Crucifixion / ক্ৰুছবিদ্ধ আই মোৰ

Freedom was promised

at the stroke of the midnight hour.

Inevitable was my birth
amid lightening riot of hope.
(and I was born free)

Then, they burnt my brush

the day I painted my sister 

crucified in South Delhi, 

and she was violated in love, in marriage.

(and I was born free)

Then, they ravaged my words

the day I wrote of children of nation enslaved

by capitalo-socialism, by empty stomach, 

by already "fixed" level playing field.
(and I was born free)

Then, they maimed my voice

the day I protested in million thunder

against tyranny, against female foeticide,

against corruption in politics,

corruption in criminal justice system,

corruption in my Mother’s milk

and I was born free!
................................................................

ক্ৰুছবিদ্ধ আই মোৰ

মাজনিশাই নিজৰ অস্তিত্ব ঘোষণা কৰিছিল,
আৰু স্বাধীনতাৰ প্ৰতিশ্ৰুতি দিয়া হৈছিল মোৰ আইক।
নিদ্ৰাত মগ্ন আঁউসীৰ মৰ্ত্য,
এয়েই সময় মোৰ জন্মৰ।
(মই স্বাধীনতা)

যি বুৰুজেদি মই মোৰ ভগ্নীৰ দুৰ্দশা আঁকিছিলো,
সেই বুৰুজক কুকুৰহঁতে জুই লগাই দিলে।
মোৰ ভন্তিক বাৰে বাৰে ধৰ্ষণ কৰা হৈছিল;
লাজঁপত নগৰত, 
প্ৰেমত, বিবাহত.....
(মই স্বাধীনতা)

মোৰ শব্দৰ সমাহৰণকো ধংস কৰিলে কুকুৰহঁতে।
যিদিনা মই ৰাষ্ট্রৰ অৰ্ধনগ্ন শিশুবোৰৰ কথা লিখিছিলো,
গোলাম সিইঁত পুঁজি-সমাজবাদৰ, পেটৰ ভোকৰ,
আৰু পূৰ্ব-নিৰ্ধাৰিত তথাকথিত প্ৰতিযোগিতা বোৰৰ।
(মই স্বাধীনতা)

তাৰপিছত, কুকুৰহঁতে মোৰ কন্ঠক চিৰপংগু কৰিলে।
যিদিনা মই সহশ্ৰ কন্ঠেৰে চিঞৰি উঠিছিলো,
ৰাষ্ট্রৰ অন্যায়ৰ বিৰুদ্ধে,শিশু কন্যাৰ ভ্রূণ হত্যাৰ বিৰুদ্ধে,
ৰাজনীতিত, দণ্ডবিধি ন্যায়াধীশত ভ্ৰষ্টাছাৰৰ বিৰুদ্ধে, 
আৰু মোৰ আইৰ গাখিৰত দুৰ্নীতিৰ বিৰুদ্ধে।
মই স্বাধীনতা আছিলো।

Stories of Smart Sugar and Vulnerable Sugar

Story1. Does Absence of An Oxygen Atom in Sugar Make Us Human?

At this moment, an experiment is going on in a secret lab somewhere in Unites States to initiate probable spark of intelligence in a chimpanzee; its after all, elimination of an oxygen (O) atom from a sugar molecule called sialic acid, ubiquitous to our body. This tiny change initiates cascade of physiological changes including connectivity in brain cells and hence, learning and memory.

The story goes back to 1998 when Prof. Ajit Varki at UCSD demonstrated that chimps, baboons, gorillas and orangutans have a specific sialic acid molecule called N-glycolyl neuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). We, Homo sapiens, do not have this molecule; instead, we have another version of sialic acid called N-acetyl neuraminic acid (Neu5Ac). The only difference between these two molecules is the presence of an oxygen atom in Neu5Gc and this changes the way proteins interact with each other, carbohydrates interact with each other and protein interact with carbohydrates. A small change in organic structure can have prodigious biological ramifications such as our vulnerability to HIV (apes do not get infected with HIV), Alzheimer's Disease, multiple sclerosis.

We have a faulty gene and therefore, a faulty protein that fails to convert Neu5Ac to Neu5Gc. If this protein starts to function, we will have early cancer, inflammation, platelet dysfunctions etc. Prof. Varki believes that evolutionary pressure to cope with malarial parasite Plasmodium reichenowi in African jungle brought about this change in our gene. In the meantime, malarial parasite also evolved into Plasmodium falciparum in order to hook on to Neu5Ac present on red blood cells of human. Thus, the deletion of oxygen atom helped us survive for sometime, but, it came with other trade-offs. For example, it is now established that HIV-1 enters human immune cells after communicating with Neu5Ac. However, this sugar molecule might have tremendous role in memory and learning in humans and it is possible that the faulty gene has made us intelligent ape!

