The Best Girlfriend

"You are the bro type! I would be surprised if your wife doesn't bro-zone you!!!"
Words of my favourite sister a couple of days before Raksha Bandhan
Never understood if it was a gift or a curse?
So identical they seem at times - Compliment and insult
(Especially when the point of reference is the Chalu King)

Never an insult for me. Especially 'cuz it came from a sis!
Why do I love them so much?
They give me love support and care and blah, blah, blah....
That's never the reason. But there is a reason

Even after 30 blog posts, only these sisters ask, "When's the next one?"
Or maybe, "I was expecting one yesterday!" (Perverted eyes - Turn away!)
Invariably - they are the first ones to read these... (May God Save Them)
So intense a read, they even ask doubts!

So much pride when I am asked to write the intro for a souvenir
(Even though that sister managed to put my name out of the "print area")
Or when I am called for to present the Legendary "Corporate Kadhaprasangam"
(Even though that never happened)
Or when she sings me the entire "Happy Birthday" song over phone...

Marvellous people, who never agree with me - Ever!
You promised to call, but then atleast you sent an sms
You promised to come with me for a movie,
Atleast you never broke the promise (just postponed it.... for a loooong time)
And your hunt to find me a date - So Adorable

The card she made me (not the e-card... but yeah, that was touching too)
An entire page with Birthday Wishes, each word in a different colour
Seriously, not even in my wildest nightmares will I put so much effort.
When you ask me over and over again, not to go back
When you shed tears as I leave...

Amazing angels - colleagues and classmates
Here - to you - to The Best Girlfriend, I give this gift
The call me Buji, they call me Chalu,
But when you tie a Rakhi - That's when I feel most proud

With lots of love
A promise to protect and care
And to Love forever
Yours only

Ramon Dharma Rajan
Love

One Day - No longer a myth

The best way to start this article would be with reference to "Ingnited Minds" by the great Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. He talks about the nation having a goal, and a 100 years back when we had the strive for independence in every breath of life, that was indeed a golden era. The era that witnessed Mahatma Gandhi, CV Raman, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar, JRD Tata, Bhagat Singh and so many more from different walks of life, ambition in their eyes, wisdom in their mind and dedication in their hearts; dedication for the cause they stood for, for the glory and honour of their nation and an unflinching yearn for unmatched perfection that always caught the eye of the world. A 100 years back we had a goal, a goal that was satisfied 67 years back. And now we are aimless.

Little wonder that post independence India has produced so fewer names that match the likes of Tagore or Gandhi. Tendulkar, Bachan, the Khans and the Kapoors have left their mark on world history, but does that 'mark' even compare to the 'spotlight' the Mahatma left us in? Has any writer's voice surpassed the echo of Tagore's music? Dr. Kalam stated the ultimate fact by saying that "what plagued the nation is a lack of ambition" (I am not quoting his words but only reproducing his message). He is right, we are on survival mode now. Get rid of poverty (definition of which is so sadistic), have a literate population (not educated. Just literate!), clean up the bureaucracy and to hell with corruption. Such menial goals! And these are goals of the cream layer of the country. This is what the GREAT Leaders of our nation want. Laymen still stick to a job in US and a happy married life. The Untouchables give shit about dignity!

"We are a billion people! Can't we come up with 11 *** guys to make a team", astonished Russell Peters said in one of his stand ups when talking about how India never made it to the FIFA World Cup. Another article on same page in the internet read, "India, a sleeping giant for Football"! Spot on! Our nation is a sleeping giant. 1.2 Billion idiots who define success as working for school dropouts in a nation that was discovered by someone in search of OUR COUNTRY! A nation that has hypocrisy imbibed in its genes. Yeah, we are against dynasty politics but the position of Prime Ministership is always reserved for the Previous Minister's son. I mean, how many people you know have said, "My ambition is to become the Prime Minister of the Country"?  The Indian middle class has turned into an Engineer (/ Doctor / Chartered Accountant) producing factory!

And this was an article I intended to write 2 years back. 2 years and 8 days to be precise. And after that, I turned 18. Became a citizen, responsible for the faults and flaws of the sub-continent. No more asking questions, no more pointing fingers, no more accusations and complaints. My generation has taken charge now. We run the nation now. Myself being a Chartered Accountant (very soon), is not just a product of the middle class Indian factory, but a solution for the deprived millions! For us corruption is not just Coalgate and 2G, it is also downloading pirated movies, cheating in exams, driving without a licence and all that. We know the difference between education and literacy, we know how to tackle globalisation, how to turn the tide. Communism is not all about banishing technology from our land, but it is the process of empowering the people with technology so that computers in turn generate more employment. Equality is not, "You can't live in luxury, because the rest of the country can't afford it". Now equality is, "You live in luxury? So make sure the rest of the nation does too!"

A new dawn has come, one with a serious task at hand. I am just a voice, speaking for so many others. Generations behind us have spoke of, "One day, when India will become a super-power", thoroughly convinced that "One Day" is a mere figment of imagination! This generation has one thing to say - One Day is no longer a Myth

Love