कहानी

सूनी सूनी सी ज़िन्दगी
दिल में ज्वाला पर है जगी
राह निर्जन सा लगता है
मंजिल पर नज़र मगर है लगी

चलना है चलते रहना है
किताब के पन्नों को उलटना है
कहानी जो अभी शुरू हुई है
किश्तों में उसे आगे बड़ना है

कई कलाकारों से बनी यह कहानी
कई रिश्तों से सजी
आगे बड़ते रहेगी
नए अध्याय जुड़ते रहेंगे

- शास्त्री वद्लामानी

ज़िन्दगी का गीत

चलो चलो चलो चलो चले चलो
बहती इस धारा में बहे चलो
ज़िन्दगी की लहरों के साथ साथ
मदमस्ती में बस गाते चलो

चलते चलते सूरज को देखो
हौसला तुम उससे लेते चलो
लहराते हुए पेड़ों को देखो
बुलंदी तुम इनसे लेके चलो

देखो देखो देखो उन चिड़ियों को देखो
गाती हुई वोह उड़ती चली
कलकी फ़िक्र न करती हुई वोह
आज कि मस्ती में हंसती चली

आज का वक़्त जो हाथ में तेरे
कल तेरे हाथों में ना होगा
इसलिए आज को जी भर जी लो
कल का सवेरा कल होगा

आये हो अकेले जाओगे अकेले
हो जब तक तुम रिश्ते बनाओ
खुद को अकेले ना उलझाओ
रिश्तों में तुम खुशियाँ मनाओ

गाओ गाओ गाओ कोई गीत ऐसी गाओ
दुनिया जिसे सुन झूम उठे
सन्देश कोई तुम इसमें भेजो
पड़ जिसे सबकी रूह जाग उठे

-- शास्त्री वद्लामानी

Where is my freedom?

An Indian citizen asks that question almost every second. Or may be, his soul asks him. Sometimes he makes the voice of his soul heard out in the form of expression. Sometimes he stifles it within and keeps up a face saying I am free and I am fine. Because that's the only way it seems, to make peace with the life around you. Our "great" constitution is a big book with lots of rights for its citizenry. The right to live freely is there. The right to express opinion is there. The right to move freely is there. We have the right to life and personal liberty. These are all under the fundamental rights.

Yet, a rogue of this nation has the audacity to make utter ridicule of our constitutional right by letting his hoodlums beat up the Biharis in Maharashtra. The protectors of the constitution sit meekly and watch. Ofcourse they use their mouth loudly in condemning the act. But the taxi driver or the road side vendor who suffers the brunt asks: Where is my right to make livelihood? Where is my right to move freely ? Where is my right to liberty? Why do you mention these rights in the constitution when you cannot guarantee me any of these? Why do I have to fight so much for it?

Yet, a Telangana struggle happens and all the above rights seem to be completely non-existent. The life comes to a halt. Shops are shut down. Transport is shut down. Every Tom Dick and Harry issues threats at free will. Public property is damaged at free will. Move around at your own risk. And the ensurers of these fundamental rights seem to be completely helpless in making sure that come what may, these rights will never be sacrificed.

Yet, A famous personality passes away. And the whole city comes to a grinding halt. The so called fans suddenly are angry because the personality passed away. The shops are forcibly shut down. Schools and colleges are shut. Buses are pelted. You venture out at your own risk. And all our so called rights ensured by the constitution are tossed out of the window. And the ensurers of these fundamental rights seem to be completely helpless in making sure that come what may, these rights will never be sacrificed.

Yet, a little teenager dies after molestation and utter humiliation and it takes 19 years for the country to wake up? Suddenly our blood starts boiling only to become cold again. Suddenly the CBI former Joint Director says that he wanted to press the charges. Suddenly the National Commission for Women wants stringent charges. Suddenly, the ministry wants to meet the victim's family. Where were these enthusiasms 19 years back? Incompetence is the answer. And the voices now are just an attempt to cover up that incompetence. The incompetence of not able to protect the simple and powerless citizens.

And as I write this, an RTI activist has been mercilessly killed in Pune while he was on a morning walk. Why? Because he used RTI actively to unearth several land scams in Mumbai Pune region.

And we keep repeating like a parrot, "I am proud", "I am free" , "I am secure". Damn. Why are we so much habituated to accepting the rubbish around us that we finally make peace with by imagining the right to freedom, right to liberty, right to expression and several other so called rights whereas in fact these are just by accident. If you get it then great and if if not, then sorry.

And after a while cynicism takes the front seat and thats the final nail.

Someone asked god to give him the serenity to accept the things that he cannot change and the courage to change the things he can.

God give me the courage to not only change the things I can, but also the courage to change the things that I think I cannot.

Work like a Donkey today, Live like a king tomorrow

This is an interesting story from my childhood. It may date back to around 18 years back that is around 1992 when I graduated from high school and about to enter the plus2 that is 11th and 12th, the two years spent before you get into undergrad.

An uncle of mine who is no longer in this world, came to my home to find out how I did in 10th class. This is a typical habit of the uncles of the neighborhood. In any case, he used to give me some good fundas.

While talking to me, as I was seated on a still scooter in my house ( I remember this very vividly), the uncle said, "Beta, remember one thing. The next two years are very crucial. In these two years, if you work like a donkey, you will live like a king after that. But if you live like a king in these two years, you will live like a donkey after that."

I really loved those words so much. What he effectively meant to say was that if you work hard in these two years, you will lead a great life later on. I think I took those words of the great man too literally.

I really worked like a donkey during those years. Fair enough, I got into the most premier technological institution of India, that is Indian Institute of Technology. All good about the donkey work in the two years. But the fact he missed out was that, once you work like a donkey in those two years, you will continue to work like a donkey throughout your life. Because now you are addicted to working like a donkey. So I continue to work like a donkey I guess :-) Whether it be for success. Whether it be for fame. Whether it be for money. Whether it be for peer pressure. Whether it be for reasons I dont know.

Dear uncle, I think I too much followed your wisdom. The thing I should have done was, I should have first defined success for me since this definition is very much context specific and can be defined specifically for individual. And in that context I should have carved out the donkey work. Now I am clueless what is success.

Well I just was thinking about the past as I am away from work and this story suddenly came to my mind.

Happy New Year

Waited and watched
As the turn of the time took me
Suddenly from one year to the next
From one decade to the other
As the moment clicked
Lots of hopes and lots of wishes
Started blossoming in the heart
As we look back,
So many thoughts keep crossing our minds
About the events
Some we are satisfied about
Some we wish happened differently
And some we wished did not happen
Life and time keep coming in a bag of varities
And it happens every year
year after year
Some of us will make resolutions and some will not
But at the innermost self,
we all want peace, love and happiness.
And these have no specific form.

May this year make your wishes true and may some of these wishes benefit you while all your wishes benefit the community around you.

One of the 3 Idiots says a very simple thing "Passion ko pursue kar, success to jhak maarti hui aa jaayegee".

We do not need a movie to tell that to us. We just need to remember the fundamental philosophy every moment, everyday as a new year year passes by, becomes an old year and we again wait for another new year with hopes, resolutions and excitement.