Horror-Scope Predictions In Corona Virus Times By An Atheist (Sarcasm Alert)

The health experts are telling that Coronavirus cases are yet to peak in India. The Government is doing its best to to develop a vaccine by Independence Day to liberate us from this scourge. Meanwhile, people are losing patience with the need to be disciplined to avoid the virus. To awaken and enlighten the public, despite being an Atheist, I have brought out for the `first-time' Corona Virus forecast for various star signs. This is serious stuff, so please give the predictions a go by, and read for the fun of it. This piece has been written with the disingenous of research possible.

Aries (March 21 − April 19) – Aries is self-centred, courageous, and bold, Be self-centred on maintaining social distancing. Don't think it is courageous not to wear a mask, or you have to be brave enough to get treatment for COVID-19 in a government hospital.

Taurus (April 20 − May 20) – The entry of your star sign usually wrecks a China shop, but you be careful of this virus from China. Practise SMS (Social distancing, Mask wearing, and Social Distancing).

Gemini (May 21 − June 20) – Just because your star sign is represented by the immortal twins' Castor and Pollux doesn't mean you too are eternal. COVID-19 can asphyxiate and kill you, so the moment you notice any symptoms, get a test done and get yourself treated.

Cancer (June 21 − July 22) – You rarely mingle with people, so social distancing comes to you naturally. Don't be emotional about wearing a mask.

Leo (July 23 − August 22) – You are a born leader but that in no way permits you to infect a lot of people. If you suspect you have any of the symptoms, call 1075.

Virgo (August 23 − September 22) – You are practical, meticulous and cool-headed. Don't rely on WhatsApp Gyan about COVID-19. Not wearing a mask is not being cool-headed, but it means you are Jughead.

Libra (September 23 − October 22) – You are carefree in nature. If you don't practise SMS, you may become a record in the Registrar of Births and Death LIBRAry.

Scorpio (October 23 − November 21) – People are easily attracted towards you but keep them at 6 feet distance or more. The infection of Novel Coronavirus can be as venomous as the sting of the scorpion.

Sagittarius (November 22 − December 21) – Your star sign symbol is an arrow. Beware of the arrow of droplets sneezed at you by a COVID patient. Practise SMS and protect yourself.

Capricorn (December 22 − January 19) – 

Whatever the challenges are, you always remain ready and keep attaining your desired goals. However, when there is a lockdown or your place is declared as a containment zone, respect the orders. Otherwise, you may get COVID-19 or even be booked under NDMA or both.

Aquarius (January 20 − February 18) – Aquarians like to be master of their wills. However, to contain the Corona Virus spread, you have to comply with the restrictions imposed by the Government. Else, find a good lawyer who can defend you under Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act and Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. A piece of free advice, it is cheaper to follow the Government restrictions than pay for a lawyer or be infected with Corona Virus. It is better not to be infected by the Corona Virus as well to fight a case against the Government.

Pisces (February 19 − March 20) – You are passionate about being alone, and sleeping. You are the sort of guy the authorities would be projecting as a role model. Practise SMS at work and public places. When you don't have to go out, pursue your passions

 

The Road Wrongly Taken - A Micro Short Story On Relationships

Sharadh had just finished his drink in a dingy bar downtown. A few years ago, he would have not even let his driver have a drink in such a place. It was he believed his misfortune, that forced him to go to a below-par watering hole. 

When he drove out his car, he was not sure whether he would reach home in it or would it be seized en-route by the loan sharks. He had changed his number 3 times in the past month to escape calls from his debtors.

  It was only in the evening that he had paid a visit to a famous mendicant fortune teller `XY Godman'. This godman slept on the hard floor in an all weatherproof room and travelled in an imported car seated on a rag, placed above the costliest leather seat. His diet consisted of a little rice, dal, roti, and fresh fruits & vegetables. He had predicted that tonight will be the beginning of the end of Sharadh's worst phase of life. To ameliorate his condition, XY Godman had asked him to leave his hermitage from the western direction, spend the night under the oak tree precisely 14 kilometres away. He had asked him to forget about signing the land deal which would have cleared all his debts and start a new business with substantial capital. Sharadh was happy that the turbulence in his life was about to end, but he could not understand why that this was linked to not signing the land-deal that night. However, he was not in a mood to reason or rant.

 

Sharadh’s life had been a roller coaster ride. He had seen forty-nine summers and a life full of incidents. His fiftieth birthday was a fortnight away. Sharadh, the son of a retired head post-master, had done his post-graduation in Commerce. More than education, it was his innovative thinking and convention defying actions which saw him touch meteoric heights both in business and social life. It is these very qualities which brought him to the nadir of his life.

