“Hum Wapas Aaraha Hoon”…this probably is what our very own Lalu Prasad Yadav is thinking. After all, Rabri is back in kitchen where she belongs and Lalu is out there asking for votes this time. So, in all chances, he could be the next Chief Minister of Bihar. However, Rabri not fighting elections this time has somewhat flabbergasted people around her, especially the ruling party.

This news came about a few days back during the formula for seat sharing between Ram Vilas Paswan and Lalu. It seems that Mr. Paswan sees the next Chief Minister of Bihar in our Lalu with Paswan’s younger brother Pashupatinath Paras as the Deputy Chief Minister. Well…politics and personal gain are clearly projected here. But then, this is nothing new when it comes to Indian politics.

The exhilaration is increasing with the coming together of RJD-LJP. Obviously, our Laluji is much more cautious with this inflated style to get votes from the voters of the upper caste. This is because he parted ways with them once due to certain comments made by him. So, he definitely needs to work a bit hard here.

According to sources which include those from Bhartiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United), Rabri refraining back has been done purposely so that Lalu could make a comeback. More so, Lalu is not very keen for Rabri to deliver speeches in public. The reason behind seems that she is more prone to make statements which are highly controversial in nature. Well, what better can one expect!

However, the state RJD spokesman has contradicted the statement made by the opposition. Instead, he said that Rabri Devi would accompany her husband during the process of campaigning.

Keeping the politics aside, lets see what is there is for the NRBs or the Non-Resident Biharis and the other people looking for some political scoop. To start with, there is loads of political idolization to be seen. Definitely enough to start pondering whether the people are selecting the rightful leader! After all, Lalu is quite popular for the masses in Bihar as well as for the urban elites for some instant jibes.

On the other hand, it is not very hard to imagine Rabri Devi cutting vegetables in the kitchen. So, whether or not she accompanies her darling husband to his political campaigns, she already has an office ready…her kitchen!

With the General Elections in Australia gearing up, Tony Abbott, the Leader of Opposition has declared immigration to be the key issue during his campaign. According to Abbott, those involved in human trafficking could be subject to 10 years or more of imprisonment.  As per a recent poll by Galaxy research, there was a split of 50/50. With attacks on Gillard which can be termed as being personal, which also questioned some of the important Labor policies, chances of victory seem less for her.

Illegal immigration is turning out to be the critical issue. As per a recent poll, this issue could leave the nation with stranded politics for the first time since the Second World War. More so, the opinion polls say that the voters in the marginal seats are more worried about the government not working enough to send the asylum seekers arriving on boats to come back.

As per Abbott, new talks would be brought about by a Liberal Government with the nation of Nauru. These talks would be to reopen the processing centre for the asylum seekers. This plan had helped the party to win in elections that were held in 2001 and 2004. Mr. Abbott also swore to remove the proposed thirty percent taxes on mining which had been imposed by the Labor party. He assured a united team if they win this election.

On the other hand, with many leaks from the government to the media, Gillard had to endure a string of mishaps. The manifesto of the Labor would be launched five days before the election.

This piece is not about his runs, his centuries or his partnership – we have millions of articles dedicated on this facet. So let us move above all this! This article is about Rahul – the generous soul whose attitude makes him stand tall above others, this article is about RAHUL SHARAD DRAVID!

Rahul Dravid, the Wall of Indian Cricket team for decades is one man who hates to see a fall! Every single time, this man has risen out of ashes, just like a phoenix and went on to create histories after histories. This selfless man sees the benefit of his team before seeing his advantages. Rather, there is no such word like “personal benefit” in his own dictionary. He may not be a Tendulkar, who is applauded as GOD in the history of world cricket, but what is his fault that he was born in his era? Rahul is the only batsman who has scored more than 10,000 runs in both the formats after Sachin Tendulkar! But this is also true that there cannot be two gods at one time. So, this selfless creature has been given the status of “The Wall” and “Mr. Dependable” and has been kept behind curtains since ages!

