HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH

        Recently my friend narrated me a story by Leo Tolstoy about a greedy man who was very much behind grabbing land. He would trap gullible people and treacherously grab their land. One day a gentleman came to him and offered his land. Only thing the greedy man had to do was, to take a round, as big as he could, but return before sunset and the whole land would be his. He ran and ran very far, then he realised that he should return, before evening and started running back but he had come too far. He paced up. Faster, faster and faster. And finally collapsed and died. When he was buried he needed only two and half yards of land.

        8,000 crores scam in commonwealth games, 170,000 crores 2G spectrum scam and before that fodder scam, Taj corridor scam, telecom scam, mining, bofors, money laundering, IPL, coffin, hawala and what not. 71 lac crore in swiss banks, lands, hotels, farm houses, shopping complexes bla-bla. This is the picture of India. After all how much money is enough? A. Rajas, Nira Radias, Kalmadis, Madhu Kodas, Lalus, Barkha Dutts, Baijals, Sukh Rams and so on, ugly faces of Indian politics, corporate world, sports, bureaucracy and media. Who is clean? None! Have the moral values totally said goodbye! Why there are not people who know their moral responsibility! One who has something to deliver is always lured. But where is the social responsibility? Now come down to roots. Police Constable, Bus conductor, office clerk, collector, officer, teacher, patwari etc. etc. every one corrupt. Where are we heading? It may be difficult for a common man to get an original passport but not for Abu Salem and Monica Bedi to take fake ones who get them delivered at their fake homes. In fact corruption is a social evil, as the liquor is. Total prohibition was felt impossible and an evil was licensed. Y not legalise corruption too. The license holder should be permitted to misappropriate public money create scams. Bigger the scam more the license money. Let the country earn from this license fee at least if not from the scams.

       I often listen that corruption has been accepted in society I don’t know what society these people talk about. In fact corruption is the mother of all sorts of evils. They eat up NREGA money, they gobble kids mid day meals, eat up roads, drainages, buildings and bridges but not enough for their insatiable appetite. They take money and close their eyes to facilitate arm smugglers to make successful deliveries. They fill their belly and weaken criminal cases of hard core criminals. In pursuit of yellow and red coloured mahatma depicting papers they let over-loaded trucks to pass, ultimately resulting in to fatal accidents. Why to think only about crocodiles of society, why ignore the rats, mice, moths, worms, viruses and bacteria who cause small damages leading to destruction. Why allow all these parasites to eat up the country.

        But the cure is far more difficult. How to put an end to corruption? Ultimately you, I and we all can bring the change. We have to start it. The mantle is to be held by common man. We shud introduce things in the curriculum of kids which encourage them to ask their parents if they use misappropriated money in their grooming. Advertise on the tv, particularly in kids programmes to encourage kids to ask tough questions from their parents if they take bribe, eat public money, adulterate eating stuff, steal taxes or amass black money. They should ask them if everyone needs two and half hands of land then how much is enough!

तारे कितने नील गगन में तारे

लोगों की अजीब-अजीब शिकायतें होती हैं! मसलन बारबरा मोरी को शिकायत है कि हिंदुस्तान में लोग 'किस' कम करते हैं! बड़ी अजीब सी शिकायत है ना? अजी ये कहिये कि यहाँ लोगों को मौका ही कम मिलता है! वरना सूरमा तो यहाँ मुंह पे धार लगाये घूमते हैं! बहुत से मनचलों को तो आप की इस शिकायत कि खबर ही आप के जाने के बाद लगी है और काफी सारे तो इस खबर से अनजान ही हैं! वरना तो समझ लीजिये! काश कि आप ने अपना ये 'शौक' थोडा पहले जाहिर किया होता तो भाई लोग आप को शिकायत का मौका ही नहीं देते! लगता है आप का सामान्य ज्ञान काफी ग़रीब है वरना आप को सीरी फोर्ट ऑडिटोरियम जैसी घटनाओं की जानकारी रहती! दिलजले कार में लिफ्ट देते हैं और कोई जरूरी नहीं कि घर पर ही छोड़ें! जंगलों को जंगली जानवरों के साथ निगल लेने के बावजूद भी शहरों में कुछ सड़कें सुनसान हैं जहाँ छोड़ने से पहले ये अलविदा भी नहीं कहते!

          अमिताभ बच्चन का कहना है कि पता नहीं लोग उन्हें इतना प्यार क्यों करते हैं ! वाह जी वाह ये भी कोई बात हुई? बच्चन साहब आप को अपने में और राखी सावंत या मल्लिका सहरावत में कोई फर्क नज़र आता है या नहीं! जिन्हें बस देखने में ही मज़ा आता है मुंह खोला नहीं कि गए काम से! मेरा एक सहपाठी कहा करता था कि चाहे मेरे बाप को गाली दे लो पर अमिताभ के खिलाफ कुछ मत कहना ! और मेरे एक दूसरे साथी के श्रीमुख से राखी सावंत को देखते ही प्रवचन निकलने लगते हैं! न जाने नज़र का फेर हैं या नज़रिए का! भला हो बिग बॉस का वरना लोग परदे पर अभिनय करने वालो को भगवान् ही समझने लगते थे! अब जब डॉली जैसी वीरांगनाएँ आ कर ठोक बजाती हैं तब ये आसमान के सितारे मिट्टी में मिल जाते हैं! अरे हाँ खली महाराज को तो मैं भूल ही गया! क्या यार इतना लम्बा की छत पे रखी चीज बिना सीढ़ी लगाए उतार ले, इतना तगड़ा कि हाथी भी निकले तो जरा बच के और फिर भी ये ऑली-डॉली-पॉली जैसी छुछुन्दुरियाँ चौड़ी हुई घूम रही हैं! क्या हो रहा है महाबली?

happy diwali

Happy diwali to all the readers, this is diwali night and I am home for the festival. Yester evening I happened to pass by an old friend's house I saw his father was fixing diwali lights. he has two children but till yesterday none of them came for diwali celebration. I felt bad, I can understand how nice our parents feel when we turn up for the things like this.

This evening I went to my terrace to see diwali lights. Our's is an old city. Some of the buildings date back to Mughal period. From the terrace of my house I can see almost whole of the city. It was a spectacular scene. electrical lights were confident to defeat the dark, they stood with their head held high. Candles and traditional earthen lamps were also doing their bit, though scared of winds, they were encouraging their electrical brethrens. I observed, old havelis, high and magnificent, were dark. No earthen lamp was smiling on the walls. No candle was braving the wind and no china made electrical light was flip-flopping. Just because inmates of these grand hawelis deserted them and moved to the new houses to leave them to stand alone in dark like the children of those parents who left them not to return.

HINDU-MUSLIM

        Major general (retired) Afsar Kareem has written many books and writes regular columns in Hindi and English. Once somebody made fun of him while he was abroad, with a delegation and called him that he was a ‘hindu-muslim’. Mr Kareem did not object and agreed that he was a Hindu-Muslim. Kareem has written that Muslims of India were never fundamentalists. I agree with Mr Kareem, before the seeds of hatred sown by the British in the form of creation of Muslim league and division between Muslim and Hindu, people of both the religion stayed together in harmony. Though many Muslim rulers destroyed and plundered Hindu temples but tolerant Hindu society imbibed the Muslims into it.

           India has always tolerated foreign intrusion starting from Aryans to Scathians-Kushanas to Afghan-Turks-Mongols to Mughals and British. It is a historical fact that Hindu temples were destroyed and Muslim structures were created on their place. Leave Babri Masjid aside there are so many, like Quwwat al-Islam Masjid at Qutub complex and Dhai-din-ka-Jhhonpra in Ajmer, live examples of these destructions since the material used in these monuments is taken from destructed Hindu Temples. Other then these monuments, Mansuri Masjid at Vijapur in Gujrat, Masjid at Manvi in Karnataka , Mausoleum of Shykh Abdullah Shah Changal at Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, Jami' Masjid at Malan in Gujrat, Jami' Masjid at Amod in Gujrat, Shrine of Shah Madar at Narwar in Mdhya Pradesh, Hamman Darwaza Masjid at Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, Jami Masjid at Ghoda in Maharashtra, Gachinala Masjid in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh. (Source http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate/temple4.html) I am sure no common man wanted the destruction; neither Hindu nor Muslim, rather religious frenzy invaders did that. But Mother India adopted the sons of foreign soil and they mixed with her other sons. But not all Muslim came from Steppes, Afghanistan, Turkey or Iran but majority of them were the sons of soil. Millions Hindus were converted, forcibly and willingly, they started professing the new religion But they always remained tolerant. They celebrated Eid but they never forgot the lights of Diwali. If Hindus like Raja Todarmal, Man Singh and Birbal Served in Mughal army then Hakim Khan Sur and Ibrahim Gardi were the generals of Maharana Pratap and Marathas respectively. Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana, popularly known as Rahim, was a Muslim, but a great devotee of Lord Krishna. He belonged to the Bhakti period and wrote couplets in Hindi in praise of Lord Krishna. Raskhan was a Hindi poet who was both a Muslim and follower of Lord Krishna. Does the work of Saint Kabir Das need any introduction!

