A Fortnightly Newsletter

Issue # 11 - December 1-15, 2011

Featured This Week Editors Pick Mayanagari Mumbai Dream on, Dream on, Dream until your dream comes true.. screamed my nokia phone and blatantly a Page 2 Culture VultureSchadenfreude It is my first article for any newsletter and I have no idea how I am going to present my thoughts. I Page 5 College T apra Chronicles Bhangi and HeMan take it to newer heights.. Read their conversation in the Kha-Mat section.. FDI: An Opportunity Squandered Find a selection of Gadgets, Books, Websites, Movies & Music, exclusively handpicked by the editors of THE EDUCRATS..

My sisters school exhibition was held today. Just a little after noon, I took her to the school. It had rained ..

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On July24 1991, when Mr.ManMohan Singh completed his budget speech in Lok sabha by saying..

Foreword
Eleven issues old and still going strong, The Educrats has now ensured not only its survival but also is well on its way to grow into a bigger and more widely publication. With copies being read in almost every major School in the steel city, the next big step is surely to take it to all major colleges. The eleventh issue brings together as always a motley group of writers, subjects and styles. In Ankit Purohits endeavor to decipher and interpret the mystic of Mumbai (Mayanagri Mumbai, page 2) there runs through a strange fascination and the characteristic urge to see beyond the cliches associated with the City by the Sea. In first time contributor Thejaswini Pradhans nostalgic and tender account of a chance visit to her alma mater (College, Page 3) the reader will be treated to her subtle observations and a fresh honest voice. The editorial for this fortnight written by Kundan Lal Parginha deals with the FDI in Retail Debate and attempts to provide answers to the pressing questions in it. Aditya Bhale writes on reality shows like Emotional Atyachaar and writes candidly and unabashedly. (Schadenfreude, Page 5) Without any words minced or sweetened with politeness, his boisterous voice takes on the reality shows by the scruff of the neck and makes it clear which side hes on.

Like all journeys, this would have not been the same without our fellow travelers, our readers and therefore we owe this to you, Thank you for your support.

- Benjamin Franklin
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A Fortnightly Newsletter

Issue # 11 - December 1-15, 2011

Pen Route

Next day I took an auto to the Juhu Chaupati. It was a beautiful beach with the Arabian sea roaring on its shores. There were few hawkers selling barf ka gola which looked interesting and I had one for myself. I and a few people around me made a pssrrrrrr noise in chorus while having the gola. Mumbai seemed to be so down to earth now. Enjoying the sea breeze I started walking towards the Marine Drive. I had seen the place a number of times in many Bollywood movies and seeing it first hand was a beautiful feeling. I went through the crowd making psrrrr noise again with my ice ball; Dream on, Dream on, Dream until your while a few people eyed me like I was the only dream comes true.. screamed my nokia one oblivious of the urbanity one should have phone and blatantly announced its 01:20pm in such a big city. I was indifferent. But no and that my cell is down due to a series of snoozes and alarms since 09:00am. I am an avid somnolent person and even my phone says: Dream on..! But its time to jump off my train and enjoy my trip to the Mayanagari Mumbai. This is going to be my first trip to Mumbai and I have always fancied living in such a beautiful city. Hence I had a different Mumbai in my mind beforehand, which I expected to be quite similar to the actual city. I had heard a lot about the city and the fast life it has, but it was the first time I thought sooner did I see a group of beautiful girls - what made people go on so fast with their coming towards me I bid my adieus to the ice lives when I first saw the local train full ball. We boys are always the same. As the girls with people hanging out from the doors and passed by without even noticing me in the the others pushing them in order to get crowd, I shrugged and went on smiling at my inside. Might be fun, I told myself and went foolish act. I told myself, Huh! People here on. As I went outside the railway station, the are really too busy. I had had a long walk by streets were as crowded as I had expected. No now and I decided to sit down facing the issues, I said again and went on to my rough Arabian Sea. Looking at the sea, I relatives place. On the way, I saw what what thought about the question: What makes I had expected: Mumbai was happening. people go so fast with their lives? I could still Roads lined with tall buildings, modern figure out the chaupati and huge buildings restaurants, Mac Donald, Pizza Hut, and nearby. They were symbolic of the fast life of many more that I didnt even know about. the elite of the mayanagari, but my question There were wide roads with sluggish traffic was still unanswered. yet people were not driving rash; I liked it But then, I started noticing something this way. But just as I reached home, I was peculiar in the city. On my way to Juhu I had told to write about my first experience of seen a huge number of chawls. If the Mumbai. I was puzzled. What should I write? buildings were symbolic of fast life, I After all, the city was quite normal and as wondered what these chawls were symbolic expected. But then, I decided to look into the of. They couldnt represent slow life after all. city with another perspective and But then I noticed something, these chawls scrupulously examine the life in Mayanagari had a habit of being situated nearby almost Mumbai. -Ankit Purohit
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every skyscraper. There seemed to be a connection between these two opposite faces of Mumbai. It was as if one was feeding the other as a host feeds a parasite; as if one was supporting the other as a pillar supports a monument. But who was the host and who the parasite? Who was the pillar and who the monument? Should we consider the educated as the host and the uneducated as the parasites? or vice versa..? I was not satisfied with either. To me Mumbai looked more like a battlefield and not any mayanagari. One fights every day for existence, survival, wealth, glory, name and fame. This battle is never ending. It has persisted ever since the man existed on the earth and is not confined to Mumbai alone. But Mumbai teaches you the essence of this fierce battle by showing you the two extremes. But then this battle due to its inevitable nature has been the success story of the mankind. Had there been no competition, none of us would have tried hard and would be nowhere near the present situation. So, I finally got my answer; this is what makes people of Mumbai go so fast; and it is no way a fun; its a bloody battle and a battle can never be fun. I was mistaken the last time, as

