FIRST CUT

SIKKIM ACT 1 Scene 1

I've got a soul that cannot sleep at night when something just ain’t right -- The Power of Equality; Red Hot Chilli Peppers

It certainly was not my intention to start off bitching like this. But frequent power cuts always manages to have this magical effect on the nerves of people like me, people who can still feel and react to the power play of the powers that be.

POWERLESS: The Government of Sikkim has been harping for what seems like ages about how the state has the potential to generate enough hydroelectric power – not only to meet internal demands but also export surplus power to “other needy areas”. Despite the rhetoric, of late, certain parts of the Capital town of Gangtok are being practically left in the dark by the powers that be. The Power Development Corporation took over power sector from the state government less than six months ago amidst much controversy, but it has not fared any better than its predecessor when it comes to doing its job. I’m kinda confused here – do they mean muscle flexing or electricity when they say ‘power development’! If the government and whatever corporation can’t meet internal demands – and this after displacing people living in areas falling under the hydroelectric power ‘project sites’ – shame on them. And shame on the rest of us for taking this lying down.

YOU DON’T NEED NO EDUCATION: Alright, Sikkim has been bagging awards for this and that at the India Today conclave for the past couple of years. And if I remember correctly, one of them was ‘best state among smaller states in the field of education’ (funny how they always somehow managed to forget to include the ‘among smaller states’ part in their press releases and speeches!).

Now that said, isn’t it amazing how everyone expects kids to study sans electricity as if they have built-in night vision. Yoo-hoo! School examinations start on the first of March, remember sweethearts? For a person who claims not to think too much, I’ve been doing a bit of thinking lately and all my thinking has only led me to wonder one thing: shouldn’t the Department of Human Resource Development (formerly known as Education Department) have been the first to cry itself hoarse over these frequent power cuts? But why bother when you got a scapegoat. The department can always blame the teachers in case the results are ‘not satisfactory’, right? And the teachers, in turn, can blame the parents, and the parents their kids. The kids, in their turn, can fling back the accusations at their teachers. See, it’s a vicious circle, but one that spares the concerned department and the power(less) corporation.

And if some of the school buildings in rural parts of Sikkim are any indication of what the government and HRD Department mean by ‘quality education’, hell, I say: take it easy and just give them kids some normal education, alright! Leaking roofs, no roofs, crumbling walls, missing window panes, congested classrooms, inadequate number of classrooms, rickety old furniture… well, you get the picture. And throw in some unenthusiastic rookie teachers to complete the monstrosity our village kids get in the name of education.

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY: But then again, no matter how big the mess, you can always play that game called ‘pass the buck’ – and ultimately the blame can be thrust squarely on the shoulders of the almighty Central Government. Man, I believe in the power of power decentralisation: the power to spread power away from the Centre to local governments – and the power of the latter to centralise all locally created screw-ups, send them back to the Centre and wash their hands clean off the matter. These are only simple instances of the state of affairs of this ‘blessed land’; the rot lies deep and thick.

WE LOVE (Y)OUR APATHY: The public is nothing but mute spectators. Oh, they can cry bloody foul at the drop of a hat, all right. The only problem is they show signs of life only for the wrong reasons. Lily-assed rascals, all of them! If they’d put in a fraction of the effort they put in fanning the fire of communalism and pimping their souls for easy money, Sikkim would have truly been a Shangri-La, heaven on earth, as the tourism board here likes to boast.

This is my fight / come on courage, let’s be heard / turn feelings into words … Not another motherfuckin’ politician doin’ nothin’ but something for his own ambition -- The Power of Equality; RHCP

RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT: Media here has always maintained an eerie silence over issues that matter, issues of public interest. Why? Because their bread and butter comes from the government, in the form of government advertisements, notices and stuff like that. And that’s because Sikkim sorely lacks big corporate houses and business establishments; that’s bad news for the media in terms of raking in big advertising bucks. So the modus operandi is very simple: if they try exercising their freedom of speech and expression, cut ’em off the ‘government dole for the media’ list.

