farooq – Page 13 – Revering Thoughts

Forgetting

By farooq

On March 24, 2017

In Random Philosophy

Every time. Every time when I’m traveling out of the city, I end up forgetting a thing or two.

Of course, when you don’t have your Ammi shouting in your ears to pack, forgetting a few things is quite normal.

Who packs an hour before leaving to catch their bus ?

*raises hands*

This time it’s my earphones!

At least, that’s the only thing I remember not bringing along. Till now.

There was that feeling of ‘I’ve forgot something’ as soon as I walked out of the door. Halfway towards the bus stop and then it struck.

Shit!

It’s easier to manage without a lot of things. But earphones ? Especially when you have a load of people talking as if it’s their living room. The shady lights of the bus, ain’t helping either.

I’ve forcefully got myself accustomed to buses but once in a while, the irritation comes back. This is one of those times. My fat backpack didn’t fit upar and is infringing on my legspace.

Yes, I am pretty excited about the trip. Anxious too.

I do hate not bringing in my earphones but maybe, I’ll be able to read the book I kept as a travel token. Maybe.

Maybe I’ll also forget a few other things here before I return. And it won’t be a bad thing. Maybe.

Anyways, Beaches, here I come.

From the balcony

By farooq

On March 23, 2017

In Random Philosophy

If there’s one place which makes me feel like home, then it’s the balcony.

It is not even a balcony, per se.

Just the passage between my terrace and door, which happens to be on the 4th floor. It gives me a sort of 360 degree view of the tiny lanes disecting each other giving rise to buildings out of nowhere.

Sitting here, I can see the cross over the church and the temple under the peepal tree. If this were a weekend and i’d be up for a few more hours, I would hear the azaan from the far-away mosque as well.

Nights are usually calm. On weekdays of course.

Barring the sound of leaves being whisked away by the wind and engine sounds from a distance, there’s hardly anyone to give the barking dogs company in their night expeditions.

It’s Friday already! A day of work still pending.

My bums, on these cemented stairs, feel sleepy. While the mosquitoes try to strike a conversation.

The bed calls me to sleep. Resisting that cup of coffee helps in not saying no.

Understanding Right to Education Act

By farooq

On March 21, 2017

In Politics & Social Issues

“…to accept it (this truth) is to recognize that every culture contains itself its own doom unless it pays as much attention to the education of the mass of mankind as to the education of the exceptionally gifted people”

–Professor Hogden in Mathematics for the million, London, 1942

I read this excerpt in Nehru’ Discovery of India and it still echoes strongly. Education has to be the priority for the masses.

The Right to Education (RTE) bill was passed in 2009 (came into force on 1 April 2010) and since then only 8% schools have come under the provision of RTE.

Now, what exactly is the Right to education anyways?

RTE makes education as a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 and 14. All private schools have to reserve 25% of seats for kids admitted on the basis of economic status or caste based reservations. The Central and State government (70-30 partnership, approx) will reimburse the schools for this.

I’m pretty sure many of you have forgotten that such an act even exists. Well, blame it on the poor PR skills of the previous government. And of course our amazing bureaucracy.

But we cannot solely blame the bureaucracy. If you look at the budget allocation over the years, India’s % allocation on education when compared to other countries’ is dismal. Going by data from 2012, we rank 143rd in the list of countries based on education spending as a percentage of our GDP.

Appalling!

On paper, RTE is revolutionary and could have helped in bringing more number of kid into primary education. Implementation has always been a key problem in our country and this is no different.

There has been a fair share of critique to this act because it’s a reform for the past. Focus on quality education and changing the outcome of what we currently dish out as the ‘final product’. If you consider numerous reports of humongous numbers like 50% of engineers are unemployable, it fits the critique too. What kind of education are we giving?

However, with a sizeable population, which doesn’t even have access to primary education screams louder, the priority has to be about fixing that. Everything, of course, needs to be done parallel but primary education needs to be fixed!

Access to primary education helps open doors to a new life for many families.

