Thursday, August 13, 2015

What could have been!



All the people who agree that Yakub Memon had nothing to do with Mumbai blasts would also agree that Dhritrashtra had nothing to do with Mahabharata. He was just a helpless blind man, wasn't he? 

In an alternate universe, in the first week of March of 1993, Yakub walks into a Police station in Mumbai and informs about his brother's insidious plans. He gets amnesty and we even propose to give him Bharat Ratna for the lives he saved, a true soldier like deed. 

But he was in Dubai by then. He chose not to do it. By the ides of march of '93, he had well and truly deserved the gallows. At that time, he chose to go with the option that promised him maidens in heaven. Its our fault that he had to wait 22 years for those maidens. 

NOTE- All those who agree that Yakub was not guilty just like Dhritrashtra would also agree that Dhoni has nothing to do with Match fixing!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Kejriwal

But for Kejriwal, this election result was impossible. Modi owes his victory to him. BJP owes its victory to him. Kejriwal channelized the voice of people, consolidated the anti-Congress opinions, and shaped the wave which Modi rode to Delhi, eventually.
He began the battle, Modi won the war!
So when now he has failed like any human can, why the demonization? Is it because his failure mirrors our failure? For years we have fought and lost against the system. So much so that we stopped believing we could win. We only hoped and prayed for miracles and suddenly, there was hope. When he erred, we felt we erred. When he got trapped, we felt trapped. When he could not deliver a promise, we felt betrayed because we had been failed on so many promises before. His inability to get a grasp of shrewd politics made us feel hopeless again. His high impact political risks seemed stupid to us while they looked marvelous a few months back.
The improbability of his dream made us ridicule him rather than dream with him!
Anna Hazare, with his Gandhian philosophy was a beacon of hope. He had been doing public agitations for years, but never did his fight-back against the system become a revolution. It never took the shape as it did after 2011. The only difference was Kejriwal. While Anna represented ideology, the translation of ideology into a message understood by masses needed ground work rather than just media hype. Kejriwal ran a campaign, without money, mind you. So in that sense, a much better campaign than the BJP and Congress ones.
He traveled far and wide without Helicoptors and planes, he got slapped, thrown ink at, shoes hurled at him. He fought street side hooliganism when he could sit in Delhi as CM and cut ribbons across city like his predecessor.
How many of us could stand up against such abuse? We would fear for our respect and give up on our self respect in the blink of an eye. But he didn’t. He deserves applause for it, not abuse. He is not a politician and he made mistakes for which we democratically punished him. But it is this democracy he fought for. He made us think. Before Modi ever became the first choice of youth, he ignited their curiosity to re-look at politics and change its face, en masse.

A standing ovation for him would do just fine, if not a vote.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

The traditional PAPA

Traditional Indian father a.k.a PAPA is worth writing about. He is a key figure in our lives and has some peculiar characteristics. I have observed my father for so long and heard cases of fathers of friends and have come to realize how common their thinking, habits, beliefs and values are. So, here it goes.

The traditional PAPA 
# always tells you to study so that you become a more successful person than he is.
# always tell you that he never had the comforts of life that you have these days
# doesn't believe in spending on brands till he starts using them
# likes only home cooked food
# gets angry when things aren't found because he never misplaces things himself and expects others including the 2 year old to do the same
# often has diabetes 
# has diabetes but still steals a few bites of sweets from here and there
# has read Hindi novels
# doesn't let you drive, be it a scooter or a car, till he has no other option left or till you took away the scooter /car while he was away by arguing with your mother about you being a grown up
# has had less than 3 employers
# can't believe when you say you are quitting your job
# can't believe when you are quitting your "Government" job
# wants to get you married before his retirement
# advises you to get your kids married before your retirement
# has slowly started to understand and enjoy internet and sometimes surprises you with a fact or two
# enjoys Rafi and Kishor
# watches repeats, be it news or often a particular movie. Why he likes that movie, you just can't fathom.
# likes to put up Diwali lights himself

 Additions are welcome!




Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Crash

Rupee is falling. So is the Sensex. Industrial growth and GDP are also following suit. It's no surprise that the famed Indian growth story is over. The only problem with our current situation is the sudden change in fortune in the past few years.

We set the ball rolling in 1991. Ever since, the growth was exemplary. It was just there. Whoever came to power at Center didn't matter. Growth had an air of inevitability about it. One factor was that the denominator was low. You add 1 to 10 and change is 10 percent. You add 1 to thousand, its minuscule.