               I read so many reactions on the judgment, common Hindu and Muslim have welcomed the judgment though the so called leaders are not happy, as they don’t want Ayodhya Issue to die. They are like those invaders who, for the sake of the expansion of their empire, made the gullible soldiers to die on the name of religion. But common Muslim of India is still same, tolerant!!!!

वादा तेरा वादा

लालू ने छात्रों से चुनावी वादा किया है कि यदि उन कि पार्टी सत्ता में आती है तो उन्हें मोटर साइकिलें दी जाएँगी! पर लालू जी ये तो बताइए कि पेट्रोल कौन देगा उन्हें! या फिर ये अगले चुनाव का वादा रहेगा! इस देश में सब कुछ हो गया वो भी जिस का डर था कि नहीं हो पायेगा जैसे कि कोमन वेल्थ खेल और वो भी जिसे नहीं होना चाहिए था जैसे कि जाति आधारित जनगणना! हुआ नहीं तो ये कि पशुओं को वोट देने का अधिकार न मिला ! वरना क्या मजाल कि कोई उन का चारा  ऐसे ही खा जाता! और यही लालू जी उन्हें मुफ्त चारा देने कि बात कर रहे होते! वैसे भी लालू जैसे नेताओं के लिए इन्सान और जानवरों में बस इतना फर्क है कि एक वोट डाल सकता है और दूसरे का वोट ही नहीं! एक का चारा वादा कर के खा जाओ और दूसरे का बिना वादा किये ही हज़म कर जाओ!

ओ यारो इंडिया बुला लिया

आखिर कोमन वेल्थ  खेल गिर-पड़ के शुरू हो ही गए! हम हिन्दुस्तानी हर चीज में फायदा ढूँढने की कोशिश करते हैं! खेलों की तैयारी की तो क्या बिसात हमारे देश में तो लोग शहीदों के कफ़न में ही दलाली खा कर डकार गए! लोग डरे बैठे थे कि अब तो दुनिया में हमारी छीछालेदर हो कर ही रहेगी पर लगता है इस देश को सचमुच ही भगवान चला रहे हैं! जो टी वी वाले आयोजकों को चोर कहते नहीं थकते थे और उन्हें सुबह शाम पानी पी-पी  कर कोसते थे वही उद्घाटन समारोह को देख कर निहाल हुए जा रहे थे! सचमुच समारोह भव्य था! अद्भुत और खूबसूरत! पर मेरी समझ में थीम सॉन्ग नहीं आया! ए आर रहमान का संगीत ऊँची दुकान फीका पकवान जैसा लगा! अगर बात  ए आर रहमान की चल ही निकली है तो  'जय हो' भी मेरी समझ से बाहर था! मुझे कभी-कभी लगता है कि मुझे संगीत की बिलकुल समझ नहीं! पर न जाने क्यों मैं समझता हूँ कि अगर जय हो को ऑस्कार मिल सकता है तो पचास, साठ और सत्तर के दशक के हर गाने को मिलना चाहिए! हमारे देश के संगीत की अपनी पहचान है और जब कलात्मक या कर्ण प्रिय संगीत की बात होती है तो दुनिया हमारी और देखती है! और एक हम हैं की पुरुस्कार जीतने की होड़ में अपने संगीत को भुला कर उस कान फोड़ू शोर को संगीत समझ लेते हैं जिस से परेशान हो कर अनगिनित विदेशी हमारी संस्कृति और संगीत की और खिंचे चले आते हैं! हाँ मैं भी चाहता हूँ कि पूरी दुनिया हमारी प्रतिभा और विरासत का लोहा माने पर उस के लिए हम क्यों अपने माप दंड बदलें! अगर हम पुरुस्कारों की चाह में पश्चिम के पीछे अंधे हो कर दौड़ते रहे तो बेशक कुछ 'जय हो' ऑस्कर जैसे पुरुस्कार जीत जाएँ पर अपने यहाँ होने वाले उन कार्यक्रमों में जिन में हमारी संस्कृति की छाप दिखनी चाहिए 'ओ यारो इंडिया बुला लिया' जैसा बेहूदा संगीत ही पेश कर पाएंगे!

10/10/10

         I have written about 350.org in my earlier post. This is an NGO working towards bringing carbon emission to 350 PPM which is considered as safe limit of carbon emission by scientists. The organisation has set 10 October 2010 a date as Global Work Party. People all around the world will be doing different things. I have received a mail from the President of Maldives, a country threatened by drowning due to rise in sea level as a result of global warming. He is installing solar panel on his roof. The mail is being reproduced here:-

Dear friends,

As President of one of the world's most climate vulnerable countries, I want to thank you for your tireless work and offer my wholehearted support for the Global Work Party on 10/10/10.

I shall be working hard in support of 10/10/10, up on my roof installing solar panels donated by Sungevity. But my event is just one of dozens of activities planned in the Maldives and thousands worldwide in support of this campaign.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to continue working to ensure that the planet meets the sustainable goal of returning CO2 concentrations to 350ppm.

For the Maldives, 350 is more than just a number: it is a passport to survival for our entire nation.

With best wishes,

President Mohamed Nasheed

President of the Maldives

      There are things which people are doing worldwide. Some of interesting events are here for your eyes. Please read them and tell what are you doing on 10/10/10 do combat global warming and keep earth safe and pass it on to coming generations as safe as our forefathers did for us.

10/10/10 Event Highlights

Funniest: Sumo wrestlers cycling to practice in downtown Tokyo.

Most remote: An education center in the Namib Desert in Namibia installing six solar panels.

Smallest country taking part: Divers on the smallest island nation of the world, Nauru (8.1 square miles) will plunge into their coral reefs for an underwater clean-up.

Most presidential: President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives is installing solar panels on his roof.

Most tipsy: Partiers in Edinburgh will be throwing a "Joycott" (a reverse boycott) at a local bar that agreed to put 20% of its extra revenues on 10/10/10 to making the bar more energy efficient. Attendees will try and drink as much as possible to raise money. Cheers!

Most poignant: In San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico, students will hand out solar-powered lights to families who are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Alex this June, 2010.

Most cross-cultural: Over 100 cyclists from Jordan, Israel and Palestine taking part in a 3-day bicycle relay to carry water from the Yarmouk River and the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea to symbolize the need for cooperation to stop climate change and save precious water resources.

Most educational: 850 universities in China, India, and the United States are joining 10/10/10 as part of the Great Power Race campaign, a clean energy competition.

Most carbon cut: On 10/10/10 the Mayor of Mexico City will sign a commitment to reduce the city's emissions 10% in a single year. The city government will be directly responsible for 5% of the reductions and lead a public campaign to get citizens to cut the remaining 5%.

Most futuristic: Young people in Barbados will be demonstrating the viability of fuel cell technology in a hovercraft they have built themselves.

So what are you doing on 10/10/10

Ayodhya Issue & Gandhi ji

Baapu’s birth anniversary coincides with the Allahbad High Court judgment on Ayodhya dispute. I wonder what would have been Bapu’s reaction on the judgment. Justice SU Khan, one of the three judges who delivered the judgment on Ayodhya dispute said in his judgment "Indian Muslims have also inherited huge legacy of religious learning and knowledge. They are, therefore, in the best position to tell the world the correct position. Let them start with their role in the resolution of the conflict at hand." What justice Khan said is about sacrifice. Ahimsa of Mahtma Gandhi was nothing but sacrifice. His teachings are his experience. Some people criticize him for his words but before commenting on Gandhi one should study about him. Whatever he said first he experimented with it. He always talked about change of hearts and he adivised to do so even in case of external threats to the countries. His fasts were to clean the hearts of people. But most probably Mahtma would have appealed to Hindus to leave their claim on the site. But today justice Khan has appealed Muslims to do that Bapu’s soul must be happy to see that.

SECULARISM

       On Thursday, when whole nation was waiting for the Allahbad High Court’s judgment on Ayodhya dispute, a colleague said that the court permitted the construction of temple and mosque but above four feet from the ground. The healthy humour was a thing to think about the dirty politics played on the name of religion. No politician wants it to resolve, neither Hindu nor Muslim. What if this issue is solved and they will have to think about other lesser important issues like poverty, corruption, unemployment, education etc! Politicians like Adwani rediscovered India in his rath to Built Ram trample but took no step to solve the matter when he was deputy prime minister. What if this happens his career will be ruined, his only rakhwala is Ram. But thanks to the High Court it was a masterpiece of judgment. It was like none won and none lost. It is a well known fact that innumerable mosques were constructed after destruction of temples by many Muslim rulers and converted millions of people into Islam. Thus Muslim religion with hues of Hinduism rooted deeply in India. The court realised this and gave everyone its share. The judgment of the Court did not leave much place for the politicians to play dirty games. It was an intelligent step to accept this judgment and not to go to the Supreme Court but alas! it was not done. Had it been taken the livelihood of many so called leaders would have gone. In fact this judgment was more for peace and harmony than the justice and the requirement of the former is more than the later.