the city looked to be quite similar to the one I had in my mind, but it wasnt. At least I understood it now. Giving a sigh of relief as I turned around, I saw the huge Oberoi Hotel which one of the victims of the horrendous terror attack of 26/11. But Mumbai faced this attack bravely and the two extremes, who once were rivals, worked together and supported each other in their time of need. Now this was something peculiar to Mumbai and its cultural beauty which was very much lacking in the Mumbai I had in my mind.
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A Fortnightly Newsletter

Issue # 11 - December 1-15, 2011

She opens the second door on the right cautiously. Sis : This is my yoga classroom! -Thejaswini Pradhan Me : Hmmm. My sisters school exhibition was held today. Just a little after noon, I took her to the school. It had rained in the late morning, so we couldnt leave earlier. Unfortunately for us, the exhibits were dismantled and the classrooms closed by the time we arrived there. My sister didnt mind it. Now, my preuniversity college is in the same campus as her school. Same building if you want me to be more specific. Sis : Lets go upstairs. Ill show you my computer classroom! Me : I know where it is. Course I knew. Its on the same floor as my classroom in 2nd PU. As I climbed the stairs behind the stage, I had a rush of mixed emotions. I expected them. But I still didnt know how to deal with them. At the landing of the third floor, straight ahead of me was, well, the loo. But just before that is the staff room. (Its not as bad as you I stand there and text everyone telling them about my location. Mixed types of replies I got. One even asked if I was pms-ing when I said I got nostalgic. :D I walk towards the physics and chemistry lab. I stand at the center of the corridor and look ahead. Below me I can see the ground. In front of me on the third floor I can see the classrooms. Directly in my line of sight, on the other side, I can see indoor games room. I slightly look up. The grey clouds. The wind. The light rain. JUST like how it was in those days, standing there outside our classroom. The physics lab had a few students inside. I walk past it without looking in. My sister peeps. Me : Dont look inside like that! Sis : You were asking about some teacher! Me : Not HER! The chemistry lab. Meera Mam is inside. So are a few students. I see that theres no other lecturer. I walk a little ahead and stop. I can see inside of the lab. Students are working. I tuck my hands inside my jackets pockets and stand. The chem lab attendant comes from behind me. He recognizes me. Him : How are you? Sir. Fine. Yourself? Me : *Tilts his head to his left and slightly closes his eyes. A gesture to be taken as Everything fine here too. Him : How are things going for you? Me : Great. Him : You had come to the exhibition? Me : Yes. Him : Do have relatives studying here? *I put my hand over my sisters shoulder and say,* I walk a few steps ahead. The most secluded spot in the college, just near my 1st year classroom. It was huge.That brought back many memories. Wed put up a bench-desk there outside. Or maybe it was already there. Saturday mornings were the best. We had classes from 12 then. Physics class. We used to arrive leisurely... sit there on that bench. Gossip. Talk. That corner was the best.

