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The Union Budget

I switch on the TV eagerly. The finance minister is walking up the steps of the Parliament. She is about to present the union budget. “I think it is a silk sari. Is that color magenta?” my wife said. “What?” I reply. I am more worried about that folder she has in her hand. It is the budget. The Indian Government is presenting its annual budget. All the taxes and rebates come in it. It is usually more taxes and no rebates.  “She has a preference for saris that represent our cultural heritage,” my wife said. “Shh,” I said, increasing the TV volume.  The finance minister’s speech was about to start. Ten minutes later, she stepped into the main part of the speech.“Telecom goods-BCD increased from 10% to 15% on PCBA of specified telecom equipment…” the sound from the TV speaker was echoing in the room. “What does BCD mean?”… The Union Budget

Board on the wall

There is a board on the wall near my college entrance. It has photographs of all the principals from the past on it. The mug shots go back a century. Only one photo was missing: the current guy’s. The man who ordered my suspension for a week. My crime? I released the frogs kept for dissection in our zoology lab. My question is, what is wrong with that? I hate violence, especially against those who cannot fight back. I think the word that I am searching for is a pacifist. Not only that, but I wanted to discuss my side of the story with him, but he refused to listen. In other countries, students bunk classes and protest climate change. And guess what? They get nominated for the Nobel Prize. Here, I get suspended. The system is unjust. “One-week suspension, starting from Monday,” he said; it was Friday.Under normal circumstances,… Board on the wall

The New Year Resolution

A couple of weeks back, I was busy wishing all my near and dear a Happy New Year. Four weeks into the New Year, it is time to take stock of the resolutions I made.