In the course of marketing I have learnt that no publicity is bad to revive a dying brand. This entry does by no means fall under that category. I don't intend getting cheap hits on my blog by raking a controversy. There is this one distinct incident in my childhood that I cant help relate to present developments. I just thought I'll share it with everybody. Comments on the entry might please be restricted to the purview of the incident described below and not extrapolated to the author's insinuations.
X: Are you insane? Don't touch that. It will cut your fingers.
Me: Why are you anyways making it? Cant we just get it outside for like 10 bucks?
X: Its kite-flying and its war. If you just get any string outside, ours would be the first one that goes down. All we need to do is let this stuff boil and then apply it on the string with a stick and the day is ours.
Me: All the pain for seeing others' kites go down. What sort of a place is this? Looks like an undertaker's bungalow.
X: Shut the f**k up. This is my balcony.
Me: Dood, aren't you afraid your mom is gonna shout at you?
X: For what?
Me: Well previously I thought your scientific kite logic was a problem, but I fear your language more now.
X: Oh! She doesn't care. I just told her we are doing an experiment for school.
Me: Yeah, like she is dumb to believe that
X: She is. Trust me. I am more educated than her.
Me: Nonsense! We are in eighth grade. Oh...OK...
X: By the way, how did your mom take it this morning? She seemed pretty pissed.
Me: Pretty well. No problem.
_______________________________________________
A few minutes ago:
Mom: I know he did it. Don't try and lie to me. How many times have I told you to find better friends?
Me: Mom! I was batting and he was bowling. It was my shot that broke the glass.
Mom: So what. He leaves you and runs away so that you can take on the neighbors.
Me: I was supposed to run away too. But I didn't. He did what he was supposed to. And its 50 bucks, why are you making an issue out of it?
Mom: The issue is not money, it is company. Don't you have any Brahman friends?
Me: What does Brahman have to do with friends? Do I go asking people what caste they are before making friends? We should have never moved out of Delhi. You have ruined my life.
(Storm out)
_______________________________________________
X: Its all your fault. You should have run. Anyways, your mom is not upset, so why bother?
Me: Their son studies with me in the same school. How do I run away from that fact? I meet him everyday. Its easy for you to say. You don't study in that school
X: I would have loved to study in that school, but .... forget it
Me: Its a school and your dad is like a millionaire. You can join the school anytime you want. Whats the problem?
X: My dad says that's a Brahman school and its better for me to study in a school that's nearby.
Me: Whats a Brahman got to do with school?
X: I dunno. My parents say its an exclusive club and you'll be left out. And who cares? I'll study till I want to and then move to my father's business.
Me: Business? My mom hates that word. She has already plans laid out for me. IIT and go abroad.
X: Abroad? Do you have somebody there?
Me: Most of my relatives are there. So my mom says they will guide me. How about yours?
X: All my relatives are in the village. We first moved to the city because of dad's business.
Me: I have also heard that there is a lot of money in business. But don't you think a degree is required before you take over the business. Just in case.
X: Who cares about education? I am not good at it anyways. When I say I get a 60, my mom hugs me.
Me: Well me too for a 90 but the next statement is always why not a 95. I better be good at this. Why don't you move to our school? It will be great. We can play cricket together.
X: I don't think so. You have got your own group there - "your" friends. I am better off here.
Me: Oh..cm on. Do you really think I am like that?
X: Oh yeah, so why didn't you attend our family function I had invited you for?
Me: Well...hmm... Hey!! That pot is boiling. Its ready. Lets hit the roof.
Fast forward - 2008 January.
Me: Hey!! This place has changed a lot. It ain't the same when I left it years ago.
Y: Yup, it has. So how have you been?
Me: Well, my MBA is over and I am joining ICICI bank. How about you?
Y: I am with Sathyam. Still a coder. :)
Me: How are the others? How is X? Kinda lost touch with him. Its been ages.
Y: He is with a printing press. Comes home pretty late.
Me: Bugger. I knew he would get into his father's business. Always said he would.
Y: Well, actually no! He quit his education after 12th and joined his father's business. It ran into a loss and they had to shut down. I couldn't help him because everywhere they asked for a degree. Wish he had continued his education. Wish there was somebody to guide him.
Me: Oh... Stare into emptiness
Fast forward - April 11th 2008
Supreme Court upholds OBC quota. Protesters claim the creamy layer has to be left out. The rich segment in the OBC category already have everything. They have access to education, resources. What else do they want? Why include them in the quota? They have everything.
Me(thinking): If only they had...
Signed,
Barat Ramkumar a.k.a. Batty
P.S.: Whatever I am today, I owe a lot to this society, my parents, their guidance and so many other factors. I just don't have the heart to speak against those who are deprived of the above. Money doesn't maketh a man. I am not pro-reservation, neither do my emotions allow me to be anti. GODSPEED.
X: Are you insane? Don't touch that. It will cut your fingers.
