DesiReflections

What makes a person a terrorist ? This question haunts governments, psychologists, police, military as well as an ordinary citizen. Many people tried to find out the answer. Peter Bergen wrote a book 'United States of Jihad' and also tried to find the answer in his own way. In fact he counter question,'Is an answer even possible'? Researchers at New America, a think tank, reviewed court records of more than 300 cases of people charged with Jehadi terrorism in USA after 9/11, ranging from relatively trivial cases like sending small sums of money to some terrorist organization to very serious ones like shoot outs. Their members spoke to terrorists, their family members and friends. Earlier terrorists were categorised as bad or mad. In context of some recent events this explanation proved simply wrong. One out of ten had mental health problems, below the incidence in the general population. In fact they were not typically career criminals. twelve percent had served ti...

Pop Music scene of sixties as well as part of seventies was definitely  ruled by Beatles. This British Pop Group had given a new expression to the aspirations of youth world wide.In fact the post war European and American youth found a new identity in Beatles. But many Beatles fans are not aware about their India connection. Their journey to India came at a time when as a Pop Group they were at the top of the music world, but as individuals they were in search of answers. Rishikesh, a small habitat nestled at the bank of river Ganga in Uttrakhand  is believed to be abode of Rishi Munis, over a period of time it is also known as capital of Yoga in the western world. In fact enthusiasts find it ideal spot for reflection and meditation, the lush green forests, clifftop views and milky white water of sacred river Ganga flowing below provides unique backdrop for seekers. Ancient temples and ashrams on the bank of river Ganga  add to serenity and spiritual environm...

Gone are the days, when star hotels and top eateries across the country used to import exotic vegetables from different part of world. But no more, most of the exotic vegetables are now grown in our own backyard. This is possible due to diverse climatic condition in our country, snow clad hills, dessert, costal area, temperate zones you name it and we have it. So we have baby kale, shishito peppers, black tomatoes, ancho chillies, white bird's eye chilli, yellow and black paperika, round Parisian carrots, wasabi rocket, komatsuna, blackberries, white chikoo, watermelon radish, butter head lettuce, Shishir leaves, lavender, garlic chives, Apple mint, fennel pollen, purple corn, broccoli you name it and you can have it. I recollect an interesting anecdote happened with me around 1998. I was sitting with a friend of mine in Moradabad, who was exporter by profession but also had a passion to grow vegetables in his farmhouse. He was complaining that his crop of cauliflower was strangely...

"King and Another Country" : Shrabani Basu “So what did Indians do during the First World War, daddy?” is not a question many ask. Yet India contributed nearly £250 Million and 1.2 million fighting men to the Allied powers’ cause – 72,000 of whom never returned home. Sharbani Basu in her book "King and Another Country" tried to unfold some pages from the Colonial history. And results are very revealing and some facts are shocking also. She lay her hand on British archive, interviewed family members of soldiers fought for Britishers in World War, she also collected rare pictures to substantiate her findings.It is also very pathetic that despite Indian soldiers fought with best of their ability under the most hostile climatic conditions without sufficient protective uniform. Many died facing  extreme of climate rather than fighting the Germans.But no body honored these bravehearts thus they have gone in anal of history unsung. The problem is that while th...

Elon Musk is a US billionaire. He is better known as manufacturer of clean energy Tesla Car as well as some out of box space related projects. He has recently created a kind of stir at the Code Conference, a technology event in California. Someone in the audience enquired,  did Musk make of the idea that we are living not in the real world, but in an elaborate computer simulation? Musk exhibited a surprising familiarity with this concept and said "I’ve had so many simulation discussions, it’s crazy,” Citing the speed with which video games are improving, he suggested that the development of simulations “indistinguishable from reality” was inevitable. The likelihood that we are living in “base reality,” he concluded, was just “one in billions.” Musk, it seems, has been persuaded by what philosophers call the “simulation argument,” an idea given its definitive form in 2003  by British futurologist Nick Bostrom. The simulation argument begins by noticing several present-day trend...

