That Beggar in the Street Corner

I am sure you have seen or encountered a beggar once in your life.I happened to have one such encounter today. Normally I would have ignored it, since I have seen and heard a lot of stories about scams that goes behind in the scene. But this time this person pleaded me that he can polish my Shoes or repair them if I buy him some food to eat. He even told me it will cost me something in line of 40 to 50 bucks.
This made me think about how frequently we encounter such scenarios and most of the times ignore it. What is the reason that we ignore the plight of fellow humans? Why we don’t help them knowing it costs hardly anything? What are the reasons that we ignore them as if they do not exist?
It made me list down the reasons about why I would have ignored such encounters normally.
• I could be a scam.They might mutilate and harm children just to fund an underground empire of misery for helpless and fill coffers of some unscrupulous, cruel and ruthless crime lord.
• These people are not that miserable as they pretend. They might have a secret life like the one that are in news or movies where they just have fun at expense of us feeling miserable for them.
• It’s just annoying being repeatedly bugged by a beggar for some loose change. why is he/she is bothering me when there are many others around?
• He /She should work as a labour or something than asking for alms.

These were the only the ones I could think of, there could be many more. Are these reasons enough to be ignorant to fellow humans? After all pretending something is not there or do not exist does make us morally unaccountable and we could continue with our normal lives without feeling guilty about even their existence.
There is no point to talk about this if we could not discuss these reasons for choosing to ignore them.
Firstly, not everything could be a scam; I agree that in big cities some of these beggars could be working in some sort of the organised begging racket. We forget about the migration crisis we are having {Reference1, Referenc2}.Do we see them getting better lives or do we see them benefiting from these scams? These scams only benefit the thugs who run them, and in return what, these beggars get are either the places to sleep on some footpath or few morsels of food. So instead of giving them money what can we do is to buy them a small pack of biscuit or something which they can eat or use to feed their families. There is only certain amount of food a thug could take away from them.
Secondly, imagine the last time you asked someone for some help. Was it easy to ask for those couple of hundreds or some time or some favour? Unless you are the human of a worst kind with little or no self-respect, it is really hard to ask someone for something. Every person with self-respect will try to give back that couple of hundreds as soon as possible or will be ready to help you back when you need it in any way possible. So I can't even imagine how hard it could be for a person with the slightest of self-respect to ask for some loose change or to haggle with a complete stranger. And how difficult the circumstances could have been for such a person? So the only argument I have is to have pity if not on the appearance of the person but on the state of his mind that compelled him to beg from people. Maybe some cookie points in our Karma bank will do us some good some day. I agree that many of them could and should earn their bread by doing whatever work they are capable of doing.. But if we look closely you would realise that since the industrial revolution we have been moving towards the automation as it is more economical and less time-consuming. And even if you consider the conditions of labours in the places like china and Bangladesh, the living conditions are no better. The western corporations get worked-up if any such news of workers being exploited or their miserable living conditions with low wages comes into the light They promise reforms, some money to improve the conditions and if they deem fit they announce to close that branch and then set up their shop of misery someplace else in the world.{Refrence1 ,Reference2 }
Given the way population is rising in the developing and under-developed nations not everyone could be guaranteed work. There are just too many mouths to feed. What we need is to develop a system in order to help those without work, food and home. We should have some community centres that could provide them some vocational training or find them work so that they do not get exploited. Paying five rupees more for a pair of jeans or a t-shirt etc doesn’t cost us much ,but if we make sure by law that this difference goes without any tax cuts into the welfare schemes for the betterment of the poor and unprivileged. We should have laws against children begging just like we have against child labour, and should have state run institutions as part of welfare schemes to provide better education and opportunities.
There are many other things we can do than to just ignore these people. They are same as us except without the luck or the opportunities. We can't help the former, but we can surely provide the latter.
We are humans and we surely should act like ones.
Note: These are my personal views, I am sure there will be people who will think differently but everyone is entitled to an opinion just like I am entitled to have one of my own. All the comments will be moderated to avoid any kind of spamming and insults. Any Intellectual discussions are welcome.

