It was your birthday a few days back and the father’s day at the same time. I could not have found a better point in time to say you this Papa.

When I sat down to write this article, the earliest my mind could go to is a photograph, probably hanging on our walls at the house. The photograph is one of my earlier birthdays, with me in your arms, and mummy is standing right beside us and you two are looking at me, while I look at the camera. Looking at that photograph, I always thought you sported a pony until I grew older, looked at that photograph closely to realize there was a lady in the background whose hair seamlessly merged to give an appearance of a pony. I found it hilarious when I first realized it and now I am amazed at what I used to see in the photograph earlier.

And then followed the time at Haridwar and Dehradun. You helped me find all the answers in a beautiful way, logical and simple to a child. You never sounded ridiculous nor did you make up supernatural stuff to address my doubts. I do have a question remaining since that time though. You never took me inside a railway engine as you said you would. :P But at the same time, I want to thank you Papa for picking me up in your arms every single time (atleast 8-10 times a day) letting me see the train whenever the engine whistled from around the corner.

I do remember when you have helped me with my first steps. It was the bicycle in Haridwar outside our house. Also, when I was afraid of the water, at Sahastradhara or Hardwar, you took my head and make me take a dip to show me that it wasn’t such big a deal. This inspires me now to take the wildest leaps and keeping you informed so that you can take me out just at the right time, like you did back then.

You helped me inculcate a habit of reading, and learning all the time. With those big number of encyclopedias coming in, you read them along with me, helping me where I could not get a clue. You kept yourself updated to bring in the latest information from whatever I had been reading or doing it, at school or at leisure. You have continued to update me with some of the most important information at developing our startup.

You let me take the front seat in the car as early as age of 6 or 7 with your hand over mine. You were there laughing and enjoying when I first took out that steel plate from the kitchen and went all over the house assuming I was driving a car.

You always stood there between me and mummy when we engaged ourselves in a strife as to what each of us considered right. You knew each of us heartily and knew exactly how to calm each of us simply by your words. You never got mad when I came back late from play, or took my bicycle all over the cantonment without telling you or mom. You simply told me why I was supposed to tell you and to follow it in the future. This has made me tell you every single thing knowing that I would get counselling and not a rebuke. This was more evident when you had to skip offices to because of my nonchalant acts in class XI and XII.

You always said “I will always let you do whatever you like, monitoring so that you don’t venture out so far so that it’s difficult for you to get back”. By telling you everything I do, I get the mental solace that you are there to watch over me, and hence I can be more confident at what I do.

Moving on, I could think about the time when you took me to IIT Delhi at the time of KVPY interview in January, 2008. The pride and happiness with which you showed me the place, I count it as one of the key drivers that kept me motivated for the exam. Thanks Papa.

You have always trusted me in taking the final decision at important junctures, after providing me with the right information required to take the decision. Be it when I chose my first school as Brightland’s after seeing a couple others, or choosing Industrial Engineering at IIT Delhi even when Alok chacha mentioned IIT Bombay aeronautical as a better branch, or to trust me with my leap of faith with my venture, AGE. And when you found that I was interested in starting my own business you found the right mentor for me, Abhay Chacha. Thanks again.

                          

I have heard this song only for a while now, but everytime I hear it, I think of you and what a tremendous support and love I am blessed with.

Old Man, Look at my life, I'm a lot like you were.

In a way papa, I am just like you. And my faith in this idea, and of evolution and genes, just get reinstated when i see pics of your school and college days and hear stories from Rani Bua and Vibha Bua. And now that I reflected on my life spent with you, I found that to be resonating too with your life.
I don’t know if i am right on this or not, but you did your graduation in Physics against baba’s choice of Roorkee University. I went to pursue a branch impromptu, which we did not ponder over while discussing my admission.
I have always been mischievous, but a part comes from you, doesn’t it? You put a charcoal in Abha Bua’s mouth when she was sleeping. I poked Yash with a compass. :D

The spirit in which I want to have a conversation with you when anything new happens in my life. this all makes me miss you everyday papa.

Wish you a very happy father’s day and a very happy birthday!

JEE, Social Networks and the Shit about them.

To warn you beforehand, the topic is much more serious and the post, comparatively a longer one.

I had an interview this evening on a news channel, not popular though. The topic was "अश्लील सोशल साइट्स". I know many of you would think of the topic is really obscure, at least I thought it was. You may credit it to the lack of knowledge about what political buffoons in this country are cooking up.

However, there are a couple of points that I would like to re-think and share with you.

1. The debate on banning Facebook, Google, Youtube and the likes (21 sites in particular) for having malicious or abusive content on their network.

