Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam........................?????????

Kabhi "Pyaari Chhotee Khushiyan" to Kabhi "Gamon Ki Saugat" !!!!

enjoy reading the newly published books according to your mood.

and...........keep waiting ..........for the next book........beyond

Khushi & Gam !!!!//best//mg

Yeh Kaisa Bharat Mahan….....?????

FGR April-2011 article//mg


“Time Out” Dilemma for Board Students
Manisha Gupta

Recent CBSE boards for classes X & XII throw up an important issue, that of lack of time. A couple of papers later, trend shows that papers are “too lengthy” and many students are unable to complete them, inspite of knowing the answers.
Time Out ??

Well, in a country where “time” is hardly a priority even where it’s an absolute necessity, and where even a slight delay may lead to terrible mishaps, why, pray, do the examination systems pressurize children to huff-puff, rush and answer 30 odd questions in 3 hours? Would the heavens fall if they’re given a fewer questions or a little more time, so that they can perform to their best potential? Why this “Time Out” dilemma?

Competition… one would say. And speed is the essence of competition. Things must get finished in time, on time. Oh! In a country where an official can stay at a post for 3 years without doing much, where courts may take 14 years to decide a case which gives a punishment of 7 years, where a terrorist like Kasab, having created havoc in the 26/11 incident can live on for an indefinite period as the “proceedings” are still on even after two years and four months, students are stressed into performing the most important exams of their lives in 3 hours. In a county where clear cut landlord-tenant cases to hand over the house to its rightful owner can take the whole life time of the person, where a young criminal can live happily to old age before his case can be solved and he punished, where Governments can sit for 5 years and not answer even 15 simple questions, forget HOTS type questions, or provide solutions to even 15 pressing problems of society, what is the great ambition to traumatize young teenagers to complete 30 tough questions correctly in just 3 hours ?

Otherwise …….. “Time Out”!! paper taken away, and perhaps a career opportunity too. The poor child comes out of the examination hall dejected and hassled because he knew the answers but ran out of time.

Time bound competition and perfect peak performance under severe stress is perhaps the only way to judge competency or genius. Well, when with the Commonwealth games 2010 just round the corner, pray tell me how many of the projects had been completed on time? And was the Government or other agencies responsible in any way traumatized that time was running out? How and when the CWG infrastructure was completed, we all know. And we had the prestige and the image of the nation at stake. How competitive do we call our “Bharat Mahan” then?

Where trains, buses, flights, doctors, hospitals, emergency services……. nothing runs on time. Where Reliance tells its consumer, plagued by 15-20 marketing calls a day and that too during one’s child’s board exams, that it will take at least 45 days for them to activate a “Do Not Disturb” for our line, isn’t it ridiculous. There’s no “Time Out” for all these people.

Where India is losing heavily on revenue for not having yet registered the “Basmati” Rice as a Geographical Indication, there’s no time out? There are all kinds of “Basmati” being sold all over the world and we, inspite of having a relevant Act enforced for the past 7 and a half years, haven’t been able to register our most important export item. No time out??

Well, I am not advocating that children shouldn’t be tested for their genius, competency and caliber in exams. But can we not have an examination system where to test these and much more, we do not pressurize the children. Many may be geniuses but not necessarily jet speed performers. They surely can be given tougher questions but enough time to be able to write the answers comfortably. If this country can give an official 3 years on a posting or the Government 5 years and still not expect much results, isn’t it grossly unfair to expect board students to answer a lengthy paper in 3 hours?

Because……………… even if they do and reach the highest positions in this country, they may not end up doing anything for years together! Yeh kaisa Bharat Mahan…???

Even as I write this, there is news that the Delhi “Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of services Bill, 2011” is in the offing. Once this is cleared, then government servants failing timely delivery of certain services may be liable to pay a fine per day of delay. Well, let’s hope… and wait…. and watch…!!
ManishaGupta©2011

The Imperfect Haiku

Here's a piece from my Column "The Second last Word" published in the Magazine, SME WORLD, April-2011 issue.

for all those sharing my grief and concern for Japan and the Japanese, here's a Unique and Innovative Haiku which is a combination of several Haikus . this creation came into being simply because what my heart wanted to say just could not be contained within the 17 words- 3 lines format of a perfect Haiku (but that’s not the only reason I call it “The Imperfect Haiku”…!!!!!).

and so my heart just went on and on and…....…..on and….. so did my fingers…..…..till they stopped.
And here’s the result!!//mg



The Imperfect Haiku

The article I had scheduled for this issue of SMEW can wait but the issue on which I am writing cannot!!

