I am back on iland after a long time.

What brings me back is Raj Thackrey and his antics.

What Raj Thackrey and his doing is yet another instance of how low secteranian politics can fall.Mumbai a city represnting the dreams of millions of Indians is being divided.Raj Thackrey while declaring Mumbai for only Maharashtrians is forgetting some simple things.For starters just as millions of North Indians are earning their bread in Mumbai, there are a large number of Marthis in North Indian cities.Would Raj Thackrey secure their life and livelyhood if those inocent Marthis are at the receiving end of similar regionalism. Not to forget anyway we are having something close happening in Bangaloru. Lot of my Marathis friends are working across the country in palces like Chennai, Kolkutta, Delhi, Chandigarh.What would Raj Thackrey suggest to them ? Should they stop having Ganpati Puja and stop celebrating Sankrat their way if they have their home n hearth outside Maharashtra.

Perhaps Raj Thackrey and his band of goons forget is that each of Indian community has its unique set of customs, rituals. It is this diversity that makes India what it is.Noramlly an averageIndian does participate in the festivities of the people around. It is a part of the way we Indains are. Don't we have Ganpati being celebrated in other states by Maharashtrians. Ofcourse Maharashtrians joining the festivities of Dandia or other festivals not so typically Marthi.

Indians abroad always try to celebrate their festivals with fervor. Indians go crazy about Indian movies and other Indian cultural programs.What if the leaders in those countries too reacted in a similar way.

Raj Thackrey might be thinking that Marathis have a right to go and make a fortune wherever they desire but the same does not hold true for others. Mr. Pandit(Citi Bank) has the right to excel anywhere in the world because he is Marathi Manus but a Bachan does not have the same right  even within his own country ..

We are living in times when people are forced to leave their places of birth and growing up in search of livelyhood.

People like Raj Thackrey are in the habit of creating trouble where there is non.They for their own political milage make poor common Indians scapegoats.

this is an interesting email that i received :-

I have been living in Africa for last couple of months.Its been an interesting experience.I came here few monts back with a certiain amount of trepidation in my mind.After all I was leaving all that was familiar for something that was completely unknown.

Africa for me was the images of wildlife and wilderness that I had seen on Disciovery Channel and National Geography.

After living here for sometime I am glad I came here.

For starters I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer number of Indians living here.There is an astonishing number of Indians from all parts of India working or running bussiness here.

While coming here I had thought of having to do without the Indian Grocerries but dear 'gujoo bhai' didn't think that way. On my arrival here was given the address of the 'indian grocerry' store which keeps anything from 'Amul ghee' to atta , sambar mix to channa massala all there.So I continued tocook the way I had been .Well not exactly as the gas stove gave way to the hot plate and eating out to pot luck dinners shared with other indian friends.I have exchanged numerous recipies. Learnt baking stuff like nankhatai and pastry puff.

These are things I would not have even dreamt of doing back in India.Afterall where did I have the time whereas here I have all the time in the world.

Sometime back I had a day off so after running all my household errands I had some time at my hands in the afternoon. I did not want to spend any more time on my P.C or laze in front of T.V feeling like an idiot. I decided to visit a book exhibition being held in the city. After all who needs company when you have a book in hand?

The book fair was quite nice with a large number of publishers with a large range of books on display. As planned I bought a couple of books which interested me. There was large crowd. But what pleased me most that there was huge number of school children many of them still wearing their school uniforms. They skimmed the titles excitedly. I had begun to think with T.V and Computers having arrived in a big way kids don’t read much. It felt good to see young people still are fond of books.

After spending quite some time at the exhibition I headed out. On the way out I stopped to watch a group of kids flicking through the pages of a colorful children’s book. Suddenly I came across the sight of a watchman at the entrance trying to stop a street urchin from entering the venue of the fair.

I stopped and listened to the conversation between the urchin and the watchman. The urchin wanted to enter the fair. The poor kid thought it to be any other fair, requested to be let in so that he could polish shoes and earn a few rupees. It looked like it must have been days since he had a complete meal. He was dressed in torn shorts and shirt.

At once I was struck by the travesty of the situation. Just moments earlier I had seen kids inside the fair buying books on clearing competitive exams. With lots of dreams for their future and here was kid who thinking no further than the next meal.