(Reference. Nature, 2008, 454, 21-23)

Story2. Are We One Avian Flu Mutation Away from Extinction?

Extremely contagious influenza virus has hit us from ages but, avian influenza virus invasion is a rare event. Viral protein, hemagglutitin (HA) talks with the sugar-sugar conjugate, Neu5Ac-Galactose (linkage 2-6) present on our respiratory cells and get permission to enter. This virus, then, makes home at the upper respiratory tract and spread through human to human contact, but, this virus is innocuous unlike avian flu. Bird flu is not only highly contagious but also extremely lethal among birds. It can hardly cross the inter-species barrier as it cannot communicate with our Neu5Ac-Galactose (linkage 2-6) but, only with a structural analog, Neu5Ac-Galactose (linkage 2-3), found in minor population of epithelial cells deep within lungs.

How did avian flu cross the bird to man species barrier in 2006 causing 108 deaths worldwide? It was lower respiratory tract infection through Neu5Ac-Galactose (linkage 2-3) recognition in human. Luckily, this lethal virus home at the lower respiratory tract for infection and hence, prevents human to human transfer. 

Let me bring the scary aspect of mutation and our chance of extinction to fatal contagious influenza virus. The virus particles always reproduce when in contact with a living object. What if one of these reproductions initiate a mutation in the viral protein, hemagglutitin (HA) triggering human sugar-sugar linkage (linkage 2-6) recognition? This will spell havoc among humanity as this new strain of avial flu will be able to invade the upper respiratory tract heavily populated with Neu5Ac-Galactose (linkage 2-6) and therefore, easily spread among humans. Extinction will be a an overstatement, but, about fifty million people died in 1918 due to influenza virus (H1N1), possibly an avian strain (or, swine). The bottom line is that we are just a mutation away from our sugar-sugar connection to be detected by a lethal virus. Can we save ourselves from this evolving devil?

(Reference. Science, 2006, 312, 404-410)

A Sonnet

I wrote it ten years ago when very young, wild and love-struck!

Ah! sleep is cure for the ache,

incoherent but joyous dreams of you.

Love me again with your smile,

love me again with your buoyant self.

We will talk with childlike freedom.

We will run in desperate affection.

Everyone will wonder about our charms.

We will murmur in each other’s ears.

I will kiss dove like bosoms and Caribbean eyes,

and, those cherry lips of divine amatory!

Hesitant and shy, forsake your gentle sobriety.

I will hold you with care and never let go,

and our breaths will be calm symphony. 

love changes a moment but not love!

Imagining Disenthralled Imagination

From antiquity, humans imagined to fly like birds, only a few believed that they can truly do it one day. Imagination thrusts upon us to innovate. Wright brothers made Ohio and North Carolina proud (just look at these states' license plates) by constructing the first flying machine. We take this discovery for granted like many other ones, for example, telephone, cars, electricity and so on. Imagine a world without modern technologies; eliminate just electricity from our lives, we will immediately be back to agrarian society with life expectancy less than forty. This will also bring about collateral repercussions on myriad aspects of human life such as socio-economics, politics, ethics etc. Our claim of being rational human will have to readjust.

It is still debatable if imagination can be installed through training. Every child's imagination is amazing because he/she is free from prejudices and inclinations. As he gets older, only a few of them are "crazy" enough to cultivate and reap rich dividends from it. Most parents, teachers and a large sections of society kill the imagination in children ruthlessly through rigid pedagogy. Most of us want others to image this world through our eyes, not through respective eyes of beholder. This is a cardinal sin and prime impediment to human progress. Structured course works of schools where we need to recite a few theories and believe them blindly are deserved to be hated. Arts (though I am convinced that science is a creative art) is more flexible in the sense that we can imagine whatever we want. Thinking out of the box in science is frowned upon in authoritarian cultures as if you are challenging the ten commandments of Bible. A large section of university professors design courses and research to create clones who will spread authoritarian imagination. Our scientific achievements in the last fifty years are less exemplary than first five decades of 20th century though we, now, have state of art laboratories. Have our imaginations become less fertile? Has grant writing crushed our creativity? It is important to nurture the students with diet of theories and evidences and then, encourage them to ask questions. Asking questions and challenging conformity should be rewarded, even better if students ask question and frame possible answers . In fact, asking questions and devising possible answers should be part of curriculum. Some of these questions can change the way we live: a) Can we build a machine which travels at almost speed of light? b) How will we detect earthquake before catastrophe arrives? c) Is there a mathematical equation which rules our life events? d) Can we attempt to build a live cell using cholesterol, fatty acids, only 20 amino acids and 16 pyranose sugars?

