Letter from a na'layak' ladki!

Following is a letter from a girl.A girl who is studying at one of the country's premier engineering colleges. A girl who believes that she belongs to a college,a community and a country wherein girls are treated at par with boys. A girl who is unable to understand why her freedom is being restricted for no fault of her.The person being addressed is the Dean Students Welfare.

Sir,

I write this letter to you, not to question or challenge the recent restrictions (if I may call them so,with your 'prior permission') that have been put on me and the other girl students, with your due consent. I am writing this letter, hoping to be provided with a rational explanation for the action, as I believe you are a very broad minded, progressive, anti-chauvinistic person who knows what he is doing.

First of all Sir, I failed to understand, even after hours of intensive thinking, that how could the actions of one(or a few) girls lead to the generalization that the behaviour of all the girl students is 'obscene,immoral and indecent'. But, then again, as I previously said, you must have yourself observed the behaviour of each of us closely and for a long time. Only then you took this step, didn't you?

Taking this thought into consideration, I duly agreed to be in my hostel latest by 9 everyday except once a month. But Sir, if I am 'immoral,indecent' and my public behaviour is 'obscene', why did you allow me to be out till 10 pm EVEN once a month?It might be harmful,don't you think? And if in the unlikeliest case that you are wrong, and I am honest and decent, then why did you allow me to be out till 10  pm ONLY once a month?

Another thing I couldn't understand was how by walking alone in the evening,inside the campus-with so many security personnel and guards around, I was being wrong and 'indecent,obscene and immoral'. I trust my male batch mates, my seniors and my juniors- most if not all of them respect a woman's dignity.I know you are concerned about my security Sir, but after all it's a college campus, not a prison campus,right?But then again Sir, you know better than us,don't you?

Also Sir, you mentioned that I should not wear 'indecent dresses' in the class or afterwards. But Sir, you didn't define what constituted 'indecent dressing'. If you could please tell me what kind of clothes pass your 'high test of morality', I could set up our wardrobes accordingly.

And Sir, I believe there must be a very strong reason for you to not mention a similar rule for boys,isn't it? After all, how could a boy look indecent,no matter what he wears?

And Sir,you also ordered me to be seen with my male friends only in canteen. Well no problem in that Sir, except that the canteen can hold barely a 100 people. And what with all the male population there-both students and outsiders -it would be kind of tough....umm, nevermind Sir, I'll adjust.

And Sir, did I mention that the 'outsiders' and the 'general public' who complained to you about  my 'indecent,obscene and immoral' behaviour? Well, on most evenings, a bunch of outsiders move around in the campus on high speed bikes,especially near my hostel. But I think, that would be just because they are so concerned about my 'safety and security',right Sir?

Yours sincerely,

Na'layak' ladki.

Lights, camera, ACTION!

So after all the delay and highest levels of fund guzzling,coupled with the usual blame game and mud-slinging(blame it on the Holi season,perhaps) the 34th National Games finally started in Jharkhand. Amidst all the hullabaloo, guys at my college were also in an upbeat mood. I mean, where I am, chicks are a rare commodity. And the games were supposed to bring loads of hot, athletic chicks into this otherwise barren land(it being duly noted that ISM is the venue for squash and netball).You might be surprised, but we engineers think about women more than we are accused of thinking about machines!(All those lame engineer joke makers, watch out...we can be perverts too!)

Almost 10 days into the games, the 'fever' has died down. Jharkhand has let the nation down, and ISM has let Jharkhand down! The squash court is nothing but a fancy rat hole. The 2 dozen lucky spectators have to sit so close, it probably sends wrong signals across the nation. The netball ground looked like it was made to be a gauntlet, with peaks and valleys all across. Like in all other instances in India, last minute preparations have made it possible for the administration to save it's face.

Surprisingly, the mess for the athletes and officials stands out as an epitome of excellence. Which again goes on to show that we Indians have bellies larger than brains and appetite take precedence over aptitude. Really if you see the mess, it looks like a million hungry people from Africa can be fed there and still there will be a lot of food left for them to pack their lunches and return home.

