Reservation

Something I wrote in reply to Your view on Reservation in rediff

There should definitely be reservation but not based on caste but should be income-based. The well-off backward classes can afford good education especially primary. Once they grow up with a strong foundation, I dont see a reason for them gettin an easy admit into prestigious institutes. Let them compete with others.

The problem comes with the poor. They cannot afford education in private schools and have no other go but Govt schools the quality of which is no hidden fact. Why have quotas based on caste? We say we are secular and that we treat all religions same but then impose quotas based on caste. This is hypocracy at its best. Instead lets improve the state of primary education and make the private school education affordable.

Life is not just about IIT-IIM. There are many other spheres of life in which they are lacking. Lets strive to improve those than talking just about getting into these institutes. Lets strive to make them competent in the field of arts, literature, history, economics.

We are only preparing the road for our own disaster. Lets get our act together before its too late!

Bbay

The financial heart of India beckoned me for summers and not wanting to disappoint it I arrived here last week. And the city welcomed me with its open hearts by emptying my pockets! I was charged a damn 500 bucks for travel by taxi from airport to Xaviers college near Metro Cinema which I later realised is so damn close to VT that I could have as well come by first class in local train. Alas! Had I not had a big travel bag weighing some 20kgs I would have definitely prefered to explore road rail.

Its not the first time am coming to Mumbai and definitely not the first time of my getting conned here though I actually cant recollect when was I cheated. Ya, how can I forget. Just a week back I returned from one of the places in Karnataka and since we had a lot of luggage on reaching Hyd, we booked a taxi and after some tol-mol bhendi bazar type discussions, we were off on our way. On reaching home, the guy claimed extra rate which led to an argument between the taxi driver and me. I wanted to don the role of Dharmendra and assail him with "Kutte kamine, mein tera khoon pee jaunga" only to backoff after getting a gentle reminder from my mom of my Laurel (of the Laurel Hardy fame) physique.

Coming back to bbay a couple of days back my friends called me up from Gymkhana grounds on the Marine Drive and asked me to come there. On alighting from the taxi on the opposite side of the road and sprinting towards the signal gave a feeling to the traffic cop of Anil Ambani jogging on the road devoid of TV cameras broadcasting his every move to the nation.

My office is at Nariman Point which has the offices of so many companies. You name it and its here. The female species of homo sapiens have a great dressing sense. Am sure if u hav a look at the party life babes then its gonna give a sense of superiority complex to any village girl coz she would have more clothes on her body.

As of now, not much work has started. Its gonna start from Monday when my counterparts from IIMA and IIMB report for work. Till then, its kinda vacation for me.