A better, safer Delhi

'one should not be adventurous.' remarked Shiela Dixit , the women friendly chief minister of Delhi, addressing the press after a TV personality was brutally murdered in the wee hours of the night.

A couple of months later everyone saw a mob audaciously molest a woman in front of a mall right in the heart of Gurgaon , all that was forgotten after a series of ridiculous remarks and fake assurances by prominent people of the city blaming everything from western outfits to interaction between men and women for the crimes.

In the wake of the recent bus rape it all seems so much more ridiculous. If watching a movie in the presumably safe area of Delhi at the logically acceptable safe time is adventurous enough I don’t know what isn’t.. It makes me angry, angry and scared at the same time.
Not too long I was followed by an SUV full of sleazy eve teasers just because I had female company, this event invokes shivers thinking about what might have happened that day, thinking of the victims also does the same , I am sure the guy won’t be able to sleep peacefully for a long - long time, as for the girl we all pray she recovers from this trauma somehow.

Cities don’t commit crime , but there’s definitely something very wrong with the fabric of this city at the moment. Yet I’m not talking about the traffic sense or the basic lack of politeness or the cocky temper which makes one pull trigger at the drop of a hat. All this has been discussed to death so many times. Lets face it , the city is not safe and that’s the biggest issue staring us in the eye. Delhi is not safe , not for women , not for men , not for anyone who doesn’t have a significant political clout. No point trying to neglect it any further , no point saying that crimes happen in other cities too and this is no different. Mumbai , Pune, Bangalore all have stories of gruesome crimes committed on women, but a Delhi –like fear factor is not a part of routine elsewhere. That’s perhaps the first thing anyone hears before shifting to Delhi.

I’m scared to ask my sister to come home all by herself from the metro station, scared to ask a friend to meet me in a mall, in fact , even scared to be out on the streets all by myself . This culture of vulgar display of power scares me , be it physical power, monetary power or just the power of having a gang behind you.

What’s unfortunate is that the people have accepted this fear to be an essential part of the city’s persona. Nobody wants or expects that to ever change. We shouldn’t live under this fear , stepping out after sunset shouldn’t really be the ultimate adventure , having dinner with a female should not be remotely risky, taking public transport should not make our heart pound.

Don’t get me wrong , I love this city , it’s food , it’s world class infrastructure , it’s enthusiasm in celebrating all festivals alike but safety is too big a compromise for all this, it’s not a city we all can be proud of, not yet.

I demand a safer Delhi , not just lesser number of rapes and crimes statistically but a feeling of being safe , where the distance from the metro station to my home doesn’t seem adventurous . A safer national capital where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.

PS: I am a Delhi male and I'm not a rapist. I am apologetic about sitting through all this helplessly, apologetic about knowing that i can't change much.

Music Review : No One Killed Jessica

First things first Amit Trivedi is the composer of the year by a mile and his reputation expands exponentially each and every time he comes up with something new. Dev D, Udaan, Aisha and now No One Killed Jessica, that’s a line up that even the best in the industry, would be very very proud of.

The album highlights this young composer’s undeniable talent who has easily managed to etch out his own fan following in the otherwise overcrowded Indian music industry. There are 6 tracks in the soundtrack and each one has a unique flavour with eminently noticeable tunes.

The highlight of the soundtrack is Dilli Dilli, an out an out hard rock track which is bound to get noticed even if you are not into that genre of music, the songs simply mesmerizes and captures your imagination right from the first beat, the hardcore version isn’t much different from the original one and thoroughly presents a snapshot of the country’s capital city, already drawing comparisons with Rahman’s unforgettable ode to the city from Delhi 6.

'Dua' starts of a slow number but picks up tempo midway and transfers into an altogether different melody with life and soul.
Yeh Pal, is a soft soulful number with powerful lyrics which suddenly transforms into a stunning semi instrumental song which endears as it goes stronger towards the end.

Hard rock once again takes centre stage with Aitbar doing complete justice to Vishal Dadlani’s rockstar ambitions, Dadlani proves that there couldn’t have been a better choice for that number.
Aali re aali is a song with playful slang lyrics, the lyrics don’t sound that impressive initially but the catchy tune more than makes up for that.

