My Bapu

A cool breeze swept through the world at the hot bloody weathered world when world was reeling under the violence everywhere – somewhere in name of independence, somewhere in name of ethnic cleansing, somewhere in name of colonizing and power game. The fragrance of the soothing wind is still there in atmosphere even after the 63 years when a blow tried to stop it. It still soothe me at the time of my agony, it still provide me a gentle and cold breeze when I feel choked by the indecent game in form of corruption, violence and dirty politics being played around me. It still guides me to the path when I get diverted from it.
Yes this cool breeze is in form of father of nation. A father who might have made mistakes, but never failed his family, a father who starved himself to feed his family, a father who taught self-respect and alter ego-respect to family even in hour of desperation.
The ideology of Mahatma Gandhi is not confined to “offer other cheek if been slapped on one” which is the usual notion. “Offer another cheek” ideology forced us to think in a manner which was unknown hitherto. It’s not necessary to practice the ideology in real life to be a Gandhinian but it more important to understand the nuisance behind it. A natural human instinct prompts us to strike back as an instant response to violence, what is more important is to suppress this instant natural instinct which can cause many disaster and we might rue it in future. This is what this Gandhinian ideology trains us to do.
Gandhinian ideology makes one prudent in decision, brave in situation and adamant on ideation which is the characteristics of a strong personality.
When you ask whether his idea is applicable to this world or not my answer will be a big YES. It’s applicable to every part of life and to everyone, whether it’s a corporate person, or sales executive, or an environmental activitist, or a pressure group, or a movement steerer. You follow his simple idea and you will be at top of world with complete peace of mind.
When congress working committee decided to launch non cooperation movement and was deliberating from where they should commence it, everyone was awestruck when Gandhiji suggested salt. Even British laughed at idea. But Gandhiji just knew that if he commence by breaking land law (which was the general feeling in congress) the common mass of India cannot connect to it as most of them do not own any land, so breaking of this law will not be in any scenario relevant to them or profit them. But salt was the only commodity which binds rich and poor alike. And success of movement made historian to see the light behind Gandhiji great managerial mind which was capable to think in a way which nobody dare to think. And this mind was in sync of the mind of millions of people’s aspiration which shows a way to sustainable development in today’s cut-throat competetitive and corporative world.
When you ask me whether it’s possible to follow his ideology. Again my answer is a big YES. If a person can grasp the ideology of socialism, capitalism, Marxism, Confucius which all are woven around many complex social and political wires then why it is difficult to follow Gandhigiri which has only one and simple concept – ‘Love’. Love all irrespective of their origin and birth. If a person hurts you then hate the deed of person and pledge to never do that, do not hate the person as this hate will put you on the same foot as the person you want to hate. This simple ideology has revolutionary strength to change the world and make a heaven out of it. Trust me to love a person is easier than to hate. Hate corrupt our mind and we lose our tranquility The idea of non-violence comes out of this love. You cannot afford to hurt the person you love
Gandhiji transformed my life in many ways. He taught me idea of self control and firmness of character. He has shown me other way of thinking which was unimaginable for me. His character of firmness and his ability to endure inspire me for all moment of my life and hold me together. There are problems and there will always be some problems but relevancy of Gandhiji will always let me solve those problems in a ways which will not create more problems out of it.
Many of us abuse our father (real father ) in many form, sometimes feel that he is the big impediment of our life, but at the end we come to a realization which shows us that we were wrong, and then we begin to know the man behind him who was always concealed behind the face which our immature and childish eye saw, who always thought only and only of our well being.
If this is the story of a family then why the story of nation as a family would be different. Here too a father is subject of regular assault and degradation by his desperate children who with their short term vision does not understand his ideology. But they will understand.I don’t want to go further into the allegation and truth related to it, as I am planning to write more on this. What my simple wish here is to show a Bapu, a true Bapu and as I proudly say my ‘BAPU’ :)

Responsible or irresponsible????