 

As on today he had a broken marriage, couple of failed businesses, a pile of loans, a pregnant unmarried daughter in her 20’s, a few lost friends, and failing health. He had sold his swanky house and got rid of a good portion of his debts. All that was left with him was his ancestral house in a prime area of his city, adjoining the international airport that had come nearby. He had promised to sell the land. Possibly, his father had some psychic abilities, he had written a will that Sharad could sell this property only after he reaches the age of fifty. It was further ordained in the will, that he could use only 50% of the money immediately, and the balance would be deposited in the fixed deposit of a bank. Sharadh or his successors can enjoy the interest for another 25 years, beyond which the principal will accrue to them.

Sharadh had come to know of the peculiar will just couple of days back. Even his daughter was not aware of. The proposed land-deal would have made him debt-free, and provided him with working capital to start a new business. Sharadh had tucked away a neat amount of money with a reliable friend, to take care of his daughter, for a few years, should anything happen to him. Just before he left to meet the fortune teller, he had informed his daughter of the fortune left with his friend. He was in the danger of being bumped off by the loan sharks at any time.

 

Lost in his thoughts while driving, Sharadh stopped at the 14th kilometre, he saw an oak tree on the left side, switched off his mobile, and parked his car beneath it. Just before he switched off his phone, he received a call from a female whom he thanked for introducing him to the fortune teller. He also confirmed to her that as per his advice, he will be sleeping for the night under the said oak tree. He began to wonder how nice it would be if he can go back to his past, and correct some of the mistakes he had made. It was then he realised the eastern direction he took, contrary to the western side as mandated by the fortune teller. He sighed because his whole life was all about him doing the opposite of what was required. He decided that he was doomed for failure, and his bad times will never end thanks to his reckless manner. He decided to rest there itself for the day. If things get worse, he decided he is going to sell the land, settle accounts with the creditors, and drive off the cliff.

The place looked spooky, but he did not mind being lynched. There was nothing worth stealing from him except his costly wrist-watch, and a few two thousand rupees in his wallet. It was 12:30 midnight, and the day would break in a few hours. Sharadh stretched out his legs on the back seat and closed his eyes. Soon he was asleep and was woken up by a gentle thud on the window panes. He woke up to see a guy in whites, garnishing his teeth. Before he could open the door, the guy was sitting next to him and said "Hi".

Sharadh, without blinking his eyes asked, "So who are you, a highway devil, life has scared me enough, what can a spirit like you do to me?"

 

The guy replied, "You wanted to meet me."

 

Sharadh unable to fathom shot back, "Who are you?" (thinking in his mind maybe I would have called him)

 

The guy replied "I am the Time Keeper; you wanted to go back in time and correct your faults. I have come to give you an opportunity and till I am with you, time will freeze".

 

Sharadh was a drowning man, and he was ready to clutch at the proverbial last straw. He pinched himself and screamed "Wow! Let us get started then". This was the first time in the last one year Sharad had got so excited, otherwise it was always a grumpy face for him.

 

Time Keeper said "Don't get excited so much, this is always your fault, first listen, you will get a chance to revisit 6 situations in your life and correct them. There will be two Sharadhs'; one in the actual situation and another you from the future. You will never get a chance to correct yourself physically but only can advise/shout to Sharadh at the spot. You can instigate any other individual in the situation to save it. You can be in each incident only for 10 minutes, and so you will have an hour to correct your past. Is it OK with you?"

Sharadh nodded his head in agreement. He had no option, did he?

 

Time Keeper "Now write down your choice, take your time, and you can always correct the choices before I begin your journey" and gave Sharadh a pen and a piece of paper to write on. Without much thought, Sharadh wrote down the following choices:

 

1. Neglect of his health after 2005.

2. Refusal to support Preetam's business (Sharadh's best friend) with a loan of Rs.5 lakhs. 

3. His second marriage to Nisha.

4. The decision to send his daughter Veda to a boarding school.

5. Based on the advice of Nisha, the decision to invest in the garment export business.

6. His decision to invest in reality shares during early 2016.

 

Sharadh handed over the slip to the Time Keeper who remarked, "As always fast".

 

Sharadh grinned sarcastically, looked at him and quizzed with a shrug of his shoulders "What next?"

 

Time Keeper whispered a verse into his ears and told "Close your eyes and repeat it 12 times. Remember you cannot come back till you revisit all the six situations and during this time you cannot contact me. All the best to you."

 

Sharadh thanked the Time Keeper with gratitude, closed his eyes and repeated the verse 12 times. Suddenly, a beam of light ejected him into a clock way. He could see the clock reversing at a rapid speed, and suddenly it stopped in his flat which he had purchased from the first million he earned.

 

 

07/11/2002 Time 5:30 am, the alarm rings and a blanket unfurls.

