Friday, October 29, 2010

Random Thoughts about Patriotism - Imagine there's no countries

The current situation in Kashmir provokes a thought about the terms Nationalism and Patriotism. Well i guess i have just limited knowledge of this terms and also been out of touch with many current affairs, u might find this post random, as most of my thoughts have always been.

Why do i feel for my country at present. I guess this started with the fear of my class teacher punishing me in school for not respecting national anthem. the several essay i read during my school days, the cricket matches that i saw and tv series glorify the deeds of the son of the soil made me start liking the country. As i grew up i realize the life me and people surrounding me are living. i felt that there does lies opportunity in this land to live up and fulfill my dreams. there started the true essence of nationalism when i believed that this place will give me a base to establish myself socially and financially and it will not discriminate against me and will give me opportunity to full fill my dreams and help me achieve a better future (dont debate on corruption, its a part of every country though in varying level). and i started truly respecting the motherland for what it has been. and i also thanked my school teacher for inculcating the first seed of patriotism in me.

Now i think of a person who is living in war torn region. Where a man doesnt see that bright future he is yearning for. where he is even not sure the small kid at his home would be going to school and establish a life for himself. will that person still be concerned whether presently the place he lives in is in country A or B. would he still have that feeling for his country as i have for mine. infact will the concept of a country even make any sense to his life. I believe me in that situation would just want peace to return, schools and colleges to reopen and jobs to be present irrespective of what u want to call the place i live in. and hence the fight for the land's status seems worthless to me.

This infact sometimes make me think that does the concept of a country have any sense other than just a mean to simply the governing of a place (is the concept of state in india)... isnt it just the peace which ever one of us wants... would each one of us be a different person if we lived in country XYZ which had a similar conditions as the place we actually lived in?? this makes me remember those golden inspiring lines from John Lenon again

"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one "

Thursday, September 24, 2009

WE 22

This post has been long awaited, but it really needs an occasion to be out.

There have been hours, days and months before we all have met again. May be I can say we fear to be there again. We first met some one and a half year ago. We were so naïve, so immature. We didn’t knew what all this thing meant in our life, but somewhere in us was that desired dream we wanted to fulfill though we had never realized it before. And then there was this leader. He was neither an Alexander nor a Hitler. He was not born of his ambition. He was truly a simple man. A man who wanted his peers and subordinates to be happy and he strived hard for it.

Today when we all meet I don’t know why we become so emotional. May be I guess I have never been so emotional ever in my life, but I can feel that the best part of my life I had was here. We where each striving hard, hard to fulfill his own selfish dreams, but somewhere in that fight was entangled dream of our team mate and we where considerate enough that he was one not to be left alone. This was first time in our life we got a big opportunity, we had the support, we had the people, we had the budget all we had to think was for a better future, a bigger dream and an apt way to achieve it.

Under that apt guidance and the perfect team support we strived hard, and it actually does not matter how January went by, we knew that in February there was a satisfaction in all, the commander as well as the soldiers. We had delivered something, something which we don’t know how the world would judge but something we know the team of 22 was sure to appreciate. Man suffers from the greatest weakness that he wants more but this was something that we achieved that we know was the result of our continuous hard work, and even though there was scope of more we would never crib of that.

I had always cribbed for a better team spirit, but can there be a better team than one who cares for other’s dream? Months later down the lane I realize how wrong I am and how much connected we are, not in our thoughts but in those 9 months we shared and the effect that it has in our future life.

Yes we achieved it, we achieved our dreams, and we left a mark with Prayaas, iNexus, solar robotics, grandest Exhibitions, grand infra and multiple Techx and a fest as a whole. And though there are still people around us to curse us I don’t believe that it can move or hurt us till WE 22 believes in each other.

I guess this is the biggest learning and experience I got from those months of my life when someone achieved so much either academically or co curricularly. And the biggest satisfaction I have today is neither me nor any of my team member regrets doing it.

