Posts

Showing posts from November, 2014

How come animal sacrifice of Nepal is barbaric but not the mass slaughter of turkeys in US during Thanksgiving?

Image
Legend has it that goddess Gadhimai appeared to a prisoner in dreams and asked him to establish a temple to her. When he awoke, his shackles had fallen open and he was able to leave the prison and build the temple, where he sacrifices animals to give thanks to goddess. What is unknown is why in the world he sacrificed animals to present his thanks! Did goddess Gadhimai suggested him anything as such will never be known. What began as one man’s thanksgiving offer has turned into world’s largest abattoir today with tens of thousands of people flocking to Gadhimai temple in Bariyapur village of Nepal, 60 miles from Kathmandu. Thanksgiving which is celebrated across United States and other western countries is inescapably visible and thoroughly documented orgy of turkey slaughter with its origin in 1621 – more than a century before the most often claimed date for the origin of the Gadhimai sacrifice. Moreover Thanksgiving has been celebrated annually since 1841, when Dr. Al

Rajdeep Sardesai's book launch at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat

Book launch of Rajdeep Sardesai's 2014: The Election that Changed India at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore by Dheeraj Kalgutkar on Flickr. Just follow this link to see and comment on this album: https://www.flickr.com/gp/meetdheeraj/aC0b0H

Why I differ from Rajdeep Sardesai's casteist tweet being his admirer myself?

Image
Of late I have received lot of flak for 'blindly' following Senior Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai from that fracas at Madison Square Garden to recent 'item girl' remarks at literary fest where Sardesai was in talks with Shobhaa De. I still stand with my decision of tweeting all those #IStandWithRajdeep tweets but what has suddenly surprised and worried me is his last night's tweet, which read: "Big day for my Goa. Two GSBs, both talented politicians become full cabinet ministers. Saraswat Pride!! @manoharparrikar and Suresh Prabhu." What's wrong in it? Exactly. There wasn't any wrong until you and I tweet anything as such. I too was born in Goa and am proud of the state. Further I was little pained over Parrikar's resignation as he was leaving Goa but was happy that we were having first cabinet minister from the state! But I didn't tweeted anything. There's no fault in tweeting; you have your right to expression, freedom of speec

The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk, Sudha Murthy and more...

Image
The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk! How is that name and what would be your reaction when you first see this book on your shelf or bookstore or at Google's play store ( that's where I found it! ) for a price which is no price at all? Hold on! And what if I tell you it's written by an author you admire? Nevertheless to say, you would pick one copy, not to finish completely but to just turn few pages. I was no alien to such behavior either. Although I hindered at first but purchased it after reading few starting sample pages which Google offered. Did I started reading the moment I purchased? Nope. With new office and something a new discipline called work, I had to curtail myself of the luxury that is book reading.  A week in office without fun nor work, the serious work, I was getting bored but then I knew or perhaps heard from Sardesai, "Don't feel bored. It's a terrible thing to get bored." So after few unsuccessful attempts at different horizons I f