An Era of Shame

India - the nation known for its age old culture and traditions, is now being called as the "land of rapes"..

Source: news.oneindia.in

A couple of days ago, when the media was holding discussions about the "gun culture" in the United States of America, did any person speak or even think about the pitiful situation in our motherland.?
In the country where people worship goddesses such as Kali, Lakshmi, Parvati, Saraswati and many more on festivals, women are no longer respected and considered below men in all respects..

Call it the war of sexes or proving superiority in the society dominated by men, India has reached the pinnacle of shame..
Women in our country are sexually harassed, tortured, beaten and even burnt alive in some extreme cases..
What is the reason for all this.? Why are people turning into beasts.?

According to reports-

(Source: http://www.legallyindia.com/1114-in-india-a-rape-is-committed-every-54-minutes)

1.  A Rape is committed every 54 minutes;
2.  Molestation every 26 minutes;
3.  Kidnapping or abduction every 43 minutes;
4.  Eve-teasing every 51 minutes;
5.  Dowry death every 1 hour 42 minutes;
6.  Criminal offense against women every 7 minutes.

It is not surprising as to why parents fear having a girl child as she might have to face a tough time in future.. In a country where someone who bring life into existence is not respected, nothing more can be expected..

Eve-teasing is now a thing of the past and perverts have begun to manhandle the fairer sex.. While other crimes like murders, burglary, kidnapping, extortion, etc are increasing at an alarming rate, rape cases have gained more limelight than other forms of crime.. Another surprising fact is that since 2007, about 20 people accused of rape have been given party tickets to contest in state elections.. What a shame..!!

Source: postnoon.com

We have earlier talked about increasing unemployment that has forced people to indulge in criminal activities.. But what is the reason behind increasing rape cases in India.? One among the many reasons for this is the blooming porn industry that the people have easy access to.. Most teenagers cultivate the habit of watching adult websites under peer pressure and due to increasing curiosity about physical relations with the opposite sex.. These websites should be blocked as soon as possible.. Making stringent laws to prevent such occurrences, is an entirely different thing..

For those who feel that "provocative clothing" is responsible for increasing rape cases in India, its time for a reality check..
Do you think that a 2 year old girl wears provocative clothing.? What about the 63 year old woman who was raped at her home in Delhi.? Was she wearing revealing clothes.? And what do you have to say about the incidents of rape that have been reported in rural parts of India.? Do they wear provocative clothes.?

The recent Delhi rape case shook the entire nation.. The 23 year old victim (or rather a Fighter) who remains to be in critical condition as I write this post, was manhandled by 6 men in a bus.. Her male friend who was with her at the time of the incident was also attacked and both of them were thrown out of the vehicle.. Today, women are scared of stepping out of their homes at any hour of the day in their own city.. their own country.. Isn't this humiliating enough.?

This is not the only case.. There has been an incident where a son raped her mother, a father raped her 18 month old daughter and another where a brother, along with his friends seduced her 5 year old sister and them raped her.. The line between human and animal has been crossed time and again but judicial action is still awaited.. In most cases, rapists either get bail or no evidences are found against them.. When the bill to increase salaries of parliament members could take just 2 days to pass, why can another bill about safety of women be passed.?

When people took on to the roads of the capital city in peaceful protest of the incident, they had to face the brutality of police forces who hit the crowd with sticks and used water cannons against them.. When the citizens pay tax on time, don't they have the right to ask for security.? Why do politicians forget the promises that they made at the time of campaigning.? A top business person or a celebrity or a politician enjoys the highest level of security and the Aam AAdmi (Common man) fights for his basic rights in the country, ruled by the might of billionaires..

People will keep fighting for justice and politicians will continue to form committees and organizing meeting to solve the problem.. But, at the end of the day nothing is done and we, the people move on and the past is forgotten in the light of another tragedy..

Does Apple miss Daddy.?

Apple Inc. - The American electronics manufacturer famous for its innovations and offensively priced gadgets continues to make huge profits on its latest baby-the iPhone 5 in spite of multiple glitches and countless consumer complaints..

