Oye Bengaluru- Namma Bitu Bitu

Attracting mosquitoes, repelling people-That is what good repellant mosquito coils, creams, racquets and mats do! A lesson well learnt it during my recent battles!

I am a crusader and an activist fighting corruption in education and issues pertaining to child abuse and neglect for more than a decade, but in the wildest of my dreams, I never thought that I would one day have to fight an invincible army …my biggest challenge-The modern tribe of irreverent, sadistic blood thirsty, merciless, domiciled, addicts…The Namma Mosquitoes!

They look like vampires have but evolved over time, ditching the scary teeth and flowing capes and adapting a smaller, less conspicuous look, deciding to settle in Bengaluru. The place fitted their bill and expectations! Bengaluru seems to have a special attraction for the mosquitoes. We are a very inviting and hospitable city. The lovely climatic condition is perfect for mosquito breeding. The sudden rain has left sufficient puddles that act as caring warm loving nurseries for mosquitoes. The sadistic and stubborn lot of flying pricks who strike you, when you can least, counter it with a scratch, like whilst cooking, rolling out rotis and sometimes even when fresh nail polish has been applied!

Damn! The harmful rascals! They make me feel armless sometimes!

There is not a single locality in Bengaluru that I know of, where you wouldn’t come across the mosquito menace. The mosquitoes in fact have overcome almost all the Commercial repellants. It makes no difference to the swarm as to what kind of repellant we use in the house or office, the howling swarm continues it attack in full force. I think it is more to do with the dedication, adamancy, their fertility and breeding than developing resistance.

A 1000 member swarm attacks, inhales the repellants-get high and start enjoying the sting!

Of course some take it to the next level and make ‘blood’ a three course meal! Wish they evolve to suck out fat instead of blood.

While the Corporation claims to have taken measures to bring the mosquito menace under control, residents associations feel that no action has been taken.

My life in Bengaluru has trained me to rely heavily on electricity for every single action in my life. Bad enough we have so many Rackets in our society, to add to my list is an Electrical Racquet! We all know that almost all the mosquito repellants are electrical. So where did that leave me? Somehow every time I held that racquet the unfulfilled desire of becoming Tennis pro got fulfilled within me.

Well, trying to fight away a blood thirsty swarm of mosquitoes using my bare hands!!It did not do much good, as far as I can tell. My neighbors were pleased they had a budding Qawwali artist, performing the rate at which I clapped my hand s at every failed attempt I made indoors as well as outdoors.

 Bengaluru is under seige! The enemy force, which out numbers Bengalureans by millions and feasts on namma “bloodu”, is none other the deadly mosquito!

The Corporation officials have their favorite lines-“all possible steps to curb mosquito breeding are underway.” Fogging, hand spraying…all gone up in a lot of smoke finally!

So what can Namma Bengaluru boast of today? High cost of Living, Poor Roads, Poor Electricity, Traffic Snarls, and an overdose of Mosquitoes!! And, where does it leave people like me? No idea on that…. I am still trying to figure it out!! Meanwhile,as a part of the mosquito de-addiction programme, I have consigned the mats, racquets and coils to Ulsoor lake.

Do ensure a steady supply of blood to snack on, fellow Bengalureans, for Namma Mosquitoes are here to stay!  

Praying they don’t fly out on a weekend “bloody” drinking binge!

The Advantage- Namma Mosquitoes have no curfew time! Jai Kaveri! Good Knight!


Acknowledgment: Images-Courtesy online open source

Between Cupid And The Devil- Will Kingfisher Survive?

It’s all about the color RED! oops I mean KingFissured!

Red is hot and red is strong, but how on earth does one plan to cut a Rs. 6000 crore debt? We have all heard the chairman insisting that within a jiffy, his airline would be back on track? It’s taken off into one crisis after another, including with the DGCA, non payment of salaries and lots of dues besides improper erratic schedules plaguing Kingfisher. Is it all about the colour Red?

