The plight of chutta paisa

Sure you must have heard your parents reminisce about their golden days when they used to have 10p as their pocket money and how even that money was sufficient to fetch them, what was considered to be a sumptuous meals then. Thanks to inflation, coins are a rare sight now a day. And from barter system to present scenario, change has been continual except for some irregularities in the latter part.

Not so long ago coins certainly had their part in the economy as well as common man's budget. It required a great consideration before giving away the coin to a beggar. Then came the era, when candies became the best negotiable instrument (not an instrument to negotiate as the term may imply, but it means something which has monetary value and can be exchanged easily). Not only shopkeepers exploited the situation even a bus conductor wouldn't shy away from presenting you with never-heard-of-brand candy in lieu of the chutta that he owed you. Some roadside hawkers eyed this opportunity of making money (as they say Indian blood is full of entrepreneurship) and would offer you chutta in exchange of some monetary consideration. But that era too couldn't last for long. Thanks to the "booming economy", now peace of mind matters more while selling a product, rather than getting into the hassles of arranging change for customers. You would get a direct NO if you are not carrying the change. Denominations like 1 Re and 2 Re are on the verge of extinction. Our very own DTC is reframing the charges to avoid this hassle of chutta with fares in the multiple of 5 bucks. Gone are the days when you could hear a road side beggar pleading, Bhagwaan ke naam pe ek rupiya de de. And if you somehow out of your kindness or rather in an urge to lighten you pocket you hand him a one rupee coin he would not reject it out of courtesy, but would make sure to pass a disparaging look at you.

Nevertheless, like a good optimistic person, believing in the old saying 'Whatever happens, happens for good' I am riding in this bandwagon called economic boom. Whatever "good" it may bring for me or you the clear sufferer is chutta paisa

What you mean to me...

If beauty is heavenly, you are like a goddess to me;
If juvenlity is a radiant star, you are like the Sun to me...

If purity is innocence, I see you as kid's smile;
If serenity is revitalizing, I feel you as gentle breeze...

If trust means belief, you are gospel for me;
If faith needs respect, you are worship for me...

If love is musical, you are a harmonious symphony to me;
If emotion is a flowing river, you are a tumultuous ocean to me...

If a hug exhibits tenderness, you are an embracing moonlight for me;
If a kiss exudes passion, you are an ambitious goal for me...

If emapathy be the food of love, you have been a sumptuous meal to me;
If selfless care be the water of love, you have been an oasis to me...

I know these splendid feelings will be there till eternity;
for you have shown me the true worth of love and its sanctity...

Happy birthday - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

It's 2nd of october and I thought I should drop by and pay my homage to the greatest son this land has ever produced, the Father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi. As much has already been said and written about this divine soul it should rather be just a few lines.

What i am most impressed by him was the determination in his actions and conviction with which he guided the Indian masses on the path of truth and non-violence. A common man inspired by the great thinker Leo Tolstoy himself became a source of inspiration to whole of nation. Not only he was pioneer in the struggle for our freedom but the virtues he taught has shaped the fabric of Indian culture and act as our guardians till date.

Though we have paid homage to this great soul in lot many ways. Printing his face on the currency, naming routes and localities on his name (Everywhere i go i happen to find MG Road there), Observing a national holiday and dry day (though not fully ;) throughout the country on his birthday. But the best way to thank this heavenly soul is to remember him and follow his virtues. So here i am, playing my part, thanking whole heartedly to the architect of our nation, the torch bearer of our society, the epitome of philanthropy for all his altruistic deeds towards his countrymen. May his soul rest in peace.

P.S. Though he is famous for many quotes but lemme share a couple of my favorites

• Be the change you want to see in the world

• The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong

Logic - Panacea or a desirable substitute?

Just read a piece about how the great Rene Descarte tried to devise methods to study so obscure a subject as philosophy in an orderly fashion as mathematics so that philosophical concepts can be logically deduced with certitude. Many other great thinkers have also played their part in trying to rationlaise every thought and every phenomena known. We all love reason and logic, we have been brought up like this, we have always been taught how to follow certain pre-determined steps to prove L.H.S. = R.H.S., to reason out our deeds and our wants. We cannot live without them even for a day and this fact sometime makes me wonder; why human mind is so hell bent on rationalising everything? What is this pursuit to absolute certainity all about? Are we trying to find a panacea for all our problems? Is logic the ultimate solution to everything?

There are many things which are beyond logic and science and have no explaination whatsoever. Consider love, romance (Oh dont give me that chemical crap), feelings like mercy and sympathy, spirituality, God. While it is a fact that these things exist and are beyond explainations but still some inquisitive souls just keep searching for answers to do away the irrationality and make everything beyond reasonable doubt. I am not deriding the works of Descartes or any other great thinker, nor i am qualified to. It's just that we all have a penchant towards logic, we are born with it. While the quest for this eternal truth may vary among individuals, but noone cannot completely do away with it. Even the most fannatic religious zealot tries to find reason with God.

May be this is for the betterment of our race. No denials that science has done wonders and is constantly comforting our life with all it's experiments and discoveries (though the issue is debatable). May be this is the way it is supposed to be but the question still remains 'Is logic an answer to all the queries that arise in our mind?', 'Can logic be applied to every situation or concept without any rebuff?'. I doubt that, specially in case of intutive inquiries as these tends to be subjective in nature. And i wonder how things which are not objective can be answered by logic, as a thing which may be seem highly logical to one soul might be illogical for other. Morality is the best example in my defence. How can a subjective concept like morality be rationalised. Even if somehow logic comes out to be the only solution i rather would not ratify it as everything would be so typecast then.

P.S. It's 2 A.M. and logically i should be in bed now. Catch ya later guys ;)