Waiting for winters

Its 9th December and still Delhi is waiting for its famous winters. The day temperatures are still in mid-high 20s (ºC) and nights are still reeling under double figure temperatures ... way above normal. Dilli ki sardi (Delhi’s winter) is legendary among Indians, especially the Hindi speaking folks. Delhi is like a weather lab where one gets to experience the 2 main seasons – summer and winter – to the extreme. If summers burn you with near 50 degrees, winters can freeze you with near 0 degree. Not many places on this planet can boost of such a huge temp-range ... one of the reasons why I love Delhi. No wonder we Dilliwalas (Delhiites) can go to any place without fearing the weather gods. When I was in NYC last year (in winter season), even the day temp use to be near 0ºC. The hotel I stayed in was inhabited by many south Indians (who never really experience winters back home). Those folks were not very comfortable in such conditions. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the winters immensely. Not that we get such chilly conditions back home, but it was easier for me to adapt. Similarly, I have seen so many foreigners apply bucket load of sunscreen lotions and drinking tanks full of liquids when they visit my city in summers (to enjoy Indian summers ... huh!!!) even in April. Where as we Delhiites don’t even flinch in June-July, when the Sun seems to be really HOT (literally).

I hail from a small village (Kanuta) in Churu district, Rajasthan (adjoining state), which also has a similar weather pattern. Churu have always been in the news for weather reasons. It boosts of the highest and lowest temps in India (for plain regions). In fact, the variation in the minimum and maximum temperature may very well be greatest for any place in the world. Having made Delhi my home and my karma bhoomi (land of my actions), I adapted its culture and weather like a hand in a glove. Like every hardcore Delhiite, I too enjoy a good (and lazy) night sleep in rajayi (quilt) and drinking garam garam chai (hot tea) along with pakore (Indian snack). Aaahhhh ... absolute bliss

I love it when I struggle to see in the dense fog (pollution also plays a part in it) ... I love it when I shiver while driving (never used the heater option in my car ... never ever) ... I love it when it gets dark at 6’o clock in the evening, I love it when the sun don’t shine for days and I love it when I actually miss the sun. So many things that I want to feel and yet the winters are not here. Damn !!!

Solidarity for Mumbai victims @ GL

Unintentional humour at first 26/11 press conference

Today Mumbai’s Police Commissioner Hassan Gafoor called a press conference (first official press conference by police after the 26/11 Mumbai Attacks). Just like in any other press conference, this one too had its share of unintentional humor. Here are 3 little things that I found kinda humorous.

When the commissioner told the reporters that there were 10 terrorists in the terror episode and they were divided into 5 groups of 2 each. One (genius @#$%&) journo asked – 4 terrorists were killed in Hotel Taj alone ... how can that be possible. The commissioner looked at him with absolute disdain and said that yeah that’s right. We killed 4 terrorists in Taj because there were 2 groups in it. What a moronic question was that ... this was not a Math class dumbass.

Another funny moment happened when the commissioner was asked whether the nabbed terrorist is cooperating with the police or not. With a wide smile on his face the commissioner answered – yes ... yes he is cooperating. Like that modafocka terrorist have a choice ... Mumbai/Indian police can make even a dead wood to play like a flute ... they can make a dead man to talk like a teenage girl ... then who the fuck is this stupid terrorist. No matter how long and hard he was trained ... he can’t withstand the “policing” ... if you know what I mean.

Last but not the least – the commissioner explained the strategies of the terrorists. How they were trained and blah blah. He told the reporters that the idiots were trained very well and they were told to take positions at higher places so that they can gauge and cover wider area. When the terrorists attacked CST (one of the most famous railway station in Mumbai), they were not that successful because they couldn’t found out the way to the top. Lack of infrastructure and bad design saved the day ... ahahahahaha.

Unrighteous Religion

What a horrendous week it was ... India’s economic hub – Mumbai – was held hostage by 10 terrorists (official figures). Just like a scene from a B-grade desi flick, the terrorists came in small boat via Arabian Sea and attacked Hotel Taj (which is located by the shore), Hotel Oberoi-Trident and Nariman House. More than 200 people were killed and around 400 injured. The security forces also killed 9 terrorists and nabbed 1 alive. The terrorists were absolutely ruthless and barbaric. They were shooting at sight ... indiscriminately, which makes me wonder ... WHY? The motive of all these jihadists is simple – to kill or be killed for the sake of their religion. They preach that they are fighting for all the Muslims ... yet they do not even blink while shooting their own brothers and sisters. More importantly, is this the only way to raise concerns. My answer is unequivocally NO. We all are living in a civilized society; we all must behave civilized. This is not 10000 B.C. for gods’ sake.


Yesterday I was watching a documentary on 9/11. They showed how the terrorists get training and how they get into suicide trance. Most of the high profile suicide attackers (fidayeen) are well-educated (hell ... in western universities) young people. They have their entire life in front of them. Yet they choose to kill until death. Funnily, the extremist leaders brainwash the young minds ... and get this ... the prize they say is to bed 72 virgins in heaven. What a load of BS !! These young men are told that not only they will go to heaven ... they will also be greeted by 72 virgins (Hoor Al-Ayn ... beautiful maidens). I know I know ... its jaw dropping. I am not a Muslim specialist, but I am not sure that this is what Allah meant when he preached the religion. However, if this is one of the reasons of martyrdom then I am at loss of words. The kid who never got laid in real life ... is expecting to be the stud in afterlife. It is so funny that I almost fell of the couch when the commentator in the documentary spoke of it.

Come to think of it ... sex/lust and religion has a very strong bond (no pun intended). Every religion has some kind of reference to sex/lust. In fact in most religion it plays a very central role. Let me summarize few important mythological sex/lust tit-bits

• In Hindu religious stories (well I’m a Hindu even though I don’t really believe in organized religion, but I was raised a Hindu so I know few stories), Maharishi Vishwamitra was tempted by Meenaka (she was a pari ... a fairy). Vishy was a holy man and he was a celibate (ahahahaha !!!!). However, Meenaka broke his self-control and bedded him.
• The entire Ramayana (one of the most religious holy book) was based on the central theme of Sita’s kidnap by Ravana. Sita was Ram’s wife (one of the most famous Hindu deities) whom Ravana (the evil king of Lanka) kidnapped because he wanted to marry her.
• Even Mahabharata (another important religious holy book) happened because Duryodhana stripped his own bhabhi (wife of elder brother)
• In Christianity (and Islam), Adam and Eve were commanded to be fruitful and multiply ... look what happened. We just crossed 6 billion mark :-). Both of the religion has strict rules and regulations for sex/lust (remember Eros !!!).

I can see a point in fighting for what you believe in. However, the beliefs should be real ... they should not be imaginary or mythological. A soldier dies because he believed in his country and compatriots, however the same should not hold true for all those who die for religion. Weather anyone likes it or not, we have created our own religions. This is a fact. And we created it as a fall back option. Religion is nothing more than a comforting factor; a false make-belief that someone cares for us when everything seems lost. I know this may sound very crude but this is what I think. To kill or be killed in the name of religion is nothing but an utter waste of life. Those who die for it deserved to be dead. They had it coming. When you know that you will die one day, then why not make the most of the time when you are alive ... if you are man enough, you can bed more than 72 hoors while you are not sleeping (if you know what I mean). The crux of most religion is the aspect of “homing mechanism”, which roughly translated as all the God’s creation must draw back to God himself. It sounds like having one's cake and eat it too. C’mon don’t make your god look like a lowlife. I am sure while creating religion and god, people had a bigger image of god in their mind.