Why in the picturesque Los Angeles, I miss my land?

The beautiful city of California, Los Angeles, has everything that can make you forget the world. It has all the elements of an A-class city and picturesque landscapes which brings all the Hollywood memories to life.

Not to mention the pleasant wind, soaking sunshine, warm beaches and several happy faces which make me wonder about the concept of heaven and earth.

Here I should also not fail to point out the many facilities one avail in the hearty land of US. You talk about bus connectivity or helping people; education and medical benefits or less corruption; brimming Universal Studios and city walk or Hollywood stars luxury apartments; the life in the always alive LA is not only spectacular but perfect.

Yet it is home calling for me after all home is where your heart is and my heart belongs to India. The Incredible India where I was born and lived 30 years of my life. LA is amazing yet it will never be able to surpass the nitty-gritty aspects of India. The peaceful Hollywood city undermines the chaotic concept of India yet fails on marginal lines for someone, who loves to shop from flea markets instead of blindly following mall culture, who prefers roadside ‘chaishops’ over Starbucks and Café Coffee Days.

LA has a life but India has a way of life. We Indians are still in the process of exploring desi food vs junk food, work pressure or family pressure, flea bargaining vs mall shopping. Anyways the idea here is that we are still somewhere in between proportionating the concepts which are good or bad for our family and in turn society. We want to be free yet are bounded by cultures and traditions giving a new perspective to the idea of life. We are not blindly following society but believe in reasoning and apply logic. The new generation of India is definitely positive towards its outlook and approach towards leaders, rituals, common practices and that is what I miss the most in Los Angeles.

It looks like that time has stopped here; people are courteous but are far away from discussions. They will give you a helping hand and smile but beyond that would never involve in interactions as if they are scared to know you in person. The Indian community here is trying to keep the ideals alive but I somehow doubt that when I see their next generation talking in heavy audible accents priding themselves as Huh…We..Americans.

Earning dollars is certainly an interesting pattern for most Indians turned NRIs and even I would not mind earning some in a foreign land but if somebody asks me what next or where would you see yourself after 5 years- my answer would be not in the picturesque land of Los Angeles, but in My India.

Wo jo har duniya ka dum bharte hain, Kehte hai chalo ab ghar chalet hain…… (The one, who speaks about conquering so many worlds, finally realizes the wish to go home….)

Miss You Home!

Why I hate going to temples?

It would sound as a cliché and anti-god saga to many but is true and follows my own logic and reasoning. My idea of hating visiting religious places might sound absurd to many, however stands bygone to me unfortunately.

I have nothing against God or against its people and followers but only to think of the several trips once inside the premises make me sick and wretched.

“Have a dupatta on your head for God sake, take of your sandals, wear decent clothes, don’t go inside if you are down (periods),” are the common statements heard and anyways I have nothing against any religion.

When we visit somebody’s house, we still follow some norms and these come to me plain and simple. But what follows next inside is ridiculous and disgusting.

Being a Hindu I have often visited temples, but that doesn’t mean that I have not been to other religions ‘House of God’.

The performa is almost same everywhere. Being a girl you are not allowed to even visit certain chambers (when God did no differentiation while creating me, why should any human being must?)

Then if you are on your periods you are an outcast. Mind me, these religious bodyguards must go and visit VaishnoDevi toilets for Godsake, you will be stuck in your shoes with the number of sanitary pads found in dustbin on any average day.

Then the audacities of offerings really sicken me. How can one justify offering milk, sweets, flowers and money to the stones in temples; the same is almost everywhere else.

What shocks me is the attitude of Pandits and other religious sacrosancts. Trust me I know some pandits who preach but are non-veg by food habits and involve in alcoholism during the feasty nights. Not to mention the money they take for wedding and other religious processions. No wonder we get buried in homeloans to build our houses but these pandits already own some lands and are prospering like anything.

Curse our jobs and minimum salaries! I am not targeting here any particular religion, community or caste. I have prayed like many others, kept fasts and done several offerings in past but what irks me is the religious business some priests run nowadays.

Many would agree with me that the House of worship have turned into commercialized centres beaming with idol shops and chadar offerings.

When in a temple you can’t even touch god, segregated due to VIP guidelines and are often misguided by the religious thakedaars- one must certainly ask a question? Why should we bend to the rules made by some profit making people who call themselves the patent holders of GOD (as said in OMG movie)?

I pray to God and try to connect with the supreme daily but not on somebody else’s condition but mine…

a new beginning

And, I return to the platform I left nearly 6 years ago.....mixed feelings, friends are left behind, riding new waves, have taken new journeys, hope will live up to my expectations again.


