Golden Days

It was perhaps one of the most eventful weeks in this year. The best thing that happened was when I received a call from my close friend lost in Mela like circumstances ( like two brothers missing each other and the family and meeting after decades in Movies )  La Deewar Style. A shrill voice called and asked " Is it Mr. Ganu "? I said - YES. Again he said the BEST Ganu, I again said - YES. He then said " I am Tendulkar ". That was enough to take me back in a flash by almost 45 years. We talked and lived every incidence of those days. Then he said " Yaar Ankolkar is dying to meet you. He has even told me that whether I believed or not in Rebirth, He believed and would like to be born again, only to meet GANU". It was an emotional shock to me too, and it brought tears in my eyes. He then told me to wait for some time to get a call from Ankolkar, and then Haridas. 

That day both called me up and we talked as if all those years gap never ever existed. I promised both that we will again revive our association. 

Today I went to Talegaon, about 35 kms from Pune, by local train and met the Man - Ankolkar. The first thing I had realised was that I had preferred to take train journey even though my driver had not come, just to meet him. This was really a defining moment. Travelling by local transport with the common man keeps you rooted and makes you feel that you are part of the common man on streets. You are not different. I had missed out on that feeling for last 3 - 4  decades, since I stopped travelling by local transport ( Bus or Local Train ). Even in long distance trains the warmth had gone out since I stopped going by sleeper / unreserved coaches. In fact I had distanced myself from that pleasure and warmth unknowingly. I had become too materialistic and a slave of comforts, and in return lost the touch & smell of warmth found in a common man. Today I was back amongst them and was happy to be their part.

Warmth I saw when an elderly person offered his seat to a lady with two children, a site you would hardly see in upper class travels. 

And then the meeting with Ankolkar. OMG. We spent almost 4 - 5 hours together. In between, We brought lunch for ourselves and his grand daughter. He took out his harmonium and started playing tunes from old Hindi Films. We talked about classical music and family issues. We were our good old days' self. The strings were tuned again, so to say.

I had to catch a 4.45 PM train to return. I called him again before the train started. We spoke for a couple of minutes and then he concluded and said his trademark sentence " LOVE YOU ", spoken from heart.

Today will be an unforgettable day, after so many years.

Thank You Tendulkar for the efforts of finding my whereabouts.

Tendlya - We are all meeting in your house when Haridas would be in Mumbai during the first week of January 2014. I am sure that we will then celebrate our reunion and say " HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN "

Back to Panchaayti Type rule

Finally Aam Admi Party decides to form a government. Kejriwal and his team resorted to seeking public opinion by way of SMSs, Media & about 25 Lac letters sent to the people. It appears great on paper and for a beginning. Does it mean that for every little / big decision the party will seek people opinion ? Just to say that it is for the people, by the people and of the people. Then why leaders are needed? Governments can not be run this way. Probably you can take public opinion once on what issues they would like the government to address and their priorities, and this should be done before election and before making the party manifesto. Once it is done then the party should implement the agenda and accept accountability for its' failure or success. 

Just imagine this opinion seeking on a larger stage like a big state or on a national stage. It will be a real mess of sorts. Government will not function as lot of time will be wasted in seeking opinions. In what way this style of functioning would it be different then the present status, when Congress ruled government at centre had already been functional for last 5 years or say a decade? 

I remember this way of functioning when in good old days sarpanchs in gram panchayats used to have meetings under a tree and decide on some issue. there too it was never based on public opinion. it was left to a bunch of people from the panchayat. However these people sought public opinions earlier and privately, before sitting on a judgement.

Is the Aam Admi Party taking us to the stone age era  ?? 

Is it Change of Hearts for Congress ?

The drubbing congress has got in recent state elections have not changed them a bit even. They are with their dirty games yet again in Delhi. Now the local congress body has sent a letter to the Lt. Governor showing support to the Aam Admi Party. They do not want the BJP to come to power on one hand , and they want the AAP to fall pray to their well disguised trap and accept the offer on the other hand. This is killing two birds with one shot. They hope that AAP accepts their offer, form the government and fail to implement even one of their assurances, because they will not allow any such bill to pass where congress has been opposing all through out. Then they will claim that AAP offers only hollow promises, and try to mislead people and tell that BJP ran away from responsibility and AAP has failed to deliver, and show how only Congress is the party who knows governance.

I only hope and pray that none of this happens.

सौ चूहे खा कर बिल्ली हज को चली

हाल ही के चुनावी नतीजों के बाद  कॉँग्रेस  में उथल पुथल चालू हुई ! पर परिमाणों में कोई फर्क नज़र नहीं आता ! फिर वोही ढाक के तीन पात ! खुर्शीद भाई कहते हैं कि सोनिया भारत कि माँ है , भाईजान तुम्हारी होगी पर देश भर की क्यों बना डाला ? मणिशंकर जी ने भी अपनी चिर परिचित चिड़चिड़े अंदाज़ में प्रधान मंत्री पद के लिए सोनिया के नाम