 

A young Sharadh gets up and goes to sleep, banging the alarm. Till then, Sharadh was very particular about maintaining his health and used to exercise regularly. This laziness had set into him with expanding business.

 

Future Sharadh could see what havoc this laziness would cause to him in future. As on date, he was suffering from diabetes, high cholesterol and weak joints. He had to undergo bypass surgery and a knee correction in the past two years. FUTURE SHARADH shouted at the younger one "Please get up, go for a workout, don't spoil your health". He would not listen, and time was running out. FUTURE SHARADH shouted expletives at him still of no avail. He tried to kick him but could not. He remembered the Time Keeper's condition "You will never get a chance to correct yourself physically". Just then he saw his first wife Sita opening her eyes. He pushed her into pouring a glass of water on the sleeping Sharadh. Sharadh got up and shouted, "Shut up, Si, I am tired". She could not understand why she poured a glass of water on his face, so she kept quiet and slept back. FUTURE SHARADH was left banging on his head and soon the time was over, and he found himself in the clock way forwarding till he reached August 2004 when Preetam, his best friend was sitting in front of him.

***********

15/08/2004 Time 7:30 pm, Preetam after hours of talking virtually was begging with him for Rs.5 lakhs. His friend Rajesh was seated besides trying to reason with Sharadh.

 

Sharadh by that time had become a multi-millionaire. Preetam was trying to start a business on his own. He, along with Rajesh, had come to request Sharadh for an Rs.25 lakh loan. Rajesh was settled in his own job, and had come along with Preetam to convince Sharadh. The amount by Sharadh's standard was a petty one, but he refused to neither invest nor lend this amount. Sharadh was not interested in giving the loan or making an investment because he did not believe that farming can be a sustainable business.

Preetam even offered to pledge his house documents with Sharadh. Sharadh displaying arrogance, had said, "I don't have enough servants to accommodate in your big house, who wants those documents?" 

Rajesh held Sharadh by his collar and slapped him. Sharadh gave a contemptuous smile, and Rajesh walked out of the house.

Preetam went down on his knees, but Sharadh would have none of it. FUTURE SHARAD tried to scream at the top of his voice, but his past would not listen and stuck to his stand. Soon Preetam too walked out.

Rajesh stood surety for Preetam's loan. Slowly but steadily Preetam repaid the loan and grew richer than Sharadh. Most childhood friends distanced from Sharadh after this incident but Preetam still retained a soft-corner for him. As fate would have it, it was to Preetam that Sharadh had entrusted the last bit of his savings. This was to be handed over to his daughter in the eventuality of his being got rid off by the marauding money lenders .

Time for FUTURE SHARADH was over, and again he was thrust into the clock way till it stopped when Sharadh's mother arguing against his decision to marry Nisha.

******

10/10/2010 Time 8:45 am, Sharad mother is asking him not to marry Nisha

Sita had expired during November 2008 due to Leukaemia. She was the source of strength for Sharadh ever since they fell in love during college. Though she was from a different language, Sharadh parents readily accepted her. Her death had upset the balance of Sharadh's family. Soon his father died, and his mother was also incapacitated. Sharadh became a loose cannon, and had many illicit relationships.

Subsequently, Sharadh had met Nisha during a party. She was a small-time model/TV actress. True to her name, most men fell for her charms. Playing around with men was not new to her. She had never dated a rich guy like Sharadh. She did everything to entice Sharadh into her web, and he too willing fell for her.

Sharadh wanted to marry Nisha. His mother, daughter Veda, and relatives were against it. His mother was pleading with him not to marry Nisha. He would not listen to her and chided his mother for being old fashioned. He got up and announced, "on 10/01/2011, I am going to marry Nisha; if you want you can come". Saying these harsh words, he rushed out of his mother's bedroom.

FUTURE SHARADH knew of all the tragedies that marriage to Nisha would befall him. She made him a drunkard. She regularly made him buy costly presents and skip crucial business meetings to be with her or take her on a joy trip. Sharadh started neglecting Veda. She got him to invest in the wrong businesses like that of a garment factory owned by a mysterious cousin of hers. It later turned out that this cousin of hers was a boyfriend in reality, and used as a ploy to fleece Sharadh of his wealth. FUTURE SHARADH screamed all this to Sharadh, but he would not hear him out. The 600 seconds were over, and he was back on the clock way to reach April 21, 2014.

*****

21/04/2014, Time 8:45 pm, Sharadh is about to announce his decision to send Veda to a boarding school.

Sharadh’s mother expired during July 2012 and Veda was left alone in the house. Sharadh’s interest in his daughter had dwindled. Though she was doing academically well, she had become a neglected child. Nisha had begun to despise Veda's presence in the house. She planned to send Veda to a notorious boarding school for spoilt rich kids and had succeeded in convincing Sharadh.

