SONIA GANDHI’S BOOK FOR A BOOK

“I will write my own book and then everyone will know the truth. I am serious about this and I will be writing.”

That will be a book to read, a must read.

And going by the intent that it intends to be a befitting reply, it will come soon, when Sonia Gandhi will still be one of the most powerful political personalities in the country.  

And such a book by Sonia Gandhi will make for round the clock headlines, for weeks.

This one, turns out, will be relatively, intellectual, going by the level of Indian politics that has apparently no standard left to follow.

The grudge of one person will be answered by the resultant grudge of the other person, one of the subjects of the grudge of the person, in an intellectually resounding (wish so) way.

Sonia Gandhi today, within 24 hours of Natwar Singh going air-borne with interviews on his upcoming memoir, said she would write a book answering what all was being said and what all was being ‘revealed’.

So, the insider accounts in Natwar Singh’s soon to be released ‘One Life Is Not Enough’ will have their expose by a book written by, undoubtedly, one of India’s tallest political figures in the contemporary times, and Natwar Singh is no match for her stature. (I just got Flipkart’s message, the online retailer, that it will be delivered by tomorrow – I had placed the pre-order on July 29.)

Sonia Gandhi’s life, her life with the Nehru Gandhi family, her life at the top of the Indian politics and her life as a caring mother trying to have her children a secure future and a book by her, if it comes, will be a must read, for the facets of a personality having so many layers, going through so many lives, it will reveal, if Sonia Gandhi decides to make it an autobiography of her years so far.

WHAT WILL THE NATWAR SINGH’S BOOK DO?

Yesterday, at around 4 PM, I received a regular Flipkart mailer about the exclusive online availability of Natwar Singh’s soon to be released autobiography with India’s largest online retailer. The pre-order offer was with 20% discount.

Had it not been a book by a politician with deep Congress sweet-turned-sour linkage and closeness with the Nehru-Gandhi family in the past, as Natwar Singh had, it would not have been so quick, given the fact that books of Amartya Sen and Salman Rushdie were available with greater pre-order discounts that what was on Natwar’s book.

Had it not been about the news reports of it being a tell-all book, the response on placing the order would not have been so spontaneous.

Had it not been about the prospects that it could corroborate (or debunk - though a remote possibility given the Natwar-Congress rift) many 'myths' and facts about the Nehru-Gandhi family, already out in the open with other insider accounts.

Okay, so the order was placed. Now, let’s see when the book arrives.

But one thing was sure – it was going to be all over soon. And within 24 hours, Natwar Singh’s yet to be ‘publicly’ released book was all over.

So, what will the Natwar Singh’s tell-all book do?

TWO MONTHS OF MIXED DEVELOPMENTS, BUT THE SIGNALS SHOULD BE CLEAR

It’s been mixed two months. And May 26 to July 30 – cannot be the timeframe to judge a government’s acts.

Whatever have been there - the developments in these two months - cannot be the elements of writing the script for the coming five years.

But, then, in Indian politics, where morality has become an unknown entity, even one week is more than enough to give the opponents the arsenal to attack when the acts fall short of the promises made.

And it has been the case.

In the run-up of the General Elections 2014, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) had run an intensive campaign, and Narendra Modi had overwritten every established norm of election campaigning by his hardwork.

And central to his hardwork was his promise of delivering India from the bad governance of the United Progressive Alliance government. He pitched for making India Congress free. He gave the Indians the dream of good days.

Now, anyone who could think analytically was not looking at this promise as a panacea, a miracle to change all that was bad in the excising sociopolitical system. It was always going to be a long-term process.

But the problem is, such analytical minds are not even .001% of the Indian electorate who voted the BJP led National Democratic Alliance government to the power with an overwhelming majority.

They won’t understand the intricacies of the financial quagmire that the Manmohan Singh government has the pushed the nation in.

They need delivery of the promise and the beginning was to be made with sending out the signals about it.

Yes, electoral and political history of India tells us the Indian voter has been very patient, even turning a blind eye to his exploitation by the political class.

WHERE DID GANGA AARTI BEGIN?

Well, where did Ganga Aarti begin?

Now, it can be a no brainer question if seen in isolation. Ganga, the lifeline of Indian civilization and its spiritual and social heritage, is said to be sent to earth ages ago by Lord Shiva to save the humanity from the imminent annihilation.