My personal experiences in research labs have shown that majority of us tend to be captivated by the lure of own creativity or theory. Wave of students nurture one dimensional hypotheses and hence, Professor's narcissism without questioning as if building a blind religion. This attachment gets stronger and stronger as we age since we spend most of our energy and time in developing a theory. At times, love affair gets so strong that some of us tend to disregard any contradictory evidences and prefer to put them under the rug. Just for the sack of beauty of individual creativity! Just for the glory of ephemeral fame! How hard it may be we must detach ourselves while working on an experiment passionately and innovation will follow the cautious skepticism. I am concluding this piece by quoting sixteenth American President, Abraham Lincoln, "The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise -- with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disentrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country." Let us disentrall ourselves from our one dimensional imagination and we will reconstruct a world of creative genius!

A Fool's Guide to Start a New Religion

Just follow the following steps

1. Find a solitary cave or mountain or jungle and the best if you can find a cave in a mountain jungle.
2. Claim that you have a divine vision/light/voice/scripture/whatever.
3. It is important to mention Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Joseph Smith etc. so that you can attract the attention of people across religions.
4. Show some physical evidence like relics hidden in the cave, some symbol cut on stone, some scripture written in the oldest languages known to human such as Sanskrit, Hebrew, Egyptian (you can find a list of oldest languages in wikipedia). You will be smart to spend some time in learning that language so that you can translate for layman. If you are lazy, you can invent a completely new language and claim that those are God's words which only you can interpret
5. Write down a "Holy Book" and start to preach simultaneously. It will be smart to start small and simple in order to sell your asceticism and heavenly vision. Learning a few magic tricks is required.
6. If you want to attract modern technocrats, talk about facebook, google etc in the "Holy Book" and how God want you to guide them in finding spiritual purity.
7. Start propaganda that you are being persecuted by already existing religions. This will earn you sympathy and sympathy comes in US dollars.
8. Start the process of wider brain washing. You will find millions of them and some of them will be super rich, Harvard graduates, doctors, engineers and so on.
9. Build a temple or whatever you like, I mean whatever God has commanded you to build.
10. You will die billionaire among beautiful girls (Saint Hugh Hefner) and leave a millions of stupid, irrational, hypocrites who will build new nations and fight among themselves forever.

To A Kansas Girl

Radina’s Cafe, Aggieville
Today, you sit cross-legged on the front couch,
I just want to drink from your eyes.
Fifteen minutes pass by,
my imagination runs wild with every passing minute.
I wish I were a summer zephyr caressing 
through your light hair,
through your white mocha rubbed lips,
through your Sun kissed bosom…..

Hale Library, 24 hours study area
Your frequent trips to Facebook,
while working on calculus home-work.
Ah, those pictures of you and your friends!
weird faces and tongues and fingers,
as if carnival of your desire but seldom love.
You change your profile picture every second day.
You think I care?
I wonder if you ever read Frost
and his “Miles to go before I sleep.”
Or, Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Not even Mark Twain and his “Huckleberry Finn”?

Willard Hall, Gen. Chem. Class
I search for those eyes that consume me.
You are in a purple pride T-shirt in front row
and my heart rushes towards you.
I choose my place where I belong,
I hear your mellowed voice,
“I hate chemistry, it’s not fun.”
You asked for my calculator to figure 11 square
I wish the final result were 88, my face allover yours!

Recreation Center
As your ipod thunders on your ears,
my adrenaline and agility follow you;
your long legs and the “PINK” short,
I sweat at your fast suppleness.
Cycling beside your smell of pheromone,
I adore your image on the mirror.
I wish I were a momentary Kansas storm
embracing your every existence
under twinkling darkness of September sky.

Somewhere under Kansas cloud
I ride a bicycle everyday to school
and you drive a brand new Audi.
Though I cook my food in Indian spicy way;
You eat frozen food from Wal-Mart.
I am a rebel like the author of “Descent of Man”.
But, you want me to be saved by your God.
Your sunflower smile,
Your lovely beauty spot on dove like neck,
I sketch you with freedom of hues,
dazzling your lines with purple blood.
Will our everyday beliefs melt into sensible chaos?
Will our purple images be heard on the stone of eternity?

Monalisa! Do Not Smile Yet

A month ago, I went to a cafe for mocha and was surprised by Monalisa! Yes, she exactly looked like Monalisa of Leonardo. I was not prepared for this and I will never be. I never saw her again, it was a few frozen seconds. This poem is to express my utter surprise and desire to see her when it will still be drizzling, when it will still be fire on western horizon!

Those twinkling eyes infinite,
fertility of your lips and a few seconds’ quiet.
Ages ago, Da vinci painted you in moist desire
and now, there you are! a sudden joy entire.
O Monalisa, do not smile yet!

Let the sun go behind your rousing hair,
Let tenderness flood in, free from modern glare.
Look into my eyes Monalisa; and look deep,
You will see a poet lost in weep.
O Monalisa, do not smile yet!