A howlarious e-mail sent by my friend, Luke de Noronha, immediately after Sachin scored his double ton had me in splits, and I just had to share it with all of you!
Thanks Luke, for letting me do so!
How would Management appraise Sachin Tendulkar's performance?
Sachin Tendulkar: 200 Runs, 147 Balls, 25x4, 3x6
Agree you have done well……BUT
25 x 4s = 100
3 x 6s = 18
It implies that you have done 118 runs in 28 balls
And
12 x 2s = 24
58 x 1s = 58
It means you have done all 200 runs in only 98 balls
So you have wasted 147-98 = 49 balls
Considering only 1 run scored on each of these balls you could have earned 49 valuable runs for our team
Manager’s Comment: You Met Expectations and NOT EXCEEDED (though anyone else of our team could not do it) and your Grade is C
Training Recommendations: Learn how to STEAL singles
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Congrats Sachin, but I wanted more!
Words fail me when I want to congratulate possibly the best overall batsman (and a good but under-utilised bowler) in world cricket today!
On the way to a meeting, listening to the commentary on AIR, I was rooting for Sachin to complete his double century and create a new world record. And when he eventually did, I stopped the car to clap, whistle and do a little jig right there, at the junction of Hiranandani and Kailas Complex, Powai.
But I must confess that I was a tad disappointed! Not much, just a miniscule - I think the disappointment was somewhere in the range of 2.96 parts per trillion.
Because when he had reached 186 in the 43rd over, and runs were coming in torrents, my expectations had increased.
I wanted him to then take more of the strike and score 230.
Because, that would have then been the world record for the highest score in any recognised form of one day international cricket.
Beating Belinda Clark's 229*, for Australia v/s Denmark in the Women's World Cup in Dec 1997; which was incidentally scored at Sachin's home ground - MIG, Mumbai!
That's the problem about this genius. The more he does, the more we fans expect. But really, he does not disappoint us, does he!
Congrats once again, Little Master!
On the way to a meeting, listening to the commentary on AIR, I was rooting for Sachin to complete his double century and create a new world record. And when he eventually did, I stopped the car to clap, whistle and do a little jig right there, at the junction of Hiranandani and Kailas Complex, Powai.
But I must confess that I was a tad disappointed! Not much, just a miniscule - I think the disappointment was somewhere in the range of 2.96 parts per trillion.
Because when he had reached 186 in the 43rd over, and runs were coming in torrents, my expectations had increased.
I wanted him to then take more of the strike and score 230.
Because, that would have then been the world record for the highest score in any recognised form of one day international cricket.
Beating Belinda Clark's 229*, for Australia v/s Denmark in the Women's World Cup in Dec 1997; which was incidentally scored at Sachin's home ground - MIG, Mumbai!
That's the problem about this genius. The more he does, the more we fans expect. But really, he does not disappoint us, does he!
Congrats once again, Little Master!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Qur'an on Embryology
During the course of an online discussion last week, a non-Muslim acquaintance made a sweeping statement about the Qur’an needing to be updated. While I immediately corrected him about making a statement without having read it or knowing about it, it set me thinking.
So, from this post onwards, I’ll try for every alternate post on the Qur’an for a while. And at the end of a few posts, I’ll let him decide.
So, RD, this is for you!
In one of my earlier posts (July 09), I had written about the water cycle. In that, I had mentioned that I would write about human embryology later. So, let’s start with that.
In approximately 610 A.D., the first verse of the Qur’an was revealed. And it says-
Iqra/ bi-ismi rabbika allathee khalaqa. Khalaqa al-insana min AAalaqin
Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created. Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. (Qur’an 96:1-2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
The word ‘alaq’ in Arabic has multiple meanings. One of them is a drop of congealed blood. Another meaning is something that clings – a leech-like substance.
Describes the state of the foetus in the first two weeks very succintly, doesn't it?
There is another verse, which says-
Inna khalaqna al-insana min nutfatin amshajin nabtaleehi fajaAAalnahu sameeAAan baseeran.
Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight. (Qur’an 76:2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Mingled? Now what’s that?
Possibility one – we know that the zygote is formed from the mingling of the sperm with the egg. And most people even in the ancient times knew this. So what’s new?
But consider the word – mingled sperm. Sperm. Not mingled liquids, but mingled sperm.
Only in the past half a century or so, with advances in medical research and the invention of powerful microscopes, do we know that the semen doesn't just contain sperm, but fluids secreted by several glands during ejaculation.
During the sexual act, semen travels from the epididymis through the vas deferens, where it picks up a fluid rich in fructose - a sugary substance that acts a bit like rocket fuel. Other fluids kick in along the way to the urethra, from the prostate gland, the Cowper's glands and the seminal vesicles - each one having a role to play.
