Alpviram to blogging

My last day at work in chennai.. Looking forward to a 15 day vacation before my next assignment in Mumbai. Will be travelling extensively during this 15 days so may not find time to blog (It has become a addiction though). So my blog will take some break... cheers

It happens only in india

Picture courtesy dhanashree

Undoing the economic damage

Ila Patnaik reiterates the fact that while political damage from emergency has largely been undone, economic damage remains to haunt. Read it here. Shekar Gupta has intresting insights on the same issue here

Vanishing Media Outrage

Amrita Shah examines the decilne in ethical standards and quality of reporting in her column in Indian Express. She examines the disillusionment among young would be journos

"At a seminar on media ethics at a Mumbai college last week, for instance, panelists and students of mass communication expressed dismay at the growing trivialisation of the news media and developments such as sting operations. The students were particularly anxious about the ethical compromises they feared they would have to make as journalists. The protagonist of the film, Page Three, a young girl who is forced to cover parties in preference to serious issues, and who loses her job exposing the rich was an example evoked to illustrate the potential dangers of their future calling. In fact, so gloomy was the prognosis that one even asked if journalism was about to die.

She goes on to ask

What does one make of this schizophrenic divide? Why should a growth of resources lead to a perceptible decline in the quality of practice?" Read the full thing

Hmm altlast somebody pointing out the mailce in the media. Point is journalism in india has been reduced to reporting. Its no longer a people's voice it used to be. Its position as a representitive of collective voice of a society has been robbed by
activism which itself has been institutionalised (Amnesty, Teetsa Setalvad, Medha Patkar etc.)... So Shakti kapoor asking sexual favors or kareena kappor kissing shahid has become big news.. Pity really

PS: Amit verma has a view on the same issue read here (Post titled:where is the teeth?)

Ex feelings

Sagnik Nandy has thing or two to say about his past, hilarious read here(Post Titled:Love Suite)

Proud to be a prostitute

Intresting article in times of india about jamila a sex worker from kerala. Read the full thing. Atlast someone with job satisfaction. Kudos jamila

Imrana story: Collective bankruptcy of a society

Neerja Chowdhry examines the social and political implications of Imrana Case. Comments on the same issue by Gaurav Sabnis here and Ravikiran here

Its a pity that an extremely appalling social malady is misused for political gains. This has got nothing to do with religion (Hindu society has similar maladies like sathi to name a few), it has got to do with attitude of society towards women and crime against them. Nobody seems to care about the crime itself, rather tons of opinions are thrown around to decide whom should imrana lead her life with. Man are we living in 21st century????

Just freinds

Sagnik nandy is pissed with this sentiment, so am i

India: A Wounded Civilization or is it??

I am reading V.S Naipauls's "A Wounded Civilization" courtesy vishal. The book is very entertaining, though at times depressing. This is not a review of the book, i lack the intellectual capacity to review a literary classic and my understanding of the book is only superficial. The book is unlike any other i have read and i cant place a genre to it. But this is my understanding of the book.

The book attacks indic civilization and the Hindu way of life. Naiupal terms the Hindu way of life as an old equlillibrium, which is archiach and regressive. Each individual's life is regulated by a set of rules, regulations, caste and karma. Everyone has a pre defined role in society and even suffering, poverty and exploitation is regarded as fruits in the practice of karma. But world is not static, it is one of dynamic change where civilizations clash, ideas pollinate and boundaries disappear. When faced with this sudden change the protected Hindu withdraws, in search of an identity and comes up with no answers. The crisis leads him to a final self destruction and he becomes a man of obesession and not a man of ideas.

My understanding of the book as i say is superficial and correct me if i am wrong. But by reading this book i have developed an curiosity to somehow find a counter argument to Sir Naipual. I do not want to accept his logic without counter balancing view. I would like all of those reading this post and many others to whom i will post this question , to provide me with answers. Cant wait