Sharadh "Veda, I am sending you to ****** boarding school."

Veda "Papa, you want to send me to a boarding school, I have no problem, but don't send me to that one. It's notorious and a spoilt one."

Sharadh "Enough, your mama has made a choice, and you are going there."

Veda agitatedly remarked "This female is not my mother."

Sharadh came rushing towards Veda, caught hold of her, slapped her couple of times and threatened, "If you don't go, you are dead". Veda wept inconsolably on the dining table, but there was no one to console her at home or to stand for her rights.

Veda reluctantly went to the boarding school. It was a school for all the rich spoilt kids. Veda did hold on her ethics for a short while. Soon, the pleasures of youth took her over. She started with gambling, dating, boozing, drugs, and finally landed up being pregnant before she could complete graduation.

FUTURE SHARADH screamed all this to Sharadh as he was leaving the dining hall but of no avail. FUTURE SHARADH was desperate to get back to the Time Keeper to ask him what sort of option he had given him but could not do so. Soon FUTURE SHARADH was on the clock way and stopped in Aug 2015 where Nisha was introducing her cousin who wanted Sharadh to invest his "Hi-fashion garment factory".

******

11/08/2015 Time 3:45 pm, Nisha's cousin, is explaining the project to Sharadh.

Nisha's cousin was convincing Sharadh to invest in his "Fashion Garment Factory" which he claimed had a lot of committed orders from abroad. The magic of Nisha was wearing away for Sharadh. Nisha realised her time was up and was getting ready to pack off. This supposed cousin was her boyfriend, and they had hatched this plan to fleece Sharadh's fortune. Though his CA was against this investment, Sharadh agreed to invest in it just to keep Nisha happy, and the projections made by her cousin were too tempting to ignore. FUTURE SHARADH tried to scream for sanity to prevail. He shouted several questions about the project to Sharadh. He questioned the intimacy of Nisha, and her cousin but all these, as usual, fell into deaf ears.

As planned, slowly the investment started turning into a nightmare for Sharadh. Nisha became the managing partner, and he had less power to question its progress. Every second month there was some mishap or the other, draining out funds. By December 2017, Sharadh had lost 70% of his wealth on the project. He had started to borrow, something which he had not done for the past 12 years.

Then one day, he got up to find a piece of chit "Bye Buddy – Nisha". Nisha had rendered him bankrupt and flown out with her "cousin" to Bangkok. Sharadh never got a chance to divorce, and till date she and Veda had equal share to his property.

FUTURE SHARADH lost yet another chance to correct his past and soon was back on the clock way to find himself in June 2018, when Sharadh was doing the proverbial "last throw of dice".

****

16/06/2018, Time 10:30 am, Sharad is handing over a cheque to his investment banker

He was handing over a cheque of Rs. 2 Crores for investment in reality shares. Sharadh had over the past two months made some informed trading calls in the market and made substantial money. His friend Rajesh had given him these bits of advice. Sharadh financial position was beginning to look up when he decided to invest in reality shares. Rajesh advised him not to do so, but Sharadh would have none of it. He felt that Rajesh was jealous that he would become affluent again. FUTURE SHARADH knew there was no point in advising Sharadh, and remained a mute spectator. Sharadh went ahead and made the deal. As luck would have it by the end of October 2008, the investment value was less than Rs.35 lakhs. Sharadh had to sell off most of his remaining property except his father's estate.

The time for FUTURE SHARADH was over, and he was back in the car with the Time Keeper. As soon as he reached, he howled "What a cruel joke that was! It was like having a read-only document. I had no chance to correct my past except being a screaming unheard witness to the disaster."

Time Keeper "That is not my problem, Sharadh did not listen to you. What can I do?"

Sharadh "Where is the question of listening, he could not hear me."

Time Keeper "Come, I will make you listen to what your mind and soul was telling during those six incidents."Sharadh listened to it. He realised that what he spoke just now had gone through his mind and heart when the incidents actually took place. He knew that it was wrong to neglect his health. He had felt at that time it was inhuman not to support Preetam in his business. He seemed to remember telling to himself that the decision to marry Nisha can turn out to be catastrophic. He had felt sending Veda to that boarding school or to invest in the stupid business of Nisha's cousin were decisions bound to end in disasters. When he took the decision to invest in the reality shares, his conscience told `This is the final nail in the coffin’. It is just that he did not listen to it, all the six times.

The Time Keeper reminded Sharadh "Your future is always there with you in the form of your soul and mind, just that you have to listen to them. Henceforth you will do that, and you will have a bright future". Saying these words, he disappeared.

