Debarth's Den

Close to a decade has elapsed since we witnessed those incredible visuals on TV of the twin towers in New York crashing down to earth. The henchmen involved in the attack have been taken for dead in the suicide attacks, save for their masters, long believed to be the hard-core Islamic terrorist organization, Al Qaeda and the man supposed to be at its helm, Osama Bin Laden. At the time the FBI declared Bin Laden as the mastermind of the carnage, their were more than a few skeptics with eyebrows raised in incredulity, and not unnaturally, at the deduction of the investigative agencies. It was simply hard to digest the fact that a few men hiding in the desolate mountainous terrains of an equally desolate country could gain access to the resources that were employed in the highly sophisticated operation. Anyway, the conclusion was arrived at, and accepted by the world at large, and gave the Americans the license to run over any part of the world where they felt the ‘suspects’ were holed up...

Consistency is not an attribute that can be strictly associated with all human beings, however emancipated those human beings may be. Whatever is noble can never be guaranteed to get nobler or, at the least, to stay as noble. It is unfortunate that the nobility of the Nobel Prize for Peace has been the latest victim of this fickle trait. There is no doubting the fact that puzzling rationale has often been applied in the selection of awardees for the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, the choice of Barack Obama for the 2009 award surpasses many a farcical selection. Barack Obama was rightly and pleasantly surprised (‘astonished’ might be more apposite) to have found himself a Nobel awardee one fine morning. The arguments of the Nobel committee in favor of the strange decision have been based on the premise that Obama has taken ‘decisive’ steps in the direction of attaining world peace. A hardly cogent argument that, considering that Obama is yet an infant in the field of world politics, still in s...

Visuals flashing across news channels today reminded me and many other Indians that the time has come once again to spare a moment of our lives to reminisce over the greatness of the Father of The Nation. As I watched the ceremonial homage being paid to the Mahatma by the various political leaders and their well-rehearsed speeches in praise of Bapu’s principles and values, I found myself unable yet again to ward off strong thoughts of cynicism from intruding inexorably into my mind. The bevy of political bigwigs making a beeline at Raj Ghat looked so much like a shameless exhibition of hypocrisy that the solemn occasion lost all its austerity in my eyes. Mahatma Gandhi gave himself up for the cause of an India free from the reins of imperialism. That he achieved his dream of living in an Independent India, that too without having to indulge in or abet any form of violence was an incredible feat in itself; a feat that should have heralded the beginning of a new India built on the founda...

The rain Gods are no longer as benevolent as they have been for India. The writing is large and ominous on the wall. India can no longer afford to lie back and hope that the clouds from the South West will come knocking at our doors on the dot, year after year. El Nino is one explanation for the aberration this year, but there are sure to be other reasons that may crop up in the future for Mother Nature’s inability to quench our thirst. Politically appropriate statements from ministers and statistical jugglery from the meteorological department have never done anything, or are ever likely to do much to assuage the despair and despondence of the millions of Indians whose very survival depends upon the timely arrival of the rains. Agriculture is the very foundation upon which the economic and social well being of the entire country rests. To allow this foundation to be held ransom to the Monsoon winds, which are threatening to be more whimsical than ever, would be the undoing of this co...

What does one do at the end of a fruitless day, inconsequential and mundane; when one is in the company of none but solitude, enveloped by the monotonous silence of mute confines; when one has to strive hard to prevent his or her spirits from being dragged down under a quilt of gloom. Moments like these can be frequent, yet always unwanted visitors in one’s existence. When I have had the misfortune be in the throes of such torment, my mind always sought refuge in the ever-faithful realm of music to battle my blues. Western slow rock and country music has always been very close to my heart but the lyrical gems of Hindi film music are in a league of their own, and the one can never be compared in relation to the other. I can never tire of listening to my favorite Hindi mp3 music on my laptop – a collection of priceless melodies from the days of Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. It is amazing how the sublime poetic thoughts of the seventies and eighties, which was, without doubt, the gol...

Kapil Sibal seems to have embarked upon a route that might change the face of Indian education forever. On the face of it, the new reforms do promise relief for young minds stressed with the ever increasing burden of expectation and the pressure to perform. It will certainly ease the trepidations on an exam day and on the dreaded day of results. As it is, the race for higher percentages has already begun to undermine the actual purport of knowledge acquisition. The minimalization of the importance of the class X exams, the first big test in a kid's life, and the clubbing of percentages under the broader system of grades will go a long way in alleviating the pressures of modern-day education as also in preventing students from getting into an ugly rat race of marks. Notwithstanding its obvious advantages, Sibal's innovative new reforms does have their flip side as well. There is hardly any doubt that, along with the moderation of stress, the fire of competition too would cool do...

