My first experiment with electro Magnetic waves...

I remember little about the time we had a black & white television. That was in 1994. Cable must have just about. Maybe at the time I didn't even have enough sense to think about getting a cable connection. The television used to be kept in a room on the first floor of the house. I was sitting alone watching it. At the time b&w televisions didn't have remote controls, but perhaps now they do. Sitting all by myself, I thought why not twist the television's ears and change channels. Thought to myself that just like the transistor catches radio and FM waves, maybe television will catch some of the cable channels. Twist by twist, I reached one such channel which was showing a film. I thought why not try and move the wire around a little to see if the image clears a little more. But the image didn't change. I thought something must be done so I can watch cable. The cable-guy's satellite was just five steps away. The wires were tied to an electricity pole in front of the house. All that separated me from them were the electricity wires to the pole, and the breadth of the lane. I cast a glance at the rooftops in the market. They had tied a speaker, the rim of a cycle and a magnet to the antenna on their roofs.

I thought, something has to be done. I went to the kabari (scrap dealer) shop in my lane and bought a cycle rim. Then, went up to my roof, removed the wire from the antenna and tied it to the cycle rim. Back downstairs to the TV, I saw cable (transmission) was clear. When mummy came back from her vegetable shopping, she was surprised to see a new movie on television. She asked me, "There is a new film on the television?" I said I made it happen with my brain. Mummy said, "What did you do?" I told her to go up and see for herself. I was sitting downstairs, watching the film. Mummy quietly went up and removed the rim from the antenna. I thought maybe there is some problem from the main transmission. Mummy came back down and said, "Go return this rim to wherever you got it from." I asked her why she had removed it. Mummy said, "When your father returns from duty today, we'll get a cable connection." I replied with an 'okay'.

Papa came back in the evening. I asked him to get a cable connection. He said we'd get it done the next day. But I was restless for cable. I sneaked Raju into the house and started to think about a new plan.

And this is what I did - I took the TV antenna wire, removed the insulation, and pulled out the strands of wire one by one. I told Raju, "I'll keep peeling off the insulation, you keep winding it up." Two hours passed. We estimated the length of the wire would be enough to reach across now. I said to Raju, "You go stand on the roof opposite, and throw two small stones from the window." The window didn't have a grill.

I was on the second floor, and just below me was the electricity wire. Raju threw in the stones. I tied the wires I had peeled, the thickness of which was microscopic, to these stones. Then I threw them across. But they got entangled in my hand and landed straight on the electricity wires. The shock I got then! For a second I thought I was dead and gone to heaven. But I didn't relent, and threw the wire once again. Raju was quick. He caught them and quickly swung up his arms. I ran up to that roof, and simply tied the wires to the joint in the cable. I came back to find the transmission was smooth and clear.

Next day, papa said, "Get a cable connection today." I thought, who wants to give a hundred and fifty rupees every month. I said, "Let it be. What's the need."

Tying up loose ends

आज से १५० साल पहले स्वाधीनता के प्रथम संग्राम का आगाज हुआ था, और आज के दिन एक नयी तरह कि समाज व्यवस्था का अन्वेषण हुआ है। उत्तर प्रदेश विधान सभा २००७ के चुनावों के नतीजे काफी चौकाने वाले रहे, जहाँ मायावती कि बहुजन समाज पार्टी को संपूर्ण बहुमत मिल वहीँ भा जा पा का यह उत्तर प्रदेश में सब से निम्न प्रदर्शन रहा। यहाँ गौर करने वाली बात यह है कि मायावती की इस नयी सामाजिक व्यवस्था, जिसमे पीड़ित और पीड़ित करने वाले को एक साथ लाने का प्रयास किया गया है, को मतदाताओं का पूर्ण समर्थन मिला। शायद भा जा पा का मूल मतदाता जो अब ब स पा के साथ होने कि वजह से ही आज वोह ५० तक आके टिक गयी। एक समय था जब उत्तर प्रदेश में भा जा पा लोक सभा में प्रदेश से लगभग सीटें जीती थी, किन्तु आज इस नयी सामाजिक वयवस्था ने सारे समीकरण बदल दिए।

ब स पा ने इस चुनाव me पुरानी अंग्रजी कहावत "Tying loose ends" से प्रेरणा ली और समाज के अगडे ब्राहमणों को दलितो के साथ ला कर एक अजेय चक्र का निर्माण किया। प्रदेश के जनता के जतिओं के प्रति अंध समर्पण को मायावती ने समझा और एक योजना बाना डाली, जिसकी सम्प्रन्गिता का शायद और किसी को अंदाज़ा भी ना था।

