Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Posted on
Sunday, 16 July 2017
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It was one of those usual mornings for me, a
cup of tea and news shuffling on TV. One said about Dadri Masjid case, the
demolition of Babri mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. I would rather call it
demolition of humanity that caused the death of at least 2000 people, and what
for, in the name of religion. These things are beyond my understanding.
Religions are to serve humanity, but sadly humanity is getting away serving
religions or some hidden political motive, I dare say!
Any way, my day started
with a provoking thought. Being in a government job and posted in a remote hill
area, I didn’t have many options for entertainment or any company to hang out with. I lead a monotonous
routine every day. Though I loved the company of interesting people, like one
of my subordinate staff in the office. He was about to retire in two years. He
would tell me stories about places he worked before, people he worked with, and
many other things. He looked much older for his age. He would say atrocities of life that he had
faced all through which made him looked older. He was short, stoop, fair
complexioned with a peculiar expression on his face all the time, which I
figured out, was a blend of curiousness, chronic sadness, absolute emptiness and
begging to come out mischievousness sometimes. Adding more to his much older look
was his attire, loose straight trousers, khakhi shirt, Nehru
jacket, aam aadmi cap, big round glasses and a laathi in hand,
that he used as a support while walking.
So, like every day, we were having some
random conversation. He would call me Saabji. I was addressed this way
or Sir sometimes in hills. I assumed people would have seen only male
officers before. Suddenly he mentioned what’s been in the news, Babri
masjid kaand, with an utter innocence; considering I am his senior he
asked, “Saabji, jo hinduon ne kiya masjid gira ke kya sahi kiya?” I was
intrigued by his question, as he was a hindu himself. I expected him to have
different opinion like others of his like. He was waiting for my answer. It
took me some time to recollect my thoughts on that and I replied, no, it was
wrong. They shouldn’t have done that. He agreed saying, “galat kiya saab
bahut galat kiya, agar maszid nahi todte toh waha kya banna chahiye ye mamla hi
khatam ho jata. kya fark padta hai masjid bane ya mandir”. How
simply he rooted the problem out. I told him people involved in such deeds do
not belong to any religion. Such incidents are always politically driven. He
nodded with the same peculiar expression which probably suggested his ignorance
related to politic nuances, not a bad thing I wondered!
There is one thing common
among common people, they believe in what they are made to see. But he was different!
Someday
you get to learn something extremely beautiful having a conversation with
probably not the best of mind but a pure heart. That day I returned home with a
firm belief on humanity. That hatred has still not completely taken over our
minds.
A memoir by Sudha Kripal
Posted on
Thursday, 9 May 2013
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Taking a swift swivel on my
rotating chair placed firmly on the rooftop of my pretty usual building enabled
a three sixty degree view of the world to me. Any keen observer would call that
as the perfect formula for a nervous breakdown, for that will probably
encompass more data than our memory centers can hold at optimum functionality,
or the cortical neurons of our frontal lobes can process coherently in real
time. In most cases, that should have been enough, particularly for someone
like me, for an IQ (ridiculously overrated term) that barely crawls to the
three digits, an eye sight that struggles on every possible count, both
spherical and cylindrical, and a thought process that is easily some light
years away from being called as normal should not ask for anything more!
But I did not see much in it,
strangely. There was a lot to see, but I found nothing worth a second look. All
it (the sight) did was that it disturbed some familiar memory templates in some
unidentified shelves of my densely (not so dense in my case) packed neuronal
network before they settled down again, not even bothering to spark even a
single action potential in my axons. Obviously, my poor observation traits were
to be blamed for that, but it did not do anything to change my perception,
however skewed and incomplete it was. May be the roof was too low to excite any
meaningful vision out of my ill-focused retina, or may be my expectations were
too high to command any action to my miserly attentive facilities for such a
mundane and listless view. I would like to believe that neither was true.
I was looking for something else,
something I have been looking for quite some time now. Actually, I was looking
for the edge of the world, a place where this world ends. Geographers will
happily vote me out of this world if they happen to read this post, for the
first thing they ever read in their life was that earth is round (bhoo-gol),
but I have always been more inclined towards literature than geography, or any
other subject for that matter, so I guess I will not mind taking that risk;
offending the geographers is not one of my greatest fears (I have many) anyway!
I was once told by one of my
teachers that there are limits to everything, except for one thing, our thoughts.
If we go by that theory, then there has to be a limit (edge) to this world too,
for Earth clearly is not a thought!
