Celina Jaitley

Actress and gay activist Celina Jaitley is up in arms against Baba Ramdev. The yoga guru, who has petitioned against de-criminalising homosexuality, recently said the actress had no idea of “Bharatiya sanskriti” or Indian culture since “she lived away from her parents and changed boyfriends every month.

Celina warns that his words can be deemed to insult the modesty of a woman under Article 509 of the Indian Penal Code, which says, “Whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.”

Celina is clearly annoyed. “It is because of self-proclaimed leaders like him that the whole image of the modern women takes a beating.” The actress insists she is quite familiar with Indian culture. Celina says: “I am the fifth generation of an Army family. Many of my family members have laid down their lives to protect the country. Every drop of their blood has gone into serving the nation. I have the right to protect the integrity of the women in India. - I also won the coveted Miss India title in the year 2001. - Although I have studied science and computers, I have acquired almost 80% of my education in Hindi medium from Kendriya Vidyalaya. - And ironically, I have learnt Sanskrit as a subject till my10th grade. - I have lived all life in the interiors of India. I am proficient in five Indian languages. - I can recite 500 Sanskrit shlokas. - I’m a yoga practitioner since the age of 14.”

The actress also says that despite her achievements, the great “Bramhachari” seems to know more about her “sex life” than she herself. “In any case, I can truly say that he is not a true yoga teacher,” says Celina. “With all due respects, just because he is a yoga maestro, he cannot and does not have the qualification or the degree to diagnose any illness or disease without any medical background; this would fall under medical malpractice. He has the right to teach yoga and help people to use it to their benefit based on prior approval and diagnosis of a trained medical practitioner, but not to make a serious medical diagnosis based on religious beliefs and his own personal perspectives,” Celina adds.
As someone who represents the youth, Celina gives Baba Ramdev credit for contributing to a revival of yoga but adds that it doesn’t make him a “Samaj ka Thekedaar”. She says, “These people prefer to live in a cocooned thought process and don’t wish to come out of it. It’s people like him who mislead innocent followers into believing in a wrong image of the modern working woman, who are beaten mercilessly for going into a bar or a pub.” Check out Celina Jaitley's Homepage
courtesy: The Times of India

Trevor Taylor

I Wanna Hear Your Heartbeat -
Bad Boys Blue
Half awake and half in dreams
on a SundaySunay night.
Walking all alone in the streets
on a SundaySunday night.
But then an angel passed me by
a little angel made me sigh.
Just when I wanted you
a dream came true - called love.
I wanna hear your heartbeat
wanna feel what you need.
Let me stay tonight by your sideby your side.
I wanna hear your heartbeat
share your dreams when you're asleep
Let me hold you tightin the night in the night.
I don't wanna waste one secondwithout your loving
Without youSunday girl.
You only gotta reach outreach out and taste my loving.
Want you soSunday girlohI really want youSunday Girl.
Heaven sent you down to me
on a SundaySunday night.
To rescue me from mistery
on a SundaySunday night.
You made me leave the past behind
I've got you always on my mind
Just when I wanted you
a dream came true - called love.
I wanna hear your heartbeat ...
I wanna hear your heartbeat ...

Dostoevsky

Excerpts from Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Idiot :

