BETRAYAL.....

They were friends first... and as friends would be.. they too were often seen together...in the class and outside of it...in the canteen and in college fests...they would be seen walking in together to the college and when it was time they would be seen walking back to the busstop....So comfortable they felt in each other's company that they never bothered to think what onlookers thought....but as was inevitable...the toungues wagged...gossip spread....there were rumors of them being spotted in places they never been....they were supposed to have acted in a manner that they never did...and finally when the murmurs gathered strength to be loud enough...they listened...it was just after the final exams...when someone asked how they would live apart till the next term begins...the apparent meaning was not lost on them...they good naturedly laughed to being teased a bit...and as they walked back as usual to the busstop ... they joked of what transpired before... an uneasy laughter...and then there was silence... both engrossed in their thoughts...as they reached the bus-stop they knew it was time to say good bye till the next term...they looked at each other....and their eyes suddenly welled with tears.....both turned away in obvious embarassment.....no words came......just a shake of the head and a little attempt to smile...they squeezed each other's hand...before letting go to board the bus.....the person left behind stared at the bus till it was out of sight... and slowly a smile lightened up the face even as the tears ran down the cheeks... the tears had made it easy...it betrayed the emotion that both hid in their hearts...and now the heart would not wait for the next term to begin.

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Tea, Samosa, God, Rain & A Handkerchief

It rained in chennai...providing succor to the steaming city from the relentless heat...i like most others was caught unawares....having just dropped off the auto two blocks off from where i stay .... a couple of hot samosas later the sudden gloom around foretold what was to come....so there i was rushing back to save myself from the impending downpour... but then a bored God looking down on this ordinary mortal trying to prempt His plans...decides to teach me a valuable lesson.....regardless of how hard you try its HIS will that will always prevail ...so just when i thought i will make it home safe and dry....another 5 minutes i was thinking to myself ...and i will be watching the Harold and Kumar movie...the CD i held in my hands..the teaser of the movie i had caught at my friends place only whetted my appetite...it was about the girls going bottomless instead of being topless ....i could not wait to watch this one :D..... but even before i would begin myself to smile at the thought... God turns on the shower... and suddenly the scene resembles very much like the mumbai streets under attack....a moment before you could not walk on a straight line even if you wanted to...not because you are drunk silly....but cause there were so many on the street...you had to sidestep every one of them while making your way forward....now as if by magic...akin to Yamuna giving way to Baby Krishna .....or Moses parting the Red Sea to lead his followers to the promised land ... the path ahead of me also cleared itself....people ducking for cover under whatever shelter they could find... for a moment i was caught in a quandry.. unable to decide whether to take cover like the rest or make a break for it and start running....the inviting safety of the blue rubber sheet of a roadside tea stall made my decison....i ordered for a cup of tea...the tea i had skipped trying to beat the Lord's schedule... but then how can i win??...GOD had willed that i shall have my cup of tea that evening and thats the way it shall be......and so i sipped my tea and enjoyed the sights of the downpour...the people under the umbrellas cast a smug look ,as they walked by, at those having to wait out the cloud burst .... looking at them now i cursed myself for thinking it is uncool to be seen carrying an umbrella....but then i still do think it is uncool and i refuse to carry it unless it is already raining while i am stepping out or i am carrying a bag where i can safely hide it :D...anyways done with the tea i was still waiting for the clouds to take respite from what seemed an unrelenting rainfall...when this gentleman standing next to me having finished his tea decides he shall brave the rain rather than wait it out....and then he did it...something that i cannot still fathom why he did... he took his hankie (or is it hanky??) out of his pocket and then with all flourish tied it over his head...and walked out into the heavy downpour :)

Chalo Cheers and take care!

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CITIZEN FORUMS AS WHEELS OF CHANGE

We need to see a paradigm shift .....to start with the in the political vocabulary.... the message needs to sent across clearly that the party who wins an election is not given a MANDATE TO RULE but its a MANDATE TO SERVE the people who elected them....its not about coming to power....its about assuming a duty towards us citizens...something our politicians have conveniently forgot .....something that we have let them forget.

Its a fight for true independence.... Independent India saw the stripping of powers of 565 rulers of princely states to integrate into a Nation which is India.... in effect we have replaced one set of rulers with another set .... accountabilty still a dream to our citizens....and something our political class have avoided till now.

Reality is that they have turned oppressors....this reality truly hits home when we see that there are no avenues to the citizen to effect a change which he wants....something like removing of political interference in policing....we the citizens cannot do it regardless of the overwhelming majority in favor of it and necessity of the same ....every time a different party gets a mandate to govern......we see sweeping changes in bureaucracy and police force ....we have been silent spectators ...we have accepted it to be the norm ..thereby contributing to the rot that has set in.

After 26/11 we have seen many groups of socially aware citizens spring up....but each and every one of them face this quandry as to how to actually carry forward their agenda for change.

The only recourse other than actually plunging into politics ...is for every such group to aim at keeping this issue of accountabilty in governance at the forefront till it becomes a reality....be the wheels of change .....gather the numbers ....and drive home the point at every forum that is available....keep the awareness high and not let us forget...till the true intent of a democracy is achieved...a government of the people, for the people , by the people and if i may add...a government accountable to the people.

PS : Initiatives in cyber space -

Its for us to support and not let this moment pass -

1 .Be the Citizens for Change ( http://www.citizensforchange.in/mainindex.html )
2 .Add to the Votebank for Good Governance ( http://governance.cplash.com/)
3 .Help Rebuild India ( http://www.intheorbit.com/2008/11/rebuild-india-mission.html )

Add to this list if you know of other initiatives and

Do spread the word.

Cheers and take care!

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