It might not sound good but the truth is that the tech giant is slowly losing its hold in the global market..

Facing stiff competition from arch rival Samsung and other mobile manufacturers such as Nokia and SONY, the company is likely to make profits only because it is an "Apple" rather than because of  the features it offers..

On 5th October, 2011 Apple lost its daddy, Steve Jobs..

This is probably the reason for its downfall.. Although there has been no decrease in profits, its latest offerings lack the X-factor that the pre-Steve products had..

The recent launch of the iPhone 5 made it clear that Apple misses its Daddy..

In fact, the latest series of events involving Apple's patent issues with Samsung and replacement of Google maps with its native application have shown how insecure the company has become..

I refer to Steve Jobs as the daddy of Apple because it was him who had earlier revived the company and brought it out of a financial crisis.. His will power and innovation gave the United States a new hope in the Smartphone market..

The launch of the iPhone in 2007 sent out a clear message to rivals that mobile phones could be made without buttons too..

This paved way to massive phones with extremely large touch screens.. Steve Jobs was responsible for the revolution..

photo: bgr.com

In addition, he created a music oriented device - iPod; A larger phone having computer like capabilities - iPad; A laptop as thin as a smartphone without compromising on performance - MacBook Air..

But these innovations reached a saturation point after the demise of the co-founder..

The latest presentation headed by the new CEO Tim Cook saw the launch of iPhone 5 and the new range of iPods.. None of these products promised anything new and Apple-like..

Moreover, the new smartphone faced stiff criticism over the heavily flawed maps application and lackluster design..

The features are old and other manufacturers had incorporated them in their devices about an year ago..

Steve Jobs would have never launched such a flawed and boring product..

Apple has never appealed to the India buyers thanks to its crazy pricing allowing it to compete with two-wheelers, which is ridiculous..

Apple-the company that made people think if their second kidney is important, lacks the WOW-factor now..

What will make people buy the new range of products largely depends of its pricing and marketing strategies.. However, it is unlikely that Apple will have a person like Steve Jobs in the near future..

Nienawidzę pożegnań

We are always taught to be independent..

However, human is a social animal and this can never happen..(at least not with me)

Our dislike towards 'farewell' only reminds us of our intricate mutual dependence. Not even the strongest man on the planet can live alone.

Wherever you are, however the situation is, you always want someone to be with you.. understand you.. appreciate you.. Today's youth needs acceptance, which they get neither from their parents nor lecturers.

Life had lost its purpose.. People around him were only a bunch of back-stabbers.. The ones who were very close had begun to avoid him.. 'Friends' was a word only in the virtual world of Facebook.. 

But life changes for a reason.. This person who had been rejected everywhere had been accepted by someone..

This life-less soul got to know many things which he never knew about himself.. Life had finally begun to untangle itself..

Could one person actually change him.??

Could he/she teach him what life is.??

Could he/she teach him how to love.??

YES.!!! YES.!!! That person did it..

Something people had been trying to decode since a decade was accomplished within 20 days..

The gears were shifting at an unmatched speed.. He did not know how to react but still enjoyed the change as it came..

However there was fear of detachment.. But as they say, "the show must go on".

Some people enter your life as a breeze and cause a tornado..
This guy was introduced to one such person..

And the events that followed were destined to occur..

The friendly interactions.. The fun they had.. The naughty jokes..

These events were intense and as every beginning has an ending, it had to end some day..(Although this guy never wanted that day to come)

One thing in life that hurts more than anything is bidding farewell to a person with whom you are very attached..

All the memories appeared as a flash-back..

The good thing about a camera is that it can capture moments.. The bad thing- it cannot capture human emotions..

As the finale came closer, there was nervousness.. a sense of insecurity.. But on the contrary there was also happiness of spending time with an amazing human being.. And being a part of their life..

This was indeed not an end but the beginning of a new chapter in life.. His favourite chapter.!!!

Someone he had met a fortnight ago, had become a 'special one'..

The day came sooner than he had had expected..

All the time that he had spent with the 'special one' flashed before his moist eyes..