It’s mythological. It’s spiritual. It’s religious. Its faith, pure faith, believing in the story! God is nothing but faith.

Anyway, the context here is different. Ganga is being worshipped in India since her descent to earth.

So, asking, where did Ganga Aarti begin is a no brainer.

But, when it is asked in context of the elaborate ritual that is performed every evening around 6:45 PM on some Varanasi ghats including the Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Assi Ghat, the question gets is validity instantly.

A SEPTUAGENARIAN AT HARISHCHANDRA GHAT

COLORES INFINITUM

A septuagenarian man had come to Harishchandra Ghat for the last rites of his wife.

As he approached the ghat, he seemed like a broken man who had just lost his best friend of life. He was certainly beyond any consoling.

While sitting there, performing the rituals, slowly he graduated to a calm that could have been easily said uncharacteristic of being in a committed relation – but for the place which effect it was.

His calm was reflecting in his composure and he looked more thoughtful that restive with increasing intensity of the flames.

It was after some time, that he made a statement.

His observation –

"While we are sitting at the doorstep of God here, we come to realize so naturally that every material object is just an illusion, everyone in life will go, and everything will be lost. It is better if we realize it as soon as possible so that we can seek God in as many manifest ways as possible. Once we turn our back, we forget all this realization, this illumination about illusion and existence, to get engaged again in our relations, our existence.”

- was not some unique thought - and yet it is the only truth that every conscious soul is looking for - the outline of this truth is known - finding and assimilating its finer details is the real quest of life. 

Every person sitting there, on that ghat, sitting by Ganga and sitting with soul, was a natural follower of the thoughts on this line - for the time he stayed there - where life became one with death. 

My friends and I had realized it so many times while stopping by Harishchandra Ghat or Manikarnika Ghat during many of our exploratory trips to the Banaras ghats. 

I do believe that there are innumerable others who have felt this feeling while sitting at or stopping by these two Banaras ghats.

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com 

SOME SERIOUS SOUL-SEARCHING ON GANGA GHATS

Banaras has countless places for one to get engaged in some serious soul-searching. And the Ganga ghats are the best place among all.

And when talking of ghats for soul-searching, two ghats stand out, for embodying the essence of human existence – Harishchandra Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat.

These two cremation ghats are considered the eternal embodiment of life’s grand illusions and the only grand reality – that, one has to die – that, no one can say ‘when’ – and, that, many blurred lines between illusions and realties of a life are dependent on this ‘when’.

Whether seriously intended, or just a random stop during a walk through the Ganga ghats in Varanasi, the atmosphere of these two ghats engages people sitting on the ghat-steps in thinking about the basic question of life – that we keep on asking regularly – and we ask when we depart finally – the purpose of life – what did we do and why did we do ‘what did we do’?

Attachments and detachment are subjected to the questions that we ask while sitting on these ghat-steps – and detachment gets us the sublime feeling of being free of all that is material – free of all that binds us – that nothing can change the destiny of our final moments when our physical presence is finally reduced to nothing – but our deeds of being the good human-beings - to us, to others, and to the existentialism of life.

The existential beauty of life – or some can say the existential irony – is the attachments get back to being the central to our existence once we move on to the next ghat from this realm of soul-searching.

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com

ARVIND KEJRIWAL VS BARACK OBAMA??

Did you say a wild comparison?

After all, one is a 49-day chief minister of Delhi, India’s National Capital Territory, who had to apologize for his ‘act of absconding’. Though he doesn’t accept it morally, the electoral and political compulsions after his ‘political martyrdom’ efforts  tanked down in the Lok Sabha polls forced him to own the disaster his decision to vacate the Delhi CM’s office in order to look for greener pastures had become. He was forced to accept the ‘deserter’ tag in his own toned-down version.

And the other is the successful (though debatable on who sees what) President of the United States of America, the world’s only superpower (still). The world’s most powerful political person is in the second term of his Presidential office.

Professionally, Arvind Kejriwal began as engineer and graduated to become a finance professional working for the Government of India. Barack Obama is a Harvard educated lawyer.

So, where is the ground for comparison?

It is there, thanks to the Norwegian Nobel Committee and thanks to the Delhi electorate!

