Open Letter to the Prime Minister...

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

If there is one person in this country who can create a federal agency, then it is you Mr. Prime Minister. And last night, instead of announcing the creation of such an agency, you tell us there is a "need for it". Mr. Prime Minister, if you did not feel the urge to take such an important step even yesterday, then I don't know what is the right time sir.

Sir, today I am not even in the mood to use strong words to underline the kind of failures that have gone into the making of this massacre. Neither I am confident enough that you understand the implications of the inaction of your government in dealing with them. Every time, your Home Minister and the party took refuge in the fact that there have been attacks in the previous regime too.

I just fail to understand when and where such a complacency has crept into our system. I fail to understand how one mistake can be used as justification to commit it again and again. I fail to understand how you can tell us we will not "bow to the terrorists" when that is what we have been doing all along sir.

Your speech to the nation was just un-inspiring. There was no new information in it. Your tone was just plain all throught, and the whole speech was just bereft of any emotion.

Sir, 25 terrorists just decided to hold the entire nation to ransom and we are all just speechless. The lack of leadership is so evident that we are all just speechless. The lack of co-ordination between so many agencies have left so many people speechless for life. And here you are sir, telling us there is a "need for better co-ordination".

There is something called accountability. That is how people's capabilities are measured. When something goes wrong, as a citizen, I have every right to know why it went wrong. What action has been taken against the guilty? After dozens of attacks and thousands of lives lost, are we still not in a position to pinpoint who is the culprit within the system? Are you telling us that no one in the system has done anything wrong and these attacks are just happening?

These moments are true test of leadership skills. We would have felt assured if some police officer, intelligence official, customs officer was sacked when previous attacks happened. Not as a token, but as a punishment. Punishment for putting people's life at peril. That's how accountability creeps into the system. Not by saying that this was a mistake. Not when that mistake is repeated umpteen times. Under your watch.

Sir, Your Home Minister enlightens us by saying that this is not the time for blame game. Can you please ask him to let us know what is the right time, so that we will be prepared for that debate. And that debate, we will win. Hands Down.

Final Question. Does your Home Minister still have the "blessings" of his leader?

Best Regards,

S.Sudhir Kumar

10 years ...

"With five 0's, use any mathematical operation and get the result as 120". A senior asked me thus! And this is the only question I remember from my ragging period! The other stuff was not worth remembering though ;-) Now, if you are wondering why I am writing this...

Exactly on this day 10 years ago, I joined engineering :-) And just last night, when Sandeep, Venky, Sallu bhai and me went to pick up Sripad bhai from the airport (ohh btw, the Outer Ring Road is nice!), it was impossible to believe 10 years have just passed!

On November 23, 1998 when I came back home from college after a not so eventful first day, my younger brother was waiting in anticipation at home. He excitedly asked me, " So, were you ragged today?" !!! I mean, who asks with excitement?!?! And when I told him nothing happened, he was like.. "ohh...nothing happened aa" !! It took about a month for me to get used to all class mates and.... what a journey it has been since then!

The walk to Secret Lake ( more famously known as Durgam Cheruvu!) for the new year; the first time we bunked college and played cricket; the first time when our class won a inter-batch cricket competition; the first anniversary celebrations in Indira park; the formation of MCC; cricket, 5 days out of 7 in a week; the freshers party we gave; the spirited fight we put up with the staff; the tiff with the HoD; the debate with the Principal; the boycott which even bought the Chairman to come and talk to us; the "Industrial" trip to Bangalore, Mysore and Ooty; our weekly trip/picnic to the college when it shifted to Sangareddy; playing only cricket in the new campus; the midnight efforts to get the printing of our reports done; the combined study; the xeroxing of notes; the experience of doing a project in DRDO; and last but never the least the final trip to Nagarjunasagar! Surely, we could not have asked for more.

For the first anniversary celebrations, I still remember how the whole college ridiculed our idea of assembling at Lumbini, then walk to Indira park and play there! And the next day, when we went to college, everyone were just jealous of the kind of fun we had!! All that the other batches did was to cut cake! haa - we cut the cake and ate it too :D :D :D.

The debates for the fresher partywe had; the designs Rajesh Mohan came up with for the posters ( which created a rage! ); the fun we had ( though another batch beat us at that :( ).

And everyone who was there will unanimously agree that the "industrial" tour is the best part of the whole 4 years! 5 days of just not bothering about anything! And a life long of memories associated with that trip!

My best memory - Our English sir, Varadachari came to me and told - "You are a burden on the society, commit suicide!!" This, I wil, l never forget!

Though it will sound cliche, the friendships I have made and the people I have met continue to play a influential part in life and I feel so nice to have been associated with them!

Our old building in Madhapur has been demolished last month :-( , but the spirit it gave to us can never be! Here's celebrating a beautiful experience!

PS: btw .. if you are still raking your heads as to how you will get 120 with five 0's.... muhahahah... ( 0! +0! +0!+ 0! + 0! )! = 120

This and that ...