Soon the sun began to rise and as Sharadh started his car, committing to listening to his inner voice. To go home, he had to take an U-turn. While travelling back, he passed the oak tree, the fortune teller had originally asked him to park his vehicle under. The tree had been felled, and it had smashed a car parked under it. Out of the car, two dead bodies of a naked boy and girl was being removed. A little distance he saw Nisha's best friend, gesticulating and talking to someone on the phone. She was the one who had introduced him to the fortune teller, and also checked his whereabouts the previous night. He deciphered the sinister design and decided to close the land deal. It would get rid of all his loans, and help him start a new life. He was not sure whether this decision was rational, but his heart and mind seemed to be in harmony. Moreover, the expression of shock on the lady’s face, when he waived at her made him doubly assured that a new horizon was waiting to unfold itself for him, Veda, and his yet to be born grandchild.

 

I have had enough of this year

Why Neither The Superstitions of Solar Eclipse Nor The Marketing Strategies of Father's Day Sentiments Have Any Bearing On Me?

Today happens to be Father's Day as well as Solar Eclipse. Father's Day or Mother's Day is a marketing concept, and hence I do not celebrate either of them. I respect my parents immensely. I value the immense love, affection bestowed and the sacrifices of my parents.

Today was a unique day. It happened to be Father's Day, and the solar eclipse came as a package from the calendar. Today also happens to be the longest day of the year. I don't know about the superstitions associated with the longest day of the year but definitely in the knowledge of those entwined with Solar Eclipse. During college, in private conversations, I used to invite my friends to have a cup of tea and pakoras with me, in a graveyard, during the solar eclipse. In this age of the easily offended, I don't think I would dare to post such an invite in any social media.

My father was a religious person with a moderate education. He believed in God till his last breath. He used to pray to Lord Muruga before leaving the house in the morning for work, and repeat the same on return. He went on yearly pilgrimages to various temples of Lord Muruga. Mary's feast is immensely popular in Bangalore, and it transcends religious beliefs. My father was an avid participant in these prayers. With such a background, it would seem that he had a lot of superstitions, but that was not the case.

He believed in God and his power but not the customs associated with the worship of God. Blind belief in the name of religion was not his cup of tea. I had never seen him suggesting black magic as a reason or solution for our family problems. He was a believer in thoughts but a rationalist in actions. He used to vehemently preach to us that instead of having movie stars as idols, we should have scientists as our role models. God was etched in his soul, but science was in his brain and heart.

He had given a vaccination for all his children as mandated by the Government. It started from my elder brother who was born in the late 1950s. Chickenpox meant treatment in the local government hospital though the regular South Indian religious rituals were followed. It might surprise the reader that this custom is practised even today in many Non-Hindu families in South India. 

My father had a minor paralytic stroke in the early 1970s. Many of the relatives suggested to go in for black magic or native medicine, but my father decided to go in for allopathy and recovered fully well. 

The usual treatment for Jaundice in South India is to grind a bunch of leaves called `Keelanelli' and administer it orally to the patient. However, my father was an exception to it and got me admitted to a hospital for treatment, despite a difficult financial situation at home. 

Irrespective of whether it was a fever or the kidney ailment of my eldest brother, he always believed in allopathy. He always said modern science is proven and the only answer to the problems of life. How did an individual who had limited education possess such maturity of thoughts? Was he, despite his belief in religion influenced by the ideas of Periyar, the great social reformer of Tamil Nadu? I have every reason to belief that this was the case.

I remember during 1980 when there was a solar eclipse, he only restrained us from seeing the sun. Other than that, it was a routine day for all of us. There were no rituals on that day. From a young age, aversion to auspicious/ inauspicious time, day, or date was sown in our minds. We were never thought to be selectively vegetarian. I came to know about numerology and lucky stones only after I started seeing satellite TV. Watching science programmes on Doordarshan was mandatory. 

I am an atheist, but going by the present definition of a pious Hindu, my father was an undercover atheist too. Thus, today ends with me neither celebrating Father's Day nor getting religious about the solar eclipse. Being childless helped my cause of disregarding Father's Day.

 

Darren Sammy Racial Abuse Allegation - This Too Shall Pass

Darren Sammy has recently made a statement that while playing for SRH, he was called `Kalu'. If it is true, it must be an Indian Cricketer. We have a massive obsession for the fair skin and genetical avarice towards dark skin. I will dwell later on how fair skin after caste leads to apotheosis in Indian society.

If unification was a religion, sports is the high priest of it. If sports is the high priest of unification, cricket in India is `God's favourite priest'. Racial abuse in such a sport, that too in a society which proudly believes in `Vasudeva Kutumbam' is iniquity. The players who indulged in this are the truest anti-nationals. If found guilty they should be banned from the sport, their records erased, they should be jailed and declared as person non grata.

