Happy 62nd anniversary of India's independence!!

[1] When mutinies against British rule broke out in northern India in 1857, the Bengal Army, composed of Indian soldiers under British command, had 139,000 soldiers. How many sided with Britain, and how many with the mutineers?
(a) 78,000 for Britain; 61,000 for the mutineers
(b) 7,800 for Britain; 131,200 for the mutineers
(c) 110,000 for Britain; 29,000 for the mutineers
(d) 23 for Britain; 138,977 for the mutineers

[2] In 1901 India's population was 300m. How many Britons lived in India and ruled over them?
(a) 1.2m
(b) 239,000
(c) 154,000
(d) 28,900

[3] Mohandas Gandhi is more commonly known by the honorific "Mahatma", which means what?
(a) "National father"
(b) "Spiritual leader"
(c) "Great soul"
(d) "Child of God"

[4] What was Gandhi holding on March 12th 1930 when he announced to a crowd, "With this _____ I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire"?
(a) A policeman's collar
(b) A document pronouncing India's independence
(c) A handful of salt
(d) A length of spun cotton

[5] What did Gandhi say "accentuate[s] the evil nature of man" and lets "bad men fulfil their designs with greater rapidity"?
(a) Trains
(b) Wristwatches
(c) Assembly lines
(d) Shoes

[6] Which of these most accurately describes Mahatma Gandhi's murderer?
(a) He was a Muslim who believed he was waging a "holy war" against Hindu occupation
(b) He was a spurned political rival
(c) He was a Hindu enraged by the creation of Pakistan
(d) He was a Sikh enraged that the partition of India created separate Hindu and Muslim countries, but denied self-rule to the Sikhs

[7] About how many people were uprooted during the sectarian violence that broke out during the partition of British India into independent India and Pakistan in 1947?
(a) 500,000
(b) 2m
(c) 5m
(d) 12m

[8] How did Kashmir, with its predominantly Muslim population, come to have a Hindu ruler at the time of partition?
(a) The British hastily installed a puppet maharajah as they were leaving
(b) The same family ruled Kashmir for a millennium; they resisted the spread of Islam and remained Hindu
(c) The British had awarded the state to a Hindu soldier 50 years earlier
(d) The British had sold the state to a Hindu maharajah 100 years earlier

[9] Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, wrote that religion:
(a) "Is, as a Russian said, the opiate of the masses"
(b) "Waters the rich and loamy soil of our Mother India"
(c) "Has not only broken our backs but stifled and almost killed all originality of thought or mind"

(d) "Thrives in our beloved India as nowhere else on Earth, and without it we would be immeasurably poorer"

[10] In a letter to his wife from a colonial jail, Nehru wrote that he saw himself as:
(a) "A traveller, limping along in the dark night"
(b) "A warrior of the spirit, bound to call our nation to greatness"
(c) "An attendant lord, one that will do to swell a progress, start a scene or two"
(d) "One fated to make a lasting mark"

[11] What happened on April 7th 2005 for the first time since the partition of India and Pakistan?
(a) Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire across the Siachen glacier in Kashmir
(b) A passenger bus drove between the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir and the capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir
(c) A gate at the Kashmiri border was left open all night
(d) England won a test match against India

[12] Rahul Gandhi, a young MP, is sometimes rumoured to be a possible candidate for prime minister. Which of his blood relations did not hold that office?
(a) His great-grandfather
(b) His grandfather
(c) His father
(d) His grandmother

Source: Economist

I scored 8/12 and they say I have not missed your tryst with destiny! Wut's your score?

Find the answers in the comment section.

kidzo zone!!

i was browsing through songs for my sweet chweetu niece and then i came across this song. I so loved the song and the video that i watched it at least 10 times now :P i sure am a kid, aint i?? :P so people who haven't seen it, watch it and get on to ur kidzee shoes :D njaaaai!!

Kajal, I miss you

The Pink Orchid - I met her during her early days in blogs ville. Her words were deep and every time I read her I was touched. It did not take long for us to become friends. Time took us for a ride and we ended up being best friends. It's so long now that I talked to her. Her blog remains hidden/deleted. Her mailbox seems to be removed. No other contact information shared! What do I do when I miss her?

Work life seems too monotonous to enjoy. Personal life looks faded with the shadows of thoughts about career and what lies ahead. I miss my family, my love, my friends - though everyone is near, reachable! I feel lonely today or maybe that's how i want it to be.

My heart tells me that it wouldn't share its emotions with me. My pulse tells me that it would rather fake the beats even if it feels weak. My breathe would not let me know about it even if it faces any difficulty on its way. They all want me to be happy. They would fake it all, take all the pain and smile just to see me happy. Would that help? I feel lost!

What would you do when all that you say makes the distance between you and your loved ones grow? How helpless does you feel when it comes to relationships? How do you make sure that the smile you see on your loved one's face is genuine?

The world around is so unpredictable. People walk off from your life and you could just see them leave. Others stay near you and act distant. At times it all seems insane. People struggle to break free when they are tied and then long to get tied when they are free. Today, there is nothing that make me feel content. Everything I do, every word I say makes me feel frustrated. Maybe its a phase and if it is, its definitely not a lovely experience!

Kajal, I wrote this post for you. But I could not stop myself from writing about all these. So don't get carried away with what I have written. I miss you friend, and way too much. Where ever you are, have that smile on your face. May God shower all the happiness and care on you. Peace.

To the rest of the world: I am not sad. I am confused about a lot of things. I wanted to write another post. A post which tells about my love. I wanted to introduce her to you. But that would wait for now. Words look distant! I might take time but I would read all your blogs. You guys take care. I am fine and I would be back soon.

Politics: Kerala Chief Minister Comrade V S Achuthananthan dropped from Politburo after four hours lengthy Central Committee meeting. The infighting within CPI[M] has definitely made people insane or else Mr.Karat would not have taken such a decision against the most senior leader of the party. For people who don't know about VS, among the people who created the party - CPI[M], VS is the only person from kerala who is alive today. There is only one message I have for VS : Money and Parliamentary dreams have made the party leaders insane. Walk out safe before they crush you with their stupid remarks. There are millions like me who support CPI[M] for its policies and its history. Walk out to us and we shall give you the respect you deserve. You are our hero. Inquilab Zindabad.