The last exam of my life....

This always happens to me. Every time an exam approaches, I start blaming myself for not having started earlier. I am frankly tired of doing this. If my memory supports me right, I have been doing this since my 1^st Standard exam (I have come to this conclusion with some valuable inputs from my parents). And now, I am on the verge of answering virtually the last exam of my life. At least, academically. I say that because, Life, in itself, is an exam forever. But for the time being, let us only focus on the simple Black and White Question paper and the Black and white answer sheet which we are supposed to paint BLUE.

Till my last exam which I answered, which now looks like was my second last one, I had decided to devote clear 3 to 4 months for the Final Semester. Now, when exams are about to start from the 8^th of May and I am yet to start (almost), I have no other option but to blame myself all over again. Forget 3 to 4 months, I don't even have four full days per subject. The task is uphill. And confidence level, as always, is on a shaky wicket. But I can't remember a single exam where I have been more confident.

A lot of you must be feeling as to why I am wasting my time on writing all this. Instead, I would have been better off studying. But I had to give a vent to the frustration which is building up with each passing day. Oh hold on.. Each passing Hour.

I am feeling like an employee on the verge of retirement. With my last exam just around the corner, I am mulling over all the missed opportunities. All the days wasted which could have given me those extra marks needed for a distinction. Just like an outgoing employee will think about the opportunities he missed whilst in service which could have given him his promotion. And then, they do something which is quite a common sight. Give advice to others. On the similar lines, my advice to all of you who are going to answer some exam in future; Do study well in advance!!!

I, Me and Myself......

Been thinking about this for a long long time. Been wondering where to start from. Days went by but I could not figure out. So today, I decided that Enough was Enough. I would pen down anything and everything that comes to my mind. No censorship. No reviews. It will be so extempore that I won’t even bother to read it twice. Not even for spelling mistakes.

Lets not waste time on that. Let me introduce myself. The very fact that you are on this page means you know me. But for those, who have accidentally bumped into my blog, here is my brief intro.

I am Giriraj. An Indian by birth. An Indian at heart. And an Indian by religion. Though I was born and brought up in the scenic and picturesque state of Goa, I would still like to identify myself with my country. For I believe, that all Indians are one. That anything which can divide us should be avoided.

Its been tough for me to live with such views. People believe I take too much of importance for myself. People feel I talk about issues which I am not even qualified to talk about. But that’s their view. For me, patriotism means a lot. Not just by saying that I want to help the country but by actually contributing in whatever way I can. You may feel, I have severe political inclinations. But let me tell you. There is loads you can do for your country without joining politics. Best example I can think is of Shri Narayan Murthy. He is politically so aloof but someone, who will make all Indians proud worldwide.

A lot of you may be unsure as to why I am writing all this. But if I don’t express here then where else can it be? As I said earlier, my blog is my punching bag. The more you read, the more you will be convinced as to what I am.

I have lived with many tags in life. Been known as a typical village boy. That’s when I spent whooping 17 years of my life in my native village, a place, which is still very dear to me. Even then, I was known to be arrogant, brash, etc. The reasons for the same are not known to me till date. But those who know me well, will surely disagree. Or at least, I hope they will.

In Mumbai or Pune or Delhi, I was just another Goan with a high flying lifestyle. I was used on so many ocassions as an example of a brat, guy with arrogance, politician and what not. It had to do with my strong views. It had to do with my anti-reservation arguments. It had more to do with my penchant for good food and craze for good restaurants. For me, money is a medium which can allow you to enjoy. But for eternal peace, you need something else. You need a family. You need a sound mind.

I always wanted to and will continue to serve the country in whatever way I can. I am not an atheist but I am not religious either. I am not someone who will leave things to God and expect miracles. I believe that even one person can change a lot of people around him. Initially, they may laugh. And they will. However, if you are focussed, such petty things will hardly bother you.

