A Demise: An End

A Confession: Am not a political expert nor am i much interested politics. But i'm interested in people and how they mould the History of our World with their own hands.


Jyotirindra(better known as Jyoti) Basu: a leader, an icon...a man who reigned over Bengal for over two decades, 23 yrs to be precise. Died yesterday, 17th January 2010, at 11:47pm. With him ended an era...almost a century...a chapter closed in the history of Bengal.
Bengal has always played an important part in shaping or at least contributing to the history of our country. It was in Bengal that Nawab Siraj-ud-duallah lost the skirmish, dubbed in History as the Battle of Plassey. Bengal was the only state in India to witness Renaissance. Bengal was home to Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa, Amartya Sen...even Ronald Ross worked in Bengal. Jagadishchandra Bose, Prafullachandra, Vidyasagar, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Michael Madhusudan Dutta. Bengal gave India her first Martyr...Khudiram was the first to die in India's struggle for Freedom... Raja Rammohon Roy ("the first Modern Man of India"-Rabindranath Tagore)...Netaji...
Bengal gave to the country Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramkrishna....
Bengal was the only Indian state which was said to have had maintained its independent existence right through the ages...remember Gopala, Bengal's Raja....he was elected by the people to rule the people for the people!
Uncountable contributions...lets not count them any more. Except this one...the man named Jyoti Basu.
His achievements, his victories...also his failures, yes he did have his shortcomings...his 23 yrs as CM of West Bengal has given India a reason to add a new chapter to its History.
Initially what Basu had done in his reign, was a need of the hour. But two decades were a bit too long. His ideas got stagnated. The world changed but his outlook remained just the same. Finally in the year 2000, he stepped down from the post of CM of West Bengal. Even after stepping down from his political post, his connections and allies remained. The respect people had for him remained. And Basu remained in Indira Bhavan.
At 96 yrs of age, Basu breathed his last in AMRI hospital Salt Lake, after fighting for his life for 17 days. He has reportedly donated his eyes. The very eyes which saw the world for 96 yrs...fought battles...sought arguments...planned strategies...shed tears...and even loved....
Basu believed: "it is man and man alone who creates history..." 
...and he did create history.
 Even in death he created History. He is the only India politician to be a trending topic on Twitter that too twice....see that too counts as history...genZ type!!

"Come...lets explore this world together..."

Dinner time. Mom, Dad, me and someone else. Everything is same...just as always...except this new person. Who is this? Who is the new person on the table? By her looks...she's older than me. perhaps a couple of years...no more...around 6yrs maybe. A lady...someone i look up to...but who is she? who? Mom n dad are behaving so strangely. As if, they've known her for years...and i'm so happy. Why am i getting the feeling that i've known her all my life? she's someone close to me....i know that. she even looks familiar...she is very close to me. She's someone who cares for me... But, who is she?

She started helping mom serve the food. damn...didnt i always do it...?? who is she? she picked up my plate and served the food on it. placed it back infront of me and smiled. And then i understood....it was me...just an older version...as if my elder sister...loving me, caring for me.

and that was my dream...the one i saw this morning. strange...how something we long for...the thoughts that we push to our subconscious gets transformed into our dreams.

Am an only child and i've always longed for a sibling. Always.The feeling of always having someone to fall back upon...the feeling of being protected...of having someone to stand in when mom n dad are not around...

I have always longed for an older sibling. but a younger one would have also been good enough...but alas i have none.

Its a special bond..very special. A bond that can hardly be explained in words. What i felt in my dream today...i'd never felt that before...not for the thousands of cousins i have...not even for my nearest n dearest cousins. What i felt was a strange warmth...

Two brothers...hand in hand. A promise of togetherness...of closeness...of concern... Its a strength...

its a love so very pure...

its a feeling so very dear...

its a bond...

its brotherhood.

Those fights and squabbles...those kicks and punches...its all love...a strange love. default type...unconditional...

