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a blog on 'life' and other popular four letter words...

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Soak me No more



I don’t wanna be soaked no more..

When a foreign publication called our head an “underachiever” for seemingly legitimate reasons, we take it personally and in the name of jingoism, an Indian publisher in an outstanding display of opportunism, tit for tatted by labeling their premier with the same word – never mind that their stated reasons are not as sound.

[In its second term in power, the government under Manmohan Singh inherited an India that was stronger, brighter and simply raring to go. Then considered as one of the best performing countries in the world, today India is corrupt, paralyzed and directionless. Time magazine called our Prime Minister an underperformer due to his inaction. Outlook India responded by calling Obama an underperformer for reasons that will probably sell more copies of that issue, never mind that the inaction still continues.]

Soak me into this lethargy, please no more.



I don’t wanna be soaked no more..

Last year this time, a 74 year old man brought a 64 year old democracy to a standstill. One man channeled the frustration of a billion souls and sought to fight the faceless force that lurked in all our lives. We all rallied behind him like moths that thought they found the dawn of a new hope. This year, the lurking forces sniggered as this man stumbled, along with the hopes of a billion people.

[Anna Hazare heralded into our lives holding hope that we, the people, could finally do something about the burgeoning corruption that unfolds before us. After a spectacular show of force last year, this year the tables turned on us. Anna was forced to call off his fast leaving behind trust that was broken and taste that was bitter. Anna’s antics triggered copycat fasts by swamis whose intentions are not entirely noble. Politics won. We lost. Again.]

Soak me into this helplessness, please no more.



I don’t wanna be soaked no more..

Every time a Mary Kom or a Bindra takes national pride to the international podium, our sports babus momentarily salute them, talk about how heroic their rise was, award them with token cash prizes and then promptly forget all about them till the next contest takes place. A record six Olympic medals in our cricket crazy country?  It will be forgotten.

[ After their winning match against England, the World Kabbadi Cup winners were seen standing on the streets, with prize in their hand, waiting for public transport. Moreover, the game officials didn't even pay theire hotel bills on time leading to the embarrassment of the players and while checking out, these women were stopped by the hotel staff for nonpayment of their food bills. This, when people like Suresh Kalmadi still maintains himself innocent and attends international sporting events on public money.]

Soak me into this hypocrisy, please no more.



I don’t wanna be soaked no more..

The laws of the land treats different Indians differently.  If you’ve lost a mobile, it’s the harassment at the police station that’s more painful.  If you try to register a complaint, they’ll bull doze you into saying that it was not stolen but “misplaced” due to your negligence; they’ll never give you an FIR, which could compensate you, but instead register it a non cognizable offence. If you’re a woman, then my sympathies, If you don’t know the local language, God save you.

[After being acknowledged as the perpetuator of India’s biggest scam till date, A Raja is still a sitting Rajya Sabha MP.  The power minister, under whose watch India saw the world’s worst electricity blackout that rendered 600 million into darkness for two continuous days, got promoted to take care of our nation’s security as the new home minister; and this too at a time when the threat to the Indian homeland is at its highest.  In Kolkata, when aam junta asks concerned questions to the ruling party, they get arrested for it.  As I write this, hundreds of North Easterners - students, women, children, men, families- are leaving Bangalore in hordes fearing for their lives, due to SMSes and chain mails threatening them of attacks, sadly unconvinced of the state government's will or intent to protect them; that too, on the day we celebrate our freedom, safety and independence.  Whither justice?]                                                                                                                                             
Soak me into this lawlessness, please no more.




I don’t wanna be soaked no more..

When a teenage girl gets brutally groped and molested publicly by a mob of sex craved men or when fanatics attack a peaceful private Mangalorean birthday party celebration , they come up with and hide behind that age old excuse that painfully still works in India - that she was “dressed provocatively” or is not following “Indian culture”.

[In the name of “Indian tradition”, extremist vigilante groups attack, abuse and molest women who wear western attire, dare to go to parties or live on their own terms. The tacit approval by political groups and the insensitive handling by the relevant bodies empower these criminals and propagates this terror culture. After 65 years as the biggest democracy of the world, a woman’s modesty and freedom is today decided by the self-serving definition of "Indian culture" by politically backed, sex starved, fundamentalist thugs.  Does anyone really care for our women and their rights?]

Soak me into this moral policing, please no more.




Justice. Equality. Liberty. Fraternity. Independence. Freedom.

Frustration. Helplessness. Hopelessness. Fear.

Soak me in all this, please no more.






Written for the Surf Excel Matic #SoakNoMore Contest.