Sure, RTE has a lot of structural issues and that may be one of the reasons for its implementation as well. But this has to be part of ‘News’ and ‘debates’ instead of whether we’ll get to see a temple/Mosque in Ayodhya.

This is just a start to understanding RTE and reforms around education. I’d love if you have any valuable inputs to add to this. This might not be much but we can do our bit. Right?

In your Opinion ?

By farooq

On March 20, 2017

In Politics & Social Issues, Random Philosophy

I’m currently watching a TV-show called, “The Good Wife” and about to finish the 2nd season. So, no spoilers, please.

The show has the backdrop of a law firm and a lot of legal jargons, courtroom dramas, etc. One of the recurring judges has the habit of asking the attorneys to add, ‘in my opinion’ at the end of each statement. For e.g, if the defense claims that the accused is not guilty of the charges, the lawyer arguing his case will have to say, ‘Your honor, my client is innocent, in my opinion’.

As much as it appears funnily annoying and makes the judge appear to be a jerk. It makes so much sense.

If you can re-imagine all the conversations you’ve had with ‘in my opinion’ you would never be taken for a ride.

Everything one says is an opinion. Even this piece you’re reading now, is an opinion.

I’ll let you in on a Trade secret. Not such a big one, though.

From the time I started writing Movie reviews (https://reveringthoughts.com/category/movies-entertainment/), I’ve made sure to not read its review before I watch the movie. Even though I write and want people to read my reviews, I strongly believe (again, in my opinion) that it’s so easy to form an opinion on the movie based on what I’d read prior to watching it. It isn’t like I don’t read reviews but I read them after I’ve written mine.

Sure, we believe someone’s opinion based on their credibility. It does take time for people to build that credibility.

And that’s why all the propaganda starts with making you agree on few aspects of the message to help build their credibility. The brainwash requires a long chain of knots, tied slowly, to chain you up.

People have to realize that a large section of the society, once they’ve build a sizable credibility, will try to reap a few fruits out of it too.

It is critical to have the filter of ‘in their opinion’ to every news, every speech and every action. In the age of cheap social-media driven PR, anyone can become a hero or a villain. The only thing that matters is, whose opinion people give-in easily.

P.S. In my opinion.

There’s a lot in a name

By farooq

On March 19, 2017

In Politics & Social Issues, Random Philosophy

This story popped up on my Timeline a while back. http://m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rejected-for-jobs-40-times-this-saddam-hussain-goes-to-court-for-a-new-identity/story-Npxi3VwfOC5EJl0QdpFZnO.html

It describes the ordeals of a 25-year old who faced difficulties in getting a job because of his name.

Saddam Hussain.

It reminded me of how we, as kids who were to appear for our Matriculation exam in the following year, were surprised. Surprised to learn that our friend, whose name was Saddam, has decided to change his name.

If I recall correctly, most of us were of the opinion that its just paranoia. We were kids without the knowledge of how the real world functions. I’m glad he changed his name and avoided unwanted troubles.

I also happened to know a really nice guy with the name Osama. He never changed his name and its been years’ since i met him and he will definitely have a long list of interesting stories to tell.

I do wonder what do people with my namesake are doing ? Will I be responsible for actions they commit or are even blamed for ?

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor had to face a lot of trouble for naming their baby, Taimur. Although, I’m glad they did not change it!

Choosing a name is no more limited to auspicious time or letters. A quick Google search of all the infamous personalities is now part of the checklist as well.

Shakespeare wasn’t far-sighted enough, I guess. There’s a lot in a name. Not everything is Rosy after all.

The Rythm is calling

By farooq

On March 18, 2017

In Random Philosophy

“Chal chaiyan chaiyan… chaiyan chaiyan….” plays in the background. No one wants to head back in the rythm. And yet they are.

Voices in the head. From loudspeakers.

Finding happy people at this hour is a rarety. At least visibly happy people.

Language is not familiar. And yet it is.

