Meaning of " I "

Right through evolution, living beings have had to choose between survival of the fittest or being a part of the group to survive. To stick to the former, one has had to face challenges of being innovative, being in control, make decisions and a vision for a better future, while for the latter one had to just move with the flow. Historically, there have been individuals and leaders who have changed the perceptions of a whole generation. The unifying spirit of these ‘I”s was that these people believed in something very deeply and had the conviction to go for their dreams, the results at times were good (Einstein, Tagore, Gandhi) and at times not so (Hitler, Shah Jahan, Tughlaq, Bush!).

Marketing, a synonym for creating an illusion is rampantly using the word “I” to get everyone to believe that they can change and do things their own way. The problem arises here. Without any belief, courage or conviction, people have taken up the flag of “I” and started marching. When questioned, they feel someone is encroaching upon their rights and they argue and defend fiercely, not knowing what they stand for. Just oppose (the current Indian political scenario). The few ‘I’s in every generation who do stand up would not revolt just for the sake of being different or to oppose someone. For them ‘I’ stands for independence, the first step to that being an introspection and understanding of the individual.

Individuality is an outcome of a series of different trials & experiences. Humans experiment. Apes simulate.

This post was written in reply to this blog: http://pinspensandbrickbats.com/2010/12/28/the-life-of-i/#comment-74

Meaning of 'I'

Right through evolution, living beings have had to choose between survival of the fittest or being a part of the group to survive. To stick to the former, one has had to face challenges of being innovative, being in control, make decisions and a vision for a better future, while for the latter one had to just move with the flow. Historically, there have been individuals and leaders who have changed the perceptions of a whole generation. The unifying spirit of these ‘I”s was that these people believed in something very deeply and had the conviction to go for their dreams, the results were at times were good (Einstein, Tagore, Gandhi) and at times not so (Hitler, Shah Jahan, Tughlaq, Bush!).

Marketing, a synonym for creating an illusion is rampantly using the word “I” to get everyone to believe that they can change and do things their own way. The problem arises here. Without any belief, courage or conviction, people have taken up with flag of “I” and started marching. When questioned, they feel someone is encroaching upon their rights and they argue and defend fiercely, not knowing what they stand for. Just oppose (the current Indian political scenario). The few ‘I’s in every generation who do stand up would not revolt just for the sake of being different or to oppose someone. For them ‘I’ stands for independence, the first step to that being an introspection and understanding of the individual.

A New Beginning

A New Beginning

Far away on the reddish skies,
I saw the Sun…
Crimson as if burning with some kind of desire.

The birds were chirping aloud..
I couldn’t hear what “it” was saying…
Confused and baffled I stood there…
Looking for an answer to so many questions…

I asked the Sun a question…
A very simple one…
“Are you rising or setting?”
The Sun replied,.
“If I rise, it marks the beginning of something new,
If I set, it marks the end of something old,
Everything changes and that is the order of life”

Anxiously I stared at the skies …
Fearing the dull moon and the dim stars to appear…
“Don’t be weak and fragile”…said the Sun as it rose with a smile..
“Good things are on there way…
It’s the beginning of a New Day”.

Kgp & you

In IIT Kharagpur after nearly a year and a half...its been the longest that I have been away from this place since i first came here...and that is why perhaps i can feel all the emotions gushing in...the smell of the air..the peace...the carefree innocence...confusion...the fervor...the calm...

You know once you have spent 4 years of your life at a place...especially the most beautiful ones...it takes a part of you...a vacuum that can never be filled again..everything seems to be in place here...the departments...the main building...hostels...the attitudes..the clothes...the lingo...except for the one thing that has changed...the people...

You know something that had been troubling me for quite sometime was the fact that how come whenever i thought about us ...very rarely does a happy moment cross my mind...but now that i am here in kgp..the place where it all started...everywhere i could see a part of me that was once so madly in love with you...where life started and ended with you and through out you were an integral part of my life at kgp...

You know we humans have a tendency of remembering only our immediate needs, environment and people...and we try our best to move on and forget....and we learn to adapt or else we won't survive....and i have myself been running away...it has been tough but not impossible to do so amidst the work, the people, the chatter and the chaos...its only in the utter silence can we see that facade being torn apart and we hear the inner voices...those that are uncontrolled & pure...

You know some things can never change no matter how hard we try....yes we can choose to forget...Kgp and you were the best things that ever happened to me is a fact and no one can ever change that...I could deny this everywhere but not here...this is the sacred place where lie buried feelings, emotions, events that cannot be relived...there'll be substitutes....as friends..as enemies...as lovers...but not for the times spent here...

You know its like a requiem...a solitary one at that...I cry for the times never to be had again...its like when you are at the burning ghats everything in the world seems to meaningless & once out of it..the conundrum & the noise suppresses everything...I'll be leaving Kgp soon and that is what is going to happen...All these memories would be stored in an urn kept at some deep corner of my heart...to be opened only here & nowhere else.... no other canvas could bring out the true wonderful colors of the past...