Here’s a piece dedicated to Japan and the Japanese. I share the grief of destruction with the country which showered on me tonnes of happiness and loads of pleasant memories during my year long stay in Japan. It is the country of Perfection, of Precision, of Persistence, of Patience, of Politeness! It is sad to note that God probably doesn’t like perfection or is it that He feared competition?? Why else did He take to destruction …of the ….Perfection?????

Here is a series of Haikus (a 5-7-5 words Japanese form of poetic expression of 3 lines) making one big Haiku depicting the current scenario.



Earthquake shook land below feet
Tsunami dared, the Nuclear reactor too flared
The sea stirred in anger


The volcano glared, everyone stared
Cars, trains, ships, planes engulfed by waves
like toys in water-tub drowned


Land, sea-waves and the fire
Showed simply no politeness, but only ire
To land of politeness personified


Land of the Rising Sun
Is one such which can never set
I am willing to bet


Rising everytime from the debris
Rebuilding from destruction isn’t an easy task
Cannot be done by everyone


Japanese- you’ve done it before
Can do again, build a much better
More perfect Japan than before


Like Edison, his lab burnt
When years of research went-up in smoke
Said coolly, at least now


All mistakes were burnt up
So that he could again start afresh
Attitude of hard-working, never-tiring greatness


Ye Japan, get-up, rise again
Rethink, rebuild and regain, build a Japan
World will love to gain


Feel God doesn’t like perfection
Could also mean that he fears competition
Why-else this destruction of perfection??


This year Sakura mightn’t bloom
To full extent, but surely by next
Cherry Blossoms will visit again


To enthrall tourists from world-over
To feast their eyes on the grandeur
Of country, beauty, its people


And you have “Fuji’ Yama
Which means mountain of “No Death” (Fu-Shi)
No destruction can put end


So be born again and
Again for that is what’s nature’s cycle
To learn, learn and unlearn


Then unlearn and relearn again
The Momos (Peach blossoms) shall again flower
Spreading fruit, beauty and fragrance


The Kinkakuji temple shall shine
In its Golden gleam forever, spreading light
In the darkness of weather


In the magnificent Todaiji temple
The Great Buddha there will reside forever
And spread knowledge and enlightenment!!


It is worth emulating from the Japanese, specially for M/SMEs, how to keep at it no matter what. Persistence and patience lead to perfection, even perfection of the courage to rebuild and restart after every destruction!

ManishaGupta©2011

Can you Hear the Silence...??????

here's another creative expression from an Anonymous reader of my Blog.it seems to be a silent questioning of the heart.

the poet in this case was probably too involved with the composition, to give a title to his creativity. well, i am taking the liberty of filling that up.hope its ok with the Anonymous ......and hope he's not going to sue me for it????

all of you, all over the world, do read and get back with any comments or reactions!! .......or maybe with more creations in response?? //best//mg

ANONYMOUS 2.

Silent Questioning......!!!

Beginning of the end of a starry, lonely night
Infinitely calm, and quiet
The Sun not yet anywhere in sight
The day just deciding to get bright

Calm and gentle breeze
Flowing though the ruffled hair
Caressing, touching
the wet cheeks, the cool air

Thoughts far away
reaching far into infinity
And yet, so little solace
from Nature's simplicity

And here is this soul
trying to put together pieces
Deep down in that lonely corner
where nobody reaches

For, the very one who could offer solace
created this, in the first place
And yet, the strange paradox
gets deeper with every instance

Where are we going
where are we headed
who knew, who knows
should not be asked, cannot be said

And while one thinks, and thinks
and ties oneself in multiple, strange knots
gets confused, frustrated
and infinitely saddened with unthinkable thoughts

Though the answers are simple
realization not that straight
What will be, is not here today
what is, will not be

Such is the destructibility
of each single moment
a madly burning fire today
gone tomorrow, leaving behind no trace, in an instant

And same way, the night will go away
followed by a bright day
but will that remain with us always
who can say

//////