My heroes: History

                      Universal disdain for history amongst students is quite understandable because it is taught to us as a mere subject which needs to be mugged up. One is tested on ones memory and not taught how to appreciate events which have shaped the world the way it is today or what lessons could we learn from such events. Historical characters are either loved or vilified depending on who is writing and there is no scope of having a different view on the matter. I might hate Gandhi from the core of my heart but I'd be damned for writing so and moreover I have to address the imposter as a Mahatma. Why? My heroes are Alexander and Hitler.

                        Alexander was tutored by Aristotle himself (imagine that) who told him that the world ended just beyond the Caucasian mountains. Alexander not only challenged that but went on to rule half the known world at that time and all before he turned 33 by which time he was dead. Had it not been for his tired and weak army he would have conquered India and world history would have been a little different than what it is now. But more than anything it was the power of his belief and self confidence. He believed that he was the son of Zeus himself and that he was a descendant of Achilles the great Greek hero. He wanted to see for himself where the end of the world lay and if Aristotle was right. In the process he captured half the world and laid the foundation of a uniform administration from Macedonia to the banks of the Jhelum. His military genius was evident from his battle strategy against the Persian king Darius. His other legendary military exploits are well documented and gives credence to his title Alexander the Great. But what is most striking is the fact that he did what he did, conquered what he conquered before his 33rd birthday. Now think of any 33year old man of our age and you will know why he is still remembered today and why he is called The Great.

                         There is no man in modern history who is more hated than Adolf Hitler and rightfully so for the sins he has committed against a particular religious order and humanity in general. However there is no denying his abilities as a leader of the mass. No other individual in history has been so successful in raising nationalistic sentiments and pride. Under him the Germans rose like a nation to be reckoned with and challenged the supremacy of the other west. Yes he killed a million, but so had Gengiz Khan and Alexander whom today we call greats. I believe that if Hitler was born perhaps a few centuries ago he too would be held as a hero and not the villain that he is today. Concepts of right and wrong is highly elastic and certainly changes with time. Genocide was an accepted strategy for kingdom expansion right from the times of Arthur's round table. The Americans continue to monger war and kill innocents even to this day. Great Britain committed unimaginable atrocities on the local population of the nations it ruled and colonised including India. Then why should Hitler's strategy of final solution be viewed any differently. The Germans under Hitler made more progress technologically and scientifically and otherwise than ever. They were way ahead of their rivals in the US and UK. Hitler's only mistake was that he challenged the supremacy of the UK and US. One cannot also forget that his was a meteoric rise from rags to world domination. His generals except a handful were not worthy or competent enough to help him realise his dreams. One cannot blame him for his downfall. In the end when we judge him he will be seen as evil almost like the anti Christ himself but there is no denying his vision,his ability to manipulate and raise resources and simply get a crestfallen nation to rise like the eagle. Is there any politician today who could do that?

My heroes: Music

                        Had it not been for music the world would have been a far worse place than it is now. Music uplifts, relaxes, makes one wonder, gives hope and when words fail it takes over. There are a few genres of music whic appeal to me very strongly namely folk, rock and of course hip hop. The purists would snigger, but I am yet to come across a true blooded music purist. Most are phonies with little or no knowledge of genres or the evolution  of music. One might argue what is the point of knowledge when music can simply be enjoyed. Sorry, to be able to enjoy music it is necessary to know a little bit about its history and geography. My heroes are Raymond Manzerek of the Doors, Gautam Chattopadhay of Mohiner Ghoraguli and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd.

                            I was introduced to the Doors in college and at first did not think much of it till I saw the movie The Doors. Suddenly the 'doors of perception' were like cleansed and I was hit by a goods train. I started listening to their music all over again. Though there is no denying the genius and brilliance of Jim , I personally feel that it was the organ sounds that made the doors The Doors. The organ piece in the song Light my fire in my opinion is the best piece of music composed in the last century. The image of Manzarek looming over the keys with his long blonde hair covering his face, with his left hand thumping away at the fenders bass keys and his right hand weaving magic defined The Doors' sound and rightfully the age of pure passionate honest music. The same magic gets repeated in every single number that the band ever made. The sounds of the organ was mystical and bordered around spirituality. It transported you into another dimension.

