I never felt so much urge of writing a blog, as i am feeling now... so many thoughts are running in my mind for past many days and i just can't keep them restricted, anymore... am again thinking like a journalist.

Last one week remained busy for me, both physically and mentally. I went to IIM-Ahmedabad to cover an event called 'Chaos'. Then I visited some engineering colleges in and around Ahmedabad. I went to 'Sabarmati Ashram', a place, where I was dreaming to go for last 10 years. I came back to Mumbai alone, without a confirmed reservation, sitting in a sleeper class compartment. Again different people... all so different from each other.. how to judge, which one is better, when you don't have enough time to know them and taking help is a must.

Then, i fell ill.... saw the awesome performance of Indian cricket team against west Indies at Baroda, where they won by 160 runs...read a book on population explosion, got indulged with my roommates, whether teaching is still a noble profession -or the doctors should be placed next to god.... then my friend wrote a blog on sports in India and their utility in the making of an individual. Last week, Mumbai had its municipal elections and 45 per cent people turned out to vote - people proudly say that they don't vote, because they do not find any candidate eligible for their vote - i don't know what can be the solution for this - how can their franchise be protected in this case. how we can find out, if they are really frustrated or they are lazy to go.

I read my mail that members of bharat uday mission want to launch their own magazine - earlier also they had printed a newsletter on some similar lines, but it looked more like the 'nav yug patrika' launched by gandhi ji. I am not ridiculing the principles behind, but of course, we need to change the style of communication, when we are addressing a 80- years younger generation.

so many things occupied my mind... lets take 'em all one by one...

"Andaz-e-Chaos"

Had it been the cultural festival of any other college, I would have used the word 'shit' for it... the event, for sure, had nothing to justify its huge stature. Mundane contests.....common celebrities, musical concerts and crowd that included more of local janta (I think). But, then it was IIM-Ahmedabad, the most coveted management institute of the country, so your 'hat ke' opinion gets burried under the huge brand name, which this institute has earned for itself. Yeah! the infrastructure was admirable and you would love roaming across the campus to see it... but more than that, there was nothing that could keep you attach with these bricklaid structure. IIM-A has a special architectural plan designed by Vikram Sarabhai, the person behind this great institution. Lots of circles and semi circles all across the campus. Big walls.... with distinct balconies and benches on all of them. Spacious corridors, big play grounds, trees, vegetation and lawns... IIM-A has all this in plenty and I must say that the enviornment was cozy :-)

But, as I said that it was IIM-A, a dream campus for many, so you remain preoccupied with this brand name. Moreover, Its not the building that makes the people, but the people, who make the building..... the moment you enter into IIM-A, you feel the smell of hardwork, determination and committment.... your desire changes from all to few and then few to one....you realise the difference between yourself and many others, who are studying at that place. We all need standards in life.... don't accept all that comes to your way, strive harder and harder to get the best... because, it is made for you and you should get it... what if it is difficult to achieve... does it make any difference, if I want it at any cost? Certainly, no. And believe it or not... the way towards achievments is pretty simpler - "first things first" - this is what that was written in the room, where I stayed at girl's hostel - IIM-A.

Undoubtedly, people going there are creme-de-la-creme... I wish what they do also becomes something that happens rarely. Of course, this lot of people going there deserve much more than some highly paid jobs or lucrative posts. They need to be the torch bearers for the entire generation and then the nation.. i don't know how many torch bearers are produced from institutions like IITs, IIMs etc.

Students of IIM-A are running an NGO called 'Prayas', which teaches under-priviledged kids. They cell T-Shirts and hand made cards prepared by these kids and the money thus produced is used for the acitivity of NGO. I  can not comment on the utility of this money, but I liked talking to those guys. Also, they were looking close enough with those under priviledged students... its a nice view, watching future millionaires enjoying a purpose with poor kids. Generation gap does not occur always.

Another thing that I enjoyed there were the musical concerts. Though, they were simple, but I liked the ones with Indian music. Chaos was inaugurated with the ecstatic performance of Nizami brothers. They are originally from Lucknow and have been singing qawalli for past 700 years. For a senti Indian like me, the lovely qawalli performance kept me spell bound. This was followed by 'all western with a pinch of India' band called Mrigya... though I did not enjoy them much, but their Indian raga performance deserves accolades. Really, the music was spiritual.... one can meditate listening to it. Also, their fusion of phrases from Vedas and Quran was also good. Though, they did not receive any commendable response from the janta there, yet they would be feeling happy for playing at IIM-A.

Later, on the second day, I donated blood... and then enjoyed some foreign troop who was playing Indian music.... I did not understand much, but watching firangis playing Indian music is such a satisfaction..... (I said na.... I am a senti Indian) :-)

Engineering..... hey bhagwan!!!