Not long ago in a meeting of particular institute, someone asked a question. Question was something similar to this: the institute boasts and do lot for CSR , but what about the children who work here. Isn’t management encouraging child labor? Management’s answer was that it’s not in their notice that any child is working but they will take cognizance of this issue and find out more on this. In next meeting management clarified that none of the person working inside the institution is below 18 and administration takes necessary steps to implement minimum age bar. If any person working inside the campus looks below 18 then it just because of their appearance not because of age.
Bravo!!!!!!!! Kudos to management and the concerned associates that they prevented the child labour. Did they?
When the question was asked I was sitting wondering at my place (but I didn’t say anything since it was not a forum to discuss child labor). But just think about a child with age 14 working in pantry, who lost his job after the issue came in cognizance of management. Now he is employed in a cracker’s factory, playing with dangerous and hazardous condition.
What a better way to discharge our social responsibility!!!
Lets 1st discuss the technical aspect of the problem.At first a child is permitted to work after 14 (with parent consent), after 16 (without any consent) in any non-hazardous and non-exploitative job. What could be better place than that institute for him to work which is safe, clean and source of contact with knowledgeable people.
I would have been happier if management would have come with approach that through its CSR programme it would have ensured a proper education and proper living condition for all children working inside the campus.
India is a poor country and child labour problem could not be solved by just not employing child. Boycotts is not the solution, it might make the situation graver.For example, a UNICEF study found that after the Child Labor Deterrence Act was introduced in the US, an estimated 50,000 children were dismissed from their garment industry jobs in Bangladesh, leaving many to resort to jobs such as “stone-crushing, street hustling, and prostitution”, jobs that are “more hazardous and exploitative than garment production”. The study suggests that boycotts are “blunt instruments with long-term consequences that can actually harm rather than help the children involved.”
Solution is to ensure a healthy, safe and respectful environment for child to work and also make the employer take responsibility to provide a mandatory education of working child. We cannot just throw a working child out and boycott taking a willing child and think that we are champion of social cause. If a poor child is willing to work and want to make a place for himself/herself and his/her family in this world then it’s our responsibility to guide them according to their ability and show them the way which will take them to their bright future.

A Resolution

Second changes into minute, minute into hour, hour into day, day into week, week into month, month into year, year into decade and part of us changes with it without realizing the presence and effect of change. I hardly understand the intricacies of the life but find myself entangled into this intricate web. I hardly have any idea how to come out of it. The more I ponder over solution more I get myself capsized into the problem.George Orwell has stated his view on the structure of society in 1984. More or less Society has always been composed of three groups: Higher class, middle class and lower class. Conflict between these classes is traced way back to history. Higher class struggle to retain the position where they are and middle class try to snatch the position of higher class by means of lower class. They takes means of ideology like liberty, freedom, socialism, equality, fraternity etc etc to win support of lower class and fight the higher class. Once they achieve their target they became higher class and again a new middle class emerges to take the position to fight against higher class. French revolution is the classic example of this dual nature class war. But always the people at the rung of lowest ladder in society lose despite the fact they make the ladder through which people climb to the highest echelons.Now you must be wondering why suddenly I jumped from my problem to the class war. I was forced to think how slowly and may be unknowingly I am converting into something and resorting onto means which is propelling me to discover a complete new identity.A simple example is when I went to buy onion, onion price is soaring high, and I was appalled at the sky rocketed price, and so do millions of middle class Indians who cannot live without onion. Forget about lower class they have already removed onion from their daily meal list. Now this middle class’s rage will compel government to take stern action which might result into softening the price. Have any one ever thought about the losses farmers made because of crops loss resulted from unpredicted weather flood and other natural devastation, which is the main reason for high price of commodity. Have we ever thought to share their burden by buying crops into high prices (though high price never results in profit for actual farmer) or reduce our consumption to manage our budget? It doesn’t matter for us if we spent thousands in restaurants and hundreds in junk food, but we are quite capable to bend government priority from real issue (to tackle the problem of agriculture and farmer) to short term measurement like price control for onion price which is pricking our neck. All mighty middle class and their power, I am again wondering that am I becoming part of those?All banks flocks at our gate to provide loan at throw away interest rate to us for buying car, bungalow, for spending a holiday on luxurious yacht. A poor farmer has difficulty in arranging few thousands for him from bank. If he ever manage to get some rupees then that also at high interest rate from money lenders or from the new variety of modern moneylender who are known as micro finance today. This results most of the time in suicide in case of non-payment. Banks does not have money to lend poor farmer as they are happily lending all those money to us for fulfilling our luxurious life style. A poor farmer results in poor crops which results in shortage and ultimately government imports or subsidize commodity for our appeasement instead of looking into the bottom of the problem. Again the mighty middle class controls all. Why do we worry if our stomach is full, we control the country.I am worried, I see myself among those middle class, perhaps unknowingly and indirectly, but I am there. I am sinking deep and deep into the mud which I always detested and tried to avoid. Sometimes I feel I am also on the path which all middle class took to reach at high level – through talk of equality, fraternity, liberty and freedom. Talk, talk and talk. I hate to think myself into shoes of those self proclaimed reformer and thinker. My New Year resolution is to detach myself from all these in all possible way and make it as simple as possible. Make those ideologies not a way to reach at top but way to live my live. Happy resolution :)