Unfortunately (fortunately I
should say), I was not able to see the edge I was looking for. May be the edge is not physical; probably that’s why my eyes could not
see it. But just because I couldn’t see it does not mean it’s not there. I am
afraid we are nearing it slowly and steadily, all of us, for we have been
pushing our boundaries much beyond acceptable levels, sailing dangerously
closer to that deadly edge in the process.
We (human race) have developed
drastically during last hundred years or so. For example, we have accumulated
enough stockpiles of nukes to set our planet on fire anytime, a stupendous
achievement by any standards (at least the modern and scientifically advanced
standards!); we have found a magical indicator of development in the form of
GDP, a breakthrough good enough to permanently turn the hunger of the poor into
their destiny; we are on our way to track the extraterrestrial intelligence
somewhere in future, so what if terrestrial wisdom has been buried (hardly matters!); children are dying due to malnutrition, but longevity is not our prime concern anyway; morals and
humanity are going downhill, on their way to a definite death, burning ignominiously under the heat
of modernization and development, and ironically, we call it cool!
I wonder if this was the world
that God had conceptualized in his plans. I know it is not advisable to quote
God in any conclusive argument which demands concrete evidence. Any forward
looking and scientifically driven mind (a category I also belong to) will
dismiss any such plea in a flash, calling it emotional, irrational and anti-science.
But before we do that, let us introspect whether we have got our priorities
right, or we have strayed at our own peril. I am afraid the latter is true.
Economics and technology should
make peace with rationality and humanity before they are allowed to advance
thoughtlessly. Myopic greed of money and power should not be allowed to
rule/ridicule our vision, our precious ability to foresee the drastic consequences. Immediate
gains (monetary and political) should not take precedence over the conventional wisdom to act
for long term goals (sustainability and welfare).
There is enough space in this
world for science and humanity to survive together. The sooner we realize this,
the better for us. Otherwise it will not be long before we will be able to see from
the ground what I was not able to see from my rooftop, the edge of the world!
Posted on
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Time to stand united and pray for the Baby…..
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16 December 2012
Black Day for Delhities and shame for every human.....When I
reached home 2 days back and while travelling through Delhi, I just wanted to
get the hell out fearing a massive outrage in retaliation to the unjust
crackdown by Delhi police a day before. Nothing happened that day and I felt
that the anger spilling on the streets had died its usual death. But I was
wrong. I felt that anger today when I heard the news of your sad demise. Today
in the silent protests on the streets of Delhi I could sense a feeling of
disgust mixed with shame and helplessness. I share the same feeling and so do
most of us. Like everyone here I too wish you had lived to see students in
Delhi brave the atrocities of the police while demanding justice for you. I
wish you had lived to see your torturers die a painful death. I wish you had
lived to forget the scars and pain bestowed on you by the low lives of our
society. But God had other plans for you. He has taken his daughter to his
abode away from this vindictive world to ease her pain. I know you will think a
thousand times before coming back here as a mortal. Forgive us if you can.
Forgive us for not doing enough to save you, forgive us for our shameful
denial. You shall forever be remembered as the victim of our nefarious ways, someone
who inspired many of us still sane enough to speak up against injustice.
Someone who made us realize the feeling of getting robbed of our flesh and
soul. Rest in peace dear sister. And as one of my seniors said, please don’t
come back here till we make this country a better place for you to live...In
one way, the outrage we feel here in India, as a woman and as an Indian, has
awoken similar sentiments across the globe, and that is a blessing. Yes, the
accused need to be brought to justice, and the safety of women in not only
Delhi, but across India as well, should be paramount.
4 months passed away and the same story is repeated once again….a
five-year-old was abducted and brutally raped in the capital. I am ashamed of
the city and the mentality of these sick persons. The news of the rape of a
five-year-old girl, who is now battling for life, has left Bollywood megastar
Amitabh Bachchan numb. He says people who indulge in such heinous crimes should
be exposed in public for proper justice. Shame !!! utter shame on the entire
government and the criminal justice system .... There is simply no fear in a
criminals mind when he commits a crime ... believe me fear of the LAW IS the
BIGGEST DETERRENT ... there is no fear and the law which "takes
its own course" takes up so long that most of the pursuant just give up in
frustration of failing to get justice.
Questions to be asked?
Why the shameless home-minister and police- commissioner are still
there?
Why have they not quit
and why are they not being sacked by the Government?
Although they will be
replaced by the same kind of the people but yet there is an outside chance that
things would be a bit different!