He was angry with the creator.. And asked- "why do people get attached.?"... "why aren't all the people as good as the 'special one'.?"... "why does time fly so fast.?"...

Although he knew that he would not get an answer, he still made an attempt but it went in vain..

He was scared.. Scared of what would happen when they were apart.. Whether he would be able to successfully control his emotions..

Though the answers were not given, he managed to figure out the kind of impact it had on life..

The 'special one' once said, "Everything happens for good."

The type of adventure associated with the Good-bye made it further special..

It could prove only one thing- A person can go to any extent for his/her loved ones.. And given the fact that it was the final 'real' interaction, even the impossible could be made possible..

And then, it was over.. A tight hug followed by flooding of the tear glands..

And they bid farewell with a promise of keeping in touch till their last breath..

A miserable feeling of loneliness engulfed him.. The world appeared colorless.. The cruel world was awaiting him.. But then, he thanked Mr. Zukerberg for the wonderful creation called Facebook..

Life is cruel at times.. One has to learn to move on..

People come and people go but the memories associated with some 'special ones' stay with us forever..

"You never leave someone behind, you take a part of them with you and leave a part of yourself along"..

Is Internet Censorship Curbing Freedom of Expression.?

Internet is a tool which can link up people around the world..
It made possible for us to communicate with people from the other side of the world..
Social Networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Orkut have brought about a revolutionary change in the way we communicate today..
It is a digital medium to share ideas, pictures, videos.. Practically everything..!!
Blogs, however cannot be considered as a part of Social Networking, but is surely a great way to share your life on a global platform..

So, when internet is such a good thing, why are governments of various countries planning to censor it.???
This topic has long been debated..
Some want only the social networking websites to be censored whereas a few others want to keep a check on search engines like Google and Yahoo..
Countries like China, Bangladesh and Pakistan have already banned Facebook because of public display of inappropriate content(pertaining to religion, defamation or nudity)..


When this proposal was made in India, it attracted huge criticism from users..
They did not want a third-party to moderate their personal content..(which was very right indeed)
Websites, however decided to comply with the terms and conditions given my the government..(well, did they have any option.?)
Twitter came up with a country-wise filtering technique..
Blogspot, run by Google Inc. will now filter the blogs..
Facebook has removed all objectionable content..


What made the Government do this.?
Well.. The problem was with the users/consumers of this resource..
Internet was made for a good cause of imparting/sharing knowledge.. A new and easy platform for long distance communication..
People misused this public forum..!!

Today, there are hundreds of hate-pages on social networking websites.. Thousands of morphed images of celebrities.. And millions of pornographic websites..
Shouldn't the government clean this first.?(Oh.. then how will the ministers watch obscene videos in state assemblies, in case they are bored.?)
Why should search engine results be refined.?
This probably cannot happen because of their sophisticated algorithm..(here is the algorithm)


Is offensive content the only reason behind censorship.?
Why are websites that are serving anti-government and similar information being chosen for censorship.?
Does the government want to polish its image.?
Is this an attempt to silence the critics.?
Is it time we realize our duties as a citizen.?
Is India on the verge of becoming another China.?
Many questions to be answered....

Examinations...

"Examination"..!!
The most terrifying period for any student in the world..
Trembling hands, pounding heart, sleepless nights are all side-effects of this..
This is the time when all the budding Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers, Scientists..everyone gets indulged in something they hate the most- studying(i refer to 95% of the total student population)..

In India, 'examination' has been considered as the 2nd most feared thing after death..
Well.. With the kind of education system we have, developing a phobia for exams cannot be ridiculed..


The history of examinations in India dates back to the Ramayana period when Lord Rama and his brothers had to undergo tests..
However the printed form was introduced in 1818 at Schrewsburg, London..
With the introduction of many new subjects in the 2nd and 3rd quadrant of the 19th century, examinations got tougher to crack and lost their radical purpose- to test the thinking capability and knowledge of an individual..
With a drastic increase in the number of students appearing, examinations became a method of elimination..
And to pass the examination, students began to get into cheap tactics such as 'copying'..


