Many wrong doings happening around our state are blamed on the illiterates, but is that statement actually true or is it just an age old saying carried forward over time to lighten our consciousness of the scum “educated” people bring in?

I’m going to narrow down my examples to Chennai as I have seen this happening here. But I’m sure the below statements might hold good for many areas in our country.

Lets take a simple example of a road and parapet wall. Any dirty thing that we see, say paan chewed and spat on the sidewalk, junk food strewn all over the road, unfinished almost full food packets, plastic waste, in fact I have seen so much garbage thrown RIGHT BESIDE an onyx garbage disposal!! When some of us walk by we might probably blame this on the lower class people or the ones pitching tent on the roads or the so called ‘illiterate’ people. Well, will those category people have enough money or can they really afford to buy junk food or throw hardly eaten food packets? In that case who is to be blamed? The same Indian who does not give a damn about littering his/her hometown  would be carrying paper in their hands to pick up his dog’s poop from the road in USA! So where is his/her sense of cleanliness in our country?

I don’t deny the fact that the uneducated and low class people do litter the place but the other day I saw a guy from an IT company bus spitting on the road from his seat!!! So where exactly did education or well off status bring a difference here? What rights do we have to jump up to conclusions that only illiterates or low class people mess up our country? In fact we the so called “educated” people have to be held at a much higher level of responsibility and punishment for the hypocrisy we undeniably perform/witness everyday.

Let’s take the driving senses of people. Again predominantly the “educated” people own cars and bikes. Right? What is the purpose of a horn? It is a device that signals the occurrence of some undesirable event, a warning sound. But here the purpose of a horn is completely redefined. The new Definition is: “Make way! I don’t care what’s your business or hurry I don’t care if you have to go bang into a wall or crash but get out of my way!” When the signal is RED and god forbid a car/bike in front is actually following the traffic rules “How dare they!! Let me keep hitting the horn until they move their vehicle!” In addition to this when the signal turns green they get in front of us and give a nasty look or dirty words and drive away! Appalling!!!

Take beaches. Are we not blessed to have so many beaches in our city? There are so many people in India itself who crave to have a beach nearby. Does that not make our beaches a great asset to our city? Something that needs to be kept beautiful and clean? Who visits the beaches mostly? We are the one from our school days been visiting the beach time and again to hang out to play to get some fresh air. So we are the ones who buy food and throws the packet all over the place. In fact I have seen my friends trying to politely put it forward to the other person to go throw his waste in a garbage can instead of throwing it in the sand, but sadly the attitude of the people here is “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? Is this your beach or your grandfather’s beach. Just mind your own business”. In this state of things I see no point in those poor souls trying to clean up beaches only to be strewn again with garbage the very next day.

Remember our state was known mostly for its hospitality. We welcome and offer our friendship and kindness to those in need. Is Education supposed to ruin this? I can bet now if I walk into a hut in the slums as a stranger in need of some help they would do what ever they can or more to help me out. Would I find the same hospitality amongst the “educated” homes? They would probably suspect my intentions or slam the door on my face.

Does the social status brought upon us by money and a high cost of living make us less hospitable?

Once I saw a bunch of very old beggars outside a temple begging for some food of money. While I came out the temple to offer them some change a police man was hitting a stick to the ground and chasing them away. Keep in mind they were mostly very old people. There was this one old lady who could not even get up and this man was literally beating her to move it. I got so angry and I demanded why he is chasing away these people all of a sudden from here where they usually sit. He informed me that some big police officer was coming to the temple so he wants them to get out of there. I was trying to help her get up and move to a safer place. She reeked of urine and she could not even wear her clothes in a proper way and all the while she was crying and saying about her plight in this old age and why god would not kill her yet, why would he torture her this way. It broke my heart to see this. I offered her some money and the fruits that I had with me. But I didn’t want to leave her that way there and I was wondering what to do when this man rushed to my aid and helped me lift her to a safe place. He brought a plate of idlis to her and spoke to her  as if he knew her well. Seeing that I was a bit upset HE was consoling ME. I gave him some money and asked him to give her food on a regular basis but he refused it and told me that he has been doing that already and he would continue to do so. What is his need to do this? Is she related to him? Is he rich to offer food to them for free? Tell me did the literacy make a difference to the poor old soul?

And the silliest, saddening thing in our own country is the inter-racism. Northies, Southies, Chinkies, Golties, Sardarjies, Mallus!!! and dont tell me that these terms are just to differentiate people in our country. Please.. There is much more politics and hurtful comments involved in them. And we call the US a racist country?? Seriously!!

Many of us talk a lot about all this (including me) and we say this is a godforsaken place, India will never change, there is no point doing anything here, I give up on this country. Yes I agree its very hard to keep a steady pace at making a difference in this country, but don’t you think its worth fighting for the few who do strive to make a difference. Even if it’s the very minimal negligible minority don’t you think they deserve our support?

