India Shining???

"Slumdog gets the award for the best screnplay!!", shouted the gentleman sitting opposite to me as the Inter City Express chugged out of Platform No 5 of Secunderabad Junction.

Lowering the newspaper that I was reading, I just gave him a wry smile. Not that I wasn't too keen about it, but I found this man's enthusiasm a bit too awry. As the train gathered momentum, I saw myself deply engrossed in the newspaper. After about half an hour, I hear another sms tone from his mobile. He reads it again and shouts' "Slumdog wins an Oscar for Best Cinematography!!". This time to the people sitting in the opposite side, having realised that I was not gonna react!!

"Kya Oscaran jeette ji!!! Logon ko usse kuch farq padta hai kya??" one of them said in typical Urdu mixed Hyderabadi Hindi.

He was indeed right. Nobody really bothers. When the film is gonna win accolades, we claim it to be ours, just because it is based in Mumbai and written by an Indian. Even when the debates are hot as to whether the movie deserves to be considered as an Indian, the Oscars could not have come at a better time. When Vikas Swarup wrote the novel a few years back, hardly would he have thought that he is writing whats gonna be a Hollywood Blockbuster.

Though I was not too keen about how Slumdog performed at the Oscars, I was praying that AR Rahman bags the Oscars, simply because he deserves it. Frankly I opine that the book was far better and held more suspense than the movie and also that Rahman has given better music in lots of movies in Hindi and Tamil earlier.

The journey was very different today. I dont know what, but something inside me made me travel by non AC compartment today. And surprisingly, the train was very much empty today.

"One more for Slumdog......"

I was really being amused by this person's energy and enthusiasm to let all other people know about the latest. My thoughts started wandering and I started thinking about how India will react to the Oscars. Initially, there will be a lot of hype and celebrations. The winners will get a heroes welcome. Then the Indian Government will realise the true worth of Rahman and others and present them with Civilian awards. I wont even be surprised if they bestow Rahman with the Dada Saheb Phalke or even the Bharat Ratna.

Such has been our way of working that we never realise the talent inherent in our motherland. Only when Amartya Sen recieved the Nobel, was he awarded the Bharat Ratna. Only when the world recognises the contribution of our people, our eyes really open. And we do not even hesitate to claim that people of Indian origin, who have left Indian soil way too long back, looking for greener pastures, when they achieve something great, to be ours!

As I was going through the newspaper, I came across an interesting article. It was trying to impress the role played by the media in the unification of our country. The author tries to say that unlike it was a generation before, the media and the entertainment industry has made people more open to other cultures and traditions. Regional traditions and cultures are acepted openly withour fearing a diliution of one's own culture. But I was just wondering whether this is really a aceptance of traditions or just a display of regional identity? As the author said, while the identity is more visible, its all the less rooted. In a larger sense, the tradition today is becoming les a source and more a costume. We wear extravagant signs of tradition, but do not really practise it. We do not understand the deper meaning as to what it really stands for. We observe tradition rather than being embedded inside it. What else can explain the various extravagant dishes and cuisines we have in the menu for our functions? What else can explain the multiplexes screening special shows on occasion of Shivaratri and pubs being granted extended permissions to run till early morning hours?

We have become open to the entire world and whatever we see, whatever we do is benchmarked with the best in the world. Our companies are taking over foreign companies left right and centre. "Our people" are being counted more and more in the Forbes list of richest people. Our people also become well known all over the world for their achievements. But just spare a thought to what has happened to billions of common people back home. Will Slumdog winning Oscars, change the standard of living of people in Dharavi? Will our takeovers and mergers, substantially reduce the number of people below the poverty line? Will "our people" succeeding all over the world, make India a better place to live? Will our tomorrow be really better than today?

There is no doubt that India is moving forward!! But is India really shining??

Adamance at its best!!!!

It was just another day for me. I had attended my classes from 2 to 6 and was returning home. Those were the times of the rains and the monsoon was at its unpredictable best. Being the lazy person that I am, I hardly carry anything that can be a so called burden. So on this clear morning, when I left home, I did not even bother to carry my jacket. Just a couple of hours back, it had started drizzling and now the drizzle had slowly turned into a calm shower.

No sooner had I negotiated the intersection at Paradise and turned left, I was stopped by a "Rakshak". These Rakshak's are typically Tata Sumo's used by the Police. It was then that I realized that the month was almost coming to an end, and these people were short in their monthly collections.

"Show me your driving license", said one of them.

I obliged.

"Show me the vehicle papers and the insurance and PUC certificate!!!". His tone was of arrogance and authority. I hate when people use their position to get the better out of others. And moreover, in India, its more like they always see you as a defaulter.

Unfortunately for me, my vehicle had got punctured that day, and I was using my colleagues' vehicle. Generally, we all have a habit of keeping the photocopy of the papers in the tool box of the vehicle. To my dismay, I found out that there was nothing in this toolbox, nor in the tank cover. But we all have vehicles which have been registered together, and as a result have consecutive registration numbers. Mine was 1675, and I was using my colleagues' which bore the number 1672. I had the papers of my vehicle in my bag. I showed them to him.

"This is a company vehicle which I am using. My vehicle has been given for some repair work. So I am using my colleagues' vehicle today. Here are the papers of my vehicle. You can very well verify the registration number of the vehicle and the RC card. They are in serial order."

The policeman smelled money. "I cannot do anything. Show me the papers pertaining to this vehicle, or else pay the fine."

The general tendency of the public is to bribe the policeman in front with as less as 50 bucks to as much as 200 bucks and escape the big hole in their pockets. He expected the same from me also.

In the general conditions, had I even shown him my papers without explaining the situation to him, he probably would not even have bothered to check the same. I sometimes laugh at my innocence and truthfulness that day. I somehow tried to convince him, but he was in no mood to relent. By then the rain was also pouring heavily. And I did not have anything. I again requested him to let me go.

"You are all like that always. You never carry the required things and think you can fool the police. Now pay the fine and get lost!!!" That last phrase psyched me off. Already half drenched, I resolved that I am gonna make this fellow eat his words!

"I am ready to pay the fine. Tell me how much I have to pay." This words shocked him. I can still visualise his reactions to my statement. His mouth wide open, as if something extraterrestrial had come to earth, and he was policing the same.

"I am ready to pay the fine. Tell me how much I have to pay.But I want an official receipt for the amount that I am gonna pay you!!"

That gave him another jolt. "Why do you want a receipt ?? Give me a hundred bucks and lets settle it here. If it goes to the paper, you will have to unnecessarily shell out close to 600 bucks."

"I don't really mind even if its a 1000 bucks. Since you want me to pay the fine, I want to make it official."

"Why don't you settle it for a smaller amount man? Are you earning so much as to you want to throw away money like that?" I was getting more and more wild. In fact fuming at the words he was using. And the rain had by now, completely drenched me and had simply rubbed salt on my wounds.

"Whats your name??" I noted from his badge.

"Are you trying to bribe me?? Do you even know who I am?? I have recorded this whole conversation on my phone. Be prepared to watch it in the News and read about the same in the Newspapers tomorrow. I am sure you will be really happy to lose your 'high earning' job!!"

He got worried and by this time, his other colleagues who had caught some other people were also watching. The others also started resisting. The policemen started letting each of them go. But I wanted to prove a point. The guy who had caught me, tried to escape.

"Don't you want the fine??"

He did not even answer. He was still walking away towards the "Rakshak".

"Don't think that by letting me off, your story will not come on paper and TV. It definitely is gonna come. Be ready to lose your job"

I started my bike and sped off. I still could not laugh at the thought of him offering prayers that night!!