Here We Are Again...

An entire year has passed literally like the blink of an eye. I remember starting out the year distressed and oppressed; unhappy and upset. And here I am 12 months later and I've never been happier. It's so interesting to see how time can heal wounds, fill voids and change your perception of life. 2010 was the year I grew up; "passed the age of innocence" as I've been told. I wish I could sit here and go on about how magical it was, but it was hardly that. However, it's been a year of self-discovery. I found myself and more importantly, I fell in love in 2010 - with myself! I've always heard people say, "Until and unless you love yourself, you'll never be able to love anyone else." It is only now I realize how true that statement is. And while I learnt to love myself for the good and bad, I learned to respect myself; to speak up, say no and most importantly insist on not taking any cr@p...from anyone.

As the year began, I was coming out of a tough situation. I fought long and hard with demons that wanted to bring me down. However, like many things in life, this too came to an end and I walked into a life of nonstop work. But that is what kept me going: my love for writing. I wrote and wrote. Blogs, articles, interviews, you name it, I did it. Fully absorbed in my admiration for the pen was when I realized how important I was to myself. So while I walk out of the year without a boyfriend, fiance or husband, I will never be the same girl I was on December 31st 2009. It almost feels like I was reborn in 2010 and I love it!

2010 was a year that I couldn't have gotten through without my friends. At every step of the way, my friends walked, ran and hopped with me. With their sound advice and guidance, I managed to get through a number of sticky situations. In fact, it was this year that I also went on to realize friends can know you for years and yet will bring you down...and how! I was verbally attacked on various occasions this year and while I was furious at the childish name calling, I was surprised at the support that came my way whether it was my family or friends, they all stood by me. So to those who called me a number of names I say a big-fat :P (that's a sticking-tongue-out emoticon). And in fact, bring it! I'm not afraid and nor will I retract what I write because that would mean I was wrong. I think about every article I write very carefully. So now, I will not fall at your feet. Deal with it. Don't expect me to write things you want to hear or like; it ain't happening.

Love was DOA (Dead On Arrival); i.e. non-existant in 2010 but bad health was everywhere. I managed to really get ill this year and the month of October tested my body to the maximum. After injuring my eye majorly (I still suffer on occasion - such are the repercussions) I managed to get a flu that turned into a sinus infection. It was then I realized what real pain and suffering was especially when I had a throbbing headache. But here I am, alive and kicking which goes to prove, nothing can bring you down unless you really let them.

Accomplishments were many but I'm still hungry for more and Lord knows if he blesses me, I will achieve all I want in 2011. This year I chose not to blog on 26/11 simply because I don't know what I could have said that I haven't said in the past. I came close to such an encounter on 26/11/2010. During my Thanksgiving break in Portland, Oregon, my family friends and I went to watch the lighting of the Christmas Tree in downtown Portland. And amidst the crowds and hoards of cars was a car bomb that thankfully didn't go off but the terrorist intended for it to kill as many people as possible. His car was parked at the corner where we were watching the lighting. He was caught and charged. So it's not just India, it the entire world that needs to get together to work on peace and social reform.

As for 2011, well I have my plans but as they say, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." That's a scary thought so I've decided to go with the flow. I'd like for the things to happen just the way I planned it but knowing my luck and life, God has other plans for me.

P. Chidabaram: The Future Face of Indian Politics

He simply smiled, and told his security to lead out the him "gently" when a shoe was hurled at him as a sign of protest. A journalist was dismissed by the Home Minister as the he was unhappy with the reply to his question and thus, flung a sneaker in his direction. P. Chidabaram, however, was simply unfeathered. Such is the Home Minister of India; his simplicity shines when he speaks and smiles. His peaceful mannerism and fabulous presence is what makes him a cut above the rest. A complete liberal, Chidabaram has sat in some of the most high ranking seats in the Indian Government before reaching to his current stature of Home Minister. A Harvard Business School Graduate and owner of a Bachelor Degree in Science and Law, he played an integral part in aiding the Indian economy to grow at a rapid rate of nine percent a year. However, the ex-finance minister was not satisfied deeming the figure as "meaningless." He has a belief which involves India and all its classes. Not only would they need to come together and help better the future of India, but his ideology ultimately works to make it beneficial for rural and urban India.