But that doesn't explain the sudden vicissitude of fate that we are witnessing now. With the rupee below 64, the crisis is established. We are like a plane without a pilot with a cliff right up front. Correction. We do have a pilot on an OD of sleeping pills along with a cabin crew high on alcohol. We don't need an expert to clarify that we are doomed!

Now the debate as to who needs to ensconce on the pilot seat is for the janta to decide. Although, FB and Twitter hogging Gen-Y have made it seem like a battle between 2 personalities, the election battle is far from over. The economic mismanagement that we are witnessing is not just a result of policy paralysis. The deficit is as much a result of sops doled out for populist policies. Now in Indian Democratic system, sops is nothing but buying out votes in mass. Food Subsidy bills, opposition of FDI, Farm subsidy, PDS etc.are nothing but cash handed out in exchange of votes. So, in that regard, our soporific pilot and his dipsomaniac crew have done well. In fact, they may have done just enough to keep opponents out of power even if they themselves don't win.

You know your in a soup when you pin your hopes on the RBI Governor rather than Finance Minister. Raghuram Rajan is an economics Guru, no doubt, but that simply doesn't cut it. Chidambaram has been less and less available to anyone throughout the UPA regime. No comments, no statements, no TV appearances or interviews. Earlier, it was Subbarao who was left all by himself to rectify the damage done by populist fiscal policies. Now Rajan, no disrespect to his capabilities, can also do limited things and that is due to a simple reason-Monetary policies cannot outdo fiscal policies. Monetary policies can only delay the D-Day of Indian economics. At the end of the day, its fiscal policies that have to battle it out to save the nation from falling off the cliff.

May Day May Day!!


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Belief

"Static friction is always greater than dynamic friction"
i.e.
it's always difficult to start things and easier to continue them. Breaking new ground is always hard.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

A narrative on nonsense


The retreat of Lalu Prasad Yadav into political slumber had left a gaping hole in the Indian political scene. All the fun seemed lost and boring people like MMS, Sonia Gandhi and the ever so grim PC made everyone feel that the favorite sitcom in India was over. But along came a new breed of super politicos who believed in getting lime light by speaking on issues where a toddler would know that silence was a better choice. With an ALL WORDS, NO PANTS attitude and a penchant for cooking up political storms with their out of control lip service, they mostly shoot themselves in the foot and make their parties and associates run for cover often making Rakhi Sawant seem more intelligent in choice of words.

Not so long ago , the greatest “Harvard Graduate” ever to tread on the roads of our nation, got a statistic wrong which made me think kya ye panchvi pass se tez hain? Rahul Gandhi just could not get the difference between- in Punjab, 70% of youth are drug addicts vs 70% of the drug addicts are youth and once again proved why his silence is precious. It makes him look so elegant and intelligent. Sadly, his words never match that impression.

The Gandhi scion’s brother in law has lived in the shadows for too long. Robert Vadra probably was fed up of utilizing Gandhi name undercover. He decided to hog the limelight and he did. Only problem, it was a rant “ Mango people in Banana Republic” rather than a polished beginning towards becoming a public figure. His ambitions got a jolt and we have been living happily ever after, with his silence.

Haryana is fast becoming the breeding ground for unserious comments about serious crimes. So, politicians are asking reduction in marriage age to 16 as a method to combat rapes. Mr. Insensitive Politician. Your basic premise is that married men don't rape while newspapers and rape incidents would suggest a deviation from your presumption, if only you were willing to check numbers. But that takes intelligence. So, you suggested officially recognizing child marriages!

The Khaps in Haryana, after extensive scientific research, found the root cause of rapes-Chowmein. Only problem was, they did not keep this research confidential and shared it with us. I personally feel it was the most comical statement on the surface, but one with serious undertones implying that anyone who was evolving with time into a more open minded lifestyle and adopting a modern life was inviting doom.

“71 Lakhs is not worth a scam”- What can be more frivolous than suggesting that there are benchmarks for corruption as per your political stature indirectly endorsing corruption inadvertently declaring that God  and corruption are omnipresent? Beni Prasad Verma hasn’t always been very smart in his statements. Has he? It’s a problem with his fellow party member Sriparakash Jaiswal as well who has a problem with wives getting old and losing charm.

