Shah Rukh Vs Shiv Sena – You can’t win this time Mr. Thackeray

Mumbai saw something unusual on Saturday, 6^th February as Thackeray’s Shiv Sena backed off from its stance of ‘disrupting the screening’ of My Name is Khan. Well… my friends, don’t think I am trying to express my political view here. I never thought of giving my blog a political direction as I hate politics very much. But since it relates to cricket, my favorite sport, and Shah Rukh one of my favorite Bollywood stars I couldn’t refrain myself from pouring out what’s on my mind.

King Khan has become the target of the Senas since the actor opened his mouth against the ban of Pak players from IPL-3.  As we all know, Pakistan is the defending T-20 champion. So there can’t be any valid reason for barring them from playing in IPL.

In a democracy like India’s everyone has the right to express his/her personal view, provided it does not harm national integrity and interest. As King Khan has said, “it is humiliating” for the IPL authority (though they think differently), I feel the same way. It’s really a shame for a million dollar cricket tournament like the IPL where no players from the T-20 world champion team is present. (I think Mr. Modi being a newbie in the politics played a petty game of politics with IPL auction … never thought it could be a boomerang on him!)

What King Khan did is that he voiced the question of millions of cricket lovers across the globe. Even though India-Pakistan cricket often creates much furor there’s no denying that cricket is only one game that can bring the two nations closer. What amused me is that the Shiv Sena is suddenly singing in a different tune – “though it ideologically opposes Shah Rukh’s taking up the cause of including Pakistani players in IPL teams, but wouldn’t disrupt the screening of My Name is Khan”. Thanks for being so ‘generous’, Mr. Thackeray!

However, I don’t really understand the reason behind it. Is it Shah Rukh’s diplomacy that he wants to sort out the matter sitting with the Sena Supremo? Or is it that Thackerays are feeling the heat finding the whole nation is with King Khan.? After Sena’s plan to stop Rahul Gandhi from doing the political meeting in its den completely went flop Thackerays are on back foot.  Whatever the reason might be it is good for both, them and us that they leave their ‘religion’ of violence and atrocity and walk the path of peace and diplomacy. After all, WORDS are mightier than SWORD!

It’s That Time of the Year Again … Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

You know, you plan of one thing and some thing else turns up.  This is what happens to me every time. Destiny has always played this game with me. Anyway, I am still drinking … life, of course …

When I started blogging I thought to post once a week … but see, it took so long to come up with another post! It’s that time of the year again … yes, it’s winter… it’s Christmas time compelling me to take another walk down the memory lane.

Christmas is one occasion after the Pujas that we (my sister and I) used to wait for eagerly in our childhood days. You’ve got it right! Cakes and pastries being the prime reason it was the time when we enjoyed circus, visited the zoo and the National Museum of Kolkata, rather Calcutta, then. Animals, trapeze and the mysteries wrapped inside the showcases in the museum always lured me.

To me, winter meant a 7-day vacation for Christmas, celebrating New Year by wishing friends with hand-painted greetings cards. It is one of my hobbies. I love to craft greetings cards for my near and dear ones. Today, as it is obvious, e-card replaces paper cards (you know… that ‘have no time’ excuse… actually I became lazier … ).

Winter in Kolkata has always been pleasant and much desired. It reminds me of wet grasses in fog-wrapped mornings. It was a season when we struggled to get up early in the morning and get ready for school. Had really hard times … guys! :O

Winter to me then was synonymous to picnic, oranges and pickles that my mother never made at home despite all our sincere requests, craving and begging.  We were even ready to offer our service, but could never been able to win her faith!  Now I understand she hardly had time to indulge in pickle making after managing all the household chores and her job simultaneously. But my stance was different at that time. Every year we had clash over this issue. However, God has been kind! The supply chain for mango and plum pickles was managed by my aunt, whom we affectionately call Koli Mashi.  Every winter, she used to make various sorts of pickles and bestow upon us.  Thank you, Koli mashi for quenching our ‘eternal thirst’ for pickles …for so many years!   She still does it happily.

Winter for me was all about playing badminton. This was one sport I loved to play. We (me and my friends in the neighborhood) used to play badminton after getting back from school or whenever we could find time … in the morning and in the afternoon, until the dusk fell. We played in the park near our house, on the ground in front of our house and even on the wide walkways beside.

It was a beautiful place where we lived … an enclosed area … an estate owned by the Ordnance Factory of India. The high wall stood all around like the Great Wall of China to maintain privacy from the busy main road outside. This wall has caused us so much trouble that we hated it from the heart. Firstly, there were times when we had to sacrifice our brand new corks just because some one served it hard and it went up … up… and away … over the top, right on the other side of the ‘Great Wall’. It was too high for us to climb and the main gate was far enough. The cork will already be crushed under the wheels or picked up by someone else by the time we could reach there.

Secondly, we were the residents of a ground floor flat. And that god damned wall barred us from viewing what was happening on the other side while my school mate Shonali (was blessed to reside in a 2^nd floor flat) could watch every thing standing by the window at any given point of time of the day.  I envied her so much for this … and innovated reasons (… ) to go upstairs at her flat once done with my home works.

