An Ode to a Woman!

Here is a beautiful poem written by my best friend and sister, Ruchi! The poem describes exactly what every woman feels!!! I really liked it. I read this poem over and over again, because I felt touched. I myself sometimes feel just the way her poem describes a woman.

 

Need a sky to fly, need a river to flow

Need a song to sing, need the light to glow.

 

I have sorrows, I posses the pains

But I own the legs to run the plains

 

The eyes may burn, the heart may churn

But with my courage, heads I will turn!

 

The mountains are steep and the winds cut cold

Yet the “REAL ME” within I hold!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let it flow, just flow…

Standing on the street

Remembering a few moments

I looked at eternity

A tear dropped

From my eyes, slowly

Freely, yet silently…

 

Someone in me says-

Don’t wipe away

Let it flow, just flow…

 

The tears flow on

Quietly, kissing my lips…

Like drops of dew

Falling from the heaven

Kissing the lonely grasses…

 

A tinge of missing something

Your presence is felt

I can’t hold back the tears

Looking all around, everywhere

May be you are near…

 

Suddenly, you whispered~

The diamond drops

They are precious, preserve them

And everything was suddenly ringing!

For me…???

 

I smiled

And sighed “nah, you are always with me!”

*********************

What does real beauty mean to you?

This is a guest post sent by one of my friend Rewa Kheta from Nagpur. I am sorry dear for taking time to put it here as you know the reason behind it. However, this is also a last post of the year on this blog. So let me end up saying, Sayonara 2011!

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Beauty is truth’s smile
when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror.
Beauty is in the ideal of perfect harmony
which is in the universal being;
truth the perfect comprehension of the universal mind.

                                     ——- Rabindranath Tagore

The entire concept of real beauty can be hard to define, despite being a well-known term. Everyone has their own opinions about what constitutes real beauty. One way to think about it is to consider what makes you smile in such a radiant way that it attracts people to want to be in your presence. Ideal beauty is that which is admired or possesses features widely attributed to beauty in a particular culture for perfection.

Just like Audrey Hepburn’s iconic quote:

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

There would be hardly any person who would not like to look beautiful. Over a period of time beauty slowly fades away owing to age and what’s left are signs of aging. To combat these signs, people use numerous methods like anti-aging creams, Botox, among others. They seek to keep their beauty (which they believe is physical) intact for as long as possible. This is how they fool themselves into believing that they are a thing of beauty. They earn to be dazzling and remain the centre of attraction.

Fair complexion, sharp features are not the only criteria for being beauteous. These are external factors. External beauty is like water bubble, exists only for some time. Apart from the face hidden behind those layers of makeup, there is a heart; sublime, full of love and connected to your mind.That is real contentment. You need to make yourself comely to experience the real beauty.

Helen Keller said, “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.”  Every single character existing on the earth is born beautiful. Moral qualities, ethical standards, principles are added advantage to real beauty. Intellect and intelligence with beauty is a rare quality. And when someone has internal and external beauty it is ‘icing on the cake’. Beauty and youth are often regarded as synonymous to each other. Balance of body and soul is much important than using a wrinkle removing cream.

Let me run ideas through my mind and see where it takes me. Let’s consider good-looking people, places, objects, amazing scenario’s at a gallery, perceptional different angled photograph or let’s drill down to a more materialistic living like the breathtaking architecture of my bungalow,  with a balcony over-looking a serene swimming  pool. I have mouth-watering food sitting on a table beside me, sending out the most heavenly aroma that is tantalizing to the mind, and tickling my taste buds.

I could go on with more description but it would be painfully mundane to read, which is why I’ll leave it as “blah blah blah.”

Having seen life under best circumstances with best resources (mom//dad/bro/friends/teacher/ money ………….. & what not) with best living conditions & then having fallen away & apart with these things temporarily, to get it back in a new format & living terms, I realize that Beauty is a very relative terminology, quite misunderstood & I dare say, quite misapplied too.

So then what’s real beauty for me?

I think & believe that the real beauty is to realize that I am able to realize, think, analyze, decimate, disintegrate, learn – unlearn, believe & still redefine my belief system or call it fine tune.

The real beauty therefore is that ”I am a human”, which is the gift of nature, and I am able to realize that there is GOD in many forms & functions, many of his manifestation are even called bad & I am mutely looking at it to understand what nature is telling me.

And the real beauty based on the above idea for me is knowledge; the assimilation of different pieces of information, when put in a logical manner is invaluable knowledge.

Knowledge alone is real beauty.

