LTGTR Republic Day 2011

About Us L

TGTR is a youth magazine aimed at providing good solid content written primarily by students and young professionals on a diverse and relevant range of topics, and presented in a simple and humorous manner. Unlike other magazines LTGTR provides a refreshing blend of high quality literature and socially relevant articles which are blatantly honest. The content is neither journalistic nor bookish; rather you shall find it invigorating and stimulating in an otherwise monotonous world. We don’t just present facts; we provide opinions and let you choose the ones you like.

LTGTR is “not” a campus magazine. It transcends beyond the boundaries of our college and delves into the psyche of Indian youth. It is an endeavor to provide a common ground for people to express their own ideas and opinions. It is an opportunity for people like me and you to find like other minded individuals in a world where even Facebook and Twitter haven’t been able to reduce our loneliness. Finally it is an attempt to bring back a culture of reading and writing and prove to you that these things are for the masses and not just for the elite.

In a trigger-happy world, in an age where the media is known to sensationalize everything, in a culture where “making money” is the only truth, LTGTR is an attempt to bring real journalism and writing. It draws on the ideas of the French revolution “Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite” and combines it with inspiration from young revolutionaries who used writing as a way to mobilize the masses. In a world where broken hearts, unfulfilled expectations and death form a major chunk of our thoughts, LTGTR is at attempt to break away and find meaning in life.

So I can go ahead and without any regrets state, LTGTR is a not just a magazine, it is a movement of the people. It is a revolution, of sorts, aimed at bringing out the rebels in us, getting them to ask the right questions and find the right answers.

Finally it is meant to keep you happy and entertain you. It is meant to keep the good times rolling.

I

- Sahil Mehta

sit to write this out after having spent hours on designing this issue. So please forgive me if my writing reflects a little of my fatigue.

One of the good things about designing is that you get to read all the articles beforehand, to be able to lend support to the emotions and facts stated, by illustrating them. Another thing is that you are able to compare the different trains of thought people have. When we planned this issue I was a little skeptical about the response of people. Republic Day has lost its charm and importance from the days when I was back in school. There is no longer the excitement in getting up early and watching the parade or going to school for marchpast. Maybe the fatigue of so many problems is showing on Indian society too!

Independence Day and Republic Day for me are too key moments in India’s history. 15th August 1947 was the day India was reborn as a free nation. In 1950, we gave ourselves a constitution and in effect grew up. Do these days hold any significance other than the historical one? Probably not I thought. I thought wrong. The articles that we’ve got from people this time clearly reflect that every time we celebrate Republic Day or Independence Day it reminds people of the challenges that India faces. The most striking thing however was the fact not one of the articles really blames the government, the British or for that matter anyone on the outside. All of them talk about how “we” need to be the harbingers of change. How we, the people, have to take responsibility! On our 61st Republic Day, I think we can finally say India has matured.

A restlessness communicates to me through each article, a desire to make a difference burns through the length of them. I remember talking to Vakul a few days back and discussing how ours is a generation in conflict with itself. It comforts me to know that we are trying to force ourselves to a new direction. One where we look beyond ourselves and lead the world into a new era!

On a final note, I’d like to remind people that there is a difference between Republic Day and Independence Day. Republic Day is not a celebration of freedom but that of national identity. It is not a remembrance of the fallen but a carnival of unity. It doesn’t hurt to remember our heroes, but it isn’t the day to spend singing sad songs.

And now I shall go rest, lessen my fatigue. And I will do that with peace in my mind, for I am now convinced that loads of people stay up at night struggling with the same thoughts, how can we make our country better!

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Contents Opinions

No More Mister Nice Guy - Vijay Narayan Public Transport From Hell - born confused Ramblings Of A Lost Confused Boy - TVS Kartik Youth - Vivek Gade

Feature

Foreword - Shruthi Vishwanath Inquilab Zindabad - Sahil Mehta You Hypocrite! - Vakul Mohanty Jaago India - Sumanth Nepalli The Common Man - Sayonee Ghosh Roy Things We Want Changed In India - Photofeature

Fiction

Those Eyes - Pradeep Damodara Evil Angel - Aditya Prakash Bridges - Sankalp Singayapally Along With Me All This While - Anuj Suri Taste Of Success - Rishav Rej

Reviews

No One Killed Jessica - Suryatej Borra Lessons In Forgetting - Sukanya Venkatraman

People

Oye Happy - Vijay Narayan Shock Therapy - Infernius

Best OF Facebook

6 12 30 35 7 8 10 13 16 41 5 18 19 25 26 23 39 27 32

40

Ficti

Those Eyes - Pradeep Damodara

I

t was over. Finally. He could forget all about her, her and her whining, all the petty fights and infuriating girlishness. One would think, after all they’d been through, he would miss something about it, perhaps the sweet nothings they’d whisper to each other every night, or maybe the little joys they had shared together.

One would think wrong.

The only thing he felt was… free. He felt inexplicably unfettered, with a whole new world of possibilities. The stagnating status quo had dissipated, and he definitely liked it better this way. Decisions were simple again, and he could finally spend more time on things he hadn’t gotten around to doing because of… well… you get the picture.

So he went ahead and started doing what he should’ve done all along, things that never should have taken a backseat in his priorities. And he lived happily ever after.

Nope, sorry. Life’s a b**ch.

There he was, going along and doing whatever struck his fancy. All was well. Until he looked around and he did something he probably shouldn’t have done.

Now, the mistake wasn’t that he looked into her eyes. It’s that he got lost in them for a while.

A long while. If one thought he’d learnt a lesson, one thought wrong. Sorry to disappoint.

Amazing how we go ahead and give ourselves something to worry and fret about, especially when we’re completely carefree and happy.

So he talked to her. And she talked back. He smiled. Ominous, huh?

Don’t worry, life is still rosy. She’s turned out to be really smart, interesting, and full of little quirks. What a nice friend, right? Yes. How could he possibly find such an amazing companion, he must be really lucky, right? Yes. But he’s also an idiot, right? Yes. Turns out he isn’t sure of what he thinks of her. Poor girl, all she did was give him some companionship. Don’t judge him too harshly, though, he’s not sure of what he feels himself.

And he can’t bring himself to spoil their wonderful friendship either. So he’ll just wither away in his self-doubts, always questioning himself whether he really considers himself to be ‘just a friend’, or if he has much more sinister feelings.

So, our little friend here is now crushed. He’s got everything going for him, but nothing seems right. Is he living a constant lie, or is he just blinding himself with misinterpretations?

Is he being a bad friend, a cheat? Or is he just being an idiot with himself as usual?

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No More Mister Nice Guy - Vijay Narayan

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hey screwed me. That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the long and short of it.

To try and obscure the truth in a rather verbose, inscrutable manner would be an insult to your intellect. And frankly, a waste of my time. Who screwed me? To that, I really don’t have a definite answer. ‘They’ is not just a group of individuals. It happens to be a whole organization (which, by any definition, happens to be a group of people, and yet at the same time, far from it) When and how did they screw with me? Again, not a definite answer . In the light of certain recent events that I shall not bore you with, I’ve come to realize that ‘they’, might just be the world in general. For the purpose of sounding cynical and rebellious, I shall just call it the system.

So what is the problem with the system?

I’m sure that at some point or the other in your life, you must have wondered what’s wrong with the organization, be it a college administration, a court, a political party, or the whole government itself. And the only answer I can come up with is protocol.

Protocol is the term that any person who is truly afraid of change hides behind. Seriously, you want to hide behind a bunch of rules crafted decades, perhaps even centuries ago?

Rules which (perhaps i’m exaggerating a little bit ) are designed to leave everybody unhappy.

Rules which, if I may say so frankly, are a tad outdated. Look around you. In this present day and age, who IS happy with the way things are run in ANY country? Ironic ,isn’t it, since logically everything IS run by people themselves.

The problem lies in the rules. Guidelines, constitutions, academic rulebooks - call them

what you want. In most cases, the rules were set probably decades ago. And people are just unwilling to change the rules, citing reasons like ‘it’s tradition’ or ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’ . Get over yourself and your precious traditions. While they may give you a sense of culture, they actually hinder your progress. The world has changed so much in the last 50 odd years. But you don’t need me to tell you that.

Just ask your parents or grandparents.

When the situation changes, so does the solution to it. It’s like trying to drive a car with wheels that were designed for chariots centuries ago. It just doesn’t work out.

Everybody is quick to accept the fact that change is the natural order of things. That change is evolution in its most unadulterated form. And yet, hypocrites that we are, most of us are unwilling to accept change itself. Any attempt to bring about change in the present order of things is contested strongly by many.

Pray, tell me, why is that? Are we, humans, inherently flawed? We take control of a whole planet, and yet, there is something wrong. You might like to say that people just cannot change themselves, but therein lies the problem. We’re unwilling to change ourselves to accept that accepting change is the only solution to all our problems.