IPL has been the hell house of controversies since its inception.  Allegations of match-fixing, seedy night parties, tales of sexual abuse, and not to mention mediocre cricket have blemished the reputation of cricket's showbiz event.

Racism has no place in sports. The IPL governing board should immediately order an enquiry into this issue. It should be conducted through video conferencing mode, and telecast online. Let the truth come out. Let those who have to be shamed, be shamed.

There is an Instagram post going around of a particular Indian player calling Darren Sammy as Kalu. These are the days of fake news and photoshopping; hence I refuse to believe this post until it is conclusively proved as accurate. In one of his twitter posts, he talks of an Indian gentleman legend and associates him with this term `Kalu'. It would be bilious if this legend too had called him `Kalu'.   Investigate everyone associated with SRH during this period. Government of India should crack the whip, if the IPL governing board does not order an inquiry by the end of this week, i.e. second week of June 2020.

Caste defines an individual in India, and next comes skin colour. An individual coming from a low caste with dark skin is considered unintelligent, perfidious, and generally heathen. Being born in an upper-caste makes one priggish, and a coruscating skin colour ennobles its bearer. Cracking jokes or abusing an individual about his/her skin colour or caste is considered Dionysus.

Our Bollywood dumb asses went ballistic with `black lives matter' when the George Floyd issue broke out. These are the shenanigans who do not mind endorsing fairness creams for a few dollars more. One would be curious to see which hypocrite Bollywood star tweet on this issue, especially if it is proved correct. Will they dare to take on the might of IPL and call the bluff on racism, I doubt. Everyone is eagerly awaiting that great man from Bollywood whose blood boils when commentators question the indifferent performance of BCCI XI, and he expresses it on his Twitter account.

There is an air of expectancy how one or two most followed twitter accounts that react on every other injustice happening around the globe, react on this issue. The account did not condemn George Floyd issue itself for apparent reason.

It is pertinent to recall what happened during the match-fixing scandal at the beginning of the century. The South African cricketers, including Hansie Cronje, fixed matches, but they admitted to their role when confronted with facts. Their teammates also named and shamed them during the enquiry. Neither the believed to be guilty Indian cricketers gave themselves up nor their teammates named and shamed them.  `The Monkey Gate' scandal involving Andrew Symonds witnessed a re-run of this bonhomie. We all know what will happen to the Darren Sammy issue; it will die a slow death. The only doubt in one's mind is, will SRH go one step ahead, and file a multi-million dollar defamation case against Sammy.

Why I Did Not Become A Singer? - A Confession

While growing up, all of us want to become a singer one day and the next day a doctor. The third day we would be holding a paintbrush with the intent of becoming an artist. When on a summer day, we saw an aeroplane flying over our head, we desired to be a pilot. When siblings or bullies in school gave us a thrashing, we all wanted to become a cop and arrest them. During a cricket season, our life goal was to become a cricketer, The weirdest of the kids would want to grow up to be a lawyer. I too wanted to be all of these at some time or the other while growing up. I felt I should confess why I could not become any of this but ended up being what I am today.

I earnestly tried to be a singer and enrolled in singing at the school annual day programme. The teacher asked me to be a part of the chorus. My voice made the chorus coarse, and I was coaxed never to croak err sing again.

The thoughts of making me a doctor were given up when I questioned why human beings required two eyes, nostrils, and ears when they could do with a single head and heart.

I still cannot draw a straight line, and the twisted straight line is too bland to be accepted as modern art. Such being the case, I gave up hopes of becoming an artist.

There was no point in making me a pilot when I could not jump from one stair to another without stumbling. My parents did not want to risk passenger lives while the plane was landing.

A cop is expected to be vigilant and intuitive. Obviously, a kid who is sent to buy two rupees worth of green chilly, and returns with 2 kg of them does not make the cut. Similarly, a soldier is expected to be fit and quick not take an eternity to do a left-right step while marching.

Desires and reality never match each other unless you have some skills. If you cannot hit the ball out of the pitch, and when you expect the ball to catch your hand, you can never be a cricketer no matter how much desperately you want to. I badly wanted to become a cricketer but played the game very badly.

An academically challenged kid should not hand-over his progress card to parents immediately on reaching home. A kid who does so can have no hopes of becoming a lawyer.

When I was growing up, knowing typing and shorthand were as important as having Aadhar Card or Arogya Setu App is these days. I too joined a typewriting training institute for learning both these life skills. The principal, after a couple of months, said to my father `Don’t waste your money, his time, and test my patience.’

For no reason, I didn’t dream to become a postman or a milkman or a bus driver.