THE NIGHT HAS COME AFTER A LONG TIME

The night has come after a long time

To sit again, by the side of my head

Looks like the talk will be mutual

Something, the years have not seen

There is much to say and hear

Wish the hour now lasts longer

Such a night has come after ages

That didn't betray its commitment

Like the other nights, even today,

Yes, there is no pillow of sleep

रात आयी है फिर से सिरहाने बैठने

रात मुद्दत बाद आयी है

फिर से सिरहाने बैठने

लगता है कुछ बातें होंगी

अर्सा हुआ जो हो ना पायीं

कहने, सुनने को है बहुत

पहर ये जल्दी ना बीते

ये रात मुद्दत बाद आयी है

जो दूर से ही चली ना गयी

AAP: UNEXPECTED HIGH TO UNEXPECTED LOW

First, it was an unexpected high. Then it was an unexpected low.

The unexpected high was for everyone, including the direct beneficiary. In fact, it came as a pleasant surprise for those who wished to see it happen but had not expected it to happen this way given the circumstances then.

The unexpected low was expected by everyone, (but) except the direct beneficiary, who could not read it or did not want to read it then and had a self-made spectacular fall - from grace, from the position of standing – that came to him because of the growing public frustration and disenchantment with the mainstream political lot.

That is the story of the newest political debutant on the mainstream political scene of India – the Aam Aadmi Party – and of Arvind Kejriwal – and of those who began their political journey with it - and of those who joined it later on, especially after the unexpected high of December 2013 – and those who left it or felt disenchanted enough to walk out of the half-baked activism and politics concoction – after the ‘expected’ unexpected low of May 2014.

THE RANGARAJAN POVERTY LINES, TOO, FAIL INDIANS

I had written on Indian achievement on reducing poverty on July 24, 2013

In a huge, huge achievement, in a trademark Montek Singh Ahluwalia style, packaged and presented in the Manmohan Singh style, yesterday, all of a sudden, we the Indians were told by the economy wizard of the nation that his government had lifted almost 15 per cent of the Indians above the poverty line since 2004-05.

So, the school of Montekonomics, the Planning Commission of India has announced: “The percentage of persons below the Poverty Line in 2011-12 has been estimated as 25.7% in rural areas, 13.7% in urban areas and 21.9% for the country as a whole. The respective ratios for the rural and urban areas were 41.8% and 25.7% and 37.2% for the country as a whole in 2004-05. It was 50.1% in rural areas, 31.8% in urban areas and 45.3% for the country as a whole in 1993-94. In 2011-12, India had 270 million persons below the Tendulkar Poverty Line as compared to 407 million in 2004-05, that is a reduction of 137 million persons over the seven year period.”

And it is one year to July 24, 2013 – Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia are not there to steer the Indian policy to decide on the poverty politics and poverty economics.

BEING POOR IN INDIA: THE NUMBERS

Related post: BEING POOR IN INDIA: IT IS STATISTICAL AS WELL

http://severallyalone.blogspot.in/2014/07/being-poor-in-india.html 

The extreme levels of poverty indicators by the United Nations say there are 1.2 billion extreme poor in the world.

The UN study (UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2014) estimated 400 million or 40 crore of it in India.

That is 1/3^rd of the Indian population of around 120 crore.

So, the UN says around 40 crore of the Indians are extremely poor – they survive on less than US$ 1.25 a day, i.e., almost Rs. 75 a day (@Rupee to US$ exchange rate of 60).

Now let’s talk on some more numbers – on how India counts its poor and reduces the poverty ‘found’ among its citizens.

STATISTICAL COMMODITIZATION OF HUMAN LIVES

Statistical commoditization of human lives - from the Indian poverty Lines to the innocent human lives killed and mutilated in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Somalia, Congo (DPR), Sudan, Nigeria and many other African and Asian countries and elsewhere - to the recently spiraled moments of crisis in Gaza, in Ukraine and the Flight MH17 crash after taking a sophisticated missile hit at 30,000 feet in – loss of human lives - always manipulated and used to further self-serving agendas – of dictators, of global superpowers.

Manipulative wisdom of statistics to alter the scale and aftermath of human lives killed or taken away - lives reduced to numbers - my count, your count, their count and the loss of haves and have-nots - the deepening culture of 'let go' in the global geopolitics - don't be surprised if it gives us the next Peace Nobel Laureate – recognizing the culture of non-interventionism in the name of global order even if it means hundreds of thousands killed every year in civil wars, in terror strikes and in religious/sectarian divides.

