To Vote or Not to Vote....?

Image Courtesy: Dub Sharma Facebook

So the other day, a dear friend advised me to choose a party ... 

And I was like:

I’ll choose when they would actually vow and work to feed the poor than the trolls,

I’ll choose when they would work to provide employment

I’ll choose when they would talk about peace over war and riots,

I’ll choose when they would pick education over spewing hatred and terror

I’ll choose when they would talk peace over riots

I’ll choose when they would pledge to destroy poverty,

I’ll choose when they would make our women feel safe

I’ll choose when they would STFU with war politics

I’ll choose when they would stop glorifying world domination

I’ll choose when they would stop the suicides of farmers,

I’ll choose when they would stop playing with religion, caste, creed…

I’ll choose when they would stop spending fortunes on public figures over the poor and deprived

I’ll choose when they would actually care for the mute animals

I’ll choose when they would STFU with blame games

I’ll choose when they would stop disrespecting our brave soldiers and martyrs

I’ll choose when they would stop excess self-acclaim

I’ll choose when they would stop promoting fake claims of success

I’ll choose when they would stop altering the history

I’ll choose when they would stop passing diktats on what should I eat, wear and shit

I’ll choose when they would stop giving out the anti-national cards for speaking up your heart
I'll choose when they would stop bigotry and hypocrisy

I’ll choose when they’ll let me choose … pun intended

Btw NOTA it is LOL

A Jigsaw Puzzle called “LIFE”

Image courtesy: thebridgemaker.com

They say, it’s always those small pieces that go into the making of a bigger picture …

Life be like a monstrous jigsaw puzzle

The more I try to crack, the more it stumbles

Much stronger, such bewilder

I try to entangle, the more I muddle!

Life be like a monstrous jigsaw puzzle

I try to decipher, the more obscure

The harder I connect, the more complicate

 I try to pull out, the more it psyches me out!

Life be like a monstrous jigsaw puzzle

The harder I try to retune, the deeper I get into the deluge

The more I try to figure it out, the harder it floods me out!

Life be like a monstrous jigsaw puzzle and ‘We’ are its deformed chunks!

Keep putting it together J

Cheers

AndyScribbles

Let’s get drunk, brethren!

Yeah! let’s get drunk, because …

World doesn’t make sense anymore

Afflictions ain’t going to cease

Men aren’t good anymore

Lights aren’t getting lit again

Grass isn’t turning lush and green again

Wicked ain’t stopping leap-frogging

Rulers will never embrace lepers

Darkness ain’t going to disappear

Logical will be dubbed as vague and

Foolish will continue to trump  up

Treachery is here to stay

Bigotry is immortal and

Intolerance is the new Holy Grail

Hatred is our pedigree whereas

Righteous is now the new immoral

Misery is eternal yet

History is cloaked

Stealing is bread and butter yet

Art is cancer

Cultism is stark-naked but

Protectors are invaders

Civilization is a simulation and

Warfare still remains a staple

Invincible is fable

Faith is botched and

Morality is Satan and

Wealth stems evil

Get drunk brethren, because serenity my friend is a beautiful lie!

Get drunk brethren, because harmony is nothing, but a folklore!

Get drunk and get lost … in a world of solitude

Get drunk with virtue for a new awakening awaits you!

Get drunk to inebriate yourself with the gross reality around!

Get drunk, because all we do is survive and survival is not a fair game!

Be that as it may, love is blind :) let’s just not bedevil it.

Cheers!

#peaceout

Who am I …?

At times jovial

At times unsociable

I am outlander …?

At times agile

At times brittle

I am insensible …?

At times despicable

At times liberal

Am I punch-drunk …?

At times the strong one

At times the feeble one

I am wicked …?

At times judicious

At times outrageous

I am anonymous …  ?

At times phony

At times honest

Am I real …?

Am I the feathered creature incarcerated in that cage resonating a tuneful chirp?

Am I a clueless ant on that landscape amidst the cluttered entanglement?

Am I the sky lurking beneath the vault of heaven?

Am I the breeze that whispers incognito?

Am I a fragrance that withers in the blink of an eye?

Am I a stream flowing precariously oblivious of its harbor?

Am I an unanchored kite drifting frantically high in the sky?

Am I a shadow lurking from pillar to post?

Am I the wave in an ocean that reaches the shore only to be pulled back?

Am I a paddleless sailboat adrift in the middle of a sea?

Am I a specter making endless attempts to reach his creator?

Am I a soul entrapped in someone else’s body?

Am I a mountain sentenced to stay immobile for eternity?

Am I a music devoid a maestro?

Am I the one you want me to be ….

Who am I when no one is watching? Who am I when everyone is watching?

Am I …

The quest is timeless …

Peace out!

Why do I walk and you should too?

Yes, I walk daily! Say, for half an hour, that’s it! Thousands of you guys might find this activity similar and relate to me … My wife joked it out when I told her the first time that I was going out for a walk… She couldn’t believe her ears, but she had to! I am a couch potato kinda guy in her perspective, so this was a total shocker for her… you can expect that. That morning, I had read in the newspaper that there were more folks in our country who are enduring from depression/despair than the ones, who go out to watch movies and party. In fact, this topic gave an instant kickstart to an active conversation between me and my wife about all those awful movies these days at the unworthy prices that we are bombarded with….

