tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76914565744341305702024-03-14T14:51:41.922+05:30This is Utkarsh SpeakingThis is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.comBlogger464125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-31138543651754286222020-12-31T18:00:00.002+05:302021-01-02T06:01:27.656+05:30Go 2020 Go!<p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
year 2020 can undoubtedly be blamed on Covid. Everything that was wrong can be
blamed on Covid. Needless to say, that all administrators of the world, were
unprepared for this pandemic, there was no precedence in the recent past to
leverage from, besides the virus constantly challenging our scientific progress.
All in all, Covid, administration and the Chinese dietary habits can be blamed
for whatever was wrong in 2020.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">India,
however, had its own long list of what was wrong with 2020. Along with Covid, there
was an abundance of arrogance, apathy and delusion adding to the woes of the
common people, the same people who vote and elect.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Arrogance
of the administration to do whatever they deemed appropriate; bend rules
whenever it suited them and not following their own rules made by them. Arrogance
to assemble, congregate and meet despite lockdown. Arrogance to pass laws and
bills at will, just to push a sectarian agenda.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Apathy
towards those detained without trials, activists termed as terrorists, the
migrants and later farmers. Our leaders traveled the nation inaugurating
temples and complexes, addressing political rallies sparking trouble, despite
near-lockdown situation, but couldn’t meet the agitating farmers round the
corner.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Delusion,
that nothing could shake their ivory tower, due to the absent opposition and
the impossibility of the regional forces coming together, ever. Delusion, that
rising prices, increasing unemployment and growing hatred towards communities
will keep the common folk busy from seeing the looming dark clouds of
economic-turbulence in the horizon. Delusion, that an unscientific temperament
and pushing people towards religion and rituals will benefit the powers-that-be
in the short run.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2021
is ushering a new year, a new decade, and like always the sun rises to give
light and bring clarity. Covid is not going anytime soon, but the light can
still be used to see....see through arrogance, apathy and delusion. Though the
Nobel laureate’s name has been used quite glibly in recent times, I can’t but
take recourse to his foresight and optimism, with sincere reverence (of course)
–</span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><em><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Into ever-widening thought and action—</span></em><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><em><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.</span></em><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The veil of deception will be lifted, <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
we will see. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The delusional run will end<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
we will see.</span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We will emerge from darkness<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
the world will see.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I wish you all a very true and worthwhile
2021!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gYdkXH57rdo/X-3EM4T8BrI/AAAAAAAA-BE/gqzsAuMxvw8-8lue7unFA_-L1u9ezaO9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Sun.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gYdkXH57rdo/X-3EM4T8BrI/AAAAAAAA-BE/gqzsAuMxvw8-8lue7unFA_-L1u9ezaO9gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/Sun.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-37154021474264778022020-08-14T05:55:00.000+05:302020-08-14T05:55:13.352+05:30A time to question ourselves<p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Suddenly everything is
crumbling, crumbling to pieces; friends, relationships, faith, and belief. It’s
time to question if one is wrong or the world is getting close to what should
be seen as wrong.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">There was a time when
debates on politics and religion were different subjects and every debate ended
in just disagreements on the subject. Now they often end in acrimony and
enmity. Friends, who grew up arguing over a single cigarette or endless cups of
tea, are unable to co-exist in a single group.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">There was a time when
opinions were sought, sought from people as one would want to learn from them.
Now opinions are hurled at you. The objective of opinion is no more just to
share one's views, but force one to think in a particular way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">There was a time when
religion was mentioned only when one had to tick it in a box in some
soon-to-be-shelved form. Now it is worn on one's sleeve, and with misplaced pride.
A pride that allows one to look down upon every other religion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">There was a time when our
national heroes were hailed for their contribution and shaping the nation that
we are living in. Today, it is common to find children who barely manage to
learn the spelling of History, criticize them. The contributions are long forgotten
and a hero is dictated by one's regional and religious affinity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">There was a time when
the word secular was a badge of honour amongst nations and meant a distance
from religions. One could practice secularism outside one's home and follow one's
religion inside and there was never a conflict. Now, the word is an abuse and
misspelled on purpose – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sickular</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">New words have come to be
followed in one's daily parlance – <i>libtart</i>, <i>presstitute</i>, <i>troll</i>, <i>naxal</i>, <i>pseudo-secular</i>, and people
don't hesitate to use them, as these words divide the nation into two – the us
vs them. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Social media today is
used for the most unsocial activity. It is no more a voice for the voiceless but provides a license to silence and bully. People abuse, criticize, and
opinionate with an élan never seen before. This is one place where anonymity
and attention often join hands, however contradictory this sounds.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">On the eve of Independence
Day, it’s time to question oneself –</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Is this why thousands
laid their lives to win freedom for us?</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Is this why many who got
chance to leave the country, didn’t? </span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Do we want to live in the past or move on towards a new nation?</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Do we want to exercise
our right to speech to malign everything that we disagree with?</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Finally, do we want to
leave our children a world of hate, disgust, and distrust? </span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To celebrate or to introspect, is up to you!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7YT7FnBRsmg/XzXX-iS1B5I/AAAAAAAAzhc/5vtsECyyR_AUD_DhXK5n56ca592tdBaaACLcBGAsYHQ/s960/HIDay2020.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7YT7FnBRsmg/XzXX-iS1B5I/AAAAAAAAzhc/5vtsECyyR_AUD_DhXK5n56ca592tdBaaACLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h240/HIDay2020.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-63913931130516668612020-01-01T09:51:00.001+05:302020-01-01T09:51:07.392+05:30The Year that was….<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">Yet another year
gone, a new calendar, new resolutions, new beginnings, hopes and aspirations
and wishes.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">While we welcome
the New Year, let us not fear to look back because that is where we are
leaving our successes and failures and our biggest lessons. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">The year 2019, will
be remembered for all the wrong reasons, people lost jobs in fraudulent and
mismanaged organisations, many have not got salaries in what they thought was
the most secure jobs, lost money where they thought they were the safest, lost
lives protesting for what they thought was their fundamental right and lost
faith in the leadership that they had brought in with such hopes and
aspirations.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">We continue to
live in contradicting times - environment vs development, democracy vs.
