Idyllic Thoughts

Art is never chaste. It ought to be forbidden to ignorant innocents, never allowed into contact with those not sufficiently prepared. Yes, art is dangerous. Where it is chaste, it is not art    - Pablo Picasso. Though I don't agree fully, it is true.

I read the below four-point solution for Africa's poor economic, social conditions: a. adopt as binding the principle of dialogue; b. ensure society's participation in public life; c. observe fundamental human rights; d. begin democratization. Now my question is, or rather my dilemma is, that as the above four points have failed in effectively changing the economic and social conditions of India, will they be able to change Africa? It is much more complicated with thousands of unique and entirely different, isolated tribes hostile to each other. I will explain in terms of India: a. we sure have dialogues, but they have failed in bearing practical fruits - whether in issues such as Kashmir or the north-eastern States; or in addressing problems such as naxalism or poverty. b. society's participation in public life is quite active, despite all the pessimism we feel in not being able to change the bureaucratic mindset through public participation, as a journalist I see

I normally don't write about the films I watch. Because most films fail to impress me. I feel films are like the maneyaata we used to play when we were young; someone plays the character of husband, someone wife, others children, servants, each day a new story, eating, sleeping, working, talking... They seem just dramatic and nothing else. But here I feel like talking about wo films. One was suggested to me by a friend - Spring, summer, fall, winter...spring. A simple almost-silent story of how life moves in cycles and how the inevitable always happens. It's better to watch it than read a review of it. So... Another very recent film is No one killed Jessica. I cannot write a review because it's not a story, it's too real to comment about - a full life gone waste. But I can surely tell one thing about the direction and acting. It's simple and genuine and undramatic. If you are searching for dramatics, you will not find it here and if you are thinking of a documenta

I have great interest in psychology. And here I will tell of two small, insignificant incidents that are quite opposite. A person, who is well-off, found that the ink cartridge at his home printer was empty. He told his office boss about it and a staff was sent to his home to install a new one. The person who installed it had bought it in his own money. The office said it would not pay for it and the beneficiary is not ready to pay, though it was for his personal use. This is how the rich behave. Living off others' money. Yesterday evening I and my friend went to a roadside vendor to eat golguppa. The boy gave us 6 and we ordered for a plate of sukha puri. Along with the plate of sukha puri, he did not forget to give the normal 1 sukha puri that is usually given at the end of golguppa. We did not ask for it and let it go because we already got a plateful. But he gave us what we had paid for without hesitation, even if it was a tiny puri. These incidents may look small but I have