I ended up by chance or luck being what I am today.

Hatred Against Tik Tok Is Just A Class Subjugation, And There Lies The Opportunity For Liberals

TIK-TOK HERE IS A COMMON NOUN. IT CAN REPRESENT ANY SUCH PLATFORM ON WHICH SHORT VIDEOS CAN BE CREATED AND UPLOADED. 

Many things are being held against Tik-Tok these days. One of them is that it is a national security threat. National security interests are non-negotiable, and if it is true, this app and any app which poses such a risk must be banned. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S BAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT FROM NATIONAL INTEREST 

The regurgitated arguments against it are, the content on Tik-Tok is unimaginative; it spreads hatred, superstition, fake news, and vulgarity. This fact is undeniable. The material these days on YouTube, TV channels and print media are no better. Tik-Tok is just the T-10 version of the existing media. Tiktok is one of the many such platforms. The name Tiktok is used as a representative of similar apps and is not its endorsement per=se. 

 Tik-Tok is not my forte. I can never be a creator of content on Tik Tok because I neither have the attitude, aptitude, nor inexactitude to do so. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I received a lot of Tik-Tok videos from friends, colleagues, and family. A Tik Tok video should not be viewed with the mind of a connoisseur. Tik-Tok Videos are made by patrons who have neither the means nor the time nor the intellect to make a critically acclaimed content.

Upper Middle Class hates Tik-Tok Users, especially that section of the upper-middle class which is narrow-minded, lacks critical thinking, is parochial, and are hypocrites of the highest order. They are jealous of the fact that the lower middle class has got a medium of expression. Upper Middle Class is under the false impression that all the intellect is their privy. Shattering this misconception is essential. Tik-Tok as of now is a medium to showcase PJs, dance moves, and mini-skits. The content creators are usually lower middle class, people in primary professions, homemakers, and teenagers.

Tik–Tok can be used to revive liberal ideologies on the verge of extinction. It can be used as a useful tool to spread social awareness, restore communal harmony, raise awareness on environment, improve scientific temperament, explain the process of creating economic inequalities, demask historical distortion, and expose fake news. Tik-Tok is the best option available to detoxify the thought process of the society because it is going to reach the masses.

The larger population cannot read lengthy books to imbibe the principles of democracy and communal harmony. They cannot understand the threat to the environment or appreciate scientific temperament as dished out in the conventional media. They don’t possess the critical thinking abilities to decipher the distortion of history and impious dissemination of fake news.  Enlightenment of the masses is possible only through new age mediums like Tik-Tok. The ball is firmly in the court of the intellectuals. The intellectuals who care for equality in the society can step in and develop content on Tik-Tok, which is factual, precise and sleek. The question is whether they can gather their wits, and return it for a winner. The vital thing to note is that the cost of making a Tik-Tok video is minimum, but its reach is maximum.

How `Coming Out As Dalit' By Yashica Dutt Resonates With My Life? ?

Coming Out As Dalit – A Memoir written by Yashica Dutt is a wonderful book of the authoress who has come out in open with her Dalit identity after years of hiding it. I am not going to review the book. The book has not only been written from the heart but after a lot of research. There are happenings from her personal life, which are also contained in the book, and have a relevance to the problems Dalit societies face. I belong to the Dalit community. What I am going to do is going to pick some lines from the book, and relate it to the happenings in my life.

The authoress in one of the portions of the book states that Dalits who fearlessly come out with their identity offend upper castes the most. She hits the top gear right at the beginning of the book, and there is no slowing down in exposing the caste predators.

It took me almost 25 years of existence to come out with my identity as a Dalit, and after that I too had nothing to hide. The authoress came out with her identity because of Rohit Vehumla, and I did it because I realised that no matter how much of a Hindu I tried to be, I was always a low caste, and in the context of independent India, a freeloader.

Caste is Ubiquitous

Ask any Dalit who has worked for the Government, who was as efficient as his upper-caste peers, with an interest in progressing his career, he will bet his last pie to vouch for this thought.

Hiding Caste Identities

We are living in the times of lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus. We are required to wear masks when we come outside to not contract this disease. Dalits will never find this difficult because for the better part of their lives they wear a mask of an upper caste person to avoid being ostracised.

My father was polemical to hiding our caste identity but wanted his children to grow outside the earmarked Dalit areas of Bangalore. To be fair, most house owners never asked us about our caste except one who insisted that we should not cook non-vegetarian food. Our economic condition did not allow us to regularly consume non-vegetarian food, but my parents went heads over heels to comply with this condition. Possibly ashamed of being born as Dalits, my parents avoided all those things that could reveal our caste. Over a period we performed poojas, marriages, funerals, and festivals befitting an upper caste. We were indirectly acknowledging that the Dalit customs were inferior.