oligarchy, rationality vs religion, lives of animals vs that of humans, and I
guess one can go on. However, probably the worst of the contradiction is that
of generation and its differences.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">While the idea
of generation-gap is not new and the fact that two generations have never
thought alike; what is significant is that two generations have never differed
so violently, with the younger generation taking the blow badly. Lord Tennyson,
must be ashamed to see that the ‘old order is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> changeth, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i>
yielding place to new’!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">As a nation we
are today a combination of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">manav</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">danav</i>. Some are epitomes of humanity and
we can still some living examples of them, but unfortunately we can also see
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">danav</i>’s in their full nakedness.
It is said this is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prakriti</i>, nature
which is a blend of both. Life is all about striking a balance. But as a
law-abiding citizen, the layman seems to be having law against it, and the
upholders of law, seem to have made a slave out of the blind-folded lady. So
what should the mere mortals like you and me do? Wait for Lord Vishnu to don
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kalki</i> avatar or be one
himself/herself? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">What if Lord Vishnu is in his cosmic slumber? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">It is said –
that god helps them who help themselves, and that is the truth behind the delay
in Vishnu’s Kalki avatar. We have not done enough for Him to feel that we have
done our bit. If as a nation we resolve to do our bit, we might not even need
Kalki, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">danav</i>’s, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">asura</i>’s, and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rakshasha</i>’s of our nation will meet their end anyways. This is the
time for the might of the mortal. So wake up O Indian and take your rightful
place in the limelight. Don’t let any botched hand take away this right of
yours. If we do our bit, I am sure as the noted lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi has
said – ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Woh subaah kabhi to aayegi</i>,
….’</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">Finally to rephrase Tagore’s words from
‘Where the mind is without fear’ –</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where the clear stream of reason has not lost
it's way</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">into the quicksand of fascist forces,</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where the mind is led forward by thee</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">into ever-widening thought and action.</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">In to that heaven of rationality and freedom, my </span></span></i><i><span style="color: #181818; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">father,</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<i><span style="color: #181818; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">LET MY YOUTH LIVE!”</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">Friends <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wo subaah aa gayee</i>! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This is 2020</b>, Lord Vishnu is not coming! He has
left it for you and me. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">Let us resolve to take our country to new
horizons and march with our youth, I think they are showing us the way this
time!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UfzMbT8rs3M/XgwdxC2ZDeI/AAAAAAAAjq0/nFpwYuCKRok9FceUtiFmePLvtUSpMc-HACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/millenials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1600" height="206" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UfzMbT8rs3M/XgwdxC2ZDeI/AAAAAAAAjq0/nFpwYuCKRok9FceUtiFmePLvtUSpMc-HACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/millenials.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HT Mint dt. 01/01/2020</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Let us make this New Year, happy!!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br /></div>
This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-5083991609915833662017-11-25T10:01:00.000+05:302017-11-25T10:01:11.546+05:30Kannak's Anklet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My new book, "<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Kannaki's Anklet</b></span>" is now available -</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xEA2umPd6P4/Whjwr_G7OWI/AAAAAAAAKDY/0F8XWvT9qT89PHtf6VmeKRkOxco8C173QCLcBGAs/s1600/Kannaki%2Bfront%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1033" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xEA2umPd6P4/Whjwr_G7OWI/AAAAAAAAKDY/0F8XWvT9qT89PHtf6VmeKRkOxco8C173QCLcBGAs/s640/Kannaki%2Bfront%2Bcover.jpg" width="411" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Kannaki’s Anklet</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> is an effort to bring the
Tamil epic <i>Shilappadikaram</i>, by Ilango Adigal, to a
larger audience and in a relatively easy prose format. While the epic has been
translated by eminent scholars, <span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Kannaki’s Anklet</b></span> is an effort to make it
easy reading for the modern reader who is exploring the hidden gems of regional
literature, without getting into the academics of it. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This book is an easy
translation of the famous epic.</span></span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-56709406090878834412017-08-30T05:33:00.001+05:302017-08-30T05:35:09.711+05:30The (In)famous Mumbai Spirit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The
idea of writing this is not to provoke, but to spark a debate. Awaken what is
dormant and recognise the real virtue.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">All
of us Mumbaikars feel a pat in the back when we hear or read phrases like –
‘the indomitable spirit of Mumbai’, ‘Mumbai bounces back’, ‘Mumbai’s spirit
cannot be cowed down by terrorism’…and so on. Each more flowery than the other,
each richer than the other in terms of play of words.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Is
this a spirit of bouncing back, or is it stemming from a sense of stoicism?