So what do we do? Certainly, sitting on our asses doing nothing isn’t really an option.( well ok,…it is…but it’s really no fun ). I for one, shall be both bitter and cynical and shall bitch about the system, hoping that you’re reading this and actually considering making changes.

What about you? ...............................................................................

Foreword

S

o it’s taken me a quite while to get started on this intro. THE BOSS(es) (Read a certain Mr. M and a certain Mr. M) are probably really pissed off with me. But honestly, to ask a fairly clichéd question - How you do start writing about the country called India? On this Republic Day, what do we feel (if at all)? How has this country molded us?

How can we pay back?

Let me take you back to two incidents that occurred in the past month. I was applying for a German visa, and my interviewer happened to be an Indian. She was incredibly rude and even asked me if ‘I even knew English’. And I wasn’t the only one who was left with a foul taste in the mouth. Two days after, I found myself being interviewed by an American lady at the Consulate. She cleared my visa after just a glance at the documents, and I found myself asking the question - who is actually racist and who isn’t?

Yes, the Western world may be racist and brand us as ‘Pakis’. But what about us? Apparently we are only racist against ourselves. As Indians living in India, all of us (albeit secretly) long to be in the developed world, to ride fancy cars like in the Hollywood movies. We buy fairness creams enough to coat the whole country with the toxic white chemicals and ‘coolness’ and ‘progressiveness’ is a measure of how American we are. And don’t even bother denying it, you know it’s true.

And we are walking on the same development path that the present ‘developed’ world

- Shruthi Vishwanath

walked on a hundred years ago. The one that has screwed up the planet. Probably irrevocably. A path that is unsustainable, sometimes unethical, skewed, and pretty much self destructive. A sub-Saharan Africa where vultures are waiting for children to die (remember a certain photograph?) on one hand ,and billion dollar business deals at Wall Street (Dalal Street if you want to truly ‘Indian’) on the other. And India is a mini world in that respect. Bandra and Banjara Hills, Thumkunta and Dharavi. And yet we ignore, time and time again, the ‘other’ part, and choose to believe that they are not part of our world.

So on this Republic Day, I honestly don’t care if drag yourself to the flag hoisting early in the morning or not. But I do care whether you start to see India as one. Make the beggar on the street your problem. Ask yourself why has he ended up in the gutter? Ask yourself if there’s anything you can do about it? (and I’m not taking about giving him that one rupee). And if, after graduation, you find yourself abroad and living the ‘American Dream’, good for you. But never fail to remember the country halfway across the globe that has made you what you are, even if it’s only because it has an internet speed good enough to download all the Hollywood movies that made you see the great ‘American Dream’.

Be an Indian. Atleast on this Republic Day. Jai Hind!

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Inquilab Zindabad

- Sahil Mehta

Wikipedia defines the word republic as “A Republic is a form of government in which the people or some portion thereof retain supreme control over the government, and in which the head of government is not a monarch”

I

can’t stop laughing at the irony. Yeah!

Yeah! Republic Day, national pride and everything, I get that. But what I don’t get is how do I accept this definition of being a republic with everything that’s going on around the country right now? Haven’t we just finished off the year of the biggest scams ever! I mean I can’t even remember all of them. There were so many but still let’s jog memory to see what we can come up with. First there was the ever evident CWG scam led by our very “experienced” Mr. Suresh Kalmadi. Then our telecom minister’s misdemeanors came to the forefront of political allegation when the CWC estimated a 1,76,000 cr. to the exchequer. Compared to this the land scams in Mumbai (Adarsh Housing Society) and the ones in AP (Emaar group) and Karnataka (I don’t know the details, sue me) are just blips on the radar.

The thing that we have scams is not that a big deal. In every country, someone or the

other screws you as a nation, but when your own government does it and that too this blatantly you have to start questioning the “the people or some portion thereof retain supreme control over the government” part.

Again, our Prime Minister the very honorable and revered economist (no sarcasm) Dr. Manmohan Singh is definitely not a monarch, but then the contradictory statements he comes up with when dealing with a crisis do sort of make you question whether he is a “head of government”. And sadly, the entire country does not regard him to be anything more than a face for the government. The real power does still with lie the first family of Indian politics The Gandhis. Already we’ve started touting Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Minister and unless BJP can get its act together and project Narendra Modi as the next PM, it’s a

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And it’s not just about Rahul Gandhi, almost all the so called young MPs and MLAs are either sons of politician fathers or relatives of them. Most of them have no business being in politics and serve no use to the public. They entered because of the hunger for power and to cash in on their ancestral legacy. To quote examples let’s look at Karunanidhi. Three of his children are in politics, and two of them are ministers at the central govt. level. After the death of former CM of Andhra Pradesh YSR Reddy, his son Jagan Mohan claimed that only a son could understand his father’s aspirations and therefore he was the rightful heir to the CMs seat. It’s just really sad that such frivolity still exists in India in the 21st century. The IT minister Sachin Pilot, other young MPs like Jyotiraditya Scindia etc. they don’t represent anything of the youth of this country which still languishes in villages. They are all there simply because of their names. The very fact that Sanjay Dutt even considered contesting his late father’s vacant seat tells me that slowly but surely we’re moving to a well disguised form of monarchy. And that

does scare me.

I cannot convince myself that even after 61 years we have become a true republic, a nation of the people and by the people.

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done deal. Considering that Rahul Gandhi hasn’t had much experience in Indian politics, has never led a cabinet ministry or even a state and has been involved in controversies, there doesn’t seem to be much reason for him to be even a remote possibility. But the name does carry weight in this country, and in him people find the same charisma as his late father Rajiv Gandhi. And no matter how hard you deny it, in our hearts of heart we’ve already accepted him to be the next PM. Seems like a form of modern monarchy now doesn’t it?

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I wrote in my editorial last time that this year we would focus on the solutions and not on the problems, and I shall not renege on my promise. Years ago, we as a nation raised a slogan to inspire us to freedom.

Inquilab Zindabad. Long live the revolution.

It is time to raise it again. It is time when the people became more important than the vested interests of an incompetent and oppressive government. And just like the freedom struggle, the process of revolution begins with integrating ourselves to be a nation. It is time when we put aside our differences on language, caste and religion.

A national identity is a prerequisite for any national revolution. Start with small things by teaching people not to talk to classify and discriminate people on the basis of caste. Teach people to respect all religions.

Learn to separate governance from religion.

More than anything, stop looking down at people who are economically worse off than you. Respect breeds respect, and concern breeds fraternity.

This Republic Day showcase not your regional or cultural superiority but showcase the strength of India’s culture to assimilate so many culture. This Republic Day start the revolution by identifying yourself not by your caste, religion or region but by identifying yourself as an Indian.

Jai Hind! And Inquilab Zindabad!

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“Mujhe states ki naam na sunayie dete hain, na dhikaie dete hai. Sirf ek mulk-a-naam sunayie detha hai, I-N-DI-A” - ChakDeIndia

You Hypocrite!

- vakul mohanty

1

5th August 1947, India emerged from the colonial rule of the British Empire.

The struggle for independence had lasted 2 centuries, countless men and women laid down their lives to ensure that we could live and breathe in a free nation.

The struggle to reform the grotesque society that was prevalent during those times ran hand in hand with the struggle for freedom. More than sixty years have passed since that fateful day, and India as a country and a society has progressed immensely since then, however the social reforms that the makers of our country had started are far from over. Blinded by our general progress we refuse to see the malignant practices and norms that are still prevalent in our society. The hypocrisy of Indians society is truly remarkable and is worth a mention: Women For centuries women have been respected and revered in Indian society. The two great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata are a clear depiction of the important role that women play in society. However their status as equals (to men i.e.) has been stripped.

Though our present society no longer openly discriminates against women, a sense of inequality still prevails. Female feticide, rapes, eve teasing, dowry related crimes are still common place. Progressive women today live in fear of society’s wrath.

For a country where basic dictum demands that we hold women in reverence and protect their dignity and interests, this

hypocrisy is unforgivable.

Equality: Our constitution was written on the foundation of liberty, equality and fraternity.

I still don’t see equality, not even in the slightest measure, in our society. True, it is naïve to presume that everyone is equal in all aspects, some people are born stronger, others with greater intelligence etc. It isn’t possible to ignore a person’s remarkable talent in a particular field and in the name of equality hinder his progress so that everyone may grow at the same rate. In the court of law everyone is equal. In India however, dear sir, the general philosophy isn’t true. The rich and the powerful never get convicted. The common man rots away in his attempt to find justice. The law truly is blind here.

Atithi Devo Bhava: ‘My Guest is my God’, a doctrine that has been a part of Indian social decorum. We treat even enemies who are our guests as gods. Off late however the doctrine seems to have been lost. Foreigners are murdered, extorted and miss treated in several ways. The ads off the department of tourism department are nothing but empty promises. If you’re ever visiting India please watch out. I don’t say we are all thugs, but there are a few amongst us, and the biggest problem is most decent Indians are so preoccupied with own inferno of problems they might not notice your distress.