A different world, unexplored paths and embellished dreams. Time to discover me again. Discovering-devika again.......

Prem`s gazab kahani- A must watch!

After so many days of the hectic schedule (from office to home n vice-versa), i was rather irritated to have an idle week-off. So instead of just passing my time i decided to go for a movie with my friends.

After much discussion we opted for the Kapoor kid- Ranbir`s latest `Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani`. His new movie had a name similar to a comic edition so it did caught our attention. However the lead pair also included Katrina Kaif who is somehow not my favourite but as i didn`t have any choice so i looked forward to have some enjoyment with my friends. As we opted for the last show at 10:45pm so after taking a heavy dinner we strolled out.

Talking about the movie i would suggest that it is a total bang and is really worth watching. Ranbir is at his best after `Wake up Sid` while Katrina is OK. You can find some similarity in some portions with the blockbuster Andaz Apna Apna of 80`s. Although the story is plain but the comedy sequences hold the audience till the very end. Coming to lyrics Pritam and Irshad Kamil have a unique chemistry which make the audience hum with the beautiful compositions.

Directed bty Rajkumar Santoshy the story revolves around a small-town with a distinct Ooty feel where Prem, a ninth-standard drop-out runs a local Happy Club. Now the story follows with the entry of the neighbourhood girl Jenny, a pretty young Christian girl who lives with her adoptive parents. they team-up and become good friends but lately he realises that he is falling for the girl, but can't muster up the courage to tell her. When Jenny's parents force her to marry an obnoxious rich boy, Prem volunteers to help. Turns out Jenny's got a boyfriend she loves, and now Prem must unite them.

So finally with all the twist and turns the movie finds a happy end giving the audience full time-pass. Ranbir Kapoor, is the brightest spot, rising above the script's many holes, occasionally even making the stupidity work. So I would suggest, go for the movie for Ranbir Kapoor whose performance alone justifies the price of the ticket.

Rediscovering the phantoms of 1984

I can see in your eyes, I can see in your faces, I can see you cry. But what I want to say, there’s no reason to cry. Do not, in the name of peace, go in the streets and riot.”- George Weah


Although I was born in 1985, tales of the 1984 riots have always haunted me. Hailing from Kanpur, which was the second worst riot-affected region after Delhi, discussions about how the Sikhs were tormented always petrified me. My father used to tell me about those painful days and horrible nights whose remembrance still brings tears in his eyes.

Imagining as to what would have happened 25 years ago is nearly impossible for me. Therefore on the 25th anniversary of Indira Gandhi’s death and the subsequent anti-Sikh riots, I decided to meet some of those who witnessed the uproar, grief, death, suffering and bloodshed. Alok Tomar, who was a reporter in Jansatta at that time, Arati Jerath, the reporter of Indian Express, and Deepak Duggal & Jasbir, businessmen who were targets of the carnage, shared their memories with me.

Alok Tomar (Editor, Datelineindia.com)

Nobody could have imagined the wrath and anger that October 31 brought with it. Alok Tomar was going to watch a movie in now defunct Chanakya theatre when, as a routine habit of a crime reporter, he called the police control room and was informed that PM Indira Gandhi had been shot dead by her Sikh guards at PM’s official residence at Safdarjang. He could not digest the idea of her being hit by 38 bullets.

He hired a taxi to AIIMS hospital and managed to see Mrs Gandhi at the 7th floor, lying lifeless. Many of the cabinet members were waiting in the conference hall of AIIMS. Rajiv Gandhi flew back from Orissa. Some of the prominent ministers urged him to take oath immediately but he insisted that his first priority was his mother who was dead. Alok then called Prabhash Joshi, his editor, and dictated to the desk the whole scenario over phone

He even witnessed the first death in the riots at around 4 pm on October 31 when, near the INA market, a sardar was brutally battered with bricks. Later in the day, he filed his story. He recalled the first lines of his report that said- “Aaj do hathyaen hui hai- ek Indira ki aur doosri manushya ke manushya par vishwas ki” (Today, two deaths have occurred- one of Indira and the other of trust in humans)

By November 1, the situation had worsened. While walking to his office, he was amazed to find all the police posts closed and locked. Trilokpuri, especially block 32, was badly hit. The second death occurred at 10:20 am when an elderly sardar was thrashed and killed using a burning tyre that was thrust around his neck. When he questioned Nikhil Kumar (the then additional commissioner of Delhi Police and now Governor of Nagaland), he answered that Hindus are just burning garbage and how could police stop the madding crowd?

