Livinghigh was here at 7:47 PM / (2) Comments

BLACKOUT!

Switched off lights at 8 pm to mark Black Day. Say NO to quotas. Someone asked me that on my orkut group today, what my stand was on reservations. I was surprised she needed to - didn't all the tags on my orkut page and my blog say enough?

Reservations only on economics. Don't propagate caste by dividing along caste.



Was watching a special on the Quota issue the other day, and there was this sociologist asking a YFE spokesman whether he had ever encountered caste problems in his life. He had not. The sociologist went on to say that while, he or I or any of us in the city may not understand what the big deal about caste was, it was a reality in India's villages. Hence, the need for quotas. Sometimes, people speak such bunkum. Caste is a reality in the village - so how will booking 50% in India's cities' elite colleges help them? Does the sociologist imagine that all the OBC/SC/STs newly 'educated' will then return to the village to spread the gospel truth of castelessness? Naive ass. No one ever returns. Alright, judging from the Swadesh experience, very few return.

Caste is a problem in the village, so why not tackle it at the grassroots level? Take teachers to the villages, organise special schools, organise morchas at the district level where the problem is really so deep. This is Bombay. Here, people don't have the time to check their watch while rushing to work - you honestly think they have the time to check the caste of the person next to them? Watch a Bombay local train: everyone hangs together, pushes together, stays together. Screw caste.



So tackle the problem where it is important. Not where you screw hapless innocents.

What gets me the most, is that you stick up for your gumptions, you are automatically labelled as an autocrat, someone who doesn't believe in equality. Just because I don't want quotas based on caste, they say I'm someone who doesn't believe in equality. Screw you. I believe in equality. That's why I hate the idea of reservations. The damn politics can go hang.

***



Grey clouds over Bombay yesterday. Amazing sight. Makes me think of Delhi, for some reason. And no, not just because of the quota controversy. Would be so amazing to have it rain soon. O, wait, it did. It rained last night. Late last night, just before going to bed, and there was the rushing noise of rain. *wide grin*

I'm a kid at times. I wail like one. I complain like one. I love like one. I smile like one.

Livinghigh was here at 1:16 PM / (4) Comments

Rang De Whatever!

I think, labelling the Reservation protests as an outcome of the Rang De Basanti effect is pathetic. It trivialises an important movement. Screw RDB.



Going through the net and found out some important links. If anyone is interested here, please do join up and help out over here.

YOUTH FOR EQUALITY - MUMBAI

YOUTH FOR EQUALITY - NEW DELHI

There is also another website you can catch up on events and background info here.

SAVE BRAND INDIA

On May 20, Saturday, students in New Delhi are organising Solidarity Day. Mumbai is also gearing up for the same. You can find out more about all this here.

YOUTH FOR EQUALITY - ORKUT COMMUNITY

ANTI RESERVATION ACTION FORUM - ORKUT COMMUNITY

Livinghigh was here at 10:47 AM / (3) Comments

Doctoring Dreams

I feel strongly about the reservations issue. I've spoken about it before, before it snowballed into such a huge thing over the weekend. Lathi charging doctors. Amazing. So many of those policemen will go for treatment to those same doctors some years hence. That's the funny part. Would be fun to see if the docs then tell them to FCUK off. Then there's the other possibility that the government would sack these medicos and hire a whole lot of OBCs in their space, and then it would be amusing to see what kind of treatment the cops really receive!



A couple of things jumped out at me, though, from the newspapers this morning. One, was how the reporters proclaimed that the spirit of Rang de Basanti had fired up the students. Hilarious, really, when you consider how all of this comes just a coupla weeks after Aamir's fashionable stand at Delhi. And I can't help but wonder where the hell the great Khan was, when students were getting caned. Aaa, well, perhaps he can't be blamed. Reservations are much more controversial than displacement is - it fires up many more people than displacement does, despite poor Medha's protests. And poor Aamir knows, standing up for/against reservation will earn him many more brickbats than anything concerning a dam.