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fea Corruption: You’re an Indian right? Well then I don’t think I need to address this issue.

Education Well the education scene has improved, (I’m a hypocrite too but I can’t deny progress that I see with my own eyes now, can I?) but there is something fundamentally wrong in the way we are going about making progress.

The Indian government has randomly set a whole bunch of new IITs, given loads of people reservation, spent a fortune to try and pull this preposterous plan off , but in the process they have forgotten the roots of the education system. As a student I vouch that the system is rotten: primary education is poor at the very best and university level education is archaic (the syllabus, the instruments etc etc everything is so ancient that we learn nothing that we can practically apply once we are done with our education) You must be thinking I’m a pessimistic prick, I beg to differ, I’m doing nothing but communicating what I have seen and

heard. I’m not blind to the amazing progress that India has made, but most of you know all about that. You think I’m a stupid teen?

Maybe I’m but all the same open your eyes, see the suffering around you, and then maybe- maybe all of us together can make a difference.

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utos. How does this word make you feel? Does it make you feel like clawing somebody’s eyes out or just clawing at anything? Then you know what I am talking about. What was Volkswagen thinking when they said “Das Auto”? In India! They just probably travel in their little fancy cars or large fancy cars never having known the Indian auto.

I know I am babbling (read the title of the blog, guys!)

God, they are the epitome of annoying! They should all be banished to Tartarus, only fit place for them. Autos I mean.

I know I said I wasn’t making a list but this isn’t just a list.

ions

Public Transport From Hell

- born confused That was mine. :-/ 1. Attitude. Oh my God. And how much! This guy was so rude to me because I didn’t have change...He was all “Oh you should have asked if I have change or not before getting in, Go and get change” Me : “Where am I supposed to go and get change ??”

Auto-jerk (raising his voice, if you please) : “I don’t know all that! Otherwise, give me the 100 bucks and go” Me : !!!!!!!

It’s a HATE list.

No way was I paying him 70 bucks extra. So I went to the petrol bunk and got change.

Bugger.

Top 5 WORST things about autos -

Somehow I calmly paid him (relatively calmly) and didn’t throw the money in his face. We Virgos are known for suppressing our feelings.:P

5. The way they take speed-breakers. Bumpity Bumpity Bump Bump. I can practically feel stuff rattling around inside me.

4. They will either take you round and round in circles or say that they know the way and then ask you for directions. If not either of these, the meter will be tweaked. This will probably happen in a completely unfamiliar city. Result -daylight robbery.

3. When you say where you want to go, they grimace and shake their heads and drive off into the sunset. Why? I am not asking you for a loan or something, buddy. Paying you, aren’t I? I don’t want to go to the bloody moon!

2. The way they find excuses to make you pay more. “It’s raining” or “It’s night” or “You won’t get any other autos” or “I’m an asshole”. Oops.

Yes, I suppose there are some decent auto guys but mostly only in Mumbai. Generally, they just piss me off. Like, so bad. Wait, I already said that, didn’t I? Okay, I’m going to stop now. Blogging is really therapeutic. Take all the anger and turn it into words I say and errrr…. post it on a public forum anonymously :P That’s the ticket. ...............................................................................

‘Born Confused” is a third year computer science engineering student currently on a study abroad program in Madison, WI, USA. She enjoys junk food, writing(to keep her brain from rotting), yelling ‘superfish’ at odd occasions and making fun of people who don’t know what ‘superfish’ is.’

Jaago India J

anuary 26th, Republic Day. A day when the tricolored Indian flag flaunts its pride in 300 million square kilometers of Indian soil. Facebook profile pictures are going to be changed to soldiers hoisting the flag, statuses declaring that they are proud to be an Indian and are willing to die for India will fill our walls. Phones crammed with republic day messages with the emotional blackmail, “If you are a true Indian, forward this message to all your friends “. Television channels show patriotic songs with AR Rehman and Lata Mangeshkar sharing the screen performing “Vande Mataram”. The whole nation looks up and salutes the flag.

As “Jana Gana Mana” is sung, it instills zeal and enthusiasm; and the feeling that we can do anything for our motherland arises.

Well, there are others who have better things to do than witness this ceremony.

I, for one would be sleeping when the flag is being hoisted, thanking god that it’s a holiday, getting up at 12 o clock, going to the mess and hoping that there are special

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- Sumanth Nepalli items for this special day. Many others share the same feeling as me. There are at least 2000 people in the campus and if all of them were to assemble on the ground imagine how stuffed it would get! But let’s hope that at least 200 people turn up and exhibit their patriotism.

What is the big difference between these two sets of people? I don’t think there is any at all. Both of them would forget about Republic Day by the 28th of January. Both of them wouldn’t get any more patriotic feelings until Independence Day when the ceremony is repeated again. Sure, a lot of people wish well for India from the bottom of their heart. All of us are pretty nationalistic and want India to develop and become a superpower. All of us want the corruption to decrease; we want a better ruling party, a better administrative system, a better India. But how many of us are really willing to take the responsibility to help be the change?

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We Indians have a funny way of bearing responsibility. We throw it on the people beside us. Our favorite line of thought would be “who am I but one person? What difference can I possibly make? Why try for something that isn’t going to happen anyway?” But how many of us are willing to take the first step. How many of us are aware about the conditions in our country?

AWARENESS Awareness is the first step to change. Many of us are above 18 years of age but how many of us have a voter’s card. How many of us know that form 6A should be filled and submitted to get a Voter’s Id. The funny thing is I know this fact because GMHC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) was issuing ads advising people to get registered in the voter’s list which were being screened in movie theatres. Ironically the movie I was watching then was ‘No One Killed Jessica’, which emphasizes on the umpteen flaws in the administrative and legal machinery and what powers a common man has to change these. NOKJ hit screens on January 6th, 20 days before the republic day and is turning out to be an average hit at the box office.

Why would people want to watch movies such as this which remind people that change is possible if desired, when there is the entertaining “realism” of Rajneeti which states that politics is all about hatred and

murder and there is nothing we can do to change this fact.

GOVERNMENT Our favorite alibi for the backwardness of India: The government. The government is not doing this; the government is not doing that, as long as the government doesn’t change India’s situation is not going to improve. But who is going to change the government? Who has the power to change the government?

We, the people. Yes...its clichéd I admit. But then every cliché is based on some truth.

In a democracy particularly one in which the media is so influential, the common man is supposed to have power. Before we blame someone else, we should look at ourselves. Are we willing to change?

Are we not making use of the flaws in the government to our benefit? I had recently applied for a driving license. If I went by normal governmental procedure, it would take me a minimum of three months. But if I applied through an agent who was going to bribe the officials I would get my license in

A Telugu movie ‘Leader’ which released last year concentrated on the corruption in India. It highlighted the thought train of a government employee. If he was a truthful hard working government employee who wasn’t taking any bribes, whom was he benefiting? Every other employee around him was corrupt and earning 10 times he was without putting in the effort. He would have a family dependent on him. After all, by being honest whom is he helping? To fill the pockets of illiterate politicians why should he sacrifice anything? In today’s times working honestly is a sacrifice in itself.

If you were in his position would you react differently? Maybe right now, you have this idealist belief “I would never take a bribe” but when put in his position you, too, would think the way he did.

What I wanted to say was we need to look at ourselves before we point a finger at someone else. We need to share the responsibility for making India better.

There was an awesome video I watched on television once in which a tree trunk breaks and falls on the road causing a traffic jam.

All the drivers cuss at one another and start blaring their horn but no one tries to move the trunk until a small boy walks along and tries to push the tree. He is then joined by more kids and then eventually elder people,

and finally they manage to move it. Let US be that change. Let’s be aware and voice our opinions. If we see any form of injustice let’s fight against it. I am not asking people to suddenly become politicians, but I would appeal for one thing. If a situation comes to you where you are to choose between right and wrong, stick to the right side. Let us try to be the kind of people who care about our country more than us.

Finally, on the way to my campus, we have to pass through many army residences. I look at the harsh training conditions the soldiers have to go through, the cramped up spaces they sleep in. These people have no means of recreation. They don’t have iPods to listen to songs, no computers to go online, no TV’s to watch movies. If this is the condition of soldiers here then what about the soldiers stationed in war zones such as Kargil. What inhuman conditions do they experience? Any amount of salary is not enough for them to survive those situations.

These are the people who put their life on the line. They are the heroes, the people who are really ready to die for India, not us.

They are the people who can proudly say, “I am willing to die for my country”.

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less than one month. Unsurprisingly, I went for the latter because my hometown is not Hyderabad and I had holidays for only one month. I’m blaming it on the government’s lazy officials who are delaying the process but am I not using the corruption to my advantage? If given a chance, how many of us are not going to? We have a choice to stop this. We could do many things, like complain to the anti-corruption bureau but again the feeling arises “let someone else do it. Why should I get myself stuck into this mess? Even the ACB’s corrupt. Nothing is going to change anyways.”