The carrier surely must not be surprised to see another exodus. It has also started defaulting salaries, I’m told by a couple for friends who work in the airline. Some say there are issues within the top management. There is barely anyone who interacts or even boosts the sagging morale of these employees. Ill timed decisions, overt flamboyance and maybe even a flawed business model, have reduced the glory in red to a wingless bird without flight soaked in the blood of its unforeseen injuries.

Now was that a Boutique airline to customers? Was the concept Yachts with wings? The precincts remained Red. Many such concepts were flying across meeting tables and accordingly being translated into action! After all maybe an ill conceived concept , that ensured that in spite of 80-90 % carriage the red airline barely made any profits.

The merger with Air Deccan also backfired, somewhere in 2008. Around Rs.550 crores were spent on Air Deccan for operations to start under the brand name Kingfisher Red! The rebranding seemed a huge flop to me. Many ill informed passengers assumed that the service would be just the one on board the boutique carriers so ably designed by Mr Mallya himself. It sure felt well when he welcomed us on board saying each one of us was his personal “guest” on board. It almost felt like our own private carrier. Was it about the word Red?

The IT department have frozen all the accounts from when I last read..oops did I say red?

Is there hope of revival? Is Rs.2000 crores from SBI down the drain? Or could that be brought back and be trained again to fly? I am also told that about 40-50%of the pilots have quit, so like the blue airways that currently Jets across the skies, would it from be trainees who land us onto the tarmac? The inimitable dad and son combo however, believe that the problems of the red air are surmountable. Importing jet fuel seems a cruel joke and FDI in carriers cannot surely be the only panacea for an ailing airline. Just recently three dozen flights all over the country were cancelled. At many airports I did see the plight of all the passengers whose entire travel plans went haywire sometimes.

The government surely would not bail the red airlines out. It is going to be one turbulent flight. The feel at home “guests” currently feel very threatened by the choppy rides. The aviation sector as a whole is reeling under lots of issues. The best option would be to cut down, revamp and work out better plans for the future. Our honorable Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Ajit Singh says he has allowed for foreign airlines to invest up to 49%in India. Passengers would only continue to grow. Mr. Singh seems very confident of conquering the skies! 

The color Red always has always indicated Stop! Maybe a range of seemingly conflicting emotions of love, lust,rage, violence and warfare!

Would this time around sighting a Kingfisher in the skies be rare? Surely, hope not!

Red is the color of happiness and prosperity in China, and may be used to attract good luck….why not just this time,Cupid win the battle! Could Red mean start all over again? 

“The Indian Penile Code” IPC

Why Do We Need Clothes When The World is Full of Naked Kings !

A friend once told me “If we believe in our Democratic Processes, we shouldn't crib about a terrorist trying to take advantage of our legal system of appeal. He, as an accused under Indian Criminal Laws, has a right to appeal up to the Supreme Court of India and we should prepare for that too.”

I have every right to crib about the Indian Penile Code.

Rape, prostitution and pornography have existed since ages. The first one is about aggression, the second about soliciting and the last one a relatively new development after the Kodak camera!

With more politically erect men, in the driver’s seat, we may have to soon pass the “Women’s Preservation Pill!” It’s not the man per se having the power….A vast majority of public figures quoted in tawdry sex scandals have been men…maybe a reason why not many women don power in politics!

Sexual addiction has affected some of the most noted figures in television, politics and entertainment. The irony of the examples of Berlusconi, Bill Clinton and the X files lead, David Duchovny are just a few examples of problems of sexual addiction manifesting in men of power.

Former FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, has been exposed in a new book by Darwin Porter. It’s surely worth the read. Hoover had secret pornographic films and nude photos of young stars such as Frank Sinatra. Hoover claimed he was a heterosexual, but never married and lived his entire life with male FBI agent Clyde Tolson. The book states Hoover also had photos of naked men with large penises hanging on his bathroom walls. Straight men do not do any of those things. He was also caught wearing a pink dress, in a story that has lived in infamy.

Most people are an abomination with no respect for the law or privacy. Sadly, some of the people in power of today are no better, as they spy on people in their homes via audio and video means such as phone hacking, wiretapping, hidden cameras, infrared and secretly turning on the webcam on people's computers.

