Left is not right

I strongly condemn the stand taken by the left parties on the Indo-US nuclear deal. India is going through a tough economic situation due to rising inflation. This is not the time to create political unstability. However, that is what the Left parties are doing by threatening to withdraw support if the Indian government continues to pursue with the nuclear deal. Historically they have been known for being a pain to the ruling party that they support and they continue the tradition.


The Indo-US nuclear deal is seen just as a deal between India and US by the narrow-minded left parties when it actually would pave way to get rid of all the technological sanctions imposed on us by various other nuclear powers. I don't mind them opposing the US when it attacked Iraq or when they plan to take unilateral stance against Iran. But just because the foreign policies of US are not acceptable to us does not mean that we oppose everything that US does. Indian government was never supportive of US military action on Iraq. It is also not supportive of any US plan to take action against Iran. This means India has always taken an independent stance on foreign policies. It never got influenced by an outside force. I do not understand why the Left parties feel that the Indo-US nuclear deal would change the way India handles its foreign policies.



This time around Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is taking a strong stance by not getting intimidated by the Left. He could have acted tough long back. However, better late than never.
He is going ahead with the formalities of the nuclear deal with or without the support of Left parties. This is the sign of a true leader. I think even if this government falls, Manmohan Singh will still come out as a winner for being rock solid. Please do not confuse his tough stance as being autocratic or a decision taken in haste. I feel he has done everything in his capacity to ensure awareness and support for the deal. But then you cannot make someone understand if he/she is not willing to understand. This is the case with the Left parties.

I am sure the Left parties will be taught a lesson by the people of this country.

Absolute Power

What comes to your mind when you perceive a person with absolute power? Do you imagine a picture of a physically strong man or a man holding a gun? Or, do you envision a person having a position of authority due to a designation that he is holding in society?


In my view, neither of them possesses absolute power. A physically strong man will become weak with time. A man will not hold a gun till eternity. A person having a position of authority due to his designation in society will part with his designation someday. All of them will become powerless at some point of time. In other words, their power is not absolute.


Absolute power comes with knowledge. The more knowledgeable a person you are, that much more powerful you will be. Knowledge acquired stays with you throughout. The respect that you attain in life due to the knowledge you possess is unparallel. Muscle power, gun power and power acquired due to an authoritative position are like castles built from snow. They will all melt down with the first ray of the sun. However, a knowledgeable person himself shines and exudes power like the sun.


Almost every human being at some point of time aims to be a powerful person. Some try and fail in their efforts and retreat. Some take the wrong path and perish. Only a select few are successful in their attempts to attain absolute power. People who possess absolute power become immortal. They continue to inspire and lead people to light.


You may think why I am not talking about people who use the knowledge acquired for negative purposes. Do they also attain absolute power? When I say a person is knowledgeable, that means the person has awareness. A person, who is aware, will have the understanding to use it in a right way else he will perish too. So, to be very specific, absolute power is attained by someone who not only acquires knowledge but also knows to use it in a right manner.

First Impression and Perception

Many opinions in life are formed based only on first impression. Right from a product you buy to a person you meet. Almost everything that meets your eye, you tend to form an opinion on it. How accurate are the opinions formed based on first impressions? Personal experience has taught me that first impressions don't give you a fair idea. But then, be it interviews for a job or a stranger you meet on the road, people are written off just based on the first impression you get about them.

I personally have been guilty of forming wrong perceptions about people based on first impression. I assumed them to be arrogant but they turned out to be down to earth. I perceived certain people to be introvert and they turned out to be extrovert. A calm person at work turned out to be a monster at home and vice versa. Also, I always had this perception that higher the designation that much more indifferent that person would be while dealing with people at a lower designation. Most of the times this may be true, however, I figured out that it may not always be true. There is a gentleman with whom I deal with who is at a very higher designation. You can say that we are at two extremities when it comes to designation. The first day that I spoke with him I thought he was putting up a mask so that I could feel comfortable. I was also under the impression that from the very next day he will start showing his true colors. He is a very knowledgeable person too; a strong enough reason for him to have an inflated ego. This gentleman proved me wrong with his down to earth attitude and friendly nature. Knowledgeable people tend to hold on to all the knowledge they have for the fear of losing out on the edge they have over others. However, here is one person who believes in imparting it to anyone who is curious to learn.

I am sure everyone has some experience which they could relate to in terms of first impressions. You could have been at the receiving end or it could have been you who may have perceived something wrong. You may have said to yourself, how could that person think about me on those lines? And at times you may have kicked yourself for thinking bad about someone based on what you saw or heard about that person.

I do not say that you stop forming opinion about people based on first impressions. There may be instances in life where you will not be getting another opportunity to interact with the person you are forming an opinion about. In such scenarios, you have to take decisions on what you understand from the body language and mannerisms. However, if you know for sure that you are going to get more opportunities to interact with a person, you should always keep an open mind and not be too judgemental from the onset.

First day on my Unicorn

Today was my date with this beauty. I approached her with some apprehension. I didn't know how she will react to me. However, she was as cool as a cucumber. Hey guys, please don't worry, I am not talking about my girl friend. :-)

It was an awesome experience riding my new Honda Unicorn. It was after a long time that I was riding a bike. So I was not sure how I will fare. But from the moment I sat on it, I felt as if we were made for each other. This bike is really cool. In each gear the transition is real smooth. The mono suspension takes care of all the potholes and speed breakers.

I am waiting for the sun to rise tomorrow so that I could take my Unicorn for a long ride. Hope the rain Gods don't play spoil sport.

Vroommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dream, my bike, my Unicorn

Finally I have booked my flying machine, my own Honda Unicorn. The wait was killing. I have been putting aside my plan to own a bike for quite sometime. At least 2 years if not more. Priorities kept changing and hence the delay. But then, may be I deserved to get this beauty and so I do not regret the delay now.

Initially I was not sure about which bike to go for. Bajaj XCD was the one I had in mind till very recently. Few weeks back one of my friends suggested going for the Honda Unicorn. Another friend of mine informed me that he had already booked the latest Honda Unicorn and that it is a good bike. I was not that keen though to go for it. Then on 31st of May, 2008, I went to a Honda showroom in order to get a close glimpse of this beauty. It was love at first sight. A damn cool bike. Aesthetically designed and technologically superior too.

Today I went and booked it. However, the delivery will be delayed. It will take another 20 days for me to lay hands on the flying machine. I desperately hope that it does not go beyond that.