The finished product contains approximately just 10% sperm. The rest consists of enzymes, vitamin C, calcium, protein, sodium, zinc, citric acid and fructose sugar.
It gets more interesting.
Khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin thumma jaAAala minha zawjaha waanzala lakum mina al-anAAami thamaniyata azwajin yakhluqukum fee butooni ommahatikum khalqan min baAAdi khalqin fee thulumatin thalathin thalikumu Allahu rabbukum lahu almulku la ilaha illa huwa faanna tusrafoona.
He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)? (Qur’an 39:6; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Three veils of darkness.
Modern studies in embryology have proved that the foetus in the womb is covered first by the anterior abdominal wall of the mother, the uterine wall and then the amnio-chorionic membrane.
Let’s look at a couple more verses before I end.
Walaqad khalaqna al-insana min sulalatin min teenin. Thumma jaAAalnahu nutfatan fee qararin makeenin. Thumma khalaqna alnnutfata AAalaqatan fakhalaqna alAAalaqata mudghatan fakhalaqna almudghata AAithaman fakasawna alAAithama lahman thumma ansha/nahu khalqan akhara fatabaraka Allahu ahsanu alkhaliqeena.
Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay). Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed. Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create! (Qur’an 23:12-14; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
4 stages clearly mentioned: Alaqah (leech-like) - which is how the foetus implants itself in the uterus; then a mudghah (lump) – which is really how it looks after a couple of weeks of absorbing nutrients; then flesh and bones – which starts from about week four onwards; and then finally the birth.
Falyanthuri al-insanu mimma khuliqa. Khuliqa min ma-in dafiqin. Yakhruju min bayni alssulbi waalttara-ibi.
Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs (Qur’an 86:5-7; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Let me copy from Dr. Zakir Naik on this - In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e. the testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the ovaries stop in the pelvis while the testicles continue their descent before birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal canal. Even in the adult after the descent of the reproductive organ, these organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal Aorta, which is in the area between the backbone (spinal column) and the ribs. Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same area.
There are many more verses, but not many people read long posts (or even long news articles) nowadays. Hence, in reader interest, let me stop here with two thoughts that I leave behind.
How could an unlettered – illiterate – person living in the desert of Arabia could have known all this?
More importantly, if this book, revealed between approx. 610-633 A.D., contains such verses that are in perfect harmony with modern medical science, does it need to be updated, or does our knowledge of it needs to be improved?
More on Cosmology in the next post, Insha Allah. Till then, just think about this!
(References: The Qur’an; ‘The Bible, The Qur’an and Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille; The Qur’an and Modern Science by Dr. Zakir Naik; The Qur’an, Knowledge and Science by A. Abdallah; www.thesite.org)
So, from this post onwards, I’ll try for every alternate post on the Qur’an for a while. And at the end of a few posts, I’ll let him decide.
So, RD, this is for you!
In one of my earlier posts (July 09), I had written about the water cycle. In that, I had mentioned that I would write about human embryology later. So, let’s start with that.
In approximately 610 A.D., the first verse of the Qur’an was revealed. And it says-
Iqra/ bi-ismi rabbika allathee khalaqa. Khalaqa al-insana min AAalaqin
Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created. Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. (Qur’an 96:1-2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
The word ‘alaq’ in Arabic has multiple meanings. One of them is a drop of congealed blood. Another meaning is something that clings – a leech-like substance.
Describes the state of the foetus in the first two weeks very succintly, doesn't it?
There is another verse, which says-
Inna khalaqna al-insana min nutfatin amshajin nabtaleehi fajaAAalnahu sameeAAan baseeran.
Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight. (Qur’an 76:2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Mingled? Now what’s that?
Possibility one – we know that the zygote is formed from the mingling of the sperm with the egg. And most people even in the ancient times knew this. So what’s new?
But consider the word – mingled sperm. Sperm. Not mingled liquids, but mingled sperm.
Only in the past half a century or so, with advances in medical research and the invention of powerful microscopes, do we know that the semen doesn't just contain sperm, but fluids secreted by several glands during ejaculation.
During the sexual act, semen travels from the epididymis through the vas deferens, where it picks up a fluid rich in fructose - a sugary substance that acts a bit like rocket fuel. Other fluids kick in along the way to the urethra, from the prostate gland, the Cowper's glands and the seminal vesicles - each one having a role to play.
The finished product contains approximately just 10% sperm. The rest consists of enzymes, vitamin C, calcium, protein, sodium, zinc, citric acid and fructose sugar.