        It is heartening to find that the VHP has accepted the judgment ‘in national interest’ but, ironically, leaders are not happy with the judgment. The Shahi Imam feels betrayed by the judgment and is sure to be betrayed by the Supreme Court as well. This is the story of ‘fundamentalists’. Now let’s have a look on the ‘seculars’. What Mulayam has to say have a look “The Muslims in the country are feeling cheated by the verdict and there is a sense of despair in the entire community.” This is the same Mulayam Singh Yadav who claims to be secular. This politically, motivated statement is not only ill timed but ill intended. For this gentleman being secular is pulling Muslim votes in his favour. This is his version of secularism. Mr Yadav you are trying to construct Samjwadi party’s head quarters on the disputed site but remember to leave four feet space from ground.

MOTHERHOOD

           These days I am engrossed with nature’s play of regeneration. A brown coloured bird, maina, had laid five eggs, in the ventilator of my toilet. The mother always took me as intruder and raised alarm each time I entered the toilet. I was not lesser happy than the mother, when one after another, five small featherless birds came out of the eggs. Their arrival has made the environment colourful. At every slightest sound they happily chirp raising their heads, opening their tiny yellow coloured beaks wide and stretching their necks, as long as they can. Their eyes are still close their bodies are growing golden feathers, slowly golden colour is converted in to grey but their wings are still like small arms though each day the feathers on them are denser. Their mother brings food for them which, mostly consists of insects and larvae. They rejoice her arrival by shouting. She breaks the food into pieces and distributes it to everyone, evenly. I silently watch the show of love and affection as inside being dark it’s not possible for the mother to see me, Thanks to wire-mesh fitted in the ventilator. I can have closer look of the nest kept in five feet some inches high ventilator. Whenever i enter the toilet the small bird shout thinking me to be their mother but mother isn’t relying on me she makes noise to keep me away, if she caches me ‘red handed’ perhaps she has doubts on my intentions. I wonder how a mother protects and cares for her children for their security she doesn’t trust anyone. Motherhood is a gift which God has bestowed only on females, males of all species can be envious of it. But I salute you motherhood.

Power of Imagination

          Power of imagination is unlimited. Where human civilisation has reached, is only due to imagination. I recently witnessed a show of powerful imagination. It was in Swaminarayan temple, Gandhinagar, a laser show on the screen of water fountains. ‘Sat-chit-anand’ BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Puroshattam Sanstha) has named it so meaning existence, consciousness, and bliss respectively. It is a spectacular show which is held in every evening, barring Monday, after sun set. The show has been produced by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in Creative and Technical collaboration with ECA2, a world-renowned creative agency from France. With a 130-feet wide and 70-feet high water screen, around 4,000 nozzles, 2,000 lights, over 100 pumps, 160-feet long sea-of-fire, it becomes enchanting. The concept is beautifully crafted. The presentation is a story from Upnishada which runs around a debate between a nine year old boy, Nachiketa and Yama, the god of death. The show claims to be first spiritual show of its kind. The white screen becomes colourful and lively when laser beams fall over it. I was wondering if Yamdoots and Yama would scare the kids but they are so lightly and funnily presented so as not to make them scary. Impressed by the child’s courage and truthfulness Yama asks him to express his three wishes which he promises to fulfil. Everything was fine till Yama answered third wish of the lad.... here it looked like the show was ended abruptly. But if you visit Gandhinagar don’t miss to witness this spectacular show and the power of imagination.

अनमोल वचन

      Some times some things catch our attention, this happened to me recently while orkuting. I was reading some jokes in a community and I found this interesting collection, the post was created by one Mr Mittal. I tried to thank him for the post but he had set privacy for his scrap book so I do it here, nice collection Mr Mittal.

मित्र से उधार लेने के पहले सोचिये कि आपको किसकी जरूरत ज्यादा है - मित्र की या धन की ?
मृत्यु आनुवांशिक बीमारी है।
तन्दुरुस्ती वह चीज है जिससे आपको यह मालूम होता है कि साल का यही बेहतरीन वक्त है।
कुछ फिल्मी सुन्दरियां मन्दिर में भी धूप का चश्मा पहनकर जाती हैं; उन्हें डर लगा रहता है कि कहीं भगवान उन्हें पहचान कर ऑटोग्राफ न मांग बैठें।
गरीबी अमीरों लिये एक पहेली है; समझ में नहीं आता कि लोगों को खाना चाहिये तो वे घण्टी क्यों नहीं बजा देते।
आर्टस्कूल वह जगह है जहां लड़कियां हाईस्कूल और शादी के बीच का वक्त गुजारती हैं।
अनुभव हमारे ज्ञान को बढ़ा देता है लेकिन हमारी बेवकूफियों को कम नहीं करता।
खुदा बेवकूफों को महफूज रखे, उन्हें खत्म न हो जाने दे; क्योंकि अगर वो न रहे तो समझदारों की रोजी मुश्किल हो जायेगी।
अपनी आमदनी के अन्दर खर्च करो चाहे इसके लिये तुम्हें कर्ज ही क्यों न लेना पड़े।
नाश्ते से पहले कुछ काम न करो; अगर नाश्ते से पहले कुछ करना ही पड़े, तो पहले नाश्ता करो।
गरीबों को याद रखो, इसमें कुछ खर्चा नहीं होता।
कई बीवियां रखने में एक फायदा है; वे अपने पति से लड़ने की बजाय आपस में ही लड़ती रहती हैं।
 खूबसूरत औरत आंखों के लिये स्वर्ग है, आत्मा के लिये नरक है, और जेब के लिये दिवाला है।
आदमी की आधी जिंदगी उसके माता-पिता बिगाड़ देते हैं, बाकी आधी उसके बच्चे।
बाबा आदम के जमाने से ही बेवकूफ बहुमत में रहते आये हैं।
हर औरत को शादी करनी चाहिये- पर मर्द को हरगिज नहीं।
दुनिया में तीन चीजें हैं जिन्हें औरतें नहीं समझतीं - आजादी, बराबरी और भाईचारा।
मानवजाति का अन्त यह होगा कि आखिर एक रोज वह सभ्यता से घुट मरेगी।
अगर बुरे लोग न होते, तो अच्छे वकील न मिलते।
कुछ लोगों को खुश करने का एक ही तरीका है - आप फिसल कर गिर पड़ें।
दुनिया में शायद ही कोई ऐसी सक्षम लड़की हो जो अपने को घर का काम करने में समर्थ समझती हो।
सच्चा प्रेम भूत की तरह है - चर्चा उसकी सब करते हैं, देखा किसी ने नहीं।
अगर ईश्वर न भी हो तो उसका आविष्कार कर लेना जरूरी है।
कायर के एक लिये एक साहसिक कार्य खुला हुआ है और वह है - शादी।
किसी ऐसे काम को कभी कल पर नहीं टालना चाहिये, जिसे आप परसों कर सकें।
दुनिया में दो ही ट्रेजडी हैं : एक आप इच्छित वस्तु को पा न सकें; दूसरी उसे पा जायें।
पत्ते अच्छे हों तो आदमी ईमानदारी से खेलना पसंद करता है।

