## Moved ##
As you must have noticed that this blog is practically defunct. I haven't posted anything since ages and frequency of posts had been abysmal. Subsequently, this blog has been terminated.
My blogging continues afresh on
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Monday, November 14, 2005
Bade Bhai Sahab
यह मेरी पहली हिन्दी की पोस्ट है| मैं आपको विकीसॉर्स से परिचय करवाना चाहता हूँ | उसपर प्रेमचंद की अनेक कहानियाँ है जो आप इस कडी पे पढ सकते हैं |
आइये आपके मनोरंजन के लिये प्रेमचंद की बडे भाईसाहब कहानी के चंद परिच्छेद प्रस्तुत करता हूँ | इसमे एक बडा भाई अपने छोटे भाई को समझा रहा है कि उसकी पढाई कितनी कठिन है और इसलिये छोटे को भी अपनी पढाई मे अभी से ही ज्यादा ध्यान देना चाहिये |
"मेरे फेल होने पर न जाओ। मेरे दरजे में आओगे, तो दाँतो पसीना आयगा। जब अलजबरा और जामेंट्री के लोहे के चने चबाने पड़ेंगे और इंगलिस्तान का इतिहास पढ़ना पड़ेंगा! बादशाहों के नाम याद रखना आसान नहीं। आठ-आठ हेनरी को गुजरे है कौन-सा कांड किस हेनरी के समय हुआ, क्या यह याद कर लेना आसान समझते हो? हेनरी सातवें की जगह हेनरी आठवां लिखा और सब नम्बर गायब! सफाचट। सिर्फ भी न मिलगा, सिफर भी! हो किस ख्याल में! दरजनो तो जेम्स हुए हैं, दरजनो विलियम, कोडियों चार्ल्स दिमाग चक्कर खाने लगता है। आंधी रोग हो जाता है। इन अभागो को नाम भी न जुडते थे। एक ही नाम के पीछे दोयम, तेयम, चहारम, पंचम नगाते चले गए। मुछसे पूछते, तो दस लाख नाम बता देता।
"और जामेट्री तो बस खुदा की पनाह! अ ब ज की जगह अ ज ब लिख दिया और सारे नम्बर कट गए। कोई इन निर्दयी मुमतहिनों से नहीं पूछता कि आखिर अ ब ज और अ ज ब में क्या फर्क है और व्यर्थकी बात के लिए क्यो छात्रो का खून करते हो दाल-भात-रोटी खायी या भात-दाल- रोटी खायी, इसमें क्या रखा है; मगर इन परीक्षको को क्या परवाह! वह तो वही देखते है, जो पुस्तक में लिखा है। चाहते हैं कि लडके अक्षर-अक्षर रट डाले। और इसी रटंत का नाम शिक्षा रख छोडा है और आखिर इन बे-सिर-पैर की बातो के पढ़ने से क्या फायदा?
"इस रेखा पर वह लम्ब गिरा दो, तो आधार लम्ब से दुगना होगा। पूछिए, इससे प्रयोजन? दुगना नही, चौगुना हो जाए, या आधा ही रहे, मेरी बला से, लेकिन परीक्षा में पास होना है, तो यह सब खुराफात याद करनी पड़ेगी। कह दिया-‘समय की पाबंदी’ पर एक निबन्ध लिखो, जो चार पन्नो से कम न हो। अब आप कापी सामने खोले, कलम हाथ में लिये, उसके नाम को रोइए।
"कौन नहीं जानता कि समय की पाबन्दी बहुत अच्छी बात है। इससे आदमी के जीवन में संयम आ जाता है, दूसरो का उस पर स्नेह होने लगता है और उसके करोबार में उन्नति होती है; जरा-सी बात पर चार पन्ने कैसे लिखें? जो बात एक वाक्य में कही जा सके, उसे चार पन्ने में लिखने की जरूरत? मैं तो इसे हिमाकत समझता हूं। यह तो समय की किफायत नही, बल्कि उसका दुरूपयोग है कि व्यर्थ में किसी बात को ठूंस दिया। हम चाहते है, आदमी को जो कुछ कहना हो, चटपट कह दे और अपनी राह ले। मगर नही, आपको चार पन्ने रंगने पडेंगे, चाहे जैसे लिखिए और पन्ने भी पूरे फुल्सकेप आकार के। यह छात्रो पर अत्याचार नहीं तो और क्या है? अनर्थ तो यह है कि कहा जाता है, संक्षेप में लिखो। समय की पाबन्दी पर संक्षेप में एक निबन्ध लिखो, जो चार पन्नो से कम न हो। ठीक! संक्षेप में चार पन्ने हुए, नही शायद सौ-दो सौ पन्ने लिखवाते। तेज भी दौडिए और धीरे-धीरे भी। है उल्टी बात या नही? बालक भी इतनी-सी बात समझ सकता है, लेकिन इन अध्यापको को इतनी तमीज भी नहीं। उस पर दावा है कि हम अध्यापक है। मेरे दरजे में आओगे लाला, तो ये सारे पापड बेलने पड़ेंगे और तब आटे-दाल का भाव मालूम होगा। इस दरजे में अव्वल आ गए हो, वो जमीन पर पांव नहीं रखते इसलिए मेरा कहना मानिए। लाख फेल हो गया हूँ, लेकिन तुमसे बड़ा हूं, संसार का मुझे तुमसे ज्यादा अनुभव है। जो कुछ कहता हूं, उसे गिरह बांधिए नही पछताएँगे।"
है ना मजेदार !