It gets more interesting.
Khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin thumma jaAAala minha zawjaha waanzala lakum mina al-anAAami thamaniyata azwajin yakhluqukum fee butooni ommahatikum khalqan min baAAdi khalqin fee thulumatin thalathin thalikumu Allahu rabbukum lahu almulku la ilaha illa huwa faanna tusrafoona.
He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)? (Qur’an 39:6; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Three veils of darkness.
Modern studies in embryology have proved that the foetus in the womb is covered first by the anterior abdominal wall of the mother, the uterine wall and then the amnio-chorionic membrane.
Let’s look at a couple more verses before I end.
Walaqad khalaqna al-insana min sulalatin min teenin. Thumma jaAAalnahu nutfatan fee qararin makeenin. Thumma khalaqna alnnutfata AAalaqatan fakhalaqna alAAalaqata mudghatan fakhalaqna almudghata AAithaman fakasawna alAAithama lahman thumma ansha/nahu khalqan akhara fatabaraka Allahu ahsanu alkhaliqeena.
Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay). Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed. Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create! (Qur’an 23:12-14; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
4 stages clearly mentioned: Alaqah (leech-like) - which is how the foetus implants itself in the uterus; then a mudghah (lump) – which is really how it looks after a couple of weeks of absorbing nutrients; then flesh and bones – which starts from about week four onwards; and then finally the birth.
Falyanthuri al-insanu mimma khuliqa. Khuliqa min ma-in dafiqin. Yakhruju min bayni alssulbi waalttara-ibi.
Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs (Qur’an 86:5-7; Translation by Yusuf Ali)
Let me copy from Dr. Zakir Naik on this - In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e. the testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the ovaries stop in the pelvis while the testicles continue their descent before birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal canal. Even in the adult after the descent of the reproductive organ, these organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal Aorta, which is in the area between the backbone (spinal column) and the ribs. Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same area.
There are many more verses, but not many people read long posts (or even long news articles) nowadays. Hence, in reader interest, let me stop here with two thoughts that I leave behind.
How could an unlettered – illiterate – person living in the desert of Arabia could have known all this?
More importantly, if this book, revealed between approx. 610-633 A.D., contains such verses that are in perfect harmony with modern medical science, does it need to be updated, or does our knowledge of it needs to be improved?
More on Cosmology in the next post, Insha Allah. Till then, just think about this!
(References: The Qur’an; ‘The Bible, The Qur’an and Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille; The Qur’an and Modern Science by Dr. Zakir Naik; The Qur’an, Knowledge and Science by A. Abdallah; www.thesite.org)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Justice
Two thoughts about our judicial system have been swirling in my mind for a few years now. The incidents that happened in the past one week - the Haveliwala drunken driving, and the Rathore stabbing - make me pen my thoughts down.
Before putting down my thoughts, let me categorically state that there is no intent or attempt at contempt of court, just my personal thoughts on our judicial system.
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied:
This oft’ used phrase never rung truer to me than when I had lodged a case regarding payment made for purchasing a house which I did not get possession of. I lodged the case in court in 2000, and had nothing but ‘taareekh’ (dates) till 2007. Except for once when I went to court and the Honourable Judge just saw my face; neither the builders nor I even had to go to court once till we went together to withdraw the case. The builders were honest fellows who had gone bankrupt, and when they recovered sufficiently, they themselves called and returned my money.
But just consider - if there was not a single hearing in a clear open-and-shut case for seven long years; had the builders not been honest, would I have ever got my money back?
The 1992/93 riot cases, the 1993 blast case are all still somewhere in some ‘fast-track’ court, while the main accused are all roaming scot-free! Someone who was caught red-handed by the army – no less - has won elections and become a minister, getting protection from the same policemen who were supposed to arrest him. And I don’t think anyone even remembers about the status on the 1984 police strike cases!
I’m not sure whether the student who stabbed Rathore was mentally unsound or not, but see the circumstances – 19 years!!!!
Certain cases like the Jessica Lal case, or the Ruchika case, catch our attention due to the media coverage they have got, but just consider this – as many as 3.14 CRORE cases are pending in Indian courts (as on June 2009), possibly in many of which the defendents or the complainants have passed away waiting for justice!
In our Quest to be Just, are we being Unfair:
To my mind, the Qasab case, the Haveliwala drunken driving case, the Salman Khan accident case are all open-and-shut cases. More than enough proof, enough witnesses, and yet, the police has to sew up every thread.
