Ice candy !

The other day,we all( my brother & my family ) went to see a flat in a building which is almost ready for occupancy.I had visited it earlier with my dad.The flat is very spacious ( 2000 sq. feet area- superbuilt up area )-with a hall, three bedrooms with attached toilets & balconies attached to all the rooms.There is also an area for hanging clothes also.I have found the flat huge -but then, my budget hardly has space for such a big flat.The security guards & other clerks posted there for directing buyers & other visitors make it a point to let all know that all flats have been sold except two on the first floor.There is no ground floor -the building has a parking area down & up there are flats.

Also, we are told, that already the price is quite low -that is as far as the builder is concerned,so no negotiations as far as price is concerned.All this just makes it beyond our means to buy it.One staff posted there in particular seemed to look mockingly at me as if he wanted to say ,"You seem to come here just for window shopping".

After,we had seen the flat & said our oohs & aahs  we made our way home.It was the peak of summer. On the way,I felt very hot, as it was nearly noon.I spotted an ice gola man selling ice golas & sherbets on his handcart . I decided ,that I must have an ice gola.As I sipped on the sweet syrup on my ice gola,I saw a familiar face walking in my direction - I smiled( I could do nothing else anyway )as I recognized him as one of the staff from the building ,we had just visited.Seeing me eating an ice gola,his suspicion about my buying a flat there just got confirmed !How can anybody afford a flat in that building if she can only pay for an ice gola ?

Harassed !

I am a citizen who pays income tax.So why can't I vote ? Simple,because I don't have a voter I card. Nowadays,it is all over the media-celebrities urging the common man to vote.Also,some corporates are aiding the people in getting them registered as voters by urging them to apply for voter identity cards et al.

I was staying in Bhandup immediately after marriage & remember having gone & applied for the voter I card quite late in the night -I still vividly recall having been photographed in a municipal school there but nothing came out of it.Again,some years later,in Chunabhatti,I sincerely went & filled up the application form & also submitted it in yet another municipal school.This time round,I wasn't even photographed.So eventually,again,I missed voting.

This time,I decided not to pursue at all, but,then, there are reasons.This is so, as I stay in a relative's house.It is owned by him.Of course,I pay rent & all monthly bills like piped gas,telephone,electricity etc but all bills are in his name & so I have no residence proof which is needed for applying for the voter I card.

I am, so sure, that there are millions like me, who stay in places about which they cannot submit any residence proof.Does this make all of them any less of a citizen than others ?Is there no way out ?

The PAN card ,I feel, is the most simple document, as far as details are needed but ironically,a PAN card cannot be proof of residence as it does not give details of your residence.This is laughable as an income tax payee is an Indian Citizen for the duty of paying tax but not as far as the right to vote & other issues are concerned.I do have a passport but, then ,I have it, on my old address.

Getting a Passport is another ordeal.For that,again proof of residence or ration card is needed for residence proof.Ration card is a relic of the war times & can't the Government do away with it ? For almost any thing, you need, the ration card.Suppose,you need a telephone connection,you need a ration card,for school admission you need it ,-you name it & you need a ration card.All parties proclaim that they will weed out corruption but the ration card which is so symbolic of corruption continues to hold sway on all of us .So much for the anti-corruption proclamations !

So, we keep going in circles for proving to ourselves & others that we are, indeed, citizens of this country.Why can't we have a simple identity card which declares that we are Indian Citizens.None of the parties are interested in doing this- so it is time, we,force the government to act on this.Such a card will be a boon to the common man as he will feel less harassed which is, well, almost, like asking for the moon in our nation state as everybody will tell you.

Paucity of time ? !

I was of the opinion, that honesty was an aspect, which had started dwindling in these times, so I was rather surprised, when most of my friends n relatives replied that they would comment on my novel only after they had read the same.I argued, that I just needed, a one line comment, as the site allows only a 100 character comment but, I was told ,that how wud anybody comment without reading the book ?

Now,that is something I wud like 2 comment on.Some very close friends did read the whole novel & commented though i wud hav been happy with their comments only.I am extremely grateful to them.I did suggest in my reminder emails that one needs 2 read paragraphs on numerous pages or just 1 r 2 pages n then sign up & comment.I hav to say this-( after umpteen reminders requesting people to comment ) that I hav been put off by the acts of honesty that they are donning.I feel, that some r just putting on the honesty robe 2 avoid commenting & of course, to dilly dally the one favour ,I am asking of them.

I hav also heard replies like ,"U know,I just don't hav the time to read it.How 2 comment without reading ?" As 1 of my friends had said ( so true the words ring now on reflection )that all have the same amount of time @ their disposal -1 only needs 2 hav the inclination to do something & then 1 can find time 2 do that task- be it meeting friends,relaxing,any hobby,watching a movie,reading a book,et al.It is not that I have more than 24 hours @ my disposal & others hav only 24 hours in a day.It is only a question of how 1 manages time rather than the other way round.

I am a housewife now -so many will argue that a working woman has hardly any time for simple pleasures -quite true but can't she do something about it even if it is like qutting the job 2 hav some time 4 herself ? I think many ladies keep on working outside homes under the fear that " what will i do if i quit ?"Actually,there r innumerable things 2 do once u leave ur job.u will find that u r more busy than when u were working. Later, in life,I am so sure,many of us will only regret & sigh that they never did get 2 do things they wanted to as there was no time-frankly becoz they felt, that the job was more important than their failing health,the scream of their kids,the loneliness of the elders,the companionship of the spouse etal.
as some one told me the other day,"I am so busy in office that i dont get time 2 read ur novel on the office pc ."Well, i think,that sums up, the fact, that till date, only 20 near & dear ones hav commented on my work which counts 2 nothing as my novel was posted online by 26th January,2009.

Viewpoint.

Downstairs, in our society,boys play football n even cricket.Elder men n women also come n sit in the park.boys kick the ball quite hard -so much so, that it does hit a person sometimes.just the other day,it hit 1 elderly lady-she was stunned n the boys went n said sorry, but, one boy's mom came down & started asking that lady if she had no kids of her own as she was firing at the kids.so the kids got the message that kicking ball n hurting anybody is ok.i think,one shud b sensitive 2 others.that mom who defended the boys will realise this, when she gets old r mayb when she is hit.unfortunately,v hav such egoes that v fail 2 understand the person who has a different viewpoint.this v can c all around us in all spheres of life.moms n sons think, that playing downstairs, is a birthright or maybe they hav got a license 2 play that way, hurting others.elders think otherwise.even ladies n gents of my age can get hurt with the ball but then, v may suffer less as compared 2 the elderly.actually,the boys need 2 b told 2 b careful whilst kicking the ball n oldies also need 2 take care.

last year ,my mom, was hit by a ball which was being played in the swimming pool in the society premises-the playmates in this case were college students.they apologized but in a manner which gave a feeling that they cared a damn!