'And by the way...I 've long meant to ask you, do you believe in God ?' said Rogozhin suddenly, after having gone on a few steps.
'What?' Myshkin stopped short, ' What do you mean?'I was almost joking, and you are so serious! And why do you ask me ?'
'Oh, nothing. I meant to ask you before. Many people don't believe nowadays.'
Rogozhin smiled bitterly. When he had asked his question, he suddenly opened the door and holding the handle, waited for Myshkin to go out. Myshkin was surprised but he went out. Rogozhin followed him on the landing and closed the door behind him. They stood facing one another, as though neither knew where they were and what to do next.
'Good-bye,then' said Myshkin , holding out his hand.'Good-bye,' said Rogozhin , pressing tightly though mechanically the hand that was held out to him.
Myshkin went down a step and turned round.
As to the question of faith,' he began , smiling (he evidently did not want to leave Rogozhin like that) and brightening up at a sudden reminiscence, 'as to the question of faith, I had four different conversations in two days last week. I came in the morning by the new railway and talked for four hours with a man in the train; he made friends on the spot. I had heard a great deal about him beforehand and had heard he was an atheist,among other things. He really is a learned man, and I was delighted at the prospect of talking to a really learned man. What's more, he is a most unusually well-bred man, so that he talked to me quite as if I were his equal in ideas and attainments. He does n't believe in God. Only, one thing struck me : that he seemed not to be talking about that at all.the whole time; and it struck me because whenever I met unbelievers before, or read their books, it always seemed to me that they were speaking and writing in their books about something quite different, although it seemed to be about that on the surface. I said so to him at the time, but I suppose I didn't say so clearly, or didnot know how to express it, for he did n't understand.
In the evening I stopped for the night at a provincial hotel, and a murder had just been committed there the night before, so that every one was talking about it when I arrived. Two peasants, middle-aged men, friends who had known each other for long time and were not drunk , had had tea and were meaning to go to bed in the same room. But one had noticed during those last two days that the other was wearing a silver watch on a yellow bead chain, which he seems not to have seen on him before. The man was not a theif; he was an honest man, in fact, and by a peasant's standard by no means poor. But he was so taken with that watch and so fascinated by it that at last he could not restrain himself. He took a knife, and when his friend had turned away, he approached him cautiously from behind, took aim, and turned his eyes heavenwards, crossed himself, and praying fervently , " God forgive me for Christ's sake!" he cut his friend's throat at one stroke like a sheep and took his watch.'
Rogozhin went off into peals of laughter; he laughed as though he were in a sort of fit. It was positively strange to see such laughter after the gloomy mood that had preceded it.
'I do like that!Yes, that beats everything!' he cried convulsively, gasping for breath. 'One man doesn't believe in God at all, while the other believes in Him so thoroughly that he prays as he murders men!... You could never have invented that, brother!Ha-ha-ha! That beats everything.'

POP-ICON

For all these years, I have enjoyed music and performances of Michael Jackson but cared little about his personnel details. Now his untimely death and the subsequent media-frenzy has enabled me to know more about the enigmatic star. For instance I did not know that he was a virgo. Like all virgos, he's sensitive, sympathetic and sensual. But for a true music-lover his creative outpour that mattered the most. As for those interested more on his personnel life,it is their problem. And more enigmatic and reclusive the star, more the media scrutiny. MJ was very much a product of his times- the rebellious 70-s and it is unlikely that the current generation could easily identify with his life's struggles.

I discovered MJ rather late - ie. during the teen-years. Many fans have been saying the past week or so, 'I grew up with Michael Jackson's music' . The same cannot be said in my case. For me ABBA and to some extent Boney-M fills that place.But to compare a music-troupe like ABBA with the one-man troupe of Michael Jackson (except his early years) will be unfair.The former held its sway only for a decade while the later's career was stretched overa span of 4-decades. MJ was a prodigy who started early (and burned out early).Michael Jackson's style of music - a blend of rock,pop and R&B -refuse to become out-dated.Many music-styles have come and gone but MJ's style always with stood the test of times.

In the early 80's,I had only vague memories of his super-hit 'Thriller'. By mid 80's I became familiar with some of those hits but still did not know the singer. And finally I got familiar with his name, I often confuse it with another Michael - ie. George Michael who was also equally popular. Then came out the album 'Bad'(1987). My friend went ga-ga over it and even gave me its audio-cassette to listen for a few days. I liked it and even got it recorded into my tape (which I still have with me). Thus begin my love-affair with the king of pop.. Next year, he recieved the Grammy and also gave some memorable stage performances, which I watched live on TV. I remember my father then asking me,'who is she ?'
The same year I came across the lyrics of 'Bad' album in a magazine.On the top of it was clearly written,' lyrics by Michael Jackson'. Then only I knew that MJ wrote almost all his lyrics and even composed it himself. Now I looked at him as more than a singer and performer. For someone who used to the standard bollywood custom where lyrics, composition, singing, choregraphy, performing all are done by different hand-picked individualS, Michael Jackson's was truly a one-man show ! And what a spectacular show those were !
Now his show has finally come to an end. The star has vanished. It ended the way he staged it - enigmatically and mysteriouslly. It was like a broadway-show that conducted uninterruptedly for many years, mesmerising the audiences and finally calls it a day. As the curtain comes down, what remains is a retrospective of old moments -thanks to the media. But it will not late while the audience realise with regret that all good things come to an end. Still some allege that his creative powers are only the out-come of drug-abuse which is baseless. The vice-versa is more true though drug-abuse is hardly a justification. MJ was many things roled into one which needed a super-human effort to sustain. Perhaps he took the wrong route.
Even the harshest critics will agree that Mike Tyson, despite his madness on and off the ring, is one of the greatest boxers of all time. Similarly, despite all his eccentricities Michael Jackson ,for a long time to come,will remain the undisptuted 'King of pop' .