Rahul Bedi of the Indian Express went with him to Home Minsiter Narsimha Rao’s place and both, tired and agitated, blamed him for the situation. Rao, however, replied that the Army had been called in. Mundka, Nandgoi, Shahdara and Trans-Yamuna areas were wrecked. Kakanagar, Sarojini Nagar, Palam were the other residential areas that were scarred. More than 300-400 bodies were seen by Rahul and Alok. The toll had passed 3000 in a span of 4 days. Because Indian Express group was pro-victims, Hindu mobs thrashed several of its employees, including Alok.

Later, several committees were set up where he recorded his statements; but all the enquiries were in vain. He also attended the cremation of Indira Gandhi where Rajiv Gandhi’s stoic and numb presence was really unbearable. Amitabh Bachchan, who had cordial relations with the Gandhi family then, was also present there.

Recalling the horror of those sleepless nights, he said that he and his team hoped against hope that what they had been doing would prevent a rise in casualties but unfortunately it was not enough. To quote Rao, “it was madness” but Alok saw a well-defined method in it. A bloody method!

Arati R Jerath (Senior Editor& Chief of Delhi Bureau, DNA)

Recounting her horror, Arati Jerath remembered that it was a chilly winter morning on October 31 when she was spending some quality time with her elder daughter, who was then an infant. Suddenly, she got a call at quarter to 10 that Indira Gandhi was shot dead at 9:20 am and that she was required at office.

Those days security was not much of a fuss and she therefore walked into the PM house easily later in the evening and surveyed the blood-splattered area for her story. The retaliation against Sikhs had still not become widespread but one gurudwara in Satya Chauraha Clave had been burnt down and it ran as the first flash in her newspaper. It was also rumoured that sweets were distributed in some of the gurduwaras celebrating the death of Indira. However, the scenario was like a still before a storm.

Next day, many parts of Delhi were hit by mob violence. Police were, needless to say, unable to control the situation. All those shops and colonies were targeted which belonged to Sikhs. As she used to stay at Amrita Shergill Marg, she had to walk most of the distance to her office. Nearby, the taxi-stand’s taxis were burnt. The drivers fled from the scene as they were all Sikhs. When they returned, they were all clean-shaven and their turbans were gone.

Like others, her family was also scared. Both she and her husband were reporters. Those three days were the most awful days of her life. Her parents came over from defence colony, which was also riot-hit. The violence had gripped the heart of the city and the Sikh domestic areas were prime targets. Be it Khan Market or Safdarganj, extremist Hindus lead by some local political leaders rampaged & vandalised the houses of Sikhs with impunity.

One of her friends in Vasant Vihar was also surrounded. In order to protect his family, he went out on the balcony and lit a cigarette which is prohibited in Sikh faith- to show that he was not of the community. After the riots ended, he started visiting gurudwaras regularly in order to rediscover himself.

Mrs Jerath could not go for reporting as Indian Express had barred girls from going out. But her other colleagues like Rahul Bedi and Joseph daringly covered the whole scenario, even protected some Sikhs from the blood-thirsty crowd. The most amazing part, according to her, was that the whole situation calmed down the day when Indira Gandhi’s body was cremated. This showed that there was some planned motive behind these riots.

The fifth day from Indira’s death, when she went to Tilak Nagar, the scene shocked her beyond words- pieces of burnt hair, clothes and turbans shook her soul. It was grotesque with women wailing for their husbands. Only some old men and children were left out of the ordeal- only to be victimised by circumstances forever.

Deepak Duggal & Jasbir (Businessmen in Kanpur)

Deepak Duggal recollected the memories of the horrendous behaviour of crazed mobs towards Sikhs. As William Penn puts it, “Passion is the mob of the man that commits a riot upon his reason”. Duggal’s experience confirmed the same.

By the night of October 31, it was clear that Indira Gandhi was dead. The incidents which took place on November 1 shook the whole of Kanpur. He elaborated, stating that at 7 am, the lower caste groups from Jajmau and other areas of the city started vandalising shops and ransacking the houses Sikhs in Lal Bunglow and Govindpur areas.

Friends turned foes. Women were raped and molested, not even kids and elders were spared. Police kept mum and the local Congress leaders added fuel to fire. Sikhs were singled-out and burnt alive. “We fired gun-shots and opposed the mob, which was trying to enter our house. Our trucks were burnt but thank God we were saved but the conditions were horrendous”, added Duggal’s friend, Jasbir.