I, Me and Potter

When you close your eye and imagine yourself flying, people called this childish imagination. The more you are potter fan, more likely is it to be termed as childish. Enough is enough!!!!!!! I am not going to sit and listen bickering you people over my Potter.

So what I am going to do?

I am going to prove all you adults wrong :p.

If you see the other side of coin then you will feel that childishness is the most mature thing in this world. When Wright brothers thought of making a flying plane, many would have warded them off as childish. But, see, do you think those thought as childish? Any way I am not going to divert from my Potter because of your argument.The magical world woven around Harry Potter’s book might look magical and non-existent from outside but once you float deep inside the river of magic you get to touch the deep, painful, palpable reality which differ no more from any real philosophical book. The 11 yr old boy Harry’s dream, pain is what most of us feel. He is no more extra-ordinary than us, but what make him different is his courage, his ability to value humanity and friendship, his ability to accept and endure. There are ample of instance and scenario in book which make me to do introspection on the way of my life which has been followed by me hitherto. It opens up a complete new demographic reality for me.

Harry usually led into a path which is completely unknown to him and which always been avoided by others, but he recognizes the need and do it. E.g. 1st year going in search of sorcerer stone, 2nd year in chamber of secret etc. Most of us would have avoided those situations by thinking that we are too young for these and elder people would take care of these.

Moral: open up, and come out of your shell. This world is ours and we cannot leave its responsibility upon others. Our life will be ruined if we don’t initiate and depends on others to take the initiative. Try our best with best motive in heart. Help will always come in our way and we will succeed. But that will not happen until and unless we don’t explore and come out of our shells.

‘Dare to think’ and ‘dare to do’ is a common message which is strewn all over the book. It gives me strength to stand in my misery and give me message of how to live my life.
Life is full of unlocked mystery and those lock are waiting for us to openSo what do you think? Are you ready to dare and ready to open the lock?All you adults, start being childish from now onwards otherwise you won’t be able to see and identify those locks (it’s strictly prohibited for adults ).

Hey Ram:

Let me tell you a story. There exists a village and there was a beautiful house occupied by beautiful people. There were some stories and rumor around the ancestory of the house. People whisper that some 2000 year ago a group of gypsies came into village and plundered the house and drive the original occupant of house outside. And since then generation after generation are residing in that house. Centuries after century passed. People changed, age changed and so does lot other things. If true plundering the house was a heinous thing and gross injustice with the original occupant. They were denied justice at that point of time. Ages over ages passed and took all traces of crime and the victim itself with it. Now the occupant of house is as much as belongs to village as the victim. They are completely innocent and unaware of the crime committed by their ancestors for whom they can’t even associate themselves. Put yourself in their place and say are you accountable for these or you will be ready to pay for some crime which was committed some 2000 years ago by your ancestor (wrong to say ancestor, that also difficult to prove)?Now the moral of story?Not difficult to guess, right? Yes you are absolutely correct; I am referring to Ayodhya issue.VHP leader Praveen Kumar Togadia tells the press that it’s the wish of millions of Hindu residing all over the world to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya at disputed structure. Which Hindu he is talking about? Am I not a Hindu? I am more devoted Hindu than him in each and every sense. But for me it doesn’t matter where the Ram temple is, because he resides directly inside my heart. I have a grand place more than 67 acre (claimed land for making the temple in Ayodhya) in my heart for him and I don’t have to bleed it or go to court for making a temple. But do they have this place for Ram? No? Don’t they understand Bhagwan Ram has left the place and vow to never come there again at the day of 23rd Dec, 1949 when his idol was forcefully placed inside the Babri Masjid structure? Don’t they understand that Ram was choked to death by them when they broke the babri masjid and bloodshed followed the breaking of structure? What they want to create? A heartless and soulless Mandir on the bloody land and by acting like this they are doing great service to god Rama? Aren’t they discrediting his name by acting like this? Christians indulge themselves in social and creative work to spread their religion by spreading goodwill and our so called bearer of religion want to build a Mandir on countless of corpse. What message it will leave on whole world? But why do they bother, it’s not a matter of faith it’s actually politics and everything is fair in politics.The court ruling on the issue was definitely historic and reconciling. I respect the good motive of all three judges behind the ruling. But it would have been better if court would have seized the structure and strip the right to own the land from all disputed party and given it some NGO to establish an orphanage or elder care centre. Giving the ruling based on faith and unproven evidence when matter of national integrity and communal harmony is in your mind, actually set a wrong precedent which might result in thousands of such cases in future in order to gain political and social leverages. Country comes before religion and we as a citizen of India (regardless of our religion) heartedly accept that. According to the court ruling mandir structure was there before Babar created mosque over it (by destroying it completely or on ruin of Mandir is still contentious) the place was declared Ram janmbhumi and Hindus have been provided right over the land. I know very little about archealogical evidence but my logical evidence says that there should be status quo on all the structure in the country regardless of how they came into existence and who built them. Court cannot revert back the 6th dec, 1992 act (when Babri Masjid was demolished), since it has been done. But it can prevent it to be happening again by snatching it from hand of communal forces and declare it a national property.I know my Ram is very hurt by act of his so called handful of follower. But I hope he will be cured by our goodwill and act of justice towards our Muslim counterpart. Lets spread his good will and statesmanship to all world and show the world ‘Real Ram’.

I Hate Love Story

Gentle breeze, moon light, romantic situation and perfect partner, haven’t we had enough of Bollywood to corrupt mind of young generation. Oops sorry, it’s not only bollywood. It has been happening since the romantic era (age since Shakespeare). I have had enough of this love non-sense and the immaturity associated with it. I can’t understand the concept of ‘you and only you’, that’s completely bullshit. There are more than 6 billion people on this planet and nature has bestowed everyone with distinguished quality. It’s very difficult to understand that how people blind folded with the dream world (can’t say it love, it’s only the effect of movie and our talented writers who make us believe on whatever they want. After all most of the people in India believe that Anarkali existed when it was just a fictional character, a figment of imagination of a very talented writer) actually pick one out of 6 billion, and trust me they themselves don’t know why. The very effect of fictional world around them makes them believe on ‘you only and you’, but that effect weans off very soon and that ‘only you’ is soon forgotten. Then why to make so much fuss about it. Ok I agree with you, you say people have feeling and might like someone. Then just like and forget about that, you will get thousands in future whom you will like, there is no point in sticking around one and ruin your life behind ‘only you’. Trust me life is very simple if you want to live it in simple way. If you complicate it will become so entangled that it will choke you to death. Everything depends on your mind , you direct your mind that I want to like this person and I’ll be happy with him/her , trust me you will be happy with any one by thinking like this. There is no point being adamant about ‘only you’. That shows only that you can not ward off your ego and move on with your life. So enjoy the romantic movie (if want to take my way then don’t watch them, they just choke you to the boredom ) but don’t get influenced by it. There are plenty of men/women around this planet and they are as compatible to you as your concept of ‘only you’ :) . convert ‘only you’ to ‘you, you or you’ ;)