Why do the police have to check out Nooria’s driving record in the US? And how does it make a difference whether there was 457 mg of alcohol in her blood or 45.7 mg. Isn’t it enough that she was drunk and driving? And even assuming for a moment that the alcohol content was within limits, the fact is that she ran over two people. Enough witnesses, clear proofs to support it. Why does the case have to involve sub-cases of in-camera proceedings, media involvement et al? (There’s something else that I’d like to ask her father. Alcohol is haraam in Islam; have you done your duty as a good Muslim father? But that’s another story altogether!)
Why is the Qasab case going through so many twists and turns? The man has massacred innocents on camera – and we’re getting more twists in his case than in an Ekta Kapoor soap!
Why does the onus of proving and re-proving guilt ‘beyond doubt’ even in clear cases like the two above, have to fall on the prosecution? Why do the accused get the benefit of the rarest of doubts, even in cases – and some have been mentioned on court records by some honourable judges – when the honourable judge believes that the person is guilty?
Is it our endeavour to not let a single innocent be proved guilty, even if some guilty people go off scot free? Or is it our endeavour to show to ourselves and the world that we deliver absolute justice?
In both these cases, is it not that we are being over-benevolent to the accused at the cost of traumatising the complainant or the victim? In this case, are we not being unjust really to the victims?
Is it therefore, any surprise that criminals cock a snoop at the legal system?
Are these the reasons for ‘encounters’?
Methinks sometimes that the old days of the rajas that we read about were better – one hearing, clear discussions, quick decisions.
Maybe in a rare case, some innocents may be pronounced guilty (although I would trust our judiciary that such a thing would not happen). But isn’t that a chance worth taking to ensure that justice is not only served, but delivered on time?
Because, at the present moment, for sure, in our quest to be just, we are just being unfair!
(P.S. In case you have liked my post and would like to share it with your friends, I’ve made it easy for you by adding some links at the bottom of each post. Please feel free to just click and share it with others.)
Before putting down my thoughts, let me categorically state that there is no intent or attempt at contempt of court, just my personal thoughts on our judicial system.
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied:
This oft’ used phrase never rung truer to me than when I had lodged a case regarding payment made for purchasing a house which I did not get possession of. I lodged the case in court in 2000, and had nothing but ‘taareekh’ (dates) till 2007. Except for once when I went to court and the Honourable Judge just saw my face; neither the builders nor I even had to go to court once till we went together to withdraw the case. The builders were honest fellows who had gone bankrupt, and when they recovered sufficiently, they themselves called and returned my money.
But just consider - if there was not a single hearing in a clear open-and-shut case for seven long years; had the builders not been honest, would I have ever got my money back?
The 1992/93 riot cases, the 1993 blast case are all still somewhere in some ‘fast-track’ court, while the main accused are all roaming scot-free! Someone who was caught red-handed by the army – no less - has won elections and become a minister, getting protection from the same policemen who were supposed to arrest him. And I don’t think anyone even remembers about the status on the 1984 police strike cases!
I’m not sure whether the student who stabbed Rathore was mentally unsound or not, but see the circumstances – 19 years!!!!
Certain cases like the Jessica Lal case, or the Ruchika case, catch our attention due to the media coverage they have got, but just consider this – as many as 3.14 CRORE cases are pending in Indian courts (as on June 2009), possibly in many of which the defendents or the complainants have passed away waiting for justice!
In our Quest to be Just, are we being Unfair:
To my mind, the Qasab case, the Haveliwala drunken driving case, the Salman Khan accident case are all open-and-shut cases. More than enough proof, enough witnesses, and yet, the police has to sew up every thread.
Why do the police have to check out Nooria’s driving record in the US? And how does it make a difference whether there was 457 mg of alcohol in her blood or 45.7 mg. Isn’t it enough that she was drunk and driving? And even assuming for a moment that the alcohol content was within limits, the fact is that she ran over two people. Enough witnesses, clear proofs to support it. Why does the case have to involve sub-cases of in-camera proceedings, media involvement et al? (There’s something else that I’d like to ask her father. Alcohol is haraam in Islam; have you done your duty as a good Muslim father? But that’s another story altogether!)
Why is the Qasab case going through so many twists and turns? The man has massacred innocents on camera – and we’re getting more twists in his case than in an Ekta Kapoor soap!
Why does the onus of proving and re-proving guilt ‘beyond doubt’ even in clear cases like the two above, have to fall on the prosecution? Why do the accused get the benefit of the rarest of doubts, even in cases – and some have been mentioned on court records by some honourable judges – when the honourable judge believes that the person is guilty?
Is it our endeavour to not let a single innocent be proved guilty, even if some guilty people go off scot free? Or is it our endeavour to show to ourselves and the world that we deliver absolute justice?