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IN THE CHARACTER’S PERSONA:

THE COMMON MAN - Sayonee Ghosh Roy

I do. I’m not short-sighted but I’m shortchanged.

I appeared in your daily papers around 40 years ago, but I’ve been around longer than that. Where there’s a concept of power, there is me. I’ve seen the kings of yore come and go, right before my eyes. But what do I care about their wars, their lofty ideals, their might, their opulence…..that kind of life is not for me. But it could be, if you were to believe these rags-to-riches stories.

Such people must have started somewhere and that baseline is me. I’m level one in the game of Fates. So you see, I have so much power to transform! Yet I’m so powerless.

I

’m not in the habit of speaking much, but today I shall speak about myself because you need to know and so does everyone else. Pick a face in the crowd, I am that. I am anyone, everyone and also no one. I’m the façade behind which the populace hides.

I’m paraded as their crusader. I come in different variants but for the sake of R.K. Laxman, I am a slight, old man, always humbly dressed in a dhoti and a kurta. And I also wear glasses. Why? The better to see you with my dear! For observing, is what

Times have changed but my predicament hasn’t. I still go to work, stand in queues, provide for my family, worry about their future, fret over taxes, make both ends meet etc. I watch as the so-called custodians of our country play out their daily drama. It amuses me, frustrates me, disappoints me, saddens me, angers me and sometimes even alleviates me. I thought they would use the tape at hand to mend our nation which is in tatters, but they paint it red and entangle me in it instead.

Every year, on National Holidays, when I’m supposed to be a proud citizen, I grumble profusely while waiting in a mile-long traffic held up, to make way for a personality I had

“I thought they would use the tape at hand to mend our nation which is in tatters, but they paint it red and entangle me in it instead.”

rature

Lite

They call me the Common Man and I share my last name with Super, Spider and Bat, but I’m no hero. There’s nothing heroic in what I do because the person next door is

probably going through the same things I am. And I don’t want my existence to be a war I wage daily. All I want to do is breathe easy everyday and take things in my stride, without adding further complications in my life. Like I said earlier, I’m just a name, to be glorified in electoral manifestos or given as an explanation for haplessness.

I’ve been pretty much silent all this while, maybe edged in a word here and there, but I need to break out from the chrysalis and show my different sides. For though the Constitution clearly draws the Us vs. Them line, why do they always forget that we are all, ultimately of the same constitution.

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directly or indirectly placed on the pedestal.

Nice way to treat your kingmaker, I must say! I grovel, snivel and warm pockets at government offices because if I thunder, rage and tighten my fist, I may rest assured that I’ve given them a piece of my mind but it would also mean giving up my peace of mind for my work would never get done.

Everyone commands respect these days.

They say “Apni gali mein kutta bhi sher hota hai” and this trickles down even to a mere bearer at the door. But I’m not one-tracked.

I don’t spend all my time looking up the ladder of power. Refreshment does come my way in the form of life’s mere frivolities and humorous ironies.

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l e g n Evil A

- aditya Prakash

Fallen with sorrow I sit and I pray, For the Evil Angel to come, To unfaithful love I have fallen prey.

Walk into my room, caste a spell, You will see clearly that I’ve been covered with grief as a shell.

Oh Evil Angel, I need you to put me to sleep, Open your wings, heal me, My wounds are too deep.

Evil Angel, I need you to help me survive.

These wounds sting, as if I’ve been pushed into a bee hive.

The world is not the place you once thought it was, I have been wounded and left to die, And there are people who solemnly survive in the shadow of deceit, the only thing they know is to lie.

Oh Evil Angel, I need you to put me to sleep, Fly over me, I have been broken by a million promises people never keep.

Take me with you, I will come without asking where why or when.

And when you heal me completely, we will come back again.

It is tough to walk away, and try to hide.

When your wounded, broken and open wide.

Evil angel, it is difficult these days to comprehend, Of those who have daggers in their hands, and claim to be your friend.

Raise me in your arms, Teach me how to fly.

From this disgusting pile of filth, I will learn to go high.

Oh Evil Angel, There are things which are hard for the eyes to see, Seep deep into my soul, I will show you the truth, You can be the face in me.

Oh Evil Angel, I need you to put me to sleep.

The pain is overwhelming, with tears of blood flowing down my cheeks, I weep.

Oh Evil Angel, I need you to knock on my door.

And tell me how to make use of the vengeance I have in my heart, in the core.

I know giving up and losing hope isn’t the only answer, I know that defeat is lethal, just like cancer.

Oh Evil Angel, I implore you, Come turn this living hell into a better place, Spread your wings, spread your wrath, and show me your beautiful face.

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Aditya Prakash is doing a B. Com (Computers), final year from Aurora college. His hobbies include music, poetry and snooker

Bridges

- Sankalp Singayapally

The sunlight rippled as it passed through the clear liquid in the glass bottle on the table in front of her .It illuminated her face in a halo, beautifying her already beautiful face, if that was even possible. The sun seemed distant as she looked out of the window and she couldn’t quite tell the time of the day as the direction wasn’t familiar.

Her head had been a concoction of random thoughts and flashes of long forgotten memories for the past couple of hours. She didn’t even know where she was anymore.

Whatever it was and wherever it was, she didn’t like the feel of the place. It could have been forenoon or the late afternoon, not that it would have made much of a difference but she knew she was always the person who cared about the most mundane of things in the world around her.

She tried to remember anything she would have forgotten, any unfinished business that would get her out of the vice-grip she was in. The glass seemed to be refilling itself and haphazard thoughts filled her head.

She needed to get out of the place. *** The plain was smooth and sprawling green for as far as she could see. Both sides of the road extended to the horizon like what

seemed to be a soft plain carpet. She longed to get out of the car and walk for as long as she wanted to. She wished to become the aimless being that she had been until the recent past. She longed for the life devoid of responsibilities that was hers until that night. Unlike the memory of getting into the car and driving out here, just an hour ago, the night was very clear in her head. *** The ear shattering blast from the trumpet woke him up from a dreamy stupor. All around him, everyone was jumping around, all inhibition forgotten. It took him a few minutes to understand where he was and what he was doing there. Looking around, he realized there were hardly any people he knew let alone any of his friends. The occasion seemed one that is perpetually euphoric. He knew where he was and what he was doing but he just didn’t know why he was there doing what he was doing. The thought wasn’t very convoluted but the heavenly drink was passing through his veins and his reasoning skills were rather clouded. “The girl…”, he thought. Yes, there was something about the girl that was going on at this very moment. He had come all the way here for the girl, but why he

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*** The mist was lowering onto the bridge and she couldn’t see anyone coming at her. Underneath her feet, the river flowed gently, with the surf building up as it hit the protruding rocks. She had chosen this bridge for that precise reason. The rocks were hard and sharp and offered her a good contingency plan if her plan didn’t work out. She kept walking on the wooden floorboards. There was moss growing from between the crevices and she felt sorry for it as she stepped on it and continued to walk. A little board on the railing caught her attention and she realized that she was at the middle of the bridge. She couldn’t make up her mind; should she keep walking or wait in the middle for him. She bent over the railing and looked at the river below.

The water was rather clear and there were plenty of rocks. At that point it didn’t matter anymore whether she stood and waited or continued to walk.

She felt the footsteps first, and then she heard them and then she saw him. He was dressed as he normally was, a worn out jacket over a dark shirt. The hue of his trousers was dark and blended into the night. Her heart missed a beat when she looked at his face. There was a scar that was never there before and she had seen his face, closer than this, several times before.

It looked rather ruthless and seemed out of place. Or perhaps, it was because he was never the person who would have a scar on his face, save a shaving accident. The scar was right along his right temple, about 5 or 6 inches in length - a straight gash. At both ends, there was a horizontal mark. She

didn’t know what to make of it.

He opened his mouth to say something but she couldn’t register anything. His Adam’s apple was quivering as he was speaking but she couldn’t make out what it was.

The shock of the scar was wearing off and it took her a minute to realize that she was deaf. She had been deaf for over a decade but she was never at terms with it. Usually, she read lips but now, she couldn’t. She nodded her head and pretended she was able to understand what he was saying. It didn’t seem fair to her at that point to lie to him but the only other option was to speak out to him and repeat. She doubted she could ever talk to him the same way again.

She tried to say something. After years of speech training in an institute that catered specially to the deaf, she could communicate verbally without any unnecessary spikes in the amplitude of her speech. She looked him in the eye several times and made an attempt to speak, but she could only see flashes of that night. Things that pricked her conscience several times and made her realize that she didn’t deserve a chance to speak to him.

She held up her hand signaling him to stop talking. The reaction was almost instantaneous and he stopped midsentence. She mustered up the courage to speak out to him and swallowed hard, thrice. The words came slowly from her mouth as she began describing the events of the night. She figured, it would be better to let him know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. *** The night was just like any other night that any ordinary person would have experienced. There was no multi colored halo around the moon, but then again, there was hardly a moon. It was a mere sliver, partially hidden by the clouds that seemed

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couldn’t remember. It dawned on him that he had fallen asleep leaning against a pillar and decided it might look conspicuous if he continued to do the same. There was a chair nearby and he slumped into it to try and recollect his thoughts.

