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[Telugu Poem] ఏకంలో అనేకం

కలువ కాంతుడు కంచి చేరగానే భూమిని కప్పే చుక్కల చీకటి తెర అనంత నిశ్చల దృశ్యము చూడగా మదిలో మెదిలే ఎన్నో ఊసులు మెరిసే తారలు చూసి ఆనందంతో మురిసె  ఒక మది మబ్బుల స్వేచ్ఛను చూసి స్వేఛ్చాకాంక్ష మెరిసెనొక మదిలో అంతులేని లోకాలు చూసి ఫిలాసఫీ వెలిగె ఇంకొక మనసులో సహించలేని శూన్యం చూసి దిగులు రెట్టింపయ్యే వేరొక యెదలో దృశ్యమొక్కటే,  దృక్కోణాలెన్నో కనులు చూసేదొకటే, కనురెప్పల చాటున కలలు ఎన్నో చిత్రమొక్కటే,  భావచిత్రాలెన్నో ప్రపంచమొక్కటే, భావప్రపంచాలెన్నో ఒక్కొక్క మదిలో ఒక్కొక్క కథ దాగి ఉన్నదా? చుట్టూ ఉన్న లోకంలో ప్రతిబింబాన్నే చూసుకుంటున్నదా?

[English Poem] Bane or Boon?

Bane or Boon?   What an enigma modern technology is! How great are its advancements! How dangerously powerful they are! How charming are its inventions! How beautifully deceiving they are! Apps to let me do everything Search engines to find anything Everything at my fingertips Everyone only at a distance of a tap How incredible is a smartphone! Notification distracting my attention Obsessive compulsion to check my empty screen Getting lost in it for indefinite time How damaging is it at the same time! Tens of people to keep in touch with, Hundreds of people to compare with, How double edged is social media! Having access to all the information quickly Drowning in its volume swiftly Knowing all the kinds of data on the fly Losing sense of proportion on the way How dual natured is the internet! Is technology a panacea to be used carelessly Or is it a tool to be leveraged wisely? Beneath the veneer of advancement Lurk the questions that are profound Do we address them being humble or ...

[Book Review] Gandhi, the years that changed the world by Ramachandra Guha

                                                       -> What is  the book about?     Book is life events of Gandhi from 1914 till his death in 1948. It covers important political events during that time. Ramachandra Guha has taken information from all the sources available including Collected Works of Gandhi, Official Archives available in libraries and museums , diaries of various people.   Positives :    -> As book is drawn from so many sources available, his presentation is very comprehensive.    -> Guha's narrative skills are really good. He plays role of impartial, interesting commentator most of the time and that of a curious analyst sometimes.   Negatives :  -> At some places, book feels like a drag due to its huge size. * Below is the summary o...

[Book Review] నల్లగొండ కథలు

వస్తువు : రచయిత పెరిగిన ఊరు నల్లగొండ. రచయిత బాల్యంలో జరిగిన సంఘటనలే దీంట్లో కథా వస్తువులు.                         కళ మన జీవితంలోని వివిధ భావాల గురించిన కథలు మనకు చెప్తుంది. అది సినిమా అయినా, పుస్తకం అయినా. జీవితంలోని కొన్ని  కథలల్లో నాటకీయత ఉండకపోవచ్చు, ఉత్కంఠ ఉండకపోవచ్చు, సర్వ శక్తులు ఉండి పురాణ కథల పాత్రలను తలపించే పాత్రలు ఉండకపోవచ్చు . అది  ఆడుకోడానికి సెలవుల కోసం ఎదురు చూసే చిన్న పిల్లాడి కథ కావచ్చు , రోజూ గంభీరంగా ఉండే నాన్న మనసు ఎంత సున్నితమో చెప్పే కథ కావచ్చు , చిన్నతనంలో స్నేహితులతో కలిసి చేసిన అల్లరి కథ కావచ్చు, ఊరు ఎంత అభివృద్ధి చెందినా చిన్నప్పటి పరిసరాలు లేవే అని ఫీల్ అయ్యే నోస్టాల్జియా గురించిన కథ కావచ్చు.                                  వీటి అన్నింటిలో లోతైన, సున్నితమైన మనిషి స్వభావపు కోణాలు ఉంటాయి. ప్రతి మనిషి తన జీవితంలో ఏదో ఒక సమయంలో లోనైన ఉద్వేగాలు ఉంటాయి. మానవ సంబంధాల గురించిన ఆ...

