Miley sur mera tumhara- Magic recreated?

I think “Miley Sur mera Tumhara” was a superb effort for peace and harmony initiative undertaken years back in India. I grew p watching the video and still remember the lyrics in different vernacular languages.

Years later we see the magic again with new music directors, new actors, new video but with the same objective- to spread the message of peace, unity and harmony. I appreciate the initiative and salute the spirit of unity .The actors/artists spared time from their busy schedules to be a part of the prestigious video. Icons like Dr Abdul Kalaam and Sachin Tendulkar not being a part of the video, arouses controversies.

Well we must understand that this video was an effort to shrink the borders of the nations. If this contracts controversies, then what’s the point of taking such initiative? Agreed, they were missed out…but does this justify a reason to ban the video? This portrays a negative picture of the nation for all apparent reasons. There must have been unknown constraints. If this is the reason for which the video is getting negative publicity ten I think Common man should have been filmed instead of the known icons cum artists. Because it’s the common man who lives and goes through the rough patches of life. It’s the common man who needs to know the importance of the message. Missing somebody in the video makes more sense than getting into a controversy against a cause as noble as “Miley sur mera tumhara”

As far as the music is concerned, I vote for the old one…I mean the original version. It was much beyond melody. I’d like to say it was closer to heart. The new one has been given a good cinematography, however fails to recreate the same ripples of magic(Like Lata ji did in the original version-Remember “Sur ki nadiyan, har disha se” ?)
Mastero Bhimsen Joshi Ji was riveting and so was the presence of Ustad Zakhir Hussain and Pundit Ravi Sahnkar. The new video looks more of a remix. Original one was easy to comprehend in terms of music (The high and low tones). Shankar Ehsaan Loy have iven their best yet I prefer to hear the original ravishing one.

Every effort to bring in peace and love is a step towards better India, united India. The song is known to all Indians like our national Anthem. I salute the togetherness and the glorious years of ‘Miley sur’ post independence.

Formation of Indian Constitution:RE-PUBLIC

Feels good to breathe in independant air! Feels good to see an independant country! While 15th August saw the independance day for India,26th January empowered the country with its own constitution.Great achievement yeah? But have we made good use of this power given to us? More often the power has been misused or lets say has not been realised to its full potential. When the country has the power to choose its own leaders and Goverment , then why do we fail to see the promises being kept each year?We talk of economic growth and increase in the gross domestic income, why do we forget the illetracy and poverty trailing at more than 33% ?

Ofcourse there has been a substantial growth in the disposable income of the average Indian family .Agreed there has been a considerable rise in the education level.Yet the power we have has not helped us to achieve this dream for every Indian Family.Probably thats the reason that every now and then we see rebels demanding a separate state.Those who have been staying below poverty lines,have not seen electricity or schools in their villages,are frustrated with the lifestyles.And we call this a lifestyle! wow! hats off to the republic country.

As a citizen of this country,among the first three changes I would like to see in the constitution are these:

-Invest in the rural places and develop the basic amenities of lives. Atleast free health and hospitals to begin with. I appreciate the efforts taken by times of India ,the “Teach India” campaign which encourages the youth and veterans to spare few hours for the underprivileged. I wish that these kinds of initiatives should be taken on a larger scale by the government and provide free education to the ones who have never seen or known books/schools.

-A friend of mine from Muscat once said to me ” A country is known by the roads it has” .Definitely I feel the same.Besides concentrating only in the metro cities,our Government should take a look at the roads and infrastructure of three tier cities and rural /small towns.This not only provides employment but also encourages investment from private firms.I hope our UP chief minister shifts her focus from building her own statues to better things which needs her attention.

-Our judicial system should work faster so that its doesnt take a decade’s time to solve a case so evident and strong yet making the victime feel helpless.Thosands cases lie pending.While the ones reopened stirred the air for some time .However justice delyaed is justice denied as correctly said.To Name a few-Jessica Lal, Ruchika,Vikas Yadav, Sanjeev Nanda or the Mumbai attacks 2008,Bhopal Carbide gas plant are few names which have seen decades pass away before they got justice or are still awaiting justice. I wish I had a magic wand that did not need to go through the tedious judiciary jigsaw puzzle and depend on the evidences so clear yet not “adequate”…..

