Priyadarshini Mattoo – Ray of hope

Priyadarshini, which means beautiful to look at, has become a ray of hope today for millions of Indians. Unfortunately, and regretfully, she is not there amongst us today to see how she has influenced our lives, and given a ray of hope to all of us. A ray of light in the dark and murky+ Judiciary Sytem of India. She has reinstated our faith to a great extent on the strength of democracy, public opinion, and made us believe for once that justice might be delayed, but not always denied.

Priyadarshini left this cruel world on 23rd January, 1996, at an age of 22, when most of us really begin to ‘live’ in the truest sense of the word. She was a brilliant law student in the 3rd year at Delhi University, when she was found brutally raped and murdered at her home on that fateful day. She had been raped, injured 14 times with a motorcycle helmet, and finally strangled with a wire. It was worse than the actions of the wildest of beasts.

The culprit was Santsoh Singh, the son of an IPS officer, and her senior in college, who had been stalking her for quite some time. He was arrested and tried for 3 years, before he was acquited by Additional Sessions Judge J.P. Thareja in 1999. Thareja said that though he knew that “he is the man who committed the crime,” he was forced to acquit Santosh, giving him the benefit of doubt. The judge blamed it on the poor investigation and inaction of the Delhi Police, as the accused’s father was then the second in command of the police forces in Delhi.

This came as a shock to all and sundry, and there was a national outcry against the judgement. The case was then handed over to the CBI, who filed a case against the previous judgement in the Delhi High Court. The CBI’s efforts proved fruitful finally in 2006, when on the 17th october the High Court found the accused guilty, and sentenced him to death on the 30th of the same month. The High Court decision was widely perceived in India as a landmark reversal and a measure of the force of media pressure in a democratic setup.

This victory was not only unprecedented for Priyadarshini’s ailing father, but for the whole nation as well. Public opinion and protests had played an important role in this victory. It also showed that Justice is awarded, albeit with much fight and struggle.

Priyadarshini lighted many lamps of hope in the dark Indian system, in our hearts, but in doing so, she had to sacrifice her life. Priyadarshini, you will forever be alive in our hearts and minds, and the lamps that you have lighted will continue to show the way to many others suffering from this archaic justice system.

To the departed souls of Jessica Lal and Nitsh Katara, who have also been victims of this justice system more than the victims of their high profile murderers – “You will be served shortly, now we are wide awake. Please have faith and hope.”

Intel Core 2 Duo – Rocking!!!

Recently, I upgraded my Desktop. Now many would wonder why not buy a Laptop rather than upgrading the bulky desktop. My simple answer is that I don’t need a Laptop. And being the audiophile that I am, I prefer my desktop with a great sound card and 5.1 speakers to a HTS (Home Theater System). So here are the specs of the new system:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 (2.13 Ghz) – from P4 1.5 Ghz

Gigabyte 965P-DS3 Motherboard – from Asrock Don’t know what shit.

Nvidia 7300 GT (256mb Dedicated) – from onboard graphics

1 GB ddr2 667 MHz FSB from Corsair

Creative X-fi Xtrememmusic – from onboard, again.

Creative T6060 5.1 Speakers – from creative 2.1

Before buying my new processor, I was warned by everyone not to go for Intel, but AMD, as Intel suck nowadays! But I stuck to my guns, my instincts, and went ahead and got what I wanted to. And what a wise decision I made!

I am not a gamer, so my config must be like a mystery to many. Honestly, I was fed up of my 5 yr old desktop, where I couldn’t run many applications, movies would skip, audio sounded muffled.

I was most impressed by this new processor from Intel. I am not a technical man as far as processors go. But I have used AMD X2 processors on my friends’ desktops, and so could make a comparison between the two. And Intel is the winner hands down. It is a dual core processor, consisting of two complete execution cores in one physical processor, both running at the same frequency. Both cores share the same packaging and the same interface with the chipset/memory. It is built for multitasking.

Running multiple applications is a cakewalk now. Music plays whenever am at home, while simultaneously I burn my DVDs, and my torrents are always on download. Not to mention the messengers and browsers running. Audio ripping is blazing fast, and defragmentation and disk cleanup are a lot speedier. I can use Windows Vista now, though I just use the transformation pack for now. Movies and music play better than my crappy HTS. Searching on the hard disk is also faster. Converting Divx to VCD and converting DVD to Divx was so fast I could not believe it was done in 30 mins flat (took 2+ hours on my earlier config)! WMP searched my 120 Gb hard disk for around 2000 mp3 files in 1.5 minutes flat (compared to 10+ minutes earlier, and 3+ minutes on AMD X2).And did I mention what a cool customer it is! The temperature hardly goes beyond 40 degrees C, even during the worst cases of use. And its an overclock darling too! With my motherboard I overclocked it to 2.5 Ghz easily, with just the AC as extra cooler! Don’t forget I live in the Middle East. I could have overclocked more, but dint wanna mess too much with it. With proper cooling, I have read online you can easily clock it to 3.04 GHz!!! Mostly my temperature is around 30, with no AC. And I turn it off only once in 4 days, sometimes even once a week!

