2010.

As I look back to the year gone by ,some of the following impressions,articles,entertainment, stories take a precedence over others.

I read very few books and articles,heard few songs,saw few programmes on TV and went on few tours. I have selected the following out of my limited exposure to people and events , that have touched me one way or the other.

The most auspicious event : The kumbha mela at Haridwar.The year was inaugurated with millions taking a dip in the sacred waters of the river Ganga with the immense faith nurtured over the centuries that it would cleanse one of all accumulated karma's.

The Indian of the year: Aam aadmi and Aam aurat---To name a few,the Brahmin priests of temples in remote villages of Tamilnadu,the Fauji[ soldier] and his sons in the thick forests of Uttarakand ,and the teachers of Thirunellvelli [TN] .

The pleasant looking couples: The comely deputy CM's.

The well preserved yester year icons : Dream girl and Angry young man.

The best sports persons:The women wrestlers.

The best English news reader on TV : The host of India 'confuses' [the antonym] programme.

The best tamil news reader on TV : Hostess of morning news on 'King' [translate] channel

The best actor: Ravanan.

The best blog : The one on the hardships faced by an Indian soldier.

The best funny blog: The one on Gothranome.

I found the following articles on dailies and weeklies stirring.
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The article on the agrarian crisis and the farmers suicide in Maharashtra in daily that is 'secular' but bears a 'communal' name.

The article on the need to respect the privacy of wild animals in wild life tourism in a daily that is a' trailblazer'[ the synonym]

The article on the travails and resilience of a post woman in the jungles of WB in a weekly which is a Desi answer to wikkileaks.

The lament and the pitiful song of the Red Indians in a Tamil weekly--'Pleasant humour' [translate]

The article in defence and in praise of the much maligned public servants by a reader in a daily.
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The articles on history's immortals dying in the prime of their youth in a' journal' commonly associated with schools.

The best media practises is that of 'Desi wikkileaks' and 'Nerum' or 'Samaai' [translate] of Bharat [translate] on the net for, publishing comments reflecting all shades of opinions liberally .

The best comments on the blogs. :From the analytical to critical ,cynical to poetical ,statistical to whimsical,communal to regional ,lyrical to satirical , philosophical to practical,classical to colloquial,and most of all highly patriotical and democratical ,it would fill a library.


The worst scam , [I can't use the word'best' here canI?] : The 'exemplary'[translate] housing scam .I can see mouth agape in astonishment and hear the exclamatory 'Aah' at this choice of mine.Isn't it 2 G? Raja aur runk [ tax payers] ji? Haan ji . But hear me out.
Whilst the former scam is cursed by the blood of martyrs the latter is by the sweat of honest labour.To me, the former is far more serious.

The TV coverage that had me in its grips was : The one on the tumultuous events leading to the marriage of a Tennis player.

The most memorable court verdict was: The one on Mandir Masjid dispute.

The most memorable event was: The common[sans 'calamity'] wealth games.

The best programme I enjoyed on DTH was AIR Ragam and Retro---old Hindi film songs broadcast and telecast by the 'moon' [antonym] net work . It was abruptly stopped few months back.

The best programme I am enjoying now on 'winning'[translate] TV is the daily 1 hour concert of currently popular carnatic musicians.

The best short story I read was 'Over coat' . Sorry not by any latest author but by a 19 century Russian writer.

The most spiritual moment of all the religious trips I undertook this year was the dip in the icy cold raging waters of Ganges in pouring rain at Rishikesh..