Congress ka Jai Ho Campaign…

I remember a popular story I had read when I was in primary. An idol of some god was being carried on a donkey’s back. All villagers were bowing down to the idol and the donkey thought they are bowing down at him. The Jai Ho Campaign of Congress reminded me of this story. A patriotic song like “Jai Ho” will evoke feelings inside any Indian and Congress thinks it is smart to use it for campaigning.

5 years back when BJP were in power they had committed the same mistake. They had come up with “India Shining Campaign.” They had spent an estimate of $US20 million on it and finally had to admit that due to their overconfidence and wrong slogans they lost the elections. Women dressed in sarees playing cricket made no sense to the voters. Congress is trying their luck by following the footsteps. Though they have made a more sensible advertisement, the issue remains the same- shameless use of government resources for electoral purposes. Lage Raho Congress!! :P

Let me make it clear over here that I am not a fanatic of any party. In fact I believe with the popular saying: "Politicians and diapers have one thing in common --- they both should be changed regularly and for the same reason!"

Manish Tiwari, Congress party spokesperson, said, "If one party deserves the song to be played during campaigns it is the Congress party because of its image." Seriously I have no Comments about this...

As for the opposition, they have no other work but to ridicule the actions of the government. Corollary of Newton’s third law says, for every action by the government there is an opposite opposition reaction. "This song will ensure their defeat because it will remind every Indian that millions of people still have to stay in slums because of faulty Congress policies," Prakash Javdekar, a senior BJP leader, said.

As for us voters, we can only wait and watch the consequences of the elections. As far as they say, “Democracy is where any two idiots outvote a genius”.

Crazy Ambitions

As if I didn't have enough confusions in life, one more got added into the list today. My ambitions in life have changed from time to time, some persisted for a few months, and others lived only for a few days. As far as I remember, my first ambition was born in our History class (probably 5th STD) when we were taught about the life of Gautam Buddha and Lord Mahavir. :P There I was sitting in the first bench, dreaming to be the 25th Tirthankar. I wanted to meditate, go in a forest, sit beneath a tree, probably erect a shivling there and do tapascharya! When Lord Mahadev would appear before me, I would ask him to fulfill my secret wish! :) I am not joking. I had been watching TV serials like Om Namah Shivaay, Jai Hanuman, etc. during those days. :P

I had made plans to collect sufficient sand when I go to Colva Beach and bring it home. Going to forest seemed impractical, so I had decided that during the long summer vacations, I would carve the shivling out of the sand and keep it on our terrace and sit there and meditate. :P

Well that was long ago. When I look back at those days, some of these ambitions seem too childish; almost always evoke a hearty laughter or at least a smile on my face, while some of them drive me into deeper thoughts. One of them is still alive. I have always wanted to see India in the list of developed nations, before I die. I have no idea how difficult this is. But I have wanted to make my contributions in this noble cause.

Today a thought occurred to me, I wish to go and spend some years of my life in a village, and give in my best to develop it. I would strive to bring electricity, water and food in every home and educate them about contributing to a developed India. I want to live life which I haven’t ever dreamt about. And I don’t mind if I have to collect cow dung or if I have to sleep hungry in cold beneath the plain sky. I want to experience how millions of men and women do it. Probably then only I will realize how lucky I am to have such a luxurious urban life and so many people to care about me. Then only I will learn not to complain for what God chose to give others but not me.