Me : Yes. My sister. Him : Your sister? Own? *I nod my head* Him : Which standard? Sis : Im in third. Him : Ok. Me : Ok bye Sir. I turn around. *My sis spots an open door.* Sis : Thats the terrace! Me : Hmmm. We climb down the stairs and reach the ground floor. I look around. I miss the place. It wasnt much. But then again, maybe it was. Memories. Lots of them. The girls, the guys, the crushes, the tears, the bunking, the classes, the lecturers, the crushes again, all that. I miss it. A lot. :) One of my friends said, I swear that place still haunts me in my dreams. I second his statement.

think.) To my immediate left is my classroom for the 2nd year. One of the non-teaching staff was cleaning out the staff room. She comes out. Me : Isnt anyone here? The cleaner : None right now. They just left. Me : Oh. Ok. Anyone in the labs? Sumana Mam? The cleaner : Ah.. She must be there. Not sure. I look at the newly fitted notice board on the wall. Its filled with notices on the cricket team. Mostly. I smile. I enter my classroom. The computer lab attendant is writing down the register numbers on the desks. I look around at the empty room. To me, it seems as if Im actually IN it. At the moment, Im in THAT moment. I smile again. I withdraw myself from the room. Me : Come on. Lets go to the 4th floor. Sis : Ill show you my yoga class. She runs up the stairs. I take my own time. I take the immediate right at the 4th floor landing. Sis : Here. Come on.
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Photos Courtesy: Anupam Diwan