This is the ideal aspirational state. The looking-happy state. Perhaps it seeps through. Seeps in to project the happiness we crave. Maybe. What’s the harm in trying ?

Illusion is stronger. Forces you to go-after what you want, but won’t. The visible happiness is pulling strings. It’s surreal to let go. And yet, you dont let it. Holding its hands, you don’t let this overtake you.

The rhythm is calling.

Hold it. Hold it there. Reality is just standing away from the door.

The absence of Goal Clarity

By farooq

On March 17, 2017

In Random Philosophy

Every dua when I was a kid used to have a few standard things. It was like a long list of things that I asked Allah. I would go like, Ya Allah, I want this, this, this and yes, this too!

Most of those, okay ALL of those, were materialistic things.

When I look back to recall what were those things that I longed for, I’m glad I didn’t get those. Sure, I did get a few of those but not all.

Now, why am I glad that I didn’t get my wishes fulfilled?

Well, those were never the things that I really wanted. Those were borne out of what I saw others with. I wanted those because others had them.

And no, this isn’t that stage of my life when I would get something by crying out or rolling in the mud near our Shop right in the middle of the road to my Abbu’s embarrassment. Oh yes, I was THAT kid.

Damn! Who tolerates this kind of kids?!

All my prayers used to be centered on that list. Every few months, I’ll bump one off the list and add another. And no, I’m not telling you what those were.

What I now realize is, we don’t actually seek a particular thing (or even a list of it), but we crave for a state of content. At least I do now. I’m not clear as to what will give me that state of contentment. The list is gone. I go ahead in adding Aameen to what Hafiz Saab says with a voice in my head, ‘Yes, that’d be great to have’, ‘Yes, that too’ ‘Aameen’. And I say Aameen only when I believe in what he says.

It was so easy to find contentment in that one extra laddoo left on the plate when guests leave and no one’s watching you. Now, even when a box might not bring that same joy.

There are two things here, either as kids, we are clear on what we want or are totally oblivious to what we really need. Maybe looking back, with my adult eyes, it feels different.

I know there are many who still have clarity on what they want from life, from their God, from this world and its people, and that’s so great! Only, I cannot see that for myself.

I imagine the state of fulfillment to any wish to be a plain rather than a peak. Like, when I reach that state I’ll get to enjoy it with others because there’ll be space for all.

The lack of specificity is what life’s current state is. Just like the words that I wrote.

Why we should wait before reacting to ‘News’

By farooq

On March 16, 2017

In Politics & Social Issues

Remember that time when we used to wait for that sound of the newspaper being thrown at our doors by the newspaper guy? It used to be me or Dada anxiously waiting.

24×7 news channels weren’t there back then and newspapers were the thing. The timeline of reporting was longer and whatever reached us in the morning was quite certainly a clearer picture.

With the advent of News Channels, things changed and news could reach us instantly in the form of ‘Breaking news’. In this hurry to make it reach faster and claim, ‘We were the first ones to report it’, fact-checks stopped being a priority.

And then Twitter happened and news needed to be even faster.

I don’t know how many of you have watched, “The Newsroom” but there’s an interesting episode which talks exactly about this issue. To give you some context, the tv-series is a take on issues regarding news production, news and conflicts and of course journalistic ethics. This particular episode, which I mentioned, is how a news channel decides to wait before declaring the result of an election. Even when all other news channels have already reported it, they decide to wait and it turns out all others were wrong. And they were right.

How many news-channels would do that?Running a story without fact checking seems to be the norm these days. Everyone wants a headline. The Junta too needs just a headline to react and the wait-it-out and see approach seldom works.

A few days earlier, there was a ‘controversy’ where a reality show singer has been issued a ‘fatwa’ for not singing. Everyone was reacting to it, articles were written, facebook statuses were unleashed and what was the result? That there was no fatwa! Don’t even get me started on stupid Fatwas becoming prime time news.

Few days before, when the Gurmeher Kaur issue was the talk of the town, Minister Kiren Rijju reacted to questions from journalists. Later, he himself said that he hasn’t watched the video on which the entire controversy was based!

