On Akbar

Recently I saw the movie, Jodha Akbar, and I was struck by the character of Akbar. Well, of course, Hrithik has done a good job, but even without it, I think Akbar must have been a magnificent personality. The way he thought, the way he felt, the way he decided, the way he implemented; he must have been one great ruler. I was watching this movie, and suddenly I was struck- this is the kind of leader I want for my people. I want an Akbar to lead my people, my country to the greatness they deserve.

Why Akbar? No specific reason, except that I was watching a movie about his life and love. But then, even after I thought about it, I didn't want to substitute him for anyone else. True, India has always produced great rulers, but still I think Akbar is the most relevant for the modern world( I am not considering our freedom fighters, Gandhi and Co. I think I'll let them enjoy a very well-deserved break! ). To prove my point, I have two options- either I speak about what qualities Akbar had, or I talk about what qualities I want in my ideal leader. Both should serve my purpose, as I have already stated that my leader should be like Akbar. I think I'll go for the second option. It's safer, and I might come upon some additional 'properties' of the ideal leader in the thought process(Forgive me, I am still not out of the exam mode). :)

So, what sort of a leader do my people need? They need a leader who would truly understand them-their joys, sorrows, hopes, fears and dreams. I know this statement is a bit cliched, but it is true. Knowing the people inside-out, upside-down is the biggest strength of any leader, though I am not sure how many of the so-called leaders of Indian politics have that capability today. But this knowledge is not enough. It has to be coupled with the best intentions and a good sense of right and wrong, otherwise we might have another Hitler. My people need a leader who would know them, but not use that knowledge against them to suppress them, or to divide them, or create hatred in their hearts. This is important, India having such a diverse culture, they need a leader who would want to lead them by uniting them, not by dividing them and playing chess with their feelings and well-being; someone who would have the guts to stand up for what he/she believes in, against everyone, even against his/her own supporters; someone who would be willing to risk everything he/she has achieved in life, all the dreams for the future, for what he/she believes to be right; someone who would not play vote-bank politics but would want to win elections on the basis of the genuine love and faith of the people; someone who would never, ever let that faith down; someone who would have enough experience working for the betterment of the people, from before he/she joins politics and who would continue working for the people even after he/she attains the 'kursi'; someone who would make promises only after sufficient thought, and then would make sure that he/she delivered them; finally, someone who would love India and the Indian people, my people, with all his/her heart.

I think I have summed about all I want in a leader of Future India. If I think of some more points, I'll add them as comments. If you(I am assuming that people actually read this blog! ) desire anything else, please feel free to comment.

Have a good day :)

:|

Have you ever felt like there are so many thoughts whirling in your mind that it's hard to keep track what leads where? Like a fan rotating so fast that you can't see the blades, and yet staying where it is, stuck in one place.

On Afterlife

I believe in afterlife. Part of the reason is that I hope to find all the friends, family I lose in this life, in the next. It kinda dulls the pain, knowing that, or believing that, they are all up there somewhere watching over me, and that even if I die I have something to look forward to. And that's my second reason, to have something to look forward to. The third is that I don't wanna believe that once my eyes close, all my memories, all my feelings are gonna be deleted. The fourth is that, because I believe in afterlife, death doesn't scare me so much. I sometimes deliberately put myself into situations where I might get into terrible trouble, simply because I don't believe it will all end.

But many times this belief works against me. Like if I didn't believe in afterlife, I'd have been much more enthusiastic about this one. I'd have fulfilled all my crazy dreams as soon as possible, just in case it were all to end tomorrow. And, of course, when I am frustrated, the thought of death does not guarantee me the oblivion that I need. I guess it's partly keeping me alive. Don't get psyched, I am just another nut-case in front of a keyboard. :)

Come to think of it, what if it does end tomorrow? Would I regret having to die, in my last moments? If I think of the life I have lived and the things I have done, I probably won't. I have had a good life. But what if I think of all things I haven't done? Would I regret leaving then?

Naah.....I guess I'll just take bh. and S. n all for a trip around the country, though I wonder if they have ice-skating rinks up there!