रैंचो का स्कूल

          लेह में बादल फटा परिणामस्वरूप आयी बाढ़ ने भीषण तबाही मचाई ! काफी लोग मारे गए और कई गुना बेघर हो गए ! मनुष्य बहुत जुझारू प्राणी है! जिन्दा रहने की जबरदस्त चाह उसे फिर से खड़ा होने लायक कर देती है ! हुआ भी यही ! कुछ राहत कार्य और थोड़ा सा सरकारी मरहम, ये लीजिये आ गयी जिंदगी की गाड़ी फिर से पटरी पर ! इस बीच अखबारों में ख़बरें भी काफी आयीं, टीवी वालों ने भी पूरे मसाले डाल कर संवाददाताओं की आवाज़ में रहस्य और रोष के मिश्रण के साथ संवेदनहीन होते जा रहे श्रोताओं की आत्मा को झकझोरने की कोशिश की ! एक खबर और थी, जो कभी-कभी इस विपदा से भी बड़ी बना कर पेश की गयी वो थी 'रैंचो का स्कूल बहा' ! सैंकड़ों मकान पानी में बह गए थे, स्कूल की वो इमारत, जिसे 3इडियट्स फिल्म में रैंचो के स्कूल के रूप में दिखाया गया था, भी उन में से एक थी ! मुझे भी इस खबर में आम ख़बरों से ज्यादा रूचि तो थी पर इतनी तवज्जो मैंने नहीं दी कि इस पर एक पोस्ट ही लिख डालूँ ! बहरहाल आज सुबह एक नर्सरी स्कूल के सामने से गुजर रहा था तो मैंने देखा कि सुबह कि प्रार्थना में तीन से दस साल के बच्चों को लाइन में खड़ा कर के प्रिंसिपल साहिबा कुछ बड़ी-बड़ी बातें समझा रहीं थीं ! वो बातें समझने के लिए मुझे भी कुछ देर रुकना पड़ा ! मुझे नहीं लगा कि बच्चों के पल्ले कुछ पड़ा होगा ! छोटे बच्चों के स्कूल में सुबह की प्रार्थना में बच्चों को लाइन में लगा कर भाषणबाजी करना मुझे कभी समझ नहीं आया ! पता नहीं क्यूँ बच्चों को हम उन कि भाषा में न समझा कर वही घिसे पिटे तरीकों में फसें हुए हैं ! पढाई को रुचिकर बनाने की बजाय उबाऊ बनाने का काम हम बचपन में ही शुरू कर देते हैं ! और सब से ज्यादा बुरा हाल तो पब्लिक स्कूलों का है ! ये लोग अभिभावकों से पैसा एंठने में तो सदा ही तत्पर रहते हैं पर पढ़ाने के नाम पर इन के पास अक्सर अप्रशिक्षित या अल्प प्रशिक्षित अध्यापक होते हैं ! जो किताबों के बोझ तले बच्चों को दबाये रखते हैं पर पढ़ाई के नाम पर शून्य ! ये समझने की जरूरत न जाने कब महसूस की जाएगी की छोटे बच्चों के लिए बाल-मनोविज्ञान में भली भांति प्रशिक्षित अध्यापक रखे जाएँ जो बच्चों को रट्टू तोता बनाने की बजाय उन में मौजूद विधाओं को निखारें ! 

        प्रिंसिपल साहिबा का रुचिकर भाषण मुझे उबाऊ लगा और मेरे कदम आगे की ओर  बढ़ गए ! मुझे अफ़सोस है कि रैंचो का स्कूल बह गया !

CONVERSION

        This will not be the first time when eyebrows will be raised over my views. I don’t believe in making sensations but few people sometimes feel uneasy on my views.

        Other day I had a debate with a net-friend of mine over conversion. She is from St. Lucia which is a beautiful island country in the Caribbeans and some of the matches of recently concluded T-20 world cup were held there. As per a survey the people of St. Lucia are the happiest in the world. My friend seemed very much worried about the condition of Dalits in India. She asked me why we do not improve it. I asked her if what her sources of information were. She said that she heard some missionaries talking about this. I told her the cause of worry, nowadays, is not untouchablity but the missionaries. I told her how so many Christian missionaries are indulged in the conversion on large scale on the pretext of education and social service. She made her point that wat’s wrong in spreading one’s religion. And I wanted to convey her, wat’s wrong in a social service with out conversion. Finally she gave up after a long discussion. I don’t know if she was convinced, dint want to pull it further or she dint have any more point to debate.

        I believe all religions are equal. And, I think, there is only one religion, humanity, and rest all are reforms. We name them any thing but the conclusion is, they want to say almost same thing. Still there is a race to pull more and more people under their banner by some religions.

        The question is why only poor and backward people are mostly converted? And answer is very simple! So called messengers of God penetrate deep into these people, ofcourse they serve them, educate them, provide medical facilities but wat’s the cost! They make them to embrace their religion. This is a social service or the service for conversion; is it very difficult to conclude! And there have been many incidents where people have been lured to convert. Why a social service can not be done without disturbing ones religious orientation? This can not be disputed that these conversions have disturbed social harmony in many parts of India.

        Other day I happened to meet a guy, who does the job of a sweeper and has old acquaintance with me. I saw a cross round his neck and I asked if he had converted. He confirmed, I saw a sort of contempt in his eyes. I asked if he found some change. He didn’t have answer. I didn’t find any change in his condition. He still was wearing same type of clothes; his complexion was still tanned, his teeth were still stained with gutkha and he still was doing the same job, of a sweeper. I am sure, he never read Gita and nor Bible and one who converted him was not bothered to do so. He just added one more ‘disciple of true faith’. That’s the achievement! Wat’s the use! Religion means morality. And it has become rare, be it any religion. I am yet to find a person who did lot of studies in his original religion and in that he converted into. I would certainly appreciate the person.

        The condition of Dalits has indeed been bad. But the things have changed a lot and are still changing. I have many Dalit friends who never converted and nor they have contempt in their eyes. Is the key to improve a poor’s condition is conversion? Why do not these missionaries serve people without the greed of converting them? Why, after all, one should convert a person to improve his condition? Do not these conversions result in to a separate class of people? Why is human society so willing to create divide rather than to unite. Take Hinduism so many offshoots like Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhs, Shaivites, Vaishnavas etc, Muslims as Shias, Sunnis, Ahmedias, Alawite, Ismailis, Bohras, Druze and so on, Christians like Catholics, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Protestants, Restorationists etc, Sikhs like Khalsas, Ramgarias, Nirankaris, Nam-Dharis and more. So many faiths, so many conversions. Great personalities take birth to cleanse society, not to create divide. But their followers fail to understand this fact and they take on the path of division, establish themselves as a separate faith. And then begins the race of conversion.
        Now tell me, religion unites or breaks!

UNDISCIPLINED DISCIPLINE

         Two weeks back I was travelling by a train in general compartment. The compartment was full as usual. Some CRPF personnel, in uniform, were also there. One of these police man was drunk. He was not letting sit, any one, on the berth meant for five persons and usually 7-8 passengers, accommodate there. I tried to sit there but he pushed me aside. I saw, cops carried arms with them. I thought may be for the safety of the arms they were not allowing any one. Another passenger, incidentally an army man, sitting on the side seat, accommodated me. After some time I discovered from the fallow passengers that he was misbehaving with everyone. His fellow police men tried to calm him down but he would listen none. There after he was boosting himself that he is not scared if someone goes to even home minister, and he would go his own way. His behaviour was utterly disgusting.

         I don’t know how many of these policemen and their top brass realise that the biggest challenge before security forces, today, is neither terrorism nor naxalism but to win the trust of public, be it Lalgarh or the streets of Srinagar, sooner we realise and take required steps; lesser we take time to solve problems at domestic fronts. The incidents like this certainly diminish the image of an organisation which largely works between people. A misdeed by a man in uniform brings a black spot to the organisation, he belongs to. Two days after the incident, I read about the killing of a few CRPF personnel by Maoists and I realised that I dint feel the pain as strongly as I used to feel earlier.

भोर नहीं क्यों हुआ आज

                     भोर नहीं क्यों हुआ आज, भानु नहीं क्या उठा आज !

नहीं चमकी क्यों रेशमी किरणें, हरे-हरे पत्तो से छन कर !
नहीं निकले पंक्ति बद्ध पक्षी, मेरी छत के ऊपर से !
नहीं चली है पवन भी ठंडी, मेरे तन को छू कर के !
नहीं चमकी क्यों ओस की बूँदें इन्द्रधनुषी रंगों से आज !
                    भोर नहीं क्यों हुआ आज, भानु नहीं क्या उठा आज !

मीठे बोल कानों से हो कर साँसों में क्यों नहीं घुले !
जागो उठो मुझे कहने को सुन्दर होठ भी नहीं हिले !
भूल गएँ हैं शायद ये भी, नए फूल जो नहीं खिले !
वहाँ झाड़ियों के झुरमुट में मोर नहीं क्यूँ ठुमका आज !
                   भोर नहीं क्यों हुआ आज, भानु नहीं क्या उठा आज !

कोयल न कूकी, मुर्गा न बोला, चिड़िया भी चहचाई नहीं !
टन-टन करती धवल गायें, नहीं गयी जंगल की ओर !
सूनी-सूनी लगती बस्ती, नहीं मचा पनघट पर शोर !
इकलौती बुलबुल बस बोली भोर नहीं क्यूँ हुआ आज !
                  भोर नहीं क्यों हुआ आज, भानु नहीं क्या उठा आज !

SAVE INDEPENDENCE

     Daily civilians and police clash in the streets of Srinagar. Naxalites are becoming more and more deadly. The home minister of a rich state is in prison, facing the charges of extortion and killing his own aid in extortion and murders and the danger of arrest is looming large on the chief minister of the state, who is seen as the avtar of Hindu ideology and future prime minister. A tribal chief minister of another state has amassed property of more than 500 crores. Rampant corruption in govt offices, where even the peon has stopped recognising the100 Rs note and not willing to hold less than 500. Common Soldiers’ are supplied with rotten food and the top brass is found involved in the scam. A world level sports meet is being conducted in the country and before the show we Indians show the colours of greed and corruption! And mehangaayi dayan khaaye jaat hai!

