Debarth's Den

"A spark is enough to start a huge fire". Nothing perhaps has been more closer to this adage than the recent train of events in Indian side of Kashmir. What started off as a dispute over an ancient piece of land has snowballed into a major controversy; a controversy that is threatening to shake the very roots of India's integrity. Kashmir is surely afire, and how. To an observer from outside, any instability in Kashmir has always been viewed as the handiwork of Pakistan sponsored militants. This conception has been very true in most cases. This time round, however, the situation seems to be of a vastly different nature. The fast accelerating wave of protest around the state has seen the involvement of the common man like never before. People are out on the streets in their hundreds and are unfazed by the presence of gun toting security forces who have been authorised to use force if deemed necessary. Now, this is something that even the government may not ave been prepare...

The exit of Pervez Musharraf from Pakistan politics is not only a relief for the people of Pakistan but it is an equal blessing for the world as a whole. It is no secret that Pakistan is the haven for all the terrorists of this planet. Musharraf has been the godfather of all these home bred as well as fugitive criminals who think of nothing but perpetrating violence and bloodshed in the world. Musharraf has finally got his due. He has been unceremoniously booted out of his seat of power. But I feel that he has been given far less than he deserved. He is the man behind terrorist activities in Pakistan (including the assasination of Benazir Bhutto) and India. He is one dictator who will continue to be dangerous as long as he is alive. Even the US, who has been his cautious friend, have shirked him now. I just hope he doesn't get an opportunity to carry on with his evil agenda from his next abode (wherever that is).

I have had a terrible experience flying aboard a JetLite aircraft from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai.I just cannot imagine the mindsets of these airline fellows. The aircraft is so stuufy that anybody can develop claustrophobia in it. The leg room between the seats is no more than than 7 inches. Within that space you will have to adjust yourself whenever the person sitting in front of you decides to recline his seat. I can assure you, you can smell the hair oil on his head if he does so. The quality of the food is next to horrible. There is nothing to read except the safety manuals and an advertisement magazine published by the airline company. The air stewards are fully aware of the shoddy conditions inside the aircraft. That is the reason that there are no feedback forms on board. At the end of the three hour long flight, I was glad to get out in fresh air. 13:21 - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos

I feel very privileged to be alive in an era when the 29th Olympiad is taking place in Beijing. I feel honoured to be witness to the feats of two of the greatest sporting icons, not only in the modern era but maybe for years to come. The feats of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps in the month of August 2008 will forever be entrenched in my mind. Usain Bolt was simply a bolt from the blue for all the viewers and competitors alike. The way he streaked away from the rest of the pack was truly superhuman. And unbelievably unselfish. He wasn't thinking of the world record while he was running. All he wanted to enure was that he was in front. The moment he realised that he was way, way in front, he started celebrating even before he reached the finish line. Unbelievable. Had he not relaxed at that moment and had maintained the same speed upto the finish line, he would have clocked something like 9.60 secs. My hat off to a superb athlete. What Usain Bolt has achieved has been matched equally,...

It seems like George Bush (the junior version, of course) cannot get enough of poking into other countries' affairs. The disturbing state of affairs in Georgia mut certainly be the result of the US using that country as a shoulder to point a gun at Russia. This explains the deafening silence maintained by the US for so long after Russia invaded Georgia. Meanwhile, the Georgian president, who dared to take on Russia expecting to have the political and military support of US, was in for a rude shock when the US looked the other way until the war had done most of the destruction. What the naive Georgian president had not realised is that he had fallen prey to another of US' unscrupulous ploys. Certainly US does not want Russia to dominate Eastern Europe but since its mischievious plans to undermine Russia's military capabilities lie exposed, it felt that not interfering in the Georgia-Russia conflict would serve two purposes - one, the US will be able to justify its missile de...

I feel like personally visiting the top boss of our very own Doordarshan and congratulate him for somehow managing to make the great Olympic games look like some kind of local village games. Every day, I turn on the TV expecting to see some kind of standard in the coverage by DD Sports but I am thoroughly disappointed every time. The hosts on the show are completely lack-lustre and do not seem to care a damn what viewers think. Today, the male host (Mr. whatsissname) was continuously referring to Novak Djokovic as "Yankovic". What's more, he looked very pleased with his "performance". I felt like kicking the TV screen. Then, every time the telecast is transferred from the TV studio to the stadium, there is no commentary for about 10 minutes, leaving me wondering what the hell is going on. Suddenly, a voice comes on. No, it is not the commentator. It is somebody talking on the phone to someone. He was completely oblivious (or just didn't care) that his conver...