Many emerging cricketers can only dream of what Rahul has done for the Indian cricket – fighting so many battles and bringing glory to his country! With his warrior like attitude and amazing approach to the game, he has and will become one of the greatest icons of the world cricket. But if you are one of his CRITICS, this piece of writing would hold no relevance to you and you would keep on ignoring his contributions one after another! You will find fault in his innings where he managed to score just 15 or 20 runs and would babble about his failure to score a century just like a Sachin or a Sehwag, who managed to make centuries in the same match. But what about the matches where his sweat spoke for his achievements? These critics would not utter a single word in his praise when this icon makes a double century or pour his heart out in saving a match on any given day! But these are CRITICS for you! You can’t help but to ignore them!

I know he does not have centuries like Tendulkar, killer-instinct like Ganguly, or strike rate like that of Sehwag, but one thing which makes him superior over others is his selfless, generous and unselfish approach towards his love for this game! And this facet is enough to shut the mouths of all those critics who babble about this icon. In this team, where we have all the politics running in the veins, players fighting to get slots, planning conspiracies for acquiring the position of a captain, we have one such player who thinks above all these aspects – he is Rahul Dravid!

Somewhere in all these years, Rahul never got his due as a player! But can we question about his adherence and devotion for his team. Has he ever refused to bat at any position, which was allotted to him? Has he ever denied keeping wickets at the time when he was struggling with bat? He managed to handle both the responsibilities at the same time, just because Indian team needed to accommodate the position of one extra batsman in the team!

Here is what legendary spin bowler Shane Warne wrote in his anecdote:

“The fortress could also describe Rahul. Because once, Dravid was set, you needed the bowling equivalent of a dozen cannon firing all at once to blast him down.”

But this is Rahul Dravid for you! Lack of acknowledgement never de-motivated him! He has still maintained that selfless approach towards life and his love – Cricket! No matter the selectors pick him or drop him, he will continue making contributions in the Indian cricket with his selfless, yet (intentionally) unnoticed efforts!

I am hoping his lack of runs in this current test series against Sri Lanka does not go against his favor! And I can only call it an irony that legend like Rahul Dravid would now be seen less and less in the coming years! (Good news for his CRITICS, but bad news for all we Rahul Dravid lovers out there). But “Such is Life”!

After seeing the pathetic performance of Indian Test team in the ongoing India-Sri Lanka Test Series, I can only shout out to myself: Where are the bowlers.”? I mean look at the piles and piles of runs which the Sri Lankan batsmen are making constantly and Indian bowlers are only looking like players of any school team who have left no stone unturned in giving liberties, one after the other, to the Sri Lankan batsmen.

Is this what we call Number One Test Team in the world? A team which allows the opposition to make 600+ runs in so many innings; gets follow-on and manages to save its nose in the second test match by drawing the result by a narrow margin! And mind you, the third test match is not at all looking very promising as well as the performance of Indian bowlers are concerned (Although Pragyan Ojha is looking promising).

The overall performance of the Indian bowlers in the series so far has made the whole experience of viewing this series extremely disappointing! Injuries to ace bowlers Sreesanth as well as Zaheer Khan have only cleared this view that the current bowling squad is nothing without them! The experience and killer instinct which they bring on the field is what is lacking in the ongoing test series! As a result – the Indians are hardly getting any wickets!

It is clearly visible through the body language of the bowlers succeeded by Ishant Sharma that they not only lack self confidence and experience, but their own belief over their abilities has lost somewhere in the mud! The spin squad has some experience when we talk about Bhajji and Pragyan Ojha, but I am not able to understand as to why these individuals are looking like bowling machines more than the real spin kings?

Somewhere or the other, I would blame the BCCI for this situation in which the current Indian team has landed into the condition! Blame it on the power-centric tactics, or the politics to choose players from one’s state or the extremely tiring schedule which leaves these cricketers with no choice but to succumb themselves to injuries and more injuries!

It’s high time, Dhoni’s men learn to calm themselves and come down from the high – a high which has been created after tagging them as Number 1 team!