So, as I was saying the games have been a downer. But, how coukd Jharkhand government (there is a government in Jharkhand??) let this happen. And so, the Jharkhand netball team (which allegedly consists of the subs of Jharkhand's basketball team) decides that enough is enough and it is time to show the nation the power of 'Jharkhand's youth'! After all, the taxpayer's money should not go waste. They must be entertained, right? So what do we do? Simple, we take matters into our own hands. Literally. So what if we can't beat the other team (guys from A.P)? We can always beat them up!

Jharkhand netball team's antics caught on tape!

And if you are thinking where the hell did they get this genius idea from, look no far. Only a couple of days ago, a bunch of third and final year students of ISM beat up 4 second year students with iron rods, belts and spades (all those theories about video games and action movies promoting violence in kids, they aren't theories anymore!).

Times Of India coverage of the bash!

As the world watched, national players and students of a reputed national college of India threw punches and kicked their peers in the balls in what was a show of 'Diversity in Unity'! Bravo Indians, you guys never let action take a back seat!

'coz we love our teas and biscuits!

Prof. Michael W. Hitch (from University of British Columbia) is talking about mineral carbon sequestration. It's an interesting concept,one that probably holds the potential to solve the world's 'emission' problems! I am trying to listen to him attentively.But every now and then, my view is obstructed by the peon who is performing the most important duties of all. Distributing teas and biscuits to the 'junta' present. Several hands rise up, not to ask questions from Michael, but to signal to the peon to bring the tray of 50-50 biscuits towards them! And then the nightmarish 'classical tea-sipping' sounds!! SURRRRRRRRRRR......A guy behind me is furiously munching on the biscuits;loud enough to be heard across the border!

And there's the door,which creaks in every 2 minutes,signalling that yet another person has entered the lecture room. IST(Indian Stretchable Time)! 

Michael seems to be unaffected by these disturbances.I am not. What the hell is tea and biscuits doing at a guest lecture? At 11:30 in the morning?

My thoughts wander to the numerous occasions when the tea-biscuit couple make their presence felt! They are like the VVIP's of any Indian social gathering.Whether we are mourning, celebrating, discussing or simply idling away, WE WANT OUR TEAS AND BISCUITS! 

My thoughts are crash landed upon by a voice."Bhaiyya chai?"- the peon gestures with the politest smile.

"No,thank you bhaiyya.Le jaiye"- I answer and try to focus on Michael again.

Their Days, Our Nights

At sunrise the lifeless boys rise,

Ready for the labourous day ahead.

It comes to one as a big surprise,

How these future engineers are 'practically' dead.

Lectures are just a way to fill pages,

Consuming more ink than mind.

Concepts, theories and discussions are absent,

Bundles of notes are what one may find.

Practicals are just a time fill,

Neatly prepared reports are all THEY desire.

Examinations are a test of mugging power,

Reproduction of notes is what THEY require.

As the sun sets, the lifeless boys change.

The life that was squeezed out now returning.

All the grind of the day now forgotten,

And the fire of youth starts burning.

Desires are fulfilled, dreams are chased,

Life is lived under the moonlight.

Like nocturnal creatures they come out of a hole,

To make merry-revelry throughout the night.

Thus the lifeless boys live day after day,

With tradition and logic engaged in a fight.

They will not lose their passion come what may,

For THEY may have the days, but WE have the nights.

(Dedicated to life at ISM, originally written on December 3, 2008)

PS- "Engineer banne aaya tha, gadha ban gaya"...

Blast from the past-Part 2: Enter the dragon!

Continued from Blast from the past-Part 1: The Warning Signs ....

'INDIAN SCHOOL OF MINES DHANBAD' read the entrance gate.It was night and the light was low, but I could make out that a few letters were missing."Strange",I thought.I looked around as we entered the campus but couldn't make much in the dark."There aren't no street lamps?", I looked towards Papa with questioning eyes. Papa was talking to the father of another fresher like me. That fresher was sitting next to a senior in the back of the auto,and his situation reminded me of a lamb surrounded by wolves.

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We were around 12 people in that auto-Four freshers(me, the 'lamb', a tall skinny fellow and a short skinny fellow), four fathers and four seniors.Soon after, we arrived at EDC(short for Executive Development Center) where we were supposed to stay until registration and other formalities made us students at ISM.

An 18 hour train journey can make you doze right away.But the excitement, anxiety and fear(of course) had changed the situation.I was turning sides the whole night. And for the 2-3 hours I think I slept, I had the strangest dream ever.