         “Happy Independence Day” In morning someone wished me, I smiled and greeted back, but what independence, I thought, situation everywhere is grim. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is optimist about everything. I consider myself a very positive person, then why I am not hopeful, I thought. I thought about the bridges, rail network and buildings constructed by British, They are still intact but what our people make! What we did with the freedom! Are we really free! Were not those white oppressors were better than these black ones. What is the difference! Those took our resources to Britain and these take our money to the banks in Switzerland. What happened to our freedom! This was the thing our freedom fighters fought for! Who is responsible for all wrong which went? We all! As we bribe to get our work done. We don’t cast our votes instead we caste it, religion it or region it. We don’t participate in elections as candidate. We don’t resist when hooligans make mockery of democracy by blocking roads and burning public property.

    Oh things are endless..... So I say on this republic day is not happy independence day.... but SAVE INDEPENDENCE .

                                             JAI HIND

बरखा

दूर क्षितिज में,
घटाओं के केश,
नितम्बों पर फैलाये,
धरती इठलाई!

यादों के बीज,
छुपे थे जो माटी के मन में,
नव अंकुर को आतुर,दौड़े बाहें पसारे,
स्वागत में बरखा रानी के!

मोती सी बूंदों का,
प्यासी धरती से मिलन हुआ,
तन गीला, मन पुलकित,
महका रोम-रोम अनछुआ!

बांटने लगी उपहार वर्षा,
जहाँ जो भी मिला,
किसान को प्राण,
कोयल को मिठास,

आसमान को सतरंग,
मोर को ताल,
चकोर को तृप्ति,
मैंने पूछा, मेरे लिए क्या लायी हो?

छू गयी मेरे कान को,
एक बूँद ऐसे,
नाजुक होंठ किसी ने,
छुए हों जैसे!

Man Power

        Man power is the greatest asset, be it a country or an organisation. Though countries like India and china are facing population outburst but the contribution of man power in their growth cannot be disputed by any means. Abundant man power, available with these countries, is instrumental in providing cheap labour, hence reducing the manufacturing cost considerably. Recently, lot of multi level marketing companies mushroomed all over. It is not only because they understood the power of man power but also they gave an opportunity, to people, to earn money, solely on the basis of their hard work without large investment. In fact it’s a wonderful marketing system which, if adopted, does wonders to a company which wants to reach people very fast. But in India we wait for the disasters to happen, hence, in the absence of a proper law, the system of MLM has cheated millions. They talk very good and grip gullible people, show them big dreams but finally nothing comes up. I remember a friend of mine had the target to buy a personal jet by 2010, by working in a renowned MLM company, he pasted the posters of aircrafts all over his house, I expected at least one of them to fly but they were finally removed and thrown by his wife.

       Now days if I see a person whose eyes shine after listening me speak, I run from him as he finally ends up being either a multi level marketing networker or a gay. After all both of them are behind one thing, ‘man power.’

ishqiya

    A blog post

http://gyanaknowledge.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/i-love-you/ made me to write on the topic of love again. The author of the blog is a beautiful young woman who has elaborately written on the intricate subject of love and probably, this is the most debated post on her blog. To be brief she has wondered why people fall in love. She finds no logic in being in love.

        In my post ‘nursing a broken heart’

         http://navparivartan.blogspot.com/2010/04/nursing-broken-heart.html I have admitted that I had varying opinion about love. But one thing I always realised, love is an emotion and emotions have no logic. It’s easy to condemn an emotion but hard to understand. Indeed feeling of love is also a result of chemical reactions inside human body in the form of secretion of hormones and carrying of massages through synapses but its not judicious to name it a mere chemical reaction. A chemist once told to his crying wife, मुझे रो कर मत दिखाओ ये आंसू आखिर हैं ही क्या? चुटकी भर नमक थोडा सा पोटाशियम क्लोराइड और कुछ बूंदे पानी.” (Don’t show me the tears, after all what the tears are, a pinch of common salt, little potassium chloride and few drops of water)

       I remember when an educated gentle man was pissing in our volley ball court in sheer Indian style, when I caught him from collar, he argued, “What after all urine constitute! Some salts and water.” He was only tamed when I expressed my willingness to spray those salts on his bed.

     both the incidents have same thing, conflict between emotions and logic. I think emotions should not be weighed in the scale of logic, there is nothing unusual in falling in love and committing same mistake twice, thrice or more is as usual. And  not falling in love is not unusual but terming other's emotion as nonsense is.

       If you ask a lover, the reply will be some thing like this

कुछ न पूछिए कि क्या है इश्क, जान का रोग है बला है इश्क!

सच अगर पूछो, तो खुदा है इश्क!!

रसगुल्ला भीषण मिष्ठी

 'किन ने मारो री रसगुल्ला फिराय के' इस लोक गीत की मुझे एक ही पंक्ति याद है, हालाँकि बचपन में मैंने इसे लगभग हर विवाह समारोह में औरतों के गाए जाने वाले गीतों में सुना है! ये वो समय था जब मेरा सोचना था कि किसी लड़की को रसगुल्ला मारना तो रसगुल्ला बर्बाद करना ही है! मुझे उस वक्त उस गुदगुदी का अहसास न था जो किसी खूबसूरत बाला को रसगुल्ला मारने से हो सकती है! मैं जब भी ये गीत सुनता तो सोचता आखिर क्यूँ किसी को कोई रसगुल्ला मारे! रसगुल्ला सदा मेरी प्रिय मिठाई बना रहा और रसगुल्ले की इस बर्बादी पर मेरे मन में सदा रोष ही रहा! वैसे रसगुल्ले के असली स्वाद का पता मुझे कलकत्ता (कोलकाता न कहने पर ममता बनर्जी व सभी बांग्ला बंधुओं से क्षमा चाहूँगा) पहुँचने पर ही लगा! हालाँकि रसगुल्ले का जन्म स्थान उड़ीसा को माना जाता है परन्तु इस के वर्तमान स्वरुप का श्रेय बंगाल को जाता है! बंगाली रसगुल्ले ने मेरे अब तक प्रिय रहे रसगुल्लों का स्वाद भुला दिया और मेरे लिए आश्चर्य की बात ये थी कि रसगुल्ला गर्म भी खाया जाता है! मैं शर्त लगा कर कह सकता हूँ कि इस ब्लॉग के बहुत से पाठकों को इस बात कि जानकारी नहीं थी! खैर मजे की बात ये है कि गर्म रसगुल्ला खाने का मजा ठन्डे रसगुल्ले से एक दम अलग है और अब तो मेरी हर बंगाल यात्रा में दोपहर को गर्म और रात को ठन्डे रसगुल्ले खाने का नियम ही बन गया है! अभी दो दिन पहले एक मित्र से पता लगा कि बर्धमान का सीता भोग और मीही दाना (धन्यवाद् पौलोमी) बड़े  मशहूर हैं! मुझे उम्मीद है कि अपनी अगली बंगाल यात्रा में इन का आनंद उठा सकूँगा!

Sand Sculpture

A sand artist has sculptured a beautiful and eye-catching sand sculpture, of FIFA World Cup 2010, in Bhubaneshwar. The magic of soccer world cup is ready to grip the whole world from today and every sports lover will be hooked to this for a month from now. Condition of football, like all other sports barring cricket, is not good in India. In fact, I too, like so many sportspersons and sportsmen, feel that cricket has infested into other sports in India. My childhood friend, Jata Shankar, who is an Olympian and has dominated the sprint scene of Indian athletics for more than ten yrs and remained in Indian team for all these yrs, never found the status of even an IPL player, like so many other Olympians. Only England and his former slaves play cricket and soccer remains the most popular game in the world. Incidently, Dhanraj Pillai got more fans, in 1998 Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, than Sachin Tendulkar. Although things are changing and some attention is being given to other sports too and a few sportsmen have proved in some sports like shooting, boxing and tennis. I hope football fever in India doesn’t perish like a sand sculpture and we do some thing notable in the coming years.

Life of Poor

      The life of poor has no value, it’s once again proved! More than 15000 deaths, 6 lac people affected, 26 yrs wait and a sentence of 2 yrs! That apart, I don’t know what people were expecting in a case where court had to deliver a judgment under a section, in which, maximum punishment is two yrs. There were other sections, where punishment could ve been more, but they were dropped by the Supreme Court. Why review petition was not filed is a separate matter but after that decision what miracle the govt and other agencies, including CBI, were expecting! And, shamelessly, every one, including law minister, is astonished abt less punishment. Bhopal gas tragedy has not raised any new question. They are all old and we face them daily. It is evident, from beginning; all possible and nearly impossible efforts were done to save the culprits of the tragedy. This is always done. Those who have money and power, influence the justice. And in case of criminal cases its done right from collecting evidence. Justice delayed is justice denied. But in this country justice is denied and delayed.

Gandhi, untouchablity and Ambedkar

    Recently I landed in to Sabarmati Ashram once more. ‘Landed’ as the visit was unplanned and incidental. This ashram is as sacred to me as The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to Christians, Kotel/Western Wall to Jews, Mecca to Muslims, Golden temple to Sikhs and Kashi to Hindus. I am not a strict follower of his principles but some times I practice them in my life. And I believe, firmly, in his teachings and his ahimsa. In India we don’t mind criticizing a thing without having proper knowledge about it. And it’s done with Mahatma Gandhi, often. Time and again I pick debate with those ill-equipped with the knowledge of freedom struggle, Gandhian principles and his philosophy.

