Old is NOT always Gold

28 years on this planet, have been working for the past 10 years, in various fields. Have made a few shifts from hardly paid student jobs, to over paid corporate jobs, and finally to the social sector (let’s not even get into the salary bit of it ) .

When I started working at 17 as a COBOL software developer for a firm which made Income tax calculating software for the ‘rich’ in south Germany. Everyone was highly impressed by the fact that a young Indian boy is helping them out. (For scandal sake I’ll say I was the reason for ‘ Inder statt kinder’ debate which led to MR Jürgen Rüttgers gaining some media mileage )

Now the journey has been amazing since then, and age was always on my side, and the older/wiser/grey hair or totally bald men, did not take me as a threat. Rather I was the rookie they were very happy to give ‘ Gyaan ‘ to. With all honesty I must say I really used to listen in back in the day.

Lately specially when it comes to plan’s of future, methodology to address the youth, what appeals to a nation with the majority of its citizens below the age of 45. I get tsunami’s of arguments always starting with the same tone of “What do you know about this? Back in our day…….” Before I lose my cool, I think to my self, well it’s apparently NOT back in your day, and for sure the ideas applied then were probably NOT good enough.

Now the social sector, like the intelligentsia, has ensure that it is a closed club. Both these club have a code language they speak in, which no body in the ‘real’ world understands. Well here is a BIG middle finger to both these clubs and every one in them, Your knowledge and ideas and work does not matter if it is not known/understood by the common person.

Putting it simply no one gives a fuck about what you did ‘back in the day ‘as its not about you ! & your club ! it’s about how a simple common person steps in for social change , to spread knowledge , in himself , in his environment ,Before global and local , it HAS to be personal .

But then again I have been around for 28 years, whereas you clowns have seen the planet go round for a longer period. Although it’s the quality of time which matter and not quantity !!!          

गंगा ढाबा पे बैठ कर , ६१५ की ओर देखते हुए

गंगा ढाबा पे बैठ कर , ६१५ की ओर देखते हुए .....

चाय अभी आधी ही पी थी , कोई पुराना , आप का ज़िक्र कर गया ,
आप का नाम क्या सूना , हम तोह किसी और ही समय मैं समां गये

आप तीसरे स्टॉप पर मुस्कुराते हुए बस मैं चढ़ती थी ,
हम नज़रे गिरा लेते थे , साला दिल मैं अंग्रेजी गाना सुनाई देता था ,
दिन मन्नो wonderful हो जाता था ,

एक वो दिन है , और आज का दिन है ,
आशिकी मैं भी मिलावट , बेचारी भावनाओ मैं भी बनावट
कुछ रह गया , तोह अपने गंगा ढाबा की चाय

गंगा ढाबा पे बैठ कर , ६१५ की ओर देखते हुए .....
कभी आइयेगा , अप्प को चाय ज़रूर पिलाएँगे

उस सूर्योदय की ओर चलता हूँ

वो संगीत जो निडर हो ,
वो आशा जो बंदिश ना जाने ,
भावना जिसकी हम परिभाषा ना खोजे ,
जब कर्म आशिकी बन जाये ,
उस सूर्योदय की ओर चलता हूँ

हर दिन अनन्त  , हर सोच मैं सच
रास्ते खुद बनाने की क्षमता
गलत राहों से लौट जाने का सहस
जब सुकून और जूनून दोनों ही साथ रहे 
उस सूर्योदय की ओर चलता हूँ

Time to speak up , Man.........

What if something happens to her ? 

Should I ask her to call the cops ? 

Should I ask friends in vasant kunj to get there ?

What am I supposed to do once I get there ?

Do I go all Rambo on the rickshaw driver and beat him to death ? 

What if he is stronger or has a knife or a gun ? 

http://makedelhisafe.blogspot.com/2011/11/time-to-speak-up-man.html

A judicial system designed to fail !!

So before I share my views about the judicial system one has to know that my experience with the Law , real law , cops , robbers , courts came into existence as my jeep got stolen and found TWICE !!.

First time it was rather simple, my jeep got stolen; the cops found it caught the middle man trying to sell it off but could not get the robber. Case was simple went to court twice , got my car back on something called ‘ superdari ‘ , - basically meaning my jeep is an evidence in the crime and I can’t sell it off till the crime is solved. So as the cops would probably never catch the thief one can never sell one stolen – retrieved car. (The dude who wrote this law must have been high on some cheap locally made intoxication)

Any ways the second time around, the cops did not just retrieve my car, but caught the bad guys as well. Great and just as I was expecting a happy ending of this cops n robbers episode, the LAW jumped in. Of course the same running around for the “superdari “, but by now I am an expert of that track (in case you ever have to step into this devils circle do call, I shall sympathize).

But then there was a sequel to this : now as it was my car which was stolen , I was a witness , options provided to me are a) Tell the judge : “ I don’t want to say anything “ , b) compromise , c) be a witness and actually tell them the ‘Truth “.

The problem with having honest parents is that they teach you to speak the truth. My Dad specially is a guy known in lands far far away as someone who is an ‘Honest Man ‘. In today’s world that’s an extinct breed, (and thankfully so, as the following will explain).