By Ankit Kumar
Posted on
Monday, 4 February 2013
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Sitting on the beach, watching the waves from the closest range, my forearms rested firmly on my knees, fingers of my hands tucked deep into each other, I fixed my gaze to a wave, that rose boldly at a distance, stowed recklessly with scattered wisps of water popping out, rushed playfully towards me with its innocuous crushing force. I suppressed my penchant for cleanliness and on the road resolution to remain dry as I prepared myself to hug it with a monk's concentration and child's joy. The wave climbed towards me as I saw it at striking distance, riveted my eyes on its expressive ways, didn't care to blink my eyes, just heaved a sigh. It touched my feet first, heralding the upwelling of joy, pounced upon me not willing to wait anymore, brushed my knees, flushed my arms as it drew towards my face. It lay for the thousandth part of a second in front of my face, my heart pounded the chest bone, blood flow swiveled, for the wave was ready to unleash all its magic as I peered at it with open eyes, and it splashed against my face losing its infallible poise with alluring demure.
'Wow', the moment stuck in my memory, it conjured an endless spiral of thoughts as I submerged into the dulcet tones of its hypnotic rhythms. I did not care to swim as it drowned me mellifluously with its heavenly spell of joy. I savored its beauty with open eyes, touched its face laced with shimmering hopes. Luminescing orbs of my eyes soaked the flawless elegance that plunged on its walls, shone brightly in the luscious abode of angelic radiance, immersed effortlessly in the swirling tempest of its ethereal beauty.
The moment lasted a few seconds, so lucid it was, unambiguous and unclouded, fortified with celestial piety. A surreal web of thoughts inundated me as soon as I came out of it. 'That was beautiful' I blinked, 'I was beautiful while I was there, most beautiful I ever was' I blinked again. 'Was that real me? Or just a figment of my existence?' gobbled a chunk of air into my lungs to abate the uneasiness. 'I am not like this when I read, when I write, even when I bask in boisterous luxuries this world offers to me' I lifted myself from the ground as I gazed around. I tried to find out what made it beautiful, my eyes wandered, my mind puzzled! Sand, silt, clay, boulders, the ocean, salt, water, what? 'What made it beautiful? What made me beautiful?'
I refocused my eyes on the waves. 'I will never know! Probably I should not know? May be the beauty lies in not knowing it? May be I should just feel it?' I took a deep breath taking my attention from the mirthless thought.
I refocused my eyes on the waves. 'I will never know! Probably I should not know? May be the beauty lies in not knowing it? May be I should just feel it?' I took a deep breath taking my attention from the mirthless thought.
I sat again, fixed my gaze at another wave that rose few yards into the sea and there you go, I was ready to feel the magic yet again.....
Posted on
Sunday, 3 February 2013
- Vivek Tiwari (Guest Writer)
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Have you ever been sad after achieving what you actually wanted at that moment? Have u ever wondered what was it actually that u wanted instead? Many a times in our life we are mistaken by our choice, our priorities of life. We could not understand what we want; that is the reason we could not enjoy the happy moments of completion of our momentarily goals. And actually there is also no solution to it as Ii see; actually you cannot sometimes determine what you want unless you are away from it or you have lost it. But there is a cure for it....and that one is easy to say but very hard to do. And that is.. stay happy with what you have in every moment. Do not try to control the future, neither try to balance the present with the past. Because one has not yet come and another has just passed away, what you have got is just the moment at present, the moment you actually waste taking shit out of other things.
go on and have some faith on yourself. You will be happy for ever!
pal iss jiye hum ki baat kya kal me thi..
ki pal iss jiye hum ki baat kya kal me hai..
khush na the wo pa ke bhi..
jo auro ki najar me hai..
bas pal abhi yeh jee lo, manjilen dagar me hain..
yeh aaj kal hai kuch nahi yeh pal bhi safar me hain..
- Vivek Tiwari (Guest Writer)
Posted on
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
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The Gang rape of a 23 year old girl, the torture
and the trauma that she suffered had awakened the
whole nation out of slumber. The protests were unprecedented and people
from all walks were a part of it. SHE died an untimely death on 29 december 2012. May her soul, rest in
peace.
It is important that this incidence of rape
should open up discussions to inherent, underlying and
systemic violence against its Women.
What about the so many rapes of the villages that
go unreported?
What about the rapes by army men who after such
a heinous crime move around with impunity?
What about the inequality that a girl faces the
moment she is in a mothers’ womb…female foeticide.
What about the differences in bringing up of a
boy and a girl child?
What about the marital rapes?