                            It is impossible to fathom the genius of Gautam Chattopadhay because he is so much more than just a musician. I was introduced to Mohiner Ghoraguli in 1996 and since then it's been a long love affair with them. I cannot explain the influence the band has had on expanding my musical horizon. Gautam Chattopadhay seemlessly merged Bengali folk, Spanish rhythm, rock strains and hard hitting lyrics and presented it all in an ever so haunting musical package that nothing compares to it. He was a pioneer , someone way ahead of his time in terms of thought and execution and again someone who challenged the musical trends of the time. Gautam brought about a fine amalgamation of art, music and poetry - things that appeal to me most. A true creative genius he also made award winning movies. Much of his success came in the last few years of his life which ended abruptly in 1999. I know this love affair with MG and Gautam will last me a lifetime and I am certainly not complaining. 

                           Nothing can be written about Pink Floyd that has not been written before. The band does not exist anymore and much of the blame has been directed at Roger Waters and how. Arrogant and perhaps musically not as gifted as David Gilmour he has more than made up for these short comings through sheer brilliance of intellectualism. He gave us the first theme albums where one song merged into the next and created an hour long musical message so to say. I believe that a true creative person is the one who conceptualises and not the one who executes. The most difficult question to answer is what and not how. This is where Roger Waters score way above any other musical brain of our times. To come up with the concept of the Wall or the Dark side of the moon deserves much more than what it has already got. If ever there was a Nobel prize for musical genius then in my books Roger Waters would be its first rightful claimant. Today he is old but still defiant and couldn't care less about what the world has to say. A true rock star!

My heroes: Politics

                       Nobody in my family has ever had any keen interest in politics. However like all educated middle class people , political opinions abound. Therefore in a way it's not surprising that I should have a keen interest or at least a very strong opinion on political developments, philosophies, ideologies and the evolution of politics as I see unfurling before me everyday. My political heroes not surprisingly, and as my close friends and associates know, are the ones who resisted or spearheaded revolutions, to change the status quo and bring about change. Parliamentary form of democracy at least the way it exists in India today, finds no sympathy from me. My heroes are Che and Nelson Mandela.

                       How many of those yuppies wearing that famous Che t shirt know that he was a qualified doctor I do not know,how many actually even know his name I have no idea, but everybody finds his image cool, like a nu metal rock star and a rock star he was. He gave up his career in medicine to serve the cause of a revolution which stands proud even today. He set aside his stethoscope and picked up a gun and forced the imperialist forces to flee. The socialistic dreams were realised. More than anything he showed the world that we need not accept the status quo and that change and revolution is possible within our lifetime. His beret, his unshaven look, his rock star like shoulder length hair, cigar hanging from the corner of his lips have been for ever etched in the mind of millions of people around the world. He inspires revolutionaries and political thinkers worldwide as he looks at us with his piercing eyes from that poster we have hung in our room, workstations, party offices , street walls and in our hearts. "Hasta la Victoria siempre commandante Che Guevara ".

                          We live in an age when there are no heroes, no one to look up to, no one worth emulating. Heroes live in the pages of the history book save perhaps a few. Nelson Mandela, Madeba is one such real life hero of our times. He epitomises resistance and an iron will which will never give up or give in. Jailed for decades he never gave up on his dream of an apartheid free Africa. From his jail cell and through his unimaginable sacrifice he inspired a generation fighting for their right to be treated as equals as human beings. I bear witness to the day when he was released from jail, the day a partied ended (at least officially) in Africa. His clenched fist thrown in the air, his ramrod straight posture, his infectious smile and his larger than life persona will never fail to inspire those who believe in changing the world for the better.

My heroes: Mythology

                       Having being raised on a rich diet of Hindu mythology, I got drawn into Greek mythology once the internet opened up its arms to me. It literally opened up Pandora's box. The thing about mythology is that it borders around history and the line that divides the two is ever so thin. I have always been fascinated by Mount Olympus which is there for everybody to see or for that matter Troy which is now a historical site. What if , therefore the Minneator was for real ? Coming back to the main question of who my heroes from mythology are, well there are two. Prometheus and Achilles. 

                         Without getting into the details of who Prometheus was which can be easily dug out from the net, I'd rather discuss why Prometheus . Well for one he was a friend of mankind and wanted to help mankind in a  manner which perhaps the gods on Olympus thought inappropriate . He stole fire from mount Olympus and gave it to man which drew the wrath of Zeus who had him chained to a rock on the Caucasian mountains. Every day an eagle would nibble at his liver causing excruciating pain and ever night the liver would grow back. Next day the same chain of events would follow thereby ensuring an eternal cycle of pain. He was however rescued by the mighty Hercules as on of his might tasks. 

