என் விடை பிறந்த நாள் இன்று
பெற்ற விடையை விடை பெற விட மாட்டேன்!

காத்திருப்பேன்; காதலை காத்து இருப்பேன்
அந்த காதல் எனது காற்றானதே!

என்னுள் எரிந்த இருட்டை விரட்டி அடித்தாய்;
வெளிச்சத்தை வெளியே விடுவேனா?
அணையாமல் காப்பேன், கட்டி அணைத்துக்கொள்வேன்
நீ என் குளிர்க்கு வந்த நெருப்பாச்சே...

கணிதத்தின் முடிவிலியை ரசித்தவனுக்கு
சந்தோசத்தின் பின்யத்தை காண்பித்தாய்.
அளவில்லா சாந்தம் தந்தாய்
அந்த வானத்தை போல..

ஏக்கத்தில் தேக்கம் கண்டிருந்தேன்
தேங்கியவனை கிளப்பினாய், நதி நீரா நீ?

நிலையை நாடி அலைபாய்ந்த மனம் எனது
நிலைமை அறிந்து நிலையான மெய்யாக
வாழ்கை வேருக்கு திடம் தந்தாய், நிலமாக...

ஐந்து புலன்களும் நீ,
என் பிரபஞ்சமே நீ.

பிரபஞ்சத்தில் தஞ்சம் வேண்டி காத்திருப்பேன்.
நாடி துடிக்கும் வரை, உன் துணை நாடி துடிப்பேன்.

Determined imposition of a rationality framework on reality with or without consciously identifying and understanding its defining assumptions is a nice pastime. That it does nothing to alter the state of reality is quite reassuring, while simultaneously discomforting. But wait... does knowledge of reality impinge on the nature of reality? What is reality? Why this fuss to understand it? Let it be.

Ulagathinoram nindru athanaiyum paathirupom,
Nadapavai naadagamendru naamum sernthu nadithirupom.

Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
'The immensity of Irom Sharmila Chanu’s now six-year-old protest is matched only by the paralysing indifference of the State and the national media.'

En rathathai urindhu valarnthaai,
Indru valarnthapinnum ratharusiyai rasikiraaye.
Dhaagam theeralayo?

In the past, I have been accused(?) of writing a depressing blog. I have been wanting to post a response for a while now. But the immediate trigger for this post was Anu's comment to my previous post. Anu, I think I should clarify my perspective.

As difficult as it might be for some to believe, my posts are borne out of hope. But to hope for something better, one needs to acknowledge the truth. Shying away from the truth will never lead to even a semblance of lasting happiness. This blog is an attempt to find and accept such truths - and to then explore the hope of improving things.

To quote from The Shawshank Redemption: "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."

And there sure are a lot of reasons to feel hopeful. A few that come to my mind right now (in no particular order):

1. DSF
2. ADR
3. Parivartan
4. PostSecret (Warning: Disturbing and graphic pictures)
5. Gandhi
6. HelpToLive
7. Chennai Food Bank

"Appidi ellam nambikkai illaama naathigam pesaatheenga. Oorellam intha mathiri neraiya saami irukku. Namakku dhaan theriyalai. Nambunga."
(C) Madan/Kamal

Stolen Childhood

(C) Shaju John
"At a school in Chennai, Kalaivani is engaged in construction work"

"...child labour is not only (or always even dominantly) about poverty: it is essentially about social exclusion, inequality and discrimination, which allow the relative poverty of some to be exploited in this manner."

Excerpts from the cover story of the current Frontline issue.

Oops...

It was a technical error, stupid.

Buddha has smiled

:)

Bliss

Life and Time reveal new dimensions of Bliss every once in a while. Listening to Oru Naalil after a long time is one such instance.

Why

Never ask why. Especially if you're looking for a non-rhetorical answer.

?

Should Others read about what The Others speak?

Nodi

Mukkaal nimidam ore nodipol karaiyum.
Sila nodigalo vaazhkai mudiyumvarai viriyum.

N h

Kanavu kandaan,
Palikkuma endru theriyavillai.
Therintha silar kanavai thatheduthaargal,
Avargalathu nambikkai kanavukku puthuyir ootiyathu.
Negizhnthaan.
Kanavai noaki pudhu thembudan sendraan.

Googled for "news". Three of the top four results were BBC, CNN and Google News.

And the Other was this.

What can I say...

" Here is a mantra, a short one, that I give you. You may imprint it in your heart and let every breath of yours give expression to it. The mantra is: 'Do or Die'. "
- MKG@1942.

Weekend TV Effect

"... neengapaatum kaasu kudukraanennu kuninju kuninju salaam potute irundhinga na, ungalukku irukrathu mudhugu thandaa rubber thundaa nu sandhegam varumille?"

Is it just me or does the Indian media nowadays cry a lot lesser than before about the evils of brain drain? Possible reasons for this:
1. Today's media audience, i.e the educated middle class, aspires to settle abroad. So it wont make business sense for the media to portray it negatively.
2. As a society, we now respect the individual's right to choose his future.
3. It is a sign of our growing confidence in our own strength that a move abroad is not seen as a no-confidence vote on India's future.
4. People have accepted brain-drain as just another feature of globalization.
5. We've decided that India is hopeless and it makes no sense to stay in India. So brain drain is not seen as an issue any longer.

Any Others?

OOC 4

Me: Why does one think life is pointless?
Other Me: One realises his life is so. And its comforting to think it is so for Others as well.
Me: So life is not pointless?
Other Me: When did I say that?
Me: So enna solla vare?
Other Me: How would I know? *Vanishes*

Past OOCs: OOC1, OOC2, OOC3.

Maybe...

there is some such thing called over-analysis.
Well, only maybe.
:)

Y

Kanavu kandaai,
Palikka villai.
Norungiyathu kanavu endralum,
Nee noringividathe.

Azhuthidu. Manam vittu azhuthidu.
Kanneer thuligalil aval ninaivu kalayaathu.
Endralum azhuthidu.
Avalai marappatharkaaha azhathe.
Azhuvatharkaaga mattum azhu.

"Yethanai kodi kanneer intha manmithu vizhinthirukkum
Athanai kanda pinnum boomi ingu poo pookum."

Avalai maranthaalum kooda,
Kanavu kaanbathai maranthu vidathe.

"Nooru kanavugal kandaale,
aaru kanavugal palikaatha..."

Norungiya 94 kanavugal ovvondrum,
Un vaazhkaiku puthu artham tharum.
Ikkanam arthamillaamal irukkalaam,
Yendralum porumai kol.

Thookathai naadu.
Kanavu kandidu.

Avalai maranthaalum kooda,
Kanavu kaanbathai maranthu vidathe.