Having said this, I want to say that if I place a book of esoteric knowledge of yore & some fine prints of wisdom on a donkey’s head he does not become knowledgeable. What will make him knowledgeable is the right application of that knowledge in the right place, in the right measure, at the right time, and how does one get it apart nature’s Grace? One gets it through the guru – the proverbial teacher.

Hence the Guru or the teacher is the real beauty.

The teacher, who gave me understanding and perception, of what is what & how to see it. If not for the right teacher, I could still think that 2 + 2 = 5 and still live like a donkey without realizing the 2 = 2 of life.

And who gave me the teacher? That’s a blind answer – my DAD. He put me through education both formal & informal & while giving me this he gave me as a bonus a bunch of friends from school to college, which I would filter over a period of time through experience & maturity.

Hence father is the real beauty.

And who gave me my father? My mom pointed him out, because she is the only human who actually knows the truth of whose seed made me. We all know the mom’s journey of parenting. Let me not make it emotionally touchy & elaborate on it, we all know what our mom’s are. Period.

Hence my mother is real beauty.

Now tell me how do I get a good mom, I can’t make a choice, actually no one took my permission to give me this birth – absolutely choiceless.

So the real beauty is the fact that I realize that there is someone up there taking care of my soul. Mata, pita, guru, good mitra (Friend) & god are the real beauty – put them all & mix it – it’s god’s grace.

I realize that I am a unique creation of this nature, none like me & second to none, no one has ever been created like me in eons that have passed by in this universe & there never will be one like me in the future of this universe. I am me, I am a blessing of my parents, I am the good wishes of my well wisher’s, I am the hope of all those new tomorrow’s that will unfold through me, I am the child of gratitude, the mother of all virtue’s – I am Rewa and the real beauty is I can realize it.

For me Miss Universe Sushmita Sen, Miss World Aishwarya Bachchan are equally beautiful to Maharani Gayatri Devi, Mother Teresa, Medha Patkar, Kiran Bedi, Lata Mangeshkar or a rural women working in the field all day yet efficiently takes care of her small world. Beauty is so divine that it inspired Kalidas to write Meghdoot and Tulsidas to create Ramayan.

Summary is God’s ever beautiful creation is WOMAN who nurtures and creates a new life.

Satyam Shivam Sundaram – Truth is God and God is beautiful

Regards,
Rewa Kheta
Liaison Officer @ BISWA

Caste system: In the shadow of shame!

The leader of a backward classes organisation was assaulted here on Wednesday after demanding an end to a “casteist” ritual performed in the government-run Kukke Subrahmanya temple in Sullia taluk.

State president of the Karnataka Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagruta Vedike K.S. Shivaramu was assaulted by a group of around 10 people outside the temple after he met Assistant Commissioner of Puttur subdivision Sundar Bhat and submitted a memorandum urging the Dakshina Kannada administration to prohibit the ritual of ‘made snana’.

What is ‘made snana’?

‘Made snana’ is a harake (an offering to God in return for the granting of a wish). This particular harake involves rolling on plantain leaves containing leftovers of food consumed by Brahmins. Those who perform the ritual include Brahmins. The ritual is believed to cure skin diseases. It is performed annually during the Champa Shashti festival for three days. To read more click on the link : Assaulted for protesting against ‘made snana‘ Courtesy : The Hindu. 

I am a bit disturbed right now after reading this article.

Analyzing the above article one can say, the caste system in India is directly related to our religious beliefs. Look at this video: India Unheard.  The whole system has shifted its foundation to false notions and blind faith. On one side, people want caste system to go and at the other side, they organize themselves on caste basis!

Caste system leads to rigid separatist mentality and nobody knows what shape it will take in future! This one problem is inter-related with many other problems. The reservation system finds its origin in the age-old caste system of India and it has also contributed to the mushrooming of child labour in India. We need to trace the roots of this problem and work to resolve it so as to present a sustainable solution. We find that such problems are related to our craving for false prestige, and it is not going to be fulfilled by any such means.

Shanta has sent me his article which talks about Caste system. I am quoting his article below:

Social Inequality prevailing in Mithila

Some villagers of one of my senior were discussing with him about several aspects of marriage. That senior is proactive in social works and encourages all who want to pursue career in this field. All were giving idea of making the event grand by spending huge money on dance program, lighting, food and many other things. I was sitting there and listened their ideas. Everything was decided by keeping in mind “what people will say”. At last they also asked me about my opinion.

I told, “You should do what is correct. You should not plan keeping the opinion of people in mind. You are going to be great leader in future, you start giving a new thought to your people, even they oppose you.”

I suggested that you should call people of all caste and make them eat together irrespective of caste prejudice. They all got shocked to hear this idea and told that they have to face the outrage of community. Brahmans will not sit with charmkar (Chamar) and eat socially.

