When India killed her conscience...

On 2nd February, 1835, in his speech to the British Parliament, Lord McCauley’s had said: “I have traveled the length and breadth of India and there I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage…”

So, from where did all these beggars pop up? And what about the thieves all around us? Some literally and others in disguise?

Well, most of us have just learnt how to adjust to this immorality and corruption.
But will it lead us anywhere collectively? If the world around you is unethical and immoral, how-much-ever money we make by means black or white, we will not be able to enjoy the benefits of a civic society – like civic infrastructure, cleanliness, proper health-care, etc.

So think, and think hard. Search for the corruption within yourself. Kill the person within you who evades taxes, gives or takes bribe or fakes bills for false official reimbursements; because if you do not have your conscience dominating over your greed, you will lose the right to point out corrupt politicians and policemen - because had you been in their shoes, you would have done, well, exactly the same!

The Cow and the City of Joy!

On a recent visit to my ancestral village, I was taking a reluctant stroll on the village by-lanes when I saw a cow walking a few yards ahead of me. It was walking in a slow and swinging motion and I was engrossed in the rural beauty all around me, when suddenly, the cow started to poop! I stopped and set aside so as to avoid getting splatterred by the slime, and oh! then it started to pee! Good. The disgusted me told myself - well, perhaps what differneciates animals from us humans is not just the number of legs and that they have a tail and we don't. They could also just throw out anything they need to, right where they are, when they need to! No worry of who's watching, who's covered in his shit or whose pleasurable evening stroll might be ruined due to his refuse.

Then I returned to the city I call home. As I was hurrying to catch my train to work the next day, I saw a mother and her child walking in front of me. She was taking her to the school and perhaps the kid did not have the time to have her breakfast at home, so, the mom was feeding her a cake and orange juice. I was thinking how lucky we had been as kids and was envying the kid for being pampered by her mom, but just then the kid finished her cake and the mom threw the empty packet right there on the sidewalk. I stopped and set aside so as to avoid slipping on the packet, and oh! the mom then threw the empty bottle of juice on the corner of the metro station and climbed down the staircase. I paused and looked around and saw a shameless man relieving himself on the walls of the metro station entrance while talking on his cell-phone, a maid servant throwing a packetful of domestic kachra on the sidewalk from her doorway and then the driver of a bus vomitting gutkha spit on the roads! I could not help but think of the cow and its dung.

Although I have hardly lived here, but I love Kolkata much more than many others. I request all of you who live here and walk or drive on its streets, to pause once in a while and see how many times you are reminded of the fact that there indeed are some differences between man and animals, other than the number of legs and a tail.

Recipe - Carnival Beeftips

Well, enough of philosophy in my first blog. Lets have some cook-fun.
This recipe is from Rachel Ray - the famous American culinary star.

Carnival Beeftips

Ingredients: Lean Beef tips, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 1 can of chicken stock, onions (thinly sliced), mushrooms (cleaned with damp cloth and then thinly sliced), roasted almonds (sliced), freshly ground black pepper, salt, cilantro i.e. Dhaniya patta (finely chopped), beer (half cup).

How to - In a non-stick pan, heat some olive oil and stir-fry the beeftips with little salt and pepper until almost done (edges will get dark borwn). Set aside.

In the same oil (you may add more if need be) fry the onions and mushrooms until soft and dark brown in color. Add more black pepper powder (be generous in doing that). Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and then add a little beer (may skip if serving to kids)
Note: The beer must be put in after the stock. Otherwise the hot pan might catch fire. The beer is just for the fun-smell - just like carnivals!
Add the fried beeftips and salt to taste. Boil until the liquids reduce and meat is tender (may add more stock or water if needed). Toss in the toasted almonds and chopped cilantro.

Enjoy with hot steamed rice.

My first steps

It usually takes a lot of pushing for me to do something I know I should do.
But, this just required some inspiration and no pushing - because this is not what I should do, but this is what I want to do.

The intent of my blogs is to introspect the thoughts of my own - my views on things I think I have found out already.
As I browse through my mind while at blogging, I might just find my concience hidden in the subconcious, gathering dust in the darkness of preconcieved notions. I want to bring it to light for the world to know and for myself to see.

So, let there be light, as I set sail in search of what I have found...