Then came the turn of the Hindutva brigade who till a few months back, seemed very gracefully silent and thus, giving and impression of sensitivity and intellect. But the statistically incorrect and illogical “Rapes in India not Bharat” matched Diggi Raja’s numerous school boyish ramblings.  With a MP BJP minister using mythology to instill fear in the hearts of the fairer sex, even Ravana would feel ashamed of his deeds being compared to perpetrators of Delhi Gang rape. The question arises whom to choose when the rightists, the leftists and the ones in the Centre are equally insane in usage of words?

Talking of mythology, Ram Jethmalani mutated from a top notch criminal lawyer to an advocate of family matters when he questioned Lord Rama fulfilling his responsibilities as a trusting husband. His younger brother Laxman was not spared by the fiery lawman saying his reasoing for not being able to find Goddess Sita after abduction did not make sense. Just when Lord Rama thought his role in Indian politics was over with the rise and demise of BJP and he felt he could happily go back to showering blessings on his devotees, he was forced back to the fore, if only for a day or two. Sorry God!

A narrative on nonsense statements in Indian politics today would be incomplete without discussing Diggi Raja, aka Digvijay Singh who has been knowingly or unknowingly trying to position himself as the new Laluji with his comical statements. The only difference between him and Laluji- Laluji is a shrewd politician with his immaculate and smart humour while Diggi Raja’s verbosity is just ridiculous. From Anna Hazare being a simple villager to Hemant Karkare confiding in him about Hindu terrorism to Osama Ji (Osama Bin Laden he was referring to), he has created quite a few political storms but that hasn’t enhanced his political stature. He does provide some fun quotient though.

Indian politics has lost intellect. It is a story from Class to Crass. Inane words to get 15 minutes of fame have depleted the seriousness of many socially relevant, grave issues. Discussions in Parliament are now about statements and not issues. So there are more and more words but no concrete debates to solve problems. Watching parliamentary sessions is painful now.

I miss Atalji, Arun Shorie and Jaswant Singh. Where are the men gone? :(

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Dilli

One of the best poems from Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Ji. Aptly portrays the sentiment of nation towards the political class in Delhi today.

हो गया एक नेता मैं भी? तो बंधु सुनो, मैं भारत के रेशमी नगर में रहता` हूं,
जनता तो चट्टानों का बोझ सहा करती, मैं चॉंदनियों का बोझ किसी विध सहता हूँ।

दिल्ली फूलों में बसी, ओस-कण से भीगी, दिल्ली सुहाग है, सुषमा है, रंगीनी है,
प्रेमिका-कंठ में पड़ी मालती की माला, दिल्ली सपनों की सेज मधुर रस-भीनी है।

बस, जिधर उठाओ दृष्टि, उधर रेशम केवल, रेशम पर से क्षण भर को आंख न हटती है,
सच कहा एक भाई ने, दिल्ली में तन पर रेशम से रुखड़ी चीज न कोई सटती है।
हो भी क्यों नहीं? कि दिल्ली के भीतर जाने, युग से कितनी सिदि्धयां समायी हैं।
औ` सबका पहुंचा काल तभी जब से उन की आंखें रेशम पर बहुत अधिक ललचायी हैं।

रेशम से कोमल तार, क्लांतियों के धागे, हैं बंधे उन्हीं से अंग यहां आजादी के,
दिल्ली वाले गा रहे बैठ निश्चिंत मगन रेशमी महल में गीत खुरदुरी खादी के।

वेतनभोगिनी, विलासमयी यह देवपुरी, ऊंघती कल्पनाओं से जिस का नाता है,
जिसको इसकी चिन्ता का भी अवकाश नहीं, खाते हैं जो वह अन्न कौन उपजाता है।

उद्यानों का यह नगर कहीं भी जा देखो, इसमें कुम्हार का चाक न कोई चलता है,
मजदूर मिलें पर, मिलता कहीं किसान नहीं, फूलते फूल, पर, मक्का कहीं न फलता है।

क्या ताना है मोहक वितान मायापुर का, बस, फूल-फूल, रेशम-रेशम फैलाया है,
लगता है, कोई स्वर्ग खमंडल से उड़कर, मदिरा में माता हुआ भूमि पर आया है।

ये, जो फूलों के चीरों में चमचमा रहीं, मधुमुखी इन्द्रजाया की सहचरियां होंगी,
ये, जो यौवन की धूम मचाये फिरती हैं, भूतल पर भटकी हुई इन्द्रपरियां होंगी।

उभरे गुलाब से घटकर कोई फूल नहीं, नीचे कोई सौंदर्य न कसी जवानी से,
दिल्ली की सुषमाओं का कौन बखान करे? कम नहीं कड़ी कोई भी स्वप्न कहानी से।