A Fortnightly Newsletter

Issue # 11 - December 1-15, 2011

FDI: An opportunity squandered

On July24 1991, when Mr.ManMohan Singh completed his budget speech in Lok sabha by saying India was freed from the paralysis of License Raj and quanitative restricitons. Those fateful reforms twenty years ago have accelerated growth across the length and breadth of the Indian Economy. And continuing that legacy of reform over two decades old, came the new bill to clear Foreign Direct Investment in Multi Brand Retail. Although much sought after by every political party at some point in time over the past decade, (BJP, one of the principal parties to oppose this bill, had it on its manifesto in 2004) it was headed for a political logjam the moment it got on the floor of the Parliament. The BJP and other opposition parties were firmly against it from the word go citing the eight lakh Kirana shops across the country and their imminent wipe out should the giant monster called Wal Mart be let in through the door while the UPA tried in vain to negotiate for its clearance. But on deeper scrutiny of the real fallout of the bill and keeping the politics of the issue aside, there emerges a picture quite unlike that of a Giant Monster gobbling up poor, innocent, helpless farmers and impotent kirana stores. Looking beyond the rhetoric of the political debate on the issue, there is a clear indication that FDI in multi brand retail as an experiment, as the government has proposed, in only 52 cities that have a population of more than 1 million is not a bad idea and may work to improve not only the state of the farmers but ironically, the neighborhood Kirana Store as well. Heres Why: The rural farming supply chain is plagued by the Mandi system and the middlemen that control it. The farmer is practically cheated of his rightful compensation for his produce when he sells it in the Mandi. The rates are decided by the commission agents and dalals who then sell it to the retailer to be then sold in the market. The farmer is prone to the vagaries of the Mandi due to hoarding and other unethical, corrupt activities. The other big lacuna of the present supply chain is the Storage of the produce. Lack of decent storage facilties have seen millions of tonnes of farm produce being ruined and rotten. What a big organised retail brand like Wal Mart will do is, it will cut through the present mandi system and the middlemen and all the dalals and talk directly with the farmer and give him his rightful compensation. They will store the produce in their storage facilities which it goes without saying will be better monitored and run. Wal Mart and other giants of organised retail have proven in multiple countries that they fine tune the supply chain to achieve profitability, not overhaul it. The farmers will be exposed to a new work culture and especially newer technology and sound professional advise from the Walmart guys that theyll be dealing with, this can only profit the aging and the perpetually crippled farming sector in the long term. The concerns expressed over the fate of the Kirana Store though credible on the face of it are equally short sighted and unfounded. Wal Mart and other retail stores will not be opening up across India for now and only in 52 cities, so to say that each one of the eight million Kirana Stores will be affected is to grossly exaggerate the consequences. And theres one thing about the kirana store which is undeniable and that is, youll always buy your eggs, your namak, your toothbrush, your shaving blade and other basic trivial daily necessities from it and not travel to a Wal Mart store present at the other end of the city every time. The neighborhood kirana dukaan will survive because we Indians will continue to trust it more and will find it hard to let go of the ghar ki baat relationship that we share with it and whats more, it may even decide to give us deals and discounts and home deliveries due to the new big, ruthless competitor. A legitimate fear ran through the spines of those who opposed this move when they imagined Wal Marts and Tescos arrival as the dawning of an age of flux and uncertainty for Indian retail. But thats a necessary foe that any nation taking a step forward must defeat and overcome. Wed done it before, we did it when it came to opening up the telecom sector a decade ago, and today when the moment asked for the same courage and confidence in the Indian Dream, unfortunately, we were found wanting.
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A Fortnightly Newsletter

Issue # 11 - December 1-15, 2011

Culture Vulture

Schadenfreude

- Aditya Bhale

It is my first article for any newsletter and I have no idea how I am going to present my thoughts. I thought of lot of subjects I always wanted to write about, but then, The Inner Me The Swatyario finally compelled me to write an article on Schadenfreude. Na na! Do not look up for the dictionary people! It is a German word that means the pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others (Suits the Nazis now, doesnt it?). Let me Indianize it a bit the Swatyario way. Do you people entertain yourselves by watching reality shows like Emotional Atyachar (EA) and Axe Ur Ex? If you do this post is just for you! A few years back, while flipping channels (Ek Aam Bored Aadmi ki sabse favourite hobby), I bumped into a so-called reality show on UTV Bindass: Emotional Atyachar. I had heard of it from my friends and I had hated the concept then and there but I guess I wanted a little Schadenfreude too, something that glued me to the show that day. The show says: Here, we TEST your partner's LOYALTY. The first question that pops up in my ever-curious mind: Really? Are they actually deciphering the status quo of our love lives? Are they letting the leads know (with their permission! of course!) if their partners are loyal to them or not? Bullcrap! Or, as the creative director of another reality show says, People are happy to see someone else getting screwed and we are making money out of it., are they just playing with people's bitchy feelings, doing a bitchy business and eating bitches in their show's success parties? Now the question is: What do the EA team do to get such harsh criticism from me? Rudimentarily, they INJECT (instigate) real people to ALLURE the suspect to cheat! For me, EA is not looking if a person IS cheating but whether the person CAN POSSIBLY cheat. A dumb way to make dumb victims go crazy for handsome and beautiful but injected partners (Mostly struggling models and I want them to keep struggling all their lives. May God give them brains!), which is like a dream come true for the so-called cheaters. I am not ignoring here the fact that they are in all probability, actually cheating. Subsequently, I contemplated that they instill a SENSE OF FEAR in people's mind to KEEP LOVING and sticking to their partners. Ridiculous! Cheaters Beware - Your worst nightmare is here! Arrrghhh! Another reality show in question here is the Channel V's (our so-called Music Channel!) Axe Ur Ex. This show gives people a chance to take Revenge on their Ex-Lovers. Whacky Revenge is back! - Love and Revenge existing together! Voila! Ironic. Don't you think? Did those people ever experience Real Love? Do they even know what Love is? Even I do not know what Love is but I am sure that they too have no idea about it. Ignore their committed statuses, shall we? Can the people really satiate their hunger for revenge this way? I even feel pity for the host of the show who has a draconian & heinous smile and nasty eyes. I am sure that he NATURALLY enjoys hosting it and helping (?) the junta. Schadenfreude at its peak! These kind of shows reek of insanity. Those slimy people do not realize what they are feeding the youngsters. Moreover, why use media to bring the curtain up? Why do you want to make things public? How and why do the Ex Lovers get so much angry with the person they Once Upon A Time loved? How come they enjoy the embarrassment his/her ex-partner suffers on TV? They even thank the channels for making them feel so good. In my opinion, the regular viewers of these shows can be categorized into only two types: A. People who are scared of getting into such an act in near future. B. People who have already made it through such acts and did not get caught. They enjoy these stories more than anyone else does. You know Vicarious and Nostalgic feelings at one go. Lord Buddha who always talked about Sympathetic Joy jiski to logo ne waat laga ke rakh di hai. Our society thrives on compassion and empathy and when seeing it deteriorating, it rattles me to no end I do not know if we will even be able to call ourselves Social Animals few years from now. Love is unfailing. Love is self-less. I even believe that you do not have to be physically near the person you are in love with. You do not even have to get the Love back. You might not get the girl/guy you in love with - ever in your life but then, it does not matter because you truly loved your soul mate. You must love. You just love. Keep on loving the person despite hatred. Therefore, I suggest always forgive the person you love. Spread Love not lust. Spread the feeling of Forgiveness not of Revenge. We should stop encouraging shows like these if we have been doing it. Swatyario. adiroxnrulz@hotmail.com
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A Fortnightly Newsletter