60 comments:

  1. Easily one of your best posts! I dont want to soak any more in the news running in the channels which shows our country taking backward steps and never one forward.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Red, thnx fr ur kind words dear...

      Its kinda sad that all this is happenin all around n tht too, almost on a continuous basis.. its like this is the only thing on the news...

      Thnx fr droppin by Red.

      Delete
  2. what can i say to this , lets hope things change

    “HAPPY INDEPENDENCE (from the british) DAY”!
    Bikram's

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup man, hope it does..

      Hey Biks, the same to u man.. hope u havin a good time der man.

      Nice to see u bro.. gud to see so many photography on ur side man.. keep 'em coming :)

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Hey BluBluBling, thanks for ur very kind words n fr dropping by.

      Welcome to my blog.. do come over more often.

      Delete
    2. Hey I have been reading and following you for a while :)

      I guess its my first comment :P otherwise usually a silent reader :)

      Delete
    3. Silence is golden I suppose.. but it'd be very nice to see more of ur comments :)

      Delete
  4. I haven't read anything so sharp and blatant in a very long time..I couldn't help the tears stinging my eyes when I was reading..it kills me..when I realise that we live in such a desolate era..how we cling on to someone..anyone who promises to pull us out of this fathomless misery..
    The blood boils when we see the deplorable condition of things in the country..
    I feel if we don't do anything..the future generations will suffer even more..
    Sigh..though what..even I don't know..

    the post is beautiful..melancholy..honest..
    all the best for the contest.
    Cheers.

    PS- can I share this ? On fb? I want everyone to read this..tell me your fb if na..will add you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Meoww, u said it yaar.. there's a general underlying sense of frustration .. last week, a lady friend of mine refused to come to the disc with us after she saw the very disturbing Guwahati video.. its very real - people are afraid to walk free in our 'supposedly free' country becos of these hooligans. The lawlessness and helplessness is sadly affecting our day to day life now.

      pls feel free to share it, meoww..

      my fb

      Delete
  5. Hey Punam, nice to see you here.. pretty long while, eh?

    Thanks for dropping by and commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  6. No post this long as held my interest until now. Hats off Raj :)

    And this country? Well, gone to dogs would be an understatement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Soumya, thanks for ur comments lioness.

      Sad actually that it is so...

      Delete
  7. Very well written. India of my dreams comes shattering down everyday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Akanksha.. yup, with the every day morning paper...

      Delete
  8. You covered it all Bro...:) I am an optimist and hope that things will turn for the better..Worth reading and All the best for the contest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Prashanth, welcome to my blog n thanks for ur kind words man..

      loved ur mature take on the 'M' post btw.

      Delete
  9. You couldn't have said it better, Raj !! Brilliant...I echo your sentiments.
    A winning post..for sure :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Panchali, thanks fr ur kind words n support .. do drop by more often.

      Delete
  10. ahem ..ahem...very dark and unfortunately very true.. an awesome article on the eve of independence day.. Though a bit of optimism won't have hurt..

    Keep it up.. and atb for the contest..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks R.. I'm unsure if I should be optimistic, as I usually am.

      Delete
  11. What better can you expect from a blogger on this Independence day..You have exhibited sentiments of billions of Indians in a superb manner...hats of 2 u..All the best..:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ankit for ur very kind words man .. do drop by more often.

      Delete
  12. This was a really good post. One of the reasons why I never read the Indian newspapers is because of all the bad news which ruins my day. It is sad to see that our country has become nothing more than a mockery and parody of the values and traditions that it claims as its own.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Bhadra, same here yaar.. every day the paper n news channels seem to bring only more bad news..

      So true yaar.

      Delete
  13. *Clap*Clap*Clap*

    Wow Raj. You know, when I began to read, I was like, what is with this guy and contests. But now, I am really hoping more and more contests come your way because they seem to elicit really wonderful reads for us. Wow. Amazing Raj. This has been the most inspiring read I have had in a long time. Felt a genuine undercurrent of anger and sincerity in the writing. *Take a bow* :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "what is with this guy and contests".. :)

      Cudn't wipe the smile off my face whn I read this .. but like wow! ur comments really made me re-read the post again.. humbled tht u feel that way.. glad tht u liked it :)

      thanks so much fr ur very kind words Sinduja. :)

      Delete
  14. Wow this was one heck of a great post. :D
    You summed it all up and expressed the plight well..