Words can make or break a relationship! As Lord Krishna said to Draupadi in Mahabharata, an inapt word can lead to humiliation. How many times has it happened that you have been misinterpreted for your statements? I am sure this is common which has led to unwanted arguments and quarrels. This is especially true at work where ego clashes and politics top the charts all the time. In between, you utter one wrong syllable which is meant to be harmless…it is more than enough to strike that chord of disharmony with your superior or colleague.

A work place which is usually defined by rivalry, competition with jealousy icing everything around (this is just one aspect; I do not expect people to consider it as my only thought, there are positive and happy sides too!) It is a daily routine where in one sees arguments and tempers rising. More so, it is often noticed that these arguments crop up for minor issues which are quite insignificant. For instance, the subordinate has not been able to finish his work on time and so, the superior is definitely mad. Obviously, this superior has a boss too who in all probability is much tougher than he is! And so, he gets an earful from his subordinate as well as his boss. Here, the subordinate could have been helpless due to some technical specifications not provided by some other department. On the other hand, the senior staff might want the work to be done ASAP no matter how irrelevant the work might seem. And so, this middle manager is stuck which would surely lead to more confusion.

Now in between all these arguments, a few unintended words definitely come out which only spark to the already grave situation. And so, the tempers start soaring! The end consequence is nothing but an argument for no reason, only because someone in the top management wanted some work to be done.

When it comes to humans, the dynamics are quite complex and individual differences exist. These independent and thinking minds are working together and trying to coexist to achieve one common goal which is to ensure that the organization they are working for prospers. So, all the employees are working as a team. But then a few word spats here and there is a daily chore for the work to continue.

But then, apart from work performance, it is the words which enhance our careers, help us walk into the good books of people. We humans have a gift of gabbing. In other words, we tend to talk socially making niceties with people around us and yet, we do not give out too much information. So, for those who are a natural at it, some things could be taken for granted (however, this does not mean that they do not have to work hard!) And for those who have to put in a bit of effort, all I can say is that the end results are worth celebrating!

So, apart from doing our jobs seriously, there is something more equally important. These are “WORDS” which can either enhance or denounce everything we have. So, where do we draw the line?

All I can say is that in any professional or a social setting, using the right words is the key which also means to think twice before saying out anything. Because the words once lost can never be regained!

It was not long back when I wrote one buzz on “friendship” (http://blog.abhinav.com/yes-you-are-my-friend/)! I guess this topic of “friendship” is cuddling me big time! But that’s how life is. May be I love my friends so much that every second day, I end up devoting one article to them. Or may be it is the hangover of “3 Idiots” which I saw yesterday night! What ever it is, without deviating much from the topic, let me write something about some of the must have types of friends a girl must have! Ask a girl and she will tell you about the millions and millions of moments spent with her girlfriends. Read on…

Here is the first type of friends a girl must have: Someone who is your sister and your soul mate, someone who understands you more than yourself and someone, who is always there with you whenever you need her! Your deepest secrets are store in her stomach with extreme safety and she is the one whom you can regard as your true companion when every one leaves your hand in the moment of misery! Yes, she is the one!

Here the second most loved friend you must have: A Fashionista! She is always updated with the latest trends of the fashion industry and hence serves as a great source of updating your life too, when it comes to trendy outfits and what fits you the best. She will inform you, whether you need to lose weight or gain it, whether you need to go to a gym or do yoga! With her around, you can never go wrong with your dressing sense.

The gossip lover: She would acquaint you with everything which is happening in the world around you, when you yourself were busy in your own little world. She knows who is having affair with whom, who are the love birds in the office, which neighbor is doing bitching about whom and the list is endless…

The money bank: you know you can rely upon this friend, when you are all broke (be it financially or you need a back up for your future plans). You know this girl is there to provide you the financial stability you need in life, when ever required (but that does not mean, you are using her) No! We have called her a “friend,” so, no point in using her!

The intelligent/genius: you must have a girl friend, who is smart, intelligent and practical enough to give you the right advice in every matter. She knows about everything, be it football, politics, cricket, movies, work, what is happening in the world, and EVERYTHING! She would never deviate from the topic and offer you the smartest advice in the world (be it matter related to your love life, making investments for future or any other issue). In short, she is the DUDE of your group!