What about the domestic
violence?
What about using the body
of a female for settling personal scores?
What about Women being
paraded naked?
What about so many politicians who have rape
cases against them but still are members of legislative assemblies and parliament? Who has
given them the
right to be our representatives?
Why does family honour and family pride begin
and end with a woman?
What about the so many eve
teasing cases on a day to day basis…everywhere?
Why have we objectified
our women?
There are so many WHYs and so many WHATs…. But
answer is something that we need to find by questioning
this patriarchal society, the mindset, that perpetuates this dominance over women and treats them as
inferior beings.???????
- Kislaya Gopal(Guest Writer)
Posted on
Sunday, 11 November 2012
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Eight years back when UPA government took charge at the
center, 4 projects were under pipeline, a dedicated high speed rail-road
freight corridor, dedicated high speed railroad corridors, river
connectivity project and 6 AIIMS. All of these were at the initial stages of
planning but UPA slept over all those ideas through all these year. For
3-4 years AIIMS projects were almost scrapped. Only now we listen about the faculty vacancies being recruited however infrastructure is still at the infant stage. And about rest of the three, we have
no clue yet!
To my horrible nightmare and frustration, our great
economist's government has decided to buy bullet train sets costing Rs 25000 crore and
you know what, these trains will ply at humble 110 kmph against their capacity
of 300-400 just because lack of appropriate rail roads. At all our railways
godown we will see heaps of spoiled grain and other agriculture produce. Wouldn't
a dedicated freight corridor had not done with that? Do we really need an FDI
to take such strategic decision?
This is not a mistake if anyone might be
thinking. This is congress work culture. If you search for Delhi Metro history,
originally planned for 1984 for games. Our great congress governments were
sleeping soundly on the files only till 1998 when actually the project could
see the light of the day.
After eight years we face an economic standstill up
to the extent to immediately open everything we have in our country to FDI on a
national emergency basis! Had UPA furthered mega infrastructure of such
enormous quantity, we wouldn't have reached at such standstill. But no, our PM is
expert in crisis management in a peculiar way so that America gets its purpose
solved and done! What I feel today is whether we have reached such economic
crisis or we have been conspired strategically to be here?
About UPA government's first
highlighted decision in 2004, there was a report in India Today which revealed that
immediately after taking charge at center the first step of the govt was to
stop all the highway projects only till they had placed contractors of their
choice among various highway project. That was the reason behind the slower speed
of highway development under UPA regimen compared to the earlier NDA. And today
we say FDI will bring the transparency and benefit farmers. What has transpired
between Haryana govt and DLF is an eye opener, and second eye opener is the
trend of the Dalal Street. Soon after opening market to FDI, there was a positive response in the form of big jump in Sensex but what was a minor news was a
slowdown at industrial development index!
So verdict is clear. We will throw
away with 'Bichauliyas' and replace them with 'Horse Traders' and Job? They
don't grow on tree dear!
I'm not an expert on economics, I'm just a "
Mango Man" and it's my habit of making noise, just to satisfy the claim of
a " Banana Republic".... and my North Eastern kins have different
meaning for banana (that is Kela). Don't know how they will react !!!!!!!
- Ravi Bisht (Guest Writer)
Posted on
Sunday, 23 September 2012
The Pulse Of The Radical Artery Only Signifies That The Core Of The System Is Generating Enough Thrust In Your Stream, But Sometimes It Is The Vibrations Of The Vocal Cord Or The Blink Of The Eyes That Reveals The Most Secret Ways To The Heart. Sometimes Pause Between The Words Is More Important Than The Words Itself. Sometimes One Who is Ignoring You Care For You The Most. Sometimes One Who Doesn't Say A Word Has Most Things To Say...
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The Pulse Of The Radical Artery Only Signifies That The Core Of The System Is Generating Enough Thrust In Your Stream, But Sometimes It Is The Vibrations Of The Vocal Cord Or The Blink Of The Eyes That Reveals The Most Secret Ways To The Heart. Sometimes Pause Between The Words Is More Important Than The Words Itself. Sometimes One Who is Ignoring You Care For You The Most. Sometimes One Who Doesn't Say A Word Has Most Things To Say...
Life Is Strange, So Is Love And Its Ways ..
Identify The Ones Who Love You,
They May Take The Form Of Your Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Friend, Girl Friend, Partner Or Any One For That Matter ..
But When You Get Them,
Never Let Them Go,
For They Make Your Life Worth Living.
Where there is love, there is life.
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Mahatma Gandhi