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Book Review : Half Girlfriend By Chetan Bhagat

Whenever we form an opinion about something or pass a judgement on something one thing is essential to do so in all fairness. That one unavoidable ingredient is the yardstick by which we measure. It would be unfair to judge this books in comparison with the ones in the league of the novel writers such as Tolkien ,Jordan or even the Nicholas Sparks who have their own distinct styles and ways of story-telling. But to review something which falls in the category of the popcorn fiction, we need a different yardstick. This yardstick should not measure the complexity of the words or the beautification of the prose but it should be judged on the most basic criterion that is associated with ‘pop-corn’, which is how much engaged one become while reading the book. This book is not the elaborate meal for the gourmand, but rather a simple snack for the commoners. It’s something like the bedtime stories of the princes and the fair maidens overcoming different difficulties to be together in soul.

Rather than focusing on the social issues in this book, Mr. Bhagat has concentrated more on the story that needed a beautiful telling. Unlike his few earlier books it was not a mirror to the ugliness of the social evils in the society but did have sprinkles of such issues.To say in fewer words the matters of the heart made sure the heart of the Book is in the right place.

Plot:

There is not much to discuss about the plot of this books without spoiling the fun for those who are reading it or will be reading it. It is the story of Ria and Madhav discovering love and also the meaning of their lives with time. Also in the background were the various stereotypes of education, money, language and society that we try so hard to cling to.

But what is there to talk about is the subtlety with which the Books shows us the pre-conceived notions we have about people belonging to some backward areas of the country, the red tape faced by the education sector in the country due to the selfishness of the politicians such as Mr.Ojha in the novel. But the conversation between Madhav and the Rural Surpanch also touching upon the points better discussed in Scarcity by Mullainathan and Shafir.( read struggle for survival more important than things like education).

The way in which different people define love is somewhat we should all take notice of. Love being a noble emotion can manifest itself in form of physical attraction or the fondness we develop for someone due to their thoughts. What becomes important is to know how committed one person is to it.

There are some funny parts too where the Main Character Madhav wonders about the state of the world had the industrial revolution taken place in the hinterlands of Bihar. The awkwardness of Madhav and efforts of his hostel pals to figure out their place in the world of English-speaking geniuses also shows us the divide we have created among our own countrymen by adopting elitist tendencies. Both in terms of way we communicate and thoughts we think.

There are a few lines that made me crack up like the few below

"An army of intellectual men cannot solve the riddle created by an indecisive woman. My limited –experience panel struggled for words."

"Even the grass grew in English"'

I agree there are few cliches on the lines of “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus” sorts, highlighting how men remain always a step behind when it comes to understanding the fairer sex. Also for most of the part it seemed like a guy trying to sleep with a girl story.  And the part having Bill Gates foundation and “Stay Hungry and stay foolish” speech by Steve Jobs as some part of the story is a deliberate plot by the Author to add some pop culture references just to make it a bit chic.

Many would call its story a crossover between 40-year-old virgin’s desperateness and the search for true love after the debauchery from Bollywood cocktail with a pinch of some melodrama. Considering the fact that the title made me think that maybe it is about the friends with benefits or some similar theme.It turned out to be a love story instead was pleasant surprise.

There is a lot of predictability, dragging and typical ending but still for a popcorn fiction’s worth it was not a bad read. It’s a paisa-wasool Novel as expected.

Here is the final report card:

Rating : 2.7/5 .

What’s Hot:

1. Easy to read ( 2-2.5 hrs of uninterrupted reading).


2. Cleaner story and maybe more focussed of story telling than social issues.


3. Cheek in mouth humour at times.

What’s Not :

1. Typical Chetan Bhagat Type Narration.


2. Predictable end.


3. Too Many clichés.

Recommended ?

Yes, it’s a short read anyways. Chetan Bhagat is like Salman Khan of Indian Novels. You can hate him or love him but you can’t ignore him. And chances are you might see it as a Bollywood movie soon. ( Rumour says Ekta Kapoor is producing it.....go figure).

The Book Thief: A book with a unique aftertaste.

As someone who devour books more frequently than anything else for the satisfaction of my creative and intellectual hunger ,i rarely find myself relishing on the aftertaste of a book like i did for this masterpiece by Mark Zusak. It is as tempting to a bibliophile as a fine meal and fine wine is to a gourmand. I picked up this book randomly mainly attracted to its title.Mostly i prefer to outline the character and the plot separately when discussing about a book ,but in this case both are inseparable.There is an inter-winding relationship between the people and the plot.Set in the period of 1939-1943 ,the town of Molching in Germany has a story to tell.The narrator couldn't have been better then DEATH,to talk about Nazi Germany.Do not expect it to something like Terry Prachett's narration by death in SoulMusic ,rather it is a very different flavor altogether.