Here again I see no point in writing this blog as this changes nothing. All I can do is hope and request all of us to be aware of how we treat our home, show some respect. Education makes no difference anymore.  Our attitude does. 

Whenever we speak of Michael Jackson we always quote his lyrics, or try to imitate his moves or awe at his persona and electricity, or even some say what a maniac, pedophile, weird person he was. But I want to try and let everyone know who he was as a person. The other side of my dear Michael Jackson.  (I hope MJ would not mind the little happiness I get from saying ‘my Michael Jackson’) 

We all say ‘Take the good from everything and leave the bad behind’. In a world where so many people admire a sadistic man such as Hitler for so many things, so many people chose to believe all the alleged bad in a good hearted man. That’s the world we live in. There is nothing more cruel than this world and how it crushes so many souls. By world here I mean the human race. 

First of all we are in no position to judge him for his personal life. We have no right to have a comment on how big his ranch was or why should he throw his money around. I believe that nothing is bad as long as it does not harm anyone or anything or you.  It’s his life, he earned it and he can live whichever way he wants and he can do whatever he wants to his looks. He is the only celebrity to have a Guiness Record for most charity while being in so much debt himself. For such a popular successful, soulful star its breaks my heart that in his whole life he had no real friends, no one who truly loved him for who he was or was even there for him. Every single person in his personal life took advantage of him, his ignorant goodness, his money. I don’t want to get into the hard truths of his life in this testimonial but give you a small idea of the Michael Jackson I know, the one who we should all know. 

I wonder how many people took the time to just ponder for a minute on how his life would have been under the constant, vigilant, narrowed, twisted eyes of the media, when every move he made was accountable to the whole world, when he has been under the spotlight and worked for almost his entire life, when he has never really had a real childhood,  when every person he trusted turned away or against him, when he had to overcome all his physical ailments to give us some of the best music and dance ever made, when every step he took to protect his children from all the dirt he had seen was twisted into a crazy person, when every out of the way good deed he did accused him of being a Pedophile or a spendthrift or a psycho. 

I wonder if the people who took just a few seconds and a few lies to destroy a man, took the time to wonder what it felt like to be Michael Jackson. A man who did nothing but try to make this world a better place, heal the wounds, preserve our nature.  It amazes me that anyone who knew Michael or met Michael could even get the heart to hurt him. Its beyond my comprehension. 

Despite all the accusations and the monster that was made out of him he had fans all over the world. Billions of fans following him hanging on his every move and syllable he may utter. How did this happen? How did he gather so much mass? How did he have 50,000 people howl , cry, jump, scream and faint at just the sight of him standing on the concert stage?

 Do we know why all these people chose to follow him?

Do we know why some of these people who probably didn’t even share the same mother tongue as he still chose to believe in him?

Do we know why the whole world mourned his death despite the fact that his media projected character and personality could not have been any lower?

LOVE 

That’s the language he spoke, that’s the feeling he shared, that’s the magic he spread, that’s the faith he represented, that’s who he was. 

He was the richest man and he could have very easily sued all those who destroyed his life but did he? I don’t even think he wanted to avenge or harm them in anyway. In this world it’s very easy to be bad, but he is the standing example of how much good you can get out of a person through all cruelty, tests and trials. That is where my Michael Jackson stands - An epitome of goodness. Some of you might feel this is an exaggerated statement but trust me it’s an inkling of who he was.

He appeals to me cause he touched my heart with his genuine love for his people, cause he actually truly cared, cause he made so much difference in his world, cause he gave so much of himself to the world, in fact he literally gave almost his whole self to this world and he died doing so. Even after so much cruelty indicted on him he never gave up on love, never gave up on being good, and never gave up on his faith in this humanity. To me he is the synonym for ‘Anbe Sivam’. I could probably gain more strength and faith from him cause he was a living example, cause he proved his principle.  There is so much to learn from him. He is teaching me how to give and expect nothing in return, he is teaching me how you can fight a silent war with just truth and love on your side, he is teaching me how to be good to my fellow human beings and things, he is teaching me tolerance, he is teaching me how to throw away all the bad and see just the good, he is teaching me how to be a perfectionist at whatever I do, he is teaching me how there is no other way to do it other than with all your heart, he is teaching me to dance and sing with all my passion, he is teaching me to embrace love.  

In Our Darkest Hour
In My Deepest Despair
Will You Still Care?Will You Be There?
In My TrialsAnd My Tribulations
Through Our DoubtsAnd Frustrations
In My ViolenceIn My Turbulence
Through My Fear
And My Confessions
In My Anguish And My Pain
Through My Joy And My Sorrow
In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow
I’ll Never Let You Part
For You’re Always In My Heart 

My Sketch of MJ

Michael I will try and live my life the way you tried to teach this world. 