E6400 is the second in the series of 4 processors Intel introduced 4 months ago. There is E6300 (1.86), E6600(2.4) and E6700(2.66). I believe E6400 is the ideal processor for anyone looking to upgrade his desktop, or even buying a Laptop. I fall in the Entertainment category of PC users, and I demand more from my system than an average user. E6400 just sleeps through my demands, and surprises me whenever I try to test it. Even my friends having AMD X2 now look at it with envy!!

The series is called Conroe, and it supports Windows 64-bit OS, including Vista. For more techincal details refer this article from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core_2

For a comparison of Intel with AMD along with E6400 review, refer this article:

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/intel_core_2_duo_e6400_review/

IIM Graduate..Is it Worth?

Although it has been one year since this happened, I have come to know of this now, thanks to NDTV. An IIM Lucknow alumnus, Shanmugam Manjunath, was murdered in November, 2005 for trying to prevent a petrol pump in Lakhimpur Kheri (UP,India) from selling adulterated fuel to consumers. He graduated in 2003, with the typical values of an IIM Graduate, visions of buliding a better India, through honesty, diligence, and inherent goodness of human soul. Alas, what did he get as a reward for his efforts? Premature death, and mourning old parents!

It has been an year, yet there is no sign of justice, his murderers are yet to be punished. I feel somehow the IIMs are responsible for this, for not teaching him how the real India works, and how you have to compromise with your morals in this country to survive. Not to mention the utter lawlessness prevailing in states (do they deserve to be called so??) like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. No one seems to be bothered about the brightest youngsters of India, and I will not be surprised if in 2-3 years, all IIM graduates run to multinatonals, and shun India.

Here is the entire case update.

UPDATE, Oct 6-7 hearing get adjourned

As neither the Investigating Officer (IO) nor another Sub Inspector could be produced on the 6th, the Judge expressed his annoyance and gave us dates of 7th and 8th November only.
The IO had to attend another hearing on the 6th in Lucknow High Court where the IG and SSP had to depose. We made about 10 phone calls to ensure that he left at least on the 6th to be there for the 7th at Khiri. The Police bosses have been very co-operative in this regard.
The other SI was not released as, per the DIG of that range, he was needed for the VP Singh rally on that day. Annoyed at neither the SI nor the IO being there on 6th – though the Public Prosecutor informed the Judge of the circumstances and that the IO would reach that night in time for the next day’s hearing – the Judge gave hearing dates a month later.
It’s difficult to continue hope and motivation at such unnecessary setbacks and delays. It’s difficult to convey these to Manju’s parents. It’s astonishing that such huge effort – much of which we do not and cannot put up on public fora – is required for one relatively ‘open and shut’ case. What of the 99.99% other cases who do not have the IIM community’s enormous support??

UPDATE, Sep 25th – One of the accused gets bail

One of the accused, Harish Misra, has been granted bail by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. While he is not one of the main accused – he was a pump employee and charged with destroying evidence – there are several surprising issues with his being granted bail:

• Our lawyer, I.B. Singh, an eminent high court lawyer, is on file to be called by the Govt. Public Prosecutor if any of the 8 accused’ bail pleas come up for hearing. He was not called.
• Earlier, another accused, Rajesh Verma’s bail appeal on the same grounds had been successfully opposed by I.B. Singh and turned down.
• The case is far advanced, with 19 witnesses produced and just 2-3 more to go. At this stage, granting bail is not easily justifiable

We have taken immediate action. An appeal to cancel bail is being filed in the Supreme Court by our lawyer there – Ms. Kamini Jaiswal

UPDATE – FOURTH TRIAL DATES 21-22 SEP

These hearings were tense and fraught with drama. They wereattended by various IIM alumni – S. Ramakrishnan, Head, Branch Banking North India – HDFC bank, IIMC ‘93,Reena Yadav- S. Ramakrishnan’s wife, Akhil Krishna – SAP Labs, IIML 2003;Sushant Pote and Sanjeev , IIML PGP 2 students and Anjali Mullatti, Trustee – MST, IIML ‘93; and Day two, two more IIML PGP2s attended.

• An important witness , RK Zutshi , Manjunath’s erstwhile boss at IOC was presented in court. Manjunath had a long telephone conversation with Zutshi on November 19th – the day of his murder. Manjunath was , Zutshi said , headed to inspect a few pumps suspected of adulteration; one of which was the Mittal Automobile petrol pump
• As per an earlier inspection conducted by Manjunath on 13th September 2005,a fine of Rs.75000/- was imposed and paid by the Mittal petrol pump. As a result the pump had remained closed for a month.If adulteration had been detected again, the dealership would have been terminated.
• Zutshi also confirmed the finding of 3 bullet cartridges from the diesel tank at the pump .
• On the second day of hearing i.e. 22nd Sep, during cross-examination of Mr. Zutshi, the defence counsel claimed that it was because of Manju’s intervention that a pump in Monu’s sister’s name was established at Sisokand. Zutshi’s answers proved these claims false as Manju had only recommended that a pump should be set up in the area and the same was set up at his (Zutshi’s) orders
• One witness turned hostile , making it a total of 4 thus far. A local journalist (’Amar Ujala’ publication) who had earlier submitted in writing that Monu had indeed called him, among 2 others, for help after the crime,claimed to have done so under police pressure. This witness fumbled under cross-examination by prosecution after he was declared hostile;and was not critical to the case, maintains our lawyer, Mr.I B Singh who was present through the proceedings.
• Two police men ,a constable Kaushik Prasad and a sub-inspector TN Tripathi were also examined.The latter had conducted the enquiry against Monu(main accused) and Rajesh Verma(an accomplice)as both these men were found armed without carrying a license which is mandatory as per law
• Zutshi’s statements bring in a lot of much required hope to the prosecution as they help establish the immediate motive of murder and prove the strength of our case

