Khamoshi

Kuch suna tha kal baithe
Yaadon ke parindon se
Keh rahi thi hawayein bhi
Kuch ankahi kahaniyan

Us pal ki khamoshi me
Us raat ki tanhayee me
Suni ek ankahi kahaani
Kahi ek ansuni kahaani

Teri saanse teri dhadkan
Tod rahi theen wo chuppi
Jo aa gayee thi darmayan
Jaane kab jaane kahan

Aaj itne Saalon baad
Teri aankhon me dekha maine
Ek khwaishon ka samaa
Koi sapna purana, koi sapna nayaa

Aaj Nikali hai ek kiran
Baadalon ko cheerti
Kehti ek naya fasana
Ashaon ka afsaana

Her silent scream!

A catch of breath
A broken wing
While she made
A silent scream

As she swore
She promised more
That in her core
Will live his lore

The time was cruel
It did not stop
And back and forth
She passed and passed

The Great Indian Reservation System

Disclaimer: I have nothing against people who belong to SC/ST and OBC categories, and the intentions behind each and every point that I make here is to point out the faults in the current education system and government policies. I blame it all on the government, because as someone has already mentioned in one of the answers below, if you are not going to take it, somebody who is less deserving is going to.

I have had this discussion with some of my peers during my undergrad, and I would like to put forward my point in a way similar to how I had put it at that time:

Scene 1:
(Flashback-5yrs before)
Me standing in the queue since the last 30 mins or something for the JEE form costing Rs.1000. A guy comes on a Karizma, parks his bike close by, goes directly to the counter(as there is a separate line and form for reservation candidates), buys the form for Rs. 500, opens up his MotoRazr, talks to somebody over the phone for 2-3 mins and rides away on his bike.

Scene 2:
(During 4 years of my undergrad)
A guy with an iPhone, 2 laptops(1 of which is a macbook), and a whole plethora of other gadgets, and who I know to be filthy rich gets a scholarship with full tuition fee waiver and monthly expenses extra because his father is a businessman who can fudge his income sheet.

The connect:
Scene 1 shows why the current reservation system is not working. Why the people who generally take advantage of such a scheme of government are not the ones whom the scheme is actually meant for.
Scene 2 on the other hand shows that even if our government based the reservation system on economic background, there will be people, who will take advantage of the situation and create a similar problem.

So what should the reservation be based upon?
The idea behind reservation system(ideally) is to reduce disparity in the educational and economic background of the families of India. Because of the extent to which corruption has deepened its roots inside our nation, any statistic that we base the reservation upon will be fudged. And I don't think there is anything the government can do about it(unless we start talking about unrealistic goals like removing corruption)

Why not remove this reservation system completely?
Read along. You will your get your answer by the end of this article.

Before we move ahead, here is my background:
-belong to OBC category
-undergrad from IIT Kanpur, 2012 pass out(admitted on General Rank, didn't apply in OBC)
-PGDM from IIM Calcutta, starting in 2013(admitted on General Rank, didn't apply in OBC)

I have studied in one of the most coveted institutes of India, and though I could not get the department of my choice, I am still proud of the fact that I did not succumb to the temptation of getting an admission through the OBC reservation quota because it is completely against what I believe in. My parents also have been supportive of my decision. Skeptical(they made sure I knew what I was risking and going to lose out on), but supportive nonetheless. And before you ask, I come from a middle class family with quite a humble economic background.

I have experienced almost everything that has been said about the reservations in the answers below. A lot of more-deserving students(in terms of intellect) do not get the branch of their choice because of the reservation problem. And even worse, a lot of them don't even get a seat altogether and someone who is economically, intellectually and socially less deserving than him/her takes the cake.

Is it always like this?
No. In my 4 years at IITK, the wing I was a part of, had 18 people, and 2 of them, who were from SC/ST category really deserved to be admitted. Not because of their intellect, but because of the background they were from. One of them was the only engineer from his village, and is an inspiration to a number of kids from there and a hope to their parents that there is still a chance for their kid to make it big in this unequal world. The other, well, I have been to his house, and have a first person account of the kind of economic background that he comes from. Lets just say that if anyone deserved those seats, it would be them.

What I am trying to say here is that if this reservation system can help even a small number of people, can bring them up the social and economic ladder, can bring about a change, can instill hope in the oppressed class of the Indian populace, then it has a right to exist. Even if a large part of it is misutilized by people who don't have any right to avail it.

Yes it is not perfect. But what is?

I don't think most of us have a problem with reservation. What we have a problem with is the people who misutilize this benefit. And that cannot be changed by making new policies. The change that we need to bring in our country will only be brought if we, as individuals, start taking things into our own hands. I know how ideal(and in the words of some of my friends, ridiculous) I sound here, but that doesn't make it any less true.

I have taken a small step in this regard, tried to make it right, and things have fallen into place(I agree to the fact that I have doubted my decision regarding not applying as an OBC, specially right before the results). And I am not the only one. There are people I know who have done the same. I would not disrupt their privacy by taking names but they exist. I know how ideal I sound here, but that is what my perception about this problem is. And to be honest, I don't think reservation is going to be abolished anytime soon because of Indian politics, so why not make the best out it? Yes, I am an optimist, to the core, and a huge Bollywood fan. So I would end this with one of my favorite dialogues from Rang De Basanti:

Koi bhi desh perfect nahin hota, use behtar banana parta hai.

