Newsman: The Reporter of the Nation

Recently I’ve been reading "Journalists or the Fire Fighters”, the great debate by the Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai, and like always was quite impressed by ‘whatever it takes, to bring the truth’ attitude. I agree with him in totality as to the journalists task is to find the truth and to bring it to the nation. They can’t take the place of policeman, fire-fighters, doctors or administrators. They do their job and journos do their job of reporting. They can’t take their place in case of other’s absence or not performing their duties properly. Agreed again, but don’t you think that the journos have yet another role to perform, of a Nation Builder. With so many newspapers and channels coming on, the media has taken a prime stage and affecting the masses to a great extent in both positive and negative manner. If it is overexposure in the cinemas that had mislead the youth, then on the other hand it is media exposure that had made people stay calm on the religious controversies and to understand the political motives behind it. The way today’s News is viewed is entirely different from the Samachar of ten to fifteen years back. Today’s news-reports not only evoke people to what’s happing around them but also do provokes them to form views and judgments, and question them on their creditability.
With such a fast changing arena of media, Journos can perform a greater role than just being a Presenter of a solution than Reporter of the truth. By presenter I do not mean that the media should perform the political role, but at least it can be a yardstick to their performance.. Along with the Desh-Yatra (traval through the country) of Mayawati, Won’t that be a great idea to have a Yatra (travel) through her own constituency checking on its progress in terms of infrastructure, education and progress on a whole. And to calculate he funds spend on such Yatra and election campaign on individuals, if they are spend on their own constituencies, how much progress does it generates? And if ‘each one, reach one’ (constituency development) than how much is the progress of our country on the whole. I can visualize a revolution, what is required is a fair judgment in preparation of a Report-card of all Members of Parliament on an equal scale without being prejudiced to a particular party or person. Dare to ‘Dream India’ like that ..??

Humanity is My Religion, Cosmopolitan My Caste

“Do I believe in religion and caste?” This question is asked me so many times from so many people, and it always makes me go brainstorming. Am I actually into much into caste or religion? Being born in Hindu Rajput family I can boost of a richest religion and a high caste with a rich history and heritage. Definitely it’s something of being proud, but pride…! Of course.., not. I ‘ve been born and bought up in New Delhi, which is a very cosmopolitan city with different caste and culture people mingling together; celebrating Christmas, Id, Nanak Birthday with the same Joy as Diwali. People here are very optimistic, warm, friendly, caring, helping, jolly natured and very progressive. If you survey all over India, maximum people with smiles celebrating each time of the year would be found in Delhi itself. They are very flexible of the change to open thinking and adaptive of modern culture and technology. In a recent report about Delhi it is said in a span of Ten years, New Delhi would be a Hi-tech modern city very next to New York. So you see.., in Delhi religion and caste is of little importance.
“That’s ok, but what about relationships?’ was thrown back instantly. Well my dear, when you are in a city you close friend circle becomes you relations who stand by you in your joy and sorrow. And you don’t make friends on the basis of caste and religion, do you? at least I don’t. what matters to me in a relationship is how well you get along with each other, sharing some common interests, someone you can share your heart to and understands theirs, comfortable to be with and easy to talk to, who gives me space to be myself in expression and behavior and other small things and values our relationship in the same manner like I do. Small other things do matter, but are not of prime importance. Now, the next think you might think that I am trying to promote Inter-Caste marriage. Though I love my culture and tradition very much and would like to be with someone of the similar upbringing and background, I don’t oppose the above. Many of my friends had inter-caste marriages and are much happier than the couples on same caste. Caste has nothing to do with the compatibility. It minds that think alike and hearts that sings the same melody, that makes a marriage success. Caste definitely defines a similar culture, language, food, festivals and some more little things, but in big cities these things are of little importance. Here the caste is cosmopolitan and culture humanity. And that’s true for me too. What about you… ?