"Brother, if you get lost in the crowd....and never want to be found...I promise to lose myself with you...i'll never leave your side. You will never be alone. Come...lets explore this world together..."

 photo courtsey: Anirban Saha

# iconic Jyoti Basu: Alive or dead??

Trust me, this is crazy...

check this out...at twitter

Realtime results for jyoti basu dead 

slaith @sahaanirban I dun get it. Is Jyoti Basu dead or nt? less than a minute ago 

Ok...let me explain. This afternoon i saw a tweet which claimed that Mr. Jyoti Basu (aged 96), Ex-CM of West Bengal, has passed away today, 6th Jan 2010. there were retweets of that tweet and soon the entire Social Networking Community came alive with the news of Mr. Basu's death.

Media reports and Medical Bulletins insisted that Basu was still alive but on life support.

Confused?? Join the club, so am I.

Google it...you'll get a variety of search results. Some confidently report his death, some report other reports of his death while the rest remain uncommittal about his health condition.

even Wikipedia reported Basu as being dead...but later edited the content as Basu's death remained unconfirmed.

Basu was Chief Minister of West Bengal from June 1977 until November 2000, heading a Left Front government led by his Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). He stepped down on health grounds. 

Chronology of events:

Kolkata, Jan. 1, 2010: Jyoti Basu was hospitalised with pneumonia. Since Thursday, Basu had been suffering from chest congestion and having trouble breathing. He also had a cough and had been put on a semi-solid diet.

Doctors conducted a chest X-ray. And, at around 5.45pm, he was shifted to the hospital and a CT scan and blood tests were done and pneumonia was confirmed.

Kolkata, Jan. 3, 2010: Jyoti Basu had to undergo blood transfusion on Saturday night and Sunday evening after his haemoglobin level dipped. A BiPap machine was being used to pump air into Basu’s lungs.

Kolkata, Jan. 6, 2010: Later on Wednesday morning he was put on ventilator. Rumours of his death started in the afternoon.

As of now the truth remains in the hospital room...with the Ex-CM and perhaps a few 

selected individuals.

The use of ventilator or life support clearly indicates major deterioration in health condition. Often death is masked by the use of such devices.

Political play or media fad??

Remember a certain Mr. Priyoranjan Das Munshi?? he was on life support n ventilator for almost 8 months or more. German doctors had assured stem cell cure. All at the Govt.'s expenses. He has recently been put off life support. Supposedly his respiration has improved but his neurological condition remains unchanged.

The truth remains veiled.


information sources: Telegraph, Google.

Promises 2010

I don't really believe in resolutions. Every year i make the same resolution...that of not making any resolution. This year too is not an exception to the rule. Am not making any resolutions. Instead i'll make some promises. And these promises will be made to God...and promises made to God are never meant to be broken.

1. I shall try to improve myself in every way...academics, nature...every way.

2. I'll try not have ice creams and puchka...will try to avoid them as much as possible.

3. I would do my best to ensure that the people i care for are happy.

4. I will not trust anyone blindly.

Thats enough i guess. If any more promises get added to the list i'll update them here!

Date: 03/01/10 :First post of 2010

To the World its the third day of the second decade of the 21st century.
To me its one of the best-est days of my life...
let me first talk about the last day of the first decade of this century...31st Dec '09. It was a great end to a great year. The Kolkata Tweetup at Mani Square just rocked!! Anirban's James Bond taxi driver...the crazy trip to the Scary House (at Mani Square)...the crazy foodie visit to McDonald's and the super crazy run across the busy EM bypass side road...the mad balloon and the silly Docomo song...it was a MAD evening!!
But that was last year. Trust me, back home that night...i had just one feeling...that of happiness...i was super happy...n a little scared. I don't want anything to happen to this happiness...its just too precious to lose.
On 1st Jan I planned a trip to my Grandparents house...my Grandparents were overjoyed to see me. Got super pampered. Loved every moment of it! My Grandfather took a keen interest in blogging. He loved the concept of Sa'matri'yoni.
And today...finally 3rd Jan. Praveen, Anirban and me...Kolkata was never more joyful...the traffic was never more frustrating...the Ganga was never so beautiful...the breeze was never more pleasant...today was a memorable day. Victoria...the Monkey show (worth 70 bucks!! huh!?!)...the roadside fresh lime soda (Praveen taught me the proper name but i've forgotten it...have to ask him again)...the waaaaaaaaalk to Baboo Ghat...the sugarcane juice...our madness...Praveen and Anirban's camera...Anirban's non-stop photography...the steamer ride...the beautiful Ganga...and then finally "home-ground", City Centre.
It was a day well beyond my Rulebook life...a day i spent with my two most favourite people in this world! Am going to remember this day all my life...and recall these crazy memories when my hair'll be all grey and most of my teeth will be gone!! :-P
Am looking forward to 2010...am sure the rest of the year's going to be awesome!!
Thank you Mr.God...for everything!
Happy 2010 everyone!