save the dying SHERA

Every morning I take the newspaper and lay my eyes upon the front page with fast heart beat and anxious eyes. My eyes and my heart just crave to see the good news that all misery has been put to an end and finally we are coming like a lotus from all the mess we have created in past. This has been happening for last 10 month. Now the clock has finally started ticking towards the 3rd October when the 19th common wealth is going to be commenced in New Delhi but there is no respite for me in the news. Every day presents a new found disaster. Rate of invention has never been so fast in India in past. It has broken all record.I was very happy when years ago I heard that India won the bid to represent the Common Wealth for 2010. I felt very proud and like an every common Indian I was hoping that through CWG India will be able to put up a spectacular show and proves to the world that we are not far behind China (Beijing Olympic 2008). Using this opportunity we would be able to improve our sport and town infrastructure and once again culture of sports will return to modern India. Now forget about the sports, not even one Indian is thinking about how many medals we will win in this event, we are just thinking how we would come out of 14 October with our head still high in world community. Our politician and bureaucrat left no stone unturned in fleecing the game and make the mockery of it and leave all of us in a mess which god knows how we will come out of it. All big talks of creating a world class infrastructure in Delhi, brining the glory back to sport and drawing attention of world community towards rising India has gone now as we are just thinking of how to complete the game without facing any boycotts from the participating countries.Once again the onus of saving the face of India fell on us. As an Indian citizen it’s our duty to protect the game henceforth protects the country’s reputation. Don’t tell me what I can do for this. Don’t forget we are 1 billion + country. When this 1 billion crazy nation go behind the cricket we become the world super power of cricket. Nobody then talks about our infrastructure and security (remember England continues the tour and played in India even after terror attack in Mumbai 23/11). We can show this same insurmountable power by going with CWG-2010. I appeal to all of you to shrug off your indifference towards the game. Come out and join hand to make it huge success. We will watch it, applaud our player and even foreign player in good game spirit and make it a turning point in Indian sport history. World will surely notice this mass power of India which could not have been the case hitherto. So friends come and join hand, stay behind and support our SHERA.

I am getting it:

not long ago i was very scared to walk outside in rainy season. reflection of sky in ubiquitous logged water made me shudder at thought of falling into infinte sky. It still scares me, now not because of fear of falling inside the sky, but fear of encountering with road side pit.not long ago, ‘POLITICS’ -> a very sacred word originated from greek word politik meant town was the word which has always intrigued me. I knew it incorporates a strong power but how i was not able to comprehend. I knew it have power to turn the direction of wind, to destroy the world, to rule the people’s mind. But how, again that question was beyond my comprehension. But not any more, I am getting it now. No longer i beleive in falling inside the enormous and infinte sky, i know what is there inside the water logged on the road.to make a balance between your support base and your source has always been tricky for governments. But it seems our government have mastered it. Support denotes the common man supporting the government, and source represents the few %age of wealthy people who claims to run the economy. Government need support to win election so it bring the natioanal food security act to secure a minimum meal for all Indian. Bill is very nobel but a look closer to it exposes the main motive behind it. It is actually trying to rip off the very voices of activities of Right to Food and give us a fractured bill which can never fulfill the dream of hunger free India. Food is the basic necessity of life. Millions of ton of food is rotting inside our cold storage when millions of indians are facing threat of hunger beacuse of spiralling inflation. The very idea of drawing a line between the BPL and APL is fautly itself which have capacity to spawn a corrupt system that could not deliver to deserving. Keeping this in mind our activist relentlessy advocated for an universal PDS (public distribution system) system which will ensure a minimum ration to all Indians regardless of thier economic status. The fact (which our politicians and elites are not ready to accept) is that 80% of indians are poor and they need government assistence and this is very much viable economically. After so much of hue and cry over Universal PDS concept our nobel NAC (National Advisory council) headed by Sonia Gandhi came with another nobel idea to restrict the universaltiy of PDS system to 150 district. now our right will be defined by our geographical position, any way there are lots of other defect associated with it. I would have wondered (not long ago) whats the problem in giving food to poor when grains are being rotten in godown, why government is shying in universalising the PDS when it is already spending billion dollars in TAX exemption for few section and when it can easily mop up the fund for it if it desire to do so. But it doesn’t matter whether you have grain or not to distribute, it doesn’t matter if you money or not to erect an infrastructure to universalise the PDS what matters is the interest of source. Universalize the few districts and subsidized grain will be snatched away from poor’s hand and fall into hand of big retailers who will make huge profit out of it by selling it into the place who is out of the purview of universalisation. Now can you see the pattern, by showing the lolypop of universal PDS government is able to win the common man (support) and by restricting it to few places it is able to appease the trades man (source) who will be able to make profit more than they ever made in past. This is called quite innovative approach where you are able to achieve to your motive without disturbing the balance. But ultimate loosers is the common man, and tragedy is that they are not able to comprehend this.But what to do this is politics, which has actually lost its meaning and became synonymous to trick, treachery and uncanniness. After 64 years of independence we can be proud of atleast one thing - we have world class politician and no one can compete them in this whole universe. JAI HIND

Why?