You can do a lot of things to change the way country functions today. You can join active politics, join an NGO, contribute in newspapers helping in opinion formation, can encourage people to exercise their franchise to ensure the right candidate wins, etc. etc. If I keep writing, I am sure, I will be killed. So believe, for the time being, I better take your leave.

To some, what I am saying may not make any real sense. But as I said, who cares? Now if this is the arrogance that people talk about, then so be it !!!!

Vote - For a better tomorrow.....

Politics.. One topic I breath, eat, sleep and so on. While I was a kid, my excuse not to study was "I will become a minister. And none of them are educated." At a tender age of 6 too, I dint have a very favourable opinion about the people who are so called the policy makers and the leaders of the country. But I wanted to emulate them only because, for me, that was an exit option from studies. Over the years, as I grew older, I wanted to enter politics only to change the system. I believed, one person could change the system to a large extent. Even till recently, I harnessed a dream to join active politics.

But today, I feel politics is a dirty game. The reasons are many, but the 2 of the most prominent ones are:

• There are no permanent friends and enemies in politics. Though it is good to be flexible, its a sin to compromise on your ideologies. A communal party suddenly dons secular colours during the elections. Its nothing but cheap vote bank politics.
• Those who are really sincere and efficient, don’t find their way automatically. Unless you manipulate and play a dirty game, its tough for a politician to grab power. And its virtually impossible to bring development unless you are in power. (People of Gujarat are the only exception in the recent past)
  

This brings me to an important question. Is it really easy to be sincere and yet, survive in politics? The possible answer could be a NO. Then, What is the solution?

I think, the best solution to the problem is VOTING. If every individual exercises his or her vote, we can see a better country. Rather than voting for the person we know, we should vote for somebody who is Efficient. Its of paramount importance for the voters not to fall prey to the various Poll Time goodies like money, bikes, gifts, etc.

My advice for you is:

• When you expect an explanation from your elected representative as a matter of right, remember, rights comes with responsibility. If you don’t Vote, you should have no right to criticise or question the system.
• If you feel your 1 vote is insignificant, work towards creating a group of voters. With this, you can form public opinion and also, work towards the desired results. Even otherwise, fall of Vajapayee Govt. by 1 Vote must act as an fine example about the importance of each and every Vote.
• If you don’t want a particular person as your MP/MLA, go and vote against him/her. Abstaining from voting is not the solution.
• If people start voting in large numbers, there are more chances that the right candidate will be elected. This will encourage more deserving candidates to come forward and stand for elections.
• Last, but not the least. Relate to your country. All your actions affect the country. And thus, it is of strategic importance to take the right actions.

Just as we are nearing the Lok Sabha elections, I earnestly hope that people will vote in large numbers and help themselves by electing the right candidates.

Stand Up NOW for a better TOMORROW

A life changing incidence......

I don't know if the incidence which I am going to share has anything to do with this phrase. But I thought, both had an equal effect on me, emotionally.

I die in the battle zone

Box me up and send me home

Take my medals, pin them on my chest

And tell my mother, I TRIED MY BEST.

Here, the person tries to narrate that he lost his life but not without giving his best. He fought till the last minute. It was his commitment which he never broke and dint give up.

On Saturday, I met a similar character. I was amongst the volunteers for the Mandir Suraksha Maha-Sammelan, a massive gathering of Hindus from all over the state of Goa, to condemn the recent attacks on several temples in the state. To top it all, the Government has not been able to take any action to ensure that the guilty are punished and any such occurrences in the future are prevented. People were angry. One could sense that they wanted to make a difference. For once, they wanted to send a message, that Hindus should not be taken for granted. Well, I will write another post to inform you about the sammelan in detail. Here, I want to discuss an Individual, who according to me was the STAR OF THE SHOW.

I was a part of the Emergency Services Committee at the venue. Our role was to take care of any emergencies arising at the venue. Accordingly, we had arranged for 2 ambulances, 1 fire brigade and most importantly, plenty of medicines to provide first-aid. Just as the program was about to begin, we had our first customer. Ha ha. Customer is not the right word. But he was the first one we serviced. He came up to me and ask for a Band-Aid. Just when we were finding one, we realized the guy was bleeding. Later on, we discovered, he had bruises all over his hands and legs. We immediately cleaned up all his wounds with Dettol and applied a cream. The person was not in favour of any bandage being applied but he was forcefully made to agree as we were worried about he getting infection due to the dust all over.

After we were sure that we had done our best, we asked the cause of his bruises. He had met with an accident at St. Cruz, which is several kilometers away from the venue. He was badly hurt with several wounds. However, his commitment for the function was so high that he bought a new shirt on the way and headed straight to the venue. He said, when Hindus are getting attacked, it was his duty to be a part of every move to condemn the same. And before we could ask him anything else, he asked us to excuse him as the program had already started. As he walked away, we were stunned. At that moment, I felt so small. His dedication towards the cause had probably made him numb. Else, nobody else would have been able to ignore the kind of pain he might have been going through.

The incidence has changed me forever. Whatever may be your passion, if you follow it and give your 100%, there is nothing which can stop you from achieving your goal. Hats off to the man. I am only pained as I could not touch his feet. Hope I meet him again, sooner or later. I just wanna thank him for teaching us all a lesson, we will remember for life.

Back after 2 months...

A few mins back, I got a rude wake up call.  Just as I was browsing through a friend’s blog, I came across her MY BLOG LIST. The link to my blog was there showing that I had last updated it 2 months ago. 2 MONTHS ! ! ! Long long time. Its not that I have run out of ideas these days. But there have been too many of them. I have started numerous posts and left them half with a hope they will be completed the next time I switch on my laptop. That has not happened to any of the posts as yet, but I am hopeful, I will be back. Just like I have done in the past. 

I had my exams, I had my health problems, I had some other problems, had pressure at work and so on. All this ended up in affecting my writing. However, 2 months is a long time. I cant be making excuses any longer. Thought this post can act as a filler till the time I complete at least one post out of the many I have left half way.

This post is only to reaffirm that I am still here (ALIVE). Blogging scene wont miss me for long now. I will be back. Not with a bang but with a post.

Looking forward to your valuable feedback once I am back in action. Till then, enjoy the pre Christmas period. Hope Santa Claus will give all of you loads of gifts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS in Advance…

Heaven - Its here.....

There is a famous dialogue “If there's heaven/paradise on earth, its here, its here, its here.” I found one such heaven a few days back. Why found? I have been going there for ages. But it took me a long time to realise its real worth. If you are wondering what I am talking about, then don’t worry. I will reveal the address shortly.

About 12 kms from Panaji, the capital city of Goa, there is a small town called Mapusa; a place known more for its market of cloths, silver, etc. Once you go around a few narrow lanes, so narrow, that even a slight mistake could lend ur car into the ditch (I have screwed up my car when a friend mis-judged the road completely), you reach an old and rickety theatre. Around it, there are various eateries (Taparies would be a better word). There are more stalls than the flies in the area. But in this mess, once place proudly stands out – BAPPA’s Juice Centre. No signboards, No neon signs. All you can smell is chicken, omlette and fruits. Bappa doesn’t serve you all of this, but his shakes and fruit plate has the magic to heal many wounds. You may be tired, depressed, frustrated; one fruit plate coupled with “Adsar Shake” (Tender Coconut Milk Shake) makes your mind refreshed. If you feel I am overdoing it, then “Pehle Istamal Kare, Phir Vishwas Kare”.

 

WARNING: If you are fussy about ambience. then u better stay away. U will find that fruits are flocked by flies. However, if ur priority is good taste over everything else, this is the place to be at.

 

If there is heaven for food lovers, then its here, its here, its here!!!!!

 

Life..

Life, like love, the word has always invited various reactions. Some say, life is beautiful (whether they believe it or not). Some say they are working hard so that they can be happy towards the end of their life. Some just can’t wait for it all to end. You may wonder, I often did, how one word attracts views that at times are poles apart. But then not too long ago I found the answer. Or did I? It could be that I have learnt to compromise, learnt to bury my likes and wants, or it may just be that I have become more practical. The last thing I should do with life is to crib about something I don’t have.

While growing up, I learnt quite a bit from my father. Not that I implemented all that in my day-to-day life. Sometimes I even thought that some things he said were irrelevant in today’s world. I counter-advised him to change with the times. All he did was smile. May be he could foresee that one day, I will return to him and say, “Dad, you were right!!!” Today, I do that, more often than not. His pet advice for me was – “I complained having no shoes, till I saw a man without feet”. While I was in school and dreaming to be a very rich man someday, I used to feel that my father never had any aspirations in life and that’s the reason he is so negative. I used to tell him “to achieve something in life, you must have a goal”. He would candidly reply saying, “That’s not the end of life. If you fail, rise up again. But you can do that, only when you give yourself a chance of loosing. You might have a distant goal, but while attaining it, you must not forget to enjoy life.” I would never allow him to speak further for the simple reason that it made no sense to me. Dad too, never forced his views on me as he was sure that he would have the last laugh. He wanted his son to be confident but not over-confident and would often end up saying, “When you think everything is lost, the future still remains.”

The biggest turning point in my life came when I decided to quit my first job. I just could not work with that firm any longer. And then, I started worrying about my options. It was then, when I got an advice from a very senior person in our family that he said to me, “The moment you stop running after money, money starts following you.” He asked me to do what my heart prompted. Today, I don’t regret the decision I made.

Time is the best medicine for all our wounds. May it be our studies, job or family life; we need to give our self some time and have faith. Together, they contain the power to make everything happen. Lots of self-belief and a tinge of carelessness can be the real mantra to success. What I said might sound a bit weird to you but then, that’s what I feel. And instead of basing my thoughts on somebody else’s views, I speak my mind out. Trust me. IT HELPS.

Life often leaves us at crossroads; I have “been there, done that”. You may feel that I relate everything to my own past. But then I believe that a person can understand life only with his own experiences. After I did my schooling there were plenty of guides for me. My professor thought I should go for Arts because I had a flair for history and literature. My friends always wanted me to be an Engineer because of my inquisitiveness towards mechanical devices. But to the surprise of all, I opted for Commerce. Some thought I would regret it some day. Till date, I feel that it was the best decision I made. I went by my instincts. I used to often worry about what would be the future action plan. Years went on. Worries never left my mind. From school to higher secondary, then to college and then post graduation. After all this was done, I was set to work. Today, I realize that in the process of worrying about the future, I ruined my present. I want the time to come back. I want to spend time at the Sinhgad fort in Pune. I want to stroll down the college street, one last time. But I know I can’t. The schedule, which is packed forever, doesn’t allow me to even plan a holiday in the subsequent month.

Live your life in the present. Realise the worth of everything around you, before it is TOO LATE!!!!

- Giriraj

Nano in Gujarat - Time to look at Mr. Modi differently....

Finally, the Tatas said Ta-Ta to Singur. Bengal's loss could have been anybody's gain. States were fighting against each other to grab the plant. But in the end, it was swift moment of Modi Government which turned the tables in Gujarat's favour. Within days of initiating the process, the Government was ready to hand over the land for the factory.

Now, Mr. Modi should get the credit for the same. The immense benefits that the project will bring along cannot be neglected. Mr. Modi should now be perceived as a man who has been able to deliver. A person who had seen the dream of a "Vibrant Gujarat" and has turned it into a reality.

Please. There is more to the man. Don't snub him by calling him a dictator, communal and what not. If at all he has done anything wrong, he can be forgiven for the kind of progress he has brought to the state. We need an administrator like him who is honest. A top official of the RSS had once said "you may call Modiji communal, but don't call him corrupt".