Stoicism not in the sense – Who cares, but more of – What can I do? There lies
the subtle difference. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The
day after the deluge, for majority of Mumbaikars will be a normal day, to talk
the subject, read in details what one failed to catch on TV, and feel sad for
those who were stranded, drenched, took shelter in churches and gurudwaras and
those who never reached home for the night. But somewhere in a corner of the
heart we will feel good that we are back on our feet, back to work the very
moment the public transport was available, over the stinking and dirty roads;
send children to school to make them look like us, call relatives and tell them
that we are safe and have even resumed work, and behave as if nothing had
happened, and yesterday was just a bad dream. This is not the indomitable
spirit of Mumbaikar, but a concrete evidence of stoicism. It’s our hardened
sense of empathy, or the lack of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">‘What
can I do when the whole government machinery couldn’t do anything?’, ‘What can
I do when I have so many other responsibilities?’, ‘What can I do when nobody
is doing anything?’, ‘What can I do all by myself?’ There is a list of
What-can-I-do questions, all leading us to do nothing, except watch the graphic
apathy of the system, its meticulous breaking down on TV, read all about them
on our way to work and get taken in by the ubiquitous feeling of the great ‘spirit
of Mumbai’. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">To
all the What-can-I-do questions, I have only one answer – ask Why? Protest till
the powers-to-be are compelled to give answers. Protest does not mean take to
streets and resort to acts of vandalism and communalism. Protest can be in any
form that the civilised society permits us. If someone dumps garbage in front
of our house, don’t we protest? Why can’t we do now? Garbage is now being
dumped in the society, shouldn’t we protest? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Mumbaikars
need to realise that it is this infamous spirit of Mumbai which is going
against us. As individuals we are being taken for granted. The powers-to-be are
aware that as citizens we are only prone to raise our voices within the four
walls of our homes and workplaces. They are aware that they can get away with
inefficiency, irresponsibility and corruption. Haven’t we pardoned them for the
2005 deluge, the annual drama of potholes, the lack of preparation every monsoons,
the regular photo-op-charade of de-silting, and so on?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">These
are not the times to bear in silence or turn a blind eye. It’s time to speak
up. Stop the wheels. Raise a voice. As the famous John Galt of ‘Atlas Shrugged’
did, ‘stop the motor of the world’ and let the inefficient and ineffective make
way for the efficient. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Ask
questions. Who is responsible for such inefficiency? When is the Government going
to rise about its compulsion of coalition-politics? When will heads roll for efficient
heads and not replace with another set of inefficient morons? Will the culprits
be arrested, and if so, how soon can they be booked, tried and punished? Will
we have to wait for another deluge to remind us of the last one? Will it take
about 12 years to fix blames? Will this go down in history as another piece of
statistics? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">As
a sincere law-abiding citizen of Mumbai I protest and I ask these questions. Do
not hide behind the poetic excellence of the politicians and media alike. Do
not get taken in by the blame-game about to begin. My sincere request to all –
do not resist from asking questions, just because you might not get answers.
Ask nonetheless. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I
end with my favourite quote from Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand in the iconic
speech, ‘This is John Galt speaking’ –<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">“To those of you who retain
some remnant of dignity and the will to live your lives for yourselves, you
have the chance to make the same choice. Examine your values and understand
that you must choose one side or the other. Any compromise between good and evil
only hurts the good and helps the evil.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">If you've understood what I've said, stop
supporting your destroyers. Don't accept their philosophy. Your destroyers hold
you by means of your endurance, your generosity, your innocence, and your love.
Don't exhaust yourself to help build the kind of world that you see around you
now. In the name of the best within you, don't sacrifice the world to those who
will take away your happiness for it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The world will change when you are ready to
pronounce the oath….”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I
decide to stop this display of Mumbaikar’s spirit. Stop the motor of the world!
This is my way of protesting - however insignificant it seems to anybody. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gwy8XDW-U-4/WaYAxvLSVEI/AAAAAAAAI9A/4OEOmHqKQCoMKQOAuDfyuvEfciQjuDPVwCLcBGAs/s1600/NR2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="189" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gwy8XDW-U-4/WaYAxvLSVEI/AAAAAAAAI9A/4OEOmHqKQCoMKQOAuDfyuvEfciQjuDPVwCLcBGAs/s320/NR2.jpg" width="165" /></span></a></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-45305714509821524292017-07-16T04:59:00.001+05:302017-07-16T04:59:42.531+05:30Completion of 7 years!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Completing 7 years!!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kXPmyQwi-d4/WWqlDxSGQGI/AAAAAAAAFyk/XgYAD1AxEsUwZXMPMbbYCePmIWsayZyYQCLcBGAs/s1600/7_Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kXPmyQwi-d4/WWqlDxSGQGI/AAAAAAAAFyk/XgYAD1AxEsUwZXMPMbbYCePmIWsayZyYQCLcBGAs/s400/7_Blog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks to all my readers.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Utkarsh Patel</b></span></div>
</div>
This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-31891657773353929912017-03-08T05:12:00.000+05:302017-03-08T05:12:52.072+05:30Does a society learn from its past?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Does a society learn from its past? Past mistakes to be precise? Has
our nation learnt from the gut-wrenching incident of a Nirbhaya on a fateful
night of December 2012? Have rapes and murders of women stopped? Have the
changes in law brought any respite to a woman? Is she more secure today?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the cost of repetition, does a society learn from its mistakes? No,
it seldom does.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All of us are well aware of the episode of Draupadi’s <i>vastraharan</i> or disrobing after she was
lost in the dice game, by her husband, Yudhishtir. Many say that it was this
that led to Kurukshetra, while some say, it was Draupadi’s laughter at
Duryodhana at Indraprastha. Irrespective of it, the society blames Draupadi for
the war. But going back the episode of the disrobing; an effort is made to
disrobe Draupadi and her husband/s say nothing. They remain mute observers, as
they were supposed to be following the dharma of a slave! Allowing ones wife to
be stripped in public and not stand by her, could never be part of any dharma,
was forgotten by none other than Dharma-raj himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One would think that such an experience would be enough to last a
lifetime for a person like Yudhishtir, right? Wrong!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me relate another incident that happens after sometime and
Yudhishtir behaves in the same way, as he did earlier and thus my concern –
does society ever learn?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the Pandavs lost everything in the dice game, in spite of
Draupadi winning everything back with her arguments and invoking humanity, in
the court of Hastinapur, the Pandavs are sent to exile for twelve years and an
additional year incognito, i.e. in disguise. If they were found out in the thirteenth
year, then they would have to go for another thirteen years in exile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the thirteenth year, the Pandavs and Draupadi decided to take
refuge at the court of Virata, all in disguise. Yudhistir becomes the advisor
to the King and Draupadi becomes one of maids of the Queen Sudeshna of Virata.
