Are we really 'Idiots'..?

Justice Markandey Katju, Chairman of the Press Council of India, is known for his outspoken criticisms on many issues. He has recently written vehemently opposing the arrest of two Mumbai girls on a Facebook post. I admire Justice Katju. He is not afraid to voice out courageously on injustices prevalent in society. I also appreciated his article on the Op-Ed page of The Hindu titled "Why I can't pay tribute to Thackeray" dated 18 November, 2012 where he criticised the policies of the Shiv Sena supremo.

Two days ago, Justice Katju at a seminar in Delhi stated, "I say ninety percent of Indians are idiots. You people don't have brains in your heads....It is so easy to take you for a ride," he was referring to how gullible we Indians were, that we could be lead into a communal disharmony by forces without much effort. He said that a mere two thousand rupees would suffice to incite a communal riot in Delhi and that a people start fighting each other even if a mischievous gesture is made at a place of worship. This made two students file suit against him on the grounds of defamation, and Justice Katju has also replied to them on his blog - Satyam Bruyat - Justice Katju.

I feel Justice Katju is right in pointing out how gullible we are. The 'Idiot' remark may sound harsh because Indians after all are doing great in various fields and across the world. But if you take his remarks in the context of his speech, I do feel we are idiots. The Babri Masjid demolition; the train burning at Godhra and the riots that followed and the attack on churches in Orissa and Karnataka are all blots in the modern history of secular India.  

I disagree, however,  with the number that Justice Katju mentioned. I do not think 90% of Indians fall into the trap of communalism with or without incitement. On the other hand, I feel only 10% are the gullible people whom Justice Katju remarks about. Although voices are not as loud as his, most Indians do not harbour hate for other religions but only wish to live in harmony and reap the benefits of a progressing India. It is the minority, the 10%, probably even lesser, who want to break the rich history of tolerance in India and most of the time, I feel, it's for personal gain.

Therefore, I feel I'm part of the 90%, not the 90% that Justice Katju pointed out, but the 90% who I feel are the ones who appreciate India's culture of secularism and tolerance. Yes we are silent and Justice Katju is right in pointing that out. But we are definitely not willing to surrender to communal forces.

Mesmerised by a great showcase of choral music

I've just returned after a performance at The Festival of Christmas Music conducted by the Basel Mission which was held at the Bishop Cotton Girls School auditorium. A well known carol competition, the festival features top choirs from Bangalore, all vying to be the best.  This is the third year I've participated in the prestigious event and it never fails to impress. 

Being a big fan of western classical and choral music, I look forward to this festival each year. Although I've been part of the audience since I was in school, participating in the festival was something I always wanted. In the final year of my graduation, I joined a small choir called Vocal Enigma - brainchild of a brilliant musician and friend - Maneesh Dasanayake. It was the opportunity I dreamed of and though we were only fifteen in number, we were ably led and soon became one of the most prominent choirs at the college level.

The first Basel Mission was also our best. We tied for first place along with the Christ University Choir, a powerhouse among choral circles here in Bangalore. Victory was sweet, and as days went by our repertoire grew. We participated in numerous other festivals and shows and won many accolades. But the win at this festival was always dearest to me.

After graduating, we hoped we could still keep the choir alive. But work schedules often clashed with practice and most of us couldn't find time. Maneesh too had to return to his home - Sri Lanka. However, some of us still wanted to keep going, we did the best we could to practice on weekends, when most of the working people had a holiday. And this year under the name Choral Blueprint, we gave what we felt was our last performance at Basel Mission.

There are three categories for judging - Junior Schools, Senior Schools and Colleges. We were an independent professional choir and were not judged under any category but were allowed to participate as guests. Nevertheless, doing our best was the aim. Although we couldn't compete we felt like champions. The competition, however, was as fierce as ever. Choirs performed works by Handel and Rutter. Just listening to those arrangements gave me goosebumps. At the end Christ University were declared winners. They deserved it.

The best part about every Christmas season for me is the carols. And the best part of caroling for me is the performance at Basel Mission. Winning never mattered, not this year atleast. But the mere fact I performed there for one last time probably was a rewarding experience indeed. So kudos to the winners and thank you Basel Mission.

Aspirations need to be fulfilled someday, somehow.. (My first blog post)

The jump from the IT field to media has exposed me to experiences I never thought I'd have. Blogging being one of them. I have started this blog with a vision: Improve my writing skills and also show them to the world in the process. And I'm happy as I write my first post.

Let me start with an introduction to myself and my blog. I aspire to be a journalist. From the time I was in high school, I was always interested in it. I would watch the news everyday seeing journalists jostle with their colleagues to get the latest news. I would attentively watch press conferences where journalists would eagerly wait their turn to ask a question. A turn which may never come. But their zeal would never die. They would chase the person who held the conference just to get the answer to that solitary question they may have.

Pressure from family and friends led me to pursue Science at the Pre-University level and though my parents wanted me to do engineering, I somehow managed to convince them to let me opt for a BCA degree instead. For three years it seemed my aspirations were lost. After graduating, I joined two companies in a span of one year. It was then I realised this wasn't for me. Eight hours staring into a computer screen only gave me more reason to get back to by boyhood dream of being a journalist. So I made my choice.

I applied for a post-graduate course in Mass Communication at St. Joseph's College, Bangalore and  sailed through the admission process. And here I am now. Enjoying every moment of it. And I know with every passing day, I'm inching closer to my ambition. Now it has become my calling.

Now, about the blog. I plan on writing about anything and everything. And also everyday. I will write about everything I see, hear or taste. Subjects would include travel and politics...yes, politics, another interesting thing I picked up after entering this field. Basically, I want to write purely for pleasure.

Well, here it is, my first blog post and also what I think is a fairly good introduction. I will enjoy filling this blog as I hope you would enjoy reading it. That's it for now. See you soon.