Prometheus therefore was in my opinion the first socialist. He wanted to break the barrier between the one superior (god) and the one inferior (man). He wanted man to enjoy the many benefits of fire. Perhaps had it not been for Prometheus mankind would not have progressed as it has. Unfortunately the evils of class still looms large on our society. The ones who have and will not share and the ones who do not have but need. Question is who will play the role of Prometheus in our dark age.

                           Achilles, the ultimate warrior, the killing machine who no man could vanquish. He knew his fate much before he left for the shores of Troy. His mother a demigod had told him that if he stayed back he would lead a  happy and fruitful life and would be blessed with successors, but forgotten with the passage of time. However if he chose to go to Troy, he would die but his name would be etched in the hearts of men for a thousand years. He chose the later and hence my hero. Do we lead our lives to leave behind successors or do we lead our lives to leave behind a legacy? Should man just work to raise a family and be forgotten with time or should man live for something more than that?Achilles knew what awaited him at Troy and yet chose to be remembered than forgotten. He did what his heart told him to do. The first misfit should I say?

Forever young

It was Sanjit I believe who broke the news to me that morning. I cant remember how i felt at that instant, it seemed unbelievable for sure. Without a moments hesitation Sanjit and myself we took off to the mortuary at AIIMS. Before that however we were seriously shocked at the callous attitude of a certain representative from the administration department. In hindsight we were actually not surprised as we expected no better. I remember reaching the morgue and seeing his father waiting to take delivery of his son's mangled remains...the boy's mother was not yet informed... I hugged the old man and tried to say a few words but i choked. The body was taken to the crematorium and the lifeless body of that bright young boy was placed on the pyre. I could feel my heart being ripped apart when the pyre was lit. No one said a word, just the wailing of a father punctured the evening silence...
I distinctly remember breaking down in front of my parents when i came back home. I couldn't imagine how an organisation could be so cold hearted, the boy was crushed under the wheels of a truck,a young life was taken,yet no one from the organisation bothered to show even a semblance of sympathy.
Worse was to follow. Back at the office the CEO didn't bother to turn up at the memorial meet. The admin decided to pay a few dimes to the family and be done with it...some of us would however have none of it. We put together a sizeable corpus and handed it over to the family. The day was the 28th of February 2011, the young boy was Amit Chauhan...
A year later, on the 28th Feb 2012, on a white board near my cubicle I wrote " Stay forever young. RIP Amit Chauhan"...someone came and whipped the board clean in a matter of minutes ... On 28th of Feb 2013, on my way to office I couldn't help my eyes moistening up as I remembered him. I am sure no one at the said organisation even remembered. They had already done their bit two years back and in true humane fashion "moved on"!
Why am I writting all this you ask? Well  coz it had to be noted for posterity least I forget how I felt when the pyre of a young boy was lit and how not a word was spoken and how a father's wail pierced the evening to see his only son being reduced to ash. Least I forget how fragile a life we all lead.
"Stay forever young. RIP Amit Chauhan.

In my opinion...

Roger Waters is the best lyricist , second only to Dylan !

The more I hear him, read about him, the more I admire him as the most fertile and creative brain that ever was in the history of Rock and Roll…

" What shall we use to fill the empty spaces

Where waves of hunger roar

Shall we set out across the sea of faces

In search of more and more applause

Shall we buy a new guitar

Shall we drive a more powerful car

Shall we work right through the night

Shall we get into fights

Leave the lights on

Drop bombs

Do tour of the east

Contract diseases

Bury bones

Break up homes

Send flowers by phone

Take to drink

Go to shrink....."

If this is not poetry then what is?

Rock is a state of mind, born out of extreme emotions, something that “rocks” you out of your inertia. You will agree that even poetry is ‘Rock’, so is art ! If Storm Thorgerson’s work does not shake us  and rock us to the core, if we are not made to sit up when we see a Wharhol then we are probably blind.

I believe that the beauty of a good rock song is that it need not be a song. Strip it  off the layers of musical accompaniments, instruments and yet it rocks you when you just utter the lyrics. Actually I have always had a problem of separating poem from songs… when does a poem become a song? Just through instrumentation and melody? Certainly not! Writings of 2Pac needs no music… It is classified as HipHop, but in my books its still great writing, literature, poetry…Rock! One cannot ‘do’ rock, one can only live ‘Rock’ and feel ‘Rocked’!