I went through a lot of anxiety thanks to ICICI bank.I had given request for a FD to be made in August. The amount was to be debited from my saving account with the same bank.I was told the FD certificate would be delivered in a few days.I beleived that, so went home.
In the meanwhile I had been checking with the bank regularly and everytime I was told I would receive it soon through mail
I had not received the certifictes even by Diwali when I got my account statement. The said amount had been debited from my account but there was nothing to help me understand that the amount had been transferred for the FD.In addition it had been debited on a date 12 days after I had made the request. I got worried so again contacted the bank personal. The person told me that they would check up and get things straightened out. 
Nothing happened till I finally went to the bank and threatened not to leave the premises till the matter got straightened out.
It was then that the bank started the actual exercise of tracing the money.Then they figured out that the bank employee handling the transaction had not fed the requition till 12 days.Also due to some reason FD had not been printed.The FD that the bank data base had, had a date of 12 days after the request had been put up.So it meant I would be losing money.The bank was ready to issue the fd with incorrect date immediately.But it was not ready to accept that.The whole thing got sorted only after I refused to budge till the mistake was fully rectified. Still it took another 8 days for me to get the FD in my hand after about another 8 days.Hadn't I followed up consitently my money was as good as lost.That is modern banking for U.
Getting a FD made in any PSU bank never takes more than two days.They may have drab offices , lack many other services offered by the private banks but what they do give is a sense of security.

Frankly speaking I landed up on the iland by accident. It was after reading news reports of blogs being monitored by the government that I became curious to know more about them. I discovered a whole new world.

 I have liked the idea of imposing my self on anyone in any form. Iland gave me an opportunity to do that. Each moment I spent on the iland has been interestingf.

I made friends who cleared my delimas by there out remarks.

During my stay in iland I have experienced a whole range of emotions. I won’t be exaggerating when I say, that Iland – the friends

I made here have made me laugh

Cheered me up

Gaven Twinkle in the eye

 Touched a sad note in the heart

 Brought tears to eyes

Helped me understand people

Given me a different perspective

Opened a whole new world with lots of space for all

Somewhere
 I didn’t need to mask my thoughts and emotions.

Say things straight from the heart.

It was a pleasant surprise that my blog got featured on Rediff home page.

Thank You Friends   .

lonely road
travelling alone
trudgigng along
no one to talk to
no one to listen to
no one to share with
no shoulder to cry on
no soul to laugh with
but still ambling alone
what for
for whom
why
is there hope
is there life
a
resting place..
a cave sheilding from pain..
ah loneliness
constant companion
like a shadow
never leaving..
the constant comapanion in my journey

I am writing this in response to the comments received  to previous blog.

I grew up in Srinagar. Studied in Mallinson Girls School which is in heart of the city.
Bands,  blackuots and curfew, roiting have been a part of my growing up years.
I have seen all these first hand, though at that time it just chutti from school.
As an adult all this means much more.
Today many of my childhood memories realted to such activities mean something more.There was a lot which was beyond my comprehension as kid but as an adult I can.
I think we generally think of all such events as something distant and hence ignore them as yet another heading in the news.
May be it is that due to fact news of so much violence around we try to build a false sense of security around us.
 We have come to expect them as a part of life.
Though over I have seen a lot of violence and pain in person, I have yet to harden  and become imune.
Believe I don't want to..

I am stuck up at home(alone) today because curfew has been imposed in the city since last evening.
I  grew in a state where roiting  & cufew is a part of life. Every few months my school would be closed due to law & order problems in the city. School would be closed in the middle of the day because of some law & order problem in the city.
Trouble in the city meant no school !!  In  case there was a test ahead we would at times pray for it.. Just imagine I remember no of times when prayer would be answered. But then as a kid world meant family n school. My concrens were few..
As a kid I wouldn't be bothered about all the poor labourer whose family would be deprived of their daily bread. The sick who would be deprived of medical care. The infant who would have to go without milk.Not to talk of loss to the economy.This all being the start of a list.
 We moved to this city few years back. It was peaceful all along.So much so I had almost forgotten about the turbulance I  seen as a kid.. 
But two days back that reverie was broken. I was scared, I had fear of anybody and everybody. It took me some courage to leave the safety of my workplace for coming home. Almost all of my colleagues made frantic calls to check on their kids. Many left immediatly to collect them from there school or creche. I felt relieved that I don't have kids for whom I had to worry.
The only trouble I have at the moment is that I am alone at home, my husband having gone out of station. I have a every thing I need at the moment except for the freedom to step out of my home. But I feel bad for all those who aren't so lucky.
God knows when we become sane enough and start respecting people of all caste creed n color. Why can't we all live n let live.
Is the gain for the vested interests so huge that they have no regard for life and property?
 Wish we all get filled with humanity n love. Please GOD fulfill my wish. Please....
Wish this were like anyother Saturday.. But is not..

The group of women concluded that computers should be referred to HE because:
1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
2. They have a lot of data but are still clueless.
3. They are supposed to help you solve your problems, but half the time they ARE the problem.
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that, if you had waited a little longer, you could have had a better model.

The men, on the other hand, decided that computers should definitely be referred SHE because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic.
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.
3. Even your smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for later retrieval.
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories.