Partly Yours, Partly Lost

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Some places stay with you long after life has moved elsewhere. There is something strange about destiny. You just cannot overcome it, but at the same time, you cannot simply do nothing because something is destined to happen. In India, it is not uncommon to have your horoscope charted about a year after birth. Grandparents wait with bated breath to hear how well the stars were aligned, and what remedies might be needed to appease the Gods. So when I was a year old, my grandmother took my birth date and time to Dharmaraja Ghanapadigal, one of the most revered astrologers in Pudukkottai. He apparently told her that I would do reasonably well in studies, travel to multiple countries, and eventually live abroad. Here was an old lady asking about her grandson from a small town. My parents were then living in Gobichettipalayam. This was the eighties, long before economic reforms had changed the country. My grandmother thanked him politely, but quietly wondere...
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Swades...Vibrant India

On the eve of the 59th Indian Independence, what better movie to showcase than Swades, and that's exactly what the Indian Association at Rolla decided. I was seeing the movie for the second time. Once before leaving for Germany and then now of course. I would rate this as one of the brilliantly shot movies in a long time. The kind of emotions that runs through Shahrukh Khan could be felt by every one of us at the theater. A classy movie and at what a time to see it!!!

Its always great to have your community following you outside your motherland. It feels all the more nostalgic when you can associate with something deeply patriotic. We have had 58 long years after our independence and the famous Tryst with Destiny speech by Jawaharlal Nehru can be read another million times. The message conveyed in that brief span of 15 minutes transports the reader to a patriotic frenzy. We have had a sea change in the last decade due to a number of economic reforms, started by the then Finance Minister and today's Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Indians are a part of the society in almost every part of the world. A lot of emotions run through you when you sit to ponder about India. India, with its strong backbone, and cultural diversity, has a community abroad that is equally diverse. People from all corners of the country get together to sail in the boat of togetherness. There is a freshness and eagerness that keeps the boat from sinking. What we do not see much in India is a clarity etched here! In the long run, all of us would want to contribute our mite to India. What we have got from our country is huge and what we can give back is only a handful and if we succeed in doing that, it would be one of the greatest moments of pride for every one of us!

With this and many more ideas, I sleep to awaken for the 59th Independence day celebrations and hope to see a hugely vibrant India that can carry along the wishes of billions of people at home and abroad!!

Let's celebrate our 59th Independence day with resolutions that can make a difference!

Happy Independence day

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