1. What is the BJP doing ?? Is it going crazy these days? I mean, why is it hell bent on spreading hatred, and arousing unnecessary passions? What the "saadhvi" and the army guy did is not excusable at all... I mean, how can you even think of supporting them in the name of religion?? Why? I mean why ???

2. I was watching Rahul Gandhi deliver an election speech yesterday. Could it have been any more boring?!?! I mean, the way he talks is a different issue, but what he talks also has so little content !! For someone who has been meeting so many people, he sure looks like a very slow learner!! I somehow can't take it when other leaders project him as our future... one media channel went upto the extent of asking us - is he our Obama??? NOOOOOOOOOOOO....HE IS NOTT !

3. Speaking of media, it seems to be having a field day with the Malegaon blasts. This is like that Aarushi case. I lost interest in what they were reporting, though it is very important. And what they are doing is giving us an overdose, having those ridiculous politicians react and create more confusion in the minds of people. Should it not be balancing the news to cover them other burning issues too? Well, that's what all of us say ... the media just doesn't do that!

4. AP politics are heating up. Congress is going all out, using the best possible incendiary language to attack its opponents. TDP is pulling all stops to get back to power - Chandrababu Naidu just isn't stopping from promising anything and everything! Chiranjeevi is confused by the day... he is not knowing whether he should be thrilled by the response he is getting, or he should be afraid that he STILL does not have an organisation in place! Other small parties - well, let's not talk about them here!

5. Somehow after watching a India - Australia series, I don't find the enthu to see other series. They seem too trivial :D !

6. ok... i will stop now !

Over the moon - literally!

ok... the net is too slow and not allowing me to put a photo sent by Chandrayan :( Either way, let my "complaint" not dilute what I set out to write!

We are indeed over the moon now :-) I was just too excited on that day ... I went into the balcony and actually looked at the moon!! Okk... I know I can't see the flag :D but that feel of having something that belongs to India on the moon is just too good!

Again, kudos to ISRO. Waiting for the manned mission now :-)

Yes, they did !

And how! 349 vs 160! I mean, by any standards, that's huge!

The whole thing actually looks like a perfect script for a movie, or a fiction novel. Someone who was unknown beyond Chicago ( the city revives too good memories for me... maybe I will pen them down some day!) just 5 years ago could garner the strength to fight for the highest office of his land, and succeed in his quest. That too big time.

Obama's strength does not lie in his self belief, but in his ability to propagate effectively what he thinks. His strength does not just lie in rhetoric but in his articulation. And his strength does not lie in experience but in the lack of it!

Obama gave hope to everyone across the world. What he is going to do, how he is going to do it - we will have to wait and watch. But what matters right now is how he got to this position. And by getting to this position, he made sure that he will remain as an inspiration to hundreds of politicians across the world, thousands of aspiring public servants around the world and lakhs of people across the continents!

Obama bought a whiff of fresh air with him. Infact whiff might be a small word to use. A hurricane of Change might be more apt. His success story will surely be a brilliant case study as to how one can build on their strengths, use technology to their best advantage, spend wisely on campaigning and articulate the policies!

Well, finally here's my question - If they can, why can't we? Or I guess the more pertinent question will be - When will we?

Strange are the ways...

Monday morning i was lazily walking in my home.... a small rat peeps out from a corner and before I could react it runs fastly into some corner.

Now, first thing is that I am scared of rats! Don't ask why :D Second thing is that I cant live with the thought that a rat will walk over my leg some time!! Anyways, I told my mom of the crisis and left for office. And I ask her what happened to the rat, after I came back.

And then she starts scolding me... for a while I didn't understand! This stupid rat apparently went into my book shelf.... and in the excitement to catch it, the servant lady opened that shelf and the rat jumped out. And then my mom saw how "neatly" I maintained it!! There were bills from 2 years, notes, scribbles.. abboooo what not ! This saturday I am supposed to clean it up. Argh!

Strange are the ways these stupid animals affect my life :-(

By the way, this rat slowly walks to the door in the hall today morning... sees it is not open and waits in a corner for us to open it! And it runs the minute we open it !! haa! I am proud that I could scare off a rat with my "neatness" !!

How thankless we can get!

A couple of bad test matches and we are baying for Kumble's blood. Well, atleast he is not the first legend to face such undeserving criticism. To most of us, >600 wickets doesn't matter. 18 years of masterly art doesn't matter. True statesmanship in the sport doesn't matter. All that matters is today. How thankless we can get!

Anil Kumble encompasses all that a sport should stand for. Lethal in his attack, sublime in his manners. Sincere in his commitment, and steadfast in his execution. Proud in his participation and upfront in his leadership.

We could not have asked for a better person to represent India and we could not have asked for a better fortune to have watched him demolish opponent after opponent, year after year. No wonder he is called Jumbo!

Just like we haven't been able to find a replacement for Kapil Dev, I don't think we will ever get anyone to replace Kumble - the gentle gaint!

The least we can say to him - Thank you :-)