One May

First Teaser

Fire Still Burns with AGNI

Fire Still Burns in a campaign initiated by Artistic Revelations to bring change by doing what you know to do the best.

AGNI- the organisation who introduced the concept of Advanced Locality Management in Mumbai; one of the first propagators of the Clean & Green Mumbai idea; an organization that challenged strikes of essential services in Mumbai; an early starter to utilize the power of media to spread their message…

To cut a long story short - a visionary team who has withstood the test of time in working towards creating a better tomorrow.

And we are thrilled to announce that this visionary team is partnering with our movement to combine the energies of the youth with the expertise of the elders. A wholly voluntary association, AGNI is operated by citizens like you and me.

The details of the association will follow as we go along – as always ideas to make the association meaningful are welcome…

Keep the fire burning.
http://www.blackbridge.co.in/agni/activities.asp

Fire Still Burns

They don't act or speak like they are on fire.
Gone are the times when it burned hard enough to spread free and spread wild.
It's all about petty issues today, divisive politics and finger pointing.
When will it ignite and burn us and say we are one, lets face our issues as one.
It's always about religion, who is better at whom for pulling down each other.
It's not about mutual support and lets do our job together.
It's not about a responsibility handed over to us by a whole nation full of dreams waiting for the great days after Independence.
They simply don't see this, they are not visionaries or statesmen.
Their visions stop after their bank coffers are filled.
They simply stop thinking and give up.
They get pulled down by crab mentality, each one do not let the other speak or act.
We are united for corruption, dirty politics, dirty living conditions, poverty.
We are only united till we seek their votes.
After that it's a roller coaster ride, when the people who voted feel cheated and dropped in the downfall, while they go up the roller coaster.
I simply wonder who enjoys the ride here.
Haven't we all heard this many times, what's the point, why choose a better thief among thieves? But choosing and entrusting is our responsibility, then accountability, we did our job, believing in you, we did it passionately, we did it after evaluating and thinking you'll do it, no matter what, come hell or high water.
We trusted them with a job, not for free, we sign their pay checks, we have a right to fire them, we have a right to question them.
How did all this happen?
Where did we all go wrong?
Did it stop burning?

It burned during independence, It burned when we asked for freedom.
It burned when they left our country.
It burned to build a better a nation.
It burned within all of us to see that country change and grow into a welathy culturally rich society where our kids can roam free and dream of better futures in the interest of humanity.
It burned when we all went to sleep , it burned every time we dreamed for a better tommorow, it burned when it was all taken away from us, It burned for innocent lives lost, It burned whenever we tried to ignore and act different.
It has not stopped burning since them, because I don't sleep peacefully, when it does not let me sleep.
It burns me...


I don't know about all of you reading this, but it burns in me.
I beleive if it burns in me, it burns in every one of us.
I beleive it's burning to bring change, it's burned me enough and I am going to do something about it.
To all of you who try to put us down.
I just have three words.....

FIRE STILL BURNS

Lyrics of 'Fire Still Burns'

Rap Section 1:
Ladies and gentlemen
Hey there, welcome to the future
Of a Country soaked in culture
Angry, hopeless, Indifferent And Blind
Hungry Worried but One of a kind.

Driving License Se Passport
Hazaro cases pending in court
This is jungle raj a classic case
Jiska Raj ussi ki Lathi aur Ussi ki Bhais
Government office mein chai paani toh pilao
Lekin pehle us aadmi ka sign lekar aao
Corruption, population ka sara hai kalesh
Deviyo aur sajjano welcome to my desh

Verse 1:
Paas aaye woh jo, door jayen hum kyun
Haath badhaye woh jo sharmaye hum kyun
Manki jo ankhen hain, bandh kar lene se, hua hai kabhi Andhera?
Raat ke bahane se, badalon ke chane se, ruka hai kabhi savera?

Girayen woh jo, failayen hum kyun?
Dil dukhayen woh jo, bhul jayen hum kyun
Khamosh rehne se, zakhmo ko sehne, baten badi karke kya hoga?
Ungliyan uthaoge, bahane banaoge, kya badal paoge kal ko?


Chorus:1
What will be tomorrow is what you are today
Kuch nahin hai mushkil, irade ho jo nek
Lets take a vow, give more than you can take
Kya nahin hain mumkin/ ho jaaye hum jo EK

Interlude

Verse2
Darayen woh jo ghabrayen hum kyun?
Aazmaye who jo katraye hum kyun?
Manki jo ankhen hain, bandh kar lene se, hua hai kabhi Andhera?
Raat ke bahane se, badalon ke chane se, ruka hai kabhi savera?

Harayen woh jo, jitayen hum kyun?
Kar payen woh jo, na rok paye hum kyun?
Khamosh rehne say, zakhmo ko sehne say, baten badi karke kya hoga?
Ungliyan uthaoge, bahane banaoge, kya badal paoge kal ko?

