Friday, October 06, 2006

A tapist's manual

Want to tap somebody's cellphone but don't know how to go about it? For an authentic primer on plugging into what people are chatting about on their cellphones, log on to public sector telecom giant BSNL's website which describes mobile snooping as child's play.

"With computer-based portable interception devices that not only record conversation and SMS remotely but also organise it neatly in a database for future references, tapping into cellphones is becoming child's play. Cellphone tapping has been made easier by a device called the multi track system (MTS)," the website informs wannabe eavesdroppers.

Navigating through the BSNL website, you can also tap into some facts which are otherwise classified as "top secret" in red-cornered files. "For instance, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) is known to have computers (read software) that can just catch a keyword during conversation and record the entire track. The computer actually is fed with the name of the wanted person and any conversation that contains that person's name will be recorded," a listed linked website explains.

If true, the Cabinet Secretariat would not be too happy about such disclosures on the information highway.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

वन्दे मातरम्

सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
सस्य श्यामलां मातरंम् .
शुभ्र ज्योत्सनाम् पुलकित यामिनीम्
फुल्ल कुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम् .
सुखदां वरदां मातरम् ॥

सप्त कोटि कन्ठ कलकल निनाद कराले
द्विसप्त कोटि भुजैर्ध्रत खरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबल धारिणीम् नमामि तारिणीम्
रिपुदलवारिणीम् मातरम् ॥

तुमि विद्या तुमि धर्म, तुमि ह्रदि तुमि मर्म
त्वं हि प्राणाः शरीरे
बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति,
हृदये तुमि मा भक्ति,
तोमारै प्रतिमा गडि मन्दिरे-मन्दिरे ॥

त्वं हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी
कमला कमलदल विहारिणी
वाणी विद्यादायिनी, नमामि त्वाम्
नमामि कमलां अमलां अतुलाम्
सुजलां सुफलां मातरम् ॥

श्यामलां सरलां सुस्मितां भूषिताम्
धरणीं भरणीं मातरम् ॥

Friday, September 01, 2006

Tehri project commissioned

When I called home this Sunday my mother told me that father has left for Tehri early morning. As I hadn't been watching news the day before, I didn't realize what was the need to go there on a "Sunday". I didn't know that the Tehri hydel project was to be dedicated to nation on that day. I wish I was there to watch the grandeur. There exist the largest hydel project in asia and if I am correct largest man-made cave, in which I guess I won't get a chance to enter again.

Over two years back when I was there, I had seen the old town razed to ground. But still we were able to make out the places where clock tower, Tehri palace and prison used to exist. About half of the once-existing town had submergered in Bhagirathi, and the rest got drowned by next summer. Now the memories exist only in photographs.

Check out the place on wikimapia.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

देव वाणी

एक कतरा खून का
मत समझो केवल खून है
जीवन है यह मेरा
जो हो रहा मुझसे दूर है।

एक बूँद पसीने की
मत समझो केवल पानी है
मेहनत है यह मेरी
जिसमे निचुड़ी मेरी जवानी है।

होठों से निकले इन शब्दों को
मत समझो केवल कहानी है
संसार का अनन्त सत्य है यह
यही तो देववणी है।
                  -- Udipta Gupta

Monday, July 10, 2006

हुँकार

ऐ देव तुने क्या सोचा
हो जाएँगे हम नत तेरे समक्ष
नहीं जीत सके तुझसे तो क्या
मानेंगे नहीं हार हम ।

तू करता रहे अपनी मनमानी
और हम तेरी पूजा करें,
तू रुलाए हमें खून के आँसू
और हम तेरा गुणगान करें ।

जो कुछ जीवन में हमें है मिला
वो हमारा अपना पुरुषार्थ है,
पर जो कुछ तू छीन है लेता
वह केवल तेरा अपना स्वार्थ है ।

हमें जो मिला है मानव जीवन
हम लड़ने की शक्ती रखते हैं,
सौ बार गिर कर भी
उठने की हिम्मत रखते हैं ।

हमारे जीवन के पथ पर
तू जहाँ भी काँटे बिछाता है
उसे पार करके आगे
ये मानव ही बढ़ पाता है ।

