The great Indian Psychology
Friday, April 13, 2007


DISCLAIMER: I am not targetting non-Hindi speaking sections of society. I have written my own views and people may differ with these. I have no intention of imposing my views on anyone.

Couple of days back I received a mail from my friend Asty who had started a Hindi blog। The mail was sent only to three people and he wrote “... not many people may be interested so just forwarding to you three …”

Either he got the fact right or wrong, I think he got it right.
How many people in metro cities are interested in Hindi literature now days? I am considering only middle and upper pseudo modern and neo-modern Indian classes. Lower/modern Indian classes don’t have time for reading.

I have personally experienced negligence towards Hindi literature in my home town. Couple of years back I visited a Hindi book exhibition in my home town, and while I was standing in a stall the shopkeeper (a man in his late 60’s, appearing to be learned) was conversing with a customer and stating his disappointment that not even 50% of his expected crowd has turned up. Later I found a customer complaining that books are expensive and shopkeeper told him, Hindi books are very cheap compared to English books and when you can buy English books readily, why you are complaining in buying these. Then I realized the status of Hindi literature in Indian cities.

I still don’t understand the Great Indian Mentality. As we are modernizing we are leaving our past behind, it’s good to leave your past in order to catch the future, we cannot run fast with heavy baggage on our back. But the important think to understand is when going in a expedition, we cannot go baggage less, we ought to have certain necessary items with us to survive, and what is even more important is to pick the right items and discard unnecessary ones, this is what I think we Indians need to learn. As we are modernizing we are leaving behind our culture and values.

Presently I am reading “यथा संभव ” by शरद जोशी . शरद जोशी is an eminent name in Hindi satire. I simply love his stories. It was at the above mentioned exhibition I first bought his one of the book, since then was searching for his other books but in vain. Finding Hindi literature in Bangalore is out of question. Worst part is that I could not even find them in my hometown. I visited two three good book shops but futile. One of the shopkeepers had not even heard the name of शरद जोशी . On the name of Hindi literature they keep couple of novels by प्रेमचंद as if he is the only source of Hindi literature. Yes I agree he is the best, we should promote other literary works too.
Hindi lovers must read शरद जोशी , you all will love it.

My taste for Hindi literature developed at home when I was in 12th. My father had got couple of novels by प्रेमचंद and I just gave it a try as there was nothing else for me to read those days, and guess what the first Hindi novel I picked was the masterpiece “गोदान ” by प्रेमचंद . From that point onwards I became a true fan of प्रेमचंद . Then it was “निर्मला ”, “गबन ” etc. Still have to read his entire collection.

While I was in college, got a chance to read “गुनाहों का देवता ” by धर्मवीर भारती [courtesy- Asty], a yet another masterpiece. By then I had developed a true taste for Hindi literature. Then came शरद जोशी and my faith rose further. Presently I am reading a collection of essays by प्रेमचंद and loving it।

I have formed an opinion that if you have a favorite author, you must read his essays if available, then you get the real feel of his mindset.

Now the situation is I feel more connected to Hindi literature than with English literature, given a choice between a Hindi novel and an English novel, I’ll definitely pick up former.
One reason is I understand Hindi language better than English; I can connect better with author’s thoughts in Hindi, probably that’s why.

I know people who cannot read Hindi properly, even I am ashamed that I feel hesitant to write Hindi and don’t know remember all Hindi alphabets, but experience is the best teacher, now at least I know what mistakes need not be repeated.

It’s always been this why Indians have always realized it late what they have, why it is that outside world tells them and then they realize what they have.


  • Buddhism originated in India and outside world adopted it

  • Vedas still have not found a place they deserve.

  • आयुर्वेद is struggling for its existence.

  • We have forgotten भागवत गीता

  • मधुबनी paintings are being sold by foreigners in lakhs [as told by VKC]

  • Turmeric and basmati rice are getting patented by foreign companies



List is too long and I’m getting angrier and angrier.
When will we realize that our heritage is one of the best in the world?

Other day I was with my cousin and he remarked Indians are hypocrites, sex is still a taboo subject in our country and yet we have largest population in the world. I have read कामसूत्र by वात्स्याना and am not ashamed; the book is not even 30% about sex। It deals with a varied subjects ranging from behavioral expectations from husbands, wives, kings, queens, widows. It deals with infidelity, punishments for it;

We Indians are in a too much hurry to form opinions.

Don’t say I have a dirty mind, I read whatever I get. I have गीता too in my collection; I have seen गीता episodes many times.
It is not what you read that is important; it is what you become after reading it what matters.

OK now I am ending this or someone will sue me for the content.

This may sound as a criticism, and yes it is. I am an Indian and am proud of it.
I believe India is the greatest country in the world. Its culture, heritage is the best. Every Indian should be proud of it. But keeping up with the legacy is the challenge for today’s generation.

Good news for some people – See Do Visit section of my blog. It has a link to मुंशी प्रेमचंद ; this blog has short stories from this author and a novel too.

We need some efforts like this. My well wishes to person who undertook this effort
Also explore other links to Hindi literature from the same section.

Posted by :ubuntu at 6:47:00 AM 11 comments  

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Life As I see It
Wednesday, April 11, 2007


एक रोज़ ज़िन्दगी के रूबरु आ बैठे ,
ज़िन्दगी ने पूछा दर्द क्या है, क्यों होता है? कहाँ होता है ये भी तो पता नहीं चलता
तन्हाई क्या है आखिर, इतने लोग तो हैं फ़िर तन्हा कयों हो?
मेरा चेहरा देख कर ज़िन्दगी ने कहा मैं तुम्हारी जुड़वाँ हूँ, मुझसे नाराज़ ना हुआ करो
- Gulzar

Mood: Philosophical

These are the most apt lines I found to describe my current feelings towards life.