The aura around the man is certainly inspirational. I hope, someday, a leader like him will head this country. Every human being has his plus and minuses. But instead of having an inefficient PM (coupled with a more useless Home Minister), we would be rather served better, if we have a more assertive person at the helm of affairs.

The pseudo-secularists will hate me for what I have written. But then. Who cares???

- Giriraj

Another Poem.. (For my mom's 50th Birthday)

This poem was written in the year 1999, when I was barely 15 years old on the occassion of my Mom's 50th Birthday.

मी इयत्ता बारावित होतो। लोक म्हणायचे हा मुलगा साहित्याच्या क्षेत्रात नाव कमवेल। झालं मात्र वेगळंच। अत्यंत मोक्याच्या क्षणी मी कविता सोडली। कारणं अनेक होती, पण असो। आज त्याच्याबद्दल न बोललेलच बरं। कही व्यक्तिगत गोष्टी स्वतापर्यंतच बाळगाव्या।

१९९९ साली, म्हाज्या आईला ५० वर्षे पूर्ण झाली। त्या निमित्ताने लिहिलेली ही कविता। तेव्हा मी केवळ १५ वर्षांचा होतो। त्यामुळे कही चुका अपेक्षित आहेत। कृपया त्यावर दुर्लक्ष करावे

स्थल: म्हाजे निवासस्थान, नेवरा।

आज आईला पूर्ण झाली आहेत वर्षे पन्नास

प्रत्येकाच्या जीवनात असतं आईच महत्व खास

जीवनात आईंशिवाय कुणाचेच हालत नही पान

म्हणुनच मिलतो आईला जगभरात मान॥

आज सांगणार आहे मी तुम्हाला म्हाज्या आइबद्दल दोन शब्द

ते वाचून तुम्ही नक्कीच व्हाल स्तब्ध

किती करू मी म्हाज्या आईचे गुणगान

तिला आम्ही तिघे आहोत अजुन एकदम लहान॥

सर्वत्र लागतो आम्हाला आईच्या मदतीचा हात

तिच्यामुळेँच करू शकतो आम्ही जिवनातील संकटावर मात

ती झटत असते दिवसभर आमच्या पोटापायी

देविचेच दुसरे रूप आहे आमची आवडती आई॥

- गिरिराज पै वेर्णेकर

A poem...

॥राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ॥

काही वर्षांपूर्वी एका ७ दिवसांच्या वर्गाला लिहिलेली ही कविता...

स्थळ: सानपाडा, मुंबई
प्रसंग: प्राथमिक वर्गाच्या रंजन बैठकीसाठि केलेली कविता

निवेदन: ह्या कवितेमद्द्ये काही जड़ शब्द आहेत। परन्तु मी सर्व शिक्षकांना विनंती करतो की त्यांनी ते जेवणासोबत पचवून घ्यावे!

त्रासच त्रास आमच्या वाटी आले
परन्तु त्याच दुःख नाही कारण
मित्रच मित्र आमच्या ताटी आले॥

सकाळी मुशी आनी जोशी, दर्शन देत होते,
दक्ष-आरम, पदविन्यांसाचे धडे घेत होते।।

घरी मटन मछीच खात होतो,
इथे पाला पाचोलाही पचवत होतो॥

एक मागुन एक दिवस, आम्ही मोजत होतो,
दिवस कसे सरतील ह्याचा, विचार करत होतो॥

सात दिवस फ़क्त शाळेच्या भिंती,
बाहेर जायचं म्हटलं की मुशिंची भीती।।

पण आज उमगलं, आम्ही किती चुकत होतो,
खुप चांगल्या गोष्टी, आम्ही इथे शिकत होतो॥

उद्या आपण आपल्या घरी असूं ,
एकमेकांची आठवण करून, गालातल्या गालात हसू।।

- गिरिराज पै वेर्णेकर