However, Draupadi’s beauty attracts the evil gaze of the Queen’s bother
Keechaka, who is also the powerful army chief. Draupadi tries to stall his
advances, but is unable to do much when the Queen herself insists that she give
in to her advances. Queen Sudeshna once forced Draupadi to take wine for
Keechaka in his chambers. Once there, Keechaka tries to molest her and Draupadi
to avoid his advances runs away from his chambers and lands up in the court
seeking protection from the king and her husband, Yudhishtir, who was present
in the court. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keechaka follows her to the court, and seizing her by her hair throws
her down on the earth, kicked her in the very presence of the King, and of
course her husband Yudhishtir. Draupadi urges the King to intervene and save
her from the mighty Keechaka who has been casting evil eye on her, a married
woman, all this while hoping Yudhishtir would intervene. While the King didn’t
know how to react, as Keechaka was his brother-in-law and a general, the
courtiers applauded Draupadi’s stance of seeking justice in an open court
against the wrong-doings of Keechaka, which were well known. To Draupadi’s
horror, Yudhishtir speaks and scolds her for disturbing the proceedings of the
court and bringing such complaints in front of everybody. He further tells her
not to put up an act and go back to the inner chambers of the Queen and not
come back with such lamentations to the court, especially when a dice game is
on!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZKukdwFius/WL9EY_pHdsI/AAAAAAAAEbo/BJOms4RT944_o0CwAvndGrewRp20xu_uwCLcB/s1600/Draupadi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZKukdwFius/WL9EY_pHdsI/AAAAAAAAEbo/BJOms4RT944_o0CwAvndGrewRp20xu_uwCLcB/s400/Draupadi2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background: rgb(248, 249, 250); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><i>Draupadi in Virata's palace, by Raja Ravi
Varma</i></span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While many say, that Yudhishtir said this as he did not want to risk
being recognized in the crucial thirteenth year, the fact remains, that once
again Draupadi was insulted and once again her husband did not come to her
help. I repeat, does the society learn from its past mistakes? While Yudhishtir
could have managed to save Draupadi with some of his advise and that too in a
court which was averse to Keechaka, Yudhistir decided to reprimand Draupadi for
‘wasting the time of the court’. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Misplaced sense of duty or selfish agenda, or both? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On this Women’s day, I urge people to stand up for women, irrespective
of one’s political and ideological affiliations. A woman’s dignity is of prime
significance and no crime on her part can justify, lynching, molestation and
public humiliation and in modern times, social media trolling. The society has
no right to breach codes of morality both written and unwritten. This society
has enough Keechaka’s and Sudeshna’s, but it is the responsibility of every
citizen to stand by a woman, irrespective of her ‘crime’. It’s time to pull
down curtains on the age-old lip-service that a woman is a mother and goddess
and she needs to be worshipped. A woman doesn’t need to be worshipped; she
needs to be respected for who she is – an individual. While today’s woman can
take care of herself, if a man stands by her, it would only act as a fillip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And finally, men, don’t be Yudhishtirs, be a Bhima. Just to conclude
the story, Draupadi goes to Bhima and relates everything. Next night Bhima
kills Keechaka. Bhima stands by his wife. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If a woman is safe, everyday will be a woman’s day; if she is not, what's the big deal in celebrating it even for one day?</span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-18702482853911597602017-02-14T04:49:00.000+05:302017-02-14T04:49:35.440+05:30Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s
that time of the year, when love is in the air, as goes the cliché. Today all
will be talking of love, love and more love. For the last five years or so, I
have been telling love stories in my Blog and thought I would do the same this
year, but then I wanted to avoid clichés this year, so decided against it. No
love stories this year, but let’s talk of love, since love is in the…. We will
skip that, I guess.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bxK9xjjNu6Y/WKI7VaFHFkI/AAAAAAAAEQc/tcRqFOcZpgY3DF4C6y7mSNoWdIzMuGgogCLcB/s1600/hearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bxK9xjjNu6Y/WKI7VaFHFkI/AAAAAAAAEQc/tcRqFOcZpgY3DF4C6y7mSNoWdIzMuGgogCLcB/s200/hearts.jpg" width="194" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">So
what is love?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">With
decades behind me, I make my little effort to understand this unavoidable four
letter emotion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Is
it the way he looks at her? Or is it in a lovers touch? Or is it her presence?
