chaotic order

Jottings : Slice of life - 72 ( Neerja - extraordinary courage, professionalism and humanity under pressure) When Pan-Am flight No 73 was hijacked on 5th september 1986, I was in my mid teens. I think I learnt of the incident from news papers, or I remember my father mentioning that a flight to America was taken hostage by a group of people at gun point , and after nearly eighteen hours, most of the passengers managed to escape through an exit opened by a very brave, young Flight attendant named Neerja Bhanot - who was shot dead during that process. I distinctly remember the beautiful, magnetic smiling face of that recognizable young girl ( Neerja was a popular model) as it appeared in print and limited news channels. We did not have live coverage of tragedies, as we do today. If I jog my memory to see if I was affected by her tragic death in 1986 , I would have to say No. A good looking girl had died by gunshots, and that was all there is to it. I probably assumed it was part of h

Jottings : Slice of life - 71 (On my Birthday...) (PS : I request all my friends to pls accept this note as my personal thanks for taking time to remember and wish me this day. It is truly humbling. Thanks again) Words are inadequate to express the deep feeling of gratitude I feel on being remembered and wished on my Birthday by so many good friends from all around the globe. It is a privilege, a blessing that cannot be measured or reciprocated in any kind. I can only offer a weak “Thank you” to all of you, and remain grateful. Over the years, I have often wondered, why should a Man should celebrate his chronological birthdate as something special. Any answer I could think of seemed trivial, and certainly not worthy of celebration. Five years ago, I hit upon a deep , existential realization while lying in a hospital bed that made real definitive sense to me, personally. The fact that life had chosen a particular moment in time to help this human body, with life pulsating in every

Jottings : slice of life - 69 ( Dr J Jayalalitha - a great artist, a woman of indomitable will and a charismatic leader) ( PS : I dont want this article to be read like an obituary, because it is most definitely not one. Dr J jayalalitha has been confined to a Hospital for the last two and half months, and we have not seen a cheerful photograph of her till date. Nor do we have any concrete news on her medical condition. All that we have is mere speculation, rumors and half baked rejoinders by her inner party circle. As a Tamilian, I join millions all over the State of Tamilnadu in hoping that she recovers well and steps of her confinement. Our prayers are with her. However, even if she does, it is highly unlikely she will have enough energy and health left in her to regain active control and immersively participate in the administration of her party or State. To that extent, I think, we have reached the end of one of the brightest, controversial and determined political careers in

Jottings : Slice of life - 67 ( Coleman Barks - his inebriation with Rumi) I have in front of me three books : “Introduction to Zen Buddhism” by DT Suzuki published in 1934, Idries shah’s “Sufism” published in 1964, and Coleman Barks “The Soul of Rumi” published in 2002. The first two volumes are path breaking books of the last century. Suzuki interpreted the enigmatic and paradoxical mysticism of Zen buddhism to modern western readers in a manner that was scholastic enough, and at the same time easily accessible to serious readers. Idries shah, a Britisher, synthesized the beautiful tradition of Islamic mysticism in the form of Sufism, its dance of dervishes, making it sensible and meaningful to a world which thought of them as nothing more than nervous paroxysms of Mad men. That the depth of Sufism is essentially the same mystical reverberation of ages across traditions, was first realized in the English works of Idries shah. The love poems of Sufi mystics, the clownish stories o

Jottings : slice of life - 66 ( Fidel Castro 1926-2016 - a thorn in American Flesh) A few weeks ago I was watching Brian de Palma's masterpiece "Scarface" again. Perhaps, the best performance ever by Al Pacino, as a young Cuban refugee who lands on the open shores of Miami in early 1980’s to become an undisputed drug warlord. The first few scenes in the movie shows boat loads of Cuban refugees huddled together, sent out by Cuban government to live or rot in America. It was Fidel Castro’s masterstroke to taunt the mighty Americans. He was dispatching Criminals and trouble makers from Cuba as exile into the US, just as the illustrious English, during the 18th century were sending ship loads of petty criminals into the continent of newly found Australia. This comparison is exaggerated, but the audacity of intent remains the same. For nearly fifty years the revolutionary, communist leader of Cuba held fort over a country that is barely a million square miles long with a p

Jottings : Slice of life - 65 ( Commercial Telugu Movies - My medicinal dose for fantasies and relaxation) For sheer entertainment, lavishness and unbridled sense of imagination on screen, there is nothing in Indian Film industry which can equal those that come from the land of Andra Pradesh. And I say this with all admiration, respect and regards I can muster. There is something about them that eludes definition or categorization. If all that I want on a cool, wintry evening is to be entertained, benumbed and taken on a fantasy filled journey , governed by virtually no rules, logic or conventions, then my choice would be to tune into a commercial Telugu feature film and stay hooked for three hours in utter disbelief and awe. Believe me, it can also be riveting and near timeless experience, if one can abandon expectations on how a film should be. I mean no offense or condescension here . Every now and then, I do give myself this lush, extravagant delight of losing myself completely

Jottings : Slice of life - 64 ( Presidential medal of Freedom - honor and appeasement) Unlike most other countries, the USA’s highest civilian award - the Presidential medal of Freedom - is often a whim, a taste, a sign of an outgoing’s President’s larger legacy than his political one. Historically, if one looks at the number of awards given by each President, especially during last few months of their tenure ( jokingly referred to as the lame duck period), it is always the time when they open the white house halls to honor those they have loved, cherished and supported their cause in one way or the other. Not that recipients at any time were less deserving. No, not at all. All awardees, since the time John F Kennedy reconstituted this award in 1963, have been stalwarts, giants and path breakers in their fields of endeavor. Music, dance, writing, Governance, Military, business, social science, sports - all of them have found representation. But as I said, each President’s choice of