Every End has a Story to Tell

Every end has a story to tell...a story of how the end came. Its a story of continuity...the story of life. Like every night ushers in a beautiful morning and promises us a new story, every night also narrates the tale of a day lived. And life is lived between these two extremities...the beginning and the end.

Like the bright sun peeping through the bare branches of the worn out tree...Life sweeps into our selves and creates a story from within us...a real story. its a promise of a new Fairytale....a tale that is spun around us...from within us...and about us.

its a new year tomorrow. And today, the end of this year has a story of its own to narrate...of the joys shared...of the laughter that echoed through the tunnel of time...of the sorrows forgotten and the pain erased by love. Tomorrow is a new beginning...the beginning of a new story.

So, friends its time....write your own story in your own signature style!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

Imagination: "i miss you"

Is this true? my love, my dream...everything i ever lived for......
no. this is an illusion. wish i could close my eyes. wish this pain would disappear...
the familiar faces...unfamiliar now...
as if, am living in a realm of strangers...in a world as alien to me as i am to them...
Forget it....get on with life. this is just a phase...it will end soon.
consolations...why? to whom? me? noway...am not weak...i can stand on my own, no matter how many times i fall...
have i fallen....perhaps no. but, am hurt...the pain is deep...the wounds still fresh...
i can stand on my own...yes...i can
but....i wish...i wish your hand could hold mine...
i wish i could feel you near me once again...
where are you? lost in time?
busy...you must be...
i remember your face....i imagine your touch and...and i stand...on my own...
i know, i can still make it by myself...but i wish...
wish you were here....i miss you.

2009 AD: A look back

its Christmas eve tonight...my first christmas eve without my Grandma....its my first Christmas Eve without a lot of things. but i have a lot more than what i've lost this year. My profits and savings count...not my losses.
still let me elaborate on both.
profit and savings first:
there are some people i need to thank. in fact 4 friends. without them i would have had successfully committed suicide(!!) this year.
Prantika...thank you for making me feel acceptable. i had lost faith in myself...n you know why. thank you for choosing me over others. you are the only person who has made me feel at home in my own room. Thank You.
Anirban...thank you for the very many things that you don't even know that you done for me..n i have no words to explain them to you. Thank you for being my friend and for introducing me to a gem, Praveen.
Praveen....thank you for making me feel happy. i wish i had a brother of my own like you. better still, i wish you were my own younger brother.
Sushmi...thank you, as always...for being by my side and kicking me hard whenever i reach the peak of sanity!! Insanity rocks! Thank you for everything Sush.

the year 2009 was a year of changes...of tears...that were wiped by more than one pair of hands. of joy shared by more than i can count. this was a year of friendship, of love...of bliss...of a happiness i'd long lost touch with.
2009 renewed my faith in life.
this year i am back in form...am my crazy self once again...no hypocrisy...no diplomacy.

