Wednesday, December 24, 2008



Peace or War???



The objective of war is not to die for your country, but to kill the other bastard (from across the border) for his……

This is India’s 9/11 : John Mc Cain.


Rightly said Mr. Mc Cain, this is indeed India’s 9/11 and maybe war seems to be an option now. Who can forget America’s war against terrorism and the way they assaulted Taliban and Iraq. Almost five years later India seems to be in a similar state of affairs.
If the destruction of world trade centre transpired one of the biggest battles of the century than what should be the answer to almost 64 blasts in a year?

Every Indian and every Pakistani by now knows that we two countries can’t stand each other. In fact there are very few neighbouring countries in the world who can claim to be peace-loving and supportive at the same time. Sorry Shakespeare Sir, we modern fools completely disagree with your famous statement: love thy neighbour, like thou love yourself.

And to prove this fact we have a written record and a gory record of three wars with our neighbouring country. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that once upon a time we were part of one country. Following is a brief history of the wars fought against Pakistan.


The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965:
It was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between India and Pakistan. This conflict became known as the ‘Second Kashmir War’ fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947. The war began following the failure of Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was designed to infiltrate forces into Jammu and Kashmir to precipitate an insurgency against rule by India. The ‘five-week’ war caused thousands of casualties on both sides. It ended in a United Nations (UN) mandated ceasefire and the subsequent issuance of the Tashkent Declaration.


The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971:
The 1971 war was a major military conflict between India and Pakistan. The war is closely associated with the Bangladesh Liberation War (sometimes also referred to as the Pakistani Civil War). Although there is some disagreement about the exact dates of the war, hostilities between India and Pakistan commenced officially on the evening of December 3, 1971. The armed conflict on India's western front during the period between 3 December 1971 and 16 December 1971 is called the "Indo-Pakistani War" by both the Bangladeshi and Indian armies. The war ended in the surrender of the Pakistani military after armed hostilities on two fronts.

The Kargil War:
The Kargil War also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir. The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LOC), which serves as the de facto border between the two states. During and directly after the war, Pakistan blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri insurgents, but documents left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan's Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff showed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces, led by General Ashraf Rashid.
The Indian army launched its final attacks in the last week of July; as soon as the Drass sub-sector had been cleared of Pakistani forces, the fighting ceased on July 26. The day has since been marked as Kargil Vijay Diwas (Kargil Victory Day) in India. (Is it a mere co-incidence that the date when we achieved victory is the same as the day of the attacks?)

Current situation:


We all know what the current situation is. It’s clear where the terrorists are from. It also somewhat seems obvious that there is a Pak hand behind the attacks. So what do you’ll think? Is war the only option left?
Let me give a brief idea about the military prowess of the two nations:

India has around: 1,325,000 active troops
Pakistan has around: 620,000 active troops

India's territory: 1,269,345 sq miles
Pakistan's territory: 310,403 sq miles


Yes it’s true that India has the upper hand, but a war between the two nations will surely manage to involve the other superpowers like USA and China. And a war will definitely take India 10 years back.
And as our Prime Minister and Defense Minister have rightly stated no one wants war. As Erasmus has rightly stated “war is delightful to those who have had no experience of it.” What do we civilians know the meaning of war? The right step at this time is to wage a war against the terrorist’s camps rather than the country because even we don’t have concrete evidence right now to establish a Pak Government connection in the terror attacks.

But if when and where we find a Pakistan connection then my friends “WAR IS THE ONLY OPTION LEFT. And war won’t determine who is right or wrong but only who is left…..”



- Archer Akshay

Sunday, December 14, 2008



Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi:

A strict warning right from the beginning to all the readers:
This is not a superhero flick.
If you want to see something different than go watch actors wearing black masks and flying in the air or better watch a futuristic movie (2050) with no story and no future. And last but not the least, SRK plays an ordinary guy in the movie.

Those guys who think SRK is not versatile and plays the same lover boy roles than friends please watch SRK’s portrayal of Surinder Sahni and you will be dumbfounded.

