The Rickshaw Driver

‘United we stand, Divided we fall’. It’s a line that we have been hearing for ages. I saw that first hand in my recent trip to Bengaluru.

As we got into a rick at BTM Layout to go to Race Course, I braced myself for an uncomfortable ride in the Bengaluru traffic and pollution. Add to it that the rick driver was a budding schumacher, made matters really worse for the bad back that I was carrying.

Somewhere in the middle of the journey, I saw another rick had broken down and the driver was pushing it hoping to find a garage. The Schumacher guy (my rick driver) stopped and asked the other driver about his problem. After a few exchanges in Kannada, he placed his rick at a strategic angle and put his left leg out on the back of the broken down rick. He then pushed that rick for almost 20 minutes through the horrific and unrelenting Bengaluru traffic. He risked his leg (and more) to help another driver whom he did not even know. He was at a risk of losing his leg due to uneven road, bumps, sudden brakes, people crossing and the two wheelers snaking through the traffic. Irrespective, he kept pushing. He kept pushing so that the other guy could reach somewhere near the garage, get his rick fixed and move on to earn his livelihood.

This was yet another simple incident that strengthened my belief in the inherent goodness within people. Probably we should stop building walls and start building bridges.

P.S - Just to put perspective - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bizZeYvH3VI (this is not videoed by me)

Sin Free 4.0 – Tirupati

14 months after Sin Free 3.0 I realized that my sins have reached dangerous levels and they might get back to me. It was high time to get rid of all them so that I can have a clean slate and start my ‘paaps’ all over again! So it was a trip to Tirupati again and this time I had 2 of my dearest friends along for company.

We left Bangalore on May 20, 2011 @ 19:30 hours and the bus reached next day at 01:15 am. The journey was uneventful with my friends sleeping like logs while me not even getting a minute of sleep. After refreshing ourselves, we boarded the state transport that took us to the top of the mountain in an exciting 45 minute ride. By 3.30 am we had joined the line for the darshan and at the exact moment of 5:00 am on May 21, 2011 I became SIN FREE.

I have started a new sin a/c again and would need to make Sin Free 5.0 – Tirupati sometime next year. So till then … tension nako … paap karte raho bhaiyya !!

Good Job BMTC VayuVajra

Most of us who have travelled through the new Bengaluru Airport agree that we are capable of building world class infrastructure. But building the infrastructure was never the problem. The problem is supporting that infra with facilities all around so that people truly enjoy the world class airport. I had a firsthand experience of these support services last weekend when I landed at the Bengaluru International Airport.

As I got down from the aircraft at 22:50 hours, I made a mad scramble to the exit as the last bus (BIA 11) that was supposed to take me to the city left at 23:00 hours. Unfortunately I lost the race and the bus had left by the time I made it to the bus depot.

I checked with the employees at the depot and they put me in another bus (BIA5). They said that they would call the driver of the bus that I just missed and tell him to wait. And they really did. The bus I missed was waiting for me 30kms away as I travelled in BIA 5. Needless to say I was truly impressed by the co-ordination that we are so not used to by the government run agencies. Add to it that the drivers and support staff are extremely polite and helpful, the buses neat and clean it makes the travel to the city less painful. All in all, a good job done … BMTC.

How Rich are you ?

Going by the fact that i am big time jobless, I have stumbled upon another useless site. According to it i am 683,696,317 richest person in this world. Yippppiiiieeeeee

Check out the site and post the result below ... http://www.globalrichlist.com/

Dear Mr. M F Hussain ...

M F Hussain, also known as the Picasso of India is now the Picasso of Qatar. After being in exile since 2006, he has finally said his adieu to his motherland. 


This event was enthusiastically covered by our media sensing some 'masala'. On one side was the Indian government trying to dissuade the artist from accepting the Qatari citizenship while on the other were the activists, because of whom Mr. Hussain had to leave the country.


On asking as to why did he accept the Qatari citizenship, Mr. Hussain gave the following reasons:-
1. India rejected me. India does not need me. Successive governments have failed to protect me
2. When activists attacked my work, no one came to support me
3. Qatar provides me complete freedom. No one controls my freedom of expression here


Mr. Hussain continues, "90% of Indian people love me. Only 10% are against me."
And, "The cases against me are against my freedom of expression. An artist's self expression. It is my creativity"


Mr. Hussain, I as an Indian truly respect you for your art. I would be more than glad if you could reject the Qatari citizenship and remain Indian. But unfortunately I do not feel truthful to myself by saying this. 


You are the same person who painted 'Bharatmata' in nude. You went on further to paint Goddess Durga and Saraswati in an uncharitable manner. Yes i agree there should be a freedom of expression to each and every individual. I am proud of the fact that my country provides that kind of freedom. But freedom of expression should not be misused. There is a social responsibility on each and every one of us. By hurting the sentiments of 85% of the Indian population, you cannot claim to have the love of our countrymen.


You have now taken citizenship of a country that is not even a democracy and you claim to have full freedom of expression?? I do not mean to be provocative, but if such acts were done against your new home country, I would not even want to think what the result would have been. India has been a tolerant society but it does not mean that you under the name of creativity paint whatever you like.


Be respectful of the sentiments of the people. You are a celebrity and hence a huge social responsiblity lies on your shoulders.


Proud to be an Indian