The second thing that struck me: an editorial in one of the papers that argued, the possible loss of standards due to reservation is an Acceptable Price to pay in order to bring them in. I wanted to throw something at the author. Honestly, how daft can you get?! This is the age, when industry and policy planners are going gaga about India in the World order. The same paper has a story where the PM is talking about opening a new institute, so that bright young people can be induced to stay and study in India, rather than flee elsewhere. (Fat chance, with quotas coming in - I hear the UK colleges are already rubbing their hands in glee, expecting a mass exodus to their campus!) And he says, it's an Acceptable Price. It's easy for him to say that, since he's not the one who has to pay it.



The third thing was of course, that ass Arjun Singh. And that other ass, Rahul Gandhi. RG is touted as the face of GenZ. If the reservation issue becomes that big, I would bet on anything that most of those disenchanted would vote for RG, hoping he would be able to do something for their cause. And I'm equally game to bet on anything that RG will do zilch. Simple thing, really, and we're all to blame for it: it's the OBCs who vote. Striking medicos don't. Bitter bloggers don't. Malabar Hill residents don't. So RG and that ass Arjun Singh will sit on their arses and push through Mandal II despite all our anger and protests. They will order the lathicharges, and then they will simper to the media of how it was overzealous cops who did it, and an enquiry will soon be underway.

As for us journalists, this is Big News. For someone like me, who wasn't old enough to understand Mandal I, when it happend, this is a chance to understand Injustice, firsthand. A valuable experience.

I think.

Livinghigh was here at 7:46 PM / (3) Comments

Nothing much, but love

The idea of having a blog is about deliberation. Confessions, also. Soothing oneself. Telling oneself that you're quite ok. I'm a hopeless sycophant of myself. I tell myself, it's ok to be that way when it's your blog. It helps when there are not too many people around, and you can indulge yourself as much as you want, without looking/seeming/reading foolish.

So that's what I do.

Wear a clown cap or a white sheet and weep. Not always that dramatic. Sometimes, quite ludicrous. Sometimes, I feel helpless. That's when I write some drivel like this that doesn't make sense to anyone but me. That's the best part about making something completely about YOU. That's the best part about reading messages from a cell phone that are meant only for MY ears and brains and comprehension.