How do Dalit legends and ultra-legends hide their caste identities?

Dalits try to hide their caste identities but legends do it by ridiculing Dalits, and even by criticising the move of Babasaheb to provide reservations to Dalits. They even label the acts of successive Governments to extend reservation as a regressive step.

The ultra legends are the ones who say that castes no longer exist in the society. Over the past few years, the Government has made it mandatory to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar in a befitting manner, and the ultra legends who work in Government offices ensure that they don’t turn up for this function.

However, when it comes to claiming reservation in promotion, or quarters allotment, or getting relief from being reprimanded for indifferent work/corruption, or getting medical/engineering seat for children, or BDA residential site allotment, they will swear about their being a dalit on the Manu Smrithi itself.

My brother also works for the Government, and he is a Dalit Ninja Warrior. Wish I could insert a sound clip of him in this blog describing such bilious masqueraders. Many in Government service have used their Dalit identity to get promotions, get elected to lucrative employee cooperative societies, and when they reach the helm trample the Dalits working under them. They are more upper caste than upper-caste themselves.

I prominently display a photograph of Dr BR Ambedkar on my desk ever since I entered Government service. The aforesaid masqueraders have advised me to remove it to avoid the wrath of the management. I did not pay heed to it, and till date my table contains an image of Babasaheb.

Embracing Vegetarianism in to-to or selectively 

Between the age of 18 and 24, I had embraced vegetarianism due to a misconception that being a non-vegetarian is imbruing humanity. Having exorcised that belief, I am now a passionate non-vegetarian. Caste Hindus become vegetarians during certain days of the week and select periods of the year. I have no objection to it because it is their belief and they have been conditioned so for ages. Dalits who for ages were maimed, raped and assaulted for entering a place of worship or trying to behave like a caste Hindu, follow these conditions religiously. It does not prick their conscience that even during this period of abstinence Dalits across the country are butchered by upper castes.

Assuming that possessing a flawless English knowledge can hide your Dalit identity.

 Three months after I joined my present job, I came to understand that one of the upper caste officers had enquired with my boss whether I could read and write decent English. There have been quite a few uncharitable remarks about my ability to express in English. I don’t claim coruscating English knowledge but these remarks were made against me because I am a Dalit, because we are assumed to be unintelligent. As pointed out by the authoress, Tina Dabi, the daughter of a civil servant couple, is accused of wrongly availing reservation, even though she had scored more marks than general candidates in the main exam. It was only in personality test interview that she did not perform to her potential. The matter of fact is that more often than not when a Dalit commits a mistake in Government service, it will reminisce in closed corridors how reserved candidates are a useless lot and a virus in the system.  

 My father’s formal education was limited but he had a great passion to better his English. He relentlessly pursued this goal by reading many English books and even consulting my English teacher on some doubts. A relentless pursuit to attain an ability to speak and write English impeccably is part of my genes. It is the only language in which I have an acceptable proficiency.

Anti Reservation Protests in AIIMS during 2006

 Mandal Commission Protests was the first big anti-reservation protest I was a witness to. I will reproduce two incidents from those protests which will explain the contemporary hatred against Dalits. 

 During the protest, I saw a young lady holding a placard `Wanted an SC/ST Groom with a Government Job’. Inter-caste marriage is the best solution for eliminating the caste system. This placard was not an invitation but intimidation of a community trying to assert itself.

 During the Mandal Protests, I was pursuing ICWAI course. My friends, a few of them who knew my caste status had warned me not to tell to anybody that I was a Dalit, as if otherwise I was proud about flaunting my Dalit identity. The classes for this course were held in the evenings in a prominent Christian college in Bengaluru. Please excuse me for reproducing this crass graffiti from the Men's Restroom.

At a height, it was written `if you can p**s till this point, you can become a fireman.

At a lower threshold, it was written, this height is enough for SC/ST.

I too laughed it off shamelessly but that graffiti has stuck in my mind as an epitome of the hatred that is present against Dalits.

 Dalits were always the despised lot. The contemporary hatred is fuelled by the fact that some of us have escaped the dragnet of caste humiliation thanks to reservations, and a need is felt to prevent further hostages getting away through this method.

The book is well written and must be read by all Dalits who are ashamed of asserting their identity. The Upper Caste would do well to encourage such an assertion. Dalits asserting their identity would mean the end of caste discrimination, and also the ignominious reservation. Once the stain of reservation goes from the face of India, we can look forward to only meritorious doctors, engineers, scientists and administrators. None of the IIT Engineers and Doctors will leave this holy land for foreign shores. This could mark the return of the proverbial `Sone ki Chidiya’.