We are those 22, we where those 22 and we will be those 22. We are TEAM TECHFEST 2K9.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Wasteful Trial of Ajmal Kasab

What u would be definitely reading nowadays in the newspaper is the court room trial of the Ajmal Kasab for his role in the November 2008 Mumbai Attack, the worst ever terror attack on Indian soil. There have been statements in the press by several people siting it as a litmus test for Indian judiciary and so on. But whats disturbing the most to me is that why are the Indian Courts which have cases pending for last 10 years even entertaining such cases. What does India want to show by trailing him in court. Whose human rights are we protecting.

Does anyone has even a bit of doubt that Kasab was not involved in this massacre? Whatever has to be extracted out of him has been done by the Indian Police. He is sure not to speak any new in courts. Infact whats happening in court is that he is extending the hearing by accusing police of applying force on him. Why do we need to entertain persons demand. The case has to be dispose do off the first day. Kill the person as soon as possible. Infact the case shouldn't have come up in the courts only.

We should learn from History. If we don't remember the old one learn from recent past. Maulana Masood Azhar, u must have heard this name. He is the very person responsible for the birth of Jaish-e-Mohammad, the most dreaded militant outfit in Kashmir and one responsible for Parliament Attack in 2001. This same person was caught by Indian Police and was in Jammu Jail from 1994. And yeah it was for the same person IC 814 was hijacked from Nepal on its way to Delhi and grounded in Kandhar in 1999. Was there enough good left in the person to let him live from 1994 to 1999? Whose human rights where we protecting in not shooting that person point blank. There was no doubt in 1994 also that he was a ruthless mercenary. Then why where we waiting for his trail and judgment. A life then would have saved thousand till now. The other person in jail released in that hijack was Omar Sheikh one who funded the 9/11 attack.

The Human Rights seems here to be the greatest enemy. I cant even digest Afzal Guru being hanged? Why is Arundhati Roy so interested in him being alive? Does human rights activist strive for some cheap publicity by taking up such useless issues and hurting the country?

The court room trial of Kasab instills fear in me of other Hijack in future. Surely he in person is not a harm to India but the people connected with him surely are. I guess some times its more wise to keep Human Rights at side and act boldly.

KILL THAT A**HOLE ASAP infact any terrorist caught....

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

First Blog From Room 272

Hey Friends... Hope u are in the best of your health and times..

This thing blogging had fascinated my through long however never actually got that push to make one of my own. May be i can say as the saying goes, " Hardest thing to do is to begin." So finally don't know why it has to be today but yes i have made a blog of my own.

I had always wanted to share a lot of things of my life. Techfest made this urge bigger with a learning a new thing everyday and facing odds every moment. I guess you will see most of things either related to Navrachana, IIT Bombay or Techfest here. After all these are there best things that have ever happened in my life.

However I right now realize that these days my life is full of submissions, projects, assignments and test. And the three things I mentioned surely requires or i may say deserves lot more time to talk about. So for this first blog of mine I will like to just stop after giving a brief introduction of myself.

I guess most of you reading this would be knowing me. Still for those who don't this is Vaibhav Desai here. Born at 00:05 hours of 14th September 1987 to Hema Desai and Bankim Desai, I spent my childhood at Vadodara. My whole schooling was in Navrachana, one of the most prestigious and reputed school in Gujarat, which was the first best thing which ever happened to me. And I really thank my mom and dad for sending me to Navarachana. Then it was just a mere chance that I sat through JEE 2006 and landed at this wonderland IIT Bombay taking up Civil Engineering Btech as my major. The Second best thing of my life. I joined the Techfest family in early March of 2008 and experienced the third best thing of my life.

As of today my manager year of Techfest is over however the things i gained from these three things i went through are still there shaping my life and making life enjoyable. Living in this small room 272 in Hostel 3 of IIT Bombay whose dimensions extend to infinty right now i am eager for my 6th semester to get over.

Finally before finishing my first blog which i thought would be small ( I never had idea i would be able to write so much of English at one strecth ) I want you to know that one thing most important in my life is my love of laughter. i love to laugh. There is a child in my which is always upto some mischeif. He wishes to see the whole world in a smiple peaceful and happy manner. I wish to spend whole my life submitting to the demands of this child in me.

Bye friends. Keep visiting this blog. The next of the blog will be coming up soon.