For more details read the news articles. Next hearing dates slotted for 6-7 Oct (fri-sat)

UPDATE – THIRD TRIAL DATES 1-2 SEP

• 3 witnesses produced by prosecution – (a)the person who actually went into the diesel tank and recovered the cartridges, with IOC and police as witnesses (b) the doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination and (c) a constable – small role, who transported papers from local to Gola main police station.
• The first person, Babu Khan, was obviously important and held strong and consistent during cross examination. The recovery of the cartridges from the Mittal petrol pump diesel holding tank – which is locked and only Monu had the key – is a key piece of evidence. The other two were routine and hardly cross-examined.
• Day two saw havaldar Krishna Mohan Mishra being produced. He was present at most of the arrests and recovery of Manju’s cell phone,and other items. Defence raised queries such as: (a)The inspector didn’t book Rajesh etc., when they were found on the Alto with no valid papers of the vehicle, under the Motor Vehicle Act.(b) Why any member of the public wasn’t made a witness to the arrest near the railway station., and so on. Nothing major.

With this, 15 witnesses have been produced. One turned hostile. A key witness it to be produced on next dates – Sep 21-22 . He was Manju’s boss. There is herculean effort going on to ensure co-operation. We cannot reveal more in an open forum.

JOIN HANDS. WISH.STORM THE HEAVENS; WE WILL KNOW SOON IF JUSTICE WINS.

UPDATE – AUG 4-5 & 18-19 DATES POSTPONED

The third set of trial dates scheduled for Aug 4-5 were postponed. Due to a lawyer strike, courts were closed on those dates; the next set of dates scheduled for August 18-19 got postponed as well. We spoke to five newspaper editors and requested them to cover the strike pointing out the futility and cost of courts not working. Courts resumed and the next dates are scheduled for Sep 1-2 2006. A group of volunteers from IIM Lucknow will be attending.

UPDATE – SECOND TRIAL DATES, 6-7 JULY 2006

• Media informed, including editor of leading Hindi newspaper.
• Group of IIML student volunteers formed; they will attend the hearings in groups by rotation, ensuring continued, strong and broad-based attention on the case. IIML campus is 2 hours from Lakhimpur Khiri
• Trustee also travels to Khiri.
• A couple living next to the petrol pump, who were to be produced during the last hearings (refer ‘Day Three’ below), are declared hostile by us (prosecution team). They retract statement made before police that they heard shots on NOv. 19th night. Declaring them hostile enables us to cross examine them. But they stick to their retraction.
  Given the nature of the case and the accused, we are not surprised. We have had indications. It illustrates the uphill fight ahead.
• For the IIML students, it is an eye-opener; far removed from the ‘case discussion CP’ world on campus. They are shaken, but ‘happy they have come’
• Day two sees three more prosecution witnesses produced and cross-examined; part of the poice team who did the ‘panchnama’. Also the hotel manager where Manjunath stayed the previous night, provides hotel records and testifies. This proves Manju was indeed at Gola on the 19th.
• The case is moving,11 witnesses produced and cross examined so far. But unfortunately the next set of dates we get are again a month away – 4th, 5th August. At least we’re getting 2 days in a row. IIML students handed over a letter to the Judge from all IIM Directors, requesting for expedition of the case. They were also introduced to the Judge.

Bail situation: We are often asked about this. All eight accused are, and have been in custody. Two bail applications were rejected at the Sessions Court level. The bail appeal of one of them – Rajesh Verma, whose gun was used in the murder – came to the High Court. We filed an application opposing it and bail was rejected. One of the reasons was that the case is moving. Else a common plea is that nothing is happening in the case and accused are unneccessarily being kept in custody.
Now, another – and a key – bail appeal has come up in the High Court. This is of Devesh Agnihotri, main co-accused along with Pawan Kumar Mittal. Our lawyer is on watch for the date.
Read the news links for media coverage of the case. Write in to us to attend the hearings.