Yeah! This is what majiority of engineering students say when you ask them about their studies. I am not saying that doctors and other professionals are totally satisfied with their career choice and academic enviornment, but certainly their level of frustration is much less than engineers and MBAs. Irony is a large number of MBA aspirants have engineering degree. Bhagwan bachaye in becharoon ko.....

The story is same everywhere - Kanpur, Mumbai and now Ahmedabad. Thankfully, something is there in India.... beyond the boundaries of caste, creed and community.

Me at Gandhi ji's home

The best of my Ahmedabad tour was my trip to Sabarmati Ashram, the place, where Gandhi ji lived and guided the freedom struggle during its most active days. As expected, the place was serene, peaceful, accomplishing and thought-provoking. Generally people do not like travelling much to these places (thankfully!), so they remain wrapped in isolation, giving you enough chance to listen to the silence. I can not enjoy my visit to any historical place, until and unless I get the chance to hear what the old trees, walls, chabotere have to say about them. Really, I don't understand why people come to see historical places, if they neither know nor want to know the great stories behind them... watching a Mallika Sherawat movie would be a more worthy entertainment for them.

The whole ashram is maintained very well, with scriptures, photographs and models associated with the life of Mahatma. Seeing his lathi, sleapers, chair, bed, charkha, and a large photograph in the state of meditation is an experience, which every Indian should gain. After a large gallery, would Mr Gandhi would greet you with his wife Kasturba... you start with a large room, keeping several photograhs of Gandhi ji. His birth place at Porbander, his sayings encarved on stones in English, Hindi and Gujarati. Model of Dandi Yatra. By this time, you would be totally engrossed in the Gandhian thoughts. Then you enter the library - not as the ashram.. you would not get much options there. Majority of books are in Gujarati. Even, the model of Gandhi Ji and 'teen bander' (three monkeys) is not at all attractive. Somehow I found a nice poster of Gandhi ji and then bought two pens for my friends.

After that you would roam around the campus aimlessly thinking that perhaps this is all.,... but this is not so. As soon as you reach the end of the ashram, you see the original living place of Gandhi ji. His Upasana Bhawan, Ba's room and her kitchen and a guest room. At the extreme right corner, there is a big room, where Gandhi ji used to live. One is not allowed to enter that room. windows are covered with iron grills and there is just one space (6 inches x 6 inches), from where you can take photographs without grills. That room has enough attraction and charisma to stop and make you think, "Wow! yahan par Gandhi ji rehte the". I can understand how Munna Bhai came to see Gandhi in 'Lage Raho'... for a moment I felt as if suddenly the axe of this charkha would start moving and I would see Mahatama smiling at me. His room still speaks and listens to you. It has a small mattress covered with white bed sheet, 2 masnad, his charkha, one large painting (which I failed to identify what it was). What else can be found from the room of a person, who lived his whole life in one dhoti. I wish I can hug Gandhi ji. Rest of the things in the ashram appear to have pseudo attraction, once you visit this place.

My safar and my sufferings.

Three days stay at Ahmedabad was both, tiring and boring. I was happy that I was leaving. I had the reservation with waiting list of 5. Kudos to my office people, who could not get it confirmed. When I reached Ahmedabad station to catch my returning train, I was welcomed with the shock that my ticket is yet not confirm! NOW! I had no idea what to do. This was the first time I was travelling alone. People suggested me to sit in the sleeper class and later I can give some money to TC and get the ticket confirmed. But that day was classic - everything was going against me. I contacted TC and he raised his hands. He was not even ready for the bribe! IDIOT. The coach where I was sitting, got all women with me, as if it was ladies' compartment. Later, I was told that 1 - 6 berths of every coach is under ladies quota. I was happy that I am surrounded with all aunty jis... but then people are very true when they say that the biggest enemy of a lady is the lady itself. I realised this truth as soon as my train crossed a couple of stations. All aunty jis started explaining that though I have the ticket for AC Class, still it does not mean that I can sit on their berth... its the reserved berth and no one except them can claim it (Did I look that stupid that I could not realise this?). They left no stone uinturned in proving this.... ultimately I realised that these uncivilized and stupid ladies have no manners and it would be a big mistake to expect any kind of humility from them....

I thank God a lot.... my mother is so so so different and nice from these stone hearted ladies, who were nothing but non-sense. Thankfully, dear God helped me again and I got one Gujrati family. They were 40 members, returning from some marriage.  An extremely lady from that group came to me and asked me to share a berth with her. later, she gave me the whole berth and herself slept with a small child of that family.... were both these variety of ladies exist in the same world! I hate one .. i love one...

Next one, when she was getting down at Borivalli station, I thanked her and with all her love and affection she said, "arre... tu to meri beti ki umar ki hai"....

Her warm words again reminded me of my promise, which I did to myself when I first came to Mumbai for job hunt that I would always help the needy. Thanks for an interesting night, dear God. 

A lot more is there to write about.... keep reading.