The protagonist of this story a girl named Liesel, effectively an orphan taken in by Hans and Rosa Huberman. The first of many interaction the narrator has with her is when he visits her brother to pick him up for afterlife,but hangs in a little longer to witness Liesel swindle her first book- " The Grave Digger's handbook". Somewhat inappropriate for a first read ,this book is the instrument with which the author builds the relationship between the Liesel and her foster father Hans Huberman.It is also a head fake that fulfills the purpose of sketching the character of Hans Huberman.A tall,quiet man with silver eyes and noble heart.He was a painter,a musician who plays the accordion, a somewhat non-conformist but most importantly a teacher who taught Liesel to read and write.Rosa Huberman is a lovely lady with a big heart but a swearing mouth,who does laundry for the rich people in town.Another important figure in the plot is that of Rudy Steiner-the boy with lemon hairs.A rebel by nature,ardent fan of Jesse Owens much to the horror of his parents.

The narrator takes the readers through the story of protagonist's life using the blend of his interactions with the girl ,her surroundings and the account taken from the black book he stole from her.The Death is essentially a lonely being busy during the period ,but has time to contemplate the behavior and nature of humans as it changes and sometimes be puzzled by it.As the plot unwinds itself slowly ,making one helpless but fall in love with it. The tone and mood of the plot changes with the entry of a Jew fist fighter in the lives of Huberman family.Named Max Vandenburg ,this character introduces with itself the ugliness of the human nature prominent in Nazi Germany during those times.There is nothing a reader can do but to empathize with the life of this boy broken by the loss of family and just trying to survive.

This also brings out the beauty and bravery of the Huberman family at the same time by taking care of this  boy in times described by the author in following lines-" Imagine being asked to smile after being slapped on face now multiply this feeling twenty four times during the day,that is what it feels like to hide a Jew in Nazi Germany". Every emotion written is poetic, even the times of Holocaust seems tragic yet lyrical.The most riveting part of the book is the part where a unusual friendship forms between Leisel and Max.A fist fighter struggling to survive and a girl trying to figure out the world around her.Both connected and haunted by their own kind of nightmares.The standover man written on painted pages of Mein Kampf ,the crosswords collected from garbage,weather reports of outside world in words of a little girl,the thirteen presents and a parting gift in form of The Word Shaker - all were the important element of this friendship.

Talking of friendship there was one more of importance between Liesel and Rudy.This was defined differently in colors of their adventures and misadventures,a constant try to steal a kiss,stealing books from mayor's library and the chant of Saukerl and Saumensch. Throughout the book the emotions changed with the people in the plot.One cannot escape feeling the fanatical dedication of the Nazi towards the Fuhrer in the episodes of Hans Huberman trying to make his ends meet after help a Jew with a bread,lashing of Liesel by Soldiers for reaching out to Max in the procession of Jews taken to a concentration camp. Stealing the moments are the small triumphs of Liesel and Rudy,whether it was stealing apples from the farm ,winning the  Hitler youth games or out smarting the German Army Inspector to warn Max,one can do nothing but smile.Ilsa Hermann,a grieving mother also was an essential part of Liesel's story. The whistler obtained By Liesel from her library transformed itself into a tool of distraction for People of Himmel(Heaven) Street during the time of air raids.Her ultimate gift was also responsible and essential for the plot. The author subtly tells the reader that many German lives were also lost during such dark times and the Germans also lived in fear of their lives from a different kind of danger.The end nevertheless broke my heart to many pieces but the end was hinted along the way by the narrator in his words.The most enticing character of this book was DEATH ,as he go forward with the story he forms a mesmerizing narration often satirical or poetic,tragic and funny. As in the below lines:

"It kills me sometimes, how people die."

“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.”

“Even death has a heart.”

“A small but noteworthy note. I've seen so many young men over the years who think they're running at other young men. They are not. They are running at me.”(On war)

“To me, war is like the new boss who expects the impossible. He stands over your shoulder repeating one thing, incessantly: “Get it done, get it done.” So you work harder. You get the job done. The boss, however, does not thank you. He asks for more.”

i would like to end by stealing Liesel's words as it will be a befitting honor for the second book thief : "I have hated the word and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right."

PS: i have tried not to reveal the plot and its mystery.I hope you love the book as i did.

The Perfection's Plauge....

We all dream of perfect,

and are bound by those utopic visions.