UPDATE – FIRST TRIAL DATES, 5-7 JUNE 2006

• Media informed; press note released.Much preliminary preparation done by the prosecution team.Mr. IB – our lawyer – has been completely committed, involved and done star quality work. He is well known with a strong and good reputation, even amongst the media.
• Trustees met with HT editor in Lucknow and reached Lakhimpur Khiri on 5th morning.
• Big crowds; 5-6 TV channels, plus TOI, IE and HT reporters apart from local press.
  Our endeavour – no individual names, photographs or quotes. Press note only, which talks of the Trust as a group.
• All eight accused brought in with larger police contingent as they got violent with the press and raised slogans of ‘bandhi union zindabad’
• Hearing started at 12.30 p.m, and this was the only case heard till court closed.
  Two policemen – who caught two of the accused with the body – gave evidence and were cross examined.
• There are seven defence lawyers, as except for two of the accused, every one else has his own lawyer – and each is given an opportunity to cross examine.
• That ended Day One. Trustees returned to Lucknow and thence back – on Day Two, Kamini Jaiswal, the noted Supreme Court lawyer, with a Trust volunteer (also a friend and batchmate of Manju’s) – took over.
• Ms. Jaiswal’s presence also created a big impact. The volunteer’s presence showed that more people are involved, and he was asked for quotes on Manju.
• Day Two was the start of examination of the non-state witnesses: Manju’s landlord, and a neighbouring petrol pump owner.
• All three gave proper and relevant evidence. This was important.They were confident during the intensive cross examination.
• Ms. Jaiswal and Mr. IB left after discussing the strategy for Day Three.
• Day Three saw the proceedings being adjourned. The witnesses could not be produced due to unavoidable reasons.
• The Judge is proceeding on vacation and has given us next dates only of 6-7 July
• We have sent letters requesting daily hearings to The Hon’ble Sessions Judge, The Hon’ble Chief Justice, Allahabad High Court, and The Hon’ble CJ, Supreme Court.
• If necessary we will meet the CJs to push this.

Days of mixed feelings – relief, optimism, and much sadness. It is distressing to see the accused; to hear the graphic details; see the photographs. The resolve gets reinforced.. Quote from one of the Trust attendees: “I am happy that I came. I can’t express the way I am feeling.”
PLEASE JOIN US AND ATTEND THE HEARINGS. NEXT DATES 6-& JULY. EMAIL US. THIS WILL HELP PRESENT A SHOW OF STRENGTH.ALL OF YOU.
For news items on the hearings, read the News Items and Articles.

Important Update: May 20th 2006

• The order for framing of charges against all eight accused was passed at Lakhimpur Khiri Sessions Court on 19th May, 2006.
• Two prior dates – 29th April and 8th May – had passed because the accused said they did not have lawyers and the Judge was travelling, respectively. The charges were heard on 11th and 12th May, with the Judge passing the order on 19th May.
• Press coverage, especially in the Lucknow editions, has been extensive with each of the above mentioned dates seeing articles in the Indian Express and Times of India.
• All eight accused have pleaded ‘not guilty’: therefore the trial now begins. Dates for trial have been given on 5th, 6th and 7th June.
• Our lawyer and the Public Prosecutor tell us that usually, trial dates are given 1-2 months after framing of charges, and that only a date at a time. It is good that we have got dates just 2 weeks away, and 3 days at a stretch.

Please keep visiting the site and join hands with us: the real battle now starts.

The charged & the charges (from the Indian Express, 19th May 2006)

• Pawan Kumar Mittal alias Monu, prime accused, son of pump owner: directed Devesh Agnihotri to kill Manjunath.

• Devesh Agnihotri, Monu’s friend: Shot Manjunath at the behest of Monu Mittal.

• Sanjay Awasthi and Harish, pump employees: Trapped Manjunath, destroyed evidence.

• Rakesh Kumar (Monu’s driver) and Vivek Sharma, employee: Arrested with Manjunath’s body in Sitapur district.

• Lalla Giri, employee: Tried to destroy evidence.

• Rajesh Verma, friend: Sheltered the accused, had weapon.

Update: May 1st 2006

Charges were not framed on 29th April – the accused asked for more time as they have not engaged legal counsel (a delaying tactic). The judge has given them a final extension till 8th May 2006. The presence of Indian Express and TOI reporters during the 29th April adjournment provided timely pressure. Both papers published articles (See section “News Items and Articles”)

Current Status: April 25th 2006

Following a visit by the trustees to Lakhimpur Khiri Sessions Court and a meeting with the SP, the current update is:

1. Two trustees, our lawyer, his assistants, and IOC law manager visited Lakhimpur Khiri Sessions Court.

2. The date for ‘framing of charges’ (stage prior to start of trial) is on 29th April 2006.
3. Public Prosecutor (PP)has agreed to have our lawyer as part of the prosecution team. With this, we now have direct representation. We have now got all the documents related to the case and our lawyer – a man of quality and integrity – is working to push the PP and IOC lawyer to join him in analysis and decision of how the case should be fought.
4. Met with the SP, Zaqi Ahmed, an extremely nice and dedicated IPS officer; as also the Investigating Officer (IO). The IO has done a painstaking job of the investigation. A meeting is scheduled with him and our lawyer and the PP to analyse any gaps in the chargesheet and how they can be filled.
5. Indian Express and TOI editors met and updated – ongoing relationship till the end; articles in both (national editions) will come out before the 29th April date.

