Mother

They asked me if a mother was the sun
or the moon that brought us light.

If she was the sky
or the stars that twinkle at night.

I thought
the sun,the moon, the sky, the stars
are all proud about the way they are.

They shine, they glow, they twinkle, they roar

all this only to belittle their role.

And because a mother is not one big thing
but a million little stuff

I said she is all or may be she is none.

As I peeped out of the window in the stormy night
a modest little tree caught my sight.

It was enduring the heavy rains without a sigh.

This simplicity set my answer outright.

And I said,
She is the wet tree who in the morning
tells you that it rained last night
but doesn't give you a hint herself
it was she indeed who was crying in plight.

Why India needs MODI-fication?

Narendra Modi, a man of substance, power and spunk. He is, undoubtedly, India`s one of the most successful Chief Ministers after having served Gujarat for the longest tenure only to add to the glory of the state. His indomitable spirit is evident from the fact that he has always managed to emerge out strong despite of all the opposition against him by the Central Government and some of the paid-sections of the press and media. He has been, time and again, subject to several controversies to defame his reputation. But it is his resilience and hard work that spoke for him, making him one of the most sought after politicians in the country.

With the 2014 Loksabha elections just round the corner, it is an issue of national debate that who will be the next Prime Minister of India ? The ‘Modi v/s Rahul Gandhi’ war has fueled up. With Congress trying its best to demean BJP by attributing Modi for being the reason for several disputes in the country, it is evident that Congress is certainly aware of Modi`s outgrowing popularity and is thus playing foul to sully Modi`s reputation.

Well, the question that arises here is, what makes Narendra Modi different from others? Why India needs MODI-fication? Well, the scale to measure a leader’s potential is the quantum of his work. Taking Gujarat into consideration, it is no less of an achievement for Modi to have been chosen as Gujarat`s CM thrice in a row (even after the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat which have been a dark patch on Modi’s reputation). Gujarat has shown some tremendous developments, as compared to other states, in Modi`s era. Gujarat has shown a growth rate increment from 6.22, before the modi-era , to 10.22 in the last decade of modi-era, which is an achievement in itself. Also, Modi took over to Gujarat`s administration when the state`s growth was low and economy was severely affected following the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.

Gujarat was never known for its agriculture in the past. Despite of Gujarat having a major desert region and facing water scarcity, Gujarat`s agro-economy has shined with 11% agriculture growth which is more than the national average. All for the state government`s price friendly reforms that benefited the agriculture as a whole. New agriculture universities have been setup, farmers have been made aware of advanced farming techniques and every possible step has been taken to revolutionize agriculture despite of all the barriers it had. And today Gujarat is said to be India`s ‘farming paradise’.

Also, Gujarat is the powerhouse of several giant manufacturing plants and projects. 16% of India`s industrial production comes from Gujarat alone and Gujarat alone accounts for 22% of the total investments in the country. Gujarat is an automobile hub, leading in the solar energy sector with Asia`s biggest solar energy plant situated in Gujarat and also leading in oil refineries. It is the first state to reform solar policy by offering it at 13 rupees per unit where the central government offers it at 19 rupees per unit.

The state also claims to have not increased the taxes in last 12 years. They have managed to become revenue surplus. Also, every single village in Gujarat gets 24 hours of electricity. Gujarat has evolved and implemented many innovative and far-reaching solutions to India's old and historic problems. Be it water conservation or electrifying rural areas. Be it ensuring institutional deliveries or enrolling the girl child in education. There are concrete roads all over Gujarat. The state provides ample opportunities for budding industrialists and traders. Gujarat was never a tourist destination. But with Modi’s correct vision and efforts, the tourism industry has flourished phenomenally in Gujarat. 