    It is often said about Geeta that one finds some thing new, each time one reads it. This happens to me with Sabarmati Ashram, I discover some untouched parts of Mahatma’s life, each time I visit there. This time it was about his words and action on untouchablity. I ve never thought so deeply about his philosophy, before, in this regard.

    When it comes to untouchablity there is another big name, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, he himself being a dalit bore the brunt of untouchablity; obviously he was aware of the problems faced by them. As he had undergone the humiliation since his childhood, when upper cast students refused to study with him in the same classroom and when he was a minister, in the government of Baroda state, the Brahmin peon used to throw the files on his hands so as to avoid an untouchable’s touch. Whereas Mahatma Gandhi was a Baniya, an upper cast Hindu.

    I took many days in writing this blog. I wanted not to be prejudiced or say didn’t want to jump to a conclusion in haste. The subject of my thinking was depth of gandhi’s stand on untouchablity vis-à-vis Ambedkar. The later being an untouchable fought for the rights of the untouchables. Though the plight of untouchables in British India can not be disputed but again and again I came to the point of my thinking. Whereas the method of Ambedkar was to secure rights of his community, untouchables, the Gandhi wanted the upper class Hindus to accept them as equal. Here lies the difference, while the path adopted by Ambedkar was of conflict rather a struggle with in the society. He advocated the communal awards and he almost got separate electorate for dalits. It was due to Mahatma’s fast unto death a historical error was averted. Otherwise there would have been three warring communal groups in India namely Hindu, Muslims and Dalits. But Gandhi ji emphesised on the acceptance of dalits by other sections of society as their brothers. Again his ahimsa! He was liked even by his adversaries for his ways. He always believed in changing the hearts and not in conflict. In case of untouchablity too, he wanted to change the heart of upper cast people. And for this, he was nearly ostrasized. He even in a way boycotted Kasturba who was told to leave the ashram if she could not stay with dalits staying in Sabarmati Ashram! But finally ahimsa won!
    If seen in its nackedness, Ambedkar struggled for the community he belonged to. He would have fought for Brahmins had he been a Brahmin. But Mahtma thought about a society equal for all, without prejudices and discrimination, which was a thing, in those times, only he could dream about, but he did, that’s why he was Mahatma!

kya saas kabhi bahu nahi thee

         There was none whose saas was good and there was none who herself lacked any thing. There were others who just listened the misdeeds of mothers-in-law of former but never dared to express any opinion about their own saas, of course they smiled some times in the corners of their lips. There was another group, of middle aged women, funny thing, there was none whose bahu was good and every one’s daughter had a cunning mother-in-law. The question, indeed, was to be researched as to how opposite things happened at same place. But in-fact it was no big puzzle but was mathematics of relations. Those with ill tempered daughters-in-law and those with same kind of mothers-in-law had the relation of mother and daughter. The quite ones either didn’t have the fundamental right to expression or didn’t have guts to say truth. Their only vent was their smile which they used sparingly as there was a fear if it boomranged as they were the same daughters-in-law, in question. This was the scene of a house where they all gathered for a marriage function.

  Then slowly, the needle moved and stopped to those butterflies that were not party to discussion but took intermittent short flights from one group to another and some times they lured young guys who were desperate for a glimpse. They were criticized for their gestures, dress and their careless attitude. Some soft targets were summoned and advices thrown upon. A few of butterflies shrugged their shoulders and a few just burnt their heart others didn’t care a damn.

      Women are impossible, they say and true, I think, especially, when it comes to relations. Strange! A thing which is wrong at one end is right at other! This is a men’s world but women do not see eye to eye.

Chhanno

            Chhanno’s house is locked. Where has she gone! I wonder! It was said that she was a prostitute and was running a brothel. Her house was in the main street. Her other  neighbors were decent and 'Khandani' people. We, as teenagers, were very curious abt her house. We heard so many stories about her and seen some bad famed women visiting her house. It was a mixture of curiosity, fear and excitement when ever we passed through her street. Some times police raided her house but after spending some hours at police station she was back to her business. I never heard her being in jail on account of prostitution. While passing through her street we used to have a glimpse at her house in the quest of something exciting. But never found a thing which could please our eyes. Of course whenever we found the door open we heard an unusual conversation and Chhanano’s laughter was always louder than others. There was an obsequious pinch in her laughter, which was, I think, always required, keeping her forty plus clients and paramours have their wallets open. And whenever we found the door closed we ran the horses of our imagination as far as they could go. I don know if it was her misfortune or adventure that she was into a profession which is not seen with patience, though, she was fortunate enough to have one of India’s least disturbing communities, partition migrants, as neighbors. Chhanno had a full-fledged family, a husband whom I some times saw drunk and being thrashed by his wife out of house, a daughter, I don’t know if she was also being served to Chhanno’s clients but she was an active partner in those unusual conversations, she was around 18 yrs, beautiful, fair and slender waisted. Chhano was around fifty, had many extra pounds on her body, beetle nut stained teeth. I could never dare to notice any thing more. Her house was on main street and today, after many years when I passed through the street I was curious to see it locked, more than the times when was open. But I’ll b a fool if enquiring abt a ‘bai’. And I’ll b one if I continue to write abt a prostitute as I never had a relation with that house other than lot of imaginations. And I can’t risk my character for the sake of the imaginations.

Happy Journey

      Two days back I was on railway platform to board the train to my home town. While I was approaching my coach I saw a long ‘Q’. I wondered, why the queue was, but it din’t take me long to recognize poor general compartment passengers. The recent tragedy at New Delhi railway station struck to my mind. Those who died and injured all were poor people who travel in general compartment. I am not sure how many of the readers of this blog ever traveled in general compartment and how many even travel by train. I was satisfied to see the arrangement by the railway police, who kept strict vigil on the activities of those willing to board the train; they maintained the Q and video graphed the whole arrangements. Other day a woman lost her leg in the chaos on the same Ahmedabad station. It was a mistake of the driver who stopped the train at the wrong place and the train started backing up to reach to its original place of halt. This resulted in to breaking of the Qs. Ppl ran behind the train and all arrangements were waste. Question is this, why general class passengers! Mahatma Gandhi always traveled by third class. It was his way to know and express the misery of a common man. Railways then did ehsaan to Mahtma, banished third class coaches from passenger trains. But the misery of common men was no third class coach. Those who make polices in air-conditioned rooms with Bisleri bottles on their tables do not seem to be worried about the doomed living of the poor! And those luckier ones traveling in the reserved coaches are not aware how the ppl in the general coaches of same train are hanging, climbing, squeezing, fighting, quarrelling and arguing.

         Lot of hue and cry is made over security checks on airports, abroad but who cares about Haryanvi speaking Blue Line bus conductors, in Delhi,  who ill treat thousands of Bihari labourers daily.

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat

      The news of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat’s departure came to me from US. Some body wanted to know, which Indian leader died. I jumped to the internet immediately to find out his demise. I was shocked. During lunch I gave this news to a colleague, snapped he back, “What he did for Rajput Samaj. If wished he could have given reservation to Rajputs.” I was shocked second time with in an hour. The fundamental of reservation has always kept me wondering. Is the reservation a tool of social upliftment or it’s a privilege to stronger group out numbering other communities. Should one be proud of being in reserved category or one should feel humbled for being in that. Gujjar in Rajasthan have been paralising normal public life for their inclusion in scheduled tribes. Let’s not dispute the claim of a dominating agriculture class with strong vote bank for the same but what about the communities like Gadiya Luhar (a nomadic community of iron smiths which wanders in bullock carts from one place to another) and other nomadic and semi nomadic tribes. Some of them have not yet been included into scheduled categories and those which have been are not benefited from it and are still forced to lead nomadic life. In fact reservation has not helped poor and weak to strengthen but has helped lesser strong to become stronger and stronger. It has not reached to the person at the lowest rung of the society and it will never reach as those strong beneficiaries of this lollypop will never let it happen. Any attempt made to reach this facility to the needful will be thwarted by those of likes Lalu, Mulayam and Paswan on one pretext or other.

        Bhairon Singh Shekhawat worked for the society as a whole and he was never sticked to a single community. He was the face of modern Rajsthan. It was his efforts that Rajasthan has picked up the pace of progress. And infact he was the alone Rajput Member, of his party, in then assembly who voted in the favour of abolition of Jamindari. This should be in the knowledge of those too who vow to immolate themselves if Bhairon Shingh became Vice President of India and shamlelessly keep on living the life useless to every one till God keeps on showering His mercy .

   Those who talk abt particular ‘Samajs’ always forget that Imam of Jama Masjid might claim to be representative of Mohammedans in India but APJ Abdul Kalam represents the whole India.