अंतिम क्षण तक लड़ने का सामर्थ्य
अकेले मानव ही रख पाता है
हार की डर से तुझ जैसा कायर
पीठ दिखाकर भाग जाता है ।

विष निकला जब सागर से
तूने किया भोलेनाथ का आहवान
निकला जब सागर से अमृत तो
अकेले किया तुने उसका पान ।

शर्मोहया तो नहीं है तुझमे
न है अपने कर्त्तव्यों का ज्ञान
स्वर्ग में बने रहने की खातिर
हर लेता है जिस-तिस के प्राण ।

भरने दे तेरे पापों का घड़ा
उस दिन लेंगे हम तेरी खबर
माँगेगा तू अगर मौत भी हमसे
नहीं मिलेगी वो भी तुझको पर ।

तू क्या तेरी औकात है क्या
जो तू हमसे टकराने आया है
तुझ जैसे कई इन्द्रों को हमने
स्वर्ग से लाखों बार हटाया है ।
                                        -- उदिप्त गुप्ता

Monday, June 05, 2006

मन की व्यथा

मन की व्यथा
कभी आँखों से आँसू बनकर बहती है
और कभी यही व्यथा
आँखों से अँगारे बन बरसती है।

आँखों के आँसू देख
तू मुँह फ़ेर चला जाता है
पर इन्ही आँखों के अँगारों से
सँसार समस्त जल जाता है।

आँखों के आँसू कमज़ोरी
और अँगारे क्या जोश-जवानी हैं
इन्सान तू भूल है जाता
दोनों व्यथा की ही निशानी हैं।
           -Udipta Gupta

Thursday, May 11, 2006

कलयुग की कविता

हे कृष्ण तू इस कलयुग में आ कर तो दिखा

तूने 18 साल की उम्र मे मामा कँस को मारा
बिन लादेन को हाथ लगा कर तो दिखा

तूने अर्जुन को सारी गीता सुनाई
मेरे project manager से एक बार बात करके तो दिखा

तूने अर्जुन का सारथी बनकर पाण्डवों को जिताया
Indian cricket team का coach बनकर World Cup जिता करके तो दिखा

तूने भरी मेहफ़िल में द्रौपदी को साड़ी पहनाई
मल्लिका शेरावत को दो-जोड़ी कपड़े पहना कर तो दिखा

तूने गोकुल की 1600 गोपीयाँ पटाईं
मेरी company की सिर्फ़ एक लड़की को पटा कर दिखा

हे कृष्ण तू इस कलयुग में आ कर तो दिखा

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Banking Ombudsman Scheme - 2006

Have you ever come across any bad experience with any of the banks? Do the bank officials always behave rudely and don't assist you properly? Have you lost any money due to ATM faults? Has money been deducted from your account without information? Here comes the solution. Log on to www.bankingombudsman.rbi.org.in and register your complaint. This RBI's initiative to protect customers' rights in today's Bank dominated environment came into effect from 1st January 2006. You will get your problem solved soon. Hope you find it useful.

Friday, January 06, 2006

Mathemagic: Andamans best

Last winter, the Andaman Islands were in the news for the tsunami. This winter, they are in news for a different reason.

A German tour operator-turned-author, Wim De Ruiter, has named the areas containing the world’s 10 best beaches. In his list, which was carried in The Independent, De Ruiter gave the Andaman Islands the top rank.

The first four areas on the list — others are Laccadive Islands, the Maldives and the Seychelles — are in the Indian Ocean.

De Ruiter used maths to arrive at his top 10. Measurable factors like quality of sand and colour, luminosity and depth of water and angle of the sun were rated on a scale of 1 to 5.

Explaining his formula, he said: “White sand is only made by the erosion of coral reefs. Coral can only be found in waters where the temperature never drops below 21C. This is why the best beaches are only to be found in the tropics, between 27 degrees north and 27 degrees south of the Equator.”

The Independent seemed to agree: “Others may quibble with his top 10 destinations, but there is no question that the Andamans and Laccadives are heavenly spots which have earned the reputation of tropical paradise.”

Keep this in mind next time you plan your vacations.