[Opinion] Nationalism in current times

India is having extraordinary Olympics at Tokyo. Whole country is celebrating the success of our players which is good to see. It is definitely a happy, proud and inspiring moment for all the citizens. I remember how I was inspired after watching story of Milkha Singh in his biopic. In fact, it still inspires me every time I watch. Please don't ask me what I have done with all that inspiration though! Our Olympics performance might hopefully change the attitude towards sport in our country. Maybe from now children who show interest in sports rather than education (read engineering and medicine) and will not be criticized or mocked for doing so . Out pour of national jubilation over winning of Gold Medal in Javelin Throw made me think about nationalism, what it means and its possible downsides. Note : Winning a medal in Olympic track and field after 120 years, which is also the first ever Gold for India in Olympic track and field is an extraordinary feat, one surely worthy of celebr...

[Opinion] Which one is better, Idealism or Realism?

    Idealism is when you envision or see things in an ideal or perfect manner. Realism, on the other hand, tends toward a more pragmatic and actual view of a situation. These two approaches are familiar to most of the us even though we are not familiar with the formal definitions of them. So which one among these is better?           We are familiar with benefits of a positive mindset. Idealism helps greatly in having a positive mindset. A person with a positive mindset will be more hopeful, motivated and at peace with his situation. Believing things like good ultimately wins over evil, every act in life has a purpose etc can help in having peaceful mind. Believing that efforts will be rewarded will keep us motivated in our work. If we can believe all people are good, then we will have no need to judge, suspect or doubt anyone's intentions. If there is a super-natural power, it will take care of all the evil and we need not worry about it. It is ...

[English poem] Witness

Who can deny melody of a nightingale because no one else has heard it Who can deny fragrance of a jasmine because no one has else smelled it Who can deny beauty of a rose because no one else has seen it Who can deny delightfulness of love because no one else has known it Drop of water will be itself even if it fell on a stone instead of a river Plant will still give out fresh air even if it grew on a no man's land instead of a city Game of sport can be exciting even if it ended in loss instead of win A long drive can be pleasing even if it ended in U-turn instead of destination Feeling of Love can be beautiful even if it ended in wilderness instead of togetherness

[Telugu Poem] మరుపొక వరం

ప్రయత్నిస్తే వేడి వస్తువునైనా తాకొచ్చు కష్టపడితే మండుటెండలో సైతం నడవొచ్చు కాని గుండెల్లో మంటలు ఆర్పేదెలా?   బలం పెడితే బండలు మోయొచ్చు వెన్ను వంచితే బరువులు మోయొచ్చు కానీ మనసులో బరువుని మోసేదెలా? కాళ్లు తడవకుండా నది దాటొచ్చు ఒళ్లు తడవకుండా వర్షంలో నడవొచ్చు కానీ కళ్లు తడవకుండా జీవితం గడిచేదెలా ? కాలం మారినా గాయమెందుకు మానదో మనిషికి వయసొచ్చినా మరుపెందుకు రాదో

[English Poem] Ephemeral Dot

  Who are we? But Speck of dust in the expanse of Universe Smallest dot on the canvas of creation Snowflakes thinking ourselves as special Tiniest drop of water in the ocean of world What is our life? But fleeting moments of joy and pain Words written on shores of sand Sculptures made of melting ice Temporary hiccups in the infinite journey of time

[English Poem] Joker

When I was staring at the dark abyss When I was standing alone helpless with my dreams shattered with my hopes defeated betrayed by people full of deceit crushed by the clutches of the defeat When I was desperate for a ray of hope When I would die for a day of love The whole world stood still mocking me indifferently laughing at me incessantly finding joy in my pain seeking humor in my burn Waiting for a hand to wipe my tears My eyes have turned barren Waiting for a heart to give some warmth I have turned cold I survived with struggle I will be stronger as I heal This time definitely more evil than before I don’t care if I am called a Joker World should not count on me For it never stood with me when I was in need

[Opinion] "Ignorance is bliss, or is it?"