When I was very young and Shonali and her family did not enter the neighborhood there was no chance of getting to 2^nd floor (the roof was inaccessible, too – no one was allowed to get on the roof except the maintenance staffs) what we could only see from our window is the top of the Double Decker buses (that graced the streets of Calcutta then). We didn’t have permission to go outside when mom was not home. I stood by the window … waiting patiently … only to get a glimpse of a Double Decker!

To me, winter meant Pitha, nolen gur-er sondesh and Jaynager-er mowa. Ma prepared different kinds of pitha and kheer that we loved to eat so very much. I remember… Ma used to make pitha in the evening after coming back from work. Baba also helped her in preparing all these traditional Bengali sweets.

Things are different now … Baba is no more, we got busy with our jobs, Ma, though has retired from her office, can’t manage it alone. Winters come and go. No mist and dews … only smog. Sun is not that soft and gentle anymore (environmental pollution, I mean). No sweets, no circus, no visits to the zoo. The chilly breeze from the North brings only memories with it. Those are the days I’ll cherish till my last breath!

Durga Puja 2009: What I Miss about the Pujas

The wait is over! … All the speculations, assessments and consolidated efforts of local Puja Committees have finally come to an end for this year with another happy and joyous Durga Puja, one of India’s biggest and most coveted festivals! I was eagerly waiting for the Pujas; bought new clothes, planned a lot with my sisters. And now it’s over … those four days have passed so quickly just like a beautiful dream destined to dissolve in a few moments.

Durga Puja, the celebration of goddess Durga’s home coming, is grand.  I don’t know how to describe the grandeur of it in mere words … Puja is all about shopping, wearing new clothes, meeting old friends, eating good food, and enjoying together.

The true essence of Dura Puja is found in West Bengal, India, where the festival is held at large. It is celebrated with utmost zeal and enthusiasm in this part of the world. But the festival of Durga Puja is not the same anymore that we used to see a few decades earlier. The mood might remain the same but what I notice the most is the changing trends of Puja celebration.

Durga Puja 2009 : Photo by Moon Roy

Theme based Puja is the latest trend, especially in Kolkata. The entire set up, decoration and the idol of the goddess is built following a specific theme, say folk art. A whole new wave of commercialization is evident with so many awards offered by different organizations for the best Pujas around. Cultural clubs organizing big budget Pujas aim to outshine each other with all the glitz and glamour of decoration.

I appreciate this change. It is because of theme orientation that we could see the exquisite art works of tribal temple located in remote corner of Meghalaya or the Chou art of Purulia, West Bengal right here in the heart of Kolkata.  But what I miss is the simplicity and purity of the Puja.

To me, Durga Puja and autumn reflects each other. Crystal blue sky, thin white clouds and waving Kash on the field herald the beginning of the festive season in Bengal.  Mother Nature is in full bloom with lush greeneries all around.

Kolkata was a lot greener in my childhood. There were big trees and lawns all around our neighborhood. The change could easily be observed in green foliages, blooming seasonal flowers and occasional drizzles from clear firmament. Greeneries are missing today; pieces of white clouds in the blue sky alone tell us that Puja is on the threshold!

Photo by Moon Roy

The combination of autumn and Durga Puja makes me feel nostalgic. I remember my childhood days – rising early in the morning only to pick Seuli from the garden in front of our old house. The garden bed turned white with flowers covering the grasses underneath the tree. Every morning my father and I entered the garden and pick flowers until our baskets got completely full with Seulis. This was one of the routine tasks in the mornings during the fall.

Seuli : Image courtesy Flickr

Those were some of the best moments I had shared with my father.  My father is no more and those golden days will never come back except autumn returning every year with a new beginning for the Pujas and lots of joy and happiness.  It reminds me how much I miss my childhood days. And I miss you a lot … Baba!

Autumn in Kolkata: One Evening by the Lake

Hi friends…this is my very first post and I thought I should begin with Kolkata. What could be better than a multifarious theme like Kolkata? It is the place where I was born and brought up; lived happily and experienced some of the best moments of my life! But Kolkata has changed a lot with the passage of time.

I think you all will agree with me that the City of Joy is not the same any more that it was in our childhood. Still one thing I feel the same way. It’s the arrival of autumn. Though it’s officially the time of monsoon I saw the glimpse of autumn in the blue sky and in the stretches of thin white clouds. It reminded me that the Puja is only one and half months from now (and I should start shopping…:p)!

It was one bright afternoon… recently… I was passing by the lake (Rabindra Sarobar of course!) with a friend of mine (Deblina). Though we were in hurry yet could not evade the smell of fresh calm waters and beckoning of deep blue sky. We spent some quiet moments by the lake. I was spellbound. It felt like those moments were eternal… permeating my senses and touching my soul! The view was awesome. I tried to capture it with my mobile cam and could not restrain myself from sharing it with you. Hope you like it too!

Photo by Moon Roy

Photo by Moon Roy