No Pain No Gain - My Election Experience

I am back - safe & experienced after attending the official duty of the World's biggest democracy. All my fears turned true on the previous day [April 29, 2009] of the election when I got my posting order for a hypersensitive booth - Perivayu - a small village close to the Kerala Border.
I was a little scared when I read in the newspapers that there are 22 naxal infested booths in the Dakhina Kannada district of Karnataka. I started my journey towards Puttur with a small group of people - all Micro Observers - mostly Bankers for the election duty from Mangalore city. We arrived at Puttur at around 5: 00 p.m and we were sent immediately to our respective booths.

To my dismay I had to travel alone in a jeep to my destination. The roads were horrible and it was a jungle area. I finally reached my booth affter an one and half hour of drive. My polling station was in a small school surrounded in the midst of big trees and mountains. I took my bag and went inside. The school was in a dilapidated condition, but far better than any of the Govt. Primary schools of Orissa. I was surprised to see electricity with glowing bulbs and moving fans. Introduced myself to the presiding officers and the polling officers of both the booths - as I had to observe two booths. Felt a little better after that.

I took a round of the premises and noticed the big well at the far corner of the playground. It was absolutely thrilling to bath in the open near the well after such a long long time........ .I used to see my university batchmates doing the same with ecstasy at the Campus during my Post graduation days.

Food came by 9 'O' Clock in the night on an auto provided by the Sector officer. I had my dinner sitting on the ground with all of them. I felt nice to do that. It was boiled rice and I literally had to gulp it rather chewing. After that I Joined the big school benches and made my bed. Applied the newly purchased Odomos cream all over the body ...closed my eyes thinking about my next day's work. Got up at 4:30 in the morning cleansed myself at the well once again.

The polling procedure started at 6:30 a.m. The ritual Mock Poll completed peacefully and the polling began at 7:00 a.m. A little altercation took before the start of the poll between the congress & BJP polling agents but later it was peaceful. Each hour passed by.........I reported regularly and gave my reports to the sector officer and the Election Control room through the phone.

Ladies with children on the laps , old men and women on wheel chair...giggling young gals....serious men folk........ .ladies with burkhas..... ......it was lovely to see all of them at the ing station..

Anxiety increased after 3 p.m as there was only two more hours left. Finally, the clock struck five..and the polling was official declared closed. Doors were closed by the security men...and after observing the closing of the machines, their packing and sealing we all waited for our pick up bus. It came at 6:30 p.m......again a travel of one and half hour back to the Mustering centre to Puttur ...bid goodbye to my polling team and reported to the Assistant Returning officer. I received Rs.1,000 for my services from the Election Commission, Govt. of India. Finished my food which was arranged by them and started back with the same team of Mircobservers back to Mangalore. Submitted my observation report to the District Collector/Observer at Mangalore . Exchanged experiences with my other colleagues on the bus and finally reached home at two in the night.

It was a lovely experience! but if you ask me whether I want to go once again?
Presently my answer is "Can't Say".

Gokarnath Temple at Mangalore

Jai Veer Hanuman

Jungle Se Nikalte Hue Ek Train !

Khidki Ke Paas Baithi Ek @#$ ?

Paradise

I hate this Vegetable but seeing something like this, I can eat it Raw

What do you Say?

Life after Childhood - Chakravuyuh

Nature's Magic

Dhimsa Dance of the Eastern Ghats

Abi Delhi Door Hai!

During the first year of Journalism, when we didn't even know what is in the curriculum, what subjects we have to study, I had already started enquiring about Internship and I was damn sure that I will do my summer training at Delhi. Occasionally I used to ask my batch mates, even before they would give me an answer, my answer would be ''moon Delhi re Koribi". I don't know why I was so inclined to do something in Delhi in Mass Communications.

I grilled Raja (1999) asking questions about his internship experience at Zee News, so to Bandita (2001) and even to that hunk – Anurag Arora (2000 –BJ) popularly known as Tony Arora who did his summer training at an Advt. agency in Delhi and according to him he was immediately offered an job on his internship performance.

Delhi was always known as the hub for Journalists/Journalism. During my brief stay in Delhi before joining Journalism, I had many times seen how the TV Journalists used to run behind our Politicians in Akbar Road & Aurangzeb road to get their sound bites. Maybe I was quiet fascinated by that, or carried away by good time I had spent listening the chirping birds at dusk at India Gate, drinking tea at three in the night with bihari friends, eating Gongoora Chicken at Andhra Bhavan ( Firozshah Road), Mewad prem Ice cream at Lodhi Colony, seeing movies on ten rupees ticket at Satyam (Patel Nagar) & Priya (Chankyapuri), drinking water for rupee one at Kendriya Terminal or eating dosha at rupees five at INS building behind All India Radio.