Untrustworthy Human

        My balcony has become a breeding place for pigeons. A pair hatches the eggs, squabs come out of them, grow feathers and fly and a new female lays eggs, the process goes on. In evenings and mornings I see some pairs in romantic mood and good! I think, they do it here, I welcome their idea of privacy, and otherwise a love garden is not too far from my place. I have allotted balcony for their activities and I don’t mind cleaning the twigs of their nest which they litter all around. There is mutual consent between me and the pigeons, I don’t offend them in their place and they don’t do that in mine. Though I strictly follow the rule but they often try to encroach into my place. Other day they made a clumsy nest out side my window and laid there. A couple of days before a pair of small pink squabs came out of the eggs. I was worried if they fell down and died, in afternoon I fixed a plank under the nest to make it safer. But the next morning, when I went to investigate my arrangement, I found the nest empty; I could not locate the squabs neither the parents. Probably they felt insecure from my efforts and shifted their children to some other place.
       After all the birds should not trust wretched humans!

Gujarat Uncle

        Gujarat is celebrating its 50th anniversary all the buildings are ordered to be illuminated in the capital city of Gandhinagar and the order is followed, in some cases, to compete with bright daylight. Indeed Gujarat has sufficient electricity to spend and I don’t think lively and celebration hungry Gujaratis will mind this extravaganza.

         I admire Narendra Modi for many things. And one of them is, keeping Gujarat at a good pace, having sufficient electricity being a part. When almost whole country, particularly north India, is suffering from power shortage, it’s probably Gujarat alone, with out load shedding and power cuts. Though it’s vary difficult for me to ignore the wastage of electricity in the wake of it’s shortage and global warming but I see, people enjoying the show and I carry a soft heart under my ribs. Though nature, in Gandhinagar, is celebrating Gujarat’s 50 yrs in its own way, amaltaas who had shed all its leaves, around a month back, is bright happy, covering itself with yellow flowers and it seems, it has forgotten to wear the traditional green. I remember a couplet frm a famous poet

        अमलतास ने आँखें खोली..... शेफाली शरमाई

     While every one, including Mother Nature, is deeply in to celebrations, lets forget whole of the country is ‘power hungry’ and farmers in very Gujarat are getting only eight hrs of electricity. Let’s welcome Gujarat uncle's grey hair with yellow flowers in day and lot of electricity during night.

Nursing a broken heart

         A friend of mine is nursing a broken heart. In different phases of my life I have made different opinions about love. And I am sure if I make one today it will change as I grow up lil more. It's gd being in love but hurts when it breaks up, which, ultimately, results in blame game. I think it's simple, the relation which can not withstand time’s onslaught, breaks. But again, it’s difficult to contain the situation. The lips which prayed, start cursing. When relations break, they become bitter. But why? Why don’t we take it as an event of life? One which is not yours will not stay. It is natural. In place of running behind shadows one should think about gd things. There are so many things, which can b salvaged out of a broken relationship. One can remember gd time spent with the Ex. Why shudn’t remember a relation for its gd things. Let’s forget all evils and start life afresh. Forget and forgive. Life is colurful! Dark shades follow bright ones but again, bright are sure to come. And the bottom line is

        कुछ तो मजबूरियाँ रही होंगी......यूँ ही कोई बेवफा नहीं होता

Emotion sellers

      ‘Baat karne se hi baat banti hai’ this advertisement of Airtel is being aired these days. It’s said that marketing is a war which is fought in the mind of customer. Good marketer enters, silently, in the mind of potential customer. In fact so many marketers play with our emotions, daily, in various forms and extract money from our pocket. A good marketer is not one who sells its product to serve people’s need but one who creates need for the same in the mind of people.

      Religion has always been a flourishing market. That’s y so many thugs have donned the saffron and they play with the emotions of devotees. Recently, at a famous pilgrimage place, I saw two thugs sitting as pujaris, in front of an illegal structure, to which they gave the shape of a temple. They would encourage passing devotees to have darshan. I should say they did their marketing wonderfully. If any one tried to ignore their invitation to enter the structure, one of them would say, “Ohho! U think yourself greater than god! This proud is not good!” His words mostly did miracle, the devotee would enter the so called temple and offer some money.

    Really, emtions are so important in human life. But alass! It seems, only marketers know their value.

Prayers Change Things

      I thank my friend Deepali as I borrowed this title 'Prayers Change Things' from her blog
http://www.myblessedworld.blogspot.com/.

        Devraj Bhatkar is the person whom I met in my recent trip to Ratnagiri where I went in connection with conducting a Mango show. ‘Deva’ they call him there! He is a cool guy who took me around. Ratnagiri is a beautiful hilly area in the Konkan Coast. Where Arabian Sea washes the picturesque green hills. He took me to the shrine of Swami Shraddhanand of Nath School. He was a great saint and people there have lot of faith in him. While doing parikrama we reached behind the sanctum sanctorum, Deva took out a one rupee coin and placed it on the wall and the coin sticked there! “Magnet!” This was the word which I uttered unintentionally. Deva gave me the coin and I placed it on the wall. ‘Tannnnnn’ was the sound there, the coin would not stick! I picked it and again tried, same tannnn! One more try but same result! Deva took the coin touched it on his forehead and placed on the wall. The coin sticked again. I realized my mistake. I should have not disputed any ones faith.

        Yes prayers change things!

Green Hunt, Red Hunter

         1000 armed men attack CRPF personnel, and police didn’t have a clue! Local people stop security forces to enter Lalgarh for several days. These two incidents do not only strongly indicate the failure of police espionage system and unpopularity of administration but horrifyingly indicate the public support to Naxalites. Strangely, Naxalites are closer to public than police sleuths and babus are. But, the problem is still being treated as law and order one, and not as socio-economic problem. The Maoism is spreading in the areas where, there is a large disparity in the distribution of resources. Where, the light of the so called development is not reaching. What ever they call it Maoism or Naxalism but I believe, this a resentment against unequal distribution of resources and a byproduct of selfish vote-bank politics. At first instance Naxalites sounded good to me, as they project themselves as ones fighting for poor and the cause of equality, but then I thought about the route, they espoused, and I realized, it is not good, otherwise Kanu sanyal and Charu Majoomdar would be more than Gandhi ji. An armed struggle often looses its way. And there is news of Naxalite leaders living luxury lifestyle.

       To quote my father, “When Yog goes to Europe and America and returns as Yoga we adopt it!” Naxalites also can carry on the 'Made in China' stamped ideology of Mao and when the right time comes, for them, they can adopt the Gandhian ways. And in the mean time, I wish, God confers wisdom on to government and it treats the problem as socio-economic one, and starts its solution in correct direction. And last but not the least I wish, may the souls of martyr soldiers rest in peace!

पल-पल याद तुम्हारी आती

पल-पल याद तुम्हारी आती हर पल याद तुम्हारी आती !

सांस मेरी फिर रुक सी जाती पल पल याद तुम्हारी आती !!

झर झर कर यों गिरते पत्ते, पेड़ों से जब प्रेम पत्र से!

महक उठे जब मन मयूर, कोयल के मीठे गीतों से!!

रंग-रंगीली तितली जब-जब, फुनगी-फुनगी छू कर जाती!!

तब-तब याद तुम्हारी आती हर पल याद तुम्हारी आती!

पल-पल याद तुम्हारी आती हर पल याद तुम्हारी आती!!

इठलाती बल खाती नदिया पर्वत की गोदी से उतर कर!

मूढ़ किनारों से छिप-छिप कर, सागर से मिलने को जाती!!

श्याम घटा जब-जब आँचल में मोती सी बूंदें ले कर जाती!

तब-तब याद तुम्हारी आती हर पल याद तुम्हारी आती!

पल-पल याद तुम्हारी आती हर पल याद तुम्हारी आती!!

धूप में जल कर सुलगे टीले, सूरज की गर्मी से बच कर!

शीतल चांदनी की बाँहों में, लिपट चैन से जब सो जाते!!

कस्तूरी की भीनी खुश्बू जब-जब हिरणों को बहकाती!

तब-तब याद तुम्हारी आती हर पल याद तुम्हारी आती!

पल-पल याद तुम्हारी आती हर पल याद तुम्हारी आती!!

बैरन बहती सर-सर हवा, सपने लेती टहनियों को!

हिला हिला के जब जगाती, तब तब याद तुम्हारी आती!

पल-पल याद तुम्हारी आती हर पल याद तुम्हारी आती!!

Spring in Bangalore

       I am in Bangalore. The spring is adding colours to the city of gardens. Violet flowers on big trees attract me and then envious pink ones call me from another tree, clouds float over the head, plying hide and seek with the sun and funny thing I have been asked by a kid, recently, if I like hide and seek. Some naughty cloud drops few tiny droplets over me and smiles. Petals are scattered on the road. I ve seen Bangalore changing from good to worst. This time I see construction for metro-rail and fly-ways in progress. And I found that a lot of trees have been cut to facilitate the construction. But there is a hope in me, the nature lovers Bangaloreans (hope I m pardoned for not spelling it Bengaluru) will strive their best to plant more and more trees.