The first citizen of Andhra Pradesh, Governor and veteran congress leader, 85 year old Mr Undie Tiwari was caught into a major sleazy sex scandal in Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad. He was caught red handed while involving himself with young women in sexual acts at Raj Bhavan by hiring girls from brothels. ABN Andhra Jyothi channel has showed exclusive footage captured on Spy cameras. Andhra Pradesh Police is said to have rounded the TV channel Andhra Jyothi to force them not show any footage of the sexual acts of Tiwari. The TV channel also received a High Court order from principal secretary saying that it should stop telecasting the story on the governor immediately.

The Indian Penile Code has excused a political veteran for his galloping prostate! And instead warned the channel against broadcasting the clip! We are truly proud of this Gene Seeder!

People with money power and celebrity status often have poor feedback network and are invariably surrounded b people who are dependent on them for employment or security which makes them reluctant to tell their boss the truth. Certain politicians and celebrities may also feel a sense of invincibility. For others, sexual acting out maybe more similar to how most of us views speeding. We know it’s illegal and we know we are not above the law, but we don’t necessarily think we will ever get caught.


Smart attractive powerful people can and occasionally do have empty emotional lives. There are certain people who always are in the spotlight like our very own Mr Abhisex Stingwee. He surely enjoys the consistent attention and validation from media especially Mr Doorknob Goslam-me. In the process of being the party’s Poke- person, Mr Stingwee might have had this serious need to be seen and validated over and over again. Sexual escapades allows such people a release of intense pent up emotions and allow them all the attention they so badly desire and can privately get. They rely mostly on external validation.


Some people are mentally ill, sexually dysfunctional, perverted voyeurs who spend time secretly spying on people for sexual kicks. Can we imagine a Driver burning a CD? Singhvi claimed the driver existed but such a CD did not or if it does, it is clearly and obviously morphed, fabricated and forged! Mr Stingwee claimed that such a CD either does not exist or if it does, it is clearly and obviously morphed, fabricated and forged. Woo... A driver that could do all of this? Wow! I would kill to find such a literate man behind the wheels! I mean in control!

This scandal indicates total abuse of power. Real power for Mr Stingwee comes with money. It is money that most often causes infidelity and or sexual opportunity. The Congressman had the illusion of powers but only the very rich get away with it and keeps the other quiet with a gravy train.

In politics, the dust generated by sex scandals is much more than the sweat due to hard work!

Why do the people in offices of power play the resignation drama? The illness drama? Why do the Party heads praise Ministers/Governors/SeniorPartyMembers and Pokes Persons for their blatant indulgence and defend them?? Why this dishonesty and hypocrisy? How come rarely and conveniently any punishment is meted out? Why does the law works in different ways for such immoral corrupt infidels resting cooly in their banana hammocks?

The Police investigations against those in sex scandals have almost always been a farce!
The Indian Penile Code would continue! Oops did I say Continue…

In the words of the Honorable Mr Abhisex Stingwee,“The pen-is mightier than the law-and easier to screw with!” Three cheers to the National Pokes Person! May he safeguard the Indian Penile Code? Time to set things straight! Oops did I say Straight?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Cong-calls-for-stern-action/articleshow/5140370.cms

http://myneta.info/rajsab09aff/candidate.php?candidate_id=105

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cd-row-singhvis-personal-matter-congress/249894-37-64.html

Maun is Rather Mean!

Silence Hath More Eloquence G? 

Our Prime Minister, who is an excellent economist, was to manage human assets with the same passion, as managers manage the work flow and processes within the party. Then why is it that he seems often bored and indifferent to the day to day operations of the party/organization?

What is it about him that makes him ill-suited for leadership roles? Why is he unable to take enormous risks, huge initiatives,decisive action and controversial stands that good leaders rarely shy away from? Is he a good manager? a good economist? a good statesman?

Look at the 2G, 3G, CWG and more recently the Coal scams? Poor management skills, or just what happens when a leader is forced into becoming a good follower?