This gave birth to the "number game" .. marks.. percentages.. jobs.. money..
Undoubtedly, this was a reason of great concern..
Few thought that ending their life could be a great way to get rid of this misery..
Statistics reveal that 6500(average between 2001 & 2010) students commit suicide every year in India due to poor academic performances and fear of not meeting their parents' expectations..
"Colleges are like old-age homes, except for the fact that more people die in colleges"

Several nations have brought about reforms in their education system..
Needless to say, Indian ministers were too lazy(or busy) to do anything of this sort..(managing huge amounts of black money is never an easy job either)..


"Exams are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer"..
This quote by Charles Caleb Colton, perfectly matches the current examination scenario in India...
In the coming years, we can only hope that the examination system changes for the betterment of students..

Un-screwing your life....

"A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life"

We all have read or heard this quote by James Allen, but have we actually understood it.?

And if someone says he/she did, have they followed it.?

The events in your life and the decisions you make design the course of your life..

It all comes down to the creativity of your mind..

Your mind creates events, which may or may not happen..

There might be no reality associated with it..

Your mind creates a virtual world around you, a work of your imagination..

Here are a few tips which will prevent you from screwing up your life...

• Don't worry about your personality: 'personality' is a concept invented by your mind..
  Personality is a word for the impression that you give through words.. You have a unique 'personality'..
  The good or bad personality actually never exists in reality..
  It is just a comparison with someone the person feels compatible with.. Personality has no universal definition.!!!
• Don't be concerned that your life isn't going as planned: the closer you stick to a plan, the quicker you will go away..
  The world constantly changes.. Your analysis of the situation  during the creation of the plan would be of no use a few days or months later..
  If you are desperate to have a plan, keep making amendments according to the current scenario..
• Stop being concerned about what others say about you: events or people are simply events or people.. They can't make you anything(neither good nor bad)..
  You are the only one having control over your life..
  Whatever emotions arise in you are a result of an external stimulus.. They are powerless unless you decide to get carried away by them..
• Stop feeling guilty: guilt changes nothing..
  It might make you feel that you are claiming responsibility, but it can't produce anything new in your life..
  If you feel guilty about something you've done, change it or accept that you have screwed up..
  Do you have any other option.?
  And if you are guilty about what someone else did, you are insane.. Consult a psychiatrist.!!
• Stop criticizing yourself: stop judging yourself based on your deeds.. It will only make you feel worse..
  Whatever you do, someone else will always do better..
  It makes no point in comparing yourself with others..
  There are people better than you and also worse than you..
  Accept this fact.!!
  Judging others is foolish since you cannot know all the facts and cannot create a reliable scale..
• Stop expecting: its human tendency to expect things from people close to them..And often it all ends up in disappointment..Others fail to meet your expectation and its you who suffers from the mental trauma..
  
  Follow these tips and you will never face a 'depression' or that phase of 'ultimate sadness' in your life..

26/11: The Day Mumbai Stood Still...!!!

On 26th November, 2008 an international terrorist group send 10 terrorists to India's biggest City and commercial capital, Mumbai..
Their mission was to kill and kill indiscriminately..

They split into groups and went to the most popular locations in the city..
The first was Leopold Cafe, a tourist spot..
The cafe was bombed followed by endless firing till everyone was dead..

VST, a railway station was their second target..
The duo fired mercilessly at innocents.. Ajmal Kasab was one of them.. Parents were killed before their children.. Husbands before their wives..
There was blood all around and cries of helplessness..
The policemen deployed by Railway Security there had no option than to run away considering the fact that their only weapons were obsolete rifles and pistols, which were in no comparison with the terrorists' assault rifles...

The Trident Oberoi, which is among the best hotels in the country was not spared too..
The Taj Palace & tower was soon followed up with..
They began killing anybody in their sight..
Nariman Point, a Jewish centre was their next destination..
Innocent people were killed on the name of God.. To attain salvation.. To die as a martyr and not as a common man..

10 armed men took over the entire city in a few minutes..
The terror continued for about 3 days..
This incident shook the entire world..
170 were killed and over 300 injured in this attack..
This was not an attack on India or Mumbai.. This was an attack on humanity..