Status – As of April 10th , 2006

1. Police Investigation is complete and the Chargesheet was filed on Feb 20th,2006.

2. All the accused are in custody. The accused are, in the order of accused -

Monu Mittal, Sanjay Awasti, Devesh Agnihotri, Vivek Sharma, Lalla, Harish, Rakesh Kumar, Rajesh Verma

Of these, Vivek Sharma and Rakesh were arrested with the body after the police intercepted their car. Rakesh was a filling attendant at the Mittal petrol pump and Vivek was a driver. Sanjay and Devesh are business partners of the main accused, Monu Mittal.

3. The charge-sheet was reviewed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate. He has now committed it to the Lakhimpur Sessions Court.

4. Next comes the stage of ‘framing the charges’, wherein the accused will have a chance to dispute the charges. The case will thereafter start trial.

5. A Public Prosecutor has been appointed by the Govt. IOCL , an interested party has also appointed their own counsel to assist in the case. Both are based in Lakhimpur Khiri.

Our Efforts on the Case, and how you can help -

Our Legal Team

We have lawyers at Delhi, Lucknow and Lakhimpur. Noted senior Supreme Court advocate Kamini Jaiswal, based in Delhi, has committed her whole-hearted support and assistance. She is currently in an advisory capacity. Ms. Jaiswal is well known for her integrity and work in PILs. Mr. Indra Bhushan Singh, a prominent lawyer of Lucknow is driving the case. He has acted as Special Public Prosecutor for most of the narcotics cases in UP; has acted to secure the release of women imprisoned for over 20 years and forgotten by everybody; and has shown immense commitment and involvement with the case. Mr. I.B. Singh has appointed an assistant lawyer at Lakhimpur Khiri.

Media Pressure

The media pressure continues. We are in touch with the editor of the Indian Express – Lucknow edition – the last article was on Mar 19th, where the url of the trust was also mentioned. (http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/682.html). Indian Express and The Times of India have both committed any help we need till the resolution of the case.

Anybody who would be able to handle media management, let us know.

Support From the Police

Senior IPS officers are also advising us on an ongoing basis.

Close follow-up by Trustees

One trustee/core team member will attend key hearings. The trustees have made two trips, and met with senior lawyers, media, IOCL managers, a politician and senior police officials in Delhi and Lucknow; they have visited the sessions court at Lakhimpur Khiri, met with the Public Prosecutor and got our lawyer included in the prosecuting team; and also met with the SP and Investigating Officer (IO).

We have got a copy of the chargesheet, which is being evaluated. Three bail applications have been rejected at the sessions court level and may now come to the Lucknow High court on appeal. As soon as this happens, they will be opposed by our lawyer in Lucknow.

The case is yet to start – more action will happen then.

It is extremely important to let the local prosecutor, judge and politicians know that the public eye is on them. Help us to do that. We plan a team of senior CXO level IIM alumnus to travel along with reporters, to attend the first hearing at Lakhimpur. Please write in to be part of this team. It will serve to bring out your firm’s corporate social responsibility as well

The above has been reproduced from the following website: http://syg.com/web/manjunath/?page_id=14

Friendship

i shared my life with my friend,
i shared every bump and bend,
i shared all JOYs and sorrows,
so that our friendship always grows,
but he calls me an opportunist.

i laughed with him when he was happy,
i cried with him when he was sad,
i walked step by step 2gether with him,
i never let the light of our friendship become dim,
but he calls me an opportunist..

i saw the sun rise from his eye,
we enjoyed 2gether the cloudy sky,
i sat on the lush green grass with him,
i lent him my shoulder when he was grim,
but he calls me an oportunist…

i called him every week after we were distanced,
always wating for that one call from him,
alas that call never came, not even on my bday,
i still wished him personally on all his bdays,
but he calls me an opportunist….

i consoled him when he lost his girl,
i supported him when he was left all alone,
i treated him like a part of my own,
made him feel hes still on the throne,
but he calls me an opportunist…..

you ask for help only from closest ones,
bcoz u know they love you tons,
but he shot me with thousand guns,
and called me an opportunist……

dear friend i know i dint call you for a long time,
but there were myriad reasons behind that crime,
being your friend, i dint want to share my crisis with you,
always wanted to share only laughs, even if they were few,
pls dont call me an oportunist!

remember the times we have shared,
understand my problems,
dont you know why i cant come there?
we havent met since 3 long years,
stil waiting with my eyes full of tears,
but i m an “opportunist”!!

life plays games with all of us,
i m but just a puppet, in a mess,
let me finally confess,
even though you call me an opportuist,
may u have all of god’s bless!

 

~Devesh

image courtesy: http://www.aupair-friendship.de

Reality Bites, and How so? Read My Dear Friends..

This post was made in My Yahoo Blog quite a while ago. But not many people might have read it that time. So here it is friends again!

Below is a letter by the undersigned which was published in 7 Days in UAE.