Monday, October 03, 2005
A Brief History of Nearly Everything
Just finished reading Bill Bryson's wonderful book, A Brief History of Nearly Everything. Experience, in brief, has been humbling.
A Brief History of Nearly Everything tells, well, a brief history of nearly everything. The author explains history of the most of the major sciences such as Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Geology, Paleontology, Oceanography, Biology, etc. in a very simple laymen's language since the dawn of the time until now. Journey of universe, earth, humanity and sciences, and discovery of what we know and how did we find them, from the biggest bang to 21st century penned in these 500 pages of gripping and amazing story! An unmatchable read. Truly.
My thoughts before starting the book were that perhaps book will introduce history of earth and life in a matter of fact manner, but Bill has dealt with variety of subjects from perspective of various scientists, researchers, discoverers and inventors making story not only pedantic but also heart touching. And in the end, the vastness of everything, and the significance of whole universe, and utter insignificance of our presence is unnerving. A little disappointing perhaps, for humans have always desired to find the purpose of life, which we are told in no explicit terms, is nothing. Nothing at all. We are here result of fluke of chance, and we will be just one of billions of billions of species in history of everything. We do not matter. Nada. No purpose. Except, perhaps, to propagate.
The book starts with the beginning of time at the Big Bang, and the formation of matter and universe and galaxies and earth. The narrative is not chronological, mostly because explorations in many branches of science move in parallel, but yet coherent and simple enough. Special feature of the narrative is not the order of things as they happened, but as they were discovered to have happened, interspersed with eccentricities of the people and societies then. The author recounts the history of geology and paleontology, biology and life, evolution and expansion of universe, and nearly everything and how it intervenes with everything else. We are led into old times into mind of those great thinkers, the hardships and jubilations they faced, the triumphs and defeats of mankind, and pretty and ugly face of human nature.
We learn that science is immensely difficult job. Much more than one can ever imagine. Much more than I ever though of. Much more than one is led to believe in this day or age. People spend their lifetime, literally, for doing something that will be disputed, ignored or even refuted as soon as they complete. They are hampered by political fallouts of wars and research funding, by fellow zealous scientists, by prevalent social views and stigma, and by their family. Many die unnoticed, unaccounted, ignored and discredited even for their best gift to mankind and sciences. Many rise from utter penury simply by their strong will, many are unimaginably brilliant to have thought of what they did then and many are utterly adventurous hardly caring for their own life in face of their curiosity! All we know is due to hard work of those, many of which we do not know even to thank for, and many we just simply cannot, ever. It would be injustice to pick one out of numerous examples in the book, but for sake of making a point, in one case a researcher spent 20 years calculating tables explaining motion of earth around the sun for occurrences of ice ages, which, by modern computers can be completed in less than 20 minutes.
The author quotes one of the scientists that scientific discoveries follow three-stage process. First, they are denied of being true. Second, they are denied of being important. And third, they are credited to wrong person. A profound and very true statement. After reading, we realize that so much talented minds are lost because of utter carelessness of fellow human beings, that so much advancement has been hampered by religious zealots and dogmatic society, including, fellow scientists.
One the simple yet effective technique adopted by the author to make the readers realize the unimaginable dimensions of the world is to compare it with ordinary matter. By repeated comparison of atoms/bacteria with a cricket ball or universe with United States area, unimaginable vastness of the beyond and meaningless smallness of atomic world dawns on us.