T- 20 World Cup

Congratulations Pakistan for their astounding victory over favourites Srilanka to lift the T-20 cricket World Cup at Lords stadium, London. The early dismissal of in-form Tilakaratne Dilshan (who became Man of the Series) costed Srilanka dearly. Pakistan once again proved their mettle in crunch situations and delivered when it mattered most. But I must admit, due to geographichal & cultural proximity I was more on the side of Srilanka. And the final match brought me the memories of the only International cricket-match I've watched live at a stadium : that was a group-match between Srilanka and Pakistan in 1999, at Sharjah(UAE). That match ended in a tie - a rarity in cricket-(and full value for money).

But Pakistan's unexpected success was more akin to their 1992-ODI worldcup victory. In that tournament,they luckily reached the semis already battered and bruised. Their opponents England, like Srilanka in this tournament, cruised undefeated to enter the finals. Pakistan then unleashed all their brilliance in next two games and rest is history! Imran Khan's men clinched the ODI-Worldcup. The success of Younis Khan and co. is of no lesser significance.
While Pakistan achieved success fighting against all odds, opposite was the case of India. The previous champs never really existed as a team but as a bunch of celebrities with media, big-business,bollywood - all joining the bandwagon but came to crushing halt when they were eliminated at the priliminary stage. They should have realised that sport is real, unlike bollywood.
Anyway it is heartening to see that two teams from South Asia is doing well at a sports arena. Infact South Asia has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. The attack on Srilankan cricketers at Lahore is fresh in the memory. South Asian countries are like brothers with many similarities in culture and traditions. But it was the differences which has long been overlooked and the polititians are largerly responsible for this.But in the Gulf countries, they often live,work and eat together under a common roof in cordial relations with a sole aim- to attain a better life .

Reading

Now a days I am suffering from a ' readers block'. Whenever I takes a book and sits down to read, I cannot consentrate. The mind is wavering . Hardly I could complete a paragraph. I know this could happen to writers but never knew readers too suffer from such ' blocks'. Perhaps I was reading too much - ie. too many books on too many variety of topics.
It started off early this year with H.G Wells ' Invisible Man' which read two times in one go. After that , I began reading a collection of H.G Wells short-stories ( which I have n't finished yet) . Subsequently I read or re-read some Sherlock Holmes mysteries such as Sign of Four, Study in Scarlett and The Case Book. Now I can say I have read atleast half of Sherlock Holmes mysteries twice. Continueing with 19-th century , then I picked up to my most favourite author Fyodor Dostoveysky's ' Idiot'. Infact I read this book 5/6 years ago but could n't finish it. Then a few weeks ago, I stumbled into an old second-hand copy of ' Gulliver's Travels' by Swift. Out of curiosity I began reading it too. So at one point of time, I was reading 4- different authors at different times of the day, if not week . Perhaps that was too much for the brain and resulted in a system-crash !
But it was n't all too bad to read them simultaneously . Infact it was an enriching and enlightning experience to read works of these masters. All were set in previous centuries also helped . And there is one thing in common in all four authors - Swift , Dostoyevsky, Conan Doyle & H.G Wells - though their styles may differ. All their stories deals with human beings at their most awkward
and unpleasant situations. All of them have a rather pessimistic view of humanity in general. Perhaps that's why they are all appealing to me.
Ever since my return from Jeddah two years ago and completing a computer-graphics/interior-designing course , I never had much time to read fiction . So when I finally got some spare time this summer, I made good use of it. Now it is take time-off from reading for a few weeks and enjoy outdoor activities. Esp. when the weather is so wonderfull - similar to that of a Sherlock Holmes story.

Monsoon

The monsoon season has finally arrived. Those who predicted its early onset and a late onset were proven wrong. It is neither too early nor too late. Infact the confusion occured due to the last-week's summer rain. So both got mixed up. But it is not too difficult to distinguish a summer-rain from monsoon-rain. The former is accompanied by gusty-winds,thunder-storms, lightning,squalls or even a north-wester. A bit scary stuff. The monsoon rain is cool,calm and steady.
With the change of season one has to change the habits too. For the past two-and-half months, I have been keeping largerly indoors to hide from the sun. Now it is the sun who is to go hiding, for weeks if not for many days. Dietary habits also need alteration. I can no longer indulge in ice-creams, fruit-juices and soft-drinks. Instead it is time for a hot-soup, herbal-tea, noodles, spice-coffee or an occasional cappuccino. Water is often drunk after boiling in cumin or coriander seeds.