Then we talked about humanity, importance of social equality. Boys got excited to listen these ideas and requested me to come their village to organize youth and promised that if not the old ones, but the youth will accept the doctrine of equality, and they will show complete faith in Bharatmata by seeing all as her beloved sons.I was happy that at least these boys understood the logic. Hope in future people of all caste will sit together and eat together.

Reserved seat for scheduled caste in Panchayati Raj System: Some powerful people of higher caste helps in making a weak member of scheduled caste becoming Head of Village and become proxy decision makers of the village. Because of this there will not be any improvement in the status of schedule castes and ultimately that will deter the development of region and country and finally kill Indian culture. It is shame for Indian intellectuals that they are not learning anything from history. Social leaders have still great challenges to face.

 

Well, There is nothing in our religion as complex as CASTE SYSTEM. It has destroyed the beautiful foundation of Indian culture and created demonic things like “Brahmanism”.  In the name of age old caste system, society ill-treated and still ill-treating millions all over in India. The question that we would like to raise is, what is the true meaning of Brahman? Who is Brahman now?

As per Veda defines “brahma janati eti brahmanah”- one who knows Brahma, is a Brahmin! So, if a person doesn’t have any knowledge of Brahma then he doesn’t have any right to be called as a Brahmin.  However, we see that there is absolutely no difference between a body of a brahman and others. Further, to save a life when we take the blood stored in a blood bank, our only concern is the blood group? Never do we think of the caste or community which the donor belongs to. Why? This is ridiculous.

Return to my previous post “How about ‘getting rid of the caste system?”, I have stated that we must realize that change is possible, and a sincere effort is required to bring about some positive changes for a better society! What kind of society do we really want? What we are today is result of our own past actions; we are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish to be in future also depends on our present actions. So we have to decide how we have to act now!

Your silent steps of love!

Lost in thoughts

Swinging in the wind

A silent soul

With ‘a bag of mixed’ emotions

Searches for words

Holding a pen,

Between ‘silent’ lips

In silver light

Recalling restless spirit!

 

Before you reveal

Your unsaid feelings

Blown in the wind

Touched my silence, I felt

Deep in the heart

So close, so near

Through the passing clouds

While turning the wheel

You whispered

The words “I Love You…”

 

Yet, you say-

The world isn’t blind

Never fear, no

Just be silent, like a fish

Flow in deep river

For the river is flowing…

 

And I follow quietly

Your silent steps of love!

********************

Note: This poem was written on November 26, 2011. It is written for my favourite flower, the love of my life!

The woman…!

This is a guest post sent by Satish, who also belongs to navodaya family. It’s always nice to read a post on women by sensible men!

“God must have made men before women, Its always a drought piece made before the master piece”

Few days ago we celebrated “international women’s week” and finally a 33% reservation is given to women, I am writing this blog neither for my concern with international women’s day nor for reservation success. But for the God’s wonderful creation on earth “THE Woman”.There is another name of women which we know but we still behave as if we don’t know, well I call the other name of women as Love, Sacrifice, Patience, Support, Success, Zeal, inspiration, Care, Kindness, in a word if I say its mere Perfection creature on earth. I know when I say these things my men friends and few girls will probably oppose my notion towards women, but I said these because I enjoyed all these feelings as and when I come across women in my life time till date….. So what’s the necessary to write about women now? It’s too necessary to enlighten many people about the role women plays in each ones life. I have seen a very arrogant attitude towards women from most of men whom I came across my life. Why always women looked in a lower standard than men?? Are we really educated??

A woman is a blessing to this earth. If we consider her significance into the life we would be mesmerized by the versatile characters she plays. She is a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a friend and genuinely a real motivator, an inspiration and strength. A woman is a giver. In every role she plays she is always ready to give. As a daughter she is faithful to her parents and tries to put her parent’s faith o the top of her priorities. As a wife she is just a true devotee of her husband and at every step she helps her husband, supports him and encourages him to work hard. The most beautiful shade of a woman that everybody praises is the woman as a mother. A mother is a backbone for every family and every child. I still remember how my mother supported me in all my failures. How she enjoyed in my success. How much she scarified for me.

When there were 4 sweet pieces and we were 5 my mom was the first one to tell that she don’t like sweets at all.

In every problem we all unknowingly remember our mothers. Mother is a person, who pampers, solicitude, loves, gives, corrects, motivates and helps us without any expectations. I am having very best friend who is a girl, who was behind my failures, who was real motivator, who cried during my bad days, who enjoyed my success, who showered me love and affection, who cared me when I was not feeling well. Women are always great!

I even still agree there is proverb called “Behind every men there is a woman”.