Though opinions of evolution vs. Intelligent Design are aplenty. After reading this book, one can refute ID option by its very postulate. World is utterly complex place, and anything like what we have to happen by itself, perhaps is ridiculously absurd. However, to have like what we have to be designed intentionally by superior being is even more ridiculously absurd. If you trusts the depths of the oceans, expansion of the universe, black matter, innumerable bacterial life which is omnipresent and omnipotent (at least, when combined), and utter meaningless (to us, and in fact to everything) and complexity of everything (for example, quarks, or DNA), then one can only question the intelligence of the designing entity. I am sure you would agree, that is if you are proponents of ID "theory", that world could have been designed trillionth time simpler than what it is now, and it would make sense to do so, if you were to contemplate designing something of similar nature now. One may argue that humans cannot fathom the depths and intentions of the God, yet still, even when I am staunch theist, I would have to question the sanity and intelligence of the God, if He/She indeed did design something like this.
All in all, an wonderful read which raises millions of unsolved problems, for answers to which we have to wait for science to progress sufficiently forward, which, unfortunately, may not happen within our lifetime. After all, when history of everything, and progress of science from 1600 AD until now is compressed into a 500 page book and read within less than a day, brain is overwhelmed by the amount of information and eagerly seeks answer to unfinished queries, which, alas, will not be answered in next 50 pages, as it has been so far.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
India Progressing?
Developement and progress have their side effects. This holds true for almost all developed societies/economies/nations. Lawsuits and sueing is one of such cases in hand here. Not quite long ago, Indians often found incidents of sueing for the bizzare (to Indians, at least) reasons hilarious which was (and is) common in developed nations. For example, you can sue your government if airport near your home makes noise which disturbs your sleep, or even better, lowers the fertility of chickens you farm! Or that a daughter, who was apparently conceived in test-tube, sued her parents because they could not afford to pay higher for better quality of chromosomes/hormones which would have made her more beautiful and intelligent! These are true cases. Infact, in my recently concluded training for First-Aid by American Red Cross, my instructor emphasized the need to obtain consent of victim before you provide him any first-aid, for you never know if he really wanted to die and could sue you for saving him! Apparently, they even have this law in US, called Good Samaritan Law, which nullifies any case charged on person providing First-Aid or other help by victim in case victim was not in position to give informed consent when help was needed.
Recent reports of sueing of Indian filmmakers from all and sundry seems to indicate that trend in starting in India too! Well, these are, perhaps, signs of liberal democracy and progress! Note that all major (bollywood) movies released in last one month have been dragged in court.
We start with Karan Johar's Kaal. This was charged by animal right activists for alleged ill treatments of Tigers in Orbit National Park. Next was Jo Bole So Nihaal which are charged by Shrimani Gurudwara Prabandhan Committee, the committee which maintains Golden Temple in Amritsar, and is major body representing Sikhs, that the title of movie is a religious phrase which should not be used for a commercial movies showing women in skimpy clothes! They further add, and with quite a mean and disgusting blow to Indian nationhood, that roles of Sikhs in movies must be played by Sikhs only! Next in line is Shahrukh Khan starrer Paheli, where animal rights activists again sue producer/director for alleged whipping of camels during a race scene in movie. I am not very fan of these "rights activists" be it animal, women, or human. Most of times their efforts and energies are directed towards publicity than making any real difference to either animal, woman or human. Okay, whipping camels is bad, but comm'on, they are not being tortured, and who doesn't whip his animal once in a while. And there are millions of serious issues involving brutal and torturous murder of cows and tigers and elephants in country but perhaps they are not good enough for publicity. And then Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh disputed recently released Bunty Aur Bubbly for its potrayel of woman in Akhada (local wrestling rings) because supposedly women can't enter Akhadas!
Now none of these issues deserve a lawsuits, except Kaal case where I don't know details enough to decide. But then ...
Friday, April 15, 2005
Mian Musharraf, Grow up
http://in.rediff.com/movies/2005/apr/15veer.htm
Looks like Musharraf Ji is upset about story of Veer-Zaara, cause "[p]akistan had never arrested or kept in confinement any IAF officer"!
Pakistan and Pakistanis have always been hysterical about supposedly bad projection of image of Pakistan and Pakistani Army in Indian movies. Some Indians, and specifically "top" class people in bollywood industry also talk about not making Indo-Pak hatred oriented movies for commercial gains. They claim that such movies, specially during time when relations are improving (I don't agree to that either, but let me leave that aside for now), will only hamper the peace process. Nevertheless such movies are made, and they go hit as well. But even the producers of such movies tend to play down and do not want to be quoted as making a movie based on Indo-Pak animosity. I am amused at the industry and media for this hypocrisy, and on Pakistanis for their inane objections.