Issue # 11 - December 1-15, 2011

Kha Mat...

already. ek choti gold dena be.. kyu be aaj choti? abe meri naukri nahi lagi..choti me hi kaam chalana padega ab.. wo de! Kar diya na bhai ke saamne choti baat..badi gold de be isko!! waah lomad! tu toh Dude ban gaya. (with a proud smile tugs down his beware! I have an Attitude t-shirt) Bas Kya! ab tu le mat...picture dekhne chalega?? tu dikha raha hai?? tu bhi kya yaad rakhega..chal.. kaunsi jayega?? na?

Woh De! Hain-Hain junior aa Nahin be main dekh chuka hun raha hai! Tu woh Sarku sir ke saath gaya tha jaayega. Kyon aise karte ho be uske saath? arre Bhangi sir! kuch bolo na sir? kuch bataao na sir! Hain sir? Abe kat lo idhar se dimaag kha

Kaun Sarku sir? wahi delhi waala jo akele ghumta hai? kabhi kisi se baat nahin karta? haan wahi.

abe phir kabhi, abhi mere ko naya Abe tu kaise reh leta hai be uske issue ka kaam hai. saath? Baat kya karta hai usse? he he he sir! hain? kaam do bas idhar udhar ki. na sir. hain sir? (looking for appreciation from Bhangi walks away quickly. HeMan) Bhai apan garib logon se thodhi na baat karte hain Sarku Sir! haan saala! Pata nahin kya sochta hai apne baare mein.waise bhi, Akele ghumna apan logon se thodhi na hota hai. Bhai logon ke saath Mahaul jamane mein hi toh thasan hai. sahi baat hai. aur bata ESE kaisa gaya tera? Nikal Jaayega, Paper paa gaye the na apan. waah be! tum logon ki toh nikal padi. Daadu faculty hai na apna Pappa! abe bhag saala! main ETC kyon le liya? Jindagi kharaab ho gayi. Paper waise easy aaye the. Haan Charchar sir jo do baar se detain ho rahe hain unka bhi bol rahe the nikal jayega is baar. abe Bhangi, tera toh prectical bake

abe wahi dirty picture!! Vidya balan gadar aicting ki hai be..aur dialogue bhi maa kasam hain!! Kaunsa Show? abe apna ek hi time hota hai..9 se 12!! : Sahi Bola Bhai! abe Bhangi tu toh chalega nahin?