      I am a member of 350.org; this is an international movement aiming to bring down carbon emission to 350 ppm (parts per million CO2) which is considered as safe limit for humanity. It is believed that this is only by attaining the 350 ppm we can control global warming. Some small island countries like Maldives are feared to be drowned if 350 is not attained. But people are not still sensitive about global warming they are using more and more ACs, wastage of electricity is rampant, more and more vehicles are coming to roads, none cares to plant trees, they do not minimize using polythene. Ultimately this so called development is bringing the doomed day closer and closer. We are not bothered to make this planate safe for the coming generations.

      Present generation has witnessed many spectacular shows of nature, its not strange if it witnesses one more ……….the end of life on earth.

सानिया की शादी में अब्दुल्हे दीवाने

        कल खाने की मेज पर टी वी महोदय ने खबर दी कि सानिया मिर्ज़ा सोहैब मलिक से शादी करने जा रही है! फिर क्या था! खाने की मेज जैसे कि गोल मेज परिषद् में बदल गयी! अलग अलग आदमी अलग अलग राय! पाकिस्तानी ही मिला था क्या शादी करने को! ये ठीक नहीं है! वही बसेगी क्या! अरे अरे कंट्रोल यार! मैंने कहा क्या आफत आ गयी अगर वो पाकिस्तानी से शादी कर रही है तो! एक सज्जन बोले नहीं यार किसी से भी कर लेती पर पाकिस्तानी से नहीं! और सुनो इस दूसरे दिल जले की, 'सानिया मिर्जा भी पाकिस्तान जा रही है मेरा दिल नहीं लगेगा!' जैसे सानिया आ के इस के दिल में कमरा किराये पर ले के रहती थी! इन का बस चले तो उस का वीसा ही कैंसल करवा दें! और पाकिस्तान ने भी क्या जल्दी दिखाई वीसा देने में! कि कही सानिया का मन न बदल जाये! वैसे भी उसे मन बदलने की बीमारी है!

       खैर गुस्सा थूक दो दोस्तो अब रिश्तेदारी हो रही है हो सकता है ये रिश्तेदारी ही दोनों देशों की दुश्मनी को दोस्ती में बदल दे! अच्छे की उम्मीद करो और हाँ बारातियों का स्वागत पान पराग से ही होना चाहिए!

Kanu Sanyal: The faded comrade

      Each ideology finally ends up with the same evils which it sought to remove. I am sad to repeat the similar sentence in less than a month. The news of suicide by Kanu Sanyal comes to me as a shock. He, along with Charu Majumdar, was the founder of Naxalite movement in late sixties. I’ve passed through Naxal Bari many times, which is a village in Siliguri district of north Bengal, not far from Indo-Nepal border. The village can be proud and ashamed of being an epithet of Maoist menace in India.

      Some times back I read an interview of Kanu Sanyal in which I felt that he was not happy with the way Naxalite movement has changed. Though, since beginning, he had differences with Charu Majumdar on ‘the deviation from the ideology of Marx, Lenin and Mao’. But root cause of the problem was the way the movement was started. It’s a well established fact that ‘Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ Those ‘Weaks’ after attaing power from ‘Powerfuls’ start doing same oppression which they were opposing. This is the inherent fault with an armed revolution, at least in Indian settings. Indeed the root cause of the Naxlite terrorism (let’s stop saying it a movement now) is poverty & corruption. In a country where surplus grain was rotting in the granaries and people in hunger were dieing of eating poisonous kernels in Orissa, not strange they can be easily gathered to take arms. Alas! Government is more interested to suppress Naxlites than to improve the socio-economic condition of the tribal and poor. But Naxal movement has lost its path and this might have forced Kanu Sanyal, a man of strong will power, to commit suicide.

      Organizing and spearheading a popular movement is a very sensitive job. It’s still easier to instigate an uprising but giving it correct direction is far difficult. I believe that a prevailing system should never be challenged till you don’t have a well researched better system to replace it. Leaders like Kanu Sanyal, while starting a movement, forget to understand this fact. They import and implement the ideology of Marx, Lenin and Mao but ignore the Indian social conditions.

Incredible India: Adalaj ni 'WOW'

       ‘Adalaj ni vav’ is a step well at a village, Adalaj, between Gandhi Nagar and ahmedabad. Step wells are called Vav in Gujarat, but in Rajasthan & Haryana they call them Baawdi and in Delhi Baawli. Step wells are typical to arid zones of western India. I think the reason for constructing step-well was to make water available, to the travelers and passengers, in this part of India, where there was no perennial source of water, other then wells, was available. And the well always needed rope and a pot to extract water, thus the idea of creating step-wells must have surfaced. And with the passing time, constructing step-well must have become a status symbol which would have, ultimately, resulted in to flourishing art and architecture around the step-wells. Though it was not the first time I visited the magnificent and picturesque step-well, yesterday, and after going there I once again said “WOW!!” so I call it Adalaj ni ‘wow’.

        Perhaps language is among the funniest things human has invented. When you compare certain words of different languages you can’t stop yourself from laughing and be careful as it might land you in some trouble. A woman’s tail (choti) in Punjabi has led poets into creating some nice songs but singing them in front of a Bengali gal might land any one into trouble. A north Indian door’s bolt is posterior in Tamil. A Mizo pot would leave a Biharan red faced, a Hindi jump is Tamilian vulgar for female genitals and be careful and never  buy banana in hindi while in Assam. Just discover and enjoy, I would like to know more such funny combinations from my readers about the languages of the Incredible India!

Any objection on my calling it Adalaj ni ‘wow’!!!!!

women reservation bill

         One of my friends, Kuheli, has raised eyebrows about my writing a blog on this subject. She feels it’s a common point and every one will write about this. But I feel so tempted to write in this regard but some engagements ve delayed me to write on the subject. I ve been asked if I m for or against this reservation. And my answer is I m both. Women are ACTUALLY suffering and with this reservation initially, indeed, wives and daughters of politicians will come but slowly things will improve. And educated and enlightened women will come forward. Soon we might get some good legislation passed which will stop atrocities against women.

       But again, the parliament is four sided now, ruling party versus opposition and men vs women. Three women namely Maya, Mamta and Jaya made Vajpayee Govt defunct many times and now they are one third. We should be ready for more drama in parliament. Already some so called women empowerment societies are active in engineering cracks in homes. And now we'll have a legislation to do that in parliament

चमत्कार को नमस्कार

येल्लो एक और स्वामी जी पकडे गए रंगरलियाँ मनाते. अरे भाई मीडिया वालो इतनी सी बात समझ नहीं आती कि ये सब लीला है स्वामी जी की. वरना आम आदमी की क्या हिम्मत कि किसी अभिनेत्री के साथ रास रचाए. हम भी होश सँभालने के बाद से आज तक इन हिरोइनों को परदे पर देख-देख के ही आहें भरते-भरते बड़े हो गए पर ससुरी कोई परदे से बाहर न निकली. ये तो इन स्वामियों का ही चमत्कार है की इन्हें परदे से बाहर निकाल लाते हैं. अब एक और सुनो, पब्लिक ने स्वामी जी के चेलों को पीट मारा. वाह भाई वाह पिटें चेले और मस्ती करे स्वामी जी. ये तो वही बात हुई की कष्ट उठाये मुर्गी और अंडे खाए सरदार. अपनी पब्लिक को भी दिमाग नहीं है. ये बात भी ठीक है, स्वामी जी तक तो ये दिल जले पहुचने से रहे तो चेले ही सही. कुछ लोग तो इस लिए इस जूतम पैजार में शामिल हो गए होंगे की जब लड्डू फूटा तो इन्हें एक भी टुकड़ा नहीं मिला आखिर स्वामी जी अकेले ही क्यों ये चमत्कार करे, अरे ये तो जनतंत्र है पब्लिक को भी कुछ न कुछ मिलना चाहिए न. नेता से ले कर कार्यकर्ता तक, अफसर से ले कर क्लर्क तक, डी जी पी से ले कर सिपाही तक, जज से ले कर वकील तक ( एक और खबर आई है एक मोहतरमा आर्मी में क़ानून की अफसर थी और पैसा ले कर कोर्ट मार्शल में मनचाहे फैसले करवाती थी) और संपादक से ले कर पत्रकार तक सब मिल बाँट के खा रहे हैं तो फिर जनता को ही हिस्सा क्यूँ न मिले. अब इन दिल जलों को कौन समझाए की जनता तो वो गरीब की भोजाई है जो सब की लुगाई है. अरे क्या जरूरी है की जनता में शामिल हो जाओ. स्वामी जी नहीं तो नेता, अभिनेता, अफसर नहीं तो क्लर्क या सिपाही ही बन जाओ. कुछ भी बनो पर जनता मत बनो. वैसे सच कहें स्वामियों के चमत्कार देख-देख कर हमारा भी जी भगवा धारण करने का हो रहा है.