Comments are welcome.

Here is the Letter.

“I was in the Mall of the emirates shopping complex last Friday and witnessed several labourers in their “Friday best” being asked to leave the mall by the security staff

On asking the Security what the guys had done wrong I was told that they only come into the Mall to browse, do not buy anything and so were asked to leave

I was furious, most of us come into browse, these are the guys who sweat and toil for very little, if any remittance

Leave them alone ! they have as much, if not more rights to be there than we do.

Peter Milner

Dubai”

Here is a person’s reply to that:

“I applaud the actions of the security staff. It’s about time actions were taken to ensure that we don’t have to endure being perved at by these individuals, have our wives and kids feeling uncomfortable by their “pocket-twitching” antics, and lets not forget the acompanying odours.

Everyone works hard in Dubai and no one has any more or less right to be here than any other person. However, if I decided to go for a stroll round the Bentley or Rolls-Royce salesroom (I know it’s not a mall) I would no doubt be asked to leave – same principle applies.

Certain environments are created for the enjoyment and frequenting of by certain demographic groups. Modern multi-million dollar malls are not for labourers. Jumeirah beach has already become a no-go zone because of this crowd – don’t let the malls be next.

Coco Springs “

Freinds, these are the labourers who toil during the scorching heat at temperatures above 40 degrees most of the times. These are the labourers who are paid measly salaries, and that too not on time. Thats the exploitation and then ignorance.

Aisa Kyun Lagta Hai

A hinid Poem, excuse me for the language!

aisa kyon lagta hai?

aaj kyon aisa lagta hai,

jaise beeta hua kal hi aanewala kal tha.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

tere saath jo pal beeta, wahi zindagi ka sabse haseen pal tha.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

ki teri aankhon mein hi mera astitva doob gaya ho.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

ki tere saath chhodne par tinke ka sahara bhi chhoot gaya ho.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

jaise tera pyaar pyaar nahi kuch aur tha.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

ki tune jo din mere saath guzare, woh tere liye ek bura daur tha.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

ki pyar mein mere bhi kuchh kami thi.

aa aisa kyon lagta hai,

jab tune mujhe chhoda, tere aankhon mein bhi woh nami thi.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

ki wafayein hum dono ne hi nahi nibhayi.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

humare pyaar ki taqdeer hamesha se hi thi judai.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

ki tune mujhe kabhi chaha hi nahi.

aaj aisa kyon lagta hai,

ki tune kabhi dil mujhse lagaya hi nahi.

DON – Review

Let me make it very clear at the outset that this is my view, and not a definitive guide of what to expect from the movie. So, here we go.

Comparisons are inevitable, but not for me, because the old Don was released much before I was born, and I saw it at the time when such thrillers were being routinely made. All said, the old Don was a cool movie. Come to think of it, it was surely ahead of its time, and hence could fit relatively better in today’s times. Amitabh rocked in the movie!!

Now lets some to the subject of this piece. Don (2006), directed by Farhan Akhtar, and starring SRK, is an intelligent movie, a well crafted thriller, that takes time to involve you, but leaves you satisfied at the conclusion. It is stylish, cool, modern, and very hip. A tad slow at times, the first half doesn’t spring much surprises, with most of the story being same as the earlier Don. That said, it is still watchable, mainly because of SRK. It is refreshing to see him so controlled, and yet so cool and DON’y’ (for want of the perfect word!). Not once does he overacts, and such a restrained performance makes up for a slowish first half. He is very well supported by Boman Irani, who is just remarkable! This man is a true actor. About 20 minutes or so before the interval, the film begins to grow on you, and you actually forget the earlier Don. What I mean to say is, you stop thinking whether this scene is the same, this situation is identical. By this time, the supposed remake has evolved!

The second half is more than just gripping; it just changes the entire texture of the movie! There are a lot of twists and turns, and all of them unpredictable! At the end of it, you have a movie, which has the basic body of the earlier Don, but the character has changed completely. It feels like you have watched a movie which isn’t a remake, but a movie with similar story as the earlier one. That said, it would have been better had this movie not been publicized as a remake, it would have aroused less expectations, and thus made more impact.

SRK outshines himself this time, and manages to act out the character he portrays, be it the innocent Vijay, or the menacing Don. There is not a hint of overacting, and it only shows how much a director’s actor he is. Comparisons would be unfair, lets just say this Don rocks too!!

Priyanka and Isha look good, so does Kareena in a minuscule role. They don’t have much to act, and they manage to support the film in the best possible manner. Arjun Rampal is a tad wooden for an aggrieved man, but his voice makes up for his expressions. Maybe some people do not really act out grief, they just speak and see! Boman Irani is excellent, and the way his character develops, only he could have played this part. He even triumphs over SRK in some scenes! This guy should win some awards. Om Puri has a small part to play, and he is as usual. Actually, he has been wasted!