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She couldn’t watch it anymore. All the promises that had been made to her had been broken. She felt unappreciated and unacknowledged. The suspicion had been lingering in her head for quite a while now but she trusted him too much. She had even given him the benefit of the doubt when there was a strand of hair in his bed that didn’t look like hers. She had told herself that it might have been from a corner of her head where the hair was a different color but the scene right before her eyes confirmed all other suspicions.

Her eyes filled with tears as she raced down the stairs. There was no need for the haste but her subconscious seemed to belong to some puppet master and she was just following instructions from an unknown commander. Two flights down, and she entered her room. The bed looked inviting but she couldn’t make it there. Instead, her knees gave way and she collapsed on the floor. Tears were rolling down her face and were dropping onto her thighs. She had to gasp for breath and each time she did, the

flow of water from her eyes got stronger.

She tried to take control of herself and after several attempts, the tears ceased. She walked into her kitchen and looked around.

For something. She wasn’t very clear about what she wanted but she knew it would be in the right place. After fumbling around the shelves and the drawers, she found it. It was unopened and was meant to do what she wanted to do now, but on a smaller scale. Carefully opening up the wrapper, she pocketed it and went outside.

The night was chilly. It wasn’t the type of cold that she enjoyed. The air was stale and dry with the moon looking blurred from under several clouds. There was not a star in the sky and the street lights were either off, broken or too insignificant. She looked around for an appropriate spot. Her eye caught a street lamp diagonally in front of a stout tree. The gap between the two was enough to squeeze herself into and gave a clear sight of his gate. No ingress and more importantly, no egress would escape her sight.

She stood in the gap for an hour. Or so, she thought but time was abstract to her. For all the time she was standing there, her mind was blank. The discomfort of the cold metal pole didn’t disturb her one bit. Neither did the few insects that fell into her hair from the tree. The silence was ominous and was only punctuated by the rustling of the leaves each time there was a breeze.

There was a creaking sound and her head, which was drooping involuntarily, cocked up on its own and she looked at the gate.

She could see two silhouettes, the same ones that were entwined with each other a while ago. A few seconds, or perhaps a few years later, one of them walked out the gate. It walked lightly with a certain grace.

She was mesmerized for a moment as she looked. She tightened the grip on the knife and held it firmly behind her back as she

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floating around aimlessly all day long. She had been sitting on the terrace since the afternoon and could have sworn that it was the same cloud in the same position.

Standing up from the chair, she walked over to the edge of the terrace and held the railing firmly. She leaned forward and squinted to look into the house next door.

There was a silhouette against the blinds, probably illuminated from the light on the opposite wall. The house was rather familiar to her as she had been inside it no fewer than a hundred times. The silhouette was moving around rather frantically, probably searching for something, she thought. A few seconds later, another one came in and it looked more masculine. There were never supposed to be two people in the house!

She knew what was going on and she couldn’t believe it.

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*** He had tears in his eyes as she finished telling him about the story. The absence of the bride at the wedding was justified now.

He had gone there to get her back but there was no way she was coming back. It wasn’t as though he understood why she did what she had done that night. He realized he was no higher on the moral ground. He didn’t speak his intentions for meeting her on the bridge but they would have been evident. It was she who was responsible for everything. She was crying now and he didn’t know what he had to do. He couldn’t tell anyone. His lips parted to say something but his mind asked him to think twice.

He put his arms on her shoulders and she looked up at him. He muttered something about forgiveness and she stopped crying.

There seemed to be a flicker of a smile on her face but he didn’t understand why.

Perhaps she thought he was forgiving her for what she had done. His arms moved closer to her neck. There seemed to be fear in her eyes now.

His palms were on her neck now and she was definitely frightened. The tears had started again and she was trying to get him to leave her but he was just too strong. He pushed her to the floor and knelt down beside her, all the while tightening his grip on her neck. Her face was red. He looked at her and thought about all the time he had read about the blood red color. It was an

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stepped out of the gap onto the street.

There was no time for anyone to react. In a thrusting motion, the knife, which was once new and untouched, which was glistening in the night despite the lack of light was covered in blood. She looked on as the woman fell to the ground. There was no screaming and no time to scream.

The throat was punctured right through the middle and there was blood flowing profusely.

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apt name he figured. There was a thrashing sound from behind him. It continued for a while and then stopped. Her legs had gone limp, and her eyes were blank, but still filled with fear. He lifted her, or what was left of her, with one hand below her knees and the other below her neck and walked over to the edge of the bridge. There was a loud splash and the sound of something cracking against the rocks in the river. The river flowed on as he walked back the way he came. ............................................................................

movie review

No One Killed Jessica

I

’ll come straight to the point. With respect to bollywood movies, 2010 sucked. All awaited movies like Kites, Raavan, Tees Maar Khan Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey etc bombed at the box office creating a huge setback for the film industry. Cheesy movies like I Hate Luv Storys, Dabangg and Aisha made their money and the critics had a field day destroying the ‘credibility’(for lack of a better word) of their directors. I’m guessing one of the directors’ new year resolutions was to make an amazing movie, because 2011 arrived with a ripper. NO ONE KILLED JESSICA. Most directors have a habit of entertaining people. And some have a habit of enlightening them also. But some have a habit of doing the both. Rajkumar Gupta, the director of this film has earned

- SuryaTej Borra

this credit. According to me, this movie is a gutsy movie in a mutitude of ways. Made on the banner of UTV SpotBoy , which had in the past produced critically acclaimed movies like Dev D, this movie brings to the silver screen the one of most controversial murder case of Delhi based model Jessica Lall. Gupta takes up the legendary challenge of bringing the public sensation on the celluloid. And yes, he deserves a standing ovation for it. He has narrated the story of the aftermath of the murder of the model in the most convincing fashion. The director has done a splendid job in holding the soul of the story by choosing a thriller way of narrating it. Story wise the director has stayed very close to reality. He narrates the murder and the consequent

The story is about Jessica Lall, the invisible spirit of this movie who was shot dead about 11 years ago by an affluent politician’s son Manish on refusing a drink in a bar where she was working as a bartender (My gut feeling is that Manish thought that Jessica’s life is more cheaper than the drink he ordered.)

Even though a large number of people were present when the event happened, only a dozen of them turn up to be witnesses at court. Manish is acquitted based on legal complications and political manipulations.

This results in a tremendous public uproar and an extensive media campaign. Two women Sabrina Lall, the sister of the Jessica and Meera Gaity, a feisty TV reporter try to outwit Manish and his father’s political agenda.

Finally Manish is proven guilty and is given a life imprisonment for his crime. No One Killed Jessica belongs to this unique tough hitting genre of cinema. If only for emphasis, I will say again that the movie deserves a standing ovation. No One Killed Jessica focuses on the human spirit and reflects the thoughts of changing generations and mindsets of people. This movie is not a weekend outing in a multiplex. It is impossible for you to walk out of the cinema hall without your conscience biting at you, inspiring you to take action. Like Rang De Basanti and other relatively recent movies, this one is about taking responsibility and doing the right thing, even if it is the tougher road to take.

This movie is a mirror for degrading human ethics and social norms. It brings to your eye the existing malicious political scenarios and the sick judiciary.

Coming to the cast of the movie, Vidya Balan plays Sabrina and Rani Mukherjee plays Meera. And frankly, Vidya Balan stole the show. She has played a splendid role where she brings out the painful and emotional days spent by the iconic Sabrina brilliantly.

I guess Vidya Balan is on her career high floating in the glory of her previous films Paa and Ishqiya. Rani Mukherjee on the other

hand plays a lavish reporter who is a chain smoker and uses the F word all the time.

She glorifies the whole media industry here.

Rani’s role also indicates the subtle presence of media in our lives. Myre as Jessica was a neat role. . One of the highlights of the movie is a candlelight protest near India Gate which is simply amazing. The court proceedings are gripping as well. Speaking of the ‘hero’ of this film, it has to be Amit Trivedi for his striking background score. The thrilling feeling that his songs invoke in you can sustain you for the whole movie. . Another asset of this movie is the dialogue (also written by the director himself ) which are very realistic.

Overall, I feel that No One Killed Jessica is a film with great integrity. It is a story which is a perfect combination of facts and fiction which turns out to be persuasive and potent. The entire credit goes to the director for narrating it in the thriller genre.

In an age where the highest grossing movies are centered on futuristic robots et al, this movie serves as an eye-opener for fans who truly want to leave the cinema hall inspired.

This heroic and daring film truly deserves a prolonged applause.

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review

events following it.

movie

ALONG WITH ME, ALL - anuj suri THIS WHILE There are times when life is at its worst When God is blamed to be unfair When keeping a smile takes a lot of heart And the heart is broken beyond repair.

Between the lines if you could read, I’d tell you how it feels to be me.