Rakhi Sawant must be so proud! Katrina isnt sexy anymore! :-| Sleaze! Chaman Chikhna Desi Pauwa !!

hai na! haan tha toh sahi, nikal jayega.

Chikniiii!!
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A Fortnightly Newsletter

Issue # 11 - December 1-15, 2011

Editors Pick

Briony, a 13 year old aspiring writer witnesses a significant moment of sexual tension between her older sister, Cecilia and Robbie, a servant's son. After the incident, Briony mistakenly reads an erotically charged letter intended for Cecilia and concludes that Robbie is a deviant. Cecilia and Robbie finally declare their love and make love. During the act, Briony watches them and mistakenly believes that Robbie is raping her sister. When her cousin Lola is raped, she tells the police that it was Robbie she saw committing the deed. Four years later, Briony, now fully understanding the impact of her accusation, visits Cecilia to apologise to her directly. Cecilia and Robbie coldly reply that they will never forgive her. Briony reveals the identity of the rapist and tells that he cannot be implicated in a court of law. Decades later, an elderly Briony reveals in an interview that she is dying and the book's ending where she apologised to Cecilia and Robbie is fictional.

Yardbarker is a San Francisco, California based subsidiary of FOX Sports Interactive that primarily runs a network of sports websites known as the Yardbarker Network, and additionally owns and operates a website, Yardbarker.com. Yardbarker was founded in March 2006 by Jack and Jeff Kloster, Pete Vlastelica and Mark Johns . The original site enabled sports fans to write and discuss sports with other fans and bloggers, as well as professional athletes. Yardbarker.com used a system similar to Digg, however was more sports oriented than Digg. Additionally Yardbarker provides access to more traditional sports information similar to ESPN or Yahoo such as real time sports scores, standings, and news. The company was funded by several venture capitalists from in and around the San Francisco Bay Area including former NFL player for both the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders, Ronnie Lott. The company provides a platform for bloggers and sports fans to gain additional exposure for their sites by joining the Yardbarker Network which provides targeted advertising and increased promotion. Yardbarker has existed on the web since August 2006 and has over 70 professional athletes blogging on the site daily. The company and their site have been cited as primary source of material on players in many sports related stories in their history by sources such as ESPN.

Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957. As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 60s, largely on the strength of the hit single "The Sound of Silence". Their music was featured in the landmark film The Graduate (1967). They are well known for their vocal close harmonies and were among the most popular recording artists of that or any era .Their biggest hits including "The Sound of Silence, "I Am a Rock, "Homeward Bound ", "Mrs Robinson" , "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "The Boxer" peaked at number one in several charts. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The duo was seduced by dramatic profusion of aural and thematic possibilities, but, rather than jumping on the acid-rock bandwagon, S&G accomplished all this with their voices, an acoustic guitar, and the sparest of rhythmic underpinning and melodic ornamentation, remains a remarkable achievement.
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It would be an international crime to reveal too much of the jeweled clockwork plot of Le Carr's first masterpiece, . But we are at liberty to disclose that Graham Greene called it the "finest spy story ever written," and that the taut tale concerns Alec Leamas, a British agent in early Cold War Berlin. Leamas is responsible for keeping the double agents under his care undercover and alive, but East Germans start killing them, so he gets called back to London by Control, his spy master. Yet instead of giving Leamas the boot, Control gives him a scary assignment: play the part of a disgraced agent, a sodden failure everybody whispers about. The political chessboard is black and white, but in human terms the vicinity of the Berlin Wall is a moral no-man's land, a gray abyss patrolled by pawns.

A Fortnightly Newsletter

Issue # 11 - December 1-15, 2011

In Memory of The Evergreen and the Immortal

Tell Us What You Think..

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