In both these cases, is it not that we are being over-benevolent to the accused at the cost of traumatising the complainant or the victim? In this case, are we not being unjust really to the victims?
Is it therefore, any surprise that criminals cock a snoop at the legal system?
Are these the reasons for ‘encounters’?
Methinks sometimes that the old days of the rajas that we read about were better – one hearing, clear discussions, quick decisions.
Maybe in a rare case, some innocents may be pronounced guilty (although I would trust our judiciary that such a thing would not happen). But isn’t that a chance worth taking to ensure that justice is not only served, but delivered on time?
Because, at the present moment, for sure, in our quest to be just, we are just being unfair!
(P.S. In case you have liked my post and would like to share it with your friends, I’ve made it easy for you by adding some links at the bottom of each post. Please feel free to just click and share it with others.)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Happy Republic Day
Hi everyone, and a Very Happy Republic Day to you.
Or let me put it another way – A Very Happy one of two days in the year when we remember that our flag is the Tricolour.
Because all other days, I see all kinds of flags – of various hues, shapes, sizes, designs – I see everything but the tricolour!
Every day, when I stop at the Suman Nagar signal, I see three tall poles – one with a saffron flag, one with a blue flag, and one with a blue, saffron, green and white flag.
Walk down Govandi, and you will see flags with a star between the crescent moon.
Certain areas in the city are dotted with green flags, certain others with green and saffron ones.
Flags with lotuses, flags with elephants, flags with palms, flags with moon and star.
And God forbid if anyone even dares to touch or desecrate any of those flags – there would be a riot!
People would be killed, houses would be burnt, children would be orphaned, all for those flags!
As for the tricolour, watch out for the municipal sweepers cleaning the streets on Jan 27 and Aug 16!
Happy Republic Day!
Or let me put it another way – A Very Happy one of two days in the year when we remember that our flag is the Tricolour.
Because all other days, I see all kinds of flags – of various hues, shapes, sizes, designs – I see everything but the tricolour!
Every day, when I stop at the Suman Nagar signal, I see three tall poles – one with a saffron flag, one with a blue flag, and one with a blue, saffron, green and white flag.
Walk down Govandi, and you will see flags with a star between the crescent moon.
Certain areas in the city are dotted with green flags, certain others with green and saffron ones.
Flags with lotuses, flags with elephants, flags with palms, flags with moon and star.
And God forbid if anyone even dares to touch or desecrate any of those flags – there would be a riot!
People would be killed, houses would be burnt, children would be orphaned, all for those flags!
As for the tricolour, watch out for the municipal sweepers cleaning the streets on Jan 27 and Aug 16!
Happy Republic Day!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Dreams
“Itni shiddat se tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai
Ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai”
(I have tried with such extreme intensity to get you
that every atom has conspired to make me meet you)
“Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho to saari qaaynaat tumhe usse milane ki koshish me lag jaati hai”
(It is said that if you desire something with all your heart, then the entire universe endeavours to get it for you)
Gosh, translations have a way of taking the entire romance out of a couplet!
Anyway, remember this dialogue by Shahrukh Khan in Om Shanti Om? There are other variations on the same theme. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is possibly one of the best stories on this. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne talks about the Power of Attraction. One could go on and on.
But is it really true? Does wishing for something with all your heart and soul, with all your intensity of desire, really make it happen for you?
We’ve read about amazing success stories which started from such dreams. I’m not talking about long ago, but recent ones – in our lifetime. Microsoft, Google, Apple, Virgin etc. And closer to home, there’s Infosys. (Read Sudha Moorthy’s “How I taught my Grandmother to read and other stories”). Then there’s Reliance!
Ahh, all of them are too big! It took geniuses, it took a few miracles, there was something else also, etc.etc....
Maybe true. Such stories do not happen to everyone.
But then, it could also have something to do with the dream that you have. Let me give the examples of two boys - one the son of a clerk who lost his job in the union strike in the 80s, and the other the son of a taxi driver. Both started off their lives in chawls in Nagpada (Google 'Nagpada' in case it sounds unfamiliar, and I'm sure you know what chawl means.)
Today, the first boy is a CA who is now working as a CFO at an MNC; and the other has his own successful contracting business, and who also runs and virtually single-handedly funds an orphanage for girls.
Which brings me to today's story. Of a boy who was also born and brought up in a chawl in that same area. In a 180 sq.ft. tenement with four toilets to be shared between 20 similar households. He lived in an area where most boys dropped out of school, and the better ones went on to pass their Std.10, and just a handful actually went on to complete their education. His mother was a municipal school teacher. And that allowed him and his two brothers to study for free, as the municipal corporation would pay their fees. He had to come 1st or 2nd in class, so that he would be eligible for scholarships that would help buy books, stationery and uniforms for the next year. Even with that, the brothers would have only only one set of uniform each for the entire school year.