The very next moment, I don't know what prompted me or rather shoved me to put on my shoes for a stroll and stormed out of the house only to be confronted by a cluster of my friends, who unwillingly joined me for a brisk walk that day …. I went the next morning too! Now, it had turned a kind of a habit … 

Now, someone asked me “why do iIwalk?” “what is the reason?”. I mean there is no reason other than simply moving out of your house for a walk. In fact, we walk because it makes us feel good. We walk because we can. We walk, because it is free of charge. We walk because it is legal to do so. All that you ought to know is how to walk ;-). In my opinion, it is one of the perfect good-for-nothing activities.

I often get questioned, “how much body weight I shun from walking?”. For a second, I actually fail to understand the question itself. I mean, why would I wish to lose something? For those putting forth this question across me, please be informed that I face enough troubles finding my stuffs (like my cell phone, keys, etc.) on a daily basis!

A bitter truth is that diets and exercises often fail to work, feeling sleazy doesn’t work either. Thus, I suggest to quit attempting to be something that you are not, and in fact be happy with what you have been gifted with and simply move out for a nice and refreshing walk.

Leave that diet Coke, leave that treadmill, forget all the rules and just walk! It is all scandalous out there, which conjures to keep us wretched. If it reads “sugar-free” or “fat-free” or “healthy calories”, discard it!  

Remember that one of the core strategies of capitalism is to instill the consumer with despair, resentment, insecurity and fear, so that the consumer can shell out haphazardly only to feel good for an interim period. But damn, and we are all stuck with it, aren’t we?

Secret of happiness is being good to yourself and others, being equal with others, and becoming a participant rather than an audience….

You certainly won’t love to get aboard some stupid goals and rules that include a hell lot of do’s and dont’s that just beg you to break them. Let me tell you something, I gulp down a glass of drink everyday, i apply butter on my foods, but i also make sure to walk daily.  

Let me tell you a secret… Always remember that you are perfect just the way you are, so never ever try to change that!

So walk not just to lose weight or attain that skinny or lean body, instead take a stroll for yourself, for the refreshing breeze thats calling you!

Let me end this with a wonderful saying from Brene Brown, which goes like “Talk to yourself as you would to someone you love”.  This sums up it all!

Enjoy your walk,

#peaceout   

Was 2015 an Intolerant year for India? Are we turning intolerant?

Image courtesy: harkirtankaur.wordpress

India, the land of 33 million Hindu gods and four major religions proudly preserves both freedom of speech as well as secularism in its constitution, which is also one of the longest constitutions in the world. Alas, lately the country has been roasting over the intolerance debate that has caught a lot of heat already. So is the world’s biggest democracy really an intolerant nation?

Before we delve further, allow me throw some light on a few incidences of 2015 that spurred the errant breeze of intolerance across the country.

• Was it the Dadri tragedy, which involved the barbarous and mass slaying of a 50-year-old Muslim man Mohammad Akhlaq by his Hindu neighbours in the Bisara village of Uttar Pradesh on the suspicion of consuming and storing beef at his house? Or was it about the communal tensions and rifts that flared up post the incident?
• Was it the unexplained silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the incident for eight days, which he broke past receiving all the hullabaloo and backlash from the media?
• Was it about a bunch of hatemongering political leaders declaring that Mohammad Akhlaq deserved the ochlocracy (mob justice)?
• Was it about the murder of renowned language scholar M. Kalburgi (critic of idol worshipping), well-known writer Narendra Dabholkar (founder-president of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti) and communist leader Govind Pansare, who were shot cold dead at point blank range in broad daylight?
• Was it about the abrupt trend, where novelists, writers and artists returned their awards as a way to protest for lack of action from government to curb the growing intolerance and hatred in the community?
• Was it about the VHP (a right-wing Hindu organisation), also affiliated to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) organising the infamous Ghar Vapsi campaigns that spurred a vicious debate on re-conversions and conversions across the nation?
• Was it about Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna, which bluntly stated that the rising populace of Christian and Muslim communities is a threat to the Hindu nation and it could trigger cultural and social imbalance disrupting the country’s ethos?
• Was it about Sadhvi Deva Thakur’s (vice president, All India Hindu Mahasabha) asking the centre to sterilise Christians and Muslims in order to curb their population?
• Was it about Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan and other actors and celebrities, who were defamed over their opinions on growing intolerance in the country?
• Was it about the threats and violent protests to stop screenings of movies and boycotting mobile apps endorsed by celebrities over their remarks on intolerance?

