Setu's Blog

Exactly 5 years ago, almost around the same time, I wrote ' The Dream Called 'India'... ', my understanding of the dream that those who fought for the freedom of our nation must've seen, 69 years ago. Today, I am at the crossroads that has me turning cynical to the very same dreams that I believed were real and obvious. And that, not because I've lost the faith, not because I am any less determined to be a part of the change; but because I'm instigate and angry seeing otherwise happen all around me. All the time. Over the past few weeks, I've been struggling with many things that I see around me, and trying to get to the literal 'root' of the problem, and maybe I'm seeing things, but it takes me to a common conclusion about the country we have become: We love our freedom, but we love skirting the responsibilities tagged along with it, even more. And, there, we forget that the freedom comes with responsibilities. The burden of responsibil...

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote about my desire to do my bit for this country, and this world, to make it a better place. Considering how huge and important the impending elections in the world's largest democracy, and my dear nation, India, are, it is befitting that I express my views about the state of it. I'm not a member of any political party (not that I know of, at least). And I have strong reasons to admire and hate every party. Seriously. I have enough reasons on both side that it comes down to a very illogical, but personal choice for who I'll end up voting for, during the " biggest festival of democracy ". Festivals, from what I understand about the meaning of the word, are about celebration and for spreading joy and happiness. And since the day the longest elections in the history of India were announced (and much before) I doubt anyone has seen anything but. Not a single cheerful, hopeful emotion has been demonstrated by any candidate from any...

Disclaimer: This post doesn't have much to do with the Bollywood movie Bombay Talkies (except the few references cited), and is neither a review. It's a much broader take at the lack of acceptance of Bollywood movies and their preachings in the lifestyle of India. I don't watch many Bollywood movies, and that's for a simple reason. They are simply not good enough for me to want to waste my time on them. They are boring, pointless, excruciatingly painful to sit through (I was forced to watch Ready, twice , during my Mumbai-Pune bus journeys, so I know). Most of them are the same lovey-dovey romantic flicks, or action movies inspired from Rajnikanth, or just some dumb story with a big banner actor. In the last couple of years, I've come to enjoy movies that have a good story, or that teach me something or the other. And as I kept exploring more Hollywood classics, I realized, no Indian movie comes even close to how the movie is made, what it portrays, or how it ...

Cross-posted from Not Just The Talks . It’s been a while since my inaugural and only post for Not Just The Talks , ‘ It’s Time To Not Just Keep Talking. ‘ came by. Well, to be real, a long time. All this while, I have been wanting to push forth this effort that was born in my and my friends’ minds, sometime back in March last year, but couldn’t, for some reason or the other. Regardless of that, any apologies I make today, for promising to initiate change, and then not committing to it, cannot be justified for. Having said that, I do add that today, as I write this post, I am deeply motivated to make my efforts count, anew. This time, I won’t stop. No one can stop me. And if you join in, I know for once that you will make sure no one can stop you. Because, at the end of the day, we know that this is about not just talking, it’s about living. So, to the post for today... Freedom. A word with a million meanings and interpretations. Never has a struggle for ...

Two months of headlines, and 5 days later. Here India is. In what began as a drive against corruption, not much of it remains anymore. Reasons? Varied. Most of them, known to everyone. Some of them, hidden. It all began with Anna Hazare's fast unto death or till his demands were met, on 5th April, 2011 which took India by a stir! The thought that problem of corruption, is not here to remain as many (including me) say, that there could be a possible end to this corrupt phase! Wow. So exciting does it sound! And that got so many millions of Indians to support it. Yes, every one of us, every Indian (minus the politicians, bureaucrats and others who live on their black earnings) was on with him, against it. Now, today, this fight seems all-the-more unimportant. Yes, you read that right. Unimportant. It seems to have lost its reason while everyone in the powerful circles tries to gain some clout from it. Religious and spiritual leaders, political parties, news channels, lawyers, w...

Disclaimer: This post is purely a substance of my personal opinion. By this, I don't mean to hurt the sentiments of the republic of India or the person regarded as the Father of The Nation, Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. If anyone would be offended by reading anything that goes against the nation and its principles, even if it's pointing the flaws so that we, the next generation could live in a better India, you would rather not read it hereon, that would be my sincere request to you, as the blogger. Peace. No hard feelings. Sitting on the stage, looking out at the crowd and people gathered around him, he rises and speaks. "I'm on a fast unto death, from now on, till my demands are met." Around 79 years ago, M. K. Gandhi, a political prisoner, changed the way protests were held in this country, India, chiefly dominated by politics and the so-called people's movements... He then rose in this battle, while serving a jail term on political grounds for the eq...