Cinematography is good, locales are a visual delight. The only sore point is the music. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t consistent. The title track, and the original track rock, while the tracks retained from the earlier Don pass muster. The picturisation of Khaike looks odd when it comes, but at the end you realize why it was like that. Background score is electric, and really complements the mood of the film. Special effects are very well executed, and do not look tacky like they usually do in Bollywood. Stunts are nice too, though nothing extraordinary.

So I come to the most important question. Will this film be a huge hit? The answer would be NO. The reason is not because I liked the movie, but because it is an intelligently made movie, where you have to carefully watch and infer, and remember the clues dropped to you. To enjoy this movie, you have to forget that there was an earlier movie with a similar story. And that’s where the movie will fail, because it has been publicized as a remake, and so the public will go and start making comparisons there, remembering the earlier Don. Also, the sluggish first half won’t help the film, and the classy treatment of this massy plot won’t find universal acceptance. Maybe some high octane stunts, though unnecessary, and some power packed dialogues, in the typical Bollywood style, would have helped the film. But then again, this is not what the movie intended to be, and what Farhan wanted to make, he has made well. This movie has everything it needs, and nothing extra. Even SRK is not the usual hyperactive that he is, and that for me was my money’s worth!

Don ko dekhke bhool paana mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai.!

P.S.: 7 of us went for the movie, with 3 being perennial SRK haters. Even they appreciated him, and liked the film.

Shahrukh Khan in Dhoom 3

This is the biggest news, DHAMAKA..

Looks like SRK is changing gears at the best time. After DON, it seems he has apparently been chosen to play the villain in Dhoom III. Here is the complete article, thanks to http://www.naachgaana.com. Great news, I must say.

Yashraj films plan Dhoom 3 with SRK
By Ashok Anchan
15 October 2006, 11:48 PM

MUMBAI: Carry-on series in Hollywood are not a new phenomenon. We’ve seen it with the likes of the Rambo series, Carry On Doctor series and Police Academy series, amongst others.
The trend is now picking up in Bollywood too. First we saw N Chandra’s Style and Xcuse Me. Then came Sajid Nadiadwala’s Hera Pheri and Phir Hera Pheri, Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai and Krrish and then came Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Munnabhai M.B.B.S and Lage Raho Munnabhai.
The latest on this front is from Yash Raj Films. While Dhoom 2 (D:2) starring Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu and Uday Chopra is all set to release on 24 November; the makers are already readying the third film of the series. According to sources close to the development, the scripting and pre-production work and the casting for the film is currently underway.
While John Abraham played grey shades in the first part, one will get to see Hrithik Roshan in its sequel. What’s more, sources reveal that none other than Shah Rukh Khan will play the negative character in the third part. On the other hand, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra will also be cast in the third part along with Aishwarya Rai and Ranbir Kapoor (son of Rishi Kapoor).Confirming the developments, a source from Yash Raj Films’ says, “The scripting of the film is nearing completion. But possibly Sanjay Gadvi, who has directed Dhoom 2, won’t be directing the film. The film will be launched shortly.”

Exciting times Ahead friends!

HT also confirms this news, here is the link:

http://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=srkdhoom3ks7.jpg

 

Umrao Jaan (New) – Music

Cast: Shabana Azmi, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Suniel Shetty, Divya Dutta, Himani Shivpuri, Puru Raaj Kumar & Kulbhushan Kharbanda

Director: J.P.Dutta

Music: Anu Malik

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

The expectations from this movie have been enormous, as it stars some of the biggest names in Bollywood currently, and has been directed by J.P. Dutta, who has given us some memorable films, with equally memorable music. The choice of Anu Malik for the music of this period classic came as a shock to many, including myself. But then, if you look at Malik’s work for J.P. Dutta, you cannot question his obvious choice. What remained then was how authentic and original will the music be.

I must say, Anu Malik has outdone himself here. The music is mesmerizing to say the least!

Song: Salaam Karne Ki Aarzoo..

This is an instantly likeable song, moving at a smooth pace, and engulfing you with its melodious simplicity. Alka Yagnik’s voice is touching, and Javed Akhtar writes simple yet powerful poetry. Sample this: Jise Bhi Hum Dekh Le Palat Ke, Usi Ko Apna Ghulam Kar Lein. I wonder how did Anu compose this absolutely awesome track, which is classical, soothing, touching, and popular at the same time. It only proves Anu has class, you just have to harness him.

Song: Pehle Pehel..

This song is slow and haunting. Once again having a classical base, it has really meaningful words, which are yet again very simple. Alka Yagnik again shines with a controlled voice. She surely shows she is the best when it comes to Indian Classical music. The song conveys the aura of the first meeting between lovers in a very subtle and touching manner. Sample this: Dekha Ye Khwab To, Dil Hai Betaab To, Dono Ghabra Gaye, Tum Bhi Pehle Pehel, Hum Bhi..

Song: Jhoote Ilzaam..

This is the best song among the previous ones. The trademark in this album so far has been classical music with simple yet effective words, and topped with exquisite singing. This song follows the same tradition, but manages to touch just a bit more, with the words conveying pain while being understandable. Sample: Tum Kisi Aur Ki Kismat Mein ho, Tum Mere Nahi.. Yeh Agar Sach bhi Hai to Mujhko Bataya Na Karo..Dil Hai Nazuk Ise Tum Aise Dukhaya Na Karo. The song is basically a complain by the girl, requesting the boy not to play with her emotions. Alka Yagnik rules.