A great album worth playing loud in continuous loop, the shelf life will perhaps be longer than the duration of Jessica Lal’s case hearing as the songs simply keep growing on you, must listen album even if you are not a complete rock buff.

An impromptu Conversation with Hathway Customer service executive

Hathway Internet India Ltd has quite a reputation when it comes to providing outstanding Broadband solutions, well if youve ever used it you will smell the sarcasm here. What I find even more shocking is their absolute lack of concern for customer relations. Though obviously occasionallly they manage to crack us up with witty replies and remarks which can best be used as fodder for blog posts like these.

On one such occasion, after giving enough consideration to the technical flaws that may arise out of the unpredictability associated with word wide internet, we made a call to our esteemed service providers.

Me : Hello
Hathway : Hello, hatway unlimited broadband, how may i help you.

Me: Dear sir, our internet conncetion has not been working from three days, can you fix it up once and for all.
Hathway: Let me know your credentials.

After checking the details.

Hathway: No sir, you are misinformed, your internet is working absolutely fine.
Me : what are you talking about.

Hathway: There is no problem with your internet connection.
Me: Excuse me, I am the one using it, dont you think I'll have a better idea about its status.

Hathway: You are checking it the wrong way, conncet the cable to your PC and then check.
Me: Ahh, right, you think I am crazy enough to call you up without connecting it to the PC ?

Hathway: I didnt mean that, but cant rule out the possibility either.
Me: What ?

Hathway: Alright, I think it is an issue with your PC.
Me: Right, there's no problem in connecting 2 PC's over LAN.

Hathway: Lan is different from internet.
Me: Ok, and what is the difference, as far as connectivity is concerned.

Hathway : You recieve packets from internet and exchange files over LAN.
Me : Really, and files are different from packets.

Hathway : Very different, a packet usually contains several files.
Me: alright sir, I've had enough about your Tech Insult, we have tried connceting the net through 3 different PC's, it doesnt work on any.

Hathway : In that case, all 3 PC's have problems.
Me: Oh really, so what are we supposed to do about it, since our PCs dont work should we change our connection.

Hathway : No sir, change your Pcs.
Me: Speechless.

Me: Alright: it was great talking to you, will get back to you after changing my PC.

Not to mention, the internet miraculously started working after an hour, obviously on an on and off basis, on usually as the payment date approaches .

Pune Party : Raves and Rants over Nothing

The media reports about the party are exaggerated out of proportion.

Probably anyone who has ever been to a professional institute will understand that Freshers and Farewell are two important parties that make space in any academic calendar between the rigours of a Post graduate curriculum. Traditionally Seniors welcome the juniors with the freshers party and the juniors pay back with an equally grand farewell .... simple enough.

But Perhaps our media finds it a little difficult to understand and digest, not to mention the cops who harass everyone apart from criminals . Now as proven criminals are bringing hooliganism to the parliament, students are spending time in lockup for a reason like freshers party.

489 students from Symbiosis Institute of Management studies(SIMS) were arrested for something which is pretty much a part of their college tradition and had the permission of college administration. Agree that police may be right about the laws, but perhaps a warning with an immediate termination of that party would have been more than enough, shamelessly playing with the reputations, careers and lives of so many students (mostly innocent). In any case organizers must be responsible for taking care of liquor laws of the land rather than student, and most of those 489 had absolutely nothing to do with organizing the party.

As if the police atrocity wasn’t enough the students are being branded as morally corrupt by the highly irresponsible media who doesn’t think twice before exaggerating the event for cheap publicity , and for the highest selling newspaper in India which terms it as a ‘Rave party’ despite of police establishing that there was no hint of narcotics.

Liquor bottles worth 18000 which was seized by the police amounts to something a little more than 36 per head for 489 students, enough to establish that either most of the students were sober or they consumed alcohol well within the permissible limit, greater chances of the former. This effectively means that a large number of totally innocent people were harassed by the police and media played a larger role in humiliating them to the core for a crime of participating in their annual batch event.

I hope the Symbiosis Management stands by its students instead of alienating them during this difficult and traumatic period, that’s the only glimour of hope till Times of India figures out what rave parties actually are.

