La Tomatina ~ Nay Tomatina !

10 years ago:

I vaguely remember that quite evening,I was watching TV.

Red, Red Tomato Red.. news flashs about spanish La tomatina festival !

will be party to La Tomatina when i travel to europe some day; Day Dreaming:D

Recently:

La Tomatina:  latomatina.co.in flashed all over, since its caught the imagination of many (fueled by 'zindagi na milegi dobara' )

Nay Tomatina: After a week or so i hear about Tomatina from another set of friends for a different reason, wanting to stop the event - Nay Tomatina !

kid's voice: Tomatina, La Tomatina.. la la lala llaa. awesome. its gone be fun :D

Emotional voice: How can i be party to wasting food, when so many go hungry & malnutrition :(

Lazzy voice: oki, forget it; its prized little high & i am anywayz not going.

Few days pass by....

Managerial voice: Why not heavily TAX the people having fun by wasting tomato & Feed the malnutrition / hungry with it !

Entrepreneurial voice: Figure out the supply chain of tomato ( Farm to market) & tweak the tomato procurement policy to source only excess/wastage tomato's during peak tomato season. It's building a strong case that the event will not increase the Net wastage of tomato, moreover they end up Saving on procurement cost. B-)    Bindas !!

Few more days pass by...

Yet again another set of friends prepare a legal petition on the basis of supreme court order issuing notice to central government that wastage of PDS food is in direct violation of 'Fundamental right to food', when millions go hungry & high rate of malnutrition.
oh man , Bindas Idea is gone for a toss. Event is few days away & i may have to take a side. :S

Activist voice: Idea and all is good, but how can we plant a thought in the young minds that wasting food is ok. That too in Indian context?

Gentlemanly voice: Every one has fun in their own ways. Having fun per se can't be condemned & at the same time it shouldn't effect another set of people. There must be some way out...   How about making the organizer implement the Bindas Idea & at the same time make every participant to get involved in few hours of social work before the event :)

wow! its like making them more socially grounded through La Tomatina fun filled event B-)

Practical voice: Dude! talk some thing that's practically possible. You think they are going to listen to all this social thinge ?

Clarity eluded my voice in search of a way out!

Unlike me, a lot of my friends had a strong opinion.

At least they had taken a side :)

Eventually I would have fallen for my emotional voice :)

Is it really necessary to have a strong opinion on everything?

La Tomatina ~ Nay Tomatina !

A date with Freedom struggle PART II

Y waste time:

my friend: This anna hazare fast & stuff is all Media gimic..
me: Abey, that's what is needed. More ppl. more media more more ppl. to put pressure on the government :B-)

fr: Its going to go no where, y waste time.
me: oops! Dude u may be right. But there is no fun watching a bunch of politicians & Rich claiming all the TAX payers money :(

fr: Anna - gandian - Fasting - what crap : the best thing to do is to .........
me: ohh, Shut up :( , u run behind some thing called best thing & do nothing...

me: frankly , I don't know who this Anna hazare is, But I do know that Kiran bedi & Arvind Kejriwal would have put in their thoughts before joining hands.
Even if its not the best, its not a bad option!
Am just jumping in - how about u?

friend: humm..... , oki. I am with u !
i will just miss a few days of work & few IPL matchs...big deal! Lets jump in :)

Wow ! That's the spirit !!

5 Apr 2011:

i was wondering if chennai was a dead city.
No public events planed to support Anna Hazare's Fast Until death for stronger Lokpal bill[Anti corruption movement].

8 Apr 2011:

I am proud and happy that today we made chennai more lively (few hundred ppl)

Satyagraha:

6 am:
A Hundred people gathered in front of Gandhi statue-Marina beach.
Local councellor & SI with a load of police came to the spot to chase us away at any cost - obvious ruling parties wish.
we can make it happen if we stay together united - lessons learnt from a kid level strike durin UG days for some funny reason :)
7 am:
"144 declared" - was thundring SI's voice : after all the usual police threatening tricks failed.
Some of oldies, kids & youth quitely sliped away.
Chandru,vignesh & few others Stood strong to keep about 50 of us.

Anti corruption slogans was flowing in our voice - with our heads held high, we were arrested and taken in police van.

i pulled in my friends saying it would be few hours or max. a day of jail - fun isn't it :B-)

Second Freedom Strugle:
8:30 am
Men in uniform released us and accepted to drop us at the private gathering place in T-nagar, or else they have to feed & take care of us :D

9:30 am
News spreading virally, people started pouring in with support.
It was nice to see ppl. coming out to streets, but it wasn't enough for city of chennai.

Former election comissionr Mr. Naresh gupta and few prominent ppl. joined us:)
crowd stood at 500.

Pepli Live moment:
9:30 am
Oh the Tv channels and reporters started pitching in with live telecast to all over the world, It was like the Pepli Live moment..
When i got chance to be live in a national TV - I called out for more youth & students to come out in support - b'cos its our moment !

It's Our Moment: come Join

11:30 am
Goal was set:
We all spreaded our wings to gather more support thru sms, mail, FB ...
"Come join the Candle light vigil at Marina beach - gandhi statue at 6 pm today
Now its your chance to be part of the Living chennai."

Candle light vigil - Marina beach :
6 pm:
Sign of victory has arrived for all the strugle we put in the morning!
thousand Candles lit, swaying with the breaze, beautifying the marina beach.
thoundering sound, slogans aganinst corruption with electrifying energy.

Actor Karthick(surya's bro) & few other prominant personalities were there.