One set of new clothes would come on Eid. And they had to be taken care of for the entire year. Imagine three growing boys starting off the year wearing loose shirts and trousers, which would be so tight-fitting a year later that the stitch had to be altered.
He participated in - and won - elocution competitions, debates, quizzes, but did not get through in athletics; maybe something to do with the diet - or lack of it!
He made a virtue of attending his school parties in school uniform when all classmates were in their best dresses.
When the time came to go to college, the issue was not of fees or books - he knew he would get the scholarship to take care of that - but of what he would wear! But he went through, with clothes borrowed from and shared with his uncle!
Immediately after college, he had to work since scholarships stopped after graduation, and there was not enough money to go in for higher education. His attempts to get into management were thwarted through a series of getting through CATs, GDs and failing in interviews. He did not know why then, but he possibly realizes now.
But amidst all this, he dared to dream!
Dreams which seem small now, but which were unachievable then!
Dreams of a large house ("with a kitchen as big as the house we are staying in, Ammi!"), of a car so that his parents would no longer have to wait for the bus or train in their old age, of enough money so that his wife and children would never lack what he, his mother and his brothers did.
And worked towards realising those dreams.
His mother pledged her Provident Fund, and along with his own savings through the period that he worked after graduation, he got through for post-graduation in Advertising and PR at IIMC, New Delhi. Upon reaching Delhi, he realised that the bank draft that he was carrying with him would take 15 days to encash, while the fees had to be paid in cash within 3 days!
And then, the dreams started coming true!
The universe conspired and endeavoured to get him what he wanted.
A friend of his mother had given him a letter to be delivered to her uncle in Delhi. He had never met this gentleman, they did not know each other, and a mixture of pride and embarrassment would not allow him to seek anyone's help. But somehow, when he went to deliver the letter, this gentleman realised something was amiss, found out the details, and not only paid his fees but also gave him some spare money to tide over till the draft was encashed and he could repay the loan.
That was the first instance!
From an advertising agency, he moved to a media house when it was considered infra dig to do so. Within 3 years, he got ESOPs, which partially helped fund his house!
That was the second instance!
When he tried his hand at a business and was swindled in it, he got a job in the Middle East, which not only helped him recover his losses, but also enabled him to perform Haj - a privilege that most Indian Muslims only keep dreaming about!
That was another!
If I write all the instances where the universe conspired to help this boy who just dared to dream and work towards it, it would take a book!
As my brother likes to say, "Dreams are a manifestation of your inner ambitions. They help you fix the aim / target / destination.....or the intent."
These dreams are the one that you dream in daylight!
So dare to dream - and then don't stop at that. Just go single-mindedly towards achieving your dreams, and the universe will endeavour to help you!
Anyway, what happened to that boy?
He now stays in a house which - as his wife says - is a dream house. The kitchen is not bigger than the tenement he grew up in, but his bathroom is definitely larger than the area that he and his wife used to euphemistically call their "bedroom". He drives a car that none but possibly the top 1% of urban India would drive.
Then, about a little more than a year ago, he stopped dreaming!
And...nothing changed for him.
Nothing at all!
There is no movement.
On the outside, he is reasonably successful, happy, "arrived" - as they say in Mumbai. But internally he realises that the past year could have been much better used. He could have gained much more - more knowledge, more work, more self-fulfillment!
He knows that the realisation has come in time. He's still young! He has started dreaming again - and working towards it.
This is not the 'Happies Endings' yet.
Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!
(Postscript: I wanted to start the New Year with a blog that will hopefully inspire people to dare to dream, think positive and work unwaveringly towards achieving their dreams. Written over 10 days, this post is a culmination of that. Even if it helps one person achieve his/her dreams, that excruciating catharsis that I underwent in penning this would be worth it.)
Ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai”
(I have tried with such extreme intensity to get you
that every atom has conspired to make me meet you)
“Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho to saari qaaynaat tumhe usse milane ki koshish me lag jaati hai”
(It is said that if you desire something with all your heart, then the entire universe endeavours to get it for you)
Gosh, translations have a way of taking the entire romance out of a couplet!
Anyway, remember this dialogue by Shahrukh Khan in Om Shanti Om? There are other variations on the same theme. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is possibly one of the best stories on this. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne talks about the Power of Attraction. One could go on and on.