Thinking about what we once were And now what we have come to be.

On and off you’ve been on my mind, Off in the day and on in the night.

You’ve been there saying you wouldn’t be For long and sure you were right.

It’s not spice that my life is now missing, It’s the sugar that you once added to it.

I still am not afraid of the dark, But I miss the light you once added to it.

It’s not the feeling that we once shared, It’s the absence of it that haunts me.

It’s not what we once were, It’s what we couldn’t manage to be.

And I still have my morning coffee And I still smoke my midnight cigarette.

They haven’t changed in taste at all, The flavour though, with you, has left.

You may be out of my sight, But my eyes, you can never leave.

And I still can see you clear enough, In the night when I’m asleep.

And if ever I meet you again, I will, Ask if I still cross your mind.

Will you care to give me a second chance?

Am I still worth your time?

Or no, I won’t ask all that, For I don’t wanna see you cry again.

A new life for our relationship, Isn’t worth seeing you die again.

And I still close my eyes once in a while And hold your hands and kiss your lips.

And the distance between us disappears And I comb your hair with my fingertips.

And then I fall in love again, With you and your beautiful smile.

That’s how I’ve been carrying you, Along with me, all this while. ..............................................................................

Taste Of Success

- Rishav Rej True it was that I remained in state of dormance, Never feeling the importance of that instance!

When I was in the field fighting for my glory; If vanquished, I would have become history!!

Neglected I, my conscience!

Paid I, a deaf ear to every guidance, Even when I did realise, I was taken by surprise!

As I could no longer, myself command My senses, and my conscience did no longer with me stand!

Darkness did spread and spread indeed dense!!

My state worsened and grew in me fear intense; But when all was about to end, I saw through the darkness the hand of a friend; That rested on my shoulder Only to make me bolder!

When I had none by my side That hand was my only guide!

Revived I my senses, and strength I did replenish, To fight the strife and remain unvanquished!

But time was indeed less and armaments few; Which would just help me to pass through!

With all my strength the last strike I did make, Keeping everything I had in stake!

And then I fell, fell to the ground!!

The reel of mistakes in my mind started to get unwound!

But when I opened my eyes A new world I saw and saw the blue skies!

All of a sudden I was of my burden relieved!!

I no longer grieved, I finally made the finish line, with grave mistakes committed I confess; But at last I did finally taste success!!

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ple

Peo

Its your anniversary and you are determined to go that extra mile to make it extra special for him? Or maybe its your closest friend’s birthday and you want to make the day memorable for her? Or it could be the 30th anniversary of your parents’ first accidental meeting in college and you’d like to celebrate it? Perhaps its your boss’s last day and you wish to give him a fitting farewell?

If your determination or want or like or wish has made way for an ‘Ok! Now what?’ moment, then let look no further than Oye Happy…These guys are dedicated to making sure you guys have a good time .

I got in touch with Harshvardhan Khemani, co-founder of Oye Happy…to find out a little more about what his startup offers.

Peo

ple

1. WHAT IS YOUR COMPANY ALL ABOUT? WHAT DOES IT DO? WHO ARE THE FOUNDING MEMBERS?

Oye Happy is a fun company that loves making special occasions for special people memorable by organising highly personalised surprises. So whether it’s your girlfriend’s birthday or your parents’ 25th anniversary or your best friend’s wedding or any other occasion and you’d like to make it special from your side, let us know – we’ll come up with ideas to take them by surprise and make all the arrangement as well.

Oye Happy was founded by Varun Todi and Harshvardhan Khemani 2. WHAT MADE YOU START THIS COMPANY? WHAT FIRST GAVE YOU THIS IDEA? Oye Happy was started with a simple but ironical thought – that people are too busy to do, what they were staying busy for – ‘to be happy’! What we realized is that there are a large number of people who want to make birthdays and anniversaries and other celebrations of their loved ones special – but either don’t know what to do or don’t have the time. That’s what inspired us to start Oye Happy.

3. HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO START-UP? DID YOU RECEIVE A LOT OF SET-BACKS? HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THEM? The main difficulty was to convince our parents that we are not mad when we proposed earning a living by arranging surprises.

The next challenge was to get people to accept the idea that its aright to let someone else arrange a surprise for your wife or boyfriend or family or friends. This was achieved through a lot of talking, a lot of selling and some luck.

The next challenge was to get guys like you at LTGTR to talk about us and make our work of getting people to accept our idea easier. Thankfully, this was easier to deal with because somehow the concept just clicked with the fourth estate.

Oh…we’ve still not convinced our parents after a year and a half of operating, and have no idea how to convince them now!

4. WHAT WERE THE SOURCES OF FINANCE YOU COULD LEVERAGE? Savings from our now spider infested bank accounts. 

5. HOW WILL YOUR WORK AFFECT THE MASSES? WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DO YOU SEE WORK HAVING ON INDIA’S YOUTH AND THE POOR? You’ve given us something significant to think about buddy!

6. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AFTER 5 YEARS? WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? Immediate future plans include adding to our current happiness dens of Bangalore, Hyderabad and Guwahati. This will be happening through the franchise route. The distant future also includes plans to start a retail division.

Five years later the entire Oye Happy team will be partying in Goa, celebrating the fact that Oye Happy has been one of the quirkiest and highly successful Indian companies of the recent past.

7. SOME TIPS FOR UPCOMING ENTREPRENEURs. Gyaan – the one thing we’ve had enough of from everyone around us, so we’ll keep it simple – you have one life and you are responsible to live it happily. So if you are going to spend 15 hours a day in setting up a new venture, you better invest those 15 hours doing something you genuinely want to do dil se.

8. HOW WAS YOUR COLLEGE LIFE? WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES? WHAT LESSON DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE FROM COLLEGE? College life was obviously the best part of our lives (till we started Oye Happy that is! :D).

Favourite memories are way too many and we can probably write a book on that, so will spare you that torture here.

And lessons from college?? Who the hell takes away lessons from college? You just take away great memories and friends for a lifetime. .................................................................................................................................................

ple

Peo

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Ramblings Of A Lost

Confused Boy T

- TVS Kartik

he question at the very beginning of this article, which yours truly hopes gets printed up somewhere is, “What can a guy who gets severely paranoid about the people in campus having issues against him and a guy who gets ridiculously nervous around the people who he’d like to talk to dish out?’

face. I know it probably ain’t natural for a guy to be in SAC doing nothing, but writing, when normally people come to hit the gym or play Carrom or Table Tennis or hone their already amazing skills at the music or dance rooms. If you have an issue with the way I work, “Screw u guys! And learn to be open minded” is what I’d like to say.

Well first up, these aren’t two different guys.

There exists only one. I hope my grammar ain’t going to get this paper rejected.

Secondly, thinking about this in the SAC QT while music nerds (no offense people....) play their songs at an insanely loud volume isn’t helping. Depending on how long this article will take to get done, a message to the SAC passer-bys and friendly strangers ...you’ll probably see me sitting around with a pen in hand and a pensive look on my

Granted, more often thatn not,nothing comes out of my mouth because I tend to be stubbornly quiet. My social skills have been stunted during those 2 yrs of junior college preparing for IIT, is what I like to believe.

Whatever; I’m going off topic. I’ll admit, I happen to be the confused boy that I am who refuses to drink, smoke a joint, while refusing to be anti-studious while roaming in the LTC if I can help it For those of you, who are sceptical of my writing prowess,

WELCOME to the club! Anyway, coming back to the point (Wow, folks, never ever use this phrase to start a sentence...I just got stuck in the state of limbo like in that movie ‘INCEPTION’. Right now I have no proper content to write down and it doesn’t help if you are as fickle as I am with my emotions, like Archie’s love interest switches between those two girls. It’s especially bad when people don’t message you back. How lonely and cold it’s getting by 7:30. How low and pessimistic is my view that my own life’s going to sink? How often will I have a certain sense of purpose that I refuse to change my thought process...how will yours truly break out of this parentheses ...).

At the risk of this article being coined as “the rambling thoughts of your beyond average confused lonely boy”, I shall make it a point to deliver something worth imbibing from this article in case you are reading this article out of curiosity.

A dude can have a sense of divine purpose after preparing for IIT and despite messing up big time in the exam, keep his ambitions intact.

The same dude can keep this in his heart and aims to be perfect according to his thoughts in his small world.

That dumb dude may even feel it paramount to be oblivious to those people

Comic “Strip”

- vijay narayan

around him not out of superiority but out of eventually acquired stupidity.

That dude, as he grows up, regrets his diehard habits and now leads a strange dual life.

The dude feels his dreams are crashing down so far whenever he bothers about the people around him . And due to his afore mentioned stupidity, he stubbornly refuses to learn from his mistakes.

This dude now wonders how to beautifully conclude this article on a happy note for you, the reader.

The dude has faced mental shit that you, whomsoever it may be, may have faced or is facing as well...presently.

Yet that dude is always willing to help you out despite his crazy issues as long as you approach the dude.