Song: Main Na Mil Sakoon Jo Tumse

This song makes it difficult to rank the songs, a fantastic number again. Yet again, it is classical, relaxed, simple, and conveying the ethos so well. It is about the girl explaining her helplessness to the guy and telling him to forget her, while complaining about his behaviour also. Remarkable song, once again. This makes it 4 on 4 so far, which is reason enough to buy the album. Alkya Yagnik is the soul of this album. Sample: Maine Chaha Tha Kisiko, Mera Haal Kya Hai Dekho… Jo Kasoor Kiya Tha Maine, Woh Tum Kabhi Na Karna..

Let me make it clear at this point that this album is classy, having slow haunting numbers, and not the high octane type, with thumping beats. It is simple, Indian classical music at its best. So take your pick.

Song: Pooch Rahe Hain

This song takes time to grow on you, unlike the other instantly likeable songs. But it slowly owns you with repeated hearings, with its sheer melody and pain. This song has more classical background, in terms of Tabla and other instruments playing in the background. Basically, it has more instruments in its arrangement. Yet again slow, simple, yet touching. I am at a loss of words here, using the same words everytime, but beleive me, this itself the hallmark of this album. The song is again about the girl sighing about the pain in love. Sample: Kaun Yaha Hai Sunne Wala, Dil Ki Baat Sunayein Kya, Daag Yeh Dil Mein Aaye Hain Kaise, Unko Hum Samjhaye Kya.

Song: Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya

This song really makes you cry, with its emotions. This is about a mother requesting hte God not to give her a girl child. It has two versions, one by Anu’s daughter Anmol, and the other by Richa Sharma. Anmol’s version doesnt register the same impact as the other version does, though she does well for a debutant. For the first time, Alka Yagnik gets a break in the album. I guess one version is sung by young Aishwarya, and the other by Shabana Azmi. The melody is once again brilliant with minimal arrangements, which is in sync with the demands of the song. The lyrics have a UP touch in terms of lyrics, which makes it even further rooted to reality. Brilliant, Mr. Malik and Javed Saab!

Song: Dekha Humein Aise Ke

For the first time, we have a male voice, in the form of Sonu Nigam, along with Alka.Sonu does wonders in this song, proving his worth yet again. This song is the least classical among the lot, and grows on you with repeated hearings. This song is a love song, yet manages to be different than the routine love songs, thanks to the lyrics and the music. This is probably the most upbeat and happy song in the album. Another gem. Sample: Aankhon Mein Hai Nasheele Bhanwar, Zulf Mein Lahar, Dariya Yeh Kaisa Husn Ka, Dikhla Diya Humein.

Song: Ek Toote Hue Dil Ki..

This is a small song by Alka (yet again!), with absolutely minimal arrangements, and yet it conveys the pain with the combination of lyrics, music and voice. It makes you look forward to a great song, but ends just when you have warmed upto it. Kind of deceives you, with its small length.

Overall, the music is fabulous, and a welcome break from what we have been getting in recent past. Though it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but none can deny the honesty and sincerity of the people involved. Anu Malik deserves yet another National Award, for being so true to the period, and living upto the original’s music. Javed Akhtar shows his class yet again. Alka Yagnik makes an indelible impression.

I cant judge which Umrao Jaan has better music, and there should not be any comparisons made between the two. This music has its own identity, and it recreates the bygone era in the most infectious manner. Another winner for Anu Malik after Janeman.

Unexplainable

My family is the most important to me, and I spend most of my time with them. I dont have a girl friend, and dont really feel the need for it.

There are times though, when I am by myself, alone, and feel an unexplainable loneliness. At that time, I want to run away from my family, but dont know to whom/where. I want to be alone, but then feel very lonely. During such time, even my otherwise faithful PC ditches me, and fails to make me happy. I am englufed in a cloud of darkness, a solitude, which I fail to explain to myself. All logic fails, all hell breaks loose, and I feel a crushing weight over myself. I dont even like talking to any of my friends then, I just shut myself up in my room, and play some soft music. Yes, music does not ditch me then!

This inexplicable madness occurs frequently nowadays. Does it happen with me only? Sometimes I think it is only because I dont have a girl friend, but I am sure even people with girl friends must have felt this at times. To make myself clear, let me add that it is not the reason of something bad at work, some fight with someone, or anything bad. It happens all of a sudden, out of a blue moon.

This has brought me to a realization, that whoever we are, whatever we do, however happy we may be, there is a moment of desperation, sadness, pain, loneliness, which appears illogical and is unexplainable, every now and then. The result of such a thing is still unclear though. Most of the times I just keep thinking, staring blankly, or humming along with the music. Then mom calls me for something, or some other work pops up, and I get on with it. Maybe its the time when we connect to God, or a time for introspection, whatever it is, it is strange, vague, and unexplainable.