Well, this sentence is more than enough to flatten a woman, well they never tried to go beyond the actual meaning of that sentence, I am sure this sentence might have probably done by a man, there is nothing much to be happy when you hear this sentence;

It says you always be behind a man, never try to go before him, you just support him, make him comfort, help him in his success but you be always behind him!!!!!!!!

India is a society where the male is greatly revered. Therefore women, especially the young girls, get very little respect and standing in this country. Starting from birth, girls do not receive as much care and commitment from their parents and society as a boy would. Only about 39 percent of all women in India actually attend primary schools. There are several reasons why families choose not to educate their daughters. One reason is that parents get nothing in return for educating their daughters. Another reason is that all the females in a household have the responsibility of the housework. So even though education does not financially burden the family, it costs them the time she spends at school when she could be doing chores.

India is a male-dominated country and here women have always been a part of harassment and domination. But still after all the hurdles in their way they have come up with a lighting and bright power in today’s scenario. Women are the powerful entities and they are always being a brave fighter in the battle of life. Women have proved that they are no longer at loss in any of the fields and they are versatile. They do not expect too much in return. Women want just love, respect and care and we can shower the whole life for our loved ones and for our society. It is not just we women want it this way but any human being needs love and respect. Women are indispensible for this earth and for each and every society and family. If god has sent two entities on the world (man and woman) then he must have thought about their uniqueness. No one is complete without the other. Only men alone cannot run this world they need the women at every step of life.  So still you planning for a dowry? Do you still don’t need a baby girl? do you still see women in lower standards ? Do you still dis-respect her?? think on before you comment on some girl !!

“The man who doesn’t respect a woman in his life will never love/respect his mother and his wife”

Fighting to be fit!

One of my friend sent same video to few people. He received some reply from some of them, which I am quoting below.

Music is good and bahut boring hai. kya kya dalte ho, pagal ho gaye kya?

To begin, I must say that to understand this particular video, “you don’t need to have an intellectual brain or any academic qualification, but you definitely need to have a heart to hold close to your brain!” He replies, “aur yehan pe bahut logo ke paas ye nahi hai, isliye sirf video se kuch nahi hoga, unko kuch samjhana bhi padta hai, usko realize karana bhi padata hai”, so he insisted me to write something instead of putting video only. Yea, indeed, he is right! As I have mentioned in one of my previous posts that, “one can be literate but not educated or one can be educated though not literate!”

Well, coming to the video. The video is naturally expressed by saying something like “Fighting to be fit”, is just opposite of Darwin’s theory “survival of the fittest”, which is fatally flawed. This video of tribal people leaves unforgettable marks on me. I am so disappointed. Taking one long breath, I began to realize that “it is not development but it is destruction” and things are just different now. It is a feeling of being scared and with a bit of sorrow mixed in.  My true self comes out and it makes me feel a bit nervous. I feel fortunate at the same time that I have grown up in a rural area, therefore, I am able to realize their pain.

However, I admit that I don’t understand many things. What I see around me and what kind of way I live in comparison with them, is totally different. Not only that, I see, how they live, how poor they live, how much pain they have, but all staying together, they still smile, they still love, they are still happy, and they don’t want to leave such beautiful place, they still want to save our root, our village.

No – what bothers me instead is that, they are always systematically crushed for their courage and honesty. I can’t help but think that the more one stresses over ‘knowing’ what ‘situation‘ is, that obviously makes me uncomfortable. I feel, our lives are so different right now and will continue to be on different ways indefinitely. You can’t just target growth. A lot of people are losing homes and I think they have an agenda, they want to make us listen to them.

Now that’s tough! I understand, an elite group often find it difficult to understand. (You are in your branded T-shirt with vodka and bisleri bottles! and you are listening a rock star Bryan Adams, that’s Heavens!?) Yet, such people are none lesser than an angrej, who used to think about Indian in same way like a literate ‘shahari babu’ who love materialistic world which is not having life, using people and nature which has life and thinks about villagers “a village of muddy uneducated uncivilized people who need to be educated!”.

Truth be told, I sometimes feel, I am ‘a product of globalization’. Don’t you think so? I am not against globalization. Neither I am saying that the whole mess is from globalization, nor I am out of it. It’s not that we can stop it but it’s like we have to go hand in hand together. I know well that it is not stoppable. It’s like fighting against wind so we have to accept it but not to extreme extent. Moreover, these days, due to global warming, climate changing rapidly and the graph of agriculture productivity has gone downwards. They are facing the problem with rain waterfall. Who cares?