So because I could not be a wimp and keep quiet, or did not think it was fine to be paid off by a bunch of robbers who stole my car. I decided I’ll be a witness. 

SO a date was provided by the court , and what a date it was , Delhi was flooded ,  a distance which in traffic takes 20 min took 2 hours. As I reached there court no 207, the Judge with a big smile told me     “O the convicts could not make it because of the Rain, so you need to come again “. Inside my head it was really like “ Lady , you on drugs , the dudes who stole my car , are NOT present ( not my FUCKING PROBLEM ) , THEY ARE IN JUDICIAL CUSTODY , GET THEM HERE , I’ll wait “, which I did convey to the judge in a language lacking the above profanity . Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand her answer was “No! “

So I humbly asked her “Well could you please tell me my exact role in all this? “

She was like “Your car got stolen “

Me: “Yes “

Judge “Well you have to say that “

Me “I am saying that “

Judge “In front of the accused “

My thoughts , this can’t be happening man, a guy who is in jail caught for stealing my car while he was loading it on a truck , has a charge sheet dating back to 1992 , it’s his RIGHT , that the witness needs to record his statement in front of him ????

Any ways before I would do something stupid, I just smiled told the judge see you soon and off I were.

Next Date no rain, no pain, simple drive, had a feeling it’s gonna be over today. BUT I WAS ABOUT TO FIND OUT I COULD NOT BE WRONGER. AS the bloody judge was on holiday!!! , why? How? In the middle of the week a HOLIDAY. There is a system in place a replacement judge, but all that he does is gives you another Date. Well I did get some work done; the dude did agree to record my statement. But gave another date, where I shall be cross examined by the convict’s lawyer.

Alright so putting all the madness in the background, leaving all my temper at home. I reached the court for the third time.  Only to find out the Judge was AGAIN on holiday, the convict had been provided bail but could not make it (probably busy stealing cars), and neither could his lawyer probably ensuring other criminals stay out of jail. So I was given another date.

In February next year , my car was stolen in June 2011 , there will be no judgment till fib 2012. That guy who has been stealing cars since 1992 , 73 on going cases , a charge sheet longer than the Nelson Mandela road , has rights protected by the FUCKING IPC , what about my right ? , what about my time? The only way to ensure the LAW protects your rights in this country is to commit a crime.

Seriously is this Justice? No wonder we are in this chaos, this legal system is designed to protect the bloody criminals. I mean I have all the support social and financial still it seems so disheartening to me. What about the majority of my country?? . Take a walk in the court complex you will know exactly what

I mean, and we talk about amendments, burn this piece of crap and a write something logical and achievable.

p.s.

Reminds me of Sunny Deol

A Man in A Women’s World

My post on the Gender Matters Blog :

Do it yourself !!

Edit

Do it yourself !!

by अमी कुमार on Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 11:59am

Its been a while since i have been back in Delhi , but the city still manages to surprise me.  I guess that's why we leave in this phenomena called India. Where logic is not very logical. Yesterday , I met up with my amazing elder brother , and was just discussing the City ,  work culture and other things which Brothers talk about when they see each other after a year . I realized a rather amazing part of our daily lives. Although I must admit some one had shared this with me about 3 years back , his exact words were " India is a very comfortable  place , you can always get things done ".

Its true , we can get things " done ", its almost a measure of prosperity. All the so called
' big ' people of the city DO NOT do things themselves. I mean simple things like cleaning
ones house , cooking your food , washing your clothes , are activities which are not meant
for Delhieits. Even students have househelps .

So much so that most of the social conversations revolve around maids and servants. The larger the household the larger the help crew. My house has a full time cook/cleaner , a Gardner, a dude who brings milk in the morning , the paper delivery guy , a person who picks up and drops our ironed clothes , a guy who takes the garbage out. So we are a family of 3 being helped by a crew of 6 to keep our lives comfortable. And in case one of them does not turn up , its as if all hell has broken  loose . My mom would ensure there is a replacement , and by one in a million chance if that replacement is not found , the sight wont be pretty , it would be as though by one of those harry potter curses our whole life is paralyzed. Our existence is in question.

This mentality is not just kept at home but carried to work . Its almost a required evil. If you ' do '  work you automatically turn insignificant , no one will give you importance , no one will take you  seriously. For example if you have to get a couple of flyer's printed. The logical step would be , to go to the printer and get them printed. ' BUT ' , in case you make that mistake in Delhi , you would spend a lot of time , as the guy at the shop would ignore you , as he would be busy watching cricket / drinking tea / reading the news paper / talking to his far off relative / or just simply scratching his crouch . Now the Delhi style of doing things is , you ask your receptionist to call the printer , then you explain your intern what he or she has to explain to the printer , then you give the flyer to be printed to your subordinate .

So when the printer comes he meets the receptionist who calls the intern who calls your subordinate.
( because the intern knows since you are so important , you wont directly interacts with him/her )   This chain of command has 2 functions , it shows you ( the person the printer has never seen ) are very important , surely some one of the league of Don Corleone . Secondly when the deadline is about to be missed ( and work is always completed in the last second , as Delhieits don't like wasting any time ). At this mission impossible / last action hero moment , when you will make that call and say " Why is the work not done , how come it has come " I " have to call you !!! " . It will have turbo booster effects and the printing WILL get done !!!!