In earlier political regimes, they simply burnt down the publication office and printing press, besides, of course, throwing the publisher/editor/reporter in question in the slammer. But these are days of ‘real’ democracy and they do everything in a refined, democratic manner; yes, even those things that are not very democratic in spirit. Just snip off the lifeline of the media, which of course is funds, and they either down the shutters or stop cribbing. And there you have it – complete peace of mind.

Democracy is just a demo of hypocrisy and freedom a farce. Give me one local newspaper that will agree to publish what I’ve written here and I’ll slave for you for a year without remuneration. Janis Joplin once sang “freedom is another word for nothing left to lose and nothing is what Bobby left me”. Well, in this present state of affairs, what have I got to lose but my temper!

- NICO -

- Madman Enters- MIZORAM- Act 1, Scene 2

"Keep your eyes on the road your hands upon the wheel"
There is just nothing that MY government do to better the lives of the people of Mizoram, Ministers and their PF's,their obsessions with lavish Sedans and their lack of knowledge about the roads they are travelling on. Ok I for one is sure a private person, like all the tinted glasses on my car but I know I can look out and see...These bloody ministers can't even look out the window of their cars, lil' do they know one can wish upon a lucky star, leaning out the window of a car.
Should I blame it on the engineers, or their superiors
Should I blame it on the lay person or their employers
Mother SHOULD I drop The BOMB and blame it on the government...This I can do.
I hate it when I hit a bump, and whenever I hear a thump on the suspension arm of the wheel of my car, I hate it when I rotate my tyres and have to lay my eyes on the uneven wear of the rubbers...all I ask of is MORE TAR ON THE ROAD faggots.

Everytime my tyre squeals I hope that who ever ate up all the sanctions would die...for this is the road to hell

BEE ESS YEN EL:I am sure almost all of us have been in a situation where you have this really important call to make from a remote area, and all you could get is a display on your mobiles 'NO SERVICE' when you are inside the network coverage area...well if you do not get you are luckily not using BSNL...
From the time BSNL introduced cellular conectivity in Mizoram, I have never been satisfied with their cell networks man the transition from one cell to another is fucked up...sure put up more towers but hello...that surely hasn't solved the probs, and we have no GPRS or GSM damn and we pay a fortune for bills. The game is ugly and the playaz are well they are not worth my criticism...I wonder when AIRTEL stops advertising and starts servicing...seen red and white all over the town...

hey you could you help me to carry the stone? Don't give up, Together we fight

LOCAL TELEVISION SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME: (Digital media on emphetamines)
There was a huge fire, burning up downtown and it was being telecast LIVE...what was that shit about??? If It was breaking news than where the hell was the news reporter, Is he/she dumb and deaf...Such a tragedy it is, those buisnesses burnt down, the lives of people ruined, do we care...do you remember them after that night man I have seen bigger fires being put out, I have been in a wild fire trying to put it out...but it's the first time I have seen it live on tv Twice over...give reports or don't telecast at all you dumb producers blind media person, moron camera person and all the crew FUCK YOU...If you have NEWS bring it on.
"Hey yo, and dick with this...! LISTEN Here is RATM to see me through.
Word is born,Fight the war, fuck the norm
Now I got no patience,So sick of complacence
With the D the E the F the I the A the N the C the E
Mind of a revolutionary,So clear the lane
The finger to the land of the chains
What? The land of the free? Whoever told you that is your enemy?"

"ANGER IS A GIFT"-from freedom RATM
"Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses" Killin in the name of......Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites, You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
"Come on!
Yes I know my enemies
They're the teachers who taught me to fight me
Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission
Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite"
DESTROY OUR NATION DESTROYOURNATIONDESTROYOURNATIONDESTROYOURNATION
FIST IN THE AIR IN THE LAND OF HYPOCRISY