rooban's Space http://rooban.posterous.com Most recent posts at rooban's Space posterous.com Sun, 28 Oct 2012 10:16:00 -0700 Nothing against Hindi but., http://rooban.posterous.com/nothing-against-hindi-but http://rooban.posterous.com/nothing-against-hindi-but

OK so before you start reading this note you have to know that I don't hold anything against Hindi or people who speak it. And it's very likely that you are not going to like this. Most probably you are going to think this is nonsense and farcical on many levels or (knowing me) you are already thinking that by now. And the number of fucks I give? It’s on back order I sure will notify when they arrive.

 

A couple of days ago, one of my coworkers got a call from a strange/unknown number. He picked the call and answered it by saying "hello". The person on the other side was a still evolving creature, one that hasn't understood the usage of any rudimentary form of verbal communication. Maddening enough, he was so loud; I could hear him screaming his throat off in Hindi.  His tone was earsplitting and annoying enough to punch his stupid face square and undercut this throat. I’m sure that wasn't a "hello" because it went on for like 30 seconds. After which my friend interrupted and said "I don't speak Hindi, please speak in English or Tamil"

 

That's...that's when I heard this statement. That creature had the temerity to utter this statement, in a funny Indian accent that’s bread and butter to Russell Peters, "learn our national language first" and hung up on my colleague.

 

With a straight face, my colleague took the phone off his ear, shrugged his shoulders and got back to his work. I was trying to focus on my work; I really tried and couldn't help myself but ask him "are you not going to call him back?” He didn't understand why he should call him back. I said "If I were you, I would call him back at least to let him know that Hindi is not our national language" and then I got back to work.

 

I was so pissed at the creature for rest of the day; it/he really got to me. I really wanted to call him, and verbally punch his gut by swearing at his ill-mannered pretentious ass, with no remorse, to have wasted my 30 seconds because of his scanty knowledge and abominable pride about it.

 

I'd be lying if I said I don't know where this misconception is coming from; As Hindi is the most spoken language in India, (some misinformed) people tend to assume it's our national language. Not many have looked it up or even tried to figure out what our constitution states about national language.

 

For all those who have not done it yet and still thinking Hindi is our national language I look down on you, kidding, I don’t, SMH. Anyway, here you go “The official language of the Republic of India is Hindi with English as an additional language for official work; states in India can legislate their own official languages. Neither the Constitution of India, nor any Indian law defines any national language.”

 

I understand you could have gone ahead with your life without having to read these minutiae and this nugatory note. But you see "the purpose of education is not to validate ignorance but to overcome it”.  I thought I’ll take a stab at it.

 

Nothing against Hindi but it’s not our national language. If you are offended just remember, offense is taken not given. And about the back order it’s not going to arrive, it never will. 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2127520/music_lover_by_ijusteve-d32qpbt.png http://posterous.com/users/n3kBW5icDMbH4 rooban devadoss rooban rooban devadoss
Sun, 28 Oct 2012 10:09:00 -0700 Organized Religions – Why they bother me? http://rooban.posterous.com/organized-religions-why-they-bother-me http://rooban.posterous.com/organized-religions-why-they-bother-me

The reasons people cling to religion are fear, superstition, tradition, and security. You really don't need an organized religion to tell love is good, it's very obvious. Religion is stupid and outdated. Religion is very useful when you have screwed up and need some unseen figure to blame your bad luck and poor choices on.

Every religious system tends to accumulate superstitions as peripheral beliefs. Take prayers for example, it is rank superstition, nothing more. People who believe in the power of prayer are no different than people who believe in the power of crystal balls, horoscopes or lucky rabbit’s feet. The belief in prayer is just like any superstition. Walking under a ladder is not "bad luck". Neither is breaking a mirror. Neither is seeing a black cat. Statistics prove that a broken mirror has zero effect on your life. In the same way, statistics prove that God never answers prayers. Oh and faith healing, I don't even want to get started about it.

And why they bother me? - Only because of their irrational beliefs through an organized religion have caused prejudice, racial and sexual profiling, and discrimination.

