Morality or desire...What would you choose??

The oscar nominated movie The Reader touches a very sensitive topic that dwelves into every individual's mind at one point of time i.e. how can someone draw the line between morality and desire? Who dictates the moral ethics in the society? Morality in simple terms can be stated as an act which is accepted in the society. Desire is what is acceptable to an individual although it may not be morally correct. This battle between society and individual has long been fought and exists as a cold war in everyone's life. Our every action is governed by society. We modify it according to the standards of the community we live in. But what about our desire? Desires are not monitored or governed by anyone. Not even by the person itself. In Freudian terms,id vs. ego is what drives a human being.

The strongest and the most "sacrilege" topic in Indian society is the most obvious three letter word SEX. It is the most desired instinct in individuals designed by the hormonal reactions in the body. But moral when you indulge in it after abiding by the rituals of matrimony. Immoral sex is like red tapism. All done under the table unless there is a sting operation and you are caught red-handed.There are also many dimensions to it. As in the movie, a 15 year old having sex with a 40 year old...not admissible; self stimulated sex [masturbation]...still not right; sex with the same sex...OH MY GOD!!But these things happen right under the nose of the society gurus and knowingly been ignored. It is at this point where the cold war is favourable towards morality as everything said and done, rules broken, desire being satisfied but we are not going to spread the word as we are "moral" members of our society and cannot see our coming generation being driven by their ids rather than ego.

You may think what is this woman writing!! Has she lost her mind!! I know its funny but this is the truth which deep in our hearts everybody accepts. The chastity of a woman and the potency of a man is questioned by this contention. We judge people on the basis of this notion. Finally the question arises,ultimately who will be the winner between the two? There is no answer to it. Rather it is an open-ended question to which further demur would be added from time to time. What we can do is just listen to it or read and write about it as we are the masters of our psyche and can judge the best.

An ode to my most special friends...

The following poems I had written when I was leaving Kolkata...Jilly and Madhurima are the two very special friends for me...Adding these poems in my blog I just want to let them know how much I love them and miss them...

For Jilly:-

I know a girl
Sweet,charming and pretty
I cant find any words to define her
For my eyes speaks all about her
I want to be her good friend
(Which i dont't know whether I am or not)
But in turn she became my best friend

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But her chatting about Riddhiman and Mayukh
Are like the seasons have all gone

We have departed
Like a baby from its mother
And never know whether we can spend those precious moments again
But still I want to say her
That "Jilly jaisi koi nahi"

She is one who made my days more brighter
My nights more sweeter
My happiness more happier
Whenever I was sad
She is the one who made me smile
She is the one who inspired me
To live a life full of zeal and style

I don't know whether this poem appeals her or not
But the only thing I can say is
'Jilly, Jilly please don't cry
You can forget me by and by'
But I will never forget you
Even when there are
Beautiful moments in my life
Coz I want to experience those
With you by my side

For Madhurima:-

Oh my friend
How will I live without you
I want you not your letters
I want you not your words
Each minute
Each second
I remember the days
That we have spent together
When i joined the group
It was you who always comforted me
Whenever I saw you
I felt I am not alone
I have somebody
Whom i can adore
Your friendship is the most beautiful gift
I can ever get

I yearn for the days
Which have gone
Which brought us together
And made us the bestest of friends
Please remain as you are
The pretty, chirpy and charming
Madhurima

MUSIC

What is music?
Has anybody given a thought?
A writer’s words
Or a lover’s ballad
A mother’s lullaby
Or a child’s cry

What is music?
Can anybody tell me?
The beauty of resonance
Or the voice of hatred
A maiden’s dream
Or the victory song

What is music?
As I wonder
A tribute to the martyrs
Or the dancing tunes
Prayer to the God
Or the bustling traffic sounds

Music
As I listen
I think
What is music?

Past...Present...Future

This is life
As others say
Living in present
And forgetting the past
And waiting for the future

But if past makes life
What is present about?
Is it all about learning from past mistakes?
Or start with 'new' everyday

Today's present will become past tomorrow
Then why to live the present?
As i dwell through this mystery of life

I write,
Live every moment with joy
With love
Enjoy every second with zeal
As these moments will become memories
This will give joy in present
Make past look beautiful
And give life new meaning in future

So as I end

I think of my past
Live the present
And wait for the future
To come fast

Something called LIFE....

This is my first attempt at writing poetry..

Life is a journey for me
A journey of happiness and sorrows
A journey of beautiful moments
A journey of painful mishaps

My journey i feel has no ending
It has a horizon
Which I try to vision

A vision unknown
A vision I search
A vision I adore

Why is life a mystery?
A mystery always unsolved
A mystery never to be unfold
A mystery of unforgettable events

Hey life,
This ode is for you
Show me light
That can lead me to that horizon
The horizon of hopes, happiness
Love, hate, faith, sorrow, pain
As I want to end this journey
The beautiful journey called life...

The Awakening

Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan
Zara hat ke zara bach ke,
yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

When this song was a hit in 1956 who thought after 52 years, these words will hold some other meaning. Bombay a.k.a Mumbai, the financial capital of India and the karmabhoomi for thousands and thousands of people is succumbed in the hands of the modern lucifers.Everybody is aware of the aftermath.As always politicians are again busy playing the dirty blame game.
But India is seeing a new dawn....a renaissance...an awakening...a revolution.People joining hands and ready to fight the devils...The stereotypical belief that India is a leader-driven land is fading away...every individual is taking its own initiative to save our beautiful nation.
The quotes by Bhagat Singh at the time of India's freedom struggle-
Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna Ab Hamare Dil Mein Hai
Dekhna Hai Zor Kitna Baajuen Qaatil Mein Hai
Dekh Sakta Hai To Bhi Dekh Le Aye Aasmaan
Hausla Yeh Dekh Ke Qaatil Badi Mushkil Mein Hai

These lines are again being chanted by every Indian. Terrorism and its followers will not be spared by anybody.We will fight...we will stand together against all odds.We are not Hindu,Muslim,Sikh or Christian, but a nation...a powerful force of a billion people who can bring the change and will bring the change even if it takes a century of long struggle...