Love you Michael !!! 

You will always ROCK my world !!!

 And I hope you all will too. 

உன் பாதம் எனும் பூக்கள் என்னை உதைத்தாலும்

என்னை நறுமணம் நிறைந்த பூக்கள் தீண்டும்

 உன் ஊசி எனும் பார்வை என்னை வதைத்தாலும்

என் கண்களெனும் பாலைவனத்தில் நீர் சுரக்கும்

உன் கலை மிகுந்த உள்ளங்கைகள் என்னை அடித்தாலும்

என் பாவப்பட்ட கன்னங்களும் பல வண்ண பட்டாம்பூச்சிகள் ஆகும்

உன் மூச்சு எனும் அக்ஷய பிச்சையை நான் திருடினாலும்

என்னை முழுவதும் உயிர்பிக்கும் கனவு மெய்பிக்கும்

என் வாழ்நாள் முழுவதும் என்னுடன் இருப்பாய் எனின்

நான் இறந்த பின்பு மோக்ஷம் எனும் வாய்ப்பில்லாமல் போய்விடும்

ஏனெனில்
 …

…

…

…

நீ  நான் பெற்ற தெய்வம்

நீ நான் பெற்ற குழந்தை!

Walking on Water
Flying in the air
Basking in the heat
Flowing words
Starting Love!

Owning happiness
Shunning blue
Seeing beauty
Smiling into nothing
Filling Love!

Spotless faith
Glorious feeling
Blissful ignorance
Reaching out
Holding Love!

Smiling still
Giving in
Sticking out
sacrifice..
Bearing Love! 

Sparkling new
Making love
Burning fire
Loving more
Endless Love!

Settling in
Taken for granted
Breaking fury
Pointless hurt
Hanging Love!

Placing blame
Tired reproach
Hurting still
Losing faith
Breaking Love!

Burnt out flame
Parting lanes
Empty hands
Aching heart
Ceasing Love!

Stopping now
Looking back
Memories stay
Smiling on
Forever Love!

..~~..

A dedication to my friend….. 

Hold on…..               

On a quite windy evening, I was sitting by the beach shore hugging my knees and gazing into the dark sky, happy and satisfied with life, thinking I could not expect more out of life. I loved being single, though I didn’t have any bad experiences myself, but I had seen every type of a bad relationship, thanks to my roommates.              

As I was gazing around feeling lucky to not be tied down by any emotional qualms, I saw a loner sitting on the bench alone and looking blankly at the crazy sea. Something in this guy tickled my curious bones. Every now and then he touched his wrist and felt the words engraved in his bracelet and smiled to himself. It seemed like he was waiting for someone. As I watched he began to slowly walk towards the shore with a painful smile on his face.            

  I thought to myself “Must be one more of these break up cases I guess” and chuckled slightly when a girl caught my attention. She walked past me and went towards the shore. She slowly reached out a trembling hand and touched the shoulder of the guy standing by the shore and said in a shaky voice “Hey….. I’m, I, I’m really sorry this is happening. I can’t bear the thought of leaving you but, but… it does not seem like there is any other way…… Please say something….” But he didn’t say anything, he just kept staring at the sea, didn’t turn or speak instead he just slipped his hands into hers and held on tightly.              

It started to thunder and the sky got darker and it seemed like it was going to rain. I knew I had to leave and I didn’t want to get wet, I had a party I had to go to later that evening. But I couldn’t move. The girl went closer and leaned her head against his shoulder and clutched his sleeve tightly, and quite tears were pouring down her eyes. He turned towards the girl ran his hands through her hair lightly, gently lifted her chin, held her face and stared long and deep into her tearful eyes. He then leaned forward and ever so gently kissed her tears. He held her safely in his arms for a long time. Something in this moment, this couple shared touched my heart.       

    I had seen so many relationships and fights and ugly break ups and sure this scene seemed like a regular common one, yet as I sat there watching a guy and a girl I never even knew, standing beside the shore with the sea lapping against their ankles, holding on to each other, and something in the way the guy looked at his girl that one tearful moment, the one perfect moment of understanding, and acceptance, hurt me somewhere.          

There I was sitting and basking in the glory of single life, yet two strangers who were in fact breaking up, and yet very much in love and clinging to each other in a cruel society, made me feel like I was missing something, seemed like a huge void suddenly dropped into my life, a feeling of a certain emptiness. I somehow wanted a person to whom I could communicate every ounce of my heart with just a look, who I could hold on to and cherish and love the way this couple did and the strangest thing was the birth of such a feeling from watching a couple who were breaking up.         

I somehow felt like an intruder and got up to leave when I saw tears rolling down the guy’s face. At that very moment the rain poured down on them, trying to wash away the tears and all the pain and I stood there getting drenched, watching them hold on to each other in this bittersweet moment.  

 Letting Go!!! Hold on….