 "Ignorance is bliss". This is an age old adage which needs no introduction. This is used by many people in supporting of not knowing things, usually in situations where reality is disturbing and discomforting. If a fact is bound to cause a lot of trouble, this probably might be correct. But is it valid as a general truth?                   Ignorance is absence of knowledge. So this statement means not trying to know too much and staying comfortable as much as we can. This is fraught with serious dangers. Knowledge is one of the highest virtues as recognized by philosophers of all time. It is an essential ingredient for knowing truth, lack of understanding of which will push us to into bad actions and bad thoughts. Let us see what this means in various dimensions.         Nothing is a greater threat to political organization of a country than political ignorance of its citizens. Democracy, especial...

[Book Review] Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee

  It discusses history of cancer cases, science that is known about it, therapies attempted to cure it starting from ancient period. As the cover of the book mentions, it is a biography of cancer from all possible dimensions. Positives : -> Evolution of our understanding of the science behind cancer is intriguing. -> Stories of people who tried to devise therapies to cure, who tried to unlock mystery behind this is interesting. There are countless number of these stories and you are left in awe of the heroic endeavors. -> It helps us to peek into the science of medicine and biology. As these details are mentioned only in the context of cancer, details are not very deep. Though not very deep, it is interesting nonetheless.  -> Most touching are the stories of the cancer patients. Reading about people who had to battle this monster and the terrifying pain that it has inflicted upon them is heart wrenching. Negatives : -> Author tends to overload the book with too ...

[Opinion] Ethics are not enough!

There are many situations when we face dilemma. We rely upon our judgement in such situations to choose our action. Many people make a choice which they feel is ethical. Following ethics allows us to have clear conscience. It allows us to consider ourselves as a good person. This urge is common to all of us. I would like to discuss that this is not enough criteria for resolving dilemmas. There are are many pitfalls in this.          Ethics vary according to its source. What is ethical for a Hindu might not be ethical for a Christian. What is ethical in a liberal society might be considered unethical for a conservative society. So, its important to understand the source of ethics.     Ethics are subjective. What we consider as ethical can have personal bias. There is no strict code of conduct for many situations. So it comes down to what we understand as being ethical. Our judgement might be clouded when we are involved emotionally. We might resort to r...

Thank you India!

  A fond memory For all the Indian cricket fans, today is an unbelievable day. Winning at The Gabba, Brisbane is a surreal moment.                 India is a top class team which has a good win record. It’s away test record is also improving in the past few years.   Then why has this become so special that everyone wants to appreciate the team for it. Because it is as much about the fight as it is about the win. It is as much about the character as it is about skill. That is the reason India’s win in Natwest series in 2002 is unforgettable. That is the reason India’s win against Australia in Kolkata test is a legend of sorts. Courage, character and attitude the team has shown in the series and especially in the final test will forever be a fond memory.                  Without 8 regular players of the side, Indian team seemed ...

[Short Story] Life on the Edges

1. Urban Forests It is the time of the day Hyderabad seems to be dancing at its best. Bursting with energy, glowing with beauty, city moves like a woman in her best of the years. All the places are lit up with bright lights. Whole place is filled with sounds from vehicles. Roads are filled up to the capacity with people returning from office, some people having street food and some people shopping with their friends and family.                                  Nearby waste land beside the road is a stage for tensions. Pack of dogs and herd of cows have settled on the either sides of it. This they have done by their sheer strength, one with ability to bite and other with the ability to bully. Between them lies an injured cat with neither ability to migrate nor strength to dominate.                             This l...

[Book Review] A Man called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Plot : This book is a character based novel. It's about a grumpy old man called Ove who is old fashioned, introverted, thinks that rules are important for life, and does little else other than work at office and home. He starts being happy when he finds the love of his life who is quite opposite to him in many of the ways. She is extroverted, fun loving and reads a lot as she enjoys abstract things  as well. The book is about how Ove has reacted to the departure of the only person that understood him from his life. What does he do when he finds himself in an ocean of loneliness? Positives : Characters are very well written, especially the lead character of Ove. His life is explained in detail starting from his childhood to the time of the story. Incidents which are explained makes you feel for Ove however grumpy he is. Other characters, surrounding the main character, are also well written.           Authors seems to be really good at capturing the sma...