In my dream I was on an island, all alone.There were huge structures all around, and they were probably made of  books. The roads were zigzag paths and after walking for a few hours I realized they all returned to the same point. Suddenly, there was a huge noise behind me and as I turned around, I saw a huge eight-faced dragon! The dragon had shiny green eyes and he looked at me and thundered-"Don't let them get the better of you..."

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"Okay so this is your room,106" my father looked at me as we started to enter the room.By 'we', I mean me,papa, my roommate Prashant Shukla(Mining Engg.) his father and his brother. Strangely though, we soon found out it was quite difficult for 5 people to be simultaneously be present in there.The problem solved soon enough as me and Papa got out to buy some items I would be needing.The city was nothing like Ghaziabad, it was worse, in every sense.I mean no malls, no multiplexes,no hang-outs,no girls!!! I really wanted to know if that's what our government thought would be an environment conducive to studying.
After the regular shopping and all, Papa stayed for 1 more day.Then he left on Sunday and from Monday we had our classes.I got to know there were 418 more freshers like me and 41 of them were in my wing only. That very evening I got to know a few of them and it seemed like we would get along nicely. All of us together survived the most dangerous meals of our lives that night and after some casual group discussions,moved to our 'rat holes'. Prashant seemed to be kind of an introvert and I(a chatterbox) was also not in a mood to beat about the bush. The thought of being in this place, away from everything I had ever known, was too hot to handle.
And we went to sleep at 10.It seemed like ages the last time I went to sleep so early.
And then the same dream.
"It is coming.They are coming. They want to take you away. Don't let them get the better of you!!"...

The stunt called 'Engineering Second Year'

The bell rang. It was over.
As the invigilators started collecting answer sheets,someone from the back shouted 'THIRD YEAR' and received unanimous appreciation.Yes, two years of engineering were now over!
Generally after the last exam, everyone around you goes insane. I mean, people are insane anyway! But after the last exams,man they act like they are gladiators returning from the arena alive!(Aren't they really?!!)
On my way to the room, I saw final year guys rejoicing,dancing at becoming an engineer.Everyone was congratulating each other.Some wore the weirdest 'fancy dresses'...and I still don't understand the purpose of wearing fancy dresses to probably the last exam of your life!(Can you imagine my friend Vikas saw a 'Superman' there too???Ya I know...it's hilarious!)
As for me,I was, as always,happy. Not the 'HAPPY' happy....but the small,contented happy.I had screwed in my exams big time! In fact, I can confidently say this was my worst performance.But, I was still not going paranoid!(You are supposed to when you have never gone below 80 but now almost failing in 2 subjects).Why?I don't know...maybe because I stopped caring a long time back???
Second year engineering...I'll never forget this one 'eventful' year...NEVER...because it was rather too eventful!
Looking back, I see....
1. myself sitting in the canteen or sleeping in the room, when I should have been in the class.(SEM III)
2. guys around me taking up drinking and smoking, and wasting away their health, at the same time complaining how mess food was weakening them day after day!!
3. a decision to start working out and sticking to it like a crazy for the whole year...and people commenting on my new improved physique! :)
4. FACEBOOK!
5. myself falling in love...and falling out of it in 20 days!
6. me,Vikas and our airplane...
7. a complete disinterest in anything remotely related to Mineral Engineering, surviving short attendance scare in MMR 13101 and a 7 pointer scrape yet again!

Repeat points 1,5,7 but change the semester, the girl and the subject respectively.

Semester IV brought...
1. my sister's marriage! And my understanding of the phrase 'The Big Fat Indian Wedding'!!!
2. Kshitij @ IIT-KGP, where our airplane flew for a few seconds, but we flew for days!!!
3. my new camera and my new passion!
4. backbench...daydreaming, sleeping, calling the FMC 14101 prof an ass**** and being heard!
5. old friends, new friends, good friends, bad friends!
6. Diamond roof,night, me and the endless sky!
7. Photoshop and Blogger!

Thus ended my second year...full of ups and downs.
Anyway,I'm a 'HALF-ENGINEER' now!It's one week before I head off to ESSAR Steel,Vishakhapatnam for a 42 day long training...my first industrial interaction and I am quite excited about it!