एक मह्ताव्पूर्ण प्रश्न यहाँ यह है कि यह व्यवस्था कितने दिनों के लिए रह पायेगी। यदि यह योजन सफल होती है तो शायद यह एक नए समाज के निर्माण में सहारा दे। परतु शायद यह सब उतने उंचे स्तर पर भी नही है, और लोगों ने बहुत ही निम्न मानसिकता के साथ अमे निर्वाचन के अधिकार का प्रयोग किया। शायद इस नयी समाजिक व्यवस्था के नए सदस्य इस बात से खुस थे कि ८७ ब्रह्मिन उम्मीदवार थे ब स पा के, लेकिन किसी ने यह नही सोचा कि इससे समाज और प्रदेश का कितना भला होगा। सबने बस शायद अपने स्वार्थ देखे, और एक ऐसी पार्टी को वोट दिए जिसने एक समय साड़ी सामजिक व्यवस्था को तोड़ा था और चुनाव टिकटों के लिए खुले आम पैसे लिए। हम क्या उम्मीद रख सकते हैं ऐसे उम्मिदारों से जिन्होंने २५ लाख रूपये मैं टिकेट ख़रीदा था।

शायद प्रदेश मैं कुछ आतंक घटेगा किन्तु प्रशाश्निक तंत्र के प्रति आतंक बढेगा। अज हमारो भावी मुख्यमंत्री को शालीनता कि व्याकरण भी नही पता है शायद। फिर से एक दौर पार्कों, अम्बेडकर ग्रामों, नए जिलों और विश्विद्यालयों के नाम बदलने का आयेगा। फिर से कोई बड़ा घोटाला और माया और उनके परिज़ानों के अज्ञात खतों का बोझ बढ जाएगा। मुलायम और अमर सिंह का भविष्य भी अगले पाँच सालों मैं क्या होगा यह भी एक पहेली है।

परंतु शायद कुछ ब्रह्मिनो को पुलिस सिपाही और क्लर्क कि नौकरियाँ मिल जायेगी। शायद ३ लाख कि बजाय दो लाख में लगेगी बोली सरकारी नौकरिओं और मिलेगा कुछ एक्स्ट्रा discount ब्रह्मिनो को। किसी ने माया से यह नही पूँछ के प्रदेश के आर्थिक व्यवस्था का क्या hoga, ना ही किसी ने यह पूंछा कि आज के आगे बढते हुए भारत में प्रदेश कब शामिल होगा।

Jugad

I am not able to recall exactly when I heard this term "Jugad" for the first time. It might have been in my childhood days, when I wouldn't have even been able to speak. Every thing in India works on "Jugad".

Jugad: which I believe literally means something out of the way, but has several other meaning as well in common language. The other meanings can be alternative arrangement, source, approach, close associates, well known persons, an attempt to get a thing done, source of livelihood. This is also one word which changes its meaning very often depending upon the speaker, circumstances & the context. But why am I writing about this great word today……

I believe that this is the one thing which has been most influential thing the life of Indians. We are grown up in a jugad culture, where we are accustomed to find out the out of the way solutions for our problems.

The jugad cycle starts with the birth of the child. First the parents have to have some jugad(approach) in the municipal office to get the birth certificate (Jugads also need cash). Then to get an admission in good school, to get a job………..even to get a space for funeral pier you need to have jugad in our country. We are so absorbed in this way of work that we even don’t want to explore the solution available………I need a driving licence, so what a jugad will do….People searching for jobs can often be found out asking for jugads in the offices…..My electricity meter is running fast..so what if I have a have jugad(Close associate or a known person), who can open the meter without disturbing its seal…through some jugad(alternative arrangement) & then slowing down the speed through some jugad…..Its the era of jugads….n that approach only has slowed down our development. Instead of looking for good solutions we always set some jugad(shortcut), We don’t try to fulfill our duties….n then a jugad can save….

Some times you search for a jugad to get the money….i paise ka koi jugad karao…n if it works then jugad fit ho gaya….its not always negative of out of the way. It may also refer to an arrangement…ghar ka jugad hua kya.

Jugad has also given a lot of things to our society….Its the root of innovation. If you ever happen to visit some villages in UP/Haryana/Rajasthan, you will find out a vehicle named jugad……a bullock cart where the bulls have been replaced by a diesel engine.....(even Ferrari can’t think of such a thing)…It has a flexible capacity….I myself have witnessed a jugad carrying around 30-40 ppl….

Then upon reaching the village you can easily spot cycle rims with some wire connected to it on top of the homes……..This is a jugad TV antenna….I am not sure about the innovator but this is absolutely great….n provided an easy access to DD…I am desperately waiting for the day when some jugad will be available to bring DTH services as well. I am sure that the great jugadis of India will certainly do that some day…. A bullet motorbike used for a tractor to plow…..some used cell giving electric power with the help of cow dung & sun…and a lot others…

I believe if these jugadi’s were given a chance, could have earned some nobles for India..

Some ourkutian also started a jugad community….n there’s a website too http://jugad.livejournal.com/

I belive we can’t live without these jugads….Long live jugad…

My Jugad tip: You can use your headphone as microphone….if required, sound quality may not be that good but it can work it the times when no other option is available….

Basically the funda of a Mic is same as that of a speaker….Just plug the headphone jack in to the place for mic & place the phone near to your mouth…Sometimes only one earplug will catch the voice…but better headphones can even record stereo sound just record the sound from right earplug & play it…it will play only on the right speaker of your comp. So next time when u don’t have a mic n got friend on gtalk, just plug your earplugs in to the mic socket……