MJ

I am still finding it hard to believe He is no more. I was in a conference meeting at that time and one of my colleague on the other end broke the news "Micheal Jackson is no more".The meeting finished after some time and I hurriedly checked the web. CNN reported He has suffered a cardiac arrest and is hospitalized, a silent prayer went through my lips. But by the time I reached home the news channels confirmed that Michael Jackson has died of cardiac arrest.

Suddenly childhood memories of Him flashed before my eyes.
My masi's wedding in 1989 when I just 8 years old danced to the tunes of BAD, the numerous dance competitions I participated in school where Jacko's song were the only choice for most contestants, rising early on sunday mornings to watch the only western music program on Doordarshan before MTV and then just start dancing as soon as His song gets on TV, checking His life size posters at Archies Gallery after school and spending all our allowance money on those.Anant a close friend of my childhood used to ask shoe stores if they have "Billie Jean shoes which light up pavement as you step on them".Those days all I wanted was a jacket like His on the cover of BAD.

Those memories are an indispensable part of my childhood and of so many of our generation.

Hearing the news of His demise, I called my sister back home in India. It was probably 4 am there, I told her that I felt bad that He is no more and as siblings growing up together on His songs she was the only one with whom I could share my grief.
She was sleepy and so I just said good night and hung up the phone.I remembered a few months back we were talking about Him and realized how less He appears in the media these days and she said "You know what, probably we will hear about Him only on the day he dies". I wish it would have been otherwise !

Today morning she IM me and said she too is feeling bad. Here's an email of her to me

"News about MJ's sudden death has hit the world by surprise. The man was ripped off his position by the same world that morns his death today. Yes he was an icon, a slumdog gone millionaire and perhaps could not escape to pay the price for being one. The dark clouds of allegations that surrounded him for a decade took away the most enjoyable period of his life when anyone wants to enjoy the success earned and relax. He came out as a winner , at least the best that could happen to him and was preparing to play his last shot before trying to settle down peacefully. Destiny plays different games though and there was more it seems written for him.

We will never have someone like Jacko as he was one and only one. Something interesting happened recently. Mom called up last week to tell me that while cleaning the house she found some old Life size posters of MJ that I had pasted on the wall of my room in our old house and had safely kept them wrapped in a bundle and asked me if I wanted her to keep or throw away. I hurriedly answered her call as I usually do while attending office hours giving a nod to the latter option. Don't know whether I am being superstitiously funny or not but I wish if I could simply ask her to keep them lying down the same way as they were for so many years now.

Neeta Ma'am and we were a part of her dance group in school with MJ's hits like Thriller making our background score and Narayan uncle recording the videos. That used be followed by the National Anthem as instructed by Father Varithia much to the irritation of many of us. MJ was a part of our childhood and will fondly be remembered by many many people like us with their own different stories related to MJ. "

Rest In Peace King of Pop!

God

Last night one of my roomies told us about 'Fitna', the dutch movie which is in news these days for the violent potrayel of Islam. We watched it through an online video sharing website livelink.com The portrayel of Islam as a violent religion with certain verses of Koran and subsequent scenes showing terrorist actcs like 9/11 and madrid bombings were very disturbing. I can understand many non-muslims saying that what it shows is fact and we need to take corrective actions against this kind of aggression on one's religion, society. Similarly many muslims would say that its a radical view of Islam and not its true form.
The point I wish to raise amongst all this discussion is why society is always divided into two. Ying-Yang, positive negative, liberal-conservative, black-white, left-right are some of the terms we hear often. In the 20th century it was capitalism versus communism which created rift among nations, before that fascism, nazism took their toll on the human society. Why we as the most intelligent species fail to find a middle path, a gray area which allows all of us to live amicably. Why there is this natural instinct to impose our individual beliefs, values on others. Why do we force them on people who disagree with us and ridicule/belittle their beliefs to prove the superiority of ours.I believe that is the prime reason for radicalisation of religion.
If any of my muslim friend says my religion is the best I counter by stating that mine is the best and that sets the bane of contention between two individuals which slowly envelops a society, a nation and subsequently the world.
If on the other hand both of us realise that our beliefs may be different but have the same goal. That both teach forgiveness, tolerance and human kindness and so both religions are best, none the smaller than other then this world could be a better place. That is all I wish and pray to God

After the movie which left a sour taste in the mouth I suggested that lets listen to Dalai Lama's speech for a change. It was a video where he is talking to a german delegate and he is speaking about religions of the world. He says that I believe in science as a tool for the development of religion. That science is not a killer of religion but rather teach us to reason. It teaches us to seek the truth and which every religion seeks to attain. All religions fundamentally teach us to love, be kind, be humane. They may appear different due to different philosphies which interpret them but as we seek deeper we realise that they are same.

It was time for bed and I was contemplating the last hour that I spent and realised that we may have radically charged people but we also have people like the Dalai Lama and in this divine balancing act the world thrives and seeks the ultimate truth we called GOD....