If your only meaning in life comes from faith, I'm sorry you're in for a disappointment. You really don't need religion to guide you anywhere. I always hear this from the other side “"I have seen first-hand the power of prayer."  Well I'll give an example; the mother of Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho had for years sought help for her troubled son. The Washington Post reported that the members and pastor at One Mind Church in Woodbridge were going to help get rid of what the pastor called a "demonic power." Months later he shot 32 people and himself in the worst shooting rampage by an individual in U.S. history. For some reason prayer didn't work there, did it?

While there are some religions that have either tacity or actively promoted some science, they all draw bounds that are dogma-based, saying "no matter what you discover, it can't prove our beliefs wrong."

Growing up, I was forced to defend an omniscient real estate broker who (literally) promised the land of Israel to the Jews. And what that has done to the middle-east, I’ll leave it your imagination.  you're offended, so what?! To suggest that one person may not say something because it will cause offence is a blatant violation of the concept of free speech. As Richard Dawkins described it, taking offence is the only weapon the religious have left.

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2127520/music_lover_by_ijusteve-d32qpbt.png http://posterous.com/users/n3kBW5icDMbH4 rooban devadoss rooban rooban devadoss
Sun, 28 Oct 2012 09:08:00 -0700 Mumbai - befriended and warmed. http://rooban.posterous.com/mumbai-befriended-and-warmed http://rooban.posterous.com/mumbai-befriended-and-warmed

 

So I don’t know where to begin; it’s like understanding the difference between living and surviving – invisible and non-existent.  Deep stuff, right?  Yeah see, I could go on but to break it down I was scared….scared stiff.

First time flying; I buckled in fear, anger, skepticism and the seat belt. I was thinking to myself “what if the landing gear’s axed away?” I peered through for help and held on to my seat with utmost warmth and love, at least that’s what I’d like to call it. I turned my head left, sneered at the co-passenger who was doing the same, thinking to myself “what a wimp?”

I was surprised to survive the landing. Landing gear was not axed and the only question I had was, “will I survive Mumbai for a week?” I started to look for the X-factor just to exterminate the wimp-factor. Sudhakar put me in a cab; I’m going to be driven into the land of undulating pain. I wanted to call my folks and speak to them for one last time, but I heard this voice-over in my head “why don’t you also touch your pants and see if it’s wet?” Neither I touched my pants nor did I call my folks. Moving on – driving on, exited and exiled.

The cabbie was an old “kool dude”, warm and cold.  He wiped off the pan effervescence from the corner of his lips which was like the fizz from the compressed tin of coke.  He offered the same hand for a shake, I handed my luggage on to that hand. The pan smell/fragrance in the cab was arousing, no wait, it was nauseating. He started talking; the pan juice sprinkled all over and rained on me like shrapnel. Thoughts as they rumble in my head, I still haven’t found the X-factor.  Moving on – driving on, spat and splashed.

He pulled the cab over on the highway; this is where I was supposed to run for life. Perspiration at its finest; holding on to my dear life, slowly turned my head to see what he’s up to. He was looking for something. My life flashed before me for one last time. He got out of the cab with a water bottle. I was trembling and, nothing lets just keep it that way, I was only trembling. He gargled and spat every piece of pan, he also used his fingers to clean his cavities, went really hard on that pan debris.  He came back inside, with a grin like he just brushed his teeth and said something in Hindi. All I comprehended was he’s going to chew another one later, but my wild guess was he also was sorry, or I wanted to think so. Moving on – driving on, dazed and amazed.

He spoke and spoke, my “achas” were getting too repetitive so I replaced it with “theek hais”, being a stranger in the strange land makes you want to talk less, more convenient when you don’t speak either of the languages or not. I was trying to frame a sentence to convey “don’t speak to me unless you’re spoken to”, but something went wrong or right somewhere I felt so bad, trying to say that. I don’t know if it’s the two pints of the fermented liquid in me or the pan fragrance in the cab, anyway the cab became my Bodhgaya, I did attain the enlightenment. Moving on – driving on, enlightened and ashamed.