The epicentre of the entire fuss was religion that gained traction amidst the burgeoning and emphatic upheaval of majoritarianism across the nation. Further, at the heart of the dispute over religion was the wicked argument that the Muslim population would someday outrun the population of Hindus in the country. On the contrary, stats reveal a completely different story. According to census stats, it is very much unlikely that the Muslim population could actually outpace Hindus in the country. Though the chunk of Muslim population is projected to increase from the current level, it is certainly not anticipated to outnumber the Hindus. Figures speak for themselves, there are approx. 966 million Hindus compared to 172 million Muslims in India.

The national upheaval involved a bustling tide of hate and angered spewed at the government for lack of action. It even moved Raghuram Rajan, Central Bank Governor, when he decided to make an unusual cameo into non-economic matters by urging the citizens to practice tolerance and mutual respect in the interest of country’s overall economic growth.

On the other hand, complications for the Prime Minister doesn’t seem to settle down either, since a few senior politicians from his own party have kept the issue blazing with their uncanny brickbats. Read for yourself:

1. If BJP loses in Bihar, crackers will be set off in Pakistan, said Amit Shah, President BJP.
2. Muslims can choose to live in India, but then they will have to stop beef consumption, said Manohar Lal Khattar, CM of Haryana and BJP member.

Here are potential inferences of these statements:

1. Amit Shah’s statement clearly portrays BJP as a party largely dominated by the Hindus, but his comments also uncannily painted the opponents of his party as pro-Pakistan. In essence, Shah was putting into question the patriotism and nationalism of 172 million Indian Muslims.
2. Khattar’s comment came as a stark threat and the uprising of a tyranny. His statement point towards an implicit authorization for vigilante goons bolstered to jeopardize the minors.

Hardly a day goes by when politicians haven’t put their foot in mouth with such statements that inflame the already hot-blooded debate.      

Surprisingly, Narendra Modi, who is also the face of BJP and a leader who is looked upon by 1.29 billion citizens has held himself aloof and rarely condemned on such vicious remarks oozing from his own party members.

Though the PM is working tirelessly day-in-day-out towards the overhaul of country’s economy, growth, global position, start-up India, Make in India, employee rights, wage bonus, human resource capital management and other economical nitty-gritty, growing intolerance and religious/communal rifts and hatred will demean all his hard work and efforts rupturing his vision to see India amongst the top superpower nations.

Long before the independence, India was home to the Zoroastrians, Armenian Christians, Jews and people from diverse religions and cultures. To everyone’s amazement, multiple religions, beliefs and faiths intermingled in peace and harmony for a number of centuries.

India proudly reflects the concept of “Unity in Diversity”, which is a staple of the nation since centuries. It is a refuge to different religions, diverse cultures, different people, diverse languages, different food and clothing. The culture of India is a colourful and vibrant fusion of diversity. Not to forget, Indians are known all over the globe for their culture, food and diversity.

Thus, it is high time the government takes a firm stand on the debate by bringing in modern and progressive reforms to curb intolerance, foster a peace-loving democracy and save the country from going to the rocks. This could be an excellent example for the entire world to see and follow. Moreover, this would not only benefit the citizens, but would also be politically constructive for the ruling party. 

Strengthening a nation’s economy would turn futile without tolerance, peace and harmony among its very own citizens.

Without unity, mutual respect and tolerance, our very cosmos we revere as India would be reduced to house of cards.

#PeaceOut

O Almighty, where art thou?

Image credit: truenorthquest

As I laid down on the lush quilt grassland, the heavenly skies began to conspire again

Draping the sun just in the nick of time

The sky seemed to be descending upon me,

Eyes wide open, but I couldn’t see you

I know deep down inside, you are all ears and watching us love you

But I couldn’t see you

O Almighty, where art thou …?

I looked at the sky again in agony with watery-eyes

Clouds surged hastily creating rattling silhouettes

I can feel its texture, but couldn’t touch or reach you  

O Almighty, where art thou …?

I closed my eyes and prayed

Worshipped and adored

Begged and cried

Shouted and whispered

I believe you are speaking

But I couldn’t hear you …

O Almighty, where art thou …?

I extend my hand onto you

I trust thee are very much there, hearing

But I couldn’t see, feel or hear you

O Almighty, where art thou …?

As my soul yearns to hear, see and feel you hysterically

All I see, hear and feel is pain, grief and distress

I believe you are near, but I couldn’t feel you

O Almighty, where art thou …?

I seek none in my struggles, but you

I want none to confide in me, but you

I pursue none, but trails leading to you

I search none, but to find repose in you

My quest is for none, but your existence

I believe you are listening, but I couldn’t hear you

O Almighty, where art thou …?

They say you are the ruler of this universe

Call you by different names, idolize in different forms

They say you can heal the sick, raise the dead,

Guide the lost, purify the lepers and help the helpless

They say being pious is the way to God

They say patience is a virtue and doorway to seek God

They bow down to you

But I couldn’t see, hear or feel you

O Almighty, where art thou …?

They say you reflect in none, but in the most merciful, benevolent and compassionate

But I couldn’t seek you …

O Almighty, where art thou …?

Prove us we are not alone …

Bestow us with none, but your love and compassion

O Almighty, deliver us from the evil

O Almighty, save us from the wrath of sinful

O Almighty, where art thou …?