Understanding Astrology: The Simple way

Astrology has always evoked lots of interest from every age group and sphere of people. No mater if one believes in it or not but a weekly forecast definitely arises interest in people I have seen people doubt the credibility of a astrology but on the same when it comes to match making rely on horoscopes. Well they say they don’t want to take chances. I still remember the school days when Linda Goodman’s sun-signs and love-signs used to create so much of excitement among the group. Well, I won’t say to believe and follow it blindly but still if you observe you would find a lot of scientific logic to it. “Scientific logic?” yeah …! That was exactly the way even I’ve reacted, much as same manner as you at present.
In order to understand this we need to understand the water tides of a sea. The tides of sea keep on increasing and decreasing with the lunar and solar motions, and there a change in motions of a sea during the month and the year. Now if you relate this to a human body (a human body constitutes 78% of water) you would find that it also has different compositions which leads to their varied behaviors and natures. That’s why People born during the same time of the have a lot of similarities and basic nature. Astrology categorizes these time frames into solar-signs or lunar-signs. People born under the same or similar sign gel better than the other signs. These signs form a trinity namely Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pieces). Now just imagine all four just as elements. What comes to your mind?
Fire: Lots of Energy, vibrant, touching heights, heat, destructive, extremist. fierce.
Earth: conservative, down-to-earth (practical), stable, slow moving, keeping a good hold (to the roots), nurturing, caring.
Water: ever flowing without any control, nourishing, beautiful, refreshing, flexible (fits in anything), cool, satisfying.
Air: free cannot be caged, flexible (fits in anything), unstable, adaptable to anything (takes the heat and cold from season) vivid, lively (gives life) friendly.
Can we relate this to the above signs, do you find some similarity in their characteristics. Now, lets see their compatibility. All signs goes well with itself. Air being the major elements in all the signs goes well with all. Air is a major element in fire, more the air more the fire. Cut the air supply and fire is extinguished. So you see air helps fire to grow to its full potential. Air is a present in water too. Without air, water doesn’t have its identity and its flow. Earth requires air for providing life to it and for its fertility. Earth is pretty conservative element and blends well with Air and Water only. Water is required to quench its thirst and to refresh it. On the other hand fire burns it of life and reduces it to ash. Fire only goes well with Air besides itself. Water extinguishes it and earth does nothing besides burning itself.
So, you see its all in the stars. And the next time someone says; the Vivid-Gemini, Practical-Taurus or the Charming-Scorpio, don’t get surprised.

Breaking News: News Channels going Crazy

While in Delhi for promotion of certain international brand, Shah Rukh Khan made this statement, “The media is getting bigger, better and fatter”, I do agree with him though not in totality. Though the growth of media in terms of size had increased from just one-two to more than ten, with still one added every six months on an average. The industry is expanding and so the demands for the journo and the pay-packets. The quantity definitely is more but they are zeroing on quality. Today if you switch on your television sets then be prepared to listen something that makes no sense at all or some piece of non-sense news. Recently a news channel broadcasted the live telecast of wedding of Rishi kappor & Neetu Singh’s daughter, with detailing like crystals on saree of particular guest or the Barat had finally arrived, and mr kappor wiping sweat off his forehead. Bravo ! I am delighted with such a second to second update, and my knowledge and information base has increased many fold. (huh.!) gone are the days when news updates use to be something meaningful with the likes of programs ‘The World This Week” and others with the likes of journos like Prannoy Roy, Rajdeep Sardesai and many like them. The news channels are flooded with P3P’s, star parties, gossips and many more like them. And when you ask about some meaningful news then there are “Sting operations’ on the corrupt politicians and administrators taking bribe or involved with malicious practices. Buddy, what about having a sting operations on the journos, taking bribe for making a big news out of nothing or promoting a wrong cause. Who would be accountable for them ?
more to make the matter worse (read…channels worse) is the poor language. As if even the editors are sleeping. In the name of globalization of language into Brit or American accent, or mimicking BBC or CNN actually what you are getting is distorted Indian English hard to follow or understand. Just imagine Mr. Sardesai reading a piece of news which even he couldn’t comfortably follow, leave alone the viewers. Breaks the heart, mine too. Especially when you are a die-hard fan of him trying to follow all the interviews and discussions by him.
These “Breaking News” is breaking hopes and hearts of Indian Television Viewers.