The real Foodie: She knows every possible and best eat out in the city. So, in order to fulfill your cravings for food and give you the best time out, this is the friend to look up to!

Mind you, here I am not at all saying that these are must-have friends just because you need to solve certain purposes in your life! NO… What I am saying is that friends like these complete the group! And I am lucky to have all these friends in my life! Thank you folks!

Where should I start my review from? Should I praise the script first, the characters of the movie or the director himself, who left no stone unturned in making Rajneeti a flawless political saga for its viewers.

To be honest, I saw this movie on the recommendation of some of my adorable friends who found it an amazing flick to watch. One of my friends commented that it is a merge of politics and sensuous love; both are the subjects which would go above my head (that’s what he said)! The comments aroused my curiosity to such an extent that I decided to watch the movie the next day itself.

So, here I was in the theatre, all set with my popcorns, sitting beside one of my colleagues and biting my nails for the movie to begin! And in a moment, I didn’t even realize when we headed towards the Interval! The storyline grasped us to such an extent that we could not apprehend when we were half way through the movie. Phew! It was like a roller-coaster ride! I mean the movie defined how politics can take the worst out of an individual, thanks to Ranbir Kapoor, who depicted it through his colossal role! What a transformation…

Other characters lived up to their roles brilliantly well! I was especially flattered by the amazing performance of Arjun Rampal, an actor who never caught my attention throughout his career, but made a thorough impact through his portrayal of “Prithviraj Pratap” in RAJNEETI…

Manoj Bajpai is as usual staggering, an actor who imitates all kinds of roles with élan! And the artist is rightly supported by another veteran, Ajay Devgan, who through his cast of Sooraj Kumar (a young emerging Dalit politician), depicted the existence of honesty and loyalty in today’s corrupted world of politics! And how can I forget Nana Patekar, whose role as a manipulative politician left us as an audience to hate this character for his greed to be a part of the party in power! And for this, he can go to any extent! ANY! Last, but definitely not the least, I personally felt that Katrina’s presence has been marginally under-utilized and was overshadowed by other strong characters! She has a powerful role, but we were left with a “missing” factor…somewhere!

Ofcourse, when you have the creator in the name of Prakash Jha, little can go wrong, and this time, NOTHING WENT WRONG! Coming back to the script, the plot is too long to craft it in writing, unless you go and watch this prodigious chronicle yourself!

All in all, a spotless chuck… As audience, we could not have asked for more! My one liner would conclude this piece: “Rajneeti is truly an illusion of India’s current political scenario.” A MUST WATCH!

And yes! I understood politics and love too (It’s for you my friend)!

It has been repeated by President Barack Obama to look into immigration reform. He has denied posting any troops on the border as a stint to gain favor of the lawmakers who could then back the cause. During the news conference at the White House, President Obama said that his administration has a detailed strategy for the agenda.

According to the critics, the plan to station 1200 soldiers at the United States and Mexico border could turn out to be short. At the same time, the immigration lawyers who have always said that not much was done when it came to immigration reform mocked this deployment as a modest gesture. But more aided by the politics in the congress and not by any other needs of the security!

President Obama has confessed that the above number of troops with an additional of US$ 500 million for border security measures would not do much to aid the issue. Along with it, a proper approach is also a must which could help immigrants walk in to the nation legally.

He also said that this deployment was not done in response to the new Immigration law in Arizona. But instead it was a part of plan that was brought out last year. The President has also opposed to the Immigration law in Arizona.

Above all, no short term implementations would do well for any problem that has been here for quite a while now.

First of all, heartily congratulations to all the winners who are applauded as the “Top Canadian Immigrants” for the year 2010. The contest was crafted was a Canadian Immigrant Magazine, in accordance to which it was mandatory to fulfill certain mandates to qualify for the same. One should be above 14 years, hold citizenship of Canada or be a Canadian landed immigrant, in addition to living in the country for the last three years.