As I watched the delirious celebrations of the English Cricket team after it outlasted the Australian team to win the Ashes, a certain amount of vicarious pleasure buoyed my spirits as well. Strangely, though, I also felt an unusual sense of pity for the Australian team members. The heady days of Australian dominance when they battered the wits out of every team on the planet are yet to fade from memory even as the team stood with forlorn faces staring at the excruciating result of a series that was purported to be one of sweet revenge. The arrogance and conceit that had made Australia the Bete Noire of world cricket with that undisputed aura of invincibility have suddenly been ground to dust. Ricky Ponting’s men looked just so vulnerable in defeat that pity was but a natural and spontaneous emotion that welled up in me at that moment. The Australian game of aggression, intimidation and mental disintegration had claimed many a foe with uncanny precision, and an innocuous English team w...

No sooner had I got over my sordid musings about racists and racism by venting them out in this space (“The Color of Equality”, 14th August), I am confronted with more of the same. The news of Shah Rukh Khan being detained and questioned on suspicion of being a terrorist by the Newark police for two hours flashed disturbingly across TV channels in India. I am no great fan of SRK’s acting abilities nor have I been influenced in any degree by his charismatic sway over the masses. Yet, I found the news disquieting. It is just that the egregiousness of intent on the part of the American security staff is so starkly visible in the episode. The bristles from the impudent behavior of the staff of United Airlines’ flight to Newark towards our former president, Dr. Abdul Kalam are still fresh in the mind of every proud Indian when this new tale of White American arrogance made the headlines. Both the instances of effrontery were cleverly camouflaged under the pretext of “national security guide...

As an Indian, the completion of the sixty-second year of my country’s Independence evokes in me a mixture of emotions. The country has indeed moved on. From being an underdeveloped nation with an uncertain future, India today has risen in stature to be one of the powers to be reckoned with on the world stage. Industry and intellect have combined to transform a country of hope into one of fiery ambition to be a major protagonist in the affairs of the continent. Yet, I say a mixture of emotions because in spite of all the achievements over the last six decades, the nation hasn’t moved as far forward as is desirable. We have certainly freed ourselves from the reins of a foreign monarchy, but can we say that we are independent in the true sense of the term? How can a country gain Independence if it is still hopelessly dependent on the following? DIRTY POLITICS : The biggest scourge of the country yet. Politics in its ugliest form has continuously deprived the laity of its fair share of edu...

Close to two decades have elapsed since Apartheid was officially pronounced dead in South Africa. People of the planet rejoiced at the advent into this world of secularity and equality in the fullest sense. However, many wondered whether a political resolution and a declaration on paper would have sufficed to cleanse the evil of racial prejudice from the hearts and minds of countless people who believed themselves to be “better” creations of God thus far. As is evident from incidents reported with increasing frequency from various corners of the “white” world, racism is far from dead. It continues to thrive and prosper in the minds of fair-skinned egotists who still believe that the color of the skin supersedes every other quality in a human being. Even the most powerful of people are not secure from this deep-rooted evil. The case of US president Barack Obama is worthy of note in this regard. Obama minced no words in his criticism of a certain police officer who humiliated a well know...

I woke up to a dreary morning in the small town of Kakinada on the eastern coast of India. Everything this morning held up the promise of a Sunday not unlike any other in the recent past. I had an appointment to keep at a give-away function organized by my company for the distribution of free food packets to HIV infected children from nearby villages; an event that hardly conjured up any prospect to enthuse my spirits. However, I conscientiously regarded it my duty to be present at the function as I am one of the contributors to the fund that supports these children. With these thoughts of dutifulness and an inflated sense of nobility firmly ensconced in my mind, I set out for my destination with my friend and colleague, C N Wong. On our arrival at the site of the function, my spirits were bogged down even more at the sight of the dilapidated building and the gloomy confines in which the function was to be held. However, when we finally emerged out into the open after more than two ho...