Why do we always hear words like “passive”, “serf”, “obedient”, “lemming”, “mindless” and “mute” describing/referring to our honorable PM? Why we speak to the manner in which we have come to think of this poor man who submits himself to the visible hand that holds the stick in an endless cycle of subjugation, loss of personal authority, and a diminishing sense of self worth!

Mr Singh said that in the course of seven years as Prime Minister, he may have made mistakes. "Who is above making mistakes? To err is human but to accuse me of evil intentions, of conniving with corruption is a charge I firmly repudiated," the Prime Minister said. (from DNA) link given below.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_hurt-manmohan-singh-rubbishes-charges-of-conniving-with-corruption_1579602

Would our PM please truly demonstrate his leadership within this contemporary organization, which is so fraught with contradictions and turbulence?
How long this MUTE-iny? G

Time to Speak up and Act up Honorable Prime Minister G!

Have We Become Social Voyeurs?

“ Leprous Voyeurs”  

RAPE-  Is Death of a Soul!

Women and children are vulnerable segments of the population in almost all parts of the world. The spate of recent events, in India, the rise of crime against women and even worse, the indifference of both common man and the law and order machinery, has left me in shock.

Incidences of violence committed are glaringly open, very rapidly and faithfully reported in the media and almost challenge the existing law and order machinery. The horrible violations committed against women and children both infringe the enjoyment of basic human rights and fundamental freedom. The most pervasive form of gender-based violence against women is reported to be abuse by husbands or intimate partners. Sexual assault/rape is also common, but only a small fraction of rapes are actually reported to the police. This unfortunately is the only crime, where the victim ends up often being the accused and the perpetrator escapes. Physical abuse is a common violation committed against women in India. Incidences of sexual abuse and emotional abuse likewise are increasing.

The new endemic is sexual abuse, specifically attempted/committed rape, based on the spate of recent reports in and around NCR. Deterioration of living conditions in urban areas has produced its share of disorders like drug dependency juvenile delinquency, , prostitution, mental illness, physical disability, suicides, family and personal disorganization, environmental degradation, pollution, garbage and sewerage disposals, traffic jams and congestion, conditions that can create fertile breeding grounds for crime.

Visual media that glorify criminals and show a lot of violence, sex and tabloids that depict lewd scenes may indirectly contribute to the rise in crime. Lack of sound crime prevention planning and the apathy of the community towards involvement in anti-crime campaigns leave the victims helpless and suffering. Motive, Instrumentality and Opportunity must be identified, analyzed and remedial measure provided. Instead we have become “Leprous Voyeurs” (Thank you to Dwijith for helping me with an illustration)

There really is no better way to minimize crime than to prevent it at the first instance or, better yet, eliminate the conditions where it can flourish. It’s a Herculean task but as long as there are people willing to help, there is hope!

What I endeavor to do - to make a difference to the life of even just one person! What do you wish to do?

15 March 1977- Happy Birthday Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan

My favorite line from Caesar:

"Cowards die many times before their deaths,

The valiant never taste of death but once."

“Do not come up, I will handle them”, were the last words which Major Unnikrishnan told his men, as he was hit by bullets while engaging well armed ruthless terrorists inside The Taj Mahal Palace Towers, Mumbai during Operation Black Tornado according to NSG officials.

It just seems like the waste of a human life to die in the line of duty, and I am not sure if I believe in this concept of martyrdom as much as I blindly did in the past. Sadly, not anymore!

I wish to celebrate Sandeep’s Birthday today, because he believed so strongly in something that he prepared to give everything, to see it survive. I venerate him and all the people who laid down their precious lives fighting for us to live on. They were the kind of people who are prepared to value something more than they value their own life.

I am sure the object of his belief is something we can appreciate, we naturally must glorify those who give their all for it.Today, it hurts me real bad because, I see a majority of us who dismiss even a memory as untrue, or unworthy, and then we often dismiss their sacrifice as well.

Sandeep fought until finish, he endured the pain, 

for he knew  not just he would gain 

The battle is over is the victory won?

A soldier makes his journey home. 

Sandeep fought so hard, He fought so long. 

