When Will We JAAGO RE ?

Today, all of us stand united by the demand for the "Jan Lokpal Bill". We demand that CORRUPTION be eradicated from this society. We have lost trust in our manipulative government and the extremely slow legal system, a system which doesn't punish the bad, a system which doesn't give Justice to the victims, a system which is a toy in the hands of the government and the powerful. Hence, we believe that this Bill which has been drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde will form an independent body to eradicate corruption and give justice to victims of such acts.

At this moment, Mr. Anna Hazare is fasting for this very cause. The government has been passive to the implementation of this bill so far. But since the Fast-unto-death movement has caught the media's attention, they have been forced to "look into the matter". The citizens all across the country are participating in rallies displaying their support towards the movement and also educating people about it's benefits. The implementation of the bill in the present form will be a great achievement for the common man. A man who is frustrated to switch on the television and read about the scams, a man who sees a criminal getting bailed after just 24 hrs, a man who wants accountability for the taxes he pays and the lack of progress in his neighbourhood.

But we forget one very big hurdle in our path- US. We surely don't deal in spectrum scams and eat away lakhs of crores of money,putting the reputation of the country at stake. We , the common people, are not like our evil politicians. We just bribe the police who comes to verify the passport document. We only pay extra fare to the auto-wallahs. We only pay a few thousands to get the learner's license. We just pay a hundred to the traffic police when caught without a license or an RC. We just spit on the roads and litter the parks. We pay lakhs of rupees to admit our children to good schools and reputed colleges. Funny as it may sound, we only pay "small tips" to the waiters in restaurants where they are paid for the service they provide to us. It is we who try to board a bus and travel ticket-less. Due to the rush in the buses these days, we manage to escape, sport a smile on our faces with an air of achievement within. And, yet we go un-noticed. We constantly judge the corrupt government for its innumerous mistakes. What about WE-THE COMMON PEOPLE ?

Who is to judge us? Who will be the one who looks at us with eyes that make us guilty for not paying our taxes right. Who will be the person to make us realise the consequences of these little acts ? The government low-budget advertisements which ask us to follow the legal procedures, no matter how much time we lose. Or the TATA TEA JAAGO RE Campaign ? All these will only give us a picture of how we are. What we cannot comprehend is that all these little things are the things in our control. If you refuse to bribe the police in whose hand the fate of your passport is, there's a good chance that you may not get a passport. Then what do we do ? Nobody is ready to jeopardise their future education just for a few hundreds of rupees. So, the practical thing would be to bribe. But just imagine if the entire population on this country refuses to pay a single penny to each of the pot-bellied, gutkha chewing police officer, then maybe there won't be a future to worry about. The essential point worth noting here would not be us saving a few hundreds. It would mean the beginning of the end of corruption embedded in US.

You want 10 sprints ? I'll do 11...

It was his first full match debut. It was a match against Arsenal. He was just 17 years and 240 days old. He was nervous. He was tensed. He was how a 17 year old normal kid should be. Yet what he did that day was truly remarkable and abnormal. He scored a hat-trick against a formidable opponent and won his team the match 4-2. Was this an indication of things to follow?

Commitment, Passion, Finesse, Creativity, Strength are just a few words that have been used to describe this Legend. All these seem to be small in front of the achievements this guy has made. He’s also known as the “Galloway Giant”. He was not called a “giant” just because he was six feet. The gigantism laid in the terror he created amongst the defenders of his time, the ease with which he over powered them and the simplicity with which he celebrated his goals. This “Galloway Giant” is ALAN SHEARER.


Shearer believed that you need to give 100% every time so that no one could ask anything more from you. Shearer was quoted as follows- “Someone once said to me as a kid, if you’re asked to do ten sprints, do eleven. Never do nine because that would be cheating yourself. ”
At school-level he began playing on the streets just like most of the kids. He preferred playing in the midfield as he believed that he could “get more involved in the game”. Perhaps it is this stint in the midfield which has made him a brilliant creative forward, who not only scored goals but also created opportunities for his team-mates. Later, he spent the summer training with Southampton’s youth team. This, according to Shearer, was the “making of Shearer”. After scoring the hat-trick against Arsenal in 1988, Shearer had a successful stint at Southampton. He went on to make the then manager, Branfoot “the most popular manager” at that time as he kept getting calls from various clubs trying to buy Shearer. Despite a strong interest from Manchester United, Shearer rejected the move and decided to stay with Southampton.