The news of Michael Jackson’s death struck me like a bolt of lightning. To many, the happening has been a virtual non-event; but somehow, the whole journey of the enigmatic personality from his death to his funeral has been one fraught with poignancy for me. As stories of Jackson’s life flashed incessantly on television, I wallowed in a pleasurable wave of nostalgia. Images of Michael Jackson’s dominance of the 1984 Grammy Awards flashed across my mind. I recalled my brother and I watching the nominations of the awards on Doordarshan late into the night on our portable black-and-white TV. At that time, music in video form was at its infancy and watching Michael Jackson performing in “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” on video was a heady visual delight. Memories of pavement slabs getting illuminated at his every step in the video “Billie Jean” remain etched in my mind to this day. We were truly fascinated by this slightly built, cute Black boy with his natural dance movements setting the scre...

Lookin' back on how it was In years gone by And the good times that I had Makes today seem rather sad So much has changed. It was songs of love that I would sing to then And I'd memorize each word Those old melodies Still sound so good to me As they melt the years away. All my best memories Come back clearly to me Some can even make me cry. Just like before It's yesterday once more On a lazy Sunday, my mind lilted pleasurably to the haunting strains of “Yesterday Once More” by “The Carpenters”. This song never fails to transport me into my past and linger in my sweetest memories, very akin to a freewheeler inebriated in ade. Unfailingly, my nostalgia was stirred once again and it spurred me further on my journey into the bygone days as I dug out melody after melody from my MP3 album and soaked in the emotive notes of my favorite numbers once again. Soon, “yesterday Once More” gave way to “Always Somewhere” by “The Scorpions”, my all time favorite band. Next on the list was ...

The massive success of the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” at the Oscars has proven one point beyond doubt – India’s potential to rise like a colossus on the world scene can never be overestimated. Certain personalities of no meager eminence (I would prefer to call them shortsighted cynics) in the country have been quick to label the movie as a blatant exhibition of the muck that pervades Indian society. Superficially viewed, all these people may have a valid point, based on the flimsy logic that such a portrayal may undermine India’s progressive image in the world. Here, I am tempted to quote Shakespeare, maybe a touch incongruously – “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. Indians have to look at this picture of India through the eyes of the world. One has to understand that such a portrait, even if accepted as a deplorable-but-true depiction of India’s current social fabric, will also go a long way in showcasing India’s latent energies to the world. Although it would be irrational to...

It was one of my numerous trips to an offshore rig drilling for oil in a vast watery wilderness far, far away from the humdrum of the world. The rig floor rumbled with activity as the Travelling Block moved up and down. The drillers, the roughnecks and the roustabouts strained themselves to enable steady progress of the operation. My shift was yet to start and I had come up on the heli-deck for a breath of fresh air. In spite of spending close to eighteen years doing the same job, I never cease to wonder at the sheer crudity of operations on an oil rig. Notwithstanding all the effort put in by the crew round the clock, there is no certainty that our efforts are going to bear fruit, that is, it is still impossible to prove the presence of oil inside the earth until we actually get to it. If one traces mankind’s footsteps over the past few decades, it will be observed that He has indeed made huge strides in certain fields of science such as Astronomy, Nuclear, Electronics, Computers, Tel...

Roger Federer must be cursing the day a certain youngster from Spain decided to take up playing Tennis for a living. Just that one lad has forced Federer to come round to the fact that the road to supreme authority in any field comes at a price. There will always be that one last, thorny path that has to be walked before one can lay claim to the ultimate pedestal of fame. In Federer’s case, it has been just one thorn, in the form of an indefatigable, never-say-die Spaniard called Rafael Nadal. Just when he thought that the going was all too easy in his journey to becoming the greatest Tennis player of all time, that one guy has always blocked his path with the stolidity of a stone wall. Try as he might, Federer has been unable to shake Nadal off his back, and off his mind. Federer has always been the cynosure of all eyes in the male Tennis arena. The grace and equanimity with which he has been sailing through the toughest of moments in matches time after time had given him an aura of g...

The world watches in muted attention as Israel continues to pound Gaza with all the firepower at its disposal, unconcerned about the danger of collateral damage to innocent civilian life and property. America’s dual policy in regard to world peace has never been more exposed. On the one hand, the US wants more restraint from India in its fight against terrorism from Pakistan while on the other it opposes a UN resolution for bringing hostilities between Israel and Palestine to an end. Once again the world is confronted with the danger of an irresponsible and unscrupulous power holding the reins in a uni-polar world. It is not so bad to have one superpower controlling the affairs of the world provided that the country in control is just and responsible in the dispensation of its policies. America certainly is not one such nation. It is hardly concerned about the loss of human life anywhere in the world and in any number as long as the lives lost are not of Americans. America is not a cou...