Story:

On the whole, the story is ordinary but the presentation of the story is excellent and the performances; OH MY GOD!! They are just brilliant. To begin with, the story begins on a somewhat clichéd path as the girl is forced to marry a boring man because of the same old traditional Majburi (majburi plays an important part in Yash Raj movies my friends).
Surinder Sahni is SRK’s best role till date and the way he has etched out this ordinary guy is really commendable. Sahni ji is a guy whom we have seen many times in our lives. He is caught in a conflict of sorts as he has to win Tani ji’s heart and achieve her love. So what does SRK do? Does he change himself for her or a new guy wins her heart and takes her away from the boring Sahniji or does Sahniji manage to win her heart in spite of his boring yet sweet lovable nature?
Let the suspense remain…

Performances and Direction:

SRK:


What should I say about SRK that hasn’t been said before? We all know he is the ultimate King of bollywood and the ease with which he moves from one character to the other is really marvelous. He surely will be the No.1 contender for this year’s best actor award. His portrayal of Surinder Sahni will remind us of the main character in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films. This is a brave venture on his part to play a character so different from Raj and Rahul.

Anushka Sharma:


For a debutant, Anushka Sharma is a promising actor who carries of her role with confidence. After all, acting opposite the King Khan and acting in a Yash Raj movie is not an easy job and she should be applauded for her brilliant acting.

Vinay Pathak:

Apart from Surinder, Vinay Pathak’s Bobby is a surprise package. Vinay is on a roll these days with so many films under his belt and a perfect role in a Yash Raj movie adds another feather to his cap.

Director:


Adi Chopra has presented a simple story in a beautiful canvas. His command over story telling is evident throughout the film. Good direction, but the length of the film could have been trimmed a bit. On the whole he has done a brilliant job, just hope we don’t have to wait another 8 years for his next film.

Music:


The music is melodious and the song Haule Haule has repeat value. A special compliment to Salim-Sulaiman who have composed such beautiful soothing music.

Final Words:


Over all Rab Ne… is a complete package full of all the emotions and I am sure the audiences will walk away with a smile upon their face on watching this film. Go for this movie just to experience the acting prowess of SRK. He has opened the doors for the common man yet again in mainstream bollywood.

Finally, I would end on a dialogue which is mentioned in the film.
“Hum hain rahi pyar ke Phir milenge Haste Haste…”

Final verdict: Go for it, it’s worth watching…


By Archer Akshay


My Rating: ****


Some Trivia for the readers:

1.For those who feel Yash-SRK collaboration churns out the same type of movies here’s a quick past record of the duo:

Darr( A film about a grey character’s obsession with a girl)

DDLJ( A story of love without no boundaries)

Dil Toh Pagal Hai( A story set amidst dance and drama)

Mohabattein( A story of how a man takes revenge with a person who had ended his love)

Veer Zara( A story of a person who is jailed for many years for his true love)

Chak De India( A story of a hockey coach’s passion to win some lost pride and glory)

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi( A love story between an ordinary couple)


2.This is Aditya Chopra’s third film as a director.

3. Earlier Soham Kapoor was considered for Anushka’s role.

4. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi will not be releasing in Pakistan.

5. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was released without much promotion and fanfare.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008


Followers Comments:

The following are a list of comments you guys have expressed during our conversation in orkut. These really gives an idea of what you'll have to say related to the recent tragic incident.


I asked Ketki Vanmali: What do u have to say about the entire tragic incident.Do you also think Pak is involved considering the fact that they themselves have been the victims of terrorist attacks ?


Ketki Vanmali’s reply:

It’s as simple as "destroying thousand houses in India and then destroying one or two in their own country just to show off...."

But hats off to our coastal security system... They allow any tom dick n Harry to enter without checking... WTF are they for... any one can still attack railways, malls. If they can provide tight security to Celebes, cricketers, politicians, then are we not humans... don’t we need tight full-proof security? Till now how many politicians and Celebes have been killed in terror attacks and how many common people have been victims of these attacks.But still.... you can see 4 - 5 guards outside Amitabh's bungalow but only 1 - 2 police guards at railway station... poor thing!!!