गंदगी, गरीबी, मैलेपन को दूर रखो, शुद्धोदन के पहरेवाले चिल्लाते हैं,
है कपिलवस्तु पर फूलों का शृंगार पड़ा, रथ-समारूढ़ सिद्धार्थ घूमने जाते हैं।

सिद्धार्थ देख रम्यता रोज ही फिर आते, मन में कुत्सा का भाव नहीं, पर, जगता है,
समझाये उनको कौन, नहीं भारत वैसा दिल्ली के दर्पण में जैसा वह लगता है।

भारत धूलों से भरा, आंसुओं से गीला, भारत अब भी व्याकुल विपत्ति के घेरे में।
दिल्ली में तो है खूब ज्योति की चहल-पहल, पर, भटक रहा है सारा देश अँधेरे में।

रेशमी कलम से भाग्य-लेख लिखनेवालों, तुम भी अभाव से कभी ग्रस्त हो रोये हो?
बीमार किसी बच्चे की दवा जुटाने में, तुम भी क्या घर भर पेट बांधकर सोये हो?

असहाय किसानों की किस्मत को खेतों में, कया जल मे बह जाते देखा है?
`क्या खाएंगे?´ यह सोच निराशा से पागल, बेचारों को नीरव रह जाते देखा है?

देखा है ग्रामों की अनेक रम्भाओं को, जिन की आभा पर धूल अभी तक छायी है?
रेशमी देह पर जिन अभागिनों की अब तक रेशम क्या? साड़ी सही नहीं चढ़ पायी है।

पर तुम नगरों के लाल, अमीरों के पुतले, क्यों व्यथा भाग्यहीनों की मन में लाओगे?
जलता हो सारा देश, किन्तु, होकर अधीर तुम दौड़-दौड़कर क्यों यह आग बुझाओगे?

चिन्ता हो भी क्यों तुम्हें, गांव के जलने से, दिल्ली में तो रोटियां नहीं कम होती हैं।
धुलता न अश्रु-बुंदों से आंखों से काजल, गालों पर की धूलियां नहीं नम होती हैं।
जलते हैं तो ये गांव देश के जला करें, आराम नयी दिल्ली अपना कब छोड़ेगी?
या रक्खेगी मरघट में भी रेशमी महल, या आंधी की खाकर चपेट सब छोड़ेगी।

चल रहे ग्राम-कुंजों में पछिया के झकोर, दिल्ली, लेकिन, ले रही लहर पुरवाई में।
है विकल देश सारा अभाव के तापों से, दिल्ली सुख से सोयी है नरम रजाई में।

क्या कुटिल व्यंग्य! दीनता वेदना से अधीर, आशा से जिनका नाम रात-दिन जपती है,
दिल्ली के वे देवता रोज कहते जाते, `कुछ और धरो धीरज, किस्मत अब छपती है।´

किस्मतें रोज छप रहीं, मगर जलधार कहां? प्यासी हरियाली सूख रही है खेतों में,
निर्धन का धन पी रहे लोभ के प्रेत छिपे, पानी विलीन होता जाता है रेतों में।

हिल रहा देश कुत्सा के जिन आघातों से, वे नाद तुम्हें ही नहीं सुनाई पड़ते हैं?
निर्माणों के प्रहरियों! तुम्हें ही चोरों के काले चेहरे क्या नहीं दिखाई पड़ते हैं?

तो होश करो, दिल्ली के देवो, होश करो, सब दिन तो यह मोहिनी न चलनेवाली है,
होती जाती है गर्म दिशाओं की सांसें, मिट्टी फिर कोई आग उगलनेवाली है।

हों रहीं खड़ी सेनाएं फिर काली-काली मेंघों-से उभरे हुए नये गजराजों की,
फिर नये गरुड़ उड़ने को पांखें तोल रहे, फिर झपट झेलनी होगी नूतन बाजों की।

वृद्धता भले बंध रहे रेशमी धागों से, साबित इनको, पर, नहीं जवानी छोड़ेगी,
सिके आगे झुक गये सिद्धियों के स्वामी, उस जादू को कुछ नयी आंधियां तोड़ेंगी।

ऐसा टूटेगा मोह, एक दिन के भीतर, इस राग-रंग की पूरी बर्बादी होगी,
जब तक न देश के घर-घर में रेशम होगा, तब तक दिल्ली के भी तन पर खादी होगी।