Ritendra's Blog

The doomsday predictions have oscillated from sanctified despair to amusement. Let me not spoil the party mood by juggling hideous consternation or brood about this never ending debate of whether this year is going to be the end of this civilization. Films like 2012, showing an orgy of violent destruction hardly provokes a thought in me other than titillation because I have no doubt that this should be the end. Another member of the nay Sayers group…. Well that is as far from the truth as you are from reality. The truth that we espouse is the convenient truth that is comfortable to digest and which is incessantly poured in our delirious minds by the ‘ corporate’ sponsored media. The same ‘Corporate’ who caress you with greed and at the same time makes our mind sick and tired and pushes you to a purgatory plane of existence. Well once our life is ensnared by the corporate behemoths, we find peace by gloriously calling it the discreet life of the bourgeoisie. The American Dream. Let...

It is often believed that Media is the Fourth Pillar, along with Judiciary, legislature and executive that is responsible for supporting democracy. But since the Media organizations are not sponsored by the Government unlike the other three pillars, continuous flow of revenue dictates Media’s survival. Moreover media does not exist in a vacuum nor does it enjoy monopoly power in most of the states. “Sensationalism” can be viewed as a cream that differentiates various cakes of same taste to get peoples interest and thereby ensuring the survival of the organization ‘making the cake’ that is Media Organization. In an environment where 24 hour news channels rule the roost, it is often very difficult for the media organizations to deliver the news to its target audience and do it successfully over a long period of time. It cannot be ruled out that sensationalism of news can hurt the interest or feelings of certain people or community. To ensure such incidents do not take place privacy law...

When I look at the mirror I see gloomy yellowing eyes covered by thick black glasses, replacing the rimless glasses of the years that have passed by. They were white and shinning and full of hope when I was younger. A fat, melancholic face framed preciously by drooping eyebrows and defeated lips that once threw snappy phrases. I am not bald, or even balding, but now the hair on my head is extravagantly spaced. I had once sported curly disheveled hair and gained an almost professional air with it. The hairs grayed and became extravagantly spaced with time. The shriveled skin of my face now glistens with sweat from the midday heat. Bare chest with a thick white thread running across the body, would give up my religious identity of being a Hindu. Crisp white Pajama on my lower part of the body would establish my identity as a Bengali. This appearance of mine would not reveal what socio-economic background I come from or what are my tastes and education. You have to look at the table at ...

The seventh floor penthouse of The Embassy Boulevard apartment on Race Course Road of Malgudi was burgled when the owners Mr. and Mrs. Gandhi were celebrating a birthday party of their 7 year old son (Manmohan) in a nearby MacDonald outlet. Mr. Gandhi later told our correspondent “I never leave the house empty, but since advanced surveillance cameras were installed, I asked the house attendant to accompany us to the birthday bash”. Considering this a serious breach of security in a highly protected part of the city, the best officer of the state CID, Mr. Chidambaram was rushed to the spot. The self composed policeman in his articulate manner stressed on the fact whoever might the criminals be he would outsmart them. But what startled the smartest cop was the fact that the notorious criminal had only stolen an ipod without touching any other valuables and replacing them with tarantula eggs, which are not only more expensive but also unavailable in this country.

Corporate MNC cherry pick candidates and put them in a tournament where being above average would not take you to the next level; you have to be exemplary. And if you learn early (which most people do) that you can never make it to the top you quit the tournament or keep swarming in the bottomless pit. But  if  you can somehow reach the top 5% of the Pyramid you receive 70% of the revenue. This business model is followed by everyone who runs an organisation from the Tata's to Taliban and from McDonalds to Maoists. It's human nature to take part in a tournament where the incentives are visible and high. The lifestyle of the top 5% not only attracts swarming freshers (who constitute 95% of the organization)  but it also keeps their moral high with dreams of someday making it to the top regardless of the modest incentive they  receive.  So you would agree with me why there is a trend for government service where you can supposedly make good money while still ...

The National Library - well the book you need isn't available and if somehow they find it its too old to lend.  I ain't superstitious but seeing these pair of birds( whatever ugly it might look like) makes be believe the day would be great...