Or is it just her being around? Or is it in his sweet words? Or is it the small
things he does for his lover?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Is
it easy to find love or does it take a life time to find it?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where
art thou, my love?<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looked
for thee everywhere, <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8HL5swOm0Kw/WKI9QglhN6I/AAAAAAAAEQo/y2ibL1TDKJwuavZwqfqQ9MhOpmE3iDyMwCLcB/s1600/Hearts-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8HL5swOm0Kw/WKI9QglhN6I/AAAAAAAAEQo/y2ibL1TDKJwuavZwqfqQ9MhOpmE3iDyMwCLcB/s320/Hearts-tree.jpg" width="320" /></a><strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">But
could find thee not<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where
art thou, my love?<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looked
for thee in the East<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where
the sun rose,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looked
for thee in the West<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where
the sun set,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">But
could find thee not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where
art thou, my love?<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looked
for thee in a moonlit night<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looked
for thee in the Madhuvana<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looked
for thee under the kadamba tree<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> But could find thee not<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where
art thou, my love?<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looked
for thee at the seashore<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looked
for thee in the waves of the sea,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sought
you in the aroma of the breeze<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sought
you in the silence of the night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">But
could find thee not<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where
art thou, my love?<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Oh
questions and questions galore! How does one explain love, the single most
driving force for mankind and as the cynic would say, for the gift industry!
But no commerce today, please! I am no Archies and I am no manufacturer of silk
hearts of varying sizes to be stuck on gifts and to be discarded tomorrow
morning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
am the heart that beats for her and the heart which aches for her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
am the heart which throbs with passion and which displays emotion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
am the heart which often goes fickle and silly, all for her<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
am the heart which loses its rationality when she looks at me <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
am the heart which melts at her smile and hardens at her indifference<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
am the heart which pines in her absence and throws tantrums when she is back<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
am the heart which displays ego but submits at the drop of her eyelid<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">So
do these emotions matter today? Are these worth anything in the world of
ostentatious displays of love in social media? Do these matter in a
I-love-you-I-aint-sure-you-are-the-one times of love? Or is it that love is for
keeps for some while the same is old fashioned for some?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
have been on earth for quite some time now (and I hope god is not reading
this!), but when it comes to define love, I guess I have miles to go…..but can
safely say, felt it! It’s a joy, it’s a pain, its laughs and its tears. If it
ain’t all this, then I guess it’s not love….at least not for me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
guess only a lover can understand what love is when he says…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kiss
the cup, my love<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let
this be my elixir<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">For
lovers need no nectar of heavens;<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
touch of your rosy lips <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> is all I seek<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">After
this, even if the cup<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> hath an adders juice<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
would gulp it down with glee<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">And
embrace the messenger of Yama.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></strong></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's wishing you ....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(The
italicized pieces are from my forthcoming novel)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Love
stories from the previous Valentine Days –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2015/02/mandapal-and-lapita.html">http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2015/02/mandapal-and-lapita.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2015/02/eros-and-psyche.html">http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2015/02/eros-and-psyche.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2014/02/valentine-day-love-story.html">http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2014/02/valentine-day-love-story.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2013/02/valentine-day-love-story.html">http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2013/02/valentine-day-love-story.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2012/02/valentine-day-love-story.html">http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2012/02/valentine-day-love-story.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2011/02/radha-krishna-divine-romance.html">http://utkarshspeak.blogspot.in/2011/02/radha-krishna-divine-romance.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-29938853348861789042017-01-25T05:00:00.000+05:302017-01-25T05:00:48.185+05:30Satyavati<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Launching my second book, "<b>Satyavati</b>" the much forgotten and often sidelined woman from the epic Mahabharata who was responsible for changing the course of destiny of many a character in the epic!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Check it out on the Readify app</span></div>
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<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.readify" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.readify" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">https://play.google.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>store/apps/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>details?id=in.readify</span></a></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-81720148955900796252017-01-01T10:59:00.000+05:302017-01-01T10:59:10.026+05:30Happy New Year!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-37091847125033837382016-11-24T05:16:00.002+05:302016-11-24T09:18:58.319+05:30Litventure2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Saturday, November 26, 2016</span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-86426184800100822352016-11-17T05:39:00.000+05:302016-11-17T06:00:45.097+05:30Why shouldn’t I complain? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XVudvxsXEtE/WCz0UkeY26I/AAAAAAAADzM/JXGK22kFUQgTM-_cWXYRB9PXeMm9OSN4ACLcB/s1600/Complain1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XVudvxsXEtE/WCz0UkeY26I/AAAAAAAADzM/JXGK22kFUQgTM-_cWXYRB9PXeMm9OSN4ACLcB/s200/Complain1.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">As a child, when I fell
down and hurt myself or was upset about something and complained or cried, I
was stoically told to learn to bear it, <i>sahan
karna sikho</i>, and stop whining and complaining. Earlier, I was expected to
keep quiet as the ability to bear pain and not whine was good for me in the
long run, at least that’s what my mother would say! Since that day, I have been
keeping quiet whenever something went wrong or not up to my expectations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Today, when I have to
stand in long queues for hours to get my own money, all my friends tell me to
stop complaining and bear it with a grin. After all it is for the good of the
country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">I don’t dispute it,
but stop telling me not to complain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">I complain, because
once again, I have been made to stand in long queues for no fault of mine. No,
I am not the one who stood in long queues for hours to buy an iPhone (I can’t
afford it). No, I was not the one who stood for the auditions of Roadies, (I don’t
care for such things). No I didn’t stand in the queues of Big Bazaar discount
rush, (never did). I am the one who stood in long queues for my child’s
admission to college. I was the one who stood in long queues for my Passport.