I asked Siddharth:
Why so much anger against Pakistan? (By the ways let me tell you guys Siddharth has been deeply affected by all this tragic events and has even started an anti-Pakistan community. Hats off to you man!!).


Siddharth’s reply: Pakistan sucks yaar............there is no way that this country can ever change…


Ojas Raut’s comments on the arrests of LeT leaders:


Arresting the LeT COMMANDER AND ALL SUCH THINGS ARE NOT going to change things. It should be followed by hot pursuits in Pakistan and destroying all the terrorist camps. India has to kill these bastards ASS......... because after arresting them there will be again some terrorist attacks to release these bastards.


I asked Hemal: What do you have to say about the entire tragic incident? What should we do to ensure our safety?

Hemal’s comments:

I really felt bad about the entire thing.
My school is going to have a rally done day to protest against these attacks.

I feel insecure at places like Juhu. I feel that
these terrorists should be handed over to the public.

Let us handle those heartless bastards.
They come to India damage us and themselves die
wtf

( Dear Politicians, Hemal is in ninth standard, yet he has more brains than you insensitive fools).

The above comments are an evidence to the fact that we people have had enough. Please, take a note of what we think about the system.


- By all of you.

Monday, December 8, 2008
















"Politician Chor Hai" "Attack Pakistan" "NSG Zindabad”!!!!!


"Politician Chor Hai" "Attack Pakistan" "NSG Zindabad”--- These were the few but most commonly heard slogans in the Peace Rally which took place on the 3rd of December’08 at the Gateway of India.
It seemed as if entire Mumbai was present to show their support.


People expressed their opinions by wearing t-shirts that proclaimed “I love Mumbai"!
I could see anger in their eyes, ready to take on the terrorists. No fear, just hatred against them.

People of all the ages were present to show their support and love for the city. Photographers, journalists, cameramen, police officials, everyone thronged to witness an epoch-making event.

Mumbaikars were livid with rage and openly showed their angst by shouting slogans and waving placards which comprised of one message: Enough is Enough.
But one thing which was indeed heart-wrenching and that was the way everyone was in tears and paid homage to the slain victims by lighting candles.

Approximately two lakhs Mumbaities were present there which included social workers, college kids, working professionals, bollywood celebrities and many more. The only people which were absent were our Politicians and it was actually a good thing because we would not have spared you selfish power-hungry “morons.”

Whatever may be the outcome of this rally; it was indeed great to see the spirit and unity among the people of Mumbai in spite of our diversities and troubled past. But I only pray, we remain united forever and our fight against the atrocities committed by the Govt. and terrorists persists. It’s about time we woke up from our slumber and protested for our constitutionally granted birthright – ‘a safe and secure society’.

But is this enough?
Will this stop terrorism?
Rallies are to portray anger and not to take action... Or are they??
There was some action post-rally like the resignation of R.R. Patil and Vilasrao Deshmukh.
But again some politicians were elected.
Will they make a Difference or be the same like other politicians???

Should we wait for our answers or for another terrorist attack? Or should we take some action?

Fire of Revenge is still burning in our soul.

Let this fire increase and destroy our enemies.

Let us- the future of India start a NGO which will fight against all the culprits which have brought shame upon Mumbai. (Politicians included).


Please Mail me at akshata.vedak@gmail.com to help to open a NGO.

LET’S TAKE SOME ACTION NOW!!!


Some extra-ordinary slogans and placards witnessed in the rally:


We need thousand more Unnikrishnans in our country.

Declare Pakistan as a terrorist State.

Vilasrao Desh“Murkh”

Politician Chor Hai

Pakistan Murdabad


Questions that need to be answered:

Will India initiate action against the terror camps?

Why only two lakh people were present considering the fact that we have a huge population of 2 crores?