I was travelling by bus today when I saw a beautiful restless child sleeping uncomfortably on her mother shoulder. The sympathetic eyes of crowd towards her made me realize that something is wrong with her. She was born with deformed body. A sudden rush of excitement went through my body I felt myself on her place and people’s sympathetic eye resting upon me and inside of me screamed- ‘Why me, I never asked for it’. Why I don’t have choice to choose how I am going to be in future.I opened my eye to find myself in a wonderland. I was startled, amazed and scare at the same time. But a tender hand upon me bound me to that wonderful soul and I knew she is my angel guide without knowing her identity and felt myself in heaven. But soon reality crawled upon me; I felt a difference when people looked upon me and when they look upon other children. But why, I am not able to comprehend that. I don’t remember asking god to make me what they call ugly. I heard god love all his creation and prize it then why they differentiate between ugly and beautiful. Why they all admire Simran for her beauty and neglect me? We both came from same place, we are of same age and her achievement is equal to mine then why this differentiation?Two children born at the same time and same place, only difference is that one is born in master’s house and other in servant’s quarter. Before opening their eyes they don’t know where they are and where they are coming from. But why place of birth matter so much that it places a child on the pedestal and hurl another child into the darkness of hardship and discrimination? None of them asked for it, what we all hoped is to encounter some wonderland where they will see wonderful things.But our wonderland dream has been shattered by the discriminatory and feudal system of this world. I came into this world with millions of my friend, but because of this place of birth rule some became Hindustani, some became Pakistani, some British, some Gujarati, some Marathi, some Bihari, some Tamilian and so on. Some were put in the golden castle and some of us were left on dusky road and all of this separated us from each other. Friends till the time, now we laugh on other because he/she is ugly, we bully them because their parents are poor, we don’t talk to them because they belongs to low caste, we hate them because they belongs to different nation/States. Our friendship is broken, which none of us asked for and wished for. Why?

A Little Princess/prince:

The prince, princess, castles, fantasy, night-time stories; childhood of a lot among us are woven around them. Yes there exist many unfortunate children whose life has not been so rosy to let them fly in these fantasy worlds. But they still idolize the prince and princess like many of fortunate children who sleep with dream of them. So have you seen any real princess or prince? Don’t fret on this question, just go and stand before your mirror you would see a real prince/princess smiling before you. So being a princess (or prince) is not about wearing best clothes with best look and being aristocrat. It’s just about the feeling, they feel like prince/princess (the one belongs to aristocrat family) because world tell them so and make them to believe it, we don’t realize it because nobody tell us so. This is what the message ‘A Little Princess’ gives us that is the most beautiful movie I have seen in my whole life. Every girl and guy in this world is prince and princess and they have equal right to enjoy this world and be happy just like a king. Life is not always the same. Like the changing weather and changing day our life changes and this changes sometimes bring us into the scorching sun or sometimes in soothing shade. But nothing is permanent.‘I didn’t like the ending of story so I imagined a different ending, don’t you ever do it Mam’ was the question thrown by protagonist Sara of this movie to her teacher when she was questioned about reading the story different from the book. This answer was not some revolutionary answer which has ability to change the world but this answer was a very simple answer which instigates a desire to see the change in world. ‘It’s very easy for girl like you to imagine who have everything’ was the answer given to Sara by her teacher. It was relevant at that point of time when Sara was really like a princess (by general definition of wealth) but she continues to show the same spirit even when misfortune fell upon her and relegated her from a princess to servant. She showed the unfortunate girls a ray of hope, and bestowed the shower of her friendship and love upon them in spite of herself being completely helpless. She teaches us that life is not about have or have not, it’s about being satisfied with what you have and having faith. Faith is the big word, having faith make a beggar king and might turn king into beggar. Just having the faith that I am a princess/prince and nature have bestowed me with their best gift can make any girl/boy happiest person in the world. Just open your eyes and feel the 1st shower of sun which is falling upon your face, go out of door and see the nature dancing and singing in welcome of your arrival. Tell me are you a prince/princess or not, after all a prince/princess only get this kind of welcome every day. You are very precious to me and I love you- just try to listen this from mother earth. She keeps telling you this every moment.