His plans seemed crazy, but crazy enough to work. He has been straining his brain since his return from the Columbia University delivering an applauded lecture on the works of Rabindranath Tagore. The informal dinner organised on the sidelines of the literary conference can be attributed to have caused the crazy plan to evolve in this professor's mind. In vain did, the professor try to convince Mr.Bhargava, a wealthy Silicon Valley mogul of America, the importance of morality in life. Mr.Bhargava was getting restless." Frankly professor", he said, "what I understand you to mean is that you are ignoring two billion dollars for getting that medal out of that dusty village", he added "I gather that the Brazilian drug dealer who wants it will be after both of our lives if we deny the deal". "But, how can I do it", the professor fumbled. "The Nobel prize of Rabindranath is our national and Bengali community's pride"   ...

The husband was asking a question, “tell me”, he said, “who is responsible for this spastic child”? - “you mean Pinu, my child”? , - “hardly a spastic”, the mother and Amit’s wife demurred.                          Amit’s mind raced back over the details of his first encounter with Hema. -“Had all that really happened”, he thought, but now it seemed what a waste, “oh God, how did I got on with this girl” – “Got on! Got on! It isn’t a question of getting on” thundered back Hema, “what a fool I was”, she added.              Hema glanced at the baby, who was firmly placed on the perambulator tucked in the comfortable leather back seat of Amit’s newly achieved company issue car. These couples have decided to consciously use the privacy of their fast moving car to solve dispute at the top of their voice to keep th...

(this is not the girl whom i saw near the university gate, but like this photo above, that i goggled from the internet, she did not have any of her legs.) A few days back while standing on the broken footpath opposite the RBU main gate and waiting for the Rt3 bus with headphones plugged to my ears blaring out loud music to insulate me from the chaotic flow of life around me, all the unbearable truths of life and making space for illusionary dreams, my eyes fell on a girl. A beautiful girl indeed, with such soft face. With the college bag on her shoulder she was dragging her body by bare hands (she didn’t have both her legs) towards the bus. The bus conductors of kolkata extend their helping hands to ladies, very kind of them indeed. But this girl is no bimbette and so unworthy of any help (at least for the conductors). But her unbeatable spirit alone made her climb the stairs, of the bus and of life itself. It was very hard for me to control my tears, as the only thing I could do was t...

I have never seen the Judiciary being humbled by the Legislative in this republic of ours. The impeachment of  Mr Sen (well Justice he was or rather wants to be once more) is an eyeopener to the proletariat that although some of my lawyer friends might call them Lord or Highness they are nothing more than 'humans' with all the vagaries that comes with it, performing a role. I am sure a humiliated man must be mouthing the choicest of bengali invectives sitting at ones home in salt lake...  And on a personal note i did feel good..... ya i do have a sadistic bend of character n do feel good when the strong and mighty are humbled.

books lying around.............

Jiabi wrapped an old newspaper on her hand, tied it with a rope and was picking the broken pieces of shattered glasses lying all over the tiny Chinese restaurant floor, her grandmother owned. While her other hand stretched and adjusted her skirt to its full length. She had grown too much over the last few years to fit in that old and pale dress. This restaurant being one among the few serving ‘ethnic’ Chinese food to Kolkatans  was always chock a block with customers at this morning hour. But today it remained empty. Jiabi’s grandmother, without putting on the silken red dress, which Jiabi hoped to inherit when she would be a big girl, the only sign of prosperity that they could hold on after migrating here and which covered her crumbled skin and portrayed her ‘ethnic’ Chinese origins when she sat on the cash counter on usual business days, was weeping intermittently and between her sobbing and the gush of despair that she exhaled she kept on saying “how strange is human nature! H...

After weeks of being in a state of indecision and despondency, I feel writing some facts of life that i have observed during my working days. (not much, just a year). If you thought its the mullah thats everyone is concerned about..well you cant be more wrong. The mullah of crisp green paper counts when you take up the job, but after that everyting is about relationship. I mean your subconscious state of well being. Afterall Humans are emotional beings not rational, whatever professional hierarchy you might be in dosent change your emotional persona overpowering your rational persona. At Brainware, Bisakha, Madhumita, Piyali and Aparupa all of them left within two months of joining not because their salary was low, but they were treated in a high handed manner. So did I. Left the job of teaching Communicative english after one and half month. Treating juniors in a high handed manner and keeping them on the leash is a sure shot method of extracting work....