Me: Why are you anyways making it? Cant we just get it outside for like 10 bucks?
X: Its kite-flying and its war. If you just get any string outside, ours would be the first one that goes down. All we need to do is let this stuff boil and then apply it on the string with a stick and the day is ours.
Me: All the pain for seeing others' kites go down. What sort of a place is this? Looks like an undertaker's bungalow.
X: Shut the f**k up. This is my balcony.
Me: Dood, aren't you afraid your mom is gonna shout at you?
X: For what?
Me: Well previously I thought your scientific kite logic was a problem, but I fear your language more now.
X: Oh! She doesn't care. I just told her we are doing an experiment for school.
Me: Yeah, like she is dumb to believe that
X: She is. Trust me. I am more educated than her.
Me: Nonsense! We are in eighth grade. Oh...OK...
X: By the way, how did your mom take it this morning? She seemed pretty pissed.
Me: Pretty well. No problem.
_______________________________________________
A few minutes ago:
Mom: I know he did it. Don't try and lie to me. How many times have I told you to find better friends?
Me: Mom! I was batting and he was bowling. It was my shot that broke the glass.
Mom: So what. He leaves you and runs away so that you can take on the neighbors.
Me: I was supposed to run away too. But I didn't. He did what he was supposed to. And its 50 bucks, why are you making an issue out of it?
Mom: The issue is not money, it is company. Don't you have any Brahman friends?
Me: What does Brahman have to do with friends? Do I go asking people what caste they are before making friends? We should have never moved out of Delhi. You have ruined my life.
(Storm out)
_______________________________________________
X: Its all your fault. You should have run. Anyways, your mom is not upset, so why bother?
Me: Their son studies with me in the same school. How do I run away from that fact? I meet him everyday. Its easy for you to say. You don't study in that school
X: I would have loved to study in that school, but .... forget it
Me: Its a school and your dad is like a millionaire. You can join the school anytime you want. Whats the problem?
X: My dad says that's a Brahman school and its better for me to study in a school that's nearby.
Me: Whats a Brahman got to do with school?
X: I dunno. My parents say its an exclusive club and you'll be left out. And who cares? I'll study till I want to and then move to my father's business.
Me: Business? My mom hates that word. She has already plans laid out for me. IIT and go abroad.
X: Abroad? Do you have somebody there?
Me: Most of my relatives are there. So my mom says they will guide me. How about yours?
X: All my relatives are in the village. We first moved to the city because of dad's business.
Me: I have also heard that there is a lot of money in business. But don't you think a degree is required before you take over the business. Just in case.
X: Who cares about education? I am not good at it anyways. When I say I get a 60, my mom hugs me.
Me: Well me too for a 90 but the next statement is always why not a 95. I better be good at this. Why don't you move to our school? It will be great. We can play cricket together.
X: I don't think so. You have got your own group there - "your" friends. I am better off here.
Me: Oh..cm on. Do you really think I am like that?
X: Oh yeah, so why didn't you attend our family function I had invited you for?
Me: Well...hmm... Hey!! That pot is boiling. Its ready. Lets hit the roof.
Fast forward - 2008 January.
Me: Hey!! This place has changed a lot. It ain't the same when I left it years ago.
Y: Yup, it has. So how have you been?
Me: Well, my MBA is over and I am joining ICICI bank. How about you?
Y: I am with Sathyam. Still a coder. :)
Me: How are the others? How is X? Kinda lost touch with him. Its been ages.
Y: He is with a printing press. Comes home pretty late.
Me: Bugger. I knew he would get into his father's business. Always said he would.
Y: Well, actually no! He quit his education after 12th and joined his father's business. It ran into a loss and they had to shut down. I couldn't help him because everywhere they asked for a degree. Wish he had continued his education. Wish there was somebody to guide him.
Me: Oh... Stare into emptiness
Fast forward - April 11th 2008
Supreme Court upholds OBC quota. Protesters claim the creamy layer has to be left out. The rich segment in the OBC category already have everything. They have access to education, resources. What else do they want? Why include them in the quota? They have everything.
Me(thinking): If only they had...
Signed,
Barat Ramkumar a.k.a. Batty
P.S.: Whatever I am today, I owe a lot to this society, my parents, their guidance and so many other factors. I just don't have the heart to speak against those who are deprived of the above. Money doesn't maketh a man. I am not pro-reservation, neither do my emotions allow me to be anti. GODSPEED.
4 comments:
Nice lead up from the conversations to the serious issue.
It came unexpected!
Looks like Batty is back to serious writing
I think there is a bigger issue at hand here !!! The post raises a bigger issue that is pertinent to a larger population (than just the OBC's), ppl who just think that their kids should give them a hand in their businesses so that the business can be grown. And I think this is totally absurd. Education makes you more sensible as a human being, even if it does not give you loads of money.
the only question was had there been a quota wud his father have sent him to a "brahmin" school still?
Well said.
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