Then when the Govt decided that it wanted to create a single document for all,
I stood in the queue for my Aadhar Card, and today am saddled with yet another acceptable
document. And then when I wanted change, I was the one who stood in long queues
to vote during the elections. So stop sending me those silly pics on WhatsApp
which are churned by an invisible industry, which has got nothing else to do,
but create inane memes and trolls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">I complain, because I
am bearing the brunt due to a certain segment of people who have still not been
affected by this, because when I stood in the queue for hours, I did not see
any of the politicians and their children or his son-in-law or the
daughter-in-law. Neither did I see the small businessman, who hoards cash and
creates black money, nor the affluent, who sponsor big elections. All around me
I saw, men and women who have left their daily work, labourers who have
foregone their daily wage, maids and cooks, who will have to go back to their complaining
mistresses, and a sea of helpless faces, all of who were trying to ensure that
they get their own money to see through the crisis and of course contribute to
the larger good of the nation!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">I complain, because that’s
probably the only thing I can do, after all I am the growing middle-class. I am
always the one who is expected to bring change, socially or politically. I am
the one, who gets pushed and minced, no matter who rules in Delhi. I bear the
brunt of pollution, as I take to the streets to board the public transport. I
suffer, as I have to run to numerous bodies like municipal and such, to get a
death certificate and other such necessary papers. I suffer because I am the
one who has high ideals and lacks both money and the will to pay a bribe. Occasionally
to ward away a major nuisance, if I do pay a small sum here and there (read ‘bribe’)
to ensure that I got my own document or I managed to save my poor wife from
being oogled at for a minor misdemenour by the cop on the street, I am made to
feel guilty for being ‘part of a corrupt system’. I am supposed to go through the
ordeal which would make me feel menial and miserable, and try to change the
system, after all, I should cater to create that utopia that all of us have
been hoping for, ever since my country saw the dawn of independence and
recently too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Finally my friends,
if I am complaining, then that does not make me anti-PM and pro-Rahul or
pro-Mamata. If I am complaining, then that doesn’t make me anti-national and
nor does it mean that I prefer a corrupt nation. If I am complaining, it doesn’t
mean, I don’t want change – if that was so, then I wouldn’t have contributed to
usher in the new regime. If I am questioning the present move, then it doesn’t mean,
I have no sense of economics and how the money-market moves. If I am
complaining, then it doesn’t mean I have no faith in the present system and its
ability to deliver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">I complain, because
it pains. I have borne enough and I have carried the weight of righteousness
and principles for a bit too long. I complain, because the growing multitude of
my country can do little else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">So, guys who can bear
so much trouble, bear my whining too. Don’t tell me to shut up for ‘the larger
good of the country’! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">I care for my
country, just as much as you do, if not more!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-1898084569649627722016-11-03T05:41:00.000+05:302016-11-03T05:41:03.250+05:30Beneficiaries of the Uri Attack<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If the title shocked you, then
welcome to the real world. Get out of the trolls and memes of the social media
which have been working overnight to provoke few seconds of patriotism and the
latest two bit of my-contribution-to-the society via internet-activism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Uri attack left 20 soldiers
dead and I wonder how many of the patriotic citizens remember the name of a
single jawan dead. I haven’t even asked if any of the rabble-rouser and the ‘patriots’
have done anything worth a dime for the families of the dead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The first beneficiary is
definitely the Government in power which used the surgical-strikes post-Uri attack
to its credit. As the Defence minister was found bragging that the surgical
strikes were by the army, but the brain was the PM. The army spoke once but the
politicians are still speaking about it and taking all the sheen away from
those who took all the risk and efforts for the strikes which were conducted
post the Uri terrorist attack.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The second beneficiary was of
course a marginal political outfit, which was in the margins of near
extinction. A sudden chance to flex muscles and show they existed and a poor
film producer who had crores at stake, had to bear the brunt the organisation’s
new found patriotism. What was sad was how the over-the-top patriotism received
tacit support from the Government, given the political compulsions of the
moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Absolutely unexpected beneficiaries
were of course the small traders, who suddenly found a tertiary benefit in
wanting to ban Chinese products. While the PM was meeting the Chinese premier
and delegates were discussing business as usual the citizens of the country
joined in the mind-violence of ban-Chinese-products. Yet another opportunity to
display patriotism and remind people how great Indian products are, a la
Sarojini Naidu in her “Bazaars of Hyderabad”. Unfortunately the same people
seem to have forgotten that Chinese constructors will be working on the 3000 ft
statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the government’s pet project and a Chinese
corporation has recently been awarded the 900 cr Nagpur Metro project. But all
of us get to display our patriotism by participating in ban-china-<i>ka-maal</i> like Diwali lights and paper-lanterns
and sleep a peaceful night’s sleep after contributing to our two-bit of
patriotism!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LvHBCFIR8qg/WBSe7eIoVUI/AAAAAAAADxM/pqeadiaydGwWG2ybsLL5N5rtafsU9WxRACLcB/s1600/Shame1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LvHBCFIR8qg/WBSe7eIoVUI/AAAAAAAADxM/pqeadiaydGwWG2ybsLL5N5rtafsU9WxRACLcB/s200/Shame1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think all of us who support