After 3 days on November 4, curfew was imposed and continued for another week; but many lives were lost already. Politics had played its game, what was left was pain.

Follow the link to read the actual story: http://www.zeenews.com/news576514.html

Soon Mandarin will replace Hindi in Terai: Maoist leader Azad

Maoism today is considered synonymous with violence, brutality and crime. Yet its meaning differs in the eyes of its believers. The newly appointed Maoist leader and coordinator, Azad (who refuses to give away his real name) of the ‘Sanyunkt Jantantrik Terai Mukti Morcha’ says they are fighting for the independence of their motherland- the Terai region, bordering Nepal with India. Wanted in Nepal, he has been in hiding since 2004, away from his family and parents.
Speaking to Devika Chhibber of Zeenews.com, he deliberated on the issues dealing with the struggle of his people, the apathetic attitude of both Nepal and Indian governments towards them and China's presence in Nepal and India.

Excerpts:

Devika: Tell me something about yourself and your movement?

Azad: Born in 1971, like my many of my other colleagues I have dedicated my life for the cause of my land. I adopted Maoism in 2004. Born in the middle of this movement, I have always wanted to see my people and land free of all the atrocities heaped on them. So my movement is all about the freedom of Terai region.

Devika: What is this Terai conflict actually?

Azad: Terai basically was a part of India, but after the memorandum of 1816 and the treaty of 1860, the East India Company divided the land of Terai from west to Mechi, east to Mahakali and north of present Indo-Nepal broader. This treaty forced us to be a part of the Nepalese regime. Later after the independence of India in 1947, Nepal and India signed in “Peace and friendship Treaty 1950?, which nullified all the prior accords that Nepal signed with British rulers. That means the treaties of 1816 and 1860 were considered void. On the basis of UN charter’s Section 73, Terai became an autonomous region. But Nepal refused to grant us any autonomy and thus here we are fighting for our independence.

Devika: You are called Madheshis. What does it mean?

Azad: We are not Madhesis (With anger in his tone). This word is often used by Nepalese to humiliate us. This word actually means an object which is worse than the dead (I was politely asked not to refer to the word again).

Devika: What is the present situation in Nepal? Do they use threats too?

Azad: Yes, first they tried to shoo us away from the region by bringing in the Citizenship Act according to which only those were granted citizenship who spoke Nepalese. Later they started treating us like slaves and labourers. They also hired goondas(goons) to torture, murder, rape and evacuate us. The situation here is much worse than you can understand. Due to these tortures, many have fled to other nations. Several bonded labourers in Bihar and UP are our people.

Devika: You call yourselves Maoists, so do you intend to follow their violent methods?

Azad: We have adopted Maoism recently and yes we are determined to adopt violent methods to gain our objectives and kill those who try to barricade our movement. But actually, speaking from my heart, we do not want to do any of this. We want to live in peace and harmony, it’s just that we have no other choice.

Devika: Do you believe in communism?

Azad: I hate communists no matter where they are, be it India, China or anywhere else. I can assure you that in today’s scenario, communism just doesn’t exist and all those who call themselves communists are phony and bogus. In fact they are Kamao-ist i.e. they just want to earn money by idealizing the old beliefs.

Devika: What are your basic demands?

Azad: We want independence at any cost. Be it through blood or sacrifice. We want to do things which you can do in free India. We want our generations to breathe in free Terai.

Devika: How far have you been successful?

Azad: Recently held elections in Nepal answer your question. You won’t believe it, but no Nepalese was able to win from the Terai region and the winners were our people, who are all sitting MPs in the Nepal government currently.

Devika: Do you think Nepal Maoists are aiding Naxalism in India?

Azad: Yes, certainly they are. Not many know that there is an organization known as Communist Party of South Asia Association, which up to recently was headed by Prachanda. All the Maoist movements in the world are funded by this particular organization only.

Devika: What is your source of funding?

Azad: People who have faith in our movement support us (refused to comment any further).

Devika: Has change in power (from monarchy to democracy) in Nepal helped solve your problems?

Azad: No our woes are still the same. Be it the Kings, Maoists or democratic parties in Nepal, no one has ever supported us. They just want to use Terai for their own benefits least caring as to what happen to those residing there.

Devika: Has the Indian government been of any help to you?

Azad: Not at all. The Indian government has remained partial and biased as ever. The situation is still the same as it was at the time of independence. India has never supported our cause. In fact many a times they extradite us along with other criminals in Nepal. They name us as terrorists. Recently 22 weapons seem to have been recovered in Kalpi, but this we feel was a part of a conspiracy against us.