Don’t fear to bother the dude....the dude fears you even more for not bothering to bother him.

Ha-ha. I’ve lost it...but I think that was poetic. Yes! And that’s a wrap. Now the dude is thinking of writing another article as soon as possible in case this gets scrapped because it’s too personal you know...or just plain weird.......

Oh well. ..............................................................................

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Shock Therapy is a Hyderabad based band comprising of Akram-ul-Haq - Guitars, Jay Awasthi- Guitars, Krishna Chaitanya Pottepalem- Bass, Aniketh Yadav- Drums and Rahul Das- Vocals I first saw these guys perform at PEARL 2010 in the Till Deaf Do We Part Event. For a newly formed band, these guys struck an amazing chord with the crowd there. To this day, their performance of their OC ‘Kill the Cupid’ remains as one of the most memorable moments of the whole event. While deciding the agenda for this issue, we just knew that we had to get these guys’ interview. Front man Rahul Das answers our questions about the band.

Q. How’d u guys come up with the name shock therapy? Have you changed the band’s name before?

A. We believe that every band needs to have some underlying theme to it, otherwise it’s quite pointless. And when we met up, we realized that all of us were pretty much sickened by the perverse nature of humanity, and how humans revel in killing each other and destroying the whole planet. Shock therapy is essentially a medical treatment that s given to people with twisted minds. And this is our attempt at making others realize this twisted side of the human psyche.

Q. How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?

A. We started the band around a year and a half ago. Our first gig was at IIIT Hyderabad.

We had known each other reasonably well for4- 5 months. In that time we started jamming

Q. What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

A. We consider ourselves to be part of the brutal slam death genre...As for bands we admire; we’re generally influenced by bands like Waking The Cadaver, Cephalotripsy, Human Rejection, Human Mincer, Devourment, Katalepsy We’re not influenced by any Indian bands per se, since few Indian bands play the sort of music that we do.

Q. What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?

A. Most of the topics are based on everyday occurrences in our lives. One of our OC’s called Sparrows came into being after a discussion about how we barely see any sparrows in the city any more (We’re all nature lovers). So essentially, if we see something on a day to day basis that has an impact on our lives, we write about it.

Q. How has composing music together affected you guys personally? Connection and balance between your personal lives and the songs that you write A. Once you get into metal, it sort of envelops you. It embraces you, empowers you. And then, it then just blows you away. It becomes a part of your life. It changes the way you live, and your outlook towards life.

Q. Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?

A. When we started off, we did play covers of bands like Slipknot, Mudvayne and Hatebreed.

After a while however, we decided to start focusing on original compositions, so that we

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a bit as well. After getting to know each other better we decided to start a new project in Hyderabad.

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could develop our own music. Our first OC was a song called Kill The Cupid. It was followed by other OC’s namely Sparrows, Project Mayhem, Fight Club Fight Know Your Right(inspired by the movie Fight Club) and In Search Of My Sanity. We’re presently working on a song about deforestation that will be out soon.

Q. How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

A. Well, I for one was first not into metal at all, after a while I started listening to black metal, which really inspired me. Akram, one of our guitarists, is also into alternative. Our other guitarist Jai is into the Hardcore/deathcore genre. Our drummer Krishna Chaitanya and our bassist Aniketh are the ones who are truly into the brutal slam death genre Q. How often do you guys rehearse and practice?

A. We generally meet every Saturday and Sunday to jam. Our bassist aniketh lives in Nellore.

So about two to three days before a gig, he comes down so we can do some serious jamming first.

Q. What has been your biggest challenge as a band?

A. One of our initial difficulties was finding decent instruments. When we started the band, all of us were studying, so it was difficult to raise money for the instruments. Sadly, it’s a problem that most Indian bands face. Also, initially it was difficult to get the Hyderabad crowds receptive to our sort of music, since it’s not a very common or commercial genre in India. But we refused to quit. We kept working at it, and it started to show during the gigs.

Q. What’s your ultimate direction for your band?

A. Right now we’re just going with the flow of things.

We’ll deal with whatever gets thrown at us later on. Right now we’re recording an EP. Apart from India, we’ll also be promoting it in the United States, UK and Australia Q. Any last words for upcoming bands?

A. Stay true to your music.

Stay Brutal \m/

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YOUTH

A TIME FOR PROMISE AND EFFORT

- Vivek Gade

In a seminar with outstanding acoustics and with an elevated stage, capacity to hold 300 students at once, “May I have your attention please? I really thank each and every one of you from the depths of my heart for accepting this old man’s request and coming over here because some of you may even have to forgo snacks even, right?” says a virtuous, well educated and a renowned lecturer in a pleasant manner.

Suddenly, a student without even thinking of the pros and cons of his action starts running out of the class as if that were to be the place he should never ever come in his lifetime, thereby shattering the finely woven fabric of graveyard silence existing till then in the class. Taking inspiration from him many students start leaving the lecture hall and the number rises exponentially with time. By giggling, some audience start projecting them as heroes. The lecturer was so humble that he left them to their fate and continued his lecture. All such nuisance culminates in the loss of valuable time of those students who believe the lecture hall to be their second temple and the teacher to be their demigod. This might look like a normal situation that just happens in UG/ PG colleges but let’s stop here one moment and think of the attitude that those students showed towards the lecturer and the lecture? After all one may say that they are obsessed with the vague things taught by the so-called renowned lecturer. But these are also the students who underwent

a severe exertion to achieve their shot term target of getting into a well established college. This short term achievement slaughtered their thirst for that ultimate success which they still need to pursue in their life. Unfortunately, this is the way present day youngsters aspire their goals.

I want to succeed in my life!

I want to become a highly paid professional in my field!

I want to reach my goal at any cost, fighting in this materialistic world!

Undoubtedly, these are the fascinating dreams of any youngster. But they are struggling like pebbles do under huge waves; no constrained path, no planning, no virtues and yet to reach the shore of success by any means possible, which is absolutely impossible. We have become ambitious, but mind you only ambitious. A friend of mine was preparing for his IIT-JEE but I rarely found him concentrated on studies.

He was always thinking about something.

Out of my own anxiety, I asked him what he was thinking about. He said “I am thinking - how should I enjoy my engineering life in IIT Bombay? Most of the time I brood upon this idea!” We are just thinking about their destiny, dreaming about the end, paying no attention to the means and still want success.

Students aspire for freedom, freedom to spend money, freedom to lead a luxurious

All the time, we find this. And this comes into every detail of one’s life. Roadblocks to success are self-created! We don’t have that ambitious nature, with that conviction and that commitment towards work but still we want success!

Take up an idea, think of it, dream of it, live of it.

Let the body, nerves, muscles and ever part of the body feel that idea.

Lave rest of the ideas alone, this is how great men work and others are mere talking machines.

This is a great saying by one of the greatest spiritual giant that human era has ever produced, SWAMI VIVEKANANDA. Such kind of zeal, such kind of conviction, such kind of pin pointed focus is needed to succeed.

In this ever-moving life, every person is in search of success. This materialistic world has made man a puppet with no virtues, no ethics. If we go out and ask a student “Why are you studying?” The sincerity in his convincing answer will be eroded by time, exposing the real nature of his lust towards

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money. Thus studying has simply become a vital source of money to today’s youngsters.

Such kind of education impedes the development of any country.

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life with sophisticated food. But they are not able to realize the fact that without struggle freedom can’t be achieved. We describe few persons as “They are born great”. Mind you, no one is born with a tag “great”. His ideas and his deeds make him great. We build up on our ideas to fulfil our dreams, our aspirations. A youngster lying on his bed and believing, “Everything is planned now.

Every second of tomorrow will be spent in a right way and for a right purpose. No force in this world can stop me from doing things correctly!” Unfortunately, next day no work was done in a right way, or at the right time. What is really being done to him? He wanted to sip the honey, and he found his hands and feet sticking to it. He was caught.

He wanted to rule; He was being ruled. He wanted to work; He was being worked.

For every man to succeed in life three Ds are required- DETERMINATION, DEDICATION, DISCIPLE. Lack of any one among them will make life miserable.

We are experts in taking oaths and breaking them. To be determined, first thing anyone has to posses is faith, Faith in oneself. First thing a person needs to put into his blood after deciding his goal is that he at any cost, even at the cost of his life, should and must reach his goal. Every now and then, in your journeys, you will face problems. Only men who can control their nature during failures and have steel nerves can achieve success. Fight till the end, mediocrity has no right to have a zeal for success. It is to be believed that every soul selects its body which explicitly suits its real nature, a perfect instrument to show its talent. There is no scarcity of examples in this world. Take Sir Stephen Hawkins, a living legend in the scientific realm. This man, who can’t do his daily activities without any help, is a world famous cosmologist. What is the difference?

