Great Speeches : Bill Clinton for Barack Obama

The Clinton Speech for Barack Obama at the National Democratic Convention of September 2012

 

One of the finest speeches I have come across in recent times.

As an Indian citizen, it is not really of immediate concern to me as to who finally becomes the American President, though in a removed sense, it does make a difference, since American policy does affect the Indian Republic in more ways than one.  Keeping the impact on my country aside, my interest and appreciation for this piece of oratory was purely professional. To me, it was an example of excellence in thought, in presentation of ideas and finally, convincing a heterogeneous mix of people from all walks of life about a very crucial decision.

Clinton simplified public administration and finance, macro economics and political history into a rousing 50 minute speech without any visual aids and made his point. 

It was also a classy speech and had dignity written all over it. Concepts like cooperation, ethics in public life and politics, health care reforms, debt restructuring were all dealt with, with candor and conviction. 

He never stooped to mud slinging and irrelevant dribble. The pacing was perfect, the body language was sincere and he “engaged” the crowd for almost an hour!

I don’t particularly poke my nose into what people do with their private lives and for sexual relief and therefore my respect for this man went up manifold. True that he may have lied about an extra- marital affair ( there are few married men I can think of, who have been totally faithful to their spouses in word and deed!!) but that does not take away anything from his mental faculties and his ability as a communicator and as a  thinker.

The 50 minutes I spent reading this gave me an excellent pencil sketch of the current issues facing the US of A and a very good reference point to understand the elections that are scheduled.

Fr Zacharias, Society of Jesus

Fr Zacharias, Society of Jesus

When I visited my parents this time, my mother handed over a few things to me, which she considered valuable. Among them was a letter from Fr Zacharias ( Fr Zach) who taught English at the Loyola English School in the late seventies and which meant that I his student in the 8th and 9th grades.

Fr Zach was quite popular in class, simply because he was affectionate to us all and had a great sense of humor. He was hospitalized for sometime and during a surgery, was pronounced “ clinically dead” . He survived and recovered. He returned to the class and continued to teach us.

Children tend to do better on subjects handled by teachers they like and respect. It was the same with Fr Zacharias. I did well in English that year and also learned to love books. A trait that has continued lifelong.

This letter from him was in response to a query my father sent him from Lagos inquiring about my performance in school. The reply is typical of a man who took up service to humanity as a lifelong vocation. There is affection and genuine concern for all kids irrespective of their religious faith and the ability to see good in everything. I quote “ My only ambition is to do some good to children like Vinod. I tell you they are a wonderful set of kids, the whole lot of them and I love them. I love them well Mr Nateshan and that is the secret of my success with these kids.”

Fr Zach once told me to keep smiling and said that it would take me far. I never knew the background of this letter or that what he thought of me. It however gave my parents a lot of solace and it explained why my mother thought it “valuable”.

I also never saw myself as “docile but receptive” or that I had in me “the makings of greatness “ and that I will “become great” one day, but I do now bow my head in reverence to a Jesuit priest who wrote that about a Hindu student from a middle class family in an elite school. I guess you have to have it in you to see it in others.

Lost touch with him and with some great teachers there, but wherever they are, I always will wish them the very best.

Amen

August 2012 Mumbai

P.S. This article was carried by the School Magazine in its 51st issue, Loyolite 2013.I was given a copy of it by the LOBA representative, Mr.Alex Ajith Philip. Here are the pictures

The Ant and the Grasshopper - A modern Indian tale

Attached is a story which is a zeitgeist of our times. This was forwarded by a friend of mine and I have made some changes to make it relevant. Being a work of fiction,much like the cartoons that appear in dailies, it is hoped that these entities will not have apoplectic fits and claim that they have been defamed or defiled.Post Nomamata Banitrjee, even this is something that we cannot take for granted. Legally speaking this is clearly in the realm of fair comment,public interest and creative license.

An Old Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold. Indian Version: The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. NDTV, BBC, CNN, Aaj Tak, Kal Tak, Parson Tak,A TV, BTV, Zee TV, Star TV,Sun TV, Sky TV, Earth TV, Underground TV, etal show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshoppernext to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Aggarbathi Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house. Nagina Seekhellvad claims that the grass hopper is a minority and alleges human right violations and demonstrates in whichever TV talk show she is invited to. Alleges that Narendra Modi and the Mumbai Police may have a hand in the grasshopper's situation and may kill him in false encounters. Media Batkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter . Mayagayawati states this as `injustice' done on Minorities. Armsnesty International, Mankiboond and Hellary Glutton criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper. The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper and facebook groups are started (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) . Opposition MPs stage a walkout. "Left hand only" parties call for 'Bengal Bandh' in West Bengal and a Hartal in Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry. The hartal and bandh then continues the next day in Kerala as official mourning day/martyrs day, since somebody or the other gets killed in the violence, which is often the case. Public property damaged is blamed on RSS and anti- social elements out to destabilize the left movement. In Bengal everyday has been akin to a hartal or Bandh for the last two decades, so no one notices any difference. Communalists Parading as Marxists in Kerala, immediately propose a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers. On the streets, grass hoppers extract nokku kooli ( protection money/hafta) for any work done by anybody for anybody. Uloo Prasad demands allocation of one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian RailwayTrains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'. Promises more train accidents in Bihar if this is not done. Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter. Harjune Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services. The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA/ and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV, BBC, CNN, Aaj Tak, Kal Tak, Parson Tak,A TV, BTV, Zee TV, Star TV,Sun TV, Sky TV, Earth TV, Underground TV, Asianet, Keralanet,Banglanet etal. Aggarbathi Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'. Ulloo calls it 'Socialistic Justice '. Communalists Parading as Marxists calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden ' BankiMoon invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly. Shashi Tharoor cannot even invite himself to the UN, as he has been relegated to the cattle class by the diplomats after he lost the elections and then his Cabinet post. Many years later... The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley, 100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation and thirst despite reservation somewhere in India...

A lovely Malayalam song. Melodious music, smooth lyrics.

A lovely Malayalam Film song ETHO VARMUKILIN. Lyrics BY KAITHAPURAM DAMODARAN NAMPOOTHIRI AND Music BY OUSEPACHAN.

A tribute to the late music composer Johnson. His best known song is Kanneer poovinte ... from the film Kireedom. He combined well with the writer Kaithapuram.

Photographs of India in the British Raj

India in 1900-1950 Photographs