Modi on the cover of TIME magazine

People accuse him of being communal but with the fact that  Modi had ordered for the demolition of 120 small Hindu shrines to make way for a four-lane highway in Gujarat , you certainly can`t call him biased towards Hindus. He stands for what is right irrespective of the religious sentiments attached with it. The 2002 Godhra riots are analogous to what happened with the Sikhs post the assassination of Indira Gandhi, during the Congress regime. Armed persons went around the streets of Delhi to look for innocent Sikhs, who were slaughtered mercilessly and were even burnt alive.  CBI is of the opinion that the acts of violence were organized with the support from the then Delhi police officials and the Central government headed by Indira Gandhi's son, Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi was sworn in as Prime Minister after his mother's death and, when asked about the riots, he said "when a big tree falls, the earth shakes". Never did the Congress apologize for these mishappenings but the Sikhs were generous enough to forgive Congress for these atrocities and BJP, forgetful enough to not use this point as a trump card against all the blames Modi has been subjected with.

It is for his vision and perseverance that Gujarat has shined. For a corruption driven country like ours, where the Central government itself plays a host to several corruption scams, where the economy has hit lowest in a decade,  the industrial production growth is lowest in two decades and where the political and social reforms are proving to be futile, a patriot and visionary like Modi would be a saving grace.  Modi has brought in some phenomenal progress in Gujrat and the state`s development model has been applauded not only in the country but also across the globe. 

Economic development and progress is more important than court verdicts and he can deliver growth and prosperity for everyone just like he did for Gujarat. There are no two ways about it. He has all that it takes to be India`s next Prime Minister – the vision, the potential and the dedication. He is the future of India. NaMo !

Adieus

Finally, I am done with my engineering.  Four years of fuss have finally come to a close.  

  

Recalling the days when I took admission in the college, I remember how I used to hate everything about it. I hated the sessionals, the viva voce, the externals, the submissions - the whole nine yards . Frankly speaking, I was like those last bench students in college,who are consistently poor in attendance, which is just diametrically opposite to what I used to be in my school days. I was literally a book-worm in my school days and the situation was somewhat same, though not exact, even in my junior college days. But college was a whole new ball game for me.

Whatsoever, college has cut both ways. It has been influential in changing my personality. I learnt some of life`s most important lessons during these four years. I wasn`t very comfortable with the college atmosphere. It wasn’t that I am not very good at socializing or something.  In fact, given my outgoing nature, I can interact well with people. But due to some of my early experiences, I learnt that I wasn`t a kid no more and people were going to be mean and selfish. And so I chose to be with only a few friends who I could trust. I learnt being diplomatic and also learnt differentiating between what’s good and bad.

As days passed, I learnt going with the flow. I started adjusting to all the changes that the college culture brought in. I started understanding that there wasn’t any escaping to all this and coping up with it, for the rest of the four years, was the only way out. The semester pattern meant studying all the year round. I used to just fiddle around at the start of the session and then used to take to eleventh hour studying in the preparation leaves. I learnt giving in to situations. But all this didn’t really keep me from bunking lectures. That was my pet hate. (laugh out loud)

Luckily, I have had some really good girlfriends at college. We were like sisters under the skin. We used to have fun in the college, bunk lectures, gossip, laugh at stuff that hardly made any sense. We had a blast all four years. I miss all the time I have spent with them.

Looking back at it, I don’t really miss my college days dramatically like everybody else does. There are some of my friends who get all nostalgic about college and just jump for joy at the very idea of going back to college again. But I never really miss it like that, because honestly college has never really excited me though it has influenced me and changed me. But I would not really like to go through all the fuss again. The only thing I miss about my college life are my friends who were my partner in crime in bunking lectures and lazing around in college. I miss wandering aimlessly in the college corridors, chatting with my girlfriends about every petty thing except academics. I miss the fun part. I miss the time I have passed uselessly.

At the end of it all, as I turn over a new leaf in my life, I feel an added burden of responsibility on my shoulders. I feel the need and pressure to prove myself in life. I am sure that all the positives I have taken from college are going to help me in my life ahead. I hope this proves to only add to my good experiences.