I wanted to go to Delhi.

Five months passed in the first year and my friends were not much bothered till then about internship, but I had already started enquiring about the internship dates. So many things happened during those precious three months in my life, I forgot everything. Most of my friends did their internship at Delhi - Jayant, Sanat, Mihir, Rashmi, Lakshmi - who never had any plans. I had to settle at All India Radio, Berhampur and The Hindu, Vishakapatnam. I felt so bad. Now I was mentally prepared that if not Internship at least I will start my work in Delhi. I passed out in 2002. Four years have since passed, most of my friends are working and well placed in Delhi, others who are working elsewhere had made a point to visit Delhi at least once. I am here in the southern most State of the country, still hoping that I will go to Delhi someday, maybe I am not keen working there, but I want to eat mewad prem, eat gongoora chicken, listen to the chirping birds at India Gate, want to walk on Akbar and Aurangzeb road, see all my friends at Munirka and Katwaria Sarai and board the metro train ( the last two are the latest addition).

But again! abi delhi door hai !


Vijay

Where are the Moolahs, Maulvis, Fathers and Pandits ?

A small scene in the movie or a small article in the media can hurt the sentiments of our people, for which they can destroy marketplaces, stop the trains and transport, close the schools and colleges and can bring the whole life to a standstill. Reason, they site is that it has hurt the sentiments of the people/religion/nation or whatsover it is. And whatever they have done is the reflection of the national sentiment.
Does a small cartoon or picture or a writing has such a sentiment?
Recently in Kendrapara, a district in Orissa, some people of a community didn't participate in the Pulse Polio Immunisation Camp, saying that it may retard the growth of the child and lead to impotency. After much counselling by the health workers, some sent their daughters but not their sons. This is the level of knowledge and literacy there, it was a national press item, but where were our maulvis and pandits. I don't think this can be of any cause for them to come forward.
Till our so called messiahs and godfathers behave in such way, India can never be free from such dreaded diseases. A day will come when every second person in the country will have an HIV infection and the disease like Polio will be found only in our country.

Fanna: Dekhna Hai Manna - Lekin Zaroor Dekhna

Fanna...BJP...Narmada Bachao Andolaan...Aamir Khan...Burning Effigies..All News Channels......Discussion forums...Wah Kya Publicity Hai !

The more you restrict the people, the more is the curiosity. The same thing happened with Fanna, there was a blanket ban to screen the movie in Gujarat but people watched it, and will watch it. Maybe not in the theatres, pirated DVDs hai na.

I too watched it ! of course I never miss a Aamir Khan movie, but there was lot of curiosity to watch it in the first week, rather than waiting for some more time. Media Zindabaad!

Fanna !
Shero Shayari ka Kya kehana

Movie is good, editing is good, cinematography is excellent...the story has many flaws, but overall a good one to watch.

Kajol is Blind, she is blind even after she gets her eyesight back, she never even thought how a Muslim person, a local city guide ( maybe 10th pass or graduation without honours)... can return in the form of a Hindu Army Captain after the interval. Kajol's house is like those cindrella stories which we used to visualize while reading comics ...a beautiful house, snow falling outside the window panes and with all the modern amenities..... The location of the house is such that there is neither a single shop nor any market nearby but the house is completly stocked with all the items right from stacks of Whisky bottles for apna Rishi to fried cashewnuts. Even after a heavy snowfall outside, the electric power in the house is there for 24 hours, as well as the NDTV 24X7 channel (a paid channel) which you usually don't find in most of the two or three tiered towns.

Aamir khan and his kid can take hot shower and bubble bath in the bathtub but poor Kajol has to fetch a bucket of water from the nearby flowing stream. The retired Colonel has a Radio signal in his house, I wonder why and who has given him the permission, at least the HAM radio would have made some sense. Aamir Khan can become a Captain in the regiment in the place of someone...Vow he can become anyone and anything ..Zaroor Shaktimaan hoga.

Well ! enough of critics...Movie is good...the old lucknowi moolahs with Hookhas ( the la-hol-vil-ku-vat types) will definetly like the shero shayari as well as the broken hearts, who can rewind the dialogues, note it down and can put in the love letters and slam books to impres their dilrubas.