Simple, he is handicapped physically but not like us, mentally. Many complexities, in our own mind and about our own self, are eating away our self confidence, our capability to reach our goal. There is a saying “Even if the whole world is against you, he indeed is a real man who doesn’t move a single inch and stands like a rock on his path” Hard work is the only way internal genius takes birth. Without sowing the seed of hard work and dedication, all our tears shed for success will be in vain. Dedication towards the work is like a light house which throws the light on our shore, success. No great deed is accomplished just like that.

“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration” Working hard with determination and dedication blindly also doesn’t make any sense. Lifting a heavy rock is also a work but doesn’t really help you to reach your potential. Correct planning, healthy discipline towards knowledge and your path are very important. You will never find a successful person lacking ethics. Our culture is known for its traditions not only towards knowledge but also towards the teacher.

Guru is considered as a real epitome of god.

It is a minimum fundamental that students should sit in class facing the teacher, but in western countries teacher has no right to question a student even if he sits showing his back to the teacher. Incorporate western thoughts and ideas but not their culture.

Knowledge doesn’t reach your heart if you lack discipline. And even though you get it, by hook or crook, it won’t last for long time.

A commercial paste has been applied even

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to education. It has become a give and take policy. ‘Class room a market, student a customer and teacher a trader’- this is the ingrained notion of students these days.

This fallacious belief has been established in the minds of students and their parents that a teacher is a person who is teaching because we are paying fee to him. If the teacher teaches something beyond studies we think it as time waste. At the least we won’t even take pain to listen to what the teacher is saying! If earning money is only the motto of a well learned person, then he need not take up teaching as his career.

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Infinite patience, hard work, are imperative to success. People today have no patience, their dedication towards work stays focused only when they are able to enjoy. If the road is not so blissful they give up. People play video games, every time they lose they try once again, why can’t this enthusiasm, this conviction be shown in real life tasks, in light of failure. Did u know, before the invention of bulb, Thomas Alva Edison failed a thousand times experimenting with different filaments? Such kind of patience and dedication towards work is needed to achieve success. Recently our ex-president, the missile man of India, Dr. Abdul Kalaam said in a conference that in order to get a scholarship, he and his colleagues worked continuously for three days without sleep.

These examples simply reveal that there is no substitution to hard work. Let us take inspiration from such great men and remember

If this continues, a developing country like ours will be in lack of people who can educate the youngsters of this nation.

Prerequisites like making a time table, being punctual at work, thinking to study for knowledge sake, respecting the person who has given knowledge to us - are easy to read in words but when comes to deeds, they are tough to handle. But nothing is impossible if we put our sincere efforts to

Apart from all these things, one thing which can still make a difference and that is our mindset, our way of taking things and making things. Mind is the most subtle part of our body. Human mind by its very nature is fickle. There is no guarantee that if we prepare well, we are going to succeed.

Preparation is must but it just increases our chances of succeeding. The calmer our mind the better for us and the more we can work. We can find in our daily life that a simple but timely success can install such a tremendous confidence which can then be utterly shattered by a small failure. If so then what is the use of such false confidence for us? Literally useless! We should aim high, and then alone will such small pushes and pulls not affect us. It’s our nature that we feel good when we win and get depressed when we lose but “He indeed is a real man who amidst of all difficulties, amidst of all luxuries, remains the same. He has attained the perfection, the goal of one’s life.”

Controlling the mind is not our task but calming it down to concentrate should be our motto and it can be achieved through constant practice. A wood burns when the sunlight is focused, in the similar way when mind forces are concentrated knowledge is attained. We find people saying “I can’t concentrate” but they are unaware of the fact that nothing can be done without concentration. It’s only that we don’t put sufficient effort to improve the concentration we have. Many philosophers and many of our ancestors studied the human brain and gave some authentic methods to focus our minds but how many of us know them? We may think, “What is the need to know them?” I can bet that any way you choose, any path which you think is right and will help you to reach your goal is directly linked to concentration and in fact

it’s your power to concentrate which helps you find a path! One of the famous quotes of Swami Vivekananda which correctly describe this is: For me the very essence of education is concentration of mind, not the collection of facts.

But for us it has become merely a collection of facts. Our greatest shortcoming in life is that we are so strongly drawn to the ideal, the goal is so much more enchanting, so much more alluring, and so much bigger in our mental horizon, that we lose sight of the details altogether. The fundamental values and ethics which are an integral part of the means to succeed are no more ours.

‘Achieving our goal is our motto, doesn’t matter how we achieve it’-has become our slogan. Education for us has become‘reading books’. We forget that understanding and analysing the things which we see, hear and experience is education. All the past glory of a student can be brought back if we change ourselves. Many of us may not agree with the fact that no one in this world can help us but ourselves. But fact, for a fact, is fact. It’s we who have to change our mentality. It’s we who have to start a new era, which is not only sound scientifically but also culturally. It’s we, the youth of this country who have to give not only the scientific inventions but also the culture and heritage as a gift to our children. It’s now the time for us to change the fate of this country so that no more India should be called as a poor nation but should again be called as the golden bird. You may find this to be a miracle but remember We see people doing miracles as long as we are behind the line of fear. But once when we cross it, we find ourselves doing miracles.

So let’s do it ..................................................................................

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follow them.

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Lessons in Forgetting, despite what the title suggests, tells you the very basis of human life – you cannot forget your past, but only come to terms with it; hope for a better future and live in the present. Anita Nair very efficiently blends the lives of the two protagonists, Meera and Professor J. A. Krishnamoorthy(Kitcha/Jak). Meera, whose husband leaves her for a better life, and Jak, who returns to India to help his daughter regain her life. In the process of dealing with their problems, they discover their lost selves, in themselves and outside of themselves. Although I’m not in a position to comment or appreciate the nuances of marriage and parenthood that have been described, I still know that it is done with enough depth, sense and knowledge, with almost every aspect of human nature taken into consideration.

Writing the story along the lines of the different stages of a cyclone is an attempt that has to be appreciated but what is most striking is the vivid display of emotions, and the fact that the author hasn’t in the slightest bit been dismissive- of neither her characters, nor her story. Although there are parts of the story which seem hardto-believe, one must keep in mind the narrowmindedness of a lot of people of the previous generations, and that their priorities were different, albeit not being justified in today’s world. However, one place where the author fails

BoOk review

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n the midst of all the Chetan Bhagats and Tushar Rahejas, Anita Nair’s novel is a source of relief, With good command over the language, and an attempted, partially different story telling and a great depth of understanding of both the characters and other elements of a novel.

- Sukanya Venkatraman is to do justice to the social problem that is brought up by her. It appears as though we haven’t yet gotten over our need to write a story that, in any twisted way possible, talks about a social issue, perhaps in an attempt to show the author in better light, having portrayed to have written a book with a deeper purpose. But with all due respect, it definitely hasn’t been passed around in a fool-hardly manner. As for the pace and the story in general, it is interesting enough to keep you going but isn’t a page turner.

I probably wouldn’t recommend the book for the unmarried. There is only so much that one can understand. To fully appreciate the human emotions portrayed in the book, one has to experience them first. A good book, nonetheless. ..........................................................................

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Syed Zia Rahim efficiency = doing the things right. effectiveness = doing the right things. if we are talking about girls,i’d rather be effective !!!!

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Prit Parikh Diplomacy is to do and say The nastiest thing in the nicest way

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pHOTO COURTESY: aAMER Fazal Khan

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Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna

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- Bismil Azimabadi

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai Aye watan, Karta nahin kyun doosraa kuch baat-cheet Dekhta hun main jise woh chup teri mehfil mein hai Aye shaheed-e-mulk-o-millat main tere oopar nisaar Ab teri himmat ka charcha gair ki mehfil mein hai Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai Waqt aanay dey bata denge tujhe aye aasman Hum abhi se kya batayen kya hamare dil mein hai Kheench kar layee hai sab ko qatl hone ki ummeed Aashiqon ka aaj jumghat koocha-e-qaatil mein hai Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai Hai liye hathiyaar dushman taak mein baitha udhar Aur hum taiyyaar hain seena liye apna idhar Khoon se khelenge holi agar vatan muskhil mein hai Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai Haath jin mein ho junoon katt te nahi talvaar se Sar jo uth jaate hain voh jhukte nahi lalkaar se Aur bhadkega jo shola-sa humaare dil mein hai Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai Hum to ghar se nikle hi the baandhkar sar pe kafan Jaan hatheli par liye lo barh chale hain ye qadam Zindagi to apni mehmaan maut ki mehfil mein hai Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai Yuun khadaa maqtal mein qaatil kah rahaa hai baar baar Kya tamannaa-e-shahaadat bhi kisee ke dil mein hai Dil mein tuufaanon ki toli aur nason mein inqilaab Hosh dushman ke udaa denge humein roko na aaj Duur reh paaye jo humse dam kahaan manzil mein hai Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai Wo jism bhi kya jism hai jismein na ho khoon-e-junoon Toofaanon se kya lade jo kashti-e-saahil mein hai Chup khade hain aaj saare bhai mere khaamosh hain Na karo to kuch kaho mazhab mera mushkil mein hai

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