Power. That's a big word when you say it to anyone in India. When you say that, you simply mean, you've got enough connections, enough known people, enough people who would be there to save you, if you fell in any sort of trouble. And the people who can say they are 'powerful' are barely few in India. Courtesy: The ineffective and delayed results from Indian Judicial system, the corrupt Bureaucrats and the extra-irresponsible politicians elected by us to the legislature. And everyone who isn't either of these, sure has a lust for power. To secure himself, to stay away from any sort of problems, issues, hassles. Frankly, I am of those very few in this country called India who would still not give up their values while fighting for what is right against someone who is powerful. I wouldn't. And I did prove my point, my stand, sometime back when I got into a tiff with someone who had the power to not only spoil my entire academic year but which would also mean m...

"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom...!" This line in particular, from the speech of the first Prime Minister of independent India, better known to me as Chacha Nehru, on the eve of the Independence Day, rings in my ears every time I think about my mother-land India's Independence Day... We take on the 64th year... A million challenges ahead of us... A million goals... A million benchmarks to be set... A millions paths to be paved... A million years of tradition to be preserved... A million traditions to uphold... And a billion voices to be heard... That's India...! When the fight for independence first began in the year 1857 with Mangal Pandey and his supporters, who would have thought that the India would be like it is today? Even those who were a part of the 1947 victory wouldn't have, I believe. I wonder at times what really was the dream called 'India'? What 'India' did those ...

Hello, It's been quite some time since I actually wanted to write this post. After having heated debates with people over the Best TV News Channel (err... surely not the one which gets the awards always), and factually correct news, I just felt like writing it through in my post. And, by the way, this isn't the 'Rann' effect. In fact, I haven't seen that movie and nor do I plan to. The basic definition of news, is to provide information regarding everything that's happening around the world. In short, providing the updates of events from North, East West and South, making the word, News. Through the years, the increasing competition from all the sides, has brought us to face a world where News is bought and sold, over reported and covered. And yes, this is the bitter truth. Most of the time, we are unaware of the reality and the hype is all we give in to. And this is the case mostly with the audio visual media, the TV channels, which are indulged in a self...

Hello everyone, To be frank, I was not sure if I should write on this topic. I talked about it to a friend who brought back the zeal in me and reminded me that blogging is all about speaking your heart out... So, here I go... It's been pretty long now since this debate is going on, Shiv Sena or Shah Rukh Khan? And, Mumbai has already shown it's choice as I begin writing this blog. All the movie theatres are running to full houses and the sound of the people is crystal clear. This spirit of Mumbai, to support the right, remains undaunted. With a wish to spring in to the headlines of all the newspapers and news channels, the supremo of Shiv Sena (the orange brigade), Mr. Balasaheb Thackeray, commented about the so-called 'unpatriotic' behaviour of Shah Rukh Khan (SRK or Khan from now on). And, it goes simply to say that it was the simple goal. After all, the kid whom he nourished in politics (Raj Thackeray), has been making the top stories recently. Seen as a p...

I have been postponing this post since quiet some time now. But, after yesterday's assembly poll results, I couldn't think any other post would be more appropriate. Bagging 5.6% of total votes of Maharashtra and 23.8% of the total votes of Mumbai in its maiden elections, Raj Thackeray has proved to the world and the Marathi Manoos (whom he says he's fighting for) that he's got worth. For those of you who aren't very well aware of politics in Maharashtra (with its epicenter in Mumbai), Raj Thackeray, is the nephew of the great Shiv Sainik Bal Thackeray. In 2006, he broke his alliance with the Shiv Sena and formed his own party named the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Since its inception, MNS has been drawing both attention and controversies. The newspapers have at least a report about MNS or its activities everyday and camps are being formed on the basis of pro-MNS or anti-MNS even in the newsrooms. While, Raj Thackeray tries to justify his policies and acts, an...

Politics. The word makes a picture in our minds of those fat, corrupt politicians who are no good at anything except making false promises and tarnishing the name on the country globally, those who are interested in making money for themselves through their practices taking birth from bribery and greed. Those politicians who can’t forgo their lavish lifestyles and luxuries even in the midst of crises, those who are submerged in their images of themselves, in their own minds that they are better than the rest in every possible way, and, not to forget, those who are the biggest hypocrites of the world. These are also those who are the ones seen most by the public. These are the people who make it to the cover pages of the newspapers and our magazines for their ridiculous opinions and silly blame games. These are those who might not actually work, but, don’t wait to get into the matter at the end, to take the credit. This is the condition of every country, and our India, the country whic...