Hope against Hope

What is Freedom?

Freedom is about donning the Tri-color on your sleeve for that one day…

Freedom is about buying that tri-color flag/badge/pinwheel/sticker for 15th August and chucking it unceremoniously couple of days later...

Freedom is about incorporating blue, saffron, white and green into fashionable garments…

Freedom is about heavy discounts on your favourite department store…

Freedom is about the maha-bachat discounts in a hypermarket and the “independence day discount” on buffet meals at your favourite restaurant….

Freedom is about watching soaps, comedy shows, music talent shows, award functions, repeat tele-casts of old TV shows, repeat tele-casts of repeat-telecasts of award functions…

Freedom is about singing “Meri desh ki dharti” “Ae mere watan ke logon” on 15th August…

Freedom is about realistic fighting for freedom in fictional movies…

Freedom is all about praying that 15^th August falls on a Friday or a Monday so that we may get that extended  weekend from work/studies/family obligations

Freedom is about sound bites by pop music sensations on the radio, snapshots of the country’s popular filmstars on a revitalized video of national anthem….

Freedom is about the mandatory assembly in schools, colleges, at work, public institutions for the hoisting of the flag and the complimentary burfi….

Freedom is about sitting in a different country remembering the mandatory assembly in schools, colleges, at work, public institutions for the hoisting of the flag and the complimentary burfi...

Freedom is  about introducing a company’s new product range or a new logo or a new ad campaign…

Freedom is about trending Independence Day tweets on Twitter, Inspirational Statuses on Facebook, posting video snippets of movies with freedom struggle storylines and sending “happy independence day” SMSes to all in your friend circle.

Freedom is about cake cutting and inauguration...

Freedom is about writing inspiring posts about our past leaders...

Freedom is about drawing competitions and poster making competitions...

Freedom is reduced to a theme….

Freedom is now commercialized, gift-wrapped, scented and couriered to your doorstep with service tax and duty as applicable....

Freedom is about reducing 15^th August to just another public holiday…

Isn’t Freedom opening up of cultures, values and ethics?

Isn’t freedom about the right to vote, right to educate and the right to information?

Isn’t freedom allowing women to work, agreement to inter-caste marriages, gradual acceptance of LGBT?

Isn’t freedom about winning an international sport once limited to some races?

Isn’t freedom about living anywhere on the surface of this earth?

Isn’t freedom about being economically independent?

Is it really okay to undervalue the spirit of independence?

Why are we taking freedom for granted? Why are we undermining the value of freedom?

Why are we still enslaved by thought that "freedom was one achieved 64 years ago and that I cannot contribute anything to it?"

Now, there is one man, who fought for the country decades ago….

And still is….

but not against the British,

nor the Chinese

or the Pakistanis

It’s about the greater evil : CORRUPTION

Can we see India FREE from corruption?

We aren’t really free when we are bound by our own evils!

This post is solely dedicated to Anna Hazare and his followers who are giving us hope against hope.

Change

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton Season 2 edition 18; the eighteenth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

'At first I was afraid I was petrified
Kept thinkin' I could never live without you by my side;
But then I spent so many nights
Thinkin' how you did me wrong
And I grew strong'

Ashley sang Gloria Gaynor aloud time and again to her heart’s content, unperturbed of the fact this song was no longer “in “.  Bouncing off her bed, she rummaged through her wardrobe for an outfit that would make her look “fabulous”.
Fabulous, once again.

She took a sidewards glance at her wheelchair; her support, weakness; dependence.

Not anymore.

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

The lyrics are from Gloria Gaynor's song "I will survive". Meant to write it as 55 fiction; exceeded 3 words. Italicized lyrics are not a part of the 55 Fiction.

MBA=Mind your Business Anna

I'm back and unapologetic for my absence from bloggerspace.
Since life during an MBA course is hectic to say the least. And I guess by the end of the course I'll turn into Much Below Average instead of Master of Business Administration.

So when I'm asked the usual questions.....
Friend: Hey, long time no see!
Me: Yeah, good to see you after long. Have some time to catchup?
Friend: Sure, I've got all the time in the world! So what are you doing now-a-days?
Me: I'm doing MBA
Friend: Ooookay. So how is it?
Me: Let's see.... (takes a deep breath)

• Marketing does not mean a casual trip to the market anymore
• How much ever I try to avoid, I end up using words like "motivation" for compliment, "disposable income" for pocket money.
• I demand my raise in pocket money through a PowerPoint Presentation with a SWOT and PEST analysis and state my friend' pocket money variations as 'Competitor Study'
 

• When somebody says 'Model', what pops to my head is GE or BCG
• I've been unofficially banned from mega-marts like Hypercity, Food Bazaar and Big Bazaar as I keep hassling their male customers with questions like "Why haven't you tried fairness creams?" and irritate female customers with "At what distance do you hold your deodorant can from your armpit?"
• Was appalled to know that one can generate a better revenue by selling cutting chai in a tapri in outside any college/ office as compared to preparing Tea at Taj
• While eating Vada Pav on roadside, I end up asking the monthly turnover of their stall vis-a-vis McDonald's
• I am told that a roadside vegetable vendor might make more money in a month without an MBA, than I will with my first ever salary immediately after MBA
• People selling knick knacks in trains are no more sales persons but ' Budding entrepreneurs from Dharavi' 
• I day dream about Michael Porter, Philip Kotler and Steve Jobs 
• My Facebook relationship status reads 'In a Relationship with Marketing'!

Friend: (Staggers to leave) Ohhhkay... nice chatting up with you... gotta rush!
Me: But I thought you said you 'had all the time in the world'!
(Sigh) 





Funny graphs images courtesy branflakesforbreakfast.com and blameitonthevoices.com