BEING POOR IN INDIA: IT IS STATISTICAL AS WELL

40 crores of Indians are extremely poor – if we go by the estimates and the extreme poverty line of the United Nations.

The only catch is – if we go by the Indian estimates – many of them are not poor and most of them are not ‘as extremely poor as the UN finds’ – as propounded by the by the Indian Government standards – an exercise that began with a Planning Commission working group in 1962, continuing with four other exercises, to come again to the ‘unacceptable’ Poverty Lines (Urban/Rural) of the Rangarajan Committee which submitted its report last month, a report that got public this month – but has failed to come with logical and sociologically viable Poverty Line(s) for a society that has the maximum number of world’s poor (including the ‘extreme’ poor).

If we take the Tendulkar Committee’s Poverty Lines, being used by the Government of India and the Planning Commission so far, before Mr. Rangarajan’s figures were reached at – as expected, at Rs. 75 a day (with US$ to Re. exchange rate of 60), this extreme UN Poverty Line is almost double to the new urban Poverty Line of Rs. 47 as decided by the noted economist C. Rangarajan after almost 2 years of work.

इस शाम के इन्द्रधनुष सा

ताज़ा रंगा हुआ, 
किसी इन्द्रधनुष सा, 
और गीली सुगंध, 
बारिश से भीगी मिटटी की,
ये मिलना दोनों का था, 
जैसा ये हमेशा हुआ करता था,
क्षितिज के दोनों किनारे,
बातें करते हुए, आपस में, 
और उस रेखा से, 
जिसने उन्हें मिलाया था,
दो आत्माओं के मध्य,

THE RAINBOW THIS EVENING

It was coloured fresh,

Like the rainbow,

It was so earthly,

With the fragrance,

Meeting was mutual,

Like it always had been,

Ends of the horizon,

Talking to each other,

And to the places,

They met on the trip,

Spread across the life,

Coloured by nature,

LOSS, THE FEELING STAYS, FOREVER..

Loss, it hurts,

And stays with you,

As your days travel,

As your nights stand still,

With the feeling,

Of a hunted soul,

Looking desperately,

For answers,

49 VS 49: KEJRIWAL IS PURVEYING HIS QUESTION, ONCE AGAIN!

En-route, the nondescript, discoloured and stained wall caught attention. Now, Mr. Kejriwal on Delhi walls was no more an eye-catcher, yet this one made me stop by it, read it, and click it on my cellphone camera.

It was 49 Vs 49.

Now, 49 is a number of mixed emotions for Mr. Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party.

While they believe and intends us to believe in the sanctity of it being a momentous figure and a telling example of the politics of principles of AAP that pushed him to resign from the Delhi Chief Minister’s office just after 49 days of forming the government (with Congress support) on the pretext of ‘being not allowed to pass the Lokpal Bill of his government’. He blamed the BJP and the Congress party of betraying the people of Delhi.

But, electorally, it proved counterproductive, and humbled him (or forced him) to accept it was a wrong move. He even apologized (or had to) for it.

Though AAP had increased vote share in Delhi, it could not win any Lok Sabha seat here and across the country, almost of its candidates lost their deposits. It was an epic fall after the unprecedented high of December 2013 when AAP had registered a stunning debut in Indian politics.  

And, the apology was more to appease the electorate of Delhi in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha polls rout and in the context of the possible Delhi Assembly elections ahead than being an honest and sensible introspection.

This poster and the Kejriwal style of politics so far, on reforming his party and on refocusing on Delhi, tell us nothing has changed.

THE VAIDIK VEDA

No one had thought it to be of this scale, but many sought it - with ‘customized reasons’ – and it was written – there was some intention to mobilize (galvanize) the opinion and to gain some good publicity (if not handsome, that ultimately came out to be) – but such a windfall was never expected.

It is a plot that was never conceived this way. It was a plot that had just some random scribbling in the name of script, and that too, by a veteran journalist (no more in active journalism and with political and ideological affiliations) who was perhaps on a self-motivated agenda of scoring some points, but had no ideas on where to pick from and where to end it.

It was a plot with some loose elements and some misplaced words that picked up pace in a stunning way, overshooting and over-surprising all.