Later, he would go on to join Blackburn with whom he won the Premier League on the final day of the season , tipping Manchester United. He went on to win the PFA Player of the Year in 1995. After the European Championships of 1996, Manchester United tried to sign Shearer for a second time. Shearer just said, “I am getting offers from various clubs. I must be doing something right.” .The fees was agreed and the deal was almost done when Shearer’s Hero- Kevin Keegan came up with an offer from Newcastle United and “hijacked” Shearer’s move to Old Trafford. Shearer continued his brilliant goal scoring form in the following years, winning many accolades and fans throughout the world. He could have easily gone to Manchester United and won many trophies. Especially the 1999 season, where Manchester United won the treble. But he chose his childhood club managed by his childhood hero. From this perspective it seemed obvious why he chose not to go to Old Trafford. Whatever maybe the reason, but it sure pictures the beauty of commitment, love and loyalty towards your club which is lacking in the modern-day footballers. Ten years later, Shearer was again seen showing his love for Newcastle, who were in dire straits. He turned into a manager for 8 games and took charges from the caretaker manager, Hutton, as Newcastle attempted to beat the drop from the Premier League. During an interview, he was quoted saying, “I’ve never wanted to leave. I’m here for the rest of my life and hopefully after that as well.” .Though he failed to perform the task due to his inexperience and the lack of time, he had proved his love for the club where he became a Legend.


Another memory that comes to the mind of any Shearer fan is the altercation between Roy Keane and Shearer in the 2001-02 season. The match was in favour of Newcastle 4-3 and the Red Devils captain, Roy Keane, as we all know was a “dynamic” character to say the least. Shearer was preventing Man United from taking a throw-in. Roy Keane threw the ball at him and aimed a strike at the striker. Shearer stood firm and didn’t react to it. Keane was sent off and he tried to charge onto Shearer, who looked at Keane fearlessly. This fearless nature was visible during the numerous goals he scored for both club and England. Shearer once said, “I never get fed up of scoring goals. That’s a striker’s secret.”


Shearer has not won the World Cup, The European Championships, The Champions League, The FA Cup. But he has won the hearts of every Newcastle supporter and that of many other budding footballers throughout the world. He went on to be the highest ever premier league goal-scorer, scoring 260 goals, of which 206 were scored for Newcastle United, which was another record .He was inducted in the English Hall Of Fame in 2004 and also in the 125 Greatest living footballers by Pele.
Many Newcastle fans would love to see Shearer back playing football. You can find him in Classic Players in FIFA 11 ;)


In a charity match organised against Celtic to bid farewell to Shearer, who was unfortunately injured, he would make a last minute entry on the field as a substitute which could be described as “The Last Entry of the Gladiator”. He scored a penalty and the commentary went as follows:
“And the curtain comes down so fittingly with a winning goal in front of his beloved fans...Alan Shearer ... Legend.”

I'm not hungry now. I'm STARVING !!

Samir Nasri, touted to be the next Zinedine Zidane from the age of 17, has had a great end to the year 2010. Nasri believes that at a young age of 17, it’s difficult to keep performing consistently at the highest level and carry the high expectations on the young shoulders. Nasri says it drove him “mad” to be compared to Zidane at such an early age.

Playing in the World Cup is a dream for any player. For someone of Nasri’s abilities and skills, being omitted from the WC Squad would surely be a “slap on the face”. However, the World Cup shock spurred him on to do better, to train harder. And the result is evident this season.

He has taken his game to another level. He has not only been playing brilliant football, he’s regularly scoring goals as well.He scored an audacious individual goal in the Champions League against FC Porto which was nominated for the "FIFA Puskas Award-Goal of the year". He has scooped the PFA Player of the month for October, December and January. Arsène Wenger believes that Samir Nasri’s World Cup omission has shocked the French midfielder into the best form of his Arsenal career.
He has been in the form of his life, according to Fabregas. He has scored more goals than the combined tally of the last two years, has been integral in setting up many vital goals for the Gunners this season. Just like other players who have missed the world cup, Nasri definitely had the advantage of having fresher legs and minds. But it takes more than that to do what he has been doing this season. During the WC, Nasri took a lot of time to rest and self analyze. He asked himself if he was hungry and his mind answered, “I am not hungry now. I Am Starving.”

In December 2010, he was named the French Player of the Year for his performances during the calendar year. Not being picked in the WC Squad of 30 and being named the Best player in the country is quite a paradox. But one must compliment the way Nasri has bounced back from the niggling injuries in the last year. Being "The Next Zidane" is a far-off thing but it's worth appreciation that he has established himself a contender for the Player of the Season with his performances so far.

I'm not tired. I Feel ALIVE !

Winning the Bulgarian Footballer of the year for a record seven times seems a pretty great achievement. But this fades away in the light of the burden of performing for Manchester United who have paid £30.75 million for you. You are being nick-named “Berbaflop”. What do you do? You put your head down, put your hearts in and practise like hell. This is what Berbaflop had to do last summer. And now his nick-name has been tweaked. He’s now “Berbatop”. The hat-trick against Liverpool was the high-light of the season for him.

