Rumbling Reflections

May 16th was a historic day in Indian politics,a day where a single man rewrote the records by defying all odds stacked against him. Though he was expected to get good numbers,the sort of thumping majority that he got in the end was expected by very few.Narendra Modi,the face of the BJP in the elections managed to get an overwhelming mandate from the people of India,the largest and most vibrant democracy in the world. Most of the opposition parties dismissed the Modi wave as mere media creation,but the results have made them eat humble pie,for it was not just a wave,but a literal tsunami and none was more affected than the congress party which had to settle for an embarrassing 43 seats,its worst ever poll returns. It was a strategically planned,clinical victory for the BJP and the major credit for it rests on Narendra Modi,who started vigorous campaigning almost 8 months ago itself. He toured the lengths and breadths of the country,provided new hope for the masses,used technology...

India is known to have possibly the world's oldest civilization,the Indus Valley civilization. It was a culture so refined,and advanced that it drawn praise from olden times. What made it so successful was the water tight system that was in place that ensured an orderly and smooth functioning of the administration for a very long time. What was thus a model state for every other part of the world slowly started dis-integrating  and once foreigners started attacking and vandalizing our nation, the collapse was faster and more evident. The British sucked out the confidence of the masses,made Indians their slaves and started dividing the people on the basis of religion. By the time they left the shores of India,they had firmly entrenched the thought of slavery and left behind a huge trail of passive energy which sabotaged India's chances of continuous and sustained growth. What was needed after independence was a strong and decisive administration which could harness the pot...

There are so many theories about the purpose of life and ways to lead it. So many scholars have researched on it,many self help gurus give some gyaan about it,books tell a myriad ways and every individual will have his own definition of it.Which one to accept is left to the discretion of each person and his thought process. What works for one might not work for another and so there is no particular way to lead a good life or a definition of a good life.I happened to watch the recent Hollywood release 'The secret life of Walter Mitty' starring Ben Stiller and though I went in with zero expectations and with a blank mind as I did not know anything about the movie,those 2 hours held my attention like no other recent film had done! More than the film,it was the story packed with subtle,yet profound messages which left a deep impression. The story is never in your face,but if analysed well,the deeper meanings that most scenes carried were efficacious.So,I present here the 14 thi...

Writing a farewell piece is always a difficult task,especially if it is about someone who is close to one's heart. We never want the person to stop and their memories flood our psyche. But,there is nothing permanent in this life and that is the reality. For someone who grew up on Sachin Tendulkar's exploits on the cricket field, it is definitely a hard pill to swallow. In my childhood,I looked at cricket just as a sport where a batsman hits a ball delivered by a bowler and other guys known as fielders chase the ball and throw it back. It was that simple,until one fine day,I watched a little baby faced boy hitting bowlers twice his height to all parts of the ground. It was something remarkable,and my view of cricket started evolving from there. The aggression I saw in his batting,the delightful strokes on display and his demeanour attracted me to the game of cricket and it has grown ever since then. Sachin embodied a new emerging face of India,which was...

It’s said that all good things must come to an end and this is true even for our lives. But the fact of the matter is that one hardly accepts it the way it should be. There is always a feeling that makes it very difficult to accept the reality soon enough. A legend Rahul Dravid recently announced his retirement from all forms of the game of cricket recently and it was a hard pill for many to digest. Though he had retired earlier from international cricket,there was still a glimmer of hope for his fans in the form of the IPL and Champions league. But, since that hope too ended now,it is time to bring out the pens and offer our tributes for this giant of the game. The name Dravid evokes a sense of sheer respect, and it is not just for his remarkable statistics, but also for his   demeanour on and off the field. He epitomised hard work,perseverance,sincerity,selflessness,dignity, and a charm which can be associated with very few sportsmen. This man is worth more than mere stat...

John Keats had written “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”. India is a magnificent country with many places of beauty and one such delectable place nestled in the charming God’s own country Kerala is Munnar, the popular hill station in the imposing western ghats. The drive from Marayoor sandalwood forest reserve, 45 kms away from Munnar is nothing short of splendid with mist covered peaks and greenery all around. The air gets cooler as one drives up the narrow road and the captivating scenery gradually changes to tea plantations, which fills the heart with glee. It is never known when time flies away as the heavenly surroundings enrapture our attention. The salubrious climate of Munnar extends a warm welcome to the tourists and there is no dearth of accommodation as there are so many hotels and resorts dotting the sides of the road. To begin with, there is the Blossom hydel park in the centre of the city. It is a lovely garden with a good view of the hills and tea plan...