The winners are decided on the basis of their contribution to the Canadian economy and applaud those who went on to make huge difference personally or professionally through their valuable contribution! The winners were boosted with commemorative certificate and the best part is that they were given $500, which they could donate to their intended charity.

People from all over the world get some of the best opportunities in Canada, which enables them to come out with flying colors in their individual fields. Some make huge marks in politics; some get applauds in sports while some show their professional skills in Canadian businesses. All in all, the country is a huge hub for people to explore their talents and make big bucks!

Here are the names of all those Canadian Immigrants:

Donovan Bailey, Toronto, ON; Raffi Cavoukian, Salt Spring Island, BC; Vasdev Chanchlani, Mississauga, ON; Dr. Jagessar Das, Surrey, BC; John Furlong, Vancouver, BC; Charan Gill, Surrey, BC; Ian Hanomansing, Vancouver, BC; Maggie Ip, Vancouver, BC; Aditya Jha, Mississauga, ON; Vinod Karna, Markham, ON; David Lin, Toronto, ON; Dr. Joyce Madigane, Charlottetown, PEI; Dr. Lalita Malhotra, Prince Albert, SK; Vivienne Poy, Toronto, ON; Sumith Priyashantha, Saskatoon, SK; Balwant Sanghera, Richmond, BC; Dr. Asha Seth, Toronto, ON; Fulvia Fadigas de Souza, Vancouver, BC; Yasuko Tanaka, Saint John, NB; Parag Tandon, Toronto, ON; Rafael Fabregas, Toronto, ON; Sultan Jessa, Kirkland; Hadi Mahabadi, Mississauga, ; Vijay Sappani, Toronto, ON and Suchart Yodkerepauprai, Toronto, ON

Cheers winners!

The controversy on the visa refusal of the Indian defence and intelligence officers by the Canadian High Commission, New Delhi is taking serious proportions. Caution is required from both sides before matters go out of control. Immediate action is a must on part of the Canadian Government to assuage the feelings of the Indian Government.

There are two different aspects involved here. Firstly, the refusal of a visa on discretionary grounds and secondly, doubting the Indian defence and intelligence agencies. While a country does have a right to control on who enters its borders, reasons for refusal should be more diplomatically mentioned.

However, it is very important for the public at large to not take the developments emotionally. It is best that matters related to management of such affairs be left to respective Governmental agencies. It is to be understood that even the Indian High Commissions located in countries across the world do profiling of visitors intending to come to the nation. Here also, in many instances, visas are refused to individuals on grounds that they feel are relevant. For example, many Chinese executives are refused business visas who are associated with hi-tech and telecommunication companies.

The current issue can also be considered as a result of extreme views that Canada and Canadians hold on Human Rights situation. The main reason is that Canadians never had a direct contact with terrorism and insurgency. On the contrary, the Indian defence deals with these issues on a daily basis. Canadian agencies still remember how the Khalistan movement was dealt by the Indian police and the paramilitary forces. Issues pertaining to the Jammu and Kashmir and the North-east are considered as a violation of the Human Rights by the Canadians.

This is the reality behind the recent refusals and controversies. The Canadian Government needs to change this perspective. They must understand that threats India faces are different and require specific action by the Indian defence forces. In the absence of the required action by them, the very existence of India comes into question. In addition, they are setting a wrong precedent. Will they tomorrow refuse entry to Americans who have been posted in Iraq and Afghanistan or for that matter Guatemala?

Human nature is such that it gets disturbed by negative news and in the process forgets about all the good things that might have happened in the past. One should not forget that over the years, Canada has accepted more legitimate Indian immigrants than any other country in the world. There is a huge Indian Diaspora in Canada of almost one million that gets equal and fair opportunities at par with other Canadians. Indians are doing very well in all spheres of life and that includes Politics and Government. For their interest alone, it is important that the current controversy be not blown out of proportion by all the concerned and handled very carefully. If that is not done, the local Canadian would start looking at the Indian Canadians with the same suspicion as they look at Pakistanis and Sri Lankans. This controversy must end soon.