And now, he sings a victor's song when the rest of the world goes MUTE! 

We must STOP this indifference! A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil even life and death.
Can one possibly view indifference as a virtue? Is it necessary at times to practice it simply to keep one's sanity, live normally, enjoy a fine meal and a glass of wine, as the world around us experiences harrowing upheavals?

Of course, indifference can be tempting -- more than that, seductive!

Indifference is not a beginning, it is an END. And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -- never his victim, for the one whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten. The hundreds of martyrs --forgotten, exiled them from human memory. And in denying their humanity we betray our own. Indifference, then, is not only a sin, it is a punishment. This for me has been one of the most important lessons of the experiments in good and evil I have experienced day after day. In the country that I come from, my society is composed of three simple categories: the killers, the victims, and the bystanders, the largest majority unfortunately belonging to the third category.

What about the abused children, raped women, martyred soldiers, terror victims? Oh, we see them on television, we read about them in the newspapers, and we do so with a broken heart. Their fate is always the most tragic, inevitably.Soon we forget all of them.They become just another story in the distant archives of our memory.

It is so much easier to look away from a sacrifice. It is so much easier to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams, and our hopes. It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person's pain and despair. Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbors are of no consequence. Therefore, their lives are meaningless! Their anguish is of no interest. 

Indifference has reduced Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan to an "abstraction." 

If we continue this indifference, mankind will perish. I see Sandeep’s face every single day, his placid eyes, his cold and lifeless body appeals to me every single minute! I hear Sandeep’s parents and their silent pleas,pain striking eternal injuries... Do I feel their pain, their agony? I die every single day with them.

Yes, every minute I die, imagining the indifference to a martyr. Not just one  -- so many of them -- could be saved just with a caring thought.With a few good memories lived year after year.After all the lives we live are the very same they laid down!

Happy Birthday Sandeep Unnikrishnan! 

Bloodlines- Local versus Global

WAVING GOODBYE?

The latest oxymoron in my list is Family-Politics!

After being humbled by the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the heir apparent, Rahul Gandhi seemed more an apparition on 6/3/2012, accepting responsibility for the Congress’ poor show, and acknowledging the verdict as if he had a choice but to! Had Rahul G ‘delivered’ UP, at least he would have added some muscle to the vacuous claims of dynasty worshippers who had illusions of him donning the gaddi of the prime minister in future.

Rahul G’s campaign in UP was high on dramatics and low on earnestness. Whether it was his shrill campaign in Bhatta Parsaul, his resort to the so called padayatra politics or his stealthy visits to Dalit homes, they all symbolized an effort to reflect on the newscast of the day, with not an ounce of sincerity to attempt to cure the malaise. The man’s cynical exploitation of caste and communal identities that masquerades as empathy for the underprivileged, really didn’t work!

The glaring and often repeated visual of Rahul Gandhi tearing up the Samajwadi Party’s manifesto promises at a Lucknow rally, made for TRP and footage, but in the end it did count to null and void among the nine Assembly seats in Lucknow, the Congress won only one! Seemed all the histrionics was just for the television and media who followed him like the plague all through the campaign! It had become a sight for sore eyes!The "barsati mendak" or seasonal frog sister of his, could hardly prop him up, but add one more scene to the histrionics.Prince Robert and Pasta Mommy watched the decimation live!

Has this been a worst case of flawed understanding of reality on his part, or no more political alibis? Not even the precious Diggy Mama? Rahul G made no comment on the elections or results in the states of Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand where the Congress failed to make an impression. How could he?

Imagine in UP,Akhilesh Yadav's  eternal confusion of whether to call Mulayam Singh G "pitaji" or "netaji"...He is always going to be singing "paapa kehte hain"...Hope this enduring passion for "family-politics" doesn't last forever.Sabko Badal daalo...oops did I say Badal? As in the father-son duo from Punjab which is so SAD!This entire family drama clutches power like designer handbags and even flouts it.Almost every party and state is running on bloodlines! Hope the heirs don't loom.

 “FRACTURED” mandate?Or Apna Haath Jagannath!  --Family Drama Continues......