Death of a Quarter!

During my  school days my mother always packed a lunch for me. It was extremely rare for me to bring any money and buy my lunch like a lot of other kids used to. Primarily because my mom believed that outside food is not healthy and more importantly there was not a lot of spare cash in the house. On the rare occasion I got any money instead of  a home packed lunch , it was around 5  Paisa; 1/20 of a Rupee. It was sufficient . To see and hold a quarter Rupee coin was a  rare curiosity and a very exciting thing for me. In such a scenario one of my classmates used to bring a quarter every day  to splurge during lunch break and  once in a while he would bring two quarters. On that day the generous soul that he was would warn a couple of us in advance of the party we can expect . It would invariably fall on my shoulders to buy stuff for one quarter and he would buy with the other quarter for 3 or 4 kids to gorge on junk food. I would eat my home food as well as all of that junk  ! Did not want folks at home to know about this. As I  spent someone else's money I always wondered how nice it would be if that quarter became entirely mine to do as I please and not just as a designated purchase officer. Quarter coin  was the stuff my childhood dreams were made of!

Well, I realized my dream as time passed  on and eventually I  had access to a quarter of my own . In fact  I had  many quarters to do as I please. But by then it had lost some of its purchasing power. You could still buy a  big safety match box or two cadbury's chocolate eclairs; a cup of cardamom tea or a good quality filter cigarette or even a three pack condom. It was money that could buy you a big bunch of green coriander. Enough to flavour your curries for a week. It would buy  two banana's or a  heavenly mango. In winter you could buy a medium sized guava,cut to your satisfaction  sprinkled with black pepper and rock salt or a  small bag of toasted peanuts or a "barbequed on coal fire" sweet potato which happens to be the best thing ever in this world. For me at least! A quarter was still money! And yesterday that coin of my dreams died ! It was withdrawn from circulation. It is no more a legal tender.  It became Just a piece of inert metal. Adios , my dream! You gave me a  goal,a lot of hope and happiness. Go now and  rest in Peace ! God bless you!


You have to wake up from your dreams in the end! There does not seem to be any other option. Even the place I live in currently , only use of a Quarter coin is as a token to release the shopping cart outside the grocery store. It is not unusual to find a cart  with the coin in it already . People no longer bother to take it back since You can't buy anything with it. Even in the dollar store ! Everything is a dollar or more; obviously.  It is just a reflection of life. Our dreams are like that quarter. Far from reach in the beginning. And eventually when we reach it we find that the "quarter" has lost value dramatically. Sometimes it is worthless.


No matter how many kind of quarters die on you. Quarters are what dreams are made of. The trick is to never stop dreaming. There are other unreachable coins out there. You never know how quickly they will come within grasp. It maybe sooner than in the past before they turn impotent or die.And boy, just like my school days you will be able to gorge to your hearts content! Hopefully along with everyone dear to you.

Parliamentary Dictatorship!

 "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"! There is a reason why a regular change of governments is a good thing in a democracy . One group in power term after term  starts abusing power to preserve its power. Twenty sixth amendment to US constitution bars any one individual to be elected to the office of  the president more than twice. History has shown that it was  pretty good thinking by Hoover commission. Imagine what could have happened if  Junior Bush had the opportunity to come back a third time in 2009 ! Although his replacement has not covered himself with a lot of glory, but that is another matter.

I was reminded of all this the other day when in a mid night swoop thousands of sleeping citizens were tear gassed and baton charged in Delhi.They were a threat to peace according to Chidambaram!! 

Corruption is a way of life in India. Let us face it. Some of the biggest corrupt individuals are the ones holding the levers of power. Ramdev did not embezzle public money in the garb of conducting Asian games; Suresh Kalmadi did. He did not defraud public exchequer by doling out spectrum  way below market price in exchange for bribes; Raja did. Both are parliamentarians and members of the ruling government .This story can go on and on.

So Ramdev's  financial worth is not an issue. Issue is lack of probity in people who govern. If Ramdev is heading an agitation to stop graft and black money from eating into the vitals of the society. Why is that an issue with the government . If they have nothing to hide that is ! Just because baba Ramdev is a financial success he does not lose his right as a citizen to object to graft or lead a campaign against corruption.

The other argument that he is  challenging the supremacy of the Parliament is not even worth consigning to dustbin. A democracy is about people, not about  their MP's and it definitely is not for the benefit of wayward rulers. There is nothing like US  twenty sixth amendment in the Indian constitution. People themselves will have to make amends while voting next time.