I have heard from people saying, “gaon ke log hote hi aise hain“. They grow up playing in mud with friends, frogs, and cow, and connected to harmony in nature. Is that strange? Or, they don’t bother about mosquitoes? Is that weird? I would say, they are hundred time much better than such elite people who think “gaon ke log ganwar hote hain” and there is nothing ‘pagalpan’ in this video. The unacknowledged villagers are greater than great. Please, don’t ever try to “underestimate the power” of our sensible villagers!

Their demands are very less but we never see them. We never realize how they travel from a playground to a school. You know…Village is like our backbone and how could one stand without it? If someone thinks that ignoring the backbone, one can reach to the other planet or achieve anything he/she wants….then please go ahead, you may go to second or third planet…but let us not make this planet spineless. This is the only good planet we know of, so let’s not ruin it in our lifetime, please!

 
समर शेष है, नहीं पाप का भागी केवल व्याध,
जो तटस्थ हैं, समय लिखेगा उनके भी अपराध!
~रामधारी सिंह दिनकर

Thank you Shanta for sending this video.

जिम्मेदारी लेना सीखो अन्ना !

This is a guest post from my friend Roushan!

अन्ना हजारे और उनके साथियों की कांग्रेस को हराने की अपील को लेकर कांग्रेस में काफी कुछ कहा जा रहा है . मजेदार बात यह है कि अन्य राजनैतिक दल इस बात पर खामोश हैं. शायद उनकी खामोशी इस बात को लेकर है कि कल को अगर इसी तरह की अपील उनके खिलाफ आ जाती है तो वो क्या करेंगे.?

ख़ैर जैसा कि अन्ना हजारे के एक साथी ने कहा कि सत्ताधारी दल होने के चलते लोकपाल बिल पास करवाने की जिम्मेदारी कांग्रेस की बनती है , अभी तूफ़ान का सामना कांग्रेस को करना लाजिमी है. कांग्रेस के लिए यह बड़ी ही अप्रिय स्थिति बन आई है और वह निश्चित ही इसे लेकर परेशानी में है.

हमारा मानना है कि जनतांत्रिक देश के जिम्मेदार नागरिक होने के चलते अन्ना और उनके साथियों को चुनावों के लिए मुद्दे तय करने और जन साधारण से उन मुद्दों पर किसी को वोट देने या न देने की अपील करने का पूरा हक़ है और इसमें कुछ भी गलत नहीं है चाहे यह किसी एक राजनैतिक दल या पूरी की पूरी राजनैतिक व्यवस्था को कितना भी नागवार क्यों न गुजरे. इससे पहले भी सिर्फ एक मुद्दे को लेकर चुनाव हुए हैं अगर किसी को यह महसूस होता है कि चुनाव में मत देने के लिए कई मुद्दों को एक साथ देखा जाना जरूरी है उसे शायद “वो मेरी ही माँ नहीं पूरे देश की माँ थीं ” या “राम लला हम आयेंगे मंदिर वही बनायेंगे ” नारों या ऐसे ही तमाम नारों के साथ लडे चुनाव नहीं याद हैं . जब ऐसे मुद्दों पर चुनाव लडे जा सकते हैं तो लोकपाल मुद्दे पर क्यों नहीं. यह तमाम बाते अन्ना  और उनके साथियों की सही हैं और हमेशा सही रहेंगी बस हमारा प्रश्न है कि क्या अन्ना जिम्मेदार नागरिक नहीं हो सकते थे?

हमारा स्पष्ट मत है कि सही मांग और सही बात के बावजूद अन्ना और उनके साथी शुरू से गैर जिम्मेदार हैं.
१ . जब लोकपाल बिल के लिए संयुक्त कमेटी बनायी गयी थी और उसमे सरकार से इतर कुछ लोग और शामिल किये गए थे जिन्हें अन्ना हजारे ने चुना था तो क्या अन्ना हजारे उस कमेटी में अन्य दलों के सदस्यों की सदस्यता की मांग नहीं कर सकते थे? उन्होंने ऐसा नहीं किया (उनका बाद में यह कहना कि वह चाह रहे थे पर सरकार नहीं मानी स्वीकार्य नहीं है क्योंकि उन्होंने उस समय इस मुद्दे की चर्चा तक नहीं की थी ) क्योंकि उन्हें लगता रहा है कि वह जो सोच रहें हैं वही अंतिम सत्य है बाकी पूरे देश में कोई कुछ सोच ही नहीं सकता .
२. जब ऐसी किसी संयुक्त कमेटी को हजारे और उनके साथी स्वीकार कर रहे थे तो क्या उनकी यह जिम्मेदारी नहीं बनती थी कि वह इस कमेटी को एक सही अंजाम तक पहुंचाने का प्रयास करते. दलील फिर दी जाती है कि सरकार नहीं तैयार थी. लेकिन आये दिन अखबारों और इलेक्ट्रोनिक मीडिया में वह और उनके साथी सिर्फ और सिर्फ धमकाने की मुद्रा में ही नजर आते रहे. एक भी बयान किसी ने ऐसा दिया था कि हम प्रयास कर रहे हैं या और कुछ ऐसा जो जिम्मेदारी का बोध कराता हो? कड़ा लगेगा पर तथाकथित टीम अन्ना के लोगों (अन्ना हजारे समेत ) के आचरण और भाषा हमेशा उन राजनेताओं से भी गयी गुजरी रही जिनकी वह आलोचना करते हैं.