My Independence Day

I know I make mistakes, I will have to live and learn
Sometimes you play with fire and sometimes you get burned
I have my dream to live, following that star
It doesn't matter how long it takes, it doesn't matter how far

No time for make believing, and it's too late to turn back now


I've been dreaming about it
I can't live without it
I've got to find my own way
I'm not changing my mind now
Or looking behind now
This is my Independence Day
My Independence Day

I know it'll take some time, but I won't give up the fight
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but that's alright, oh yeah
I've got to spread my wings and learn how to fly
'Cause this feeling drives me on, it's something I cannot deny

No time to make excuses, 'cause it's too late to turn back now


I've been dreaming about it
I can't live without it
I've got to find my own way
I'm not changing my mind now
Or looking behind now
This is my Independence Day
My Independence Day

my Independence Day



No matter what comes my way, I'm gonna live for today
This is my, this is my Independence Day

Independence Day

I've been dreaming about it
I can't live without it
I've got to find my own way
I'm not changing my mind now
Or looking behind now
This is my Independence
I've been dreaming about it
I can't live without it
I've got to find my own way
I'm not changing my mind now
Or looking behind now
This is my Independence Day
My Independence Day

Independence Day

my Independence Day

Independence Day

Wishing on that same bright star, I shouldn't wish my life away
Wish my life away
They say it's a small small world
They say it's a small small small small world

Independence Day
Independence Day


-Melanie C.

Bong connection

Typical as it seems, we often overlook the community we belong to and have views of other communities existing around us. This thought struck me recently when I was travelling in a train from Delhi to Mumbai. It was a sheer co-incidence that I was travelling with an assemblage of Bengali families who were going for a week long holiday to Mumbai and Goa. For me this 26 hour journey was the best way to observe and scan the community I belong to.
Bengalis are often seen travelling in a big group consisting of people of all ages and all the year round. A very common statement often heard in Bengali families-“Next week 3 din chhuti aachey,cholo bondhu bandhob miley kothaye bediye aashi”. They are found enjoying hot tea in hill stations to camel riding in desertlands to bathing in seas. Nevertheless, we are said to be the most prolific travelers in India constituting 60% of India’s 400 million annual domestic tourists.
Talking about Bengalis and not talking about food is something like discussing about the present US elections without Obama. We love to eat and have no issues showing off the various delicacies we can come up with by mix and match of spices, vegetables, fish, chicken etc. Fish is a part and parcel of our meal and I feel Bengalis are blessed with this certain kind of power that despite the fact that a fish market has such strong smells, with one sniff a Bengali knows if a fish is all right or not. That also reminds me of Ileesh maach, although having 10,000 bones we have it with great pleasure. I am sure Dhokar dalna, shorshey maach, malai chingri, cholar daal and many other mouth watering cuisines can make Haldirams or the Punjabi Dhabas a run for their money.
Another very aspect of us that really makes us different from others is the amount of nicknames we can come up with. Stand amongst a group of Bengali kids and each and every child will have a nickname and no two kids have the same one. Jhumpa, Tumpa, Dola, Laltu, Chotu, Bubul, Bulbul,Montu , Bablu- all this names also bring out the creativity of ours.
From sports to politics, culture to literature, no doubt we are the wealthiest society in the world. Football madness is evident when there is a Mohunbagan vs. East Bengal match and thousands of Bengalis are glued to DD Bangla channel. Even during FIFA World Cup, I think there are more supporters of Argentina and Brazil among the Bengalis than in the respective countries. Also reminds me of Ganguly-Chappell scuffle which shook the hearts of each and every Bangali in India. Korbo, lorbo, jeetbo is the spirit we have in the field of sports. Communism, Mamata, Jyoti Basu are hot topics discussed in all Bengali get-togethers and not to mention Kolkata coffee houses. Politics runs in the veins of khati bangali person.
Coming to culture and literature, nothing can be soothing to our ears than Rabindrasangeet, book shelves are not completed without Sarat Chandra and Bimal Mitra, still movies for us is Satyajit Ray’s Panther Panchali and Gopi Gayin Baga Bayin. Durga Puja is a perfect example of our cultural prowess. I can boast as a Bengali that no one else has taken a religious function of Puja up to this level. The folk culture and various songs written by our poets of the land on yearly home coming of Uma which has given a separate entity to the whole aspect and these songs are named as "AAGAMONI". I wonder, the untimely worshipping of Maa Durga by Ramchandraji in the period of unknown history, today has achieved a status of celebration not only as a simple puja but also enriched the bangla language with all those songs and poems, with an approach to establish a direct connection between human and God. Only we the Bengalis can do this sort of soul searching as we are blessed one.
Finally, the train was one stop away from Bombay Central Station where my journey ended. It was fun thinking of the eccentricities and idiosyncracies of my very own Bangla community. As Rabindranath wrote,- “My golden Bengal, I love You”, I am fortunate to be a part of this civilization which has its own charm yet well integrated with other societies of the world.
“