The Buzz & Beyond

  The Two Diaries ( A Short Story on Love, Marriage, and Understanding) After years of bustling routines, lone nights, boring day-times and quiet dinners, they finally sat together — the husband and the wife — sharing a cup of coffee. The occasion was special: their 30th wedding anniversary . It had been a long time since they had spent such a peaceful moment together. Life had become a carousel of responsibilities, accountabilities of chasing meaningless goals (what is meaningful is yet to be identified is a different question though) and somewhere amidst the chaos, their closeness is progressively getting faded. The silence between them that day wasn’t uncomfortable — just unfamiliar.  Breaking it softly, the wife looked at her husband and said, “There’s so much I want to tell you. These days, we hardly find time to sit together like this.” He lifted his head from the phone and looked at her, "hmmm..?" "that's it! you are hardly present at home. despite being ...

  When Strikes Strike the Common Man: A Consultant’s Frustrating Day in Pune As a consultant, last-minute travel isn’t new. Recently, I had to fly to Delhi/Gurugram on short notice—resulting in a late-night, delayed flight, little to no sleep, and a hectic return journey the same night. I finally landed in Pune around 8:30 PM—exhausted but relieved. Until reality hit. All taxi and auto drivers were on a sudden flash strike. And to my dismay, a rickshaw driver shamelessly quoted ₹1,700 for a 19 km ride. Exploiting the situation? Absolutely. While the stated reason for the strike was rising fuel prices and regulatory gaps, the underlying story is deeper—and more troubling. For years, Pune commuters struggled with unprofessional behavior from traditional auto and taxi drivers: refusal to ply, meter tampering, inflated fares, and route manipulation. The advent of Ola, Uber, and more recently Rapido, was a relief for citizens—finally, professionalism, transparency, and choice. But n...

  Bhakti, Bhajans & Boundaries: Reflections on a Recent Judgment This morning, a post by Shri Cuddalore Gopi Bhagavatar caught my eye. It led me to a news item that left me unsettled: the Madras High Court has ruled that individuals must seek permission from the Collector to perform bhajans in their own homes. Without going into the legal origins of the matter, I can’t help but reflect on the deeper cultural and spiritual implications of such a move. A Difficult Verdict: This judgment feels unfortunate. In Sanatan Dharma, music has always been a sacred bridge to the divine. Singing, dancing, and praying are not merely rituals — they are heartfelt expressions of devotion that elevate the spirit and unite us with Bhagwan. These practices are more than cultural; they are spiritual tools that create an atmosphere of peace, surrender, and love. No One-Size-Fits-All in Devotion: Spirituality in Sanatan Dharma is not rigid. It is deeply personal and wonderfully diverse. Some worship t...

  BRICS: What It Means for India and the New Global Order As the world pivots toward a new geopolitical era, India’s place at the BRICS table becomes more strategic than ever before. The recently concluded BRICS Summit 2025 in Rio de Janeiro marks more than just another high-level diplomatic event—it represents a shifting axis in global power, one where the voices of emerging economies are no longer peripheral but central. For India, this isn’t just about symbolism. It’s a chance to navigate a multipolar world with clarity, confidence, and collaboration. From Acronym to Agenda Setter: The BRICS Evolution It all began as a clever acronym. In 2001, economist Jim O’Neill coined “BRIC” to represent four rapidly growing economies— Brazil, Russia, India, and China —destined to shape the future. By 2006, this economic idea turned into a political platform, and in 2010, South Africa was added to complete the 'S'. Since then, BRICS has transformed from a loosely aligned group in...

  World Population Day 2025: A Call to Empower India’s Youth Every year, July 11 is observed as World Population Day , a global reminder initiated by the United Nations in 1989 to spotlight population-related challenges and reproductive health rights. This year’s theme — “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world” — places the youth at the center of the conversation. But what does this mean for India, home to the largest youth population in the world ? India’s Youth: The Demographic Pulse of a Nation With over 371 million people aged 15 to 29 (UNICEF), India is a nation powered by its young. However, projections show this number may decline to 22.7% by 2036 , according to the Government’s Technical Group on Population Projections. This shift carries both urgency and opportunity. A youthful population can fuel innovation, productivity, and economic growth — what economists call a demographic dividend . But only if we nurture it rig...

  Ageing Is Inevitable; Decaying is not! - Maturity Is a Choice. One of the most misunderstood ideas in life is the difference between ageing and maturity . Many of us assume that as we grow older, we naturally become wiser and more mature. However, the reality is, almost always, the opposite.   Ageing is biological —a process that happens to every living body. From the moment we're born, we’re on a journey towards becoming old. It happens without any effort from our side. It’s passive. Time moves, the body changes, and age catches up. Maturity, on the other hand, is not automatic. It’s not guaranteed by the number of years we have lived. Maturity is an inner evolution. It’s a product of conscious living, of being present in our experiences. We can go through life in two ways: Unaware , as if hypnotised—merely reacting to events, happening in our life, without truly experiencing them. Things keep happening to us, but we remain to be absent. The events pass throug...