Perfect life,perfect love,perfect job

the endless list to me it seems.....

 

But beguiled by perfection

we chase an impossible dream.

As the pages of life turns,

we hardly cared about our lessons learned,

all that was thought about,

 that the scores were second to none

 

 

We want our lives perfect

and have a notions for others perfection too,

Forgetting in all our ego and desires,

that they might have a notion too...

 

 

What's Right or what's wrong?

I never gave the right to judge to thee.

Why can't my own imperfection be perfect,

if it makes me all happy and glee?

 

 

My dreams are imperfect ,

yes imperfect i am,

still i wish for its acceptance,

And we are where we begun.......

When i pack my bag again.........

An Empty Deep Thought.....

While sitting alone and watching the sky

listening the restless shore when the tides are high,

Revisiting the ignorant walks of time

Some always wonder what went wrong with life

Our malevolence surfaced and lunacy revived

Pondering where can we find peace or solace

But continues to fight against

the ones who were once were allies

Uncertain if the feeling is love or hate

These answers are left over for fate

Few seems happy even if they are sad

Just like smiling for the picture in the frame

But had anyone seen the face when mirror calls

No soul believed when truth was said unabashed

But they believed in our lies instead

Who cares if ideas live or die

People are always nip and tuck in race with life

Here every act is always right or wrong

Nobody wonders whats their life's song

Ignorant to the music of soul

They just carry on with the assigned roles

Banished and forgotten is the beauty of thought

But rejoice for the freedom we never got

I wonder if ever anyone have gave it a deep thought

The Comedy named Indian Democracy

"Anything that happens once can not happen again.But everything that happens twice will surely happens third time" these are the words from the famous book The Alchemist.

            So many phenomenons of our daily lives follow the principle to the word.Take for example the corruption and monetary scandals that comes under the scanner with every change in top administration  in our country, but these are the official figures which in our country are used just to satisfy the people that everything is normal. These scams are becoming so regular that i will not be wrong to think, a new channel dedicated to scams and a regular scams page on our newspapers will beat any form of entertainment available to us. Even there should be an Oscars or Grammy for scams.It is one the basic elements like air,water,earth and fire essential for the survival of quintessential black economy in our country and of course the swiss banks.The very essential part of our culture is family, evident from the  fact that even the distant relatives of our politicians share the spoils of their hard work.Even the old tradition of passing on the family heirloom as one retires from the professional life can be recognized from the similar surnames in the political arena that i am sure even our grandfathers were familiar with.

                             Bills like "Empowerment of women" not a very imperative requirement of our society takes 14 years to see the light ,and on the other hand consider this "if you have consistently missed your targets,not contributed much at important meetings,created disruptive scenes at workplace and are short on attendance, what do you think your employer will do ?" the answer is beyond doubt , you will get a 300 percent rise in your salary if your employer is Indian Voters for working 28 hours per session on an average.Bills that affect just 543 under privileged people just take few minutes to pass ,while bills concerning millions of highly privileged people will as always sit in shadows.And if a bill guarantee a perennial supply of votes and loyalty( "read reservation") then it can be passed easily by the law makers based on data so new that even latest series of Nokia phones will look old. Well who wouldn't want to work in the perfect profession that don't require any educational qualification,you just need to know how to repeatedly con people with just the words  and promises.In case you are caught in the act by not so honest people due to the lack in  skills of deception, not to worry , a non -violent mode of protest named as "band" which ,affects only minor section of population,is good for economy and provide much sought after break resulting in higher productivity is at hand.And what to say of the work place ,more happening than any of the European night clubs with stormy sessions all the time to the tune of drums.With around 5.25 crores (official figure ) spent on a day's working to maintain the workplace for people who are  getting major portion of job done, bickering pointlessly and maybe sometimes sleeping, through the whole  session.Not to forget the self analysed work appraisals and the assurance of a simple life for their coming generation and job security along with satisfaction of being famous.It still makes me wonder why i youth of our country repel such a noble and fruitful profession.

       Well people say i am slightly opinionated so but here i would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Nehru and many others ( not all) for providing us the freedom that we needed and the Party that is too loved to be disposed of even in our wildest of  dreams.

 Disclaimer : " The whole post is not to be taken seriously,as its views of a highly opinionated person. All facts mentioned here along with the views are pure work of fiction and any resemblance to views of any living or dead person is purely accidental.Consider it as a lame joke"