ख़ैर बीच में रामलीला मैदान हुआ . उसमे क्या रहा कैसा रहा यह सभी ने देखा. अब सीधे आते हैं चुनाव के मुद्दे पर
अन्ना के एक साथी ने यह पूछने पर कि सपा और बसपा तो खुले रूप में जन लोकपाल की विरोधी है तो आप उनके खिलाफ प्रचार करने कि बात क्यों नहीं करते, उन्होंने बताया कि इन दलों का लोकपाल बिल पास करवाने में कोई योगदान नहीं होगा इसलिए वह सिर्फ कांग्रेस को हराने की बात कर रहे हैं. अब क्या यह लोग बताएँगे कि अगर यही बात है तो राज्यों के विधानसभा चुनावों में आप प्रचार की बात क्यों कर रहे हैं . राज्य की विधानसभा तो लोकपाल बिल पास कर नहीं सकती. अगर कांग्रेस भ्रष्ट है इसलिए आप कांग्रेस के खिलाफ हैं तो बाकी भ्रष्टों पर इनायत क्यों कर रहे हैं और अगर सिर्फ लोकपाल ही मुद्दा है भ्रष्टाचार नहीं तो राज्यों की विधान सभाओं से तो कोई लेना देना ही नहीं है

आते हैं हिसार की बात पर ! वहाँ कांग्रेस पहले ही कमजोर स्थिति में थी. लड़ाई तो ओम प्रकाश चौटाला के बेटे अजय चौटाला और भजनलाल के बेटे कुलदीप विश्नोई में थी . हजारे ने कहा था कि अगर लोकपाल बिल शीतकालीन सत्र में पास नहीं हुआ तो वह कांगेस के खिलाफ प्रचार करेंगे . मजे की बात तो यह है कि इतना बोलने के बाद याद आया कि शीत कालीन सत्र तो अभी शुरू नहीं हुआ है , हजारे और उनके साथियों ने तय कर लिया कि शीत कालीन सत्र का इन्तजार क्यों करें अभी से कांगेस के खिलाफ प्रचार शुरू कर देते हैं और पहुँच गए हिसार . प्रश्न यह उठता है कि अगर कांग्रेस भ्रष्टाचार का दूसरा नाम है इसलिए उसे हराना है तो फिर जिताना किसे है ? अगर हजारे में जिम्मेदारी का भाव होता तो वह एक प्रत्याशी खडा करते और कहते कि यह हमारा प्रत्याशी है स्वच्छ है और लोकपाल का समर्थक है . आप इसे वोट दें . उस प्रत्याशी को (केजरीवाल तो अभी सरकारी सेवा में हैं चुनाव लड़ नहीं सकते , किरण बेदी या फिर शान्ति भूषण लड़ सकते थे ) आसानी से जिताया जा सकता था और वह सांसद बन कर शीतकालीन सत्र में लोकपाल के सपने को यथार्थ में लाने के लिए खडा हो सकता था.

तो हिसार में अन्ना ने नहीं कहा कि किसे जिताना है. कुलदीप विश्नोई या अजय चौटाला ? उम्मीद है हजारे को इनका इतिहास पता होगा.
अन्ना प्रत्याशी नहीं उतार सकते वो वोटबैंक की नहीं लोगों की राजनीति करते हैं. एक सहज प्रश्न उठता है कि जब देश के सबसे बड़े विपक्षी दल भाजपा के अध्यक्ष ने पत्र अन्ना को भरोसा दिलाया है कि वह जन लोकपाल के प्रावधानों से सहमत हैं तो अन्ना भाजपा को समर्थन की अपील क्यों नहीं कर देते? कांग्रेस को हराने के लिए इससे बेहतर तरीका क्या हो सकता है . लोगों के पास एक विकल्प होगा . भाजपा को समर्थन मिल जाय तो वह सरकार बनाने की स्थिति में आ सकती है. लेकिन अन्ना के साथी वह भी नहीं कर सकते, इन सब के लिए जिम्मेदारी लेनी पड़ती. आकांक्षाओं के समुद्र में गोते लगाना पड़ता . अगर शौक दूसरों को गैर जिम्मेदार बोलना ही हो गया हो तो जिम्मेदारी क्यों रास आने लगी .