Could this have been averted.?
India had Intelligence reports of an attack of this scale in advance, but they did not bother to alert any security agency..
No additional security was deployed at Airports or Railway terminals..


Is our police force well trained to handle these kind of attacks..?
Is the weaponry enough against assault rifles and AK47's..?
Are the politicians too self-obsessed that they don't care for the common man..?
When will public be given enough security.?
When will the agencies get over the "chalta hai yaar" attitude.?



Its 2011.. Three years since the attack.. And our terrorist guest still enjoys a life of luxury..
Does the Indian custom of "atithi devo bhava"(the guest is god) being followed in case of a National criminal too.?
16 crore INR has been spent on him so far..
Will he ever be hanged.?
Will the victims get justice.?
Is India waiting for another incident to happen.?

Many questions to be answered..


The pain remains deep in every Indian's heart.. Thoughts and prayers to all those who lost a loved one..

The Indian Democracy..!!!

Democracy is the form of government in which people are governed by their own elected representatives..
It is a government of the people, for the people and by the people.. In this system, it is the people who are supreme.. They control the government..

Democracy depends on the following conditions: co-existence of ideas and of parties; right to free discussion..

Speaking of the world's largest democracy, INDIA..
Our democracy is a government by and for the "rich and influential"..
This group which comprises of businessmen and politicians make up for less than 5% of India's population..
They make rules.. Amend them.. Abolish them.. And no one dares to question them, afraid of the consequences..


The representatives elected by the people, who were supposed to act as a bridge between social thought and political decision, remain busy fighting among themselves..
They are only interested in coming to power.. A path to extreme corruption..
In this form of government, where people are considered to be the supreme authority, one-fourth of the population goes to bed empty stomach.. Millions are below the poverty line..

Our democracy has given us 6 Fundamental Rights:

• Right to equality
• Right to freedom of speech and expression
• Right against exploitation
• Right to freedom of religion and freedom to reside in any part of India
• Cultural and educational rights
• Right to constitutional remedies for enforcement of Fundamental Rights

Now, coming to reality..

Equality is something that is completely lost.. Discrimination on basis of caste and religion..

You cannot speak against anything wrong that you've seen or heard.. And in case you do, be prepared to face the consequences(which might include filing of false law-suits against you, black-mailing or in extreme cases killing)..

The poor are always victims of exploitation(physical or mental) by the rich..

Educational rights exist only on books.. Education is only for those who can afford it contrary to the policy of "education for all"..

These Rights apply only to those who can influence the government..

Justice isn't delivered to the common man.. But bails are granted to those who are involved in frauds amounting to 8000 crore INR..

Now, speaking about the conditions of democracy..

Ideas never co-exist between any two political parties..

Discussion would be an obsolete word in the Parliament, which should soon be replaced by shouting and abusing(and also beating)..

Indian Democracy is a myth..!!!!

Love..!!

Love is an emotion of strong affection and attachment..
It can be towards your parents, relatives, friends or partner..


Love or pyaar(in Hindi), refers to a variety of different feelings, states, ranging from pleasure to interpersonal attraction.. It may also refer to the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love..
According to me, love cannot be defined, it can only be expressed..
Love is the language of actions..


Every religious scripture has a mention of 'love'..
Love towards mankind.. Love for everything in the world..
Love has its references in Greek mythology(Aphrodite, the Goddess of love)..
But do we follow these principles.? I'm afraid, we don't.!


Unfortunately, our film industry has misinterpreted 'love'..
The films we watch show love as a mere attraction between opposite sex(or now, the same sex)..
Passionate kisses, love making has become the only way of showing affection..
It introduced a concept of 'Love at first sight'..
And the crowd followed it..
Earlier, it was the trust and understanding which was the foundation of a relationship..
Honestly speaking, today's love is filmy.. Inspired by romantic flicks..
Sometimes, it also gets impractical and humorous..