few complaints....i would rather let them be. its better to bury them in this year and move ahead. its better not to remember how people you trust can turn selfish and purposefully take away from you what you truly deserve. its better not to remember how someone can shut their door on your face. its better not to knock on their door again. its better not to remember rude remarks from the people you considered friends. its better not to remember how they talk behind your back and apologise to you later only if you somehow get to know about it. its better to forget that they refuse to understand you and the reason why you do certain things. its better to forget if they suddenly avoid you. its better to forget and forgive.
Its Christmas...the season of love n joy. its the festival of giving without expecting to receive...
2010 is just a week away...a new year...its going to be a new beginning.
my prayer this Christmas
"Lord, bless the people around me. make their dreams come true. Bring to them joy, hope and love. Protect them from all harm. If they make a mistake forgive them and help them to forgive others' mistakes. Give them courage to face the truth. Walk with them. Hold their hands when they need You. Bless my friends. bless my family. bless the world. Lord, protect my happiness and its source.
Ahmen"

Sayani: the name

"Sayani" in Cherokee (Tsalagi ) language means Zion or origin.
[Cherokee: They are Native American people historically settled in the South Eastern United States (namely, Georgia, the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee).
Linguistically, they are connected to speakers of the Iroquoian-language family. And, in the 19th century, their oral tradition told of their having migrated south from the Great Lakes region in ancient times.
                                                                                                                        -courtesy Wikipedia]

This is a surprising fact. I thought Sayani was purely from Sanskrit. Meaning source from which life originates. In short, origin. I had no idea that it could have a Native American connection. This is very interesting.
But i have a question...how did the Native Americans and the Aryans use the same word in the same context? How could they come up with the same meaning?
i've been trying to research this topic...have been googling it since yesterday. But thanks to the upcoming exams...i couldnt devote much time to it.
If anyone knows the answers please let me know.
Sayani=Zion=Origin
I must admit, i like the name Zion. Reminds me of Matrix!!

wish i could enjoy the misty mornings

Nehiiii!!!!...finally they are here! yes friends...its exam time again! just 7 more days...n then the torture begins!
exams are in themselves very very horrible but preparation time is even worse...
Preparations=books+notes+scale, pencil, graphs+more notes+a terrible headache!
yep! thats what exams are all about. Mugging up 6 monthes worth of notes, scanning text books for the most uncommon topics that perhaps even the teachers have never ever heard of and wondering what's in the syllabus and what's not!
sleepless nights and early mornings...night lamps and alarm tones!
since its winter, exams mean sacrificing the warmth of our blankets n quilts and dedicating the beautiful misty mornings to our course books.
basically exams are an excellent way to skip meals, fall sick and go mad!
Exams also mean that i do not get to update my blog often...and that is really really bad!
Ok, i know everyone complains but come on...its true...Seriously, exams are not a very effective method to judge a student's true merit and should not be given so much importance to. But unfortunately, the Indian Education System is such that it demands us to dedicate our life to the very cause of giving exams and getting the best possible marks in them.
Now, trust me, "possible" is a very relative term. it totally depends on the mindset of the student, his/her parents and the society he/she lives in...and it is often synonymous with coming first in every exam, u knw being the "topper" n all...phew!
What a life!
What are we racing against??...is it time? or maybe the intellect of outer space aliens or ETs? (oh no!!) :P
What fear drives us to such a level of insanity that we sacrifice our life to a cause as futile as this?!!
seriously,
"give me some sunshine, give me some rain, give me another chance i wanna grow up once again..."

 Wake up Ind!a!
its time to make some serious changes...

wish exam preparations could be fun...exams could be interactive and educative! wish there could be a chaapless (pressure free) environment in which healthy competitions would be encouraged. Wish...i wish...

i feel it for you

this is my first attempt at something romantic.....its something that's totally unlike me!! but am still giving this a try...

please...please do leave comments.

will you walk with me...?
hold my hand.
sit with me...for a while.
look! can you see the horizon...
where the golden sun is melting into the arms of the blue water?


my life...behold,
have i found you in myself or without?
or did i do as i was told...?


once on a walk when you had smiled
trust me, the moonlight had washed me over...
bathing me in its silvery light.
that morning, when you had softly whispered in my ears...
those words that i live for
the fragrance of the fresh dew on the grass blade 
had kissed me on the forehead.
it was the moment...that moment...
that made up for all the words unsaid...


its a feeling unfelt...
a dream unseen...
if this is love, i confess...i feel it for you!