Scribblings of an Oxaanto Electron

Even the presence of three women in the three top posts of the Parliament-Speaker Meira Kumar, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj could not help in the passage of the Women Reservation Bill on the 21st of February last. Feminists believe it to be an unfair deal. They had been fighting for it since 1996! The 18 year old journey had seen high drama, frayed tempers, war of words as it hit many roadblocks. They believed it would be the epitome of Women Empowerment. If we look back, we shall see that this bill was initially rejected by women representatives in the Constituent Assembly. They felt it was unnecessary since the working of democracy in its normal course would surely ensure the representation of all sections of the Indian Society. I am against reservation per se and I have my reasons. Reservation can never be the best way to achieve the goal of empowerment. It just ends up being divisive, deepening the chasm between the different...

Breathe in Breathe out Laugh till your sides ache Cry till you fall asleep Dance till you can't move another muscle Eat till your tummy feels like it will burst Drink like a fish Scream your lungs out Sing like a madman Walk...ride...drive...explore all the roads that exist Swim across as many rivers as you can Fly high with your ambitions Sleep like a log Make friends Make enemies Challenge yourself Challenge those who have written you off Win or lose Travel often Stay at home Fight for what you believe is right Hate passionately Love fiercely Celebrate every moment Live, like there is no tomorrow!

The High School Leaving Certificate Examinations or the 10th standard board exams. Call it by whatever name you may, but it is the first extremely important examination in any student’s life, for, it decides which way the student is headed. Will it be arts or science, or should the student take up commerce? Will the student get admitted into a good college? These and many more such questions are answered, the day the results of the HSLC are declared. A big day, indeed for the student and for the family as well! But for the Officials of the Secondary Education Board of Assam, these are not very important issues, for; they have other priorities, like filling up their bank accounts, to look after. They have not shown even an iota of regret or repentance after the controversies and anomalies that have exposed the gaping holes in the system over the last few months. How, you may ask...well…if you thought question papers being leaked is BIG news, if exams being postponed time and again is sa...

His 'Yahoo' signified the arrival of a rebel star. A star who held his own against the reigning trio of his time Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar. Born on October 21, 1931 as Shamsher Singh Kapoor into the illustrious Kapoor family, he had a lot of expectations to live up to. His career in show business got off to a rocky start despite having starred opposite major heroines like Madhubala in Rail ka dibba, Suraiya in Shama Parwana and Nalini Jaywant in Hum Sab Chor Hai. It took four years of hard struggle, patient perse¬verance and even hard-hitting brickbats for Shammi to create his own distinguished identity. It was only in 1957, with Nasir Hussain’s ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’ that Shammi finally made it to the doors of success. He shaved his moustache, donned a new style just like Elvis Presley and behold — a star was born. With the success of Junglee in 1961, an entire decade reeled under its colourful impact. Shammi’s persona as a fun-lov¬ing, boisterous, roma...

Well I am a reporter in a news channel. We are often sent on specific assignments to cover certain events which sometimes turn out to be enlightening sometimes dissapointing and sometimes leave a deep impact on us. Well the only assignment which had my name against it today was 'Foundation stone unveiling ceremony' of the 'Vivanta', our very own Taj at Khanapara, Guwahati, by our CM, alongwith Ratan Tata and a host of other dignitaries. After having covered the event, I came back to office and sat in front of a machine with the sole intention of playing 'Farmville' on facebook. But that was not to be as I had hardly logged in that Parag Da, our Political Editor asked me to take a camera and rush to the Assam Enginering College where Ratan Tata was scheduled to attend another function. I admire Parag Da for his efficiency, wealth of knowledge and managing skills. He asked me to reach the Jalukbari Campus within 20 minutes...Ahem...20 minutes! He expe...

Connection with the supreme being, yes that is just what I felt at this beel on the outskirts of the Dibru Saikhowa National Park, one of the 15 biosphere reserves of the country. Accompanied by our Tinsukia Bureau members, Bikash Moran, Bijoy and Pramod I set out on the most enthralling boat ride of my life with the best guide possible-Joinal Abedin, the predator turned protector of wildlife. Babblers, migratory ducks, wild buffaloes, vultures of various sizes, I was simply stunned speechless by the huge variety of flora and fauna. And it happened when we were in the middle of nowhere, away from civilisation, silently rowing towards a flock of wigeons, gerbe and gadwalls when they took off at the same time....it was just heavenly, the sight as well as the sound! The birds splashed droplets of water all around when they flew off, their wings flapping in a rhythm and formation that seemed so wel orchestrated. Somebody up there proves his creativiy through nature and this was a perfect e...