You have to give him credit for this amazing transformation. Some call him lazy with his movements, but this season he has shown his pace with the ball and also brilliant finishing. Responding for the team when they need you the most. He was compared to “Thierry Henry” by Arsene Wenger. This, even for the Man Utd fans is a compliment.

Let’s take a look at the statistics
Season 1: 14 goals in 43 games
Season 2: 12 goals in 43 games
Season 3: 20 goals in 28 games

The transformation is just not in the statistics. It is also in the belief. He was close to being offloaded with just two seasons with the club, but thanks to SAF and Berbatov’s hard-work, he s considered the spear-head of their attack now. With the departure of Tevez and CR7, adding to it the slump in the form of Rooney, someone had to rise. Berbatov has done just that. And he just attributes it to the hard work during the summer and the managers backing, of course.

Here is the routine he followed. He worked very hard on his fitness. He ran six miles every day during the off season. He watched one World Cup match, went for a run, then watched another and went for another run. He said “ I’ m Not Tired. I Feel Alive.”

Even in the on-going season he had a ten game drought. So for him the challenge would be to improve his consistency through out the season. SAF expects him to reach the 25 goals ,mark in the EPL. That will be no problem SAF.

SAVE THE TIGER !!

Tiger is a majestic animal, and the largest cat on our planet. Tigers have over the time become symbols of wildness, mystique, pride and bravery but this hasn't done them much favor since their population has been in constant decline in the last coupe of decades. Tigers live in Asia, and today there are only about 3500 tigers remaining in the Asian wilderness. How can we save this majestic animal from going extinct?

Two main problems for tigers are habitat loss and poaching. Human population has been steadily growing in many Asian countries, meaning that they require more place for houses and farms, and this has drastically reduced tiger habitats in the last few decades. Because of this there have been frequent conflicts between people and tigers since now in many parts of the Asia houses and farms have violated tiger habitats. Poachers are also big problem since almost any part of the tiger can achieve high price on the black market, and we all know that to some people money is more important than lives of beautiful animals.

Despite lot of efforts, tiger conservation success is still in the great jeopardy. In order to save tigers from going extinct conservation efforts should be joined; by joined conservation efforts I mean helping other conservation groups, sharing experiences, and discuss strategies that would help recovery of tiger population.

Without the right strategy and bold action tiger population will continue their decline, and this beautiful animal could soon end up in history books. A very positive event that should give us more answers about current tiger conservation efforts and new strategies is a global workshop on tigers opened in Katmandu, Nepal. This global workshop will discuss strategies for tiger conservation, as well as challenges such as poaching, trade of tiger parts and conflicts between tigers and local populations.

Keep The Spark Alive!!!

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake. I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms. To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so.When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work.Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important. Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.

I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order. There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die. One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return.If things don't go as planned or if you face failure.Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.

Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India . From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it.

Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously. Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India , so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die. I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program, Pune 23rd June, 2008 : By Chetan Bhagat.

Thank You!

i really liked this a lot...so inspiring and so simple...

GO VEG!! Have Mercy

Of the many reasons to turn vegetarian,perhaps the most compelling is witnessing how animals r treated in slaughter houses.Jawahar lal nehru rightly said dat if slaughter houses had glass walls,the whole world would be vegetarian.After reading these 1st hand accounts,c if u hv d stomach 4 meat.
Chicken slaughter houses shackle birds n drag deir heads thro an electrified water trough called a stunner.The voltage in a stunner isn't enuf to shock d birds unconscious bcoz too much electricity can damage d carcass n diminish itz value.The result is dat birds can't struggle but can still feel pain.After stunning ,the birds' throats r slashed :(
Finally,the half dead birds r plunged into boiling water 4 defeathering.workers hv been filmed stomping birds,kicking them & slamming dem against floors n walla.They rip deir breaks,twist off deir heads,spit tobacco into deir eyes n mouths,spray paint deir faces n tie deir legs tgthr 4 "laughs"
1 of d survey says "every moment of deir lives is characterised by unmitigated suffering;they r sbjctd to a level of cruelty n abuse far beyond nythn v cn imagine"n they say dis is business as usual in slaughter industry. :((
A similar treatmnt is givn to hogs.they r thumpd on d ground,beaten wd rod n violatd wid canes..sm stand on top of deir throats smashing deir jaw until they die.dere is no concession 4 females.No mercy 4 children.
Worse happens in India.Over 40-50 cattle r stufd in 1 truck urinating n defecating 1 on top of anthr,deir limbs crushed n broken.most r dead on arrival.
A movie I recently saw showed a serial killer tormetng a victim b4 killing her.As she screamed n pleaded askn hm y he ws doin dis,I cudnt help but thnk dat dis cud b d xact reacn of dose bemused billions of innocnt creatures we torture n murder to eat.Think abt it.

I am still sure that majority of the non-vegetarians wont change..For the people who might just change..this is an effort from me and my friend divya..and the writer ambika shukla..