Hindu Chini Bye Bye!!

Nowhere is man freer than on the field of battle, where it is a matter of life and death, wrote Leo Tolstoy. One way of determining people’s morality is by observing their reactions during a crisis. And brave Indian soldiers showed just that during that fateful night of Jun 15^th (which just happened to be President Xi’s 67^th birthday) when they were outnumbered by 3 to 1 and showed the courage that is expected of a soldier.

Relations between India and China have never been comfortable since the unprovoked attack by them in 1962. The root cause of the problem at that time was the boundary and today after sixty odd years, it’s still the boundary issue.

China’s ambitious to become world’s top most power is no secret. India is not only its neighbor but also someone that can, in future challenge its hegemony. China domesticated Pakistan and some other India’s neighbor, who can be used to keep India’s global ambitions in check. A weaker India will do less strategically in its own neighborhood and will engage less in places like Africa & Middle East or in regional institutions, posing little challenge to China’s influence.

This is just a view of an ordinary Indian and I am sure there are larger implications here, but India shouldn’t care about China’s sensitivity to issues like Tibet, Hong Kong & South China Sea and take a firm stand. India should accept China’s rise, instead of questioning it and then recognize the challenge they are facing. India always wanted to have a cordial relation with China, starting from Rabindranath Tagore’s visit in 1924 to the most recent visit by PM Modi. But China never normalized the relationships nor resolved the border issues. It’s time for India’s foreign policy planners to understand that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – World is ONE BIG FAMILY, doesn’t apply to someone whose sole purpose is to grow at your expense.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-china-lac-border-20-armymen-killed-galwan-valley-6471415/

Lucky Lefties

What do - Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Aristotle, Julius Caesar and Charles Darwin, Paul McCartney, Ratan Tata, five of the seven most recent US presidents, four of the five designers of the Apple Mac and most importantly, Rajnikant, have in common? Well, besides being brilliant, successful and lucky (as per New Jersey based right-handed, Viki Shah) they all have one common trait…they are all left handed!!

Left-handed or lefty as we call them in Asian societies, tend to be more privileged than righty, besides having a bigger right side of the brain which helps them when it comes to spatial awareness and mental representations of objects (don’t ask what it means – copy pasted from indy100.com, dated Jun 19 2017) they also have their own day to celebrates (Lefty day – Aug 13^th). Lefty politicians tend to get more votes, they are always fortunate with the umpiring decisions in gully (street) cricket and with ‘activities’ that require left hand. They are the lucky few who can use a mouse and write in a notebook at the same time.

Besides being blessed and shrewd and successful and lucky (did I already mention it!!), they are also attention hoggers. For every time someone passes by a lefty, ‘Oh, you’re a lefty!’ is in order!!

I have always felt that God has been biased against the right handed mortals. And it’s not only me who thinks lefties are fortunate. The Incas believed lefties have special spiritual powers. In Buddhism, the Left Hand Path is associated with a quest for spiritual freedom.

So, all you lucky lefties out there – stop complaining about awkward handshakes, the scissors or the flush being on the ‘wrong’ side of the toilet. Left-handed are in minority but they did, and will always have the upper hand.

Thank You, America!!

 

It was 1987 and fall was on the horizon for the US east coast. An Indian guy was walking back to home from a bar. He was attacked by a group of people. He died four days later. It was a hate crime carried over by a group call Dotbusters - the name a reference to the bindi worn by Hindu women on their foreheads. They wrote a hand written letter to the local newspaper, “We will go to any extreme to get Indians to move out of Jersey City.”*

Times are different now in the United States. A lot has happened since that fateful night of 1987. Today close to 15% of Jersey City’s population is made up of Indian Americans. There is a greater visibility now of Indians on American streets, and also of Indian food and culture. Indian-Americans have the highest median income of any ethnic group in the United States. The bindi isn’t the bulls-eye anymore. But bigotry still raises its awful head. Be it an innocent patron being killed at a bar or an attack on a person wearing a turban. Recent political events have led to Immigrants being painted as job snatchers, drug peddlers & criminals. But the truth is immigrants are moms and dads, honor students and college graduates, they are the entrepreneurs and leaders of the Fortune 500 corporations. They are the future of the United States of America.

I know for sure, the recent unsettling events are limited to politics because the fabric of this great land is tightly woven with love and respect for each other. Believe me, I’m not pretending that America is flawless but even with her paltry shortcomings, we are so privileged to live in such a great land. This thanksgiving, I want to thank this land for giving me and many more like me, an opportunity to purse ‘success’- whatever that ‘success’ might be, in a fair, open, friendly and respectful surrounding.

* "Indians in America" by Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, Mar 15th 2017

Maska Hai Maska ... Ekdum Jhakaas!!

There are actors who are defined by the era and there are actors who define an era. Sure Bombay film industry has its Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bacchan & Aamir Khan, but there is this one actor who has created his own legacy. He is the one who successfully transitioned from being the favourite of Gen X to the millennials. His walk is confident, his face expressive, his body hairy and his performances intense…Anil Kapoor. He is an actor who has managed to make a career out of reinventing himself in order to evolve with the trends to not only keep himself relevant, but dominate amongst the new generation.

He started his career in early 80's. In his first decade in the industry he played everything from a street thug in a comedy (Chameli Ki Shaadi) to an idealistic lawyer in a courtroom drama (Meri Jung). From an obedient son (Saaheb) to the lover boy (Janbaaz). This movies cemented his status as a talented actor. While most debut actors of the time developed an image, and leveraged that same image into as many films as possible, Anil was never satisfied doing the same thing repeatedly.

He is constantly heralded as being one of Bollywood's most adaptable actors. His touted versatility became more pronounced as his career advanced. From playing supporting role to Salman (Biwi No. 1) to teaming up with Nana as a sleazy gangster (Welcome). Viewers love him when he plays an old patriarch of a dysfunctional family (Dil Dhadakne Do) to an unmarried half Brit-half Punjabi uncle (Mubarakan).

As an ardent fan of Anil Kapoor, Lamhe & Tezaab will always be his crowning glory. I think his most impressive achievement is to be relevant throughout his career. His is one career where we can confidently say…Maska Hai Maska ... Ekdum Jhakaas!!