Leaves of My Tree

Unity in Diversity… a phrase which I learnt from the Social Studies textbook, a phrase that makes special appearances on the 26th January and 15th august every year. This phrase intends to develop a sense of unity amongst the Indians though they speak different languages, follow different customs, dress differently, look differently, believe different Gods etc. However, what caught my attention today is the oxymoron created by the words used and their purpose. Though the central idea of its purpose is to unity, the central idea of the language is diversity! 63 years ago, this phrase sounded apposite. It was immensely necessary to find that unity amongst diverse cultures. That was a time when our leaders had to imbibe the fact that though we are Kanndigas, Tamilians , Punjabis, Bihari, Marathas etc, we are also Indians. Therefore it was right for our leaders to highlight our differences but also pinpoint our similarities. Since then, we have come a long way. I do not feel the necessity ...

I am not a poet, I cannot see something in nothing. I am not a lyricist, I cannot make you feel through my songs. I am not an author, I do not write pages about ages. I may not see beauty in the moon, But I can reflect her. I may not word my feelings soon, But I can hear yours. I am a stenographer Blessed with the art to scribble the feelings of your heart. ( A poem written when I was in school. I found it recently while cleaning my room!)

Its a lonely path, I tread alone To walk all the way all alone I don't know where to go, I can't stop going I don't know what to do, I can't stop doing No stones, no thorns, nothing to peirce not even horns, The path is free, and so I am bound. I wonder why I fear, no boulder is near. I have walked all the way And reached new places every day. I can trow, drag, walk even run But is it possible to reach the horizon? Freedom binds reasoned minds Path determined; distance reminds.

Sixteen thousand people... all dressed in Khaki uniform, to hear their leader, the 6th Sarsanghchalak Mananiya Shri Mohan ji Bhagvath. I must say it was a sight to see. A speech worth its time and energy! This is not the first time that I have heard such a speech or seen such a sight. But this time there was something more that was not so pleasing. The discipline that is exhibited by the swayamsevaks is usually blatantly in contrast to the disorganised behaviour of the general public, also present to hear the speech. but this time it was not so. A significant part of the younger swayamsevaks seemed to be on an excursion, happily roaming around the field, exhibiting complete disinterest in the speech which was meant to be the purpose of their visit. Busy eating icecreams, taking pictures and littering away the place... all this was agin by the younger swayamsevaks. All the swayamsevaks carry a danda (a bamboo stick five feet long) which is an integral part of their uniform. The age...

"Oh my god... you have not changed at all.. how come?" " how come you still remember kannada? Oh goodness you still talk in our style!!" " You just came from Canada no? how come you are still wearing a bindi and saree? you dont do style????" ( !?!) " She is lying. She did not go to foreign. Look.. she does not wear western clothes." "She still sings in kannada songs. Why will a person from foreign sing in kannada.. that too before god?" " How come you dont have beads and different colour hair streaks?" " Thank God... you dint cut your hair." I am sure most of us would have been subjected to such conversations specially when we get the status of ' foreign-returned'. I have never been able to understand the reason behind such converstaions: whether they are conversations for the sake of starting a meaningful one or presumed to be meaningful perse. I would be apalled if it is meant to be the later. In eithe...

There have been many movies that have fantasised the concepts of alien existence. One such brilliantly made movie is District 9. The animations in the movie does not look animated at all! (Animation is probably is one such profession where it looks best when it achieves its exact opposite). Kudos to the entire team of District 9. What particularly drew my mind in the entire movie is the relationship between response and stimulus. I am reminded of a saying.." If men were triangles, God would also be a triangle". In other words, man conceptualises things the way he sees himself. It has been very recently that man has begun to imagine different shapes of living beings with equal, inferior or superior intelligence. It took human mind quite a few years to reach this stage. However,till date, he has not been in a position to think beyond his emotions. This is exactly what caught my attention in the movie.The aliens in the movie look like prawns. What they spoke was not comp...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jen-1ofuU4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9kladiGQlk Look at that Child prodigy. Her body language, her attitude is so child-like. She is playing with her necklace.. really not bothered about what's happening around her... I doubt if she even knows the gravity of her knowledge. I am stunned by that ' indifferent' answering! May be it is the pre-acquired knowledge. A knowledge that was acquired by her in the previous birth! I am quite skeptical about the concept of punarjanma, Karma theory etc..... I do not know if there is something of that sort. May be the rational in me is not ready to accept it without a 'studied and established proof' or may be I am that ignorant to even conceptualise it or may be my ego in its sublime level does not want to accept the fact of evident superiority in other people. But when I see such videos, I am humbled. It definitely has not convinced me about the existence of such 'surreality'. It m...