Kajol is gorgeous...Costumes are nice.....specially the lengthy embroideried skirts. Taboo's role is simply waste

Everyone dies in the end, except Kajol and her kid. Now if you want me to make a sequel of this movie, what will Kajol do to earn her living

Bheek or Moojra ?

Movie is a good entertainer for a weekend ( popcorn ke saath)

Whining, Crying and Uncles !

What does Whining, Crying and Uncles mean ? Ask Saurav. After Ganguly was dropped from the Sri Lanka test. He did these three things...he whined,cried( sobbed)...and had lotz of uncles to support him. From Dalmiya uncle to Sharad pawar everyone was there to console Saurav beta. Zidd mat karo beta next selection you will be there.

Today the team was declared for Paksitan test and Ganguly is back into the team. Why do they drop and take him again ? Did Saurav Ganguly improved or proved fit for the game in 15 days. I wonder ! Hope Kiran More and the selectors would have given him a special training package or a crash course to come back to the team in 15 days.

Poor Mohammed Kaif is dropped. If Kaif can use the same methods as Ganguly did; hope he too maybe in the list for the next selection. Not a bad idea .....whining and sobbing ...but you should have uncles to back you.

SAD Films makes everyone Sad

What are SAD films.....

S........sex A............alcohol and D.........drugs

I recently saw a telugu film 'venella'. The film started with SAD elements and ended making me and everyone to whom I noticed while comming out of the theatre sad. Venella means moonlight but the film was amavasya type. Are we muffs.........we pay 50 bucks for entertainment and after that 15 bucks more for Amurtanjan strong.
I think CBFC ( central board of film certification) which clears the films by giving the status of 'U' or 'A' now they should also put 'SAD' in the category.

The Land of Goolties

While travelling in the gooltie( telugu) land don’t get surprised to see the spellings of names like Shanthi, Kavitha, Saradha, Latha, Arathi ……to what I call as the “H” Factor. Any name ending with the ‘TA’ or ‘TI’ phonetics will have ‘H” in the spelling. And if you don’t write it properly you have to face the music. They are very particular about it.
A friend from Vijaywada told me that stand in any street in the city and call “Rama Rao” or “Subba Rao” you will see at least ten people will respond to you. You can understand how many Rama’s and Subba’s are there in this land. For females it will be Laksmi everywhere ..……. ......Asta Lakshmi, Gaja Lakshmi, Rama Lakshmi, Naga Lakhsmi, Venkata Lakshmi, Kanaka Lakshmi, Dhana Lakshmi…….offffffff……Even my sister wanted her daughter to be named as Maha Lakshmi…..but somehow changed her idea. Go to any market and see the names of the shops and complexes, I am sure that at least everywhere you will see the name “Sai”. It will be Sai Ram Parlour, Sai Baba Enterprise, Sai Ram Brothers etc., with a prefix of Sai on the name.
Another friend had taken his coaching in Guntur and his classmates from Guntur wanted to come to Orissa for a vacation. He was very confused and tensed about their food because even if you give them the raw green chilies of Orissa to eat, they will say that it is sweet. So, think how much of chilly they consume.
Any flop movie in this land will at least run for 50 days and after water if any thing else which is necessary for them to live is ‘Flowers’.

About the dress……… “ANDHRA RANI …….LEHANGA VANI”

Bharatiya Rail....Hum behtar ishe banaye…Aur iska labh uthaye

Journey by train always used to be a different experience. I always used to fight with my siblings for a window seat during my childhood. I used to gaze through the windows for hours together without even bothering to eat and drink. Seeing the Nadi, Nehar, Pahad and Panchis I used to be lost. When a station approaches I used to be eager to read the name of the station and try to locate what difference this station has…..from coolies to rickshaw wallahs every station had something different in store ….

With urbanization, population and congestion, slowly, all these are fading away. Maybe the window seat will not be my first preference now. Reasons are many; I have to deal with the awful stench when a station approaches. And not only that instead of the name of the station, what greets you while you enter the city or town is “ Big promises of Doctors, Educational institutes and Marriage bureaus ” ….which say

NIL sukrunu se 100% sukrunu Milye Hakim Fakir Chand….Har Gupt rog ka Ilaz …Aaj Hi milye….Vaidh Ram Naryan Gupta…

10 vi fail 12 vi kare …..12 vi Fail B.Com kare …100 % pass guarantee..Wadhwa college….

Rishte hi Rishte ………..Malhotra Quick marriages…


Seeing the same ads each and every time…mere ankhein pak gaye hai………… it is better I take an Upper berth and listen to item numbers on my walkie ….rather than getting bored.

