-man, Spiderman & Superman et al! Taking my favorites it is clear that He-man in his non superhero form is Prince Adams, Spiderman is Peter Parker and Superman is Clark Kent. These three characters are really interesting to speak. No! I would not narrate any episode, but the characters I am talking about. Peter Parker’s alter ego is Spiderman, meaning Peter Parker when he goes to bed wakes up as Peter Parker but becomes Spiderman when his city denizens are in trouble. I wonder why he wears a mask when he is doing nothing wrong. Why a superhero has to anyway? Superman’s alter ego is Clark Kent. Superman hides himself as Clark Kent and not the other way around. Though Superman hardly has a mask (it is arguable enough that what he conceals and what he doesn’t and what he should or shouldn’t) He-man is from the wo...

A letter to Times Group based on their Article "Why believe in Astrology?" published on Sunday September 20, 2009 in their Supplement, TIMES LIFE! I am a regular reader of Times. I would like to respond to the Article "Why believe in Astrology?" by Sunita Chabra published in the Sunday Times Life supplement on September 20, 2009. The urge to respond came in when I read the sentence, "Astrology as a Science". Though I guess there must be many responses voting & vetoeing Ms. Chabra's manifestation, still I felt I would like to add my perspective. First of all no offense to people who believe in Astrology; I am myself from a family(including my would be) which are ardent believers of Astrology of all forms. So, this is not an attack sans personal vendetta. Now, let us understand what is Science or how to define Science? I always say the following that Science can be defined in the following chronological steps - 1. Observation 2. Inference 3. Theoriz...

"I am saddened and it was conveyed over the phone" was a distressed reply to media by former Minister Jaswant Singh when he was expelled before the so called (though not necessary when they are not in power) BJP's "chintan baithak" at Simla! Detailed story is as follows - Jaswant Singh! Well Jassu bhai reminded me of character from the film Jerry Maguire, played by Tom Cruise. Jerry Maguire is about a 35 year old sports agent for Sports Management International (SMI). After suffering a nervous breakdown as a result of stress and a guilty conscience, he writes a mission statement about perceived dishonesty in the sports management business and how he believes that it should be operated. He goes to a copy shop early the next morning and distributes copies of it, entitled "The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business" to all of his fellow employees. His co-workers are touched by his honesty and greet him with applause the next busines...