Last day on my way to central Avenue, to the typesetter, i spotted this store "Oxford Stationary" and there stood on the gate a character straight from Mulk raj Anand's "Coolie" A old man doing ardent toil to forge a little gain, saw some fasting men go forth on hurrying feet. I looked at myself.... Unlike them i work at a University Press, wear polished boots, ironed clothes, carriees an american tourister bag but it was a epiphanic moment for me.... If u peeped in my soul you could see its battled with great grief and fears that borne the conflict of dream-shattering years, wounded with fierce desire and worn with strife....... I took away my gaze and got on the bus........ for this is life.

All of us goes through this phase.... what gift to buy for somebody...Well thats not a decision we take consciously, though we might think we are. Though vulgar it may sound the rationale behind buying gifts depends not on what we can afford but on the economic condition of the receiver. Teenagers dont fall in this category. college goers often take credits to buy gifts for friends and loved ones. But once you are baked by the realities of professionalism and reach middle age, your subconscious changes. At  middle age when you buy gifts, you think of the receivers economic condition... "well i am buyng gift for so n so..he is so rich...if i dont buy costly gift he wont appreciate" n if the receiver is on the lower side of the social hierarchy." haa buy anything cheap... he cant appreciate costly gifts"...while the irony is the "lesser mortal" might have appreciated the costly gift more and as for the "blessed soul".... no gift can make him happ...

I have been treavelling in local trains since 5 years...but never have i seen this.... today morning while coming to office some passengers who were standing near the door shouted to a magazine and newspaper vendor at the opposite platform of Hindmotor station....and without delay the old magazine seller takes out a semi porn magazine, pops out a page with seductive girls picture on them and places it above his head... the passengers shouts back in appreciation.... chukles and satisfaction filled sounds fills the air..... wonder whether this "beautiful" "sight seeing" on way to work a goodwill gesture by the magazine seller......tempting prospective customers...

When we say "friend" -  They can basically be grouped into two types....no no no...not boyfriends and girl friends as you might have thought, but known friends and facebook/Orkut friends....Known friends are persons whom you have meet physically either in some school, colleges, neighbourhood and many such places where you go. But "Online Friends" as we call them....are persons who existists in virtual reality....well until you gather the courage or desire to meet them (like the film 'tokhun 23'). Theres a lot of literature analysing the depths of friendship, particularly that of men and women. Can there be depth in online friendship? Before i started using social networking sites.i believed..there can never be.... (next after lunch).........

23.2.2011 (Wednesday) Ananya di has been reading Taslima Nasreen since yesterday.......n today we were arguing.... Ms Nasreen definately brings out the 'argumentative indian' in you...... My cousin brother never does any reading while comng to office.... my sister-in-law Ananya di who sits nest to him in his spanking new silver Dezire always reads something or the other....while i sit next to the driver, in the front, and was leafing through Anne Franks Diary... And The debate was... as u can guess for the obvious Taslima connection... were girls more intelligent!! huhh..dada and I thundered back, girls are too dumb, n those girls who score good marks are too serious and they study for 23 hours a day.... dada popped up with an appropriate example of how a senior in JU got 2nd in aero space..but was never to be seen studying.....always sleeping while in his room n when not sleeping playing cricket.

Looking back.... I never thought i would feel such, but i must admit I miss Rabindrabharati university  days..... although when i was there never felt something that could be called enjoyable..... had some bits of fun n socialising.... but most of the time of those two years the anticipation of being happy on leaving this university would occupy my mind. At University there were some who could not stand me, and I returned the compliment by hating them equally. It cannot be said that if they loved me i would have liked them....and i strongly feel an urge of putting up a vivid analysis of all those creatures with whom i shared the classroom....bt i will have some mercy on the unsespecting reader...n leave those things out.....

Its quarter past 1....have to do this boring Banyan tree Website in dreamweaver....uhhh..........office sucks....missing the sweetness of doing nothing and lying on bed idle....n moreover theres fish on todays menu.....why dont these canteen guys make chicken every day!! When will i reach home????? n start playing the new Azkaban game in anis playstation..... It will be a long day out...... with computer classes n all....after office... wont be before 9 pm.....