Staying at home was pleasant as always is. Met my sister and brother-in-law, relatives etc. One good thing I did at home was to scan all my old family pics, got a scanner on rent and scanned almost all the pics at home, it was an idea of my brother-in-law and I'm thankful to him. It was great to see the old pics again including my parents wedding album and some of their pre-marriage pics.

But since coming from home, i have gone into a contemplating mode, my mind has become a churning machine spatting all kind of junks, i have turned a semi philosopher ... My two best and beautiful friends are moving and i have already started feeling the void they'll leave behind in my life.

Somethings are hard to believe, when u have spent six years with some one and shared a special bond then it is obvious you'll miss them. Only change is constant [i usually forget it, but this is the ultimate truth of life], how easy things will be if man remembers this. I always have had confusion over few things, never understood whats right or wrong.

One thing I have learnt is life is grey and not black and white. Its unfair on YOUR part to expect people to behave same with you over the years and that leads to the thought "never expect in relationships and u will be happy" .. and you will really be happy if you follow this, this is the reason western people are so forward, no expectations, divorce is a common thing there, no issues, no grudges, children leave their parents at an early age and maybe that's why teenage crimes are high there, social fabric of West has a different color and texture than that of East. In India as i see it, society does play an important role "No man is an isle", I read it in my 10th class poem, I understand it now. Whats important to consider is what do we have achieved by expecting from relationships, its the values which matter to me at the end of the day. And I personally believe a relationship cannot grow without expectations. Its a trade off, either be happy and live a hollow life or enrich your relationships and taste the real flavour of life.
I just don't understand why we Indians are losing our values? What are we chasing?

Social fabric in India is very strong and dominating , its like imaginary ether permeating every sphere of your life, and if you feel suffocating, your problem. I remember telling my mom when I was in college that I don't at all care about society, what I care about is only those people I love, to hell with everyone else, I'm still standing by this but now there's 1% doubt in my believe, let me see how much dilute it gets over time.

Here in s/w industry, we organise knowledge transfers for less privileged ones, but who will give me a KT of what my parent's know and I don't. My father knows his relatives up to 4th degree, and I don't know even half of my 2nd degree relatives. He knows how an X person living in Y area of the town is related to W person from Z area, simple two people in their respective generations married each other at some point of time, whats difficult to figure out is hows our generation related to above two generations.

There is one more thing I could never decide on , William Wordsworth said "Good walls make good neighbours", i never could decide how true it is .. some one help me. Its perfectly OK to give people their space but whats the limit, I'm confused. Then there is something called trust, my friend penned her thoughts on , read here.

Ending this post abruptly coz don't know what to write more. Sometimes it happens I just don't feel like doing anything, I sometimes enjoy being alone with mother nature.

Life is beautiful yet complex or is it the other way :-)

Posted by :ubuntu at 3:55:00 AM 8 comments  

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Little Miss Sunshine
Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Saw this movie two weeks back, and my rating 5 on 5. Well i went to purchase tickets for the movie "Just Married" for me and my friends and had 3 hours to spare, so went to see this movie and I'm glad i saw it. I'll tell you a funny incident inside the hall. When I took my seat, I saw pair of nice waxed legs in the front diagonal jutting out of shorts. I immediately leaned forward to have a better view, was thinking what a bold girl she is and wanted to see her face, then after 15-20 minutes when the person leaned forward, he was an adolescent boy, [darn, i forgot adolescents too have waxed legs], it could be due to insufficient light i was not able to distinguish properly [it could also be I haven't seen Nishabd, so is not very experienced]. So moral of the story: assumption is mother of all **** ups.

OK back to the movie, this is not a movie review, as i don't know a single actor's name or director's name. I could not find any bad points in the movie, so I'm listing only the good ones.

This is about a family whose members have their own problems[ serious ones] and still all of them stay together. This is one of those rare movies where there is no exceptional acting from the stars but the script is so good and firm it holds the entire film and sails you through it.
The family has a Grandpa, father,mother,mother's brother, daughter[Olive][she is really cute] and a son.

The traits are:
Grandpa : takes heroin and talks dirty
Father : designed a new 9 step "failing to refuse" course and is obsessed with the feeling of winning.
Mother : Just tries hard to keep everyone together
Son : wants to get into Air Force academy and has taken a vow of silence until he gets into it.
Mother's Brother : just arrived from hospital after he attempted a suicide and instructed not to be left alone.
Daughter [Olive] : She is a darling in the movie, very cute and going for "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty pageant.

The family goes to California for Olive to participate in the beauty pageant.

The story is about what all happens during their journey ( i wont reveal the plot), each member during the journey goes through a disaster and still manages to reach for the competition.
The plot is so good you never feel bored, humour is great and movie gets poignant at times.

Some scenes are really touching specially when little Olive cries in front of her Grandpa because she is worried of losing and knows how much her father hates losers. This shows the stress somethings can put on little children if not taken care of. Some sequences are hilarious like the way their van starts, the fuss over ice cream and my favourite is when Olive finally performs in the competition.

The crux is its more important to be a part of a family rather than being alone.

Go ahead and watch this movie, 2 thumbs up to it.

Posted by :ubuntu at 12:41:00 AM 2 comments  

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