As a Finance Minister, he opened up free trade amongst neighboring countries not only helping to better relations but also managing to decrease the amount of poverty in India. P. Chidabaram is exactly what India needs. The Congress Party has perhaps one of the most important factors which will help to aid its win in the upcoming elections and that is the Home Minister himself. He stands for the future of India: educated, collected and ever-ready to fight for the development of the country. Chidabaram is an inspiration to young Indians all over the world who are looking for ways to help further India but are unsure of how. The Home Minister too believes that education is key to a progressive India. If more children actually went through a complete education, not only would the literacy rate increase but so would the number of trained professionals, which is required most definitely in modern day India, he is said to have explained in an interview to a leading publication.

Along with the Congress Party, the latest agenda presented to the citizens of India was clear, if Congress was voted back into power in the 2009 elections. The focus was clear: the elimination and control of Terrorism. Not only did they provide a comprehensive list of how they would combat terror but divulged a clear line of attack when and if another strike occurred, demonstrating that 26/11 would not only be prevented but the citizens of India would be protected from further attacks.

So, why all the praise for the man? Well, it's really simple. P. Chidabaram is the epitome of current Indian politicians and the future face of India. A man of his caliber has the capacity and wisdom to move India ahead of its time. It is unfortunate that India is still being deemed as a "sleeping tiger" or a "potential superpower." For one, we are not sleeping and secondly why the adjective "potential?" All India needs is educated and informed politicians to help the country move ahead into the twenty-first century. Clearly, P. Chidabaram is the man to take it forward and lead India into the next generation. He was quick to step in and take on the burden of an angry India when Shivraj Patil stepped down after the Mumbai Terror Attacks as he was unable to take responsibility and the heat. Not only did he get to work immediately, showing great knowledge and care, but he was also determined to bring peace and retain credibility of the Indian Government to its people.

This is not a misleading opportunity to try and convince people in India to vote for the Congress Party. It is hardly that. In fact, I believe that each individual has their own choice and opinion of who and which party to vote into power. However, it is recognizing one man who shows great potential for the country. On a parting note, Chidabaram went on to "forgive" the shoe hurler understanding his emotional outburst and protest. Need I say more?

Photo Credit: The Hindu

Change is Multicolored

The festival of color, Holi, has dawned upon us reminding that good will always prevail over evil and also that the season of Spring has arrived. Colors fly all over India, paper avatars of Holika are burnt and the country falls into a deep trance filled with rang and bhang. It is definitely one of the most celebrated color filled hol(i)days in India.

Good over evil. That is the lesson we are supposed to take away annually from the festival. It really does become hard to firstly, believe in the moral and secondly, apply it to modern day society and politics. India is surrounded by countries that are inherently fighting civil wars, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Our neighbors are not exactly realizing that good will triumph over evil making it a serious problem for India to live in peace. We also have our own politicians who have hidden agendas and are looking for ways to fill their pockets with money and power, not exactly good if you ask me. In the meantime they are forfeiting and sacrificing the future of the country. Amidst all this chaos, the vibrant colors of Holi are meant to show us that the future is bright? How so?

Not one to normally be a pessimist, I think contemporary Holi has taken a twist on how it is now being celebrated. Beyond the parties, galas and extravaganza's, Holi is a festival that tells us that it is the one day in the year that no color is different from another. In fact, when the colors mesh, it is impossible to point out the reds, yellows, blues and greens. It ultimately becomes one. So here we are fighting for freedom, but colors do not have that privilege.

The youth of India should stop seeing RED (stop signs) everywhere they go and perhaps look for GREEN (go signs). On the other hand, it would be nice if our politicians would look away from the BLACK (dirty money) and turn towards more WHITE (peace). Additionally, burning GREEN with envy is not helping their "complexions" figuratively and literally.

The color of change is multi-colored. No envious greens, no dirty blacks, no prohibiting reds and certainly no slow-down yellows. My favorite colors of Holi? Saffron, white and green.

As the late director Vincente Minnelli once said, "Color can do anything that black-and-white can,"...if not more, might I add.

Photo Credit: IndiaToday