Chorus 2
What will be tomorrow is what you are today
Badaye kadam toh, mitjaye fasale.
Lets get together and change our own fate
Thum jayega yeh jahan, hairan hoke dekh


Rap Section 2:
Hum hai Nadaan aur buzurg sayane
Give me a break Yeh Khayal hai purane
Na Bijli na road na peene ka hai paani
But my hyperactive media shows a different kahani
Riots on the road, Bloodshed reload
26/11 dekha? phir se 11/7 retold
No more black ticket or political racket
We want to see more than Gandhi topi Nehru jacket

Break Change:
Agar mein hun sawal, mein hi to hun jawab
Agar mein hun andehra mein hi to hun chirag.
Agar mein hun khamoshi, mein hi to hun woh saaz.
Agar mein hun gulam, mein bhi to hun azad.

Ensemble Chorus:
Lets get together and change our own fate
Badaye kadam toh mit jaaye faaslein
What will be tomorrow is what you are today
Kuch nahi hai mushkil, iraadey ho jo nek
We can make sure that we don’t break
Thum jaayega yeh jahaan hairan ho ke dekh
Lets take a vow, Give more than you can take.
Kya nahi hai mumkin ho jaaye hum jo EK.

Is India truly Democratic?

To find a solution we need to find the problem first. And the problem would not be the politicians but a system that allows corrupt people into politics. The corrupt have raided and raped the system and the results of it are for everybody to be seen. So going back to where it all began, the drafting of the constitution, I did a Google search and this is what popped out- http://lawmin.nic.in/coi/coiason29july08.pdf It is a huge one and I plan to read it soon. Unless we do not know where the problem lies, how do we treat the sickness is what my mind is pondering.

Seeing the assembly elections and the fallout of the Maharashtra Government and appointment of the ministers, there was a fallacy that came across in my mind of the democratic set up of India. Further, this was also reiterated in a radio channel and I felt there might be many more who think alike. The fact that – Are we truly a democratic country?

Looking at the current set up, we have two elections, the Rajya Sabha (Assembly) elections and the Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) elections. At this level, the elections are democratic, where the people elect their representatives who would then head to the state assembly or to the parliament. But what happens after this is highly questionable. The fact that the politicians who are elected being clean and without criminal records is a completely different issue. But what is important to be noted is the process followed hence forth in the formation of the Cabinet, both in the Assembly and in the Parliament. Here the selection process starts. Witgh already many corrupt politicians going into both the houses, here there is a high chance of horse trading possible. The selection of the ministers become something very vulnerable to corruption. With party chiefs of the ruling party deciding who should be which minister, he becomes the most powerful person and buying and selling of posts could become the norm.

Thus we would get politicians and not leaders as the head of the state. Ministers who fail will step down and new ministers would come, but accountability will always be a question that will never be answered.

I can think of two approaches.

a) To make an election within the Assembly/ Parliament with candidates vying for the post. This would make the system a bit transparent, but horse-trading could become rampant on the flip side.

Or

b) The election mandate should include voting for three candidates at the same time. 1) The Prime Minister, 2) The Deputy Prime Minister and 3) Their local representative to the parliament and likewise for the Assembly elections 1) The Chief Minister, 2) The Deputy Chief Minister and 3) the MLA from the local constituency.

I would feel very positive if option b is exercised, since it would help us electing a leader based on the country consensus than the whims and fancies of a political party chief. It would also put on a huge responsibility on his shoulders and take accountability for the ministers appointed, else he face the wrath of his countrymen.

Also if the candidate for MP/MLA/CM/PM is from a particular political party, each party should also exercise a voting for the nomination rather than the selection of the candidates

Any more ideas anyone?

this is what some of us have to say...


Menaka, 22

I’m a grown up. I wanted to do all the cool stuff that grown ups do. Or at least have to right to do. I want to be an adult and be treated as one and hence, I want to vote. Why do I think I become a grown up if I vote? It’s because I will feel responsible. I will know that I participated in something that had an impact on the entire country. It’s huge. If I don’t vote I would lose out on the opportunity to be part of something huge.

Sona, 22

Do not ask what the country has done for you, ask what you have done for your country. This is what I believe in. Thats why, I am taking the opportunity this year to cast my vote. I feel that we ourselves have to bring about the change we want to see. If we want to change or improve the system, we have to be a part of it and not just sit back and crib about how and why the government is not functioning properly.

I know my vote will make a difference.

Mridula, 18

One day, there came a circular in my college for students to register for voting for the upcoming elections. Contrary to the belief that the youth don’t vote or they are disinterested, I could see lots of genuine excitement for voting within the students, I being one of them. I took one form and read. Sadly, there was a condition that the applicant should be 18 years or more on 1^st January, 2009. And there goes my chance of voting as I was not 18 on that date and now I have to wait 5 years to vote. But no worries as I am doing my job as a citizen by influencing others to vote.

if you have your story to tell us, please write in to artrevel@gmail.com

Question classmates who are hanging out at the canteen that day…

Question your parents who are not in town on that day…

Question friends who have not got their id card made…

Question your friendly neighbourhood shopkeeper who has been making brisk business thanks to the buzz around on that day…

Question colleagues who excuse themselves to attend ‘important’ meetings just that day…

If we havn’t blocked our date to make our voice heard- then shame on us…

Every vote counts…YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

Who are we

A motley group of friends with dreams of a different India- where you are not questioned about who you are with, which caste you belong to, what you wear, what you say out loud.

What are we doing

Everything possible within our capacity to drive people to vote…the idea brewed over a couple of drinks and sounded just as exciting the next morning …so here we are.

How can you contribute

VOTE!!!