Happy republic day to all …..

Jan 28,2010

26/11- Race against time

26/11- The naked truth of Valor and Shame

Hemant Karkare, Chief of Mumbai ATS, Ashok Kamte, IPS officer Additional Commissioner of Police, and Vijay Salaskar , encounter specialist & Senior Police Inspector ,are the three most remembered names of the black Wednesday ,in the History of Indian terror attacks on Mumbai 26/11/08 who laid their lives for the country . Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Hawaldar Gajendra Singh were the brave hearts of the NSG force who set a remarkable example posthumous for the one who serve the nation. This is an ode to the brave soldiers and their families for the sacrifices and impeccable valor.

I pray for those who lost their lives in this cruel incident and wish for the well being of their families.26/11 marked a shameful day in the milestones of the Indian History which pointed the weakness and flaws in the Indian “System”. 26/11/09 will be the first anniversary of the same day and the trials are still going on despite the clear CCTV footages and hundreds of witnesses.

A handful of terrorists (10 in number) went on a rampage killing people ruthlessly at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident,the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe ,Cama Hospital, the Nariman House, the Metro Cinema,St. Xavier’s College. There was an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai’s port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle. The terrorists opened fire at the CST which claimed more than 50 people and left hundreds injured. It took Maharashtra Govt. more than 10 hours to communicate & bring in the NSG forces into Mumbai. By the time the commandoes took charge, most of the damage had been done.

Taj heritage hotel was damaged to a great extend including the main building burnt and the dome damaged. CST was vandalized. One bomb explosion took place at the Oberoi Trident and six at Taj. People inside Nariman House were tortured and murdered. Most of them were NRI’s. By 27/11 rest of the places in Mumbai were under control; however people were taken hostage inside The Taj and the killing game continued till 28/11.
The terrorists seemed to know the internal map of the Taj well hence taking advantage of their geographical position. Hostages were asked to switch off their cell phones and a number of them shot dead. Smoke, gunshots, blood, bullet marks, burnt buildings and crying faces was all which could be seen and heard as the aftermath of the D –Day.

My heart goes out to those who lost their precious lives. For those who were rescued or spared alive by the terrorists, their memories are still haunted by the horrendous day. The kilns of the deceased , shed tears silently even today, thinking of the bullets which hit them or the blasts which blew them alive.

People paid a heavy price with their lives, for the flaws which the Government had overlooked. The coastal areas are now under scrutiny since the terrorists had arrived from Karachi in a boat contacting their master planners continuously.

What had happened to the interception and Coastal Security then??
When the fishermen who raised an alarm, informed the police while the gunmen arrived, the police turned a deaf ear to the suspicions. An immediate action could have saved Mumbai that day.
Was the most alert Police team sleeping?
Hemant Karkare lost his life since he was not given a bullet proof jacket. He was shot dead on the spot.
Why wasn’t he facilitated with this amenity?

When the situation was out of control and needed to be given to NSG forces, it took 10 long hours for them to arrive from Delhi to Mumbai. It was here realized that NSG hub should be set up in major cities too.
The CCTV footage clearly showed the faces of Terror. Among them Ajmal Kasb was the only one caught alive. Shamefully, even Pakistan denied his Pakistani nationality. What has been the Government been waiting for? Long after Pakistan accepted the claims of his Pakistani Origin, our Indian Government is still in the process of winding up the trials!! The Taj and Oberoi are sill under repair constructions and NSG hubs have been setup since then in other major cities including Bangalore & Kolkata. Politicians were condemned for the blame game they passed on instead of ensuring the safety and well being of the sufferers and survivors. Lives lost cannot be brought back however we can make an effort to build this country a better place to live in.

MNS chiefs- hope you understand. There are better things to cope up with than taking a so called stand for Marathi Culture. An infant doesn’t arrive with a culture tag n this world. It’s we who teach him. Our prime culture should be to speak up for the common man and not make his life misery. Its our responsibility to see weather the authorities stick to their promises or not. In action of the inability to do so, we may use the democratic power to resolve the issue.

26/11 will remain a scar in the face of India and the politicians. Lessons learnt should help in future to combat terrorism.

Nov 24,2009