Belling the Hindu Cat - Male Circumcision

Preventing AIDS by cutting down illegitimate and unprotected sex or by safeguarding blood transfusions is well known. What comes next in row is interesting but has started spreading the sparks of controversies as well.

While reading a daily news tabloid, I came across this interesting and new-to-me topic which speaks about circumcised mail being less prone to AIDS - as less as 70%. No matter how well this might be proven or effective, whats more perturbing is the mentality of hindu fundamentalists who are not ready to accept this. To an extent, that a top notch hindu leader called this novice idea as a "sabotage to hindu faith". This I shall describe later.

The reasoning goes like this : Laboratory studies have found that the foreskin of the penis is rich in white blood cells, which are favored targets of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. So the theory is that men who are uncircumcised are much more likely to contract the virus during sex with an infected woman. This unpublished experiment has shown astounding results. The male circumcision has rightly been called as 'surgical vaccine'.

Although the apparent protective effect of circumcision has been noted for more than 20 years, doubts linger as to whether circumcision itself is protective, or whether the lower risk may be the result of cultural practices among those who circumcise. HIV rates are low in Muslim communities, for example, which practice male circumcision but also engage in ritual washing before sex and frown on promiscuity.

The National Aids Research Institute is planning to come up with a survey. Nothing to do with AIDS - but the ground work before fancying this novel idea could spread its boon is already being jeopardised. Bajrang Dal workers in Meerut have launched a campaign against the survey. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also reacted strongly. The so called self proclaimed godfathers of hinduism have termed this concept as "obnoxious" and "a conspiracy". Leave apart AIDS, circumcision is known to reduce the risk of many fungal and bacterial infections (STDs) and also reduces risk of cervical cancer to partners of circumcised men. But who will bell the cat and make the hindu protagonists understand that there is far more better world if we look beyond our conservative school of thoughts.

Simple Pleasure

Illusion of color beyond darkness

Back to solitariness

Rohit sat with his legs folded on the sea shore. Scribbling something on the sand with his fingers and waited for the waves to come and wash it away. Rohit never knew he would be so profundly executed by this relationship. Without much thoughts on its persistence and longivity he moved into a rational relationship with Neelima.

Neelima and Rohit worked together. Rohit was simple, down to earth and a contended guy. Neelima was fashionable, every ready to spread wings and fly, happy-go-lucky and very lively. Their complimentary nature brought them together and even before they could discover each other as friends, Rohit proposed Neelima. Neelima was naive, ignorant and saw a "Mr. Perfect" in Rohit.

Rohit started disliking his solitariness and was impressed by the "life" which Neelima brought in his life. Fun never ended. Cooking together, watching movies, sitting by marine drive, waiting for each other after office, or could be as simple as travelling in a bus together became a part of each other's life.

After a late-night show Neelima pecked on his left cheek. That was Rohit's happiest moment. Some dates cant be simply forgotten - that was 4th June 2006. Once Neelima travelled stepping on Rohit's feet standing close enough for each other to feel the warmth of their breath in a claustrophobic Mumbai local. Some numbers cant be forgotten - it was 3:35 pm fast local to Churchgate. Neelima and Rohit stood in front of a cartoon kiosk which drew their pencil sketch. Some places cant be forgotten - it was Ad Labs Wadala. A vegetarian Neelima tasted fish from Rohit's plate. Some moments cant be forgotten - it was a barbecued pomfret.

Everything went good until one fine day happiness was overpowered by a "sadist storm". He came searching solace out of his broken relationship. He went devastating and breaking Rohit's relationship. And Neelima got swayed away by the hypnotist devil. Without any remorse and without any pain. Probably because Neelima was not like Rohit. Neelima believed in the concept of "I" unlike Rohit who believed in the concept of "WE". Neelima called this new paradigm shift of her "feelings" as something which "just happened". She called it an irrational move but termed it to be true love. Rohit was bewildered fighting with himself to discover the jargon which Neelima used to substantiate her moves. Money, glamour, life style, upper-class-society couldn't outshine the modesty of being honest and dedicated. Rohit broke down.

This story is just another paint on a canvas. A simple love triangle which complicated three lives. If only the "Storm" would have had ethicsand had respect for an individual's feelings then life would have been sweeter for Rohit. Rohit wept in solitariness for days. But the question I always ask Rohit is 'Are you so afraid of being alone?' , 'Was Neelima worth all these tears?' , 'If Neelima couldn't be yours, If she couldn't respect your love ; would her love be respected enough?'.

The answer to above questions might be simple or at times insignificant. But still we look for answers. Love can never be described. What is love for me could be a morbid obsession for someone else and yet he or she would call it love. What is Love for me could be a selfish and treacherous victory for someone else. Love doesn't always ends in smile. But inadvertently the more you cry the more you attain wisdom.

I left Rohit to cry. He will understand life a little better in a few days.

Love, Lies and Murder !!

"Women, when get ambitious they may turn fatal"

Early June 2008 every newspaper rocked with news of 2 dreadful murders. Both the murders were a fallout of a love triangle.

The first one was of Niraj Grover's ghastly murder case and the second one was Udit Bharati's murder case. Loyalty and love were brutally murdered in hide of hate, disgust and lust.