such divisive and self-recreational politics, should hang our heads in shame!</span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-16516455866564260822016-10-29T18:34:00.000+05:302016-10-29T18:34:41.854+05:30Happy Diwali!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T7hMALZByX8/WBSeH9c6-fI/AAAAAAAADxE/fQLVUj3zmtITvzV7t8b7GPkXxiy-QvbNQCLcB/s1600/UP_Diwali%2Bgreetings_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T7hMALZByX8/WBSeH9c6-fI/AAAAAAAADxE/fQLVUj3zmtITvzV7t8b7GPkXxiy-QvbNQCLcB/s640/UP_Diwali%2Bgreetings_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-24985853438359764852016-08-25T04:58:00.003+05:302016-08-25T04:58:56.139+05:30Janamashtami - For the Love of God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7uKPzGqCztA/V74rROHXnzI/AAAAAAAADq0/v08Z2Q2ioA4wO1wLWPISJoa4GbgIq1WvACLcB/s1600/Krishna-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7uKPzGqCztA/V74rROHXnzI/AAAAAAAADq0/v08Z2Q2ioA4wO1wLWPISJoa4GbgIq1WvACLcB/s640/Krishna-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First published in the August, 2016 issue of "Shubh-Yatra", the in-house publication of Air India </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://shubh-yatra.in/for-the-love-of-god/">http://shubh-yatra.in/for-the-love-of-god/</a></span><br />
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-33194887506706676482016-05-27T05:49:00.001+05:302016-05-27T05:50:30.533+05:30Vadodara National Book Fair, 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_7489" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-size: medium;">Speaking at the Vadodara National Book Fair -</span></div>
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<span id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_7490" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-size: medium;">On <b id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_6915" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">Saturday, May 28, </b>at<b style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;"> 6.10pm.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U9_iB2dnF-M/V0eSLwp3slI/AAAAAAAADhc/3GU81sRicoQeJt84DjfwC0llHveNng7XACLcB/s1600/UP_BarodaBookFair2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U9_iB2dnF-M/V0eSLwp3slI/AAAAAAAADhc/3GU81sRicoQeJt84DjfwC0llHveNng7XACLcB/s400/UP_BarodaBookFair2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_7803" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-size: medium;">You are welcome, along with your friends and relatives!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 22.4px;"><b>Utkarsh Patel</b></span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-53841904572065715722016-05-04T10:39:00.000+05:302016-05-04T10:39:01.571+05:30Drought Demons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just what is it about drought that brings out the worst in mankind? How do we define drought – is it the tyranny of nature or should we say, it’s the sheer absence of nature?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Read more - <a href="http://www.news18.com/blogs/india/utkarsh-patel/drought-demons-14512-1237763.html" target="_blank">Drought Demons</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">First published on www.news18.com</span></span><br />
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-22178989862150875312016-05-02T14:57:00.000+05:302016-05-02T14:57:27.219+05:30Ahmedabad Book Fair - 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_7489" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-size: large;">Speaking at the Ahmedabad Book Fair -</span></div>
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<span id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_7490" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-size: large;">At the <b id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_7958" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">Authors Corner</b> on <b id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_6915" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">Thursday, May 5, </b>at<b style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;"> 3pm.</b></span></div>
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<img alt="Inline image" class="yiv9235850044ymail-preserve-class yiv9235850044inline-image-guid-d1aa0c46-74f4-e6d0-d073-ebade73d3445 yiv9235850044rte-inline-saved-image" height="536" id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_6999" src="https://us-mg6.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=2%5f0%5f0%5f2%5f1805983%5fAHXsw0MACPcUVycSzwd6EEk73fM&m=YaDownload&pid=2&fid=Sent&inline=1&appid=yahoomail" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; border: 0px; max-height: 670px; max-width: 800px;" width="640" /><br style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;" /></div>
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<span id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_7627" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-size: large;">At an interactive session with Ms. Kusum Chopra at Hall # 3 on <b id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_7616" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">Friday, May 6, </b>at<b style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">4pm</b></span></div>
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<span id="yiv9235850044yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1462176848668_7803" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-size: large;">You are welcome, along with your friends and relatives!!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-size: large;">Utkarsh Patel</span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-67528761364373228932016-01-18T04:38:00.001+05:302016-01-18T04:39:07.558+05:30My Website<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Check out my Website -</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.utkarshmp.com/">www.utkarshmp.com</a></span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-72477961363494169302015-12-31T15:54:00.000+05:302015-12-31T15:54:40.304+05:30Happy New Year!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #8064a2; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 54pt; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Utkarsh</span><span style="color: #8064a2; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 54pt; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> Patel</span></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-19171970407655019672015-12-16T09:40:00.000+05:302015-12-16T09:40:27.777+05:30The Other Indra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After killing the son of Twashtri and the demon Vritra, Indra was reeling under the guilt of <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">brahma-hatya</em>, the killing of a Brahmin, and was soon overcome by depression. Indra left his abode leaving the heavens and the earth without a ruler. Anarchy prevailed, aggravated by the absence of rain on earth and land was soon getting converted to deserts. The gods in heaven too were worried about the absence of a ruler and wondered how they would counter the attacks of asura’s if there was one. It was decided that the gods would appoint someone to rule in the absence of Indra, but who would that be? When none of the gods wanted to take Indra’s responsibility, the gaze shifted to earth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nahusha was a great king of the lunar race and had acquired a reputation of being a brave warrior, besides the people were happy under his rule. When the gods approached him, he was rather shocked and wondered how he could rule the gods when he was a mere mortal. The gods assured him, that as a substitute to Indra, he would also have powers of Indra. Soon Nahusha was crowned as the king of the heavens, but the transfer of powers did not do him any good. He was soon arrogant and was prone to shouting at the guards and gods alike.