Don't we all love entertainment, drama, gossip, spice, masala, tamasha, feelings, emotions?

Well, obviously we do and so we go spend a load of money on movies at the multiplexes, ruin our mealtime activities by being glued to the TV watching debauched soaps about people who don't seem to even inhabit the same world we do. I really wonder why, because all that I earlier mentioned: drama, gossip, spice, masala, tamasha, feelings, emotions is found, (by the tonne --) in a much simpler and more educational medium, in real life everyday situations with no artificial ingredients, straight and undiluted.

What I am talking about is none other than our own beloved real-time desi NEWS. And "desi" I say deliberately because I have come to realise that one week in the lifetime of an Indian is as good as a month or longer in anyone else's life. We Indians seem to live, breathe, sleep, eat, drink and thrive in Drama. We never have a dull day.

Just look at the past few weeks for instance; each day has the makings of the world's greatest entertainer, with all the ingredients.

Firstly, we have the biggest scandal of all ---with the arrest of the Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati for the murder of a Mutt official; Each day there is a new angle to the picture, (as if the arrest wasn't enough to shock us all) the Seer is being mistreated, tortured, can't do puja, is ill ... no no the doctors say he is fine. The DMK, which actually called for the Seer's arrest did a volte-face after his arrest, saying that Jayalalitha had the Seer arrested out of alleged personal vindictiveness.

Uma says his arrest is his tapasya. Then there are claims from women accusing the Acharaya of 'sexual misconduct'. Every day more charges are added to the murder charge (as if that wasn't enough), but at the other end the Defense Counsel keeps asking for bail, which keeps getting rejected.

Then I don't know from where the whole political angle came into the picture (I guess our netas can't leave anything all and well alone) with the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) calling it a 'conspiracy' by the silent Sonia Gandhi (she is damned either way, silent or not), all they really want to do here is make the Seer's arrest work in their own hindutva's favour and add brownie points for the next elections.

---- Now, the political arena and the Winter Session -- in Parliament. It is a blast to follow. You see each politician in his very true colours and his very 'honest' worst, screaming, banging, throwing chappals, chairs. The poor Speaker scolding them like one would little children "You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Why would they when they don't know any different? It really was the very limit this time when you had party people blocking proceedings by coming to parliament in bullock carts. Really, will things ever change?

Speaking of bullock carts, Bihar can't be too far behind. That State is really an embarrassment to us all. Everyday a certain member of society gets kidnapped and huge amounts of ransom - are demanded; Doctors, Engineers, you name it, so far the only people safe are Laloo, the kidnappers and the judges, who fearing for their lives, I guess, are calling for a change in the way things are being ruined, I mean run.

The discovery of a cache of forbidden items such as knifes, cell phones, etc, during a Jail raid ---- on an MP (facing murder charges), was another feather in the affairs of Bihar or the way it is run, and for dear old Lalooji to say that after all the convict in question is an MP and what is so wrong in him being in possession of such items (nothing can stop a man from --- plying his trade it seems). ---- Also, the reshuffling of high ranking police officers just before elections has to be taken as a norm rather than not then an exception because it seems to be happening all the time everywhere, so why blame Laloo or Bihar alone.

The Laloo-Paswan spat is laughable, to say the least. It just goes to show that our netas of today can't even remember what they say from one day to the next, and for the poor Junta to even expect them to uphold their pre election pledges and promises is in itself naive.

In the ongoing Indo-Pak saga, the so-called CBM'S (Confidence Building Measures) are just talk and more talk and nothing else. ----------- Kashmir and PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) are caught in the midst of it all, and all that is left there are a lot of angry, lost, fuming people who don't know what to do or how to deal with the situation they have on their hands? Seeing their lives and livelihood crumble before their very eyes. It's too sad really.

----- The list just goes on and on and so could I, but I am exhausted keeping tab. And we haven't even begun tackling the mess. But the fact remains that with all --- this happening, there seems to be no way to change anything, we all seem to be caught in the rut. There is no solution that I can see.

If you are the brain surgeon and have answers and even questions, please let's get in touch. Maybe we can do something for our India or at least brainstorm and have a good debate, if nothing else.