GERMANY VS ARGENTINA: BEAUTIFUL END TO BEAUTIFUL GAME’S WORLD CUP

Expectations were there and were fulfilled. It was the day for Germany and it was the day for Argentina – based on their performances – and thankfully, the luck factor has not much to talk about – there had to be a winner – and we have the winner now, in Germany – the 4^th World Cup Crown to the European team – the first team to snatch the victory and the World Cup title in a South American nation.

There were no dull moments. There is nothing slack on the moves to talk about. The First Half was brilliant. The Second Half was equally brilliant. The Extra Time was brilliant as well.

There were Messi and Muller and other moments in the first half and there were rush to score and grab the ball. There were two Yellow Cards in quick succession. The goalkeepers were on the job. The defence line was on the job. The attack was as sharp as expected. Moves were made, chances were created and chances were blocked. The flow continued and bettered it in the Second Half.

GERMANY VS ARGENTINA: BRILLIANT 120 MINUTES OF THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

A game to the level of a World Cup final was expected and it was delivered. It was brilliant. It was magnificent. It was full of smooth and rough moves and it oozed the Football power. It remained goalless and suddenly it came, in a heart-stopping moment that was well earned by Mario Gotze.

And it came in the 114^th minute – with a memorable trail behind it – with the heat and the pulse of the day punching action-packed moves regularly:

23h – Germany Vs Argentina – to begin in 7 minutes from now - the game of many 'Vs's - the match of the grand moment - :) --

23h - Germany Vs Argentina - 15 minutes into the game – one Messi moment and one Muller moment leading the pack so far --

22h - Germany Vs Argentina - 2 Yellow Cards in 10 minutes - the rush is going to bring some good out of this game --

22h - Germany Vs Argentina – real, real close chance for Argentina, driven by Messi in the 49^th minute --

ARGENTINA VS GERMANY: SO, THE WORLD CUP IS COMING TO ITS END NOW..

So, it is coming to its end tomorrow (India time). The final match of the FIFA World Cup 2014 begins at 12:30 AM India time.

And what a quality time it has been – a beautiful month of adventure on the field – with World Cup category thrill – packed with moments of shock, surprise, joy and distress – the elevating high points, the saddening low points and the maddening no-brainers – it gave us all what a World Cup should have.

I was never a Football fan but I always loved the World Cup. I used to be crazy for Cricket in my college days. That love is not anymore. Cricket event doesn’t register now.

But the love for the FIFA World Cup and some other major Football events has grown significantly and I realized during this edition of the event.

BRAZIL: THEY COULD NOT DELIVER EVEN SCOLARI’S SMALLER DREAM

It was statistics and it was the game so far and it was the love for the Brazilian Football team - the reasons for cheering for Brazil, until July 9. It came naturally for the Football fans across the world. Yes, Germany is a legendary Football team as well but when it comes to choosing between Brazil and Germany for a third country Football fan, the Brazilian fans would far outnumber the German fans, when it comes to a World Cup match – at least this was the case before the Brazil-Germany World Cup 2014 semifinal match.

It was supported by facts like Brazil had never lost a match at home in 39 years as the FIFA World Cup app says. But that was before this Brazil Vs Germany match on July 9.

Brazil faced Germany in 2002 World Cup final where Brazil outpaced the Germans to lift their 5^th World Cup Crown. Germans had their sweet revenge and in style when they paid back the 2-0 loss of 2002 final with the 1-7 victory of the 2014 semifinal. The victory margin is huge and it gives Germany the edge in celebrating the feat even if the Brazilian team played like a novice with no defence and defanged attack.

RESPECT THE REBEL VOICE WITHIN YOU

My reflections on life – in quotes (LXXXV)

“Don't conform.

Life has no place for frailties.

Respect the rebel voice within you.

That may well be the call of the finer you.

Aspire and be liberated.

Life has no place for sympathy seekers.”

RESPECT THE REBEL VOICE WITHIN YOU

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com

THE DAY IS BROKEN

The day is broken,

Unspoken, out of the blue,

And is still crashing on deep,

And it is numb,

Indifferent to the cries..

The day is broken,

Freezing the thoughts,

Pushing them to no return,

And hit by its vertigo,

Has grown dumb to every call..