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One day, Nahusha saw Sachi, the beautiful wife of Indra in her palace and was besotted by her looks. He proposed to her and said that all that was Indra’s was now his and thus so should she. Sachi was furious, but she did not say anything and sought shelter with the guru of the gods, Brihaspati. When Nahusha learnt that Sachi had taken shelter with Brihaspati, he rebuked the sages and gods and ordered them to fetch Sachi for him or face the wrath of their new King. When they tried to reason with him, that it was evil to covet another man’s wife, Nahusha laughed at them and reminded them, that it was not unusual to covet others wives in heaven, at least not when Indra coveted the wife of Gautam and Chandra stole the wife of their guru, Brihaspati. So why were they so surprised when all he was asking for what obviously was now his? Not able to answer Nahusha, the sages and the gods soon landed at the doorstep of Brihaspati.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the advice of Brihaspati, Sachi approached Nahusha and said, that she did not mind coming over to him, provided she made sure that Indra was no more and gone for good. She asked for time to find his whereabouts and if her efforts failed, then she would be his. Nahusha found the suggestion reasonable as he was sure that Indra could never be found and agreed to wait. After some severe prayers offered to the goddess of Night, Sachi managed to find Indra who had reduced his form to hide inside a lotus. When he learnt what had happened in the heavens, he was worried as at that moment, Nahusha was more powerful as all of Indra’s powers were transferred to him. But nonetheless, Indra asked Sachi to go back and suggest that if Nahusha wanted to marry her, he should come in a palanquin carried by none other than the seven sages. While Indra used horses for his chariot, Nahusha was different and this would make him unique. Indra further added that the rest would be taken care of by him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sachi conveyed her desire to Nahusha, who was too happy to do as told to him by her. In the meanwhile the gods too were searching for Indra and on Vishnu’s suggestion, he was asked to perform the Ahswamedha Yagna to rid him of the sin of <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">brahma-hatya</em> as well as regain all his lost strength and vigour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In his desire to marry Sachi, Nahusha ordered the seven sages to carry him to the palace of Sachi. The sages had no choice but to do what was told to them. The sages carried him in a palanquin and proceeded towards the palace of Sachi. On the way, the sages asked Nahusha if they believed in the truth of the Vedas, to which the arrogant Nahusha said, that he did not believe in the Vedas. This angered the sages and rebuked him for not having faith in the Vedas. The now angry Nahusha stretched his foot out of the palanquin and touched none other than the sage Agastya. (Another version says that Sage Agastya was shorter than the others and thus the palanquin would tilt at one end every now and then leading to Nahusha not being able to sit properly and in anger he is supposed to have kicked Agastya for this discomfort). This insult of a sage was enough to rob Nahusha of all his powers. Sage Agastya immediately cursed him saying that he was guilty of three crimes, one to say that he had no faith in the Vedas, second to kick a sage and third to make the sages, each of who were equal to Brahma, carry him in a palanquin. For this crime, Agastya cursed Nahusha to turn into a serpent for ten thousand years on earth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This way, the gods were rid of Nahusha and Indra was back on his throne, after being rid of his sin. Later, we find Nahusha as a serpent in the epic Mahabharata, when he grips Bhima and agrees to release him only after Yudhishthir answers his questions, but that is another story.</span></div>
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The above first appeared on <a href="http://www.talkingmyths.com/" target="_blank">Talking Myths Project</a> - <a href="http://www.talkingmyths.com/the-other-indra/">http://www.talkingmyths.com/the-other-indra/</a></div>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-66257634618667554692015-12-10T11:55:00.001+05:302015-12-10T11:55:51.290+05:30Litventure 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Speaking at <b>Litventure 2015</b>, on December 12, 2015 -</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Check what Asian Age, Mumbai has to say about the talk -</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.asianage.com/life-and-style/enchanted-world-773">http://www.asianage.com/life-and-style/enchanted-world-773</a></span><br />
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-38333974014500657772015-11-09T06:34:00.001+05:302015-11-09T06:34:28.189+05:30Diwali Wishes!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-6362758891522206432015-11-02T04:37:00.000+05:302015-11-02T04:37:21.653+05:30An Interview with Navhind Times, Goa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Is mythology religion?</b>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691456574434130570.post-12895834171777134862015-10-27T15:25:00.000+05:302015-11-02T04:37:40.778+05:30An Interview with the New Asian Writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.new-asian-writing.com/" rel="home" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51) !important; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" title="New Asian Writing">New Asian Writing</a></h1>
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Online Asian Literary Community</h2>
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This is Utkarsh speakinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13471928341653897584noreply@blogger.com0