The Issue with dangal actress Zaira Waseem to Kanhaiya Kumar, who is the face of anti-nationals, to a long-list of ‘controversies’ which could very well be a side-column of a newspaper is the front page news. Probably because everyone needs a ‘front-page’ news item every hour!

Our FOMO instincts make us share the fake news stories circulated by Political IT Teams based on our confirmation bias.

When news channels start competing with Entertainment channels, this is bound to happen.
A lot of blame also has to fall on us, who are actively living on social media. Before writing something as a reaction straightaway, let’s try to wait for a while for the story to develop and then express our ‘valuable’ view-point. Our high-degree of FOMO needs to be controlled!

How do you like the change ?

By farooq

On March 15, 2017

In Random Philosophy

There are a lot of changes that happen at work when it comes to our team’s seating arrangement. Of course, it happens with all other teams, but hey, I’m writing it now, so listen to MY issue. Okay?

Okay.

We’ve been moved around. A lot. The first time it happened. We were like, ‘Why Us?’!

And over time when it kept happening, we became used to it. Now, we’re like, ‘Oh New Place?’

Anyways, I’m not here to tell you my work story. That’s better for those awkward water-cooler moments.

What I get out of this is the ‘idea of change’. Just a mere thought of it sounds ridiculous. It only results in a collective burst of irritating ‘Why’s’! But when we become okay with it, it’s fun.

Whenever I was at home and Ammi used to see the phone in my hand, the world-famous ‘Aag laga dena re wo phone’ was the catch-phrase.

And just last month when both my parents were here. You know what happened?

So I walk upstairs, after locking my cycle, tired. Stood at the door and saw, Ammi on her phone watching a tv-show on Youtube, Abbu listening to some takreer on the Kindle. I stood there laughing. Stood there reminding them of ‘Aag lagadena wo phonaan ku’ !

Point is, Change is permanent. And as clichéd as this sounds, is a way of life. The longer we take the time to adjust to those, the longer we remain irritated by the thought of it.

Changing how we’ve lived our lives is never easy. We’re so used to ‘our way’. Sure, we all have our tastes and preferences, but nothing is the same forever.

We think of the past as something glorious. It hardly is in most of the cases.

Nostalgia is good. To the point that it shouldn’t stop us from enjoying the present or the future that we’re trying to build. So, it’s good to think, ‘Wish we were in School’ and sigh! But don’t forget how scared we used to get for not doing homework, writing 1000 impositions on ‘I won’t talk in class’ (Yeah that was fun) and tons of other things which are funny to remember NOW!

Things change. Agree sometimes the ‘changes aren’t good’ but that’s how nature is. It’ll change. We have to learn to deal with it. Put on some fun to it even if there’s none.

Waise, change se yaad aaya, 2000 ka change mil raha hai ? (Yet another change, huh :P)

Existence Theories

By farooq

On March 13, 2017

In Random Philosophy

Just finished watching, ‘The Lego Movie” and it was something. Very deep and philosophical.

Yea, some of you would say, ‘Not everything is deep’. I mean, okay. If you say so. (No, pun intended).

I’ve always thought of the ‘what-ifs’ like, ‘What if we all are part of someone else’s story? Or what if everyone is part of our story and is only there for our amusement? Or misery?

Like everything is on ‘statue-mode’ when I’m not there and moves around as soon as I notice them. And they’ve perfected it to the extent that I can never catch hold of them.

Yes, it sounds very self-obsessed but just imagine!

Maybe each of us has a parallel co-existence in each other’s story. But we feel that it is our story.

No, strike that. Maybe that’s life, right? (Or Not?) *raises an eyebrow*

Or what if we are part of some Artificial Intelligence led Reality TV show of the future?

No, I hate those! Strike, that too.

What if we have the power to make things happen but we don’t realize it. This can happen, right?

Let me try.

Go make yourself a cup of Coffee and stop writing this post!

P.S It worked!

Author: farooq Page 13 of 45