But is it really true? Does wishing for something with all your heart and soul, with all your intensity of desire, really make it happen for you?
We’ve read about amazing success stories which started from such dreams. I’m not talking about long ago, but recent ones – in our lifetime. Microsoft, Google, Apple, Virgin etc. And closer to home, there’s Infosys. (Read Sudha Moorthy’s “How I taught my Grandmother to read and other stories”). Then there’s Reliance!
Ahh, all of them are too big! It took geniuses, it took a few miracles, there was something else also, etc.etc....
Maybe true. Such stories do not happen to everyone.
But then, it could also have something to do with the dream that you have. Let me give the examples of two boys - one the son of a clerk who lost his job in the union strike in the 80s, and the other the son of a taxi driver. Both started off their lives in chawls in Nagpada (Google 'Nagpada' in case it sounds unfamiliar, and I'm sure you know what chawl means.)
Today, the first boy is a CA who is now working as a CFO at an MNC; and the other has his own successful contracting business, and who also runs and virtually single-handedly funds an orphanage for girls.
Which brings me to today's story. Of a boy who was also born and brought up in a chawl in that same area. In a 180 sq.ft. tenement with four toilets to be shared between 20 similar households. He lived in an area where most boys dropped out of school, and the better ones went on to pass their Std.10, and just a handful actually went on to complete their education. His mother was a municipal school teacher. And that allowed him and his two brothers to study for free, as the municipal corporation would pay their fees. He had to come 1st or 2nd in class, so that he would be eligible for scholarships that would help buy books, stationery and uniforms for the next year. Even with that, the brothers would have only only one set of uniform each for the entire school year.
One set of new clothes would come on Eid. And they had to be taken care of for the entire year. Imagine three growing boys starting off the year wearing loose shirts and trousers, which would be so tight-fitting a year later that the stitch had to be altered.
He participated in - and won - elocution competitions, debates, quizzes, but did not get through in athletics; maybe something to do with the diet - or lack of it!
He made a virtue of attending his school parties in school uniform when all classmates were in their best dresses.
When the time came to go to college, the issue was not of fees or books - he knew he would get the scholarship to take care of that - but of what he would wear! But he went through, with clothes borrowed from and shared with his uncle!
Immediately after college, he had to work since scholarships stopped after graduation, and there was not enough money to go in for higher education. His attempts to get into management were thwarted through a series of getting through CATs, GDs and failing in interviews. He did not know why then, but he possibly realizes now.
But amidst all this, he dared to dream!
Dreams which seem small now, but which were unachievable then!
Dreams of a large house ("with a kitchen as big as the house we are staying in, Ammi!"), of a car so that his parents would no longer have to wait for the bus or train in their old age, of enough money so that his wife and children would never lack what he, his mother and his brothers did.
And worked towards realising those dreams.
His mother pledged her Provident Fund, and along with his own savings through the period that he worked after graduation, he got through for post-graduation in Advertising and PR at IIMC, New Delhi. Upon reaching Delhi, he realised that the bank draft that he was carrying with him would take 15 days to encash, while the fees had to be paid in cash within 3 days!
And then, the dreams started coming true!
The universe conspired and endeavoured to get him what he wanted.
A friend of his mother had given him a letter to be delivered to her uncle in Delhi. He had never met this gentleman, they did not know each other, and a mixture of pride and embarrassment would not allow him to seek anyone's help. But somehow, when he went to deliver the letter, this gentleman realised something was amiss, found out the details, and not only paid his fees but also gave him some spare money to tide over till the draft was encashed and he could repay the loan.
That was the first instance!
From an advertising agency, he moved to a media house when it was considered infra dig to do so. Within 3 years, he got ESOPs, which partially helped fund his house!
That was the second instance!
When he tried his hand at a business and was swindled in it, he got a job in the Middle East, which not only helped him recover his losses, but also enabled him to perform Haj - a privilege that most Indian Muslims only keep dreaming about!
That was another!
If I write all the instances where the universe conspired to help this boy who just dared to dream and work towards it, it would take a book!
As my brother likes to say, "Dreams are a manifestation of your inner ambitions. They help you fix the aim / target / destination.....or the intent."
These dreams are the one that you dream in daylight!
So dare to dream - and then don't stop at that. Just go single-mindedly towards achieving your dreams, and the universe will endeavour to help you!
Anyway, what happened to that boy?
He now stays in a house which - as his wife says - is a dream house. The kitchen is not bigger than the tenement he grew up in, but his bathroom is definitely larger than the area that he and his wife used to euphemistically call their "bedroom". He drives a car that none but possibly the top 1% of urban India would drive.
Then, about a little more than a year ago, he stopped dreaming!