The Sun

Imagine if someday, the Sun refused to wake up in the morning, saying that it was too cold! Point being, we keep on saying that the world around us is bad, but we don't do anything about it. What we don't realize is that we, and only we, have the power to make a change. We are the Sun. And if the Sun doesn't wake up in the morning, the whole world stays cold.

On Love

Well, the title must have told you everything-this post is going to be about love. I guess what I am going to write is also pretty much predictable, after all, it is the most worn-out topic in the world! People have written about the passion, the depth, the madness, the pain, the suffering, the sacrifice, the ecstasy and the sheer hope of love. We talk of the laughs we have laughed, and the tears we have cried; of first love, and how it feels like it will last forever, and for a lucky few, actually does; of love lost, and love found; of love hiding behind shy eyes, afraid to speak out; of love denying itself the relief of expression, or of love proclaiming itself from the rooftops; of love that gives, that cares, and brings us up into adulthood; of love that watches over us, always there when we need it, and always trying not to be interfering. Yes, we all have loved, we all have cried, and we all have spoken about love, or written about it, at some point in our lives.

I have loved many times and lost a few too. Today I am going to write about one of my loves(!), let's call her my Sweetheart.

I met her when she was only a month old, but already so active and cute that we, I and my father, immediately decided to take her in. Initially her name was R., but we named her S. when we brought her home. She was the prettiest thing I ever saw, and she was totally dependent on us for her needs. We used to play with her, take her repeatedly in our laps to cuddle her, and she used to look at us with those beautiful eyes of hers, and take part in our fun. I think her eyes were the most beautiful thing about her. They were a dark brown and very expressive. It was almost as if everything she wanted to say, but couldn't, was reflected in her eyes. Yes, she could not speak, but she made up for it in n number of different ways. We knew when she was sad, when she was excited, or when she was angry.

As she grew up, we got closer to each other. She had the same sun-sign as I, and I like to believe that we had a special bonding, a kind of psychic connection, because of that too. I understood her, but more importantly, she understood me. She was very young then, and I didn't expect her to comprehend what feelings I was going through at that point in my life. She might not have, but she did perceive the pain inside me, and she consoled me in her own sweet way.

Those who have been blessed with such sweet creations of God must probably have already understood who I am talking about. For those who haven't- I am talking of my sweetheart, my S. who belonged to dog-kind. She was my love, my baby, my little kid. I brought her up, but in a way, she brought me up too, she made me grow up somewhat. When she was older, I helped deliver her kids, helped her take care of them. She trusted us, and she easily let us touch her new-borns, as if that was the most natural thing to do. She knew when I was sad, or when I was angry with her, and she would come to me and mollify me. It was amazing to see her do it. It was almost as if she could read my mind and speak to me with her eyes.

Dogs have a very short life. My sweetheart left me some time ago. I like to think that she's still around somewhere, hunting some squirrel. I like to think that perhaps one day I will meet her again. I can almost imagine how she'd come to me, with that typical wagging of her tail that made her look like she was dancing. I like to think how I'll gather her up in my arms like a sheep and hug her, and how I would see her love in her beautiful, brown eyes again.

Vande Mataram!!

A. R. Rahman got it right. Ma Tujhe Salaam.Thai Mannai Vanakkam.Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram. So beautiful, so perfect. Two words. Vande Mataram. I salute you, my Mother! Vande Mataram! My beautiful Mother. My loving Mother. Vande Mataram. Two words that say so much. You get goosebumps just hearing those two words. Two words that have traveled so far. Two words that literally guided a whole nation's freedom movement. Vande Mataram. Mother, I salute you. What would we not do for these two words? For our Mother? These words have the power to draw people out of their homes and into the streets. The power to unite the people. The power to make them fight as one nation, one people. The power to make them take all the beating, all the torture, and still stand firm. The power to make grown-up men cry like babies. The power to enable even a small child(Azad) take all the whipping, and not let out a sigh. The power to make young people, barely in their twenties, happily embrace the hangman's noose. What immense power!

I salute you, Mother! Beautiful Mother! My Mother! There can be no words to say what I want to say. But you know what I would say, if I could, right? I love you so, so much Mother! I live for you. Someday, I hope to die for you. Will you let me, my sweet, sweet Mother?