Tushar Mangl

Punjab is gearing for assembly polls. The ruling Akali - BJP alliance faces a strong incumbency factor as it has had a ten year run of the state politics. The media of course favors AAP as the coffers of the Delhi government have been too generous to the media. It continues to highlight the success of AAP in Lok Sabha elections some time ago. But what it does not feel like informing the citizens is that most of those MPs have faded away already. Only Bhagwant Mann remains party's face in Punjab. Of course, relations between AAP and Congress are nice and comfy and that seems to be the way these elections might go. An alliance between the Congress and AAP. The Akali Dal is financially sound and well organized as well. Whatever allegations of corruption people might hurl, they have tried to push the state forward. The BJP it seems has already decided to grab the post of the biggest loser. Its fate now lies in the border district of Amritsar where the Navjot factor will decide ab...

I have been working on The Crumpled Innocence for a long time now. Its been in the cold storage for a while now. It was a spark of an idea but could never reach its true potential. But now I have restarted work on it and release date has been finalized as 15 July, 2016 . Let's hope it goes well. Writing has always been an integral part of my adult life. But will it always remain so? At some level I hope I will move away from writing as it takes up too many of my emotions. Another thing that has always been with me is my reading. It still is my most favourite pass time and I wish and pray it remain so. But now I have added yet another hobby. At least am trying to build it up as a hobby. That is walking and exercising. I like walking. But always felt lazy to take it up. Also my health issues have always been a hindrance in taking up any sports. But look at the kind of lifestyle we lead. Too much unhealthy (yet tasty) food, sedentary lifestyle excessive pollution is all negating o...

In her autobiography Agatha Christie wrote that she seldom went to one place twice for vacation. Her reasoning as I recall was that you have certain memories and you like the place. When you visit that place again and again it spoils those memories. I agree to that. There are so many places in the World. Why keep visiting one again and again. Keep the memories intact. But is it always possible? There are so many places which we visit where memories are created, good and bad. Say an old fort in your city. You went with a loved one for a walk (just saying). Would you rather go their again and again or would you rather never go their again so that the memory of the place remains intact? But you can't avoid the town, can you? Like hill stations. You go to a hill station after few years, you will see less trees, more pollution, more people. The memory of the quaint little town with waterfalls is bound to be disrupted forever. Nostalgia is a tricky thing. Can get you hung over any t...

Over the holi long weekend, I was in Ludhiana, my birth place. We were driving down a road, which I used to take while cycling to school. The road has now been widened, and is much better but the majestic eucalyptus trees, that shaded me in hot summer months, are now all gone. In the maddening rush for wide roads, huge number of trees are being chopped down, not just in Punjab, but in other states as well. It does not make me sad as that is what the countrymen want. Wide roads. Everyone wants that, and politicians too realize the need of their vote bank. Trees don't vote. Where once they grew from a sapling to a an adult tree, they are now just being seen as a road block, an eyesore. And who will speak on their behalf? The moment you try to speak against this shameless atrocity you would be branded as an anti development, activist. As if speaking for a bunch of trees is such a huge sin. The felling of roadside trees also does not affect the NGO types as well, who have much larger...

Life is Life. Its harder to live and easier to die. I had so many blog posts all planned up but somehow (read laziness) could not get to write them. Will do that in near term for sure. This is a tough time. I am used to them. Nothing I have not handled before. But each battle leaves you tired and the weariness dims you further. But somehow in recent months I have met and got acquainted with new people I really liked. It also got me to realize why I am stuck on some old friends, who never even loved me. Or just used me as their emotional cushions. They did not even look back to check whether I was okay or not. Now that I got in touch with these new acquaintances whom I will not even see or meet in near future, I realize what I am missing. Still I miss those old friends. Long for the familiar shoulder for comfort. Somehow I think was I too much needy? Immersed in numerous problems of my own, I became too passive in my relationships. So much so that people thought could take advantage. ...

Something something happens and media, social and electronic all go to grab maximum twitter tweets and FB likes. The most painful part about this is the role of social media. It is easy for the Congress obsessed media to hate the BJP and make every issue about RSS and BJP. Even nationalism for example. But why does not a Rajdeep Sardesai I wonder, not pained when a Tanzanian girl is stripped in Bangalore and police decide to take things easy? Just because Bangalore is ruled by the Congress, it is okay with everyone. We are all okay with the inaction of the police on a mob that went around and beat up the girl and her friends. Well because they all love and preach Congress brand of nationalism. No Arnab gets angry no Ravish comes out with theatrical dialogues. This is the patriotism we all are made to like. Where we go around chasing young foreign women and beat them around. It is all okay as long you are not even distantly associated with RSS or BJP.  You are also allowed to...

Letting go, is such a common catch phrase these days. Let go of this, that and everything.It's a cool Sunday morning and as I am reading blogs, going through the facebook posts and all, I get thinking of letting go. In terms of relationships. You know how it is, you ask (or don't ask) any person advise of relationship they all jump in with this age old formula of letting go. Be it cranky friends, annoying relatives, the stupid bosses at work or nosy neighbours. Each relationship it seems is based on letting go. That's how we live as a society. Ignore, avoid and let go. You fight, argue, borrow money, return money whatever, if you want to maintain good relations, just let go. But in the end it hurts. You know that the friend you are sipping coffee with, had once betrayed you way back. The relative for whose marriage you are super excited still owes you money. The ex who is a friend (supposedly) once broke your heart (and ego) very bad. Parents for whom you want to do so m...