PS- 'S' you are a cute and decent girl and I really liked you.I seriously wish things had not gone wrong...
     'P' you are not what I thought you were and I really hate you. I seriously wish things had not started at all...

Give an Idea Sir ji!

A very funny sms that I received yesterday...it goes like this..."Government says save water, Abhishek says save paper....toh bechara aam aadmi potty kaise saaf karega?mobile se?(How will the common man wipe his a** off?!! With a mobile phone?!!)...give an idea sir ji..."

Incredibly enough,I started pondering over the possible alternatives...what?No, not of wiping a** of course!

Yeah of saving water and paper....Some of them...

1.Stop playing Holi...Why to get all coloured and messed up only to scrub yourself like a gazillion year old utensil later on! Plus a large majority of junta has very 'noble' motives behind this 'rang lagao' scheme...let's 'wash out' their plans!! :)

2.Stop using greeting cards...use e-cards...use sms...or u can do one more thing...ACTUALLY MEET and TALK!(Best communication minus any expense!! What else can you ask for??)

3.Colleges should allow students to bring laptops to class....I believe an entire Amazonian rain forest could be saved if students of India(>10000000 and counting) would stop using notebooks and start using 'notebooks'!

4.Scrap exams! Take orals..or if taking a 'rote-memory-only-no-practical-application' written exam becomes a matter of life and death(which it never will),go online...(would be so 'hi-tech' to cheat via GTalk and Google out formulae..will increase the typing skills too!!)

5.Ask your mom to let you wear that jeans for another week...tell her you are being 'socially responsible'(That's parent's only version of "I wear dirty denim because it looks cool \m/")

6.Stop buying tickets! Movie tickets,bus,train,plane,parking....any and every ticket....just don't! If someone confronts you,tell them you have boycotted paper products and give them a lecture on environment and blah blah blah....

7.Government should do away with paper currency(read 'give it to me because its MY IDEA'!!)... introduce Barter all over again...I would love to trade useless gifts( yeah GREETING CARDS n all) from my exes for that pair of shades! ;)

Thought of many more...will keep 'educating' the masses with my 'noble and innovative' methods! ;)

You can also add...after all it's everyone's a** that is at stake!! :p

PS- Wiping off an a** with an iPhone won't be that bad,right?(It would be millions of times smoother than any toilet paper produced in the history of mankind!!)

Blast from the past-Part 1:The warning signs

Man... cannot learn to forget, but hangs on the past: however far or fast he runs, that chain runs with him.

Friedrick Nietzsche 

“Train number 2329 Kalka mail has arrived on platform number 2”.

Some journeys begin on a positive note. Most others don’t. My arrival in Dhanbad fell, according to me, in the second category.

“All India Rank 5752”-These four words were the worst four words of my life. They still are, for they had shattered my world of dreams then, and they continue to do so even today.

People around me were congratulating me. Why? What was there to congratulate? I thought they were actually mocking me and my so called success (or the lack of it!).

____________________________________________________________________

“Papa lets find an auto for ISM”, I called out to my father.”Excuse me, are you going to ISM?”, a boy of about my age called out from behind. ”Yes”, my father replied.

“Namastey Uncle, I am from ISM.I am a second year student.”, the guy said. Senior, eh,I thought. And coupled with that thought were thoughts of ragging. A shiver down the spine was natural.

“Name, place, branch yaar”, the senior said.

“Huh,what?”, I thought for a moment.

“Name, place, branch yaar”, the senior, this time sternly, said.

“Varun Tyagi, Ghaziabad,B.Tech Mineral Engineering” was my slow and hesitated reply.

“Ghaziabad,huh?,he said.”Listen, don’t tell Ghaziabad as your place anymore, it’s complicated, but for now, just say Meerut.”

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“Congratulations!” the neighborhood uncle said. It felt like a pinch. Damn you, uncle! “So what do you plan to take up?”

“I’ll see,I have not decided anything yet.”

“Maybe you can get some mining wagerah in that college, what’s its name….”

“Its ISM uncle and I said I have not decided yet”, I said and tried to walk away. But I think uncle was in no mood to leave that day.”You took coaching in FIITJEE, right? Then what happened? My nephew got AIR 624”, the epitome of mockery boasted.

“So what? Should I go and kiss him?” I thought.

“Hmm… maybe I didn’t prepare that well, uncle” was all that came out of my mouth.