श्रीमान अन्ना हजारे दूसरों को नसीहत देना और पागलखाने जाने की सलाह देना थोड़े दिन के लिए रोक के एक बार जिम्मेदारी लेना भी सीखो . बहुतों ने भरोसा किया है तुम पर!

Emotions are one of our avenues to self-understanding!

Recently, I came across a person who passed the statement as quoted;

A person, who understands the whole society as his family and accepts everybody with one eye, ‘has higher sense of emotion’.

The above little statement raises so many questions, psychological questions, philosophical questions, and existential questions even. First and foremost, I would like to ask such person that ‘Do you really understand yourself‘?

A person, who claims to understand a society, may not be a person who really understands the society. In order to understand the society, first it is necessary to understand an individual who is the basic unit, from which the society is built. A person, who doesn’t understand an individual, is it right for him/her to claim that he/she can understand the entire society?

John D. (Jack) Mayer says, “Emotions operate on many levels.  They have a physical aspect as well as a psychological aspect.  Emotions bridge thought, feeling, and action – they operate in every part of a person, they affect many aspects of a person, and the person affects many aspects of the emotions.” I do believe that emotions do not define us, they are a form of inner communication that help us to understand ourselves. “Emotions control our thinking, behavior and actions”!

However, it has left me thinking that a person who doesn’t understand an individual’s emotions, how can be expected from him/her to unravel the entire wave of the society’s sentiments, if he/she is not able to hold on to ‘a single thread of emotion‘! It is ‘the emotion’ that play a vital role in our lives, and even more so in self improvement, and with emotion, our true power of intention will shine all the way through. Most important, “Emotions are one of our avenues to self-understanding!“

I have experienced that mostly such people who claim such thing, on the contrary, have an absolute absence or an unacceptable low degree of emotional quotient!  Some of them also go to the extent of claiming that they are people who perceive the whole society as their family and accept everybody with one eye. I believe, they need to open second eye as well and see themselves more clearly.

Likewise, there are a bunch of intellectuals, so called progressive thinkers who claim to be a Gandhian or yet Gandhi him/herself of the modern era – just by wearing khadi or holding on to a notion that they are Ghandiji re-incarnated. Eh, just can’t see the Gandhi yet! Gandhi perceived wearing white khadi cloths as a sign of peace, love, self esteem and over all, a sense of respect. But does that mean anybody donning a khadi kurta could represent Gandhian ideology?

Furthermore, unfortunately, there is duality in what they think and what they do – rather a mismatch in what they perceive and what they act. Their often repeated mantra is “vashudhaiv kutumbakam” (The whole world is a family), which in actuality becomes nothing but a laughable joke of the life for them.  They ‘do not practice what they preach’. They talk about peace while pointing the gun at others. Such people are dangerous- quite normal from outside, but confused from within. And, these complicated double-faced people may “rub you the wrong way“. I call them “hypocrites”! And moreover, a person cannot escape the label of “hypocrite” by saying he or she is only offering a suggestion to other people.

Now, the question is – Are they really able to understand the whole society- its composition, intricacies, human bonds??

Absolutely not! One needs to open both the eyes to understand whole society.  I know, nothing can prevent anyone from claiming what he or she is claiming. It’s a free world and anybody can interpret anything they like. Yet, it’s far from easy to understand such people who live their whole lives in a largely illusory world of unquestioned assumptions. I must emphasize that claims are useless until shaped by ‘good intentions’ and followed by equally ‘good actions’!

Excuse me! I repeat, please don’t ever try to impose your fundamental thoughts, rigid expectations and beliefs on others!

And above all, such hypocrites are not fit to call themselves civilized; they may be from any parts of India or world, I don’t care. Their confined thinking & filthy mind reminds me Agyeyji’s poem which I read in school text book (cbse). I am putting below as it might fit well here.

साँप !
तुम सभ्य तो हुए नहीं
नगर में बसना
भी तुम्हें नहीं आया।

एक बात पूछूँ–(उत्तर दोगे?)
तब कैसे सीखा डँसना–
विष कहाँ पाया?
~अज्ञेय

Bol – Break the silence!