9 Apr 2011:

10 am:
Indian Govt. was frightened about this whole movement with the kind of support it gathered all over the country
Govt. agreed to the demands of this civilian movement.

Victory ! Victory !! Victory !!!

11 am:

The gathering was dispersed with victory speach by a lot of oldies & who called themselvs Big.
Round Chair conferance : people with personal ajenda : NGO that were present: every one want their banner to be painted behind the movement.
Play of Politics:
some were keen to Hijack the whole movement for personal fame: astonishingly some of them i am seeing for the first time in the movement.
Luckily few sensible once rejected for bringing the chennai movement under any banner, so as to protect its sanity and not piss off people who worked for the cause.

we all disperse with a sence of satisfaction.

My respect is unbound to those who stood in tough times like the police arrest.
it was nice to know & work with interesting/nice people from different walks of life.

Thanks to one and all who came to the streets, who were fasting within their walls physically or mentally.

Victory , yes...

remember.. Its the Beginning.
Committee formation-Drafting of Bill-Parliament should pass-Enactment... long way to go.
How many thought that we will come this far... mean while it has to face a lot of bully, lobby & political threat ! Lets wait & see........

This whole thing should be brought into one umberalla, one institution so we don't have to start from scratch when another such need arises... Hope its not needed any more :)

luv u all ;)

A date with Freedom Strugle

5 Apr 2011:

i was wondering if chennai was a dead city.
No public events planed to support Anna Hazare's Fast Until death for stronger Lokpal bill[Anti corruption movement].

8 Apr 2011:

I am proud and happy that today we made chennai more lively (with few hundred ppl)

Satyagraha:

couple of Hundred people gathered in front of Gandhi statue-Marina beach at 6 am.
After about an hour of talk & fight of words with Police, about 50 of us were mass arrested[we happily went shouting slogans :)] and released after an hour or two.

Second Freedom Strugle:

Then as pre planed we gathered at Gandhi Study circle, Thakkar Bapa Vidyalaya, Venkatnarayana road, T-Nagar. We were joined by more and more ppl. and the count stood around 500.

Pepli Live moment:

Oh the Tv channels and reporters started pouring in with live telecast to all over the world, It was like the Pepli Live moment..

It's Our Moment: come Join

Now its your chance to be part of the Living chennai.
Come join the Candle light vigil at Marina beach - gandhi statue at 6 pm today(friday-Apr 8, permission is obtained) . Its walkable distance from MRTS - Light house Railwaystation.

Also join tomorrow and every following day in a Gathering from 9 am to 6 pm at Gandhi Study circle, Thakkar Bapa Vidyalaya, Venkatnarayana road, T-Nagar.
(fasting is optional).

Join and make chennai more lively!
its our moment to be part of the anti corruption revolution !!

History in makeing : Be a part of it.

Journey of stars

A star with no name
A journey to no where
A twinkle with a nice smile :)
A twinkle that could die; I was.

Knowingly & unknowingly, with its own troughs & crests
Slowly & steadily , with its own little strength & energy
Stealthily & deceptively, with its own right & wrong
Kame another little star; My guiding star.

It was so smooth like a mom's care
It was so casual like a kids talk
It was so natural like flowing water
It was Gods will; My guiding star :)

With bit by bit, it gained its momentum
With troughs & crests, it amplified its amplitude
With kids play, queens beauty & emperors wisdom; she conquered me
Was not just my guiding star; Final pole star :D

Its walls went crumbling down
I was striped to the core & re-done
I will cherish the new me, forever and ever.
Its going to take me to the top of the world :)

But the intensity became too much to hold on..
Both drove away from each other, moving farther& farther.
But lesser became the inter stellar distance & we were dying :(
B'cos I am her pole star & she is mine :)

A shrinking star; i was.
Bring me to life; i heard.
Summoning every little energy; i went.
Entering the walls of the destiny; i fell.
Speechless, motionless & almost dead; i fell.
I could die a hundred death, for its My pole star :)

OMG: Blamed the most cherished one!
O Lord: It was evils voice :( - Forgive me! pl.. (not intended, not my own)
O Lord: Pl. don't make me regret it for long.. ple... !
OMG: I had ruined it! Destiny was denied again!! :-(

I was dumb, I was crazy, I was emotional.
I am no worthy of loving the destiny, if I weren't these :D
It was a tough call, with blurring right & wrong.
But how can i not TRY, if it could be good for one & all.

I couldn't save her nor myself.
I tend to believe my eyes more than my ears, so it was getting tough.
With tears rolling down & the humming.....
When your tears are spent in your last pretense... will be right beside u...

Everything else vanished in air, but for this journey.
Everything else could be done 1000's better, if with the pole star.
Its not too far, for both the stars to join together & sing in unison.
Into the elixir of everlasting fun & joy, giving light to every other star; Its not too far...

Its not too far... That fine day, In that Joy :D:D
I would kick ass her to flight :p
Launch myself and hug her to the core - mid air ;)
Kiss her with the swirl to the dawn of the new universe B-)

All we have got to do is...
Stop searching for reasons to run away & pack the little differences.
Shut our brains, Ask our hearts & Act fast before its too late.
Look at the new dawn with renewed confidence B-)

I have it in me, Do you have it in you ??
To reach the ultimate destiny ! :)
What an idea sir Ji - come Join Indian army :p
Dude: Ultimately its your call! Lets catch up asap !!!

I am just loving the journey and the destiny ;)
I may ruin it , if i talk more....
It was a tough call, with blurring right & wrong.
But how can i not TRY, if it will be good for one & all in the long run :)



Journey of stars - final pole star : Destiny - Dawn of the new universe.