Love in the 21st century has become 'accessible'..
If you are looking for a partner(not the relationship material, though), join a social networking website.. Send friend requests to anyone.. And when they accept the request, start flirting..
And to make things worse, there are 'Love finder' websites, which guarantees you a girl friend/boy friend in 3 months or your money will be refunded..
Well.. The youth is so desperate to have a partner and these websites do exactly what's required- provide a medium..
Today's love is tainted..!!
Hence, the word 'break up' came into existence..


If you've read Romeo-Juliet or the Indian Heer-Ranjha, it is evident that there is no reference to a temporary 'break up' and then a 'patch up'..
That was true love, the purity of which is unmatched..

Love is something that happens by itself..
You don't have to force it upon someone..
And if you break up, its only because the partner was not compatible with you..


Every relationship starts with being 'just friends' and then things just happen regardless of the consequences.. Eventually, if the two are compatible it turns out to be a happy ending.. And if they are not, 'love' is blamed for..
Love is pure.. The people involved may not be..


Sadly, 'Love' was wrongly understood by the mortals..
Love is more than just affection..
I don't say that its magical and musical like you've seen in many movies, but its definitely an amazing feeling when you have that special person in your life and you are sure that he/she will never leave you..

Criticism..

Criticism is the judgement of the merits and demerits of someone or something..

But unfortunately, it has got a different meaning in the 21st century..

Technically speaking, to criticize does not necessarily mean to find faults..

Today, the word is taken to mean the simple expression of disapproval..

'Insult' would be a more appropriate word in this context..

Dale Carnegie said, "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding".

Books, movies, television shows, automobiles, people..

In-fact, everything is criticized..

In other words, criticism is just a person's perspective about something..

Things start getting ugly when this 'perspective' is adopted by others.. Or rather, publicized in such a creative way that others grasp it..

I feel that every person has a personal opinion on things and that shouldn't be changed..

Let me give an example..

Do you watch a movie which is given low ratings by a critic.?

You would say a 'no' unless you are a die hard fan of the actor/actress..

The funny thing is that people absorb the negative part of the criticism without actually watching the movie..

You could actually like the movie.. But do you give a try.?

Well, the futile human mind takes anything that is fed into it..

Criticism among the members of the same species in nothing new to us..

I refer to humans here as they are they only ones capable of indulging in this pointless activity..

A person speaks, which is misunderstood in a different context by the other and it is then spread like wild fire..

People are not understood, they are assumed..

Thanks to the man's talent of spreading rumours, you are portrayed as a completely different individual to the world..

Completely different from who you are..

It is said that Criticism is a step to success..

Absolutely true..!!

When others are busy assuming who you are, you can do wonders being 'yourself'.. The real 'you'..!!!

Sometimes being different from the crowd or having an 'out of the box' thinking might push you into the web of criticism..

Emmet Fox said, "Criticism is an indirect form of self-boasting".

The problem arises when you start taking this criticism too seriously..

Some go into depression while the over-sensitive lot end up giving their lives..

This is a social issue and everyone has to face it..

India's constitution has given its citizens too much freedom, I believe..

Having a right to speak does not include the right to insult..

I wish, people were more sensible to understand this..

The Indian Education System..

According to a popular website, 'Education' is an act or experience that has a formative effect on mind, character or physical ability of an individual..
Does this apply in India.?


The world respects Albert Einstein, Issac Newton and many scientists because of their out of the box thinking and innovative approach to the simple things in life..
My question is, where exactly is India's Einstein or Steve Jobs or Bill Gates.?
I find it difficult to answer this but I am pretty sure that the problem lies in the system..


The nature of our education system inhibits our attempts at being creative thinkers as it is basically memory oriented..
We have only theory without any context to it..
The process is to memorize our way to glory in the run up to the board exams..
Memory is necessary to survive in the competitive global environment but too much of it blocks the creative urge within our system..


Our education system is so rigid and binding that it pushes us into one narrow path with no way back once we are inside it..
We are fed text from the books with no scope of questioning why and what it is all about..
On the contrary, the American system provides flexibility with the courses unlike the Indian system..
The subjects are forced onto us here..
Why does a Computer Science Engineer have to learn 3D drawing of a solid object.?
Why is C language programming taught to a Mechanical Engineer..?
Why do we have to learn the postulates of a theory that has failed.?


