My name is Khan

What's with this movie. What's the point. I went purely to see the magic of SRK and Kajal inspite of pathetic reviews. I didn't get to see the normal SRK, but Kajal was AMAZING.
While looking at the movie, I realised something. Turns out, it is so obvious, since it's staring you right in the face, that you miss it.
There's always support for being a Muslim, it's always Hindus who seem to be shown in the wrong light.
Take Mr and Mrs Iyer, we get to see Hindu extremists murdering the old helpless Muslim couple.
My name is Khan shows a young Khan hearing about crimes Hindus perpetrated crime against Muslims.
Fiza again is about how a Muslim kid turned to terrorism due to Hindu-Muslim riots.
The news is filled with images of crimes against Muslims during the Gujarat riots or even the Mumbai ones.
There is a definite exposure to the world when it watches Indian media - be it the entertainment movies or the 24 hour news channels- I am not surprised if all they see is that Muslims suffer at the hand of Hindus in India because it is a predominantly Hindu country. But in each scenario, I am sure even other religions suffered.
The media may not realise it, but doesn't the world need to know that too. If we do not represent all aspects of our society, won't the world too see us that ways.
We are republic, secular and democratic and proud of it aren't we. We have had people from myriad religious backgrounds lead the country, lead our second religion[ cricket ], be the entertainment stars and what not. Why then the need for separation on basis of religion.There's no movie on India's democratic life is there

Pass the port please

I applied for a marital status and address change in my passport on dec 17th 2009. I waited 45 days to hear from the police for the verification, then hubby made a trip to the 'round the corner police station.
He came back home to tell me, I need to go there too.
I went. We got sent back for a phone bill from 2009.
We returned. We got sent back for a phone bill from the previous address in 2008.
We returned. We got sent back for .. you get it, we went to the police station, home and back 4 times.
Then, turns out, since I had submitted all those documents at the time of passport application - we needn't have gone back and forth even once.

Finally, the writer guy sits to write down the information. In the meanwhile, I saw him insult a guy because he was from Tamil Nadu, being rude to a girl who didn't have any other address proof other than a rental agreement[true], try to hit a guy with a paper weight when that guy did not understand where he was to sign. He made statements about if he doesn't finish an application in 15 days, the commissioner pulls them up - what about 45 days in my case I wonder.What about police needed to come to the house and verify on their own, what about them calling up people if they can't find them. It's their job, isn't it. When Vc said, I thought you would get in touch with us , he said 'will you pay for my personal calls to all the people who applied for passports'
I used to believe that a police station is what wrong doers need to fear, but being there for 2 hours just waiting on people[police] to just sign a paper, a weird fear grew within me, I didn't want to be there, it was like my skin was crawling, like I had put my foot into crap, like I was in a stinking spot and the stench was attaching itself to me.I didn't want to look at that sick,slimy writer, it's was frustrating to keep a calm face and talk to him, anything so as to not displease him, just so my application passes.
Then, he says, the SI isn't here , come back in the evening.
I came home, took a bath to get the sick feeling off.You needed to be there to feel it.
We went back in the evening, dreading even going there, turns out he wasn't there. We had to settle down for another hours wait. Slimeball people walking in and out, staring like 'beep beep beep's. And then, the worst moment of the day, I heard a scream come from inside, a real heart wrenching sound - why , why as a person who needed passport verification did I have to be subjected to hearing a person being tortured .WHY . WHY . WHY. I almost puked right there.
Shouldn't they do it as defined by coming to my house. Shouldn't they learn to be polite to people who come to the police station. Shouldn't they know how to treat people who are not criminals. Shouldn't they know that they can't expect women to spend 4 hours in a police station. Shouldn't they know that they need to respect women, at least show respect.
I never thought I would say it, but I find it hard to believe that people who are to protect us are the ones I am afraid of.
It's feb 20 2010, more than 2 months since I applied and I still don't have my passport - just a marital status and address change.

Aren't the rains always to bring good times?

My maid didn't turn up for work yesterday without informing me in advance and I didn't give it much thought, even though I know she has never done that before.
She came in today and spoke half in tears.
She told me that her sister had a baby on Sunday night. That the baby seemed ok in the beginning but developed some sort of respiratory issues and the doctors said "We can't fix this, take the baby to another hospital".
And these people went out in the rain with a new born babe to another hospital where they said "We don't have a bed, we can't take the baby in"
The rain caused a fever and the baby died.
Where is the sense in this? How pathetic can a medical organisation get that they turn out a babe saying there's no space! How much space do they need after all, the size of half a hand ??
Do they not realise that a life that was nurtured for 9 months, something that was awaited eagerly all lost because they went to a hospital that couldn't fix something and then were forced to go to another heartless place.
What is the world coming to if life is not the most important thing there is ??

Circus

That's the movie I went to watch last night, most of what the movie was about is really a blur to me already, the only thing I remember, rather only thought I came back with was something I saw on the screen before the movie, just after all the Vicco Vajradanti ads.

They played the Indian National Anthem. A habit probably long lost. And I am proud to say every single person stood up straight, people walking in late stopped on the stairs and moved only after it was over.
There is so much pride in us, the sense of belonging, the visual of the tricolour that bonds us together.
The song they played moved me,not just the music which is really beautiful, but also the smiles on the faces of the people who were showing us where they have to survive so we can be safe in our homes.
Here's the link from Youtube : Indian army in Siachen(with national anthem)

Youtube threw up these other links when I searched for the previous one:
Award winning Indian ad ,Respect the National Anthem

Does the mind go that way at all ?

I was reading something in the newspaper today , the gist of which was :

Pakistan needs India to take offense on an(y) issue and threaten it
which in turn will
justify Pakistan's need to mobilise their armed forces towards the India-Pak border
which in turn
can be used to convince the US that they don't have enough manpower/arms available to control the Taliban/Al-Qaeda/what not
which in turn will
mean US will provide military assitance to Pakistan
which in turn
means India bloody well be scared of Pakistan now.

WHY !!!
Why for the love of God aren't things simpler?
Why is India still on the defensive????