Devika: What do you think about Chinese presence in India and Nepal?

Azad: China is the mastermind and cause of the plight of India and Nepal. If you ever visit Nepal and Terai you can find pagoda shaped temples. Both the regions follow Hinduism, then why the shape of Chinese temples? It is not fair. It may be very soon that Mandarin will replace Hindi in the text books there. China always wanted to exercise its control on the neighbouring nations. It has already established control over Tibet which is the first in its plan. Leh, Ladakh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Arunachal will follow. Through them it will try to create disturbances and unrest in the nearby areas. The recent incursions in India are also the result of the same strategy.

For actual interview follow the link- http://www.zeenews.com/news566998.html

Gujral forced me to quit Fodder Scam probe: Joginder Singh

“Tackle ‘big fish’ firmly and without fear”, PM Manmohan Singh said recently at a two-day conference to discuss the workings of the CBI. It openly reflects the gravity of state of affairs at agency and the uncalculated consequences of political interference in CBI’s workings.

Even the recent revelations in Aarushi murder probe are shocking and have raised doubts on the credentials of India’s premier investigation agency. There are many pending cases which emphasise the need to complete inquiries against those of doubtful integrity; and then there are those which were never ‘solved’ satisfactorily.

Devika Chhibber of Zeenews.com chatted up with former Director of CBI, Joginder Singh, popularly known as Joginder ‘Tiger’ Singh, seeking answers on the existing scenario and possible remedial measures.

Here are the excerpts:

Devika: ‘Evidence tampering’ is another twist in Aarushi murder case. What went wrong in the probe? Is CBI to be blamed?
Joginder Singh: Aarushi case was initially handled by the Noida police and all the mess which you can see today is because of them and the doctors’ negligence. CBI came into the picture very late, i.e. after 2-3 weeks. So, all the evidence was already tampered with and CBI could do nothing else except to pick up the leftovers to carry on the investigation. But the blame of tampering cannot be laid on CBI’s shoulders.

Devika: If CBI carries out all the investigations properly, then why is it that so many cases are still pending?
Singh: CBI can only investigate. What can it do if the witness denies everything in court which he has accepted in front of the police, and let me tell you that this happens all the time! There is no punishment for those who lie in front of court. What can we do? We are simply helpless in such situations.

Devika: So you are telling me that all the pending cases till date are the result of people backing out at the last moment. That’s what you call ‘lack of evidence’?
Singh: : I agree that in some cases, CBI is lacking, but most of the unsolved cases are because of insufficient evidences i.e. people backing out or due to government’s interference.

Devika: Can you please elaborate. What did you mean by government’s interference?
Singh: : In most of the cases, CBI has to deal with those who have strong political holds, and because CBI is not an autonomous body, the officers are unable to probe any further because it is the government that actually sanctions things. Moreover, only then we are allowed to probe. Without their permission we cannot probe to a degree that is required to go deep into the matter.

Devika: Did any such political pressure create impediments when you were the director?
Singh: : Yes, of course. I won’t call it political pressure, but yes, in cases relating to politicians, government did not give me permission and did try to restrict my moves. Even my transfer during my tenure was for the same reason.

Devika: Will you please share some such experience?
Singh: : I remember very clearly when I was investigating the fodder scam in which the prime suspect was the then Bihar CM Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, I was forced to stall my probe against him. Why, because he was close to the then United Front government. I even remember that conversation where the-then PM Mr Inder Kumar Gujral tried to stop my investigation by showcasing his power. He actually told me that he was ‘the PM’ and so I should listen to him. He forced me to leave the Fodder Scam Investigation.

Devika: This shows that CBI does not work freely….
Singh: : As stated earlier, CBI is never an autonomous body. It is just an image which is portrayed, but actually the functioning inside is not that liberal. You must be aware that CBI came into existence in 1943 when the Special Establishment Act was formed, which was once renewed in 1946. But that does not make it legal. We are still following those age old norms. Nothing has been done to renew the Act and the body, I must say today, is in the declining state of health.

Devika: Thank you so much sir but just one last thing. Now that you are out of the system, so as an outsider, what’s your take on CBI and the possible measures?
Singh: : I think that CBI can only perform well when it is not bound to follow the government. For this, a proper bill needs to be passed in the assembly, making it an autonomous body, and experts should be kept to guide juniors. The control can be vested in the hands of constitution directly. Unless this is done, a positive and concrete outcome cannot be accepted.
Here is the link: http://www.zeenews.com/news562134.html