Shouldn’t we hold more rallies to show our distrust and protest towards the politicians?

Will one rally cause a change of heart in the politicians?


- By Akshata Vedak

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Will the real Asif Zardari please stand up?


Mr Zardari has been making himself look foolish by asking India to show evidence of Pak citizens’ involvement and then putting guilty on trial in Pakistan, while he himself requested UN intervention to investigate murder of his wife. He himself does not trust Pakistan investigation agencies, but assuring justice to Mumbai terror attack victims. What co-operation we, India, can expect from him? His decision of first accepting the request made by India to send ISI chief to New Delhi and then reversing his decision on the pretext of ‘miscommunication’ is pitiful. His decision of not surrendering twenty most wanted personalities to India is indication that Pakistan is involved in Mumbai terror attacks.



~Vinamra Gharat

Thursday, December 4, 2008



















Political fiasco and resignations…

The week that was…..

Many things have been said so far regarding the devastating tragedy. And yes there were a few insensitive so-called human beings too, who were audible enough to voice their idiotic opinions on the mass human tragedy.

No points for guessing whom I am talking about- It’s no one else than our Safari coat- clad politicians who made statements after statements projecting their in-human side.
“The terrorists had planned to kill 5,000 but we managed to curb the tragedy and reduce the count till 200; incidents like this keep on happening in big cities; There is no need to resign as no one prior to me had given resignation whenever such a tragedy took place; developmental progress resulted in negligence of security measures” – these were the statements given by our beloved politicians. And the act which broke all limits was the infamous visit (stroll to be more precise) to the Taj with an actor-son and a director who is credited to inspire terrorists and underworld alike, with his so-called realistic films.

One thing I fail to understand – What is behind the powerful seat that manages to corrupt all the elected politicians. How can a person from a rural background (Sangli) make such heartless statements? Should we call it lack of education, ignorance or should we call it lack of a soul?

I am sorry but I am not ashamed to confess that, maybe I am not educated enough to understand such apathy towards the public. But things didn’t stop here. What followed are a series of resignations which kept piling over the desks of our Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and congress President Sonia Gandhi. The first person who was sincere enough to accept his inability to curb terror attacks was our Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

My comment on his resignation: Sir, why so late? You should have resigned long back when our country was being bombed from all the sides by the terrorists. But you gave an obviously insensitive and meaningless statement after each attack.

After Jaipur Blasts he said: "Their aim (to create communal disturbances) has been thwarted. The people of Jaipur have not allowed their nefarious design to succeed,"

After Bangalore Blasts: "Anti-national elements have been trying to create panic among the people in our country".

After Assam Blasts: It is a handiwork of those who did not want peace to prevail.
Sir, even my eight-year-old neighbour would have pointed out the same.

But, we should congratulate Patil Sahib for finally accepting his responsibility and stepping down. And an even bigger applause for Mr. R.R Patil who finally accepted he cannot handle the designation. Also our adored Chief Minister who is a huge bollywood fan has also stepped down from the post following public protests.

Yeah, Yeah I will comment on the RGV meets Deshmukh incident too:

Dear Sirs, (yes I am talking to Ritiesh too), what was the reason behind your picnic to the Taj? For your kind information, it definitely isn’t any film location and these is certainly not the right time to pen a script on the incident; nor are you two filmi personalities authorized to be there.

Political gimmicks gone wrong:

Every politician in town tried to gain publicity from this terror attacks. They paid visits to the bereaved families and injured citizens and some even tried to donate charity to the martyr’s families. But a kind and humble request: please don’t hurt us more and as it is your words or money isn’t going to bring back the dead to life. Wish you would have paid more attention to your respective portfolios and responsibilities.

Final message to the men in power:

But the people are no more ignorant fools and won’t certainly be misled this time.
It’s time you politicians wake up or step down. Enough accumulation of wealth and power, it’s time you’ll do something for the public too. Stop passing the buck and accept your mistakes and think of a solution before its too late…


Questions that need to be answered:

Will this be the last terrorist attack in India?