JULY 11: MY FIRST BLOGGING MILESTONE DAY

COLORES INFINITUM

Some simple pointers first:

October 16, 2011 to July 11, 2014 – 1000 days

October 16, 2011 to December 31, 2011 – 77 days – 79 posts

January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012 – 366 days – 400 posts

January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 – 365 days – 430 posts

January 1, 2013 – July 11, 2014 – 192 days – 319 posts

October 16, 2011 to July 11, 2014 – 1000 days – 1228 posts (excluding this one) —

It’s been long that writing became my favourite activity, my trusted companion and my disciplined release from the life of the day, of the moments, and completing 1000 days without any break is the moment to look back again on this recent past, to reflect on what has become one of the mainstay journeys of my life – today is a milestone event on this journey – a day to retrospect – a day to go retrospective on my life and on my life through my written works – obviously the whole work doesn't get to my blogs now (four, with different specifications) – even if 25% of it, blogging is still the primary tool for me to be disciplined with writing – and completing a period of 1000 days without a break tells me the discipline has been able to follow its course so far – and reminds me of the need to continue with it – for this – this is a Milestone Day for my blogging – and for my writing discipline.

MY MADNESS IS FOR ME

My madness is for me

Its joy that makes me we

My freedom is not split

My soul has got its spirit

My loneliness is fulfilling

Its friendship is refreshing

What if they have jeers to say

My peace has me on this way

ARGENTINA VS NETHERLANDS: A WORLD CUP SEMIFINAL INDEED

Netherlands Vs Argentina or Argentina Vs Netherlands – it remains the same both ways - it was the hope before the match – and thankfully, the regular hours and the extended minutes were on this line.

The hope was on Argentina to extend the team performance to Lionel Messi – and the hope was that it be at par with the Netherlands team performance and the Oranje 'trio's (Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder) fabulous show.

The hope was - it would help us to accommodate the letdown of the Brazil Vs Germany match that was indeed Germany>>>>>>>Brazil – Brazil were never in the game – and even if Germany was not on the top of its game, it’s dominance over Brazil on the day was unparalleled.   

ARGENTINA VS NETHERLANDS: THE MOMENTS OF A GOOD WORLD CUP SEMIFINAL

It was indeed a good game, even if not played that smartly – it had the fine qualities to keep the fans and enthusiasts glued to the TV sets – yes, it went to the war of nerves and was decided by the Penalty Shootout, a ‘never preferable’ end to such a good game – but, it had the elements of a must-watch World Cup semifinal – here is how the 127+Penalty Shootout minutes went for me:

19h - Netherlands Vs Argentina or Argentina Vs Netherlands - Hope it remains the same both ways – especially after the #BrazilVsGermany letdown! --

19h – Netherlands Vs Argentina - it begins now --

19h – Netherlands Vs Argentina - 1^st 25 minutes - good game as the moments are on the go - chances and close chances and the missed close chances --

19h – Netherlands Vs Argentina - an all European World Cup final or Europe Vs South America will be the sides? Match is open - equal chances after 35 minutes - Score 0-0 --

19h – Netherlands Vs Argentina - 5 minutes to 45+1 – Score still 0-0 - can Netherlands be the finalist again after 2010? - Oranje and white-blue-stripes equally good --

ARGENTINA VS NETHERLANDS: HOPE, AND HOPE, AFTER BRAZIL LETDOWN

Netherlands Vs Argentina or Argentina Vs Netherlands: 

Hope it remains the same both ways - the teams play a challenging game.. 

Hope Argentina extend the team performance to Lionel Messi and it be at par with the Netherlands team performance and its dependable 'trio's, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, fabulous show..  

Hope it help us to accommodate the letdown of Brazil Vs Germany match that was indeed Germany>>>>>>>Brazil - Brazil were never in the game.. 

Hope the second World Cup 2014 semi-final would indeed be a FIFA World Cup event..

Hope we won't have shocking developments today.. 

yes, Football surprises and we would love to have them but outright capitulation what Brazil did yesterday is never acceptable.. 

Many, many points to hope, and hope, and hope, after the Germany > Brazil semi-final the bad taste of which will take long to go.. 

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com

BRAZIL VS GERMANY: I AM SAD BECAUSE BRAZIL LOST IT THIS WAY

No one had expected it – not even me, sitting half way across the world, in India, when the game began – when it was 1:30 AM, July 9, India time – when Luiz Felipe Scolari’s boys began to take over the Germans – a team with as good prospects as Brazil had – but that was before 1:30 AM – and that was it – by 1:50 AM, it was written all over – the Team Brazil was effectively and mercilessly slain – its journey to this FIFA World Cup edition was over – it was slashed, it was chopped – and its pieces were thrown to add to the humiliation that kept on exacerbating the misery as the match progressed.