"Bharatiya rail…….Kuch behtar banou….. Taki hum iska labh uthaye"

The End of Lanterns

Finally, Laloo lost. There is a saying that God punishes a person till he reaches the danger level quota of his mistakes and wrongs. There is also a reordering level, Laloo reached that level in the February elections but never bothered to change his ways. He got his lesson, still time is there for him to improve or else the day will come when he will lose his ministerial berth and has to get back to his goshala.

Democray ki Jai !

Hyderabad versus New Delhi

Hyderabad..................................................................New Delhi

1) Pulla Reddy Sweets..................................................Agarwal Sweets
2) Red Light.............................................................................. Lal bati
3) Cross Roads.................................................. ................Gol Chakkar
4) Dum Biryani.................................................. ................Sahi Paneer
5) Chutta hai.................................................. .....................Khulla Hai
6) M** K* L***.................................................. ....................B**** C****
7) APSRTC Zindabad.............................................Blue line Murdabad
8) MMTS ............................................................................Delhi Metro
9) BSNL..................................MTNL ( Mera Telephone Nahin Lagega)
10) Mera beta US mein Hai...................Mere Chacha London vich Hai
11) Hussain Sagar.................................................................. Yamuna
12)HPS Begumpet .......................................................DPS R.K.Puram
13) Central University.................................................. Delhi University
14) Deccan Chronicle..................................................Hindustan Times
15) Bonalu.................................................. ...............Bhagvati Jagaran
16) Swaimi Ye Sarnam Ayappa........................................... Jai Mata Di
17) Saturday (sacred Day)................................... Tuesday (sacred Day)
18) I Max......................................................................... PVR Anupam
19) Coke and Pepsi ............................................................Campa cola
20) Aab Shola ( Mango Sharbat)........................................ Roohafza
21) Salar Jung Museum........................................... Teen Murti Bhavan
22) NTR Gardens.............................................. ......................Raj Ghat
23)Banjara Hills...........................................................South Extension
24)Medchal ( Farm Houses)................................................... Mehrauli
25) Gandhi Hospital.................................................................... AIIMS
26) HUDA...................................................................................... MCD
27) Cheta Vali....................................................................... Kudi Vali
28) Old City...................................................................... Purani Delhi
29) Secunderabad Station........................... New Delhi Railway Station
30) Hyderabad ( Nampalli)..................... Purani Delhi Railway Station
31) Kachiguda Railway Station................ Nizamuddin Railway Station
32) Begumpet Railway Station..................Sarai Rohilla Railway Station
33)City Cabs .....................................................................Prepaid Taxi
34)Vanasthailipuram( where oriyas stay)................. Kathwaria Sarai
35) Nagarjuna Sagar ( for one day holiday).................................. Agra
36) Tirupati ( for pilgrimage)........................................... Vaishno Devi
37) Hyderabadi Foods ...........................................................Nirolas
38) Trinethra and Food world ...........................................Super Bazar
39) Ameerpet.......................................................... Connaught Place
40)Lifestyle, Shoppers’ Stop, Hyd Central.....................Gurgaon Malls
41) Kothi Market ..................................Ajmal Khan Road( Karol Bagh)

A Place Called Jhumri Talaya

Have you heard the name Jhumri Talaya? Probably you will say yes. We would have heard this name ‘n’ number of times in films and television but always in a lighter vein. I used to specially write this name to fill up the Favourite Place Column in the slam books, but didn't know where this place is and why it is so famous. Jhumri Talaya is a small town in the State of Jharkand. The name of the railway station is Koderma Junction. Vividh Bharati started its commercial broadcasting services in the year 1967 and ‘Faramish’ was the very popular song-based programme. There were also many other programmes which were based on the letters sent by the listeners.
In Jhumri Talaya, a very rich man was very fond of listening songs on Vividh Bharati. He was also passionate of hearing the name of his place on radio. He started sending loads of letters to Vividh Bharati. The anchors during the telecast of the program used to read the name of the town very often like “ ish gane ko sunne ke mang ki hai Jhumri Talaya se XXXX”. Not only he used to put his name but the names of scores of his friends and relatives of his town. Instead of writing in pen on the post card he started using a seal because of the loads of letters that he used to send everyday. In 60s and 70s whoever had listened Vividh Bharati knows about Jhumri Talaya. Many people used to think that it is just a Pseudo name used by the radio station.
The rich man is no more but the love for his town had made it so popular. I have passed Koderma station many times but never noticed it. Next time when I will travel in this route I will definetely remember it.