The English system we adopted never changed from the days of British rule in India..
Other nations have made vital amendments looking at the global market..
Are the authorities so lazy or are they scared to bring about a change.? Wish I had an answer..


And in India, we have the world class IITs, but whether they are innovation driven is a different question..
I also find it amusing to know why none of them are world beaters at the innovative game..
According to a survey by "times higher education", India's no. 1 institution IIT bombay ranks 317 on a global level..
There were 5 criteria taken into consideration, namely teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook..


Innovation is producing a new concept and revolutionizing it..
Most of the IItian's are in prominent positions working under some big bosses but not necessarily produce Nobel Prize winning innovations..


Education should be about acquiring and application of skills and not just memorizing formulae and derivations..
The focus should be on skills since it is the key to adapt to various scenarios..
The Indian system has its own advantages in terms of enhancing our mental storage, but that alone does not help in today's world..


Our education system needs to be redefined to focus on the areas of exploration and creativity..!!

The Roadies Experience...

Roadies or more precisely MTV HERO ROADIES..

The television show, Indian youth is crazy about..

Every year thousands participate in the auditions out of which only 18-20 are selected..

The rest, try their luck next year..

This Year(2011), Hyderabad was chosen as an audition city..

And being a fan of this show, I decided to give it a try..

This is the 9th edition of Roadies, which certainly makes it more difficult.. The events get more uncertain..

I never wanted to be a part of the Roadies journey, but something pulled me to the auditions.. I wanted to experience the madness..

Wanted to be a part of it..!!

The form was filled and on the morning of 11th October, I was all set to face it.. I was well aware of the fact that this could change my life.. I could get abused on National television..
But that was secondary.. This act of 'time pass', could backfire.. I had already made up my mind and could not back off at the last moment..


I reached the venue at 8am..
To my surprise, there were only 300-400 participants..
Well.. This is not Delhi or Chandigarh, where participants come to the venue before sunrise.. Now, that is CRAZY.!!!
The atmosphere was electrifying.. The energy was amazing..
People from all over India had come to try their luck..
There were people who had come all the way from Chandigarh and Jammu to give their audition..
There were 2000 participants at the venue by 10:30am..

We were escorted into an auditorium where the proceedings took place..
The trio, Raghu Ram, Rajeev Laxman and Rannvijay Singh would be there soon..
The participants were excited waiting to see the stars on the stage..

Meanwhile, there were dance performances by the participants as the DJ played latest tracks..
The girls took the limelight(as expected)..
The anchor was brilliant.. I never got bored sitting there..
The energy was at an another level, which cannot be explained in words..

Then came the moment, we all were waiting for..
The twins along with Rannvijay came on the stage at 12:45pm..
The crowd swung with joy.. The participants stood on the seats just to get a glimpse.. There were flashes and only flashes..
That moment can never be forgotten..!!!
When people you admire are just 30 odd feet from you..
Amazing feeling...!!

After a brief interaction with the Roadie aspirants, they made an exit..
For the next 5 minutes I could not believe that the person(Rajeev Laxman) I had spoken with on the phone was really on the stage..


Soon, the next group was called for the Group Discussion round..
I was a part of it(Outlaw No. M-1474)..
There were mixed feelings.. I wanted to crack the GD but was scared to face the trio at the personal interview..
I was prepared to speak on several topics.. But as we all know, on Roadies, nothing happens as expected, the topic which the group was given was completely different from what I had anticipated..
Nevertheless, it went well.. Our moderator was quite friendly and  above all, a Punjabi.!!
I was short-listed for the PI.. My video was made by the Roadies Crew, which would be shown to the other moderators and Raghu Ram before making the list of finalists for the Personal Interview..


I was not selected..
Probably because I did not have a large personality as most of the other participants had.. Or they felt that I was not as confident as others..


What ever be the outcome, this day cannot be forgotten for a life time..
The fun I had with friends.. The different people I met.. The way I handled a new topic at the GD..
A whole new experience.!!


And yeah, I'll try again next year.!

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