After attaining the enlightenment or realizing what a stuck up jerk I was, I started to talk along in “my Hindi.” I did frame a sentence; I said “aap mumbai ka mera first friend hai”. This time he grabbed my hand, shook it and said many thanks. Moving on – Driving on, befriended and warmed. 

 

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2127520/music_lover_by_ijusteve-d32qpbt.png http://posterous.com/users/n3kBW5icDMbH4 rooban devadoss rooban rooban devadoss
Sat, 27 Oct 2012 06:02:00 -0700 It's Me *This one was published in an online US magazine* http://rooban.posterous.com/its-me-this-one-was-published-in-an-online-us http://rooban.posterous.com/its-me-this-one-was-published-in-an-online-us
Things I want to say now
May not make sense
The thoughts they rumble
Against my lifeless fragments
Convuluted is my mind
Intoxicated is my soul
Free me now undulating
Eternal spring of warmth
It ain't me,
It ain't this fermented liquid
It's me,
The semi-solid being

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2127520/music_lover_by_ijusteve-d32qpbt.png http://posterous.com/users/n3kBW5icDMbH4 rooban devadoss rooban rooban devadoss
Sat, 27 Oct 2012 05:58:00 -0700 Sitting Here http://rooban.posterous.com/sitting-here http://rooban.posterous.com/sitting-here

Just sitting the afternoon away
With a bottle of fermented liquid
Intoxicated in my grand city
The world passing by on a cloud

This fat, tall, north Indian Outside
So proud of his built
So proud of his skin tone
So proud of the money he makes
Understands zip about fashion
Buys out of peer pressure

My built ain't full of pride
My skin tone full of shy
My money makes ends meet
Am I the better of the two?

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2127520/music_lover_by_ijusteve-d32qpbt.png http://posterous.com/users/n3kBW5icDMbH4 rooban devadoss rooban rooban devadoss
Sat, 27 Oct 2012 05:54:00 -0700 My Last Words *This is a little monologue I wrote for a college play* http://rooban.posterous.com/my-last-words-this-is-a-little-monologue-i-wr http://rooban.posterous.com/my-last-words-this-is-a-little-monologue-i-wr

I was never been called for a trial

But was executed.

I never spoke

They called me dumb.

My thoughts weren`t expressed

They called me a hypocrite.

I want to speak now, but I`m speechless!

 

I give what I get

Not been getting much.

I`m not a coward,

I want to face this world

But my heart is weak, I`m numb.

Oh! I forgot to say!

I have been poisoned.

 

I was promised but I have been deceived

I was advised but I have been misguided

I have been taught but it`s not the truth

I ask to myself, am I living or existing?

I don’t know, but I’m sure

I`m dying.

 

I`m not waiting for a saviour

I don’t believe in any either

If there was any,

Why would He let this world burn?

Why wouldn’t He hear me?

Why wouldn’t He answer me?

Why would He let me become suicidal?

Oh! I get it!

Maybe the answer is

My death!

 

I wish I were cruel as others

I wish my mind is as corrupted as the world

I wish my heart is as strong as a terrorist`s heart

Because they deserve a place in this world,

Full of cannibals and I don’t

I don’t, I don’t, I don’t.

 

My mom would have been here to bid farewell

If that bullet didn’t land on her chest

My dad would have counselled me

If he would stayed home, when

That missile shattered his office.

I wouldn’t have taken this poison

If you and me were friends.

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2127520/music_lover_by_ijusteve-d32qpbt.png http://posterous.com/users/n3kBW5icDMbH4 rooban devadoss rooban rooban devadoss
Sat, 27 Oct 2012 05:49:00 -0700 Multiculturalism in ISBR: Where India Meets Indians http://rooban.posterous.com/multiculturalism-in-isbr-where-india-meets-in http://rooban.posterous.com/multiculturalism-in-isbr-where-india-meets-in

I walked into wilderness of Kodai for the very first time on a bright sunny day.  I felt like a stranger in an unknown land. Born and brought up in Chennai, a metropolis where you’d spend one hour to travel 25kms in business hours, Kodai was a “shock” in more ways than one.  Unlike in Chennai, apparently I could see endless stretches of trees here, in Chennai it would have been already turned into a furniture or dining table!