It was precisely 27 years back, Tim Berners Lee created World Wide Web (WWW) as a way for scientists to easily find information. It has since become the world's most powerful medium for knowledge, communications and commerce-but that does not mean Berners-Lee is happy with all the consequences. Modern day Web now controls what people see, creates, it has also become mechanism for how people interact. But there are certain big issues like snooping in your personal life, blocking sites, repurposing people's content, taking you to the wrong websites-that completely undermines the spirit of helping people create. The Internet has infiltrated almost every corner of society, transforming our lives in the process. So gazing in crystal ball about its' penetration and reach in coming years, you will find networked innovations will extend this change to the physical world. But as we become ever-more reliant on online tools and services, who should protect and regulate the Internet it...

Cinema is a mass media, on one hand it is still the cheapest entertainment, dream selling machine, opium to the masses, on  the other, some sensitive creative people come up with movies that acts as a mirror to the society. As long as it sells dreams to the masses, Censor rarely has problem but whenever it talks about some honest issues relating to religion, politics or society the problem starts. On the very first place there is Censor Board or its new avatar Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) which takes a call what we should see. Even if CBFC give go ahead, there are various pressure groups, the moral policemen,so called religious, moral and national zealots who are capable to put any movie passed by CBFC to halt. After Shri Pahlaj Nihlani took over as Chairman of CBFC, the decisions of Board are questioned very often, the cuts in movies aimed at to make  more Sanskari. The government had sensed the frustration and anguish brewing in film industry against our Sanska...

History, if recorded correctly  and read in the right perspective, gives beautiful insight about things and also shatters number of myths. When we try to trace history of wines and spirits than come to know that in most of the great cultures it was associated with religious rituals, offered to various Gods and Goddess, enjoyed by royalties across the globe, loved as well as hated by governments and law makers. Loved because it gives lot of revenue in the form of taxes and levies, hated because its excessive consumption ruins families. So alcohol, known by several names due to different way of manufacturing, different sources of making but the fact remains that it is one of the most sought after fluids on the planet after water. It is debatable that precisely when and where  it was invented. But it is believed that first signs of it were in pottery during Neolithic period which archaelogists found in China, Georgia as well as elsewhere. The traces are some 7000 years b...

Work place is a real Kurushetra, where it is very difficult to find who are your real friends and who are your real foes. So to me those in your work place are looking hostile with their gestures and action, they are easier to handle rather than those who pretend to be your friends but in fact create obstacles in your way secretly. First thing first. Find a friend. If you do not agree with the way things work and think the culture, is extremely negative, chances are that there are others who feel that too. So find someone who not only shares a similar mindset but also willing to share your woes also. It will be really helpful to you. Find some one who may share a cup of tea or his or her lunch with you and also trust you to vent about whatever or whoever is bothering you. If you talk your troubles , it will make you feel better. In case your work related problem is affecting your personal life then need to take steps to protect with negativity. Avoid people who exude that vibe and surr...

Recently I was on a nostalgic tour to Western Uttar Pradesh. I was very curious to visit my native place Sambhal, where I was born some 63 years back. When I started my journey from Mumbai, I was very much excited . But when I come back I have mixed feeling. While  I was overwhelmed to see the  place where I was born precisely that Gali that Mohalla and that house, on the other hand I was anguished to see the power situation prevailing there. After staying so long in Metro cities more specifically 19 years in Mumbai, it was very difficult for me to stay at places where in 24 hours people hardly get electricity for  an hour or two. And mind it, it is not the situation prevailing in Sambhal alone, it is in most of the parts of country with exception of big cities. In May hot summer day when the Mercury raises to 47 degree Celsius, think your life without power is definitely unimaginable to most of the Mumbaikars. When you get electricity for one or two hours a day than what...

There are two gentlemen Prof Stuart Cunningham and Prof David Craig who have recently coined the word Communitainment. It reflects the change in the entertainment industry with the rise of social media entertainment and new digital platforms thereby creating a proto industry. This proto industry can be defined by interactivity with content and the community that consumes the content. Prof Cunnigham  started looking to identify how YouTube and content creators started to monetize and professionalize  this platform. While working  with Prof Craig with him, he realise the initial project was narrow focused and duo started ro understand the huge vastly complex and rapidly interactive space emerging space around this new proto industry. Cunnigham and Craig interviewed with multiple social media platform such as Vimeo, Vine, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Periscope, Facebook, also interviewed content content creators, Multi-Channel Networks, Digital Studios, influencer, ad agenc...