Why I envy delhiites ;-)

Check out the rate of fuel in Delhi. Hi Speed Diesel just 30 bucks!!!! Bloody Hell. I pay around 37 bucks out here!!!! :((

This blog is now rated as NC17 :P

Till few months back, my blog was rated PG- R. Now after that rather 'sexy' post, the rating has changed. :D

Adnan killing - TV Channels are the murderers

A few days back when this Adnan abduction thing broke out on TV channels, everyone went into the hyperactive mode. One of the TV channels in detail explained what steps police would like to take now, including tracking the last place of the call that came from Adnan’s mobile number which now was switched off. They even explained how police would be doing this. This made me wonder, what if Adnan’s abductors were viewing this news? Won’t they get to know what’s happening on Police’s end? Won’t they then plan out their next step accordingly?

Next day Adnan was murdered. It was later revealed that the abductors panicked when they saw the TV news reports & felt that crime branch would close up on them soon and so killed him. Thereafter, all news channels have been talking about different murder theories linked with effects of social networking sites to influence of crime/murder related plots in serials & movies. But for me, TV channels are equally responsible for Adnan’s murder. To increase their TRP ratings, sensationalize issues, all these channels have lost basic sensitivities. Had they shown a bit of restrained news related to the kidnapping, perhaps Adnan could have been saved. Even if the kidnapping news was leaked by cops, TV channels should have realized what impact it could have created had they aired the entire police strategy verbatim. What was really sad for me as a viewer was to see even NDTV India fall for it. Till this news, I used to rank it the only sane channel left in the other so called Hindi news channels.

Battle at Kruger

Came across this news in Delhi TOI. Those of you who have not seen this video, this 8 minute clipping is the best wildlife video ever shot and that too by an amateur who just happened to be testing out his new handycam.

Taken from a vehicle on the opposite side of a watering hole, the video begins with the herd of buffalo approaching the water, unaware of the lions resting nearby. The lions charge and disperse the herd, picking off a young buffalo and unintentionally knocking it into the water while attempting to make a kill. While the lions try to drag the buffalo out of the water, it is grabbed by a pair of crocodiles, who fight for it before giving up and leaving it to the lions. The lions sit down and prepare to eat, but are quickly surrounded by the reorganized buffalo, who move in and begin charging and kicking at the lions. After a battle which includes one lion being tossed into the air, the baby buffalo (which is miraculously still alive) escapes into the herd. The emboldened buffalo chase the remainder of the lions away.

Dumbledore’s Army & Rang De Basanti

As I was watching the latest Harry Potter flick, I couldn’t help but draw similarities a few key scenes in the movie had that with the current scenario we are facing in our education system. The movie opens with the resent day scenario that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry is facing. The Ministry of Magic – more of a governing body, is influencing & trying to make inroads into the way Hogwarts had been running so far. Intentional ignorance displayed by Ministry of Magic headed by Cornelius Fudge takes over reasoning of Albus Dumbledore. The Ministry’s growing influence can be seen as they manage to appoint a new teacher - Dolores Umbridge in Hogwarts. Parroting what Ministry has always believed in (that Lord Voldemort has not returned) she starts influencing the student community much to their discomfort. Though appointed as a defense against the dark arts teacher, she rather believes in giving theoretical lessons rather than practical as like her ministry, she believes that the text book curriculum would be sufficient for the students who are made to live in a make believe world sans Lord Voldermort. However Harry Potter, the rebel amongst the students is not happy and when he protests, he gets punished. But to practically prepare students against the dark lord, he starts an underground organization called as Dumbledore’s Army. This organization prepares the students, secretly to tackle against the evil forces.

Compare this with the times in which we live today. The growing ‘controversial’ intervention of Ministry of Magic – which in our case is the HRD Ministry, can be seen in all spheres of education these days. Right from conflicting views on sex education in books to different interpretations of religious scriptures, the list goes on. The Ministry’s plan to ‘plant’ their own directors in IIMs by releasing a recruitment ad in leading new dailies for the post is so Hogwarts like scenario. Imagine if the Ministry succeeds in their latest plan to have a controlling say in IIMs. The directors appointed by Ministry would obviously come with a predefined propaganda which would besides other things include a say on the implementation of increased quota system – a pet ‘project’ of HRD Ministry. Already the Ministry’s plan is getting stiff resistance from our modern day Dumbledore’s Army – the students, who have united to make themselves heard. But sadly, unlike Harry & his band, they don’t have much of ‘magical’ powers to resist against the dark forces of the Ministry. Whatever resistances the students have tried to put have got crushed down by the powerful forces controlled by the Ministry alliances (read police). It wouldn’t be too long when a few from these Dumbledore’s Army would go underground and do a ‘Rang De Basanti’ on the dark forces from the Ministry. Will it solve the purpose? Probably no, but it would rattle the Ministry enough to think twice before venturing out with their vicious plans.