Memorandum to my beloved bomber's.....

people wandering around
fun and joy filled the ground
relations exchange their gifts
friends and lovers shared their kiss
all glitter in party dress
smile and laugh filled the carnival mess
tons of crackers lights the skies
and golden sparkles filled viewers eyes
among stood a man silent and calm
many didn't know by him their happiness will be soon torn
huge blast and smoke gloomed the place
innocent bodies blown up with blood soaked face
angel like kids seen dead with dolls clutched tight
some couldn't even see their dead kids ..cos they lost their sight
people seen lying on the fire like a half burnt meat
which made their loved ones crying falling to their feet
everyone run for cover where the light goes dim
their laid a baby dead without even a single limb
seeing it ....blood and tears runs down her mother face
and the dreams she had for her baby gone as a waste
whom to be questioned ? and whom to be blamed ?
was this for ...we all are made ?...
seeing the dead and the blood soaked floor
are you satisfied or you still want more ?
black or white ...we might be
all religion are the same and it preaches love and unity
close your eyes and think for a moment
does your heart asks you to do it again ...what just happened ?


........... for all those who lost their life 's under evil hands

Courtesy : Sabastian

Political mileage at the Nation's expense

If Inspector Sharma would have been alive.....

He and his team would have been lynched by the (Pseudo)Secular and human Right wolves by now. We both know Secularists would have raised so much of stink with the ever obliging MSM digging all the records of M C Sharma’s alleged links with ‘Underworld’! By now CNN IBN would have dug up the ‘ill gotten’ wealth accumulated by M C sharma! Barkha would have called all the usual suspects in her GK studio ’splitting hair’: How these fake encounters ‘alienate’ the peace loving so innocent yet discriminated and prosecuted Minorities! By now the Deputed HM Shri Prakash Jaiswal would have dammed every one and of course Karnatka , MP and Orissa would have come handy….
Afzal Guru 2 or not? Do not know, but certainly would have been another VANJARA (Gujarat cop) … hounded and hunted.

KPS Gill made a very apt remark on Friday evening in some TV show. He told that death of MC Sharma has somehow spared Delhi Police attracting the ire of Secularists and HR Activists as this death has changed the Public Mood and they shall not hear a word against Police action.

The locality in which this counter took place is literally impregnable for any POLICE force. If you and any of your reader had seen the action on TV, they just saw only a fraction of what the Area is all about. Without exaggerating, let me tell you Delhi would have been on fire. Despite the untimely death of MC Sharma, that part of Delhi is simmering.
the ‘Secular Noises’ made by the usual suspects, their ‘Fake Encounter’ theories are already doing the rounds. These ‘secularists’ can stoop down to any level even alleging that MCS was shot by his own team to make the encounter look genuine… or another absurd theory that terrorists were planted there… Blah! Blah! Blah!

All this mudslinging is well supported and effectively propagated by the 24×7 News Abuse Channels. Dime a dozen Human Terrorist Rights Atrocities Activists Supporters.

Activists Supporters, who infest Delhi city, are back in business demanding probes, picking holes, writing on line petitions. Sic!

This unholy activists and media nexus is coming in way against the war on terrorism. They are no more part of solution…they have become a ‘Problem’ on their own.

To start with we have a government who has perfected the art of NON Governance. We have a government whose Top Cabinet Ministers support SIMI and two Worthies like Ram Vilas Paswan and Laloo Prasad find ‘OSAMA LOOK ALIKE’ as a mascot of ‘Secularism’ and parade and flaunt him in election rallies in Bihar especially the Muslim majority ones! Need you more proof? By this act do these worthies not equate the whole Muslim community with Terror? Will any Muslim Intellectual answer this?

But then it is pointless to blame union ministers alone when the Prime Minister Minion himself looses sleep over the fate of a suspected terrorist!

What to say about his or her majesty - Madame Sonia Gandhi- government’s priorities when a Convicted and ‘Condemned to Death’ by the Supreme Court – not once but twice – is pampered as ‘Son in Law’ of the government but those ‘Brave soldiers’ who sacrificed their lives on December 13th protecting the lives of these ‘Honorable MPs’ were forced to return their Medals!

A self serving, myopic and insensitive Political Dispensation.
Highly irresponsible, shrieking, manipulative, award seeking, TRP driven 24×7 News Abuse channels.
Dubiously funded, terrorist friendly, conspiracy theorists, verbal terrorists (most of them, if not all) masquerading as Human Right Activists or politically driven NGOs.
Subservient and self promoting Bureaucracy.
Inadequate and archaic laws.
Extremely slow if not incompetent Judiciary.
All this to fight ‘Terrorism’ in a country, which for past 20 years has been under attack.