Naval officer Emile Jerome Mathew (25) and his girlfriend Kannada movie actress Mariah Monica Susairaj (27) cold bloodedly eliminated Neeraj Grover to pave a path of love for themselves. The story goes like this. Grover, a creative director and Susiraj, a budding actress had a relation going smooth enough. Little did Grover know that for Susiraj he is just a support ladder to grow up in her ambitions. Susiraj soon switched her loyalties to a Naval Captain Emile Jerome Mathew. Perturbed Grover was left with little choice than to accept the bitterness given by his love. If this was not less, the actress and the captain (I hate even calling their names) planned to erase Grover. The actress invited Grover over her place lured him to fall for her charm again. The captain walked in provoked and the duo mercilessly ended Grover's story. That was not all. After the murder, the actress went to a nearby mall and made a host of purchases which included a few knives, curtain cloth, bed linen and sports bag. They raped "humanity" by chopping Grover into countless pieces and disposed off everything but forgot to dispose the weapon which was recovered by the investigators from a trash bag in the actress's house. They got caught and have no remorse for what they did. The victim n rests (in peace) for ever leaving behind his a family and friends to shed tears for an irrevocable loss.

The second story is a paradigm shift of innocence to gruesome. The school time love between Aditi and Udit in the beautiful valley of Jammu ended up with Udit's life far far from his hometown in a small municipality of Pimpri near Pune. They wanted to get married when their parents suggested them to establish their career. They came to Pune to pursue their MBA. Aditi met Praveen in her college and knocked down Udit. As if these women have the remote control of a man's happiness in their hand. As if they are born to destine men's life. A broken Udit secluded himself from Aditi. Aditin and Praveen moved to Gurgaon for their job. They couldn't see Udit being calm and rising in his career and then the devils started their workshop. They travelled to the doorsteps of Sai Baba in Shirdi and came to Pune. Udit was invited by the biggest misfortune of his life who was disguised in face of Aditi to eat the prasad. Aditi laced the prasad from Shirdi with Arsenic, a deadly poison. Offered it to Udit in name of God. Udit bid good bye to Aditi - and he bid good bye to the world. He never woke up again.

But this is nothing new. Helen of Troy followed the same suit.

Thinking about BIG

Once there was EER, once there was a BEER, once there was a PHATTE and only once will there be an AMITABH BACHCHAN.

The first randezvous I had with Amitabh Bachchan was when I heard him singing "mere paas aao mere doston ek kissa suno..." on TV. I never had the privilege of my granny telling me bed time stories and so I was truely interested in this fable sung by Big B. In the early eighties the name Amitabh was an epitome of growing success and I looked upon him as a man of values and success closely woven together. His movies, actions and words always reflected the values which I loved to imbibe.

Watching his movies were like nurturing dreams and ideas in my eyes and mind. No matter what role he played I could always find a little "vivek" in the "big B". I know this is far from modesty but thats what I have always looked upon AB for. After seeing "Black" I started loving myself being addessed as "Mr. Sahay".

The childhood reminiscent of chitragupta puja (prayer offered by the Kayastha community to lord Chitragupta shortly after Diwali eve) always reminded Amitabh Bachchan as "Amitabh Harivansh Srivastav" and that idea made him feel so much like a family. When I gained adoloscent I developed liking for recitals and I recited Madhushala. Less because of my fondness for potery and more because AB himself use to recite Madhushala every year marking his father's death anniversary.

I then wanted to race to see all his work. Starting from his debut "Saat Hindustani" and have not missed till the latest "Sarkar Raj". Every movie was followed by a tea time gossip. Bagging of Filmfare's Best Newcommer as one of the seven protagonists in Saat Hindustani, the experience of ghost during the shoot of "Reshma aur Shera", the ego clash between him and Rajesh Khanna on the sets of "Anand", the reel-life-romance turning into real-life-romance on the sets of "Guddi", evolution of his new persona as angry-young-man in "Zanjeer", "Trishul" and the films there after. Not to be forgotten he ruled the comedy pages in "Chupke Chupke" , "NamakHalal", "Satte-pe-Satta" and by then AB got so well groomed that he could paint himself in all the colours of acting in one single movie. Like "Deewar", "Amar Akbar Anthony" etc. His romances in "Muqaddar ka Sikandar" and "Silsila" started setting examples for the love birds of eighties.

Every rising sun sees a slump and AB came up with "Shehenshah" , "Lal Badshah", "Suryavansham" and the worst of them all "Suryavansham". I never could muster the courage to watch Suryavansham.

And then came the new era of Kaun Banega Crorepati. He started doing it again what he was best at - mesmerising people by his voice. I saw time getting still twice in my life. Once when BR Chopra's Mahabharat was played on Sundays for 1 hour. Streets appeared as if they are curfewed. People locked themselves inside their house glued to the TV. This was repeated when AB hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati. And he proved that "picture abhi baaki hai doston". There was no looking back. He regained his prominence with "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gum", "Ankhen", "Khaki", "Black", "Baghban", "Ved", "Sarkar" and its sequel "Sarkar Raj".

His tales of fan fare, people shedding tears after the shooting fiasco of Coolie, his rise and fall as an actor turned politcian turned businessman turned actor again gave me food for thought about struggle and survival of the fittest. Deaceds later people of India shed their tears after the Coolie fiasco once again when AB was in hospital for some medics reason. I could feel how sensitive the people of India still are towards their pride posession.

He is a man who has attitude and he carries it well and survived against all political or social critics. Finally, came a fortunate day when I captured a mere glimpse of the living legend at Mumbai International airport. It was the most exhiliriating experience of my life. My fingers went numb when I saw him from a distance so close.

Just kidding - never got a chance to meet or see him face to face. Wish if this dream could come true someday !!

I have one dream - to dine with this Larger-Than-Life member of my family at my home :)

When I feel low and when I need that injection of motivation I turn myself to his "India Rising " video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9jUAtsNQdo