Whether of not Pakistani Govt. permits formal screening of Indian movies, they are no doubt seen by one and all thanks to exploding piracy industry. Lollywood doesn't stand a chance in front of Bollywood, and even Pakistanis admit that. Now given that they see our movies and then cry foul, is something very amusing to me. Furthermore I have following reasons for opposing external ban or pressure on making of such movies - note that I do not necessarily want these kind of movies but they should not be not made because it will supposedly hamper the peace process. These are directed towards any Pakistani or Indian who supports such ban.
Looks like Musharraf Ji is upset about story of Veer-Zaara, cause "[p]akistan had never arrested or kept in confinement any IAF officer"!
Pakistan and Pakistanis have always been hysterical about supposedly bad projection of image of Pakistan and Pakistani Army in Indian movies. Some Indians, and specifically "top" class people in bollywood industry also talk about not making Indo-Pak hatred oriented movies for commercial gains. They claim that such movies, specially during time when relations are improving (I don't agree to that either, but let me leave that aside for now), will only hamper the peace process. Nevertheless such movies are made, and they go hit as well. But even the producers of such movies tend to play down and do not want to be quoted as making a movie based on Indo-Pak animosity. I am amused at the industry and media for this hypocrisy, and on Pakistanis for their inane objections.
Whether of not Pakistani Govt. permits formal screening of Indian movies, they are no doubt seen by one and all thanks to exploding piracy industry. Lollywood doesn't stand a chance in front of Bollywood, and even Pakistanis admit that. Now given that they see our movies and then cry foul, is something very amusing to me. Furthermore I have following reasons for opposing external ban or pressure on making of such movies - note that I do not necessarily want these kind of movies but they should not be not made because it will supposedly hamper the peace process. These are directed towards any Pakistani or Indian who supports such ban.
- Please understand they are JUST MOVIES. Don't use too much of your brain in interpreting what good or bad they imply about Pakistan. Movies are stories, sometimes based on real life, but nevertheless, stories. They are not supposed to depict "truth" but entertain the audience. If Indian audiences enjoy seeing Indian Army win and Indian soldier do impossible stunts, movies will portray that. Don't see logic here. Without doubt, Indian movies are directed to Indian audiences, simply because of official ban in Pakistan producers hardly expect any money. If you don't like Indian movie, don't watch. Hollywood continues to make movies based on Cold War and I didn't hear Russians complaining!
- Pakistan is foreign country to India and bollywood is indigenous industry. What makes Pakistanis think that we will care about what they think about our films. They, in first place, have no business forming official opinions on Indian movies - personal views, published or unpublished, are acceptable - and lesser so in conveying those opinions to India or Indians. Interestingly, since Pakistanis leagally cannot see Indian movies in Pakistan, those who comment on bollywood, indirectly admit violating the law in their country. I will leave Pakistan Govt. to handle that.
- However warped or concocted it may be depicted in motion pictures, the fact is Pakistani attacked India THREE times and LOST all the time. That's what our movies show. Why do they even expect that we will portray tales of bravery of Pak soldiers in Indian movie so as to be "realistic". After all they are just movies, that is Indian movies. Refer Point 1.
- Even if relation with Pakistan is improving, it doesn't change the past. Past will live with us, and must so, as history. Society has duty to make future generations (of India) be aware of this history, be it good or bad. If movies helps in partially, let them. Bitter truth must be divulged, and it doesn't mean that we want to start hatred again. Movies on British oppressions and freedom struggle are common in India, but did I hear Britain complaining? And it has not been affecting our relations with United Kingdom as well.
- Number and intensity of Lollywood movies showing India in poor light are much more and much higher. We don't hear much about them because a) they hardly ever make to Indian cinemas - not because of ban by Indian Govt. but because of their poor quality, and b) Indians are far more tolerant than Pakistanis on such issues. Don't you believe me here? Check human rights and world rights records yourself - but based on fact and not on PTV's propaganda - and the entire world acknowledges the democratic & secular credentials of India. I wouldn't comment on their sovereign right to make movies on whatever subject they like, but shouldn't one look into his own home before criticizing others'?
- This is last and perhaps least powerful of all points but still a valid point. Even good attempts like Veer-Zaara which portray Pakistani in very good light (compared to previous movies) are not met with goodwill from Pakistanis. Apart from unhappiness expressed by Mr. President himself, a simple look over various discussion boards involving Pakistanis discussing this movie will certify that (try Orkut or IMDB). So what is going to please Pakistanis? Are they expecting "Pakistan is Great" message from Indians? It may be, but we wound't say that, not because we have any problems with Pakistan, but because we haven't said that to any other country as well. Simple.
