Protest and Youth

There has been a recent uproar about the protests at The Presidency College in Kolkata where the CM was shown the black flag and the VC was 'gheraoed'. Uproar, cause the venue is the Presidency college ( a museum ?) and at the receiving end was the VC and the CM, uproar over the 'quality' of protest and the degradation of everything under the sun especially the youth. Well nothing could be farther from the truth. While the grown ups are busy with waging war, indulging in corruption, lying on national television, selling false dreams, creating authoritarian society, misleading the mass, it is the youth who refuse to be short-sold. It is the youth who fight for independence, stop wars, rise up against a society which has been hollowed by corruption and epic lies and money laundering. It is always the youth who rise up against authoritarianism. It is the birth right of the youth to disagree and show dissent, to protest and clamour for change.

Often a lot is said about how a protest is to be registered.  I believe that to draw peoples attention whispering into their ears never works, one has to hit out with a sledge hammer and then and only then can you expect undivided attention. So what does one mean when one says that the methodology of protest has changed. Of course it has changed and it will continue to change. To register your protest if one chooses to resort to violence, anarchy, Molotov cocktails, or stand in front of an approaching tank in Tienanmen square or wave black flags or hold candle light vigil, its all OK.

So go ahead and register yours in your own capacity or as a collective union... stand up for what you think is right and reject all that you dont agree with. Its a great time that we live in, one of great opportunities and possibility and one need not agree with what is laid out in front of us. So sorry CM, VC we dont agree with you and we shall and will register our protest whichever way we think fit.

For if the youth doesnt scream, shout and wave their clenched fists then who will?

Late Too Soon

How does one write a review of a rock concert? How does one weigh the value of notes played & the poetry rendered through melodic vocals? How does one analyse the chemistry of musicians who have done music together since childhood? How does one measure the uphoria of performing for the seer joy of making good rock n roll music?
And yet you cannot but help stand transfixed when the guitarist gets into a 20 mile long solo with fingers running up and down the fender neck like an olympic hurdler running for gold across the six stringed lane. The drummer beat the hell out of the leather like a primodial entity seeking revenge off an ancient enemy. The bassist grooved with his smoothness holding the music together like a crucible of love. The vocals and the original lyrics cut through the haze and soared above the music like a kite flying unbridled between feelings and razor sharp execution. For wat is music if bereft of feelings and passion.
For a few hours the small crowed at Match Box in HKV witnessed a rock solid performance by a bunch of class musicians who believe in their craft. And am sure I spotted the Devil sitting in a dark corner of that concert hall sipping JW Black label with a smile on his face coz he was for sure paid his fucking dues!