All this in a Country which has seen some of the most ‘audacious’ attacks?
All this in a Country which comes second only to Iraq (a war torn country) having a dubious distinction of loosing more civilians?

All the above make me to urge the upright daring Police Officers to do what is needed: Shoot the bastards in head before they shoot you down. Terrorism has no religion, I agree. But do not bother which ‘religion’ bombers follow either. Period.

This time onwards we (The People of India) will speak for you collectively in one voice. Some of us will investigate for you guys just as Yossarian initiated and done a commendable job.

May the tribe of M C Sharma grow multi fold but with caution… you are no longer dealing with some small time ‘misdirected youths’ (as Mr Shiv Raj Patil make you believe). These guys are well educated, trained, motivated and committed. Be cautious and prepared and PLEASEEEEEE, you guys are needed to sweep the terrorism out and can do only when you shoot them down not get shot.

We the Prudent Indians will do our duty too. We will try and make sure that no ‘Upright Officer’ is harassed or prosecuted. This is our collective fight. Let us fight it out Decisively. For once and all and for Good.

Wall Street Shudders

A high profile bankruptcy, a traded giant and a goliath of a financial institution arbitrarily bailed out from similar fate by FII. All's not over yet as some other big shots like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are in the line of Fire. With Stanley already in talks with Wachovia, HSBC Holdings and China based CITIC Group, it all boils down to who will eventually take over the reins of a troubled organization.

AIG was saved from a certain bankruptcy by FII, perhaps they may have considered saving Lehman as well. But when it comes down to chosing one of them due to paucity of funds, it had to be AIG. AIG bankruptcy would have meant that millions in the states would suddenly be without insurance which would have been a mighty blow on the face of the federal government.

Why did it Happen:
The cricis has been lingering for quite a while, the major IB's had been reporting significant losses ever since the sub prime cricis surfaced. The sub prime cricis surfaced due to overambitios banks fiddling with proven banking methods and risking customer investments in high risk loans. Banks with large amounts of cash earmarked for investment, bought a lot of Mortage Backed Securities. With more people buying MBSs and improper valation methods, more and more loans were given for construction. Targetting Sub prime loan markets wasnt really an outrageous idea as intense competition in prime markets had minimized the profit potential of the markets(Money lent in Prime markets is proportional to the repaying capability of an individual or an organization while in the sub prime markets the loans offered can exceed the cutomer's paying ability exponentially). There was an obvious temptation in front of the banks to make excellent profits with higher rates of interest, while taking real estate as security.
The misconstrued assumption at this stage was that the land and property rates will continue to rise. But the recent slump in property prices in US due to some very evident political policies ensured that the fall of the financial giants to be brutally fast.The loan given against mortage was never recovered and hence tradional heavyweights surrenderred meekly.

Was it Unexpected: Pretty unexpected, if you rewind back by a few years. But ever since 2006 sub prime cricis has been one of the most important issues in world finance. Since late 2007 many investment banks have continuously reported towering losses. The crucial mistake committed by Lehman Brothers was that its CEO Richard Fuld, rejected a previous buyout offer citing that the value offered was too low.


After Shocks: Despite of the fact that the losses were evident for the past few years, the sudden turn of events took everyone by surprise. The effects are visible not only on the plunging markets, but also in the general mindset of a common investor. Investors are clearly looking for safer investment options( gold being the primary choice). Even the high end bank to bank transactions have taken a beating and almost stopped.

Thousands of employees around the world have lost their jobs and quite a few are seriously pondering on their future, Lehman brothers have already stopped operating with employees told to leave with one month's salary.

Indian context:
The recent events definitely had a bearing on the Indian stock exchange, and considering that Lehman, Meryll Lynch and Morgan Stanley are all highly operational from India it has hit the employees quite drastically. Some of the highest salary packages were offered to IIM students by Lehman, who will have to look for better and safer options.
Many Indian IT giants most notably Satyam and TCS had Lehman and Meryll Lynch as their most significant clients, rumours are that the particular organizations will be effected by the bankruptcy and the sell out.