Brazilians are sad. They are hurt. And they are losing their cool. And nothing illogical about it!

Brazilians are sobbing. Brazilians are weeping. Brazilians are crying. They are resorting to violence to express their anger. Someone tweeted a Brazilian newspaper’s front page (Estado de Minas) that was almost blank, as if protesting this shocking defeat – a loss that was not even a World Cup loss going by the benchmarks of the World Cup and of Brazil. They are shocked. They can’t believe it.

BRAZIL VS GERMANY: HOW THE HEARTBREAK HAPPENED

Nothing much to write about this one, that was supposed to be the most high-profile and most challenging World Cup match.

It was an overall Brazilian washout led by the six minutes in the first half during which the shine of the Yellow was totally shadowed and it further exacerbated the Brazilian show. Four goals in six minutes – German attacks aided by limping Brazilian defence - it is going to haunt the generations of Brazil’s Football lovers in a country that is mad about the Beautiful Game.

11 hours ago

It's disaster!

Its massacre scale!

It's almost done!

The rout without the clinical precision!

Germany 4 Brazil 0. Can Brazil come back now? It's almost sealed. Just 25 minutes into the game. Can Brazil save the day and the 39 year old record of remaining unbeaten at home? No!!

Its riot now!

Here comes the 5th German goal. The 1^st finalist of the FIFA World Cup 2014 is Germany.

11 hours ago

Germany unleashing a massacre in Brazil - winning lead of 5-0 - its riot - Brazilians acting desperate now - with their defence gone and their attack aimless - #Samba is for the #Rio Carnival now!!

HD KUMARASWAMY IS THE MOST HONEST OF THE LOT!

HD Kumaraswamy is the most honest of the lot – it is proved thus – he accepted the merit of what everyone else was hesitant about.

He has dared to venture beyond – where no other politician, big and small – had ventured so far.

And he has accepted it in a grand style – going all across – addressing whosoever seeks to approach him.

And he firmed his position on it every time a hostile question was thrown at him – his iteration was perfect every time – his tone sharpening every time.

THE DROPS ARE BLACK OR THE NIGHT IS DARKER?

The rain has brought the darker night again,

My thoughts are trying to get through it,

To see, if the drops are coloured black, or,

To see through, if the night itself is darker,

With its sable shadowing the lines visible,

Answers not responding, mind is restless,

And no call from the night’s stillness either,

Strange this night is, the heart wants to fear it,

SOMETIME, YOU STILL FEEL THE TOUCH OF DAYS

Sometime, it keeps you waiting, but,

Sometime, it fakes everything, but,

Sometime, it lets you down, but,

Sometime, it’s about feeling so, but,

You still want to see the point

You still want to take the chance

You still feel the need to go back

You still feel the touch of days

DIVISIVE RHETORIC ON SAI BABA AND HINDU DEITIES: UNFORTUNATE, DEPLORABLE

Well, it’s sad, it’s unfortunate, and it’s deplorable.

We all haven’t heard or seen Gods.

And we have more than enough and valid reasons to believe that no one, including those who claim, has heard or seen any God – ‘any’ God because we are routinely told there are many Gods – because we are also told that all Gods lead to the One – everyone, in fact, most, cannot and never reach to that spiritual high to realize the ‘oneness’ of this ‘many identities’.

Anyway, that is not the concern here. The concern is – we all haven’t seen or heard Gods and yet, we, so shamelessly, keep on claiming Him (or Her) or claim in His name (or Her name).

It is saddening and maddening to hear the divisive rhetoric on ‘Sai Baba with Hindu Deities in temples’ these days that has gone well beyond the words to mobilize the religious factions, followers and fanatics on the ground – and the line between a follower and a fanatic is in imminent danger of losing its relevance.

बूँदें काली हैं या रात कुछ ज्यादा स्याह है

बरसात फिर अँधेरी रात लेकर आयी है

दिल समझने की कोशिश कर रहा है के

बूँदें काली हैं या रात कुछ ज्यादा स्याह है

दिल बेचैन है पर जवाब देने वाला खामोश है

सन्नाटे से भी कोई आवाज़ नहीं आ रही है