Dear 2017

Dear 2017
   I write to you now as i have been putting this task off for a long time now and so that by the time you are done reading this you are over too.
   I must say that you have been kind with me the earlier ones weren't that way though; however do not be gratified, you have your share of grievances to listen to also.
   So, staring with the complaints rather to leave a sweeter aftertaste would be better i believe hence here it goes:
   It seems you had plans to make me move quite a lot this year approximating it to about 25000 km and about moving 3000 kg of stuff. I feel like a freight train than a human.
   Changing homes is difficult and i do believe you did get the brief about it from 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012 & 2014? I give you a rather low grade on this one.
   Since I prefer not to blame myself, i choose to blame you for all money lost in all the misadventures.
   I believe i am done with my grudges. Pass on the note to 2018 to get some people at the back a little to back out. Tired of the stabs this year. Though i should not wish bad for them, but come on a little screw over didn't hurt anyone right?(However the good old Fuck You i always gratifying ;))
   Thank you:

• For all the new experiences. 
• For all the new friends. 
• For the clarity on some masqueraders.
• What i must change.
• The friends who stayed beside.
• My new hobbies.
• A different ride.
• The newer places.
• For all the good news all who i care about.
• The new responsibilities.
• The things i did for the first time.
• The appreciation that came my way.
• The new skills (Come on, baking a roti is a huge skill to me to say the least).
• The new purchases (Though i spent on them, still the timing matters too).

   Meeting up of friends long lost and some days at old places still too take the cake. 

   Taking that there must be high and lows, 2017 take a bow. 

   You have been good.

[No emails please for the rest of the day]

The Perils of a welfare projection by state

Our country by its very nature is a welfare state where the state has been providing to the people. However, the same has gradually changed and more so, after the shifting economic policy of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation post 1991.

Education has been one of such areas. And the focus for this post being higher education.

The founders of the nation with their vision wanted to create a system of learning which would churn out professionals who in turn would go on to serve the nation in a manner mostly deemed fit by the government. In other words, a candidate going into a professional or technical course had a very high probability of getting placed within the government system.

However the times change and so do the jobs and what they offer.

Hence, the citizens have an onus to lookout for what they choose and what they might get as their need after they have been trained would be very different for the system or not needed at all.

In the present scenario of professional courses, candidates initially get to choose by a system of counselling of what they would be studying and have an option to opt out of it if it does not suit their aspirations. 

Secondly it also is an onus on the candidate to ascertain the viability of the course they are taking up and how does the same align with the aspirations and needs of the people, who in the real sense are the government. Also, the prospects of the profession.

Why am I posting this? The time for the choice is fast approaching for the newer batch of youngsters and believe me, the government has very limited options to offer and to top it up all policies of the government is also judged by other nations too and not only the citizenry which affects everything. You’ve got to assume that there is no offer and you are out on your own, even when the government is paying a part of your fee and sponsoring your institution. 

Be smart, be aspirational and good luck.

Disclaimer: I work for the government. But then, I had to sit for an exam to be chosen, with the odds being 1500:1. It’s tough out there and nothing served on a platter.

The Kashmir conundrum and Major Gogoi

I am a staunch supporter of the Army and the defence forces in general due to the highest level of integrity and discipline that they demonstrate regardless of what the situation may be.

The Indian Army deployed in Kashmir grabs the highest eyeballs of probably all defence personnel all over India with daily updates of border operations, counter insurgency and other activities that are being done.

India being a democracy, elections are one of the key pillars of the democratic movement without which the existence of the same would be challenged.

In the same spirit Kashmir too held elections, the organisation of which is protested by a section of the population in Kashmir and the protest of what can be made of the news reports goes quite deadly. This results in security personnel being on their toes to do their duty while remaining in the targets of the protesters where use of stones, Molotov cocktails and other projectiles are quite common.

In comes Major Gogoi, actually he responded, a company of SSB personnel guarding a polling booth were surrounded and attacked by a mob and they called for help as they were outnumbered and saw great risk to their lives. Major Gogoi rushed to the spot only to find the situation quite grim.

And so Farooq Dar, Stone pelter/voter/mourner/wedding invitee/ weaver ( I do not know which, hence all of them) was accorded a ride n the front of the convoy's jeep  to escort out the security personnel of the soup they were in.

The immediate effect was no one pelted any more stones and almost everyone lived to tell the tale.

This solution by Major Gogoi is probably the first instance of any such unconventional steps taken to minimise disturbance and causalities in the area; the people from Assam aren't simply called Awesomese for a reason and personally, this move deserves all the praise.

However, there is a small issue to be addressed not about what transpired what what after this, public memory is frail and we usually tend to forget things in this age of breaking news (refer to earlier blog) but legal precedence is a dangerous thing, it never forgets. I shall describe why I speak of it.

My dear reader, I am not saying at all that what has been done is wrong, just that this should be a one off event and not a common occurrence like the earlier trends of ink and shoe throwing.

The description is as such, imagine any riot or clash that you remember where defence personnel/ police were attacked in a manner that is unimaginable; now, hold that thought.

Since you are holding onto the thought, now imagine the ones attacked upon tying up one of the protesters on their car and driving away and saying out to the courts and the media the same words Major Gogoi had used and even citing him, but in reality they just chose an easy way out to blame the crowd or take it a notch further to hurt the person taken and blame the crowd. These probabilities are what that concern me and should be taken care of.

So my suggestion would be to stop all debate of what has happened and let it go.

you may let go of the thought now...have a great time...