'Welcome to Sajjanpur' at the IIT-Madras Open Air Theatre

Courtesy
Dr. Jagdeesh Kumar and Mrs. Ravikala - thanks to both of you for the wonderful evening, an evening full of fresh air, unlike that is found in the modern multiplexes, topped with a decent movie .

The OAT experience first
The IIT Madras campus is atypical of any Indian Institute Campus (not only the IITs but also the IIMs, IISc - any educational establishment with the Indian Institute status for that matter) - full of greenery and abuzz with a life of its own. We entered the campus through the Velachery gate and, on my insistence (a mild resistance from my wife, which is more habitual to whatever I propose than reasonable, was brushed aside by all 3 of us - yyooooo!!), took a stroll to the Open Air Theatre (OAT) along the road lined with large trees, a monstrous banyan tree being the most notable among them.

The OAT, its circular periphery marked by a plethora of plant species, much resembled the architecture of ancient Amphitheatres (sans the grandeur, of course). Jagdeesh estimated the capacity for a full house to be 5000 people. The day's show was slated to start sharp at 8:00 PM. We reached the OAT with almost half an hour to spare. People started trickling in after around 15 minutes and by the time the lights went off with the digital clock near the base of the large screen displaying 7:57 PM, a fairly decent crowd has comfortably positioned itself on the plastic chairs laid on either side of the projector room. Ah, the travel and nature freak that I am, I was delighted at the irresistible combination of a Movie surrounded by Nature.

The Movie
Welcome to Sajjanpur (directed by the legendary Indian director Shyam Benegal, bore the name Mahadev ka Sajjanpur in the CBFC certificate!!), a comedy narrated through the words and senses of the village letter-writer (Mahadev), takes a dig at the present social, political and democratic setup existing in our country, especially in the villages. Though, I felt, the way politics has been projected bears resemblance to the way it works in every nook & corner of our country. Fresh from the shocking 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the response of the political community following it, I could particularly identify the innuendoes being darted to the politicians. Certainly the movie has been canned long before, but the Mumbai incidents catapulted the whole movie into a different level of relevance. If you watch the movie, you may brush aside this as a light comedy flick by Shyam Benegal, but the opinion is bound to differ if you read between the lines, or between the dialogues perhaps. I enjoyed every bit of the movie - as much for the element of straightforward comedy as for the swivelled remarks.

I wish
To watch films like Troy or Gladiator at the OAT - will surely be an experience to watch out for. I am also keen to see how good is the projection on a full moon day.

Meenakshi Temple under threat !!

The administration and the politicians are finally waking up! Security at the Meenakshi Temple was immediately beefed up when the collector received an e-mail threat to blow up the sacred temple. Here is a picture, courtesy The Times of India, Chennai edition (6th December 2008), that reveals our level of preparation to fight against terrorists wielding AK-47s, hurling grenades and using other improvised detonators.

PICTURE COURTESY: The Times of India, Chennai edition, 6th December 2008

Must we say that the policemen (poor fellas !) in question have some dramatic tricks up their sleeves (and perhaps in their longer-than-usual sticks) to counter and negate the sudden assaults, Rajnikant ishtyle !! Only the Goddess knows whether the jackets they are wearing are bullet-proof or simply stone & brick proof !!

Confessions after the 26 November Mumbai Terror Attack

My homage to the innocents who were brutally murdered in Mumbai, primarily due to an indecisive and vote bank driven political administration running our country. Let us observe a moment of silence in the memory of those innocents and the men from the various forces who laid down their lives in an attempt to salvage the life of the common citizens.

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Coming back ... I hate to devote too many words on the political tango being played by the various national/regional parties - sometimes in tandem with the opposition and at other times with the allies. NOT a SINGLE leader was convincing enough to make me (safe to say 'us') believe that his/her concern is the safety of the country and the country alone - no vote bank, no political propaganda, no finger pointing and that nothing else was an agenda.

I have a very interesting question - why is the average age of the top Indian political leaders ever increasing? Taking a page out from the Vedas, why should we have a Prime Minister-in-waiting whose age is apt for taking Sanyas? However much we may value experience and long deliberations, sometimes an extra pint of adrenaline works wonders.

The answer (as you guessed) is simple - the youth (including me) of this country hold such an apathy towards the dirty game and the people who play it. Most youngsters in the country are more empathetic even to prostitutes (many of whom embrace the profession due to compulsion and not willingly) than to politicians in general (there are still some stalwarts but the number is fast decreasing - my sincerest apologies to these stalwarts for this derogatory comparison).

I have a very close friend who happens to be an Air Man. Few month back, when Tata Motors was held in ransom in West Bengal, I was venting my anger on the insane opposition leader of the state. I got a thudding reply from my friend. "When the best educated lot runs only after the big bucks, evidently the country will be ruled by below-average IQ people. You should not complain, the less privileged, the less educated may do so."

Having studied in two of the premier institutes of the country, I was in a serious dilemma at that moment - should I be proud of the education or be ashamed of wasting it? I have no qualms in admitting that my friend was absolutely right - I have chosen my profession keeping in mind the monetary rewards it brings forth. I have utmost conviction that close to 100% of the best and the brightest in the country use the same criterion than anything else (few dump their parents as well, in some extreme and bizarre cases!!). We are too bothered about our own well being, when do we have the time to ponder upon the miseries that plague our country? Even if some of us do think, there is absolutely no time to act!! We happily leave that little work for others, administering the possible remedies in thoughtful blogs like this!!

Friends, let us delve deep into our mind, heart, aspirations, bank accounts, financial investments - wherever, as you wish. Let us be honest to ourselves. Think hard. Skip a weekend’s evening booze and contemplate. I doubt whether anyone will point to the politicians after this introspection. After all money is the root of all evil is an old adage which has stood its ground against the tests of time.

What is the solution then? I have none that I can give you. In my 8th standard in school, a social worker, while explaining the plight of the slum dwellers in Kolkata, used this comparison - "When you point one finger at someone, invariably three fingers (which are your very own) point back at you." I do not remember the context, but its implications are even more vivid after the recent attacks that shook the entire nation than ever before. So, if you are extremely ardent to show your solidarity to the victims of terror (brutal terror that our country is witnessing in general and NOT 26/11 Mumbai in particular), come up with your own plan. I am thinking of my own.

What more do I say? Ideally, a country should be into the hands of the ablest and the brightest, into that of the most patriotic and most agile of minds. We have denied our country such a privilege for years now. So, what else do we expect than to live at the mercy of our neighbours?