    All the best! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot Confused Soul.. glad u liked it .. do drop by more often. :)

      Delete
  15. Raj.... you have to clinch this - if you don't I don't think I'll ever believe any of these contests again! *Respect*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Nirvana, long, long time, eh? hope all is well on ur side.. lovin ur posts .. they're like more n more superb with each successive one.. :)

      Hope all is well on ur side.. thanks so much for your encouragement n kind words, Nirvana..

      glad to see u here..do drop by more often :)

      Delete
  16. Man you stole my idea for the contest. I've started a similar, if not better post for the contest almost 2 weeks ago but it still lies in my drafts.
    Now I dont feel motivated to complete it!

    Serves me a good lesson though - if an idea is there in the head it must be penned - ASAP!!! :)

    PS: Loved your post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Kishan, yup, its called 'Extraction', the opposite of inception... i got into ur mind n stole ur idea :D

      Welcum to my blog my friend.. glad u like my post man... do drop by more often (before I extract more from ur mind ;))

      Delete
    2. Haha.

      Anyways I've decided to go forward with my version of the blog post...assuming I can finish it before the last date for submission :P

      I read some of your other posts too and loved it. So I might stalk you :)

      Delete
    3. Thanks man, Kishan.. that's a lovely thing to do :D

      Thanks bro :)

      Delete
  17. well said, Raj. i'm of indian ethnicity but i've never understood most of the culture. sometimes, i think, some cultural beliefs are just setbacks to many things and screw ups in life. its best to follow the heart, aided by common sense and respect for others. i'm not against cultural practices or anything like that...its just that a lot of it dont make sense in one's journey to happiness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Jaya, lovely to see u here :)

      That's a very mature thing to do and I wish more people out here followed things that way and I'm sure a lot of things would just solve itself out.. exactly Jaya, every word of urs makes brilliant sense!

      Delete
  18. I wish change but when will it happen?? Lovely post.. Keep writing..

    Someone is Special

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! Thanks man.. do drop by more often man.. welcum back, been a long time, bro :)

      Delete
  19. Totally soaked in your post brother! Cant agree more!
    Sometimes I get a doubt-Are we really independent???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Hari, nice to see u here man..

      Ya man.. when I read bout the banning websites affair that's going on right now, I really was asking myself the same question.

      Do drop by more often, Billiards man ;)

      Delete
  20. A truth seeking-soaking post! Caught my interest more than any other on indivine and kept me hooked from start to end.
    Good attempt. good luck for the contest :)


    sarah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Sarah, long time yaar.. nice to see you again.. hope all is well on ur side... glad that the post connected with u too.. nice to know that it did.

      Thanks Sarah n do drop by more often :)

      Delete
  21. If I were the judge to this contest... I would make this one the winner!! Kudos, Raj- loved every word. The essence of soaking has been brought out beautifully. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome to my blog Swati and thanks so much for ur very kind words.. btw, I loved urs on marriage.. very cute n simply an awesome idea :)

      Do drop by more often Swati :)

      Delete
  22. Beautifully written...One of the best posts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Rukhsana for the very kind words.

      Long time, eh? :) Welcome back. :)

      Delete
  23. There's a little something waiting for you, at my blog! Come, pick it up :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Akanksha.. Lieberating, I will say :D

      Delete
  24. thank RCB for dropping by.. hey, hows everything going on? the big day coming soon eh? Excited? Hope all's well :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Great post. Pretty much summed up what every normal Indian wants to say. Good luck with the competition.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nevin.. welcome to my blog, my friend.. glad that u feel this way..

      do drop by more often :)

      Delete
  26. That's sheer brilliance. I absolutely loved your post and found it to be the best of all entries that I actually read.

    Kudos! What a blog post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Hey Ekta, wecome to my blog n wow, so glad that u feel that way(blushing) :)

      Thank you for your very kind words and sowwie fr the late reply :)

      Great to see you here, Ekta .. do drop by more often :)

      Delete
  27. Yeah, September 21st, 5 p.m. sharp. I still need to buy myself something to drink, alright. As in September 21st, a quarter to five haha. Other than that, all's fine.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Nice flow, like, reading a poem.

    The content I have gone through bit and pieces in newspapers, news channels, Facebook etc. Everyone is trying there best to scare the masses, ironically with true facts.

    I did expected some lines of hopes in between the hopelessness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Rajesh, nice to see u here man.. glad u liked it my friend :)

      Ya, usually I kinda have a lil bit of positivity associated with most posts - this was just not one of 'em But the gov has now started to wake up..so I guess there is positivity shining through of late:)

      Thanks for dropping by Rajesh :)

      Delete
  29. Raj! its a survivor's manual... positivism shining through the post! I must appreciate the lucidity of your presentation besides the clarity of thought.
    Found your post after a long time. Am so glad...:))

    ReplyDelete