2. JEE or no JEE.

First of all, as I have earlier said it on the show and on facebook, that when the society faces increased traffic accidents or murders, you simply don't ban use of cars or gunpowder. What they presently do is to punish the convicted. However, I would like to discuss the much less explored option of going to the root cause, and eliminating it, that caused the convict to commit the crime.

There is a famous proverb, "With greater power, comes greater responsibility". When you are handed over the license to drive a car, or trigger a gunshot, you are considered responsible enough to use it wisely. Considering the social websites as a similar instrument, people who have been endowed with the privilege of connecting to their known ones at their ease, they are also entrusted the responsibility for the words they speak. I wish to address this topic to four kind of people : 1. People bothered with adult content, 2. People who think that the country is moving in the right direction, 3. People who think that social websites are playing a damaging role, and lastly, the policymakers (if they ever lay hands on this work).

Now, for the people who are bothered with the adult content, can you force the court to ban physical social interactions because there are people who are cunning, who say abusive things to your son/daughter? No, instead you don't make your children enter the society, or keep them under your supervision unless they attain a particular age. The same goes for the social network sites. Banning them is logically not the correct thing to do.

For the people, who think that Mr. Kapil Sibbal or whomsoever, is responsible for this action, has done the right thing, and thinking about him as a hero, working for the cause of the nation. Guys, if he was really interested in improving the society, he would have gone far beyond the call of his duty to analyze rigorously the reasons behind the use of this language. The language that has now developed is a result of several complex social phenomenon, and a large group of experts is needed to analyze it, and not a political figure. (this indicates the need of social scientists) Understanding these phenomenon, and then dealing with them if they are right or wrong, or how could it be corrected, is not such an arduous task that cannot be completed in his tenure. So please stop believing that he is doing the right thing. Because believe me, he is going to repeat the same damn thing, during his campaign in the following years. You need to develop an original thinking, and not merely believe what is being portrayed.

For the people, who think that social websites have a role to play in monitoring the content on the website (though I think this is a small minority), please understand the role of terms & conditions that you agree to while joining the above mentioned sites, and give your slightest attention to the powers that you have been endowed with. E.g. On Facebook, you have privacy settings, where you can restrict the people who have access to your photographs or comments or personal information. Heed to it. Moreover, understand the role of "Report Story, or Spam". Instead of saying, this person doesn't need invitations of Farmville, report it. This goes for any content that you think is malicious, adult or inappropriate for your children or parents to see. Be responsible.

For the policy makers, if there is a remote chance of them reading this, rather than blaming Facebook or photoshop for this, realize why the people are doing this. You have continued to ask the question, "who has given you the right to abuse a person/religion online". I would like to raise a cross-question to them, "Who has given Manmohan Singh, or Sonia Gandhi the right to assume position to ask for respect and what on earth do you understand by the meaning of the word Democracy? Last time I read about it, everyone, including the President herself, is a citizen of the country, and are equal. If they have the right to preserve information about their Swiss bank accounts, or the reasons behind their actions (or inactions), we have the full right to demand that information, or abuse you if you don't help us with them. Don't start with "We are providing you security and you have to respect the Bureaucrats or the people who are running this country" I am sorry to say but we are paying our taxes in lieu of the security and apart from our duties we have a fundamental right to equality and expression, and forming groups PEACEFULLY. If you consider these things, people can say anything about anyone or religion as long as it is peaceful. Raising a subjective question of a content being abusive is not an intelligent thing to do, in a country of 1.2 billion people having such diverse views.

I leave the discussion open regarding JEE or no JEE since it is a kind of topic where you all know a lot of stuff already. I consider that drawing parallels would not be difficult then. Still comments are welcome again for any discussion.

Think Responsibly and Originially

Cheers!

You are the 99% : Well you're to blame.

Reading through the newspaper today, I could not fail to notice that Occupy Wall street movement has made it to the buzz words in 2011. The persons who haven't found the subject worth a read, the movement is against the economic inequality extant in the United States. Though the same follows for a major part of the world, the movement is focussed entirely in United States, as of now.

I could not stop but wonder, if there is a distinction between these people asking for more and better jobs, and a newbie asking to be made the next player to be included in the Indian test team. Both of them don't have the much needed ability to handle the pressures, be it a job or being a test player. Instead of protesting, I would rather ask these people to change themselves a bit, equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and think along the lines, which the so called Rich, do.

If the top 1% control 40% of their wealth, they have earned the god damn right to do so. They know how to handle that money, and how to use it in their favors. Only if people could not see them as plunderers but motivation to get going. These are not hard turtle shells, difficult to break through. Whenever you start playing a game, there are always good players ready to burn you out right from the beginning. Do you ask Microsoft or Sony to change the rules of the game so that you all start from square 1 again?

So be a sport, and play the game. It's fun.