Yesterday night, I watched a nice, thought provoking movie ‘BOL’ which is directed by Shoaib Mansoor.  Like ‘Dor’ and ‘Pinjar’ the story of the movie ‘Bol’ is based on the real life of women which touched my heart and really made me cry. It left me speechless. The story starts with Zainub a young woman who has been sentenced to death. Her last wish is to speak about her life story with the media people and the world just before being sentenced. She tells the media that ‘Main sirf katil hun, gunahgar nahi’ and the story goes  into flashback.

Zainub’s father Hakim (an herbal medicine doctor), wishing for a son ended up with seven daughters one after another. His eighth born is a transgender so he wants to kill the child but his wife does not let him.  Saifi, who is kept in home, grows up tenderly under the love of all his sisters and mother but is disliked by the father! Later, his father Hakim kills him and in order to get away from the murder charges, he bribes the police, using the money that the Masjid Committee has entrusted upon him.

In the flashback, Zainub reveals that she gets married but she soon gets divorced because she refuses to have child due to poor financial conditions.  The eldest daughter in the family, after divorce, returns home, where her mother keeps getting pregnant. She takes her mother to get contraceptive operation done in the absence of her father, in order to prevent repeated pregnancies in future. Hakim while finding out about the surgery, he gets angry, abuses and slaps her. She replies ‘Mard hain na, jahan lajawab huye wahan hath chalne lage. Kash main khuda hoti, main her mard se ek bachcha janwati!’

The second daughter, Ayesha forced by her father to marry a man who is quite aged and not of her choice. Her mother objects her father on the age of the person, but he shuts her up. Ayesha is not willing to go with his father’s choice and says to her mother, ‘insan paida kiya hai ammi, dawaiyon ki botalen nahi ki jise chahe de denge, jahan chah rakh denge’.  The mother is helpless. However, Zainub goes to the extent of getting her younger sister married to the boy she loves.

Masjid committee asks Hakim to return the money. Hakim left with no other option, makes a deal with Saqa, a brothel owner, to marry Meena, Saqa’s daughter, for procreation of baby girl. Saqa would  keep the child only if its baby girl.  He agrees on it and marries with Meena. She gives birth to a baby girl but Hakim doesn’t want Saqa to turn the baby into a prostitute , thus he urges her to hand him the baby so he can save her. However, Saqa kicks Hakim out of the house.

The so called religious fundamentalist and the head of family, Hakim always gives the reason that ‘uparwalah will take care of them’. He feels, he knows everything, and he always does is the right thing. Before taking any decision, he blindly opens and plays with the holy book ‘Kuran’ but his each and every step has been a wrong decision for entire family. He believes, and says ‘Halat sudharne ke liye hi to beta chahiye tha’, and on the other hand, Zainub argues ‘hamne to jid nahi ki thee paida hone ke liye’.

 

One night, Meena comes to Hakim’s place to give him her baby. When truth reveals, the fight begins between Hakim and his wife. He beats up his wife when she breaks her silence. Realizing about her father’s mistakes, Zainub asks her father to bring back his second wife to home and she will leave the city with her mother and sisters. And later when Shaqa arrives to take the baby girl, the father tries to kill the baby. While saving the baby’s life she kills her father.

Zainub is the one who dares to speak out- ‘Bol’.  She opposes her father at every juncture. She is being hanged but she leaves people with a few questions. The most pressing question she asks, ‘Maarna hi julm kyun hai, paida karna kyun nahi?‘ She emphasize to think that ‘Jayaj bachche paida karke unki zindagiyan haram kar dena, ye julm kyun nahi hai’? And in the last scenes, especially the one in the end when Zainub screams ‘Jab khila nahi sakte to paida kyun karte ho!?’

The entire story highlights the true condition of women, who are often treated as burdens in a male-dominated society. It brings the actual subject that ‘raises questions, challenges the age-old traditions’ that do not provide liberty to woman to right of freedom in choosing life-partner, refusing reproduction, gaining education or working independently. The social status of women in India, Pakistan, and in the neighbour countries is same.

On the whole, ‘Bol’ is a story that ‘dares to bare’ the dilemma of a rigid society’. I strongly believe that you cannot beat a person like Hakim! Nevertheless, such kinds of people are called “impossible“ for a reason and have an endless supply of arguments to support their so called religious fundamentalist thoughts.  Last, but certainly not the least, I feel, these fundamentalists (religious, ethnic, political, ideological, etc.) who hold rigidly to their beliefs, are now afraid and feel ‘lost’ their identity, beliefs and regid practices.

Bol, ke lab azaad hain tere
Bol, yeh thoda waqt bohot hai
Jism-o-zaban ki maut se pehle
Bol, ke sach zinda hai ab tak
Bol, jo kuchh kehna hai keh le
~ Faiz Ahmed Faiz

I thank Avinash for suggesting this movie to me!