I arrived in Kodai is to join ISBR. I must admit, however I was little skeptical about the whole set up. There were a host of questions on my mind   that I was hopeful would be answered one by one. I was very curious to know how many students were enrolled in my batch. Since the hostel wasn`t constructed completely we were made to stay at Nakshatra Inn. I was the first person to check into one of the rooms.

 A few minutes later I heard a knock on the door. Two other students (Harish from   New Delhi and Ravi from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh) were waiting to check in.   While they are currently my roommates, none of us knew each other before or   even shared the regional language. Tongue-tied, we observed the uncomfortable   “who-to-start-first” silence for few minutes.

I didn’t really like that silence and started off by saying, “Hey What`s up?”

All I got back was weird looks and a blank faces. Soon after, we left the room for lunch.

My batch consists of 49 students. Would you believe if I said there are only eleven Tamilians in our batch?  My parents were surprised to hear this. ISBR Kodai consists of students from all corners of India:  we have students from Kashmir, Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamilnadu, and Andaman Nicobar islands. Sounds like geography class isn`t it?

"Unity in Diversity" is not mere rhetoric in ISBR. . One can see more genuine unity in diversity in our cafeteria during lunch hour than on Rajpath in the forced gaiety of the folk dances of the Republic Day parade!  Idlis mingle with chole, aapams and pickle, alu parathas with sambhar. Stray Hindi phrases in a Tamil accent. Language has never been a hurdle for us and our cultural unity. If we can`t make do with our regional languages we communicate with the international language English.   As a link language, it cemented the already existing geographical, religious and cultural unity of ISBR. It made political unity possible in ISBR Kodai.

In ISBR Kodai we follow a basic communication mantra.  Whether it is Hindi or English, Bengali or Marathi, keep it simple, and play it straight. We aren't saying anything that we haven't said before. That’s the secret of our effective communication!  Can we then be blamed if we forget to write about language barriers when we write about barriers of communication and lose out marks in Business Communication paper?!  

  Although I always wanted to learn many languages, I never got a chance to do so. But now, thanks to ISBR, I can speak Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam. Initially it was very tough, not for me but for the native Telugu speakers in ISBR. My Telugu friends would run away when they saw me from a distance because I’d torture them with my rotten Telegu. Nevertheless, they spared me and taught me Telugu.  Hence now they can`t swear at me in Telugu because now they know I will swear at them back in Telugu!  

I enjoy this multi cultural environment in ISBR. We   have never had any problems with one another with regard to our cultural practices and principles.  We celebrate all possible festivals here in ISBR Kodai not to break away from classes but to educate ourselves and soak in the happiness of our fellow classmates. No one has ever felt alienated in ISBR Kodai.

The Indian economy is growing but society seems to be on a decline. Bomb blasts in Hyderabad, Riots in Agra, Dalit movements in Haryana, and separatist movements in the North East and elsewhere. The world can`t take us seriously till we get our house in order. India is at a critical junction at this point of time – poised for greatness. It’s time for the people to decide what direction they want to go.  Isn’t it time for the people to come together, and the political leadership to rise over the narrow vote-bank mindset and work towards the country’s growth, and not just their prospects of a second term in power?  

I`m sure we ISBRians will be role models for this country and people who are soaked in the sea of communalism. We need to understand that all of us have multiple identities like religious, linguistic, cultural, regional and caste. No one can claim single identity. The best way to live in a multicultural environment is not by ignoring or tolerating differences but by embracing it. Is there any other way to understand the meaning of Unity in Diversity (UID) in a better way than being a student of ISBR?  

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/2127520/music_lover_by_ijusteve-d32qpbt.png http://posterous.com/users/n3kBW5icDMbH4 rooban devadoss rooban rooban devadoss