Random Thoughts

Another Election...A different Result....so many things changed in the last 18 months and yet so many remained exactly the same! Amid the din of the fireworks and the razzle dazzle of the "secular" victory in Bihar and before that in Delhi the soul of a nation was sold. The sound bites that came out during the campaign from all parties (including the government)  and the narrative that continues afterwards are shameful to say the least. More so now because the elite and literary "creamy" layer has joined hands with the regionally threatened politician for the sake of self preservation. Ask these self professed guardians of freedom - "What do you want?" and they will struggle to pin down an accurate answer. But ask them "What don't you want?" and the answer unerringly will be "Modi". The 2014 Voter Mandate, Economic Development, Social Mobility and National Interest has nothing to do with the agenda of these pseudo secular warri...

Cowboy westerns have always held an allure for me growing up. The sight of a person astride a steed; making their own rules as they lead their vagabond life was strangely magnetic. The rugged backdrop, the unambiguous contrast between good and bad and the primitive charms of red Indians made westerns a good balance of entertainment and intrigue for a young boy. When we contemplated our spring break this year we knew it would be a road trip. We were torn between the californian coast or the the south western states. Familiarity with the former and the mystic of the latter coupled with an exciting trip that our friends had undertaken recently led us to the southwest. The next 5 days were pure magic! We started our south western adventure with a short flight to Phoenix. The cacti and red rocks gave us a glimpse of what lay ahead. We drove from Phoenix to the village of Grand Canyon. We had seen the magnificent sight eight years earlier; but were determined to do more this time. We hit the...

The "fault line" is never at fault for the earthquake. It is and should be unapologetic because the earthquake was caused by the molten mess underneath. "Charlie Hebdo" is a fault line where two worlds collided. It represents the spot where disaffected energy and misguided faith in the name of religion took on unrepentant desire to provoke in the name of free speech. It's where "Je Suis Charlie" met "My Name is Khan". The price paid by the journalists and the action of the 2 criminals was unpardonable without a doubt but what of the reaction from the surviving fraternity of Charlie Hebdo. What about their response? Was that warranted? That one response has given an entire generation fresh fuel to hate!  I was not surprised by the cover of the latest Charlie Hebdo issue. At least they are consistent to their core principles. Only problem is that in the name of free speech their core principles are at odds with a majority of folks that are eith...