Twoface

Well, here is something for the Prison Break fans. The poem was written keeping in mind the character of the protagonist, Michael Scofield and his love interest, Dr. Sara Tancredi. Hope you like it! :)

The days of my Life

Today, I'll tell you about a dream of mine, a dream where sometimes I see myself sitting in a room, having just selected a song on my iPod, searching for a good and happy place in my mind. And I see now what I will see then- Me sitting right outside my room, with my wingies and close friends, not talking, but just enjoying each other’s company in amicable silence.

At other times, I find myself in my first months of college, before any responsibility, walking on a crisp autumn night in my college, relishing my initial days of independence as a young adult. I can feel it now- cool air, clear sky, walking to the canteen or the nearby dhaba for a late night meal. No permission required.

Certainly the best days of my life.

Finding IIT Kanpur for me was very much like how Harry Potter would have felt on being introduced to magic, how Lucy would have felt walking into a wardrobe only to find Narnia or Luke Skywalker would have felt on being introduced to the world of the Jedis. It has been all I could ask for- challenging enough to push me to my limits, and providing me with friends that were always there to help me when I lost balance. It has been a home away from home.

The late night strolls leading to enlightening discussions, the trips to OAT for chocolate truffle, nightouts for Galaxy and its preparations, Antaragni and those four days of extravagance, Counter Strike and Fifa nightouts filled with friendly abusing are memories that I will always cherish in my heart.

Yes, I have dreamt about finishing college and starting a new life that is full of promises, new experiences and new friends. But what about the ones that I’ll have to leave behind! Today, standing at the brink of this change that will lead to a new world entirely, I just don’t want it to get over. The words of Jack London best describe what is on my mind right now- “Darn the wheel of the world! Why must it continually turn over? Where is the reverse gear?” 

The words of Van Morrison ring in my ear, as I prepare for my last day of lecture here:

These are the days now that we must savour
And we must enjoy as we can
These are the days that will last forever
You’ve got to hold them in your heart 

 

ये दिल

कि दिल चाहता है तुमको, तुम्ही को

तो गर तुम न चाहो तो इसकी खता क्या

कि दिल चाहता है जो तुमको, तुम्ही को

तो गर तुम न समझो तो इसको पता क्या

आई थी दिल कि वो बात इस जुबान पे

जो तुने सुनी ना तो इसकी खता क्या

धड़कता रहा ये जो तेरे लिए सिर्फ

वो धड़कन सुनी ना तो इसकी खता क्या

ना जाने ये दिल वो मंदिर, वो मौला

तुम्ही को अपना खुदा मानता है

ना समझे ज़माने कि मुश्किल जरा भी

तुम्ही को अपना सदा मानता है

जो नहीं सामने इन निगाहों के है तू

वो दर्द भी ये दिल खूब जानता है

जो छुपाये है ये दिल दर्द इंतज़ार का

वो दर्द भी ये दिल बहुत खूब जानता है

ये सोचे है हरपल जो तुमको तुम्ही को

क्या सोचे तू ये दिल कहाँ जानता है

तू क्यूँ इसकी नादानियों को न समझे

ये दिल सिर्फ तेरी ख़ुशी चाहता है

You will always live in our memories my dear friend

Everyday I wake up

Realizing that you are gone

Reality keeps forcing me

To accept that you are done

Finished with all the chaos

This earthly world can bring

Through with all the pain and problems

And all those simple things

Am I so selfish to wish that you

Were here alive on earth?

Am I wrong to wish you back

Just so I won't hurt?

All the things I never said

Strong feelings I never shared

I took your love for granted and put you off

Because I just knew you would always be there

I pushed you away because I needed space

To be young, live the college life, and grow

But I was gonna get back right with you

I swear, But now you'll never know

I can only wait until the day

That we'll meet again

I know that you will still be you

Funny, crazy, a friend

You were never perfect

You weren't an angel by far

But damn boy you were you

And even before you died

I knew I would never be able

To replace you

Your smile, your eyes

Your laughter, your words

Are embedded in my mind

And forever you'll live in my heart and dreams

Until the end of my life

I still remember the day I met you, still remember the evenings we spent at various cafes gossiping about gals and profs and crushes of our group, still remember the back bencher gang we were a

part of, the orkutting in class, frustrating the teachers with our continuous distraction (and each one at that)

, the evening rides, the reunions, the after school NDA trips, and the unforgettable school canteen masti that we daily had. Frustrating Kundan Sir and Majumdar, and then VP(Yah, Brother Satish a.k.a. Chattis) after that

, they have been and will always be the most cherished memories of my life.

I don’t think I ever told you how important you were to our group, to us and how u changed our lives. You showed us how to live life and how to enjoy it today before it became yesterday. Would miss you and cherish those memories ever. You'd always live in our memories my dear friend. ALWAYS.