30 Dec, 11.42 am: Thots of u mk me smile muah
31 Dec, 12.22 am: I miss holdin u sleepin without u will b weird
1 Jan, 2.17 am: i m fallin in luv
1 Jan, 7.25 am: i miss u crazy cant imagine how i will survive once i go back i m very serious about us
1 Jan, 7.34 am: As long as we remain focusd and patient we can mk this work
1 Jan, 8.36 am: My cousin just askd me how come i have a glow on my face babe u r always on my mind muah
5 Jan, 1.42 am: I can't be away from u can we spend the night 2gether
8 Jan, 7.28 pm: I want u 2 b a part of my life 4 ever
10 Jan, 8.02 am: Mornin babe I luv u 2 i missed u by my side day is just startd openin my eyes with ur msg is nice luv u
10 Jan, 8.07 pm: U r silly u r my sexy sizzlin sweety i miss u crazy luv u
11 Jan, 2.49 pm: U r on my mind i miss u bad luv u lotz i m stayin till the 29th i miss holdin u and seein ur smile u r beautiful
12 Jan, 8.40 pm: That must have been fun we will mk our own music when i get back
15 Jan, 2.26 pm: I luv u 2 miss u and cant wait 2 b in ur arms and mk luv 2 u
18 Jan, 7.51 pm: Sat we will stay in a hotel in colaba
20 Jan, 12.48 am: U r the reason behind my smile luv u lots
22 Jan, 1.19 am: U r my world i luv u
23 Jan, 7.20 pm: Miss u crazy luv u madly
25 Jan, 11.13 pm: I luv u 2 miss u crazy
27 Jan, 9.25 am: I luv u crazy
1 Feb, 1.27 pm: i luv u
5 Feb, 7.16 pm: I luv the way u get excitd and adore u u r my life
5 Feb, 7.21 pm: I luv u madly it is a nice movie miss u
7 Feb 5.42 pm: I luv u alot ur call made me smile muah
12 Feb, 11.43 pm: Awwww love u
14 Feb, 8.03 am: Happy valentines sugarplum tried callin but no ans I am online now
14 Feb, 11.04 am: How you doing! Haha i remember you like this phrase. I will say it in personwhen i meet you. Well, i'm studying hard, so don't worry. Love you to eternity
14 Feb, 11.08 am: Off 2 bed miss u u r my shinin star
14 Feb, 10.11 pm: Hi sweety i luv u in a meeting miss u
24 Feb, 9.08 am: Luv u
28 Feb, 2.58 pm: Please tell me u r jokin babe i will call ur nite time
28 Feb, 3.05 pm: love you mad
2 Mar, 1.03 pm: on plane bk home luv u
3 Mar, 8.47 pm: Luv u 2
3 Mar, 10.46 pm: We will be together
4 Mar, 10.48 am: My comps batt died can't get online sorry read my mail good luck with the interview luv u
8 Mar, 12.49 am: Love u more than i can say
8 Mar, 12.56 am: U make me wanna jump & dance u r laughter gives music 2 my life the kisses u planted on me felt passionate ur love is what makes me luv u crazy
9 Mar, 12.13 am: Love u
9 Mar, 8.17 pm: Everythin ok?
12 Mar, 10.06 am: Nite nite love u crazy
13 Mar, 8.50 pm: Luv u 2
15 Mar, 10.22 am: happy holi sugar i m online now
15 Mar, 10.45 am: I luv u alot will call tomo when i get a card
16 Mar, 8.59 pm: She hasnt noticed it
19 Mar, 8.32 pm: Luv u
21 Mar, 8.54 pm: I wont be able to talk chk my mail luv u
22 Mar, 12.47 am: Luv u 2 heart throb
25 Mar, 11.24 am: I luv u 2 death
27 Mar, 11.55 pm: I luv u too muah
30 Mar, 12.43 am: I did send u a msg earlier luv u motya
30 Mar, 12.44 am: Muah i m enjoyin my chkn marsala
2 Apr, 8.45 pm: Luv u 2 2 2 2 2
10 Apr, 5.48 am: That was so sweet i m urs 4 ever
11 Apr, 9.48 pm: i m busy cant call now will email later i luv u
13 Apr, 12.21 am: U r my world and i truely luv u lots
13 Apr, 12.26 am: Still in meetin i will call ur morning time S is still wid me and we r 2 hours from home luv u loads
15 Apr, 7.53 pm: wantd to wish u a very happy new yr i have emailed u cant use phone 4 long as its roamin and costin alot luv u
24 Apr, 6.50 am: Phone card over. lv u
24 Apr, 10.07 pm: No sugar meetin S and my prof after that sorry luv u
28 Apr, 8.36 pm: Will try we luv u 2 mua n lick

Yes yes, I know I'm pathetic cuz I actually wrote them down from the phone. But being in love is a marvellous feeling. *grin*

Livinghigh was here at 8:44 PM / (4) Comments

Climbing every mountain, and quite sick of it!

God is misguided. Chiefly, because he allowed my beautiful new child, my labour of love and money, Laptop, to get a virus, when there're soooo many other inferior laptops that don't get infected even when they operate ages and ages without an antivirus.

As a result, I'm screwed.

Got the nice guys at the office IT department to reload my Windows XP, but now the damn drivers are a pain. Downloading them from the net and all. Boohooooo... and now, they also tell me that getting a bloody anti-virus will cost me a coupla grand! HORRORS! I'm poooooor, so poooooorrrr - doesn't God, misguided though he is, understand that?!

***

Saw this really crummy movie the other night, Darna Zaroori Hai. Aaaa, ummm.. ok, not that crummy - just crummy, considering that I'd wanted to see Ice Age 2 or Pink Panther. Stooopid bro went off to see PP on Sunday without me, and when I went over to Bandra to catch IA 2.0, the bloody theatre was booked housefull. An energetic but bumbling friend suggested I approach 'the black man', but I desisted. Not my style. Petite prick that I am.

So, DZH is a sequel to Darna Mana Hai, and both are about six ghosty-wosty stories tied up in one. Pah! DZH has a scaredy cat granma and five irritating kids who I was glad to see killed off. I'm not a very nice person to know, sometimes. Especially, if you're underage. I made a concession for Karma, and now you expect me to make it 24-7?!

Hah! Fat chance!

*sigh* This is a horrid post. And I didn't even do the dumb quiz that Raghav tagged me with.