And...nothing changed for him.
Nothing at all!
There is no movement.
On the outside, he is reasonably successful, happy, "arrived" - as they say in Mumbai. But internally he realises that the past year could have been much better used. He could have gained much more - more knowledge, more work, more self-fulfillment!
He knows that the realisation has come in time. He's still young! He has started dreaming again - and working towards it.
This is not the 'Happies Endings' yet.
Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!
(Postscript: I wanted to start the New Year with a blog that will hopefully inspire people to dare to dream, think positive and work unwaveringly towards achieving their dreams. Written over 10 days, this post is a culmination of that. Even if it helps one person achieve his/her dreams, that excruciating catharsis that I underwent in penning this would be worth it.)
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Marathi
We’ve been seeing this major ‘Marathi’ campaign over the past few weeks. Actually, the past few years, but it has intensified over the past few weeks.
I may disagree with the means, but I am in complete agreement with this theory of being able to speak Marathi. Absolutely right!
After all, I firmly believe that you should know the language of the state you live in. Every Keralite speaks Malayalam, every Bengali speaks Bangla, every Andhraite (at least till now) speaks Telugu and so on.
And yet, every time I converse with someone in Marathi, there is a sense of disbelief, bewilderment, amazement, wonder etc.
I am besieged with questions like “How can you speak Marathi so well?”, “Where did you learn to speak such good Marathi?” and the best one – “Aadnaav Kaay?”
This question – I believe – is unique to this part of the Deccan – Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Ahmednagar - “Aadnaav Kaay?” (What’s your surname?)
How does it make a difference? No one every asks a Abdul Rehman Pookutty his surname, no one asks a Akbar Patel or a Ghani Choudhury his surname, but come to our part of the world and speak Marathi, and sure enough, “Aadnaav Kaay?”
Konkani Muslims speak mainly in Konkani, and no one asks this question in Raigad or Satara, but come up North and speak Marathi, and it will crop up!
“Aadnaav Kaay?”
Why, oh why? Will someone explain? I mean, you want people to speak in Marathi, and then ask him for his surname if he does so.
I digress.
Let’s come back. There are two issues.
The first one is – Why can’t I speak Marathi? Just because my name is Khan? It would have been okay if it was Khanvilkar, but since it is Khan, it has to be accompanied by wonder and disbelief. Why?
And the second - “Aadnaav Kaay?” Why do we have to ask this question and bracket people? This is not a religious thing – it is about caste equations! And is it that important! Can’t people avoid this question? Not with me – just avoid it, okay?
I guess I’m only venting my spleen. And everywhere I go, this will continue. So, let’s grin and bear it.
Hey, I also speak Hindi, English and Urdu as well – probably better. Will someone get amazed at that too? :-)
I may disagree with the means, but I am in complete agreement with this theory of being able to speak Marathi. Absolutely right!
After all, I firmly believe that you should know the language of the state you live in. Every Keralite speaks Malayalam, every Bengali speaks Bangla, every Andhraite (at least till now) speaks Telugu and so on.
And yet, every time I converse with someone in Marathi, there is a sense of disbelief, bewilderment, amazement, wonder etc.
I am besieged with questions like “How can you speak Marathi so well?”, “Where did you learn to speak such good Marathi?” and the best one – “Aadnaav Kaay?”
This question – I believe – is unique to this part of the Deccan – Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Ahmednagar - “Aadnaav Kaay?” (What’s your surname?)
How does it make a difference? No one every asks a Abdul Rehman Pookutty his surname, no one asks a Akbar Patel or a Ghani Choudhury his surname, but come to our part of the world and speak Marathi, and sure enough, “Aadnaav Kaay?”
Konkani Muslims speak mainly in Konkani, and no one asks this question in Raigad or Satara, but come up North and speak Marathi, and it will crop up!
“Aadnaav Kaay?”
Why, oh why? Will someone explain? I mean, you want people to speak in Marathi, and then ask him for his surname if he does so.
I digress.
Let’s come back. There are two issues.
The first one is – Why can’t I speak Marathi? Just because my name is Khan? It would have been okay if it was Khanvilkar, but since it is Khan, it has to be accompanied by wonder and disbelief. Why?
And the second - “Aadnaav Kaay?” Why do we have to ask this question and bracket people? This is not a religious thing – it is about caste equations! And is it that important! Can’t people avoid this question? Not with me – just avoid it, okay?
I guess I’m only venting my spleen. And everywhere I go, this will continue. So, let’s grin and bear it.
Hey, I also speak Hindi, English and Urdu as well – probably better. Will someone get amazed at that too? :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