Is the security going to be increased in the wake of these attacks?

Are the resignations of the ministers going to help?

Shouldn’t the ministers be punished for their remarks?



- Archer Akshay

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

IT companies plan to cut energy to save costs!


“Horse imitates his trainer.” My father says “It’s never too early to start saving.” I think everyone knows this, yes everyone. One might have picked up these proverbs in some book. Even your parents might have told you this. Therefore, the bottom line is, everyone knows these proverbs. These proverbs apply to every one; I mean every ‘individual’. However, Infosys and TCS have proven exceptions. Neither have they imitated their superiors nor have they planned for recession when they had ample time.

Well, are you still baffled what I am saying? Let me make my point clear. Infosys is now going for cost cutting of $10 per person, while TCS has yet to reveal cost-cutting plans. Both the firms think that this is high time to optimise its resources utilisation. They are going for energy saving, extended working hours, optimising on travelling and communication costs and freeze hiring process!

They are looking for every possible area to cut costs and try to improve their annual balance sheets. TCS and Infosys have one of the best management teams, which can easily handle such crisis. Let me put it in my way, “They are competent enough to avoid such crisis, or are they?” Yes, are they competent enough? Infosys and TCS have best of Engineers, MBA’s in their management team. Does everyone of those “gold medalist” need prior experience to avoid/handle such crisis? Oh, I forgot, they are already experienced, because every one these days need ‘experienced’ employees. Knock knock! Wake up! YOUR TEAM HAS FAILED TO SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE THE SITUATION.

According to me, these so-called “gold medalist” should have foreseen the situation. They should have made some reservations for recession period. They should have used their resources optimally even in non-recession period. They were having their laugh when IT was booming. Now, they are putting their heads down and looking for areas for cost cutting. I am too rude on these people. They might know what I have written, but it seems that they still are not performing at their highest potential.

Infosys has failed to learn from the simplicity of Mr Murthy. Someone has truly said, “Any moron can make acquisition in good times, but one who does acquisition in bad times is real winner.”

~Vinamra Gharat

From Cricket to Politics


Who said the game of cricket was devoid of politics?
The patrons of cricket in India and those concerned with the game surely have taken a back seat since the 26/11 Mumbai tragedy. Cricket in India witnessed series’ annulments and withdrawals. It all began with the unfortunate massacre which took place on the 26th of November, a date which no one will be able to forget. Indian cricket fans already began celebrations of yet another victory against the English side; however celebrations turned into mourning as firecrackers were replaced by gun-shots and hand-grenades. What followed next is known to all. The game of cricket too was affected by the devastating incident. England cancelled the remaining two ODIs whereas the unofficial Indian Cricket League cancelled the entire World Series tourney. It did not end over here. BCCI’S ever-ambitious Champions League tournament which was scheduled to begin in December was abandoned by the tourists.

As one of the officials rightly stated it’s no more about cricket. But, it doesn’t end over here too- The Indian tour of Pakistan is also in peril, now that it’s clear who was involved in the terrorist attacks.

Sports they say have no religion and no boundaries and are clear from any political conspiracies. So is this decision right or wrong? But history is evident to the fact that sports and politics go hand-in-hand. Can we forget the Munich slaughter in which countless Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinians during the Olympics? The question of our cricketers’ safety is another thing. But what about playing with a neighbour who has back-stabbed us countless times in the past? Then we can say that it’s certainly not about cricket anymore because no sport and nothing at all is important than the very safety of our country and vengeance against our enemies. Playing a cricket match with our so-called friends will be like ‘sleeping with our enemy’. Can we afford a further disgrace to our country? Can we afford to play a game against a country which is responsible for the deaths of countless Indians?

I am sure cricket fanatics all over India will agree that we should abandon each and every relationship with the neighbouring country. It’s time we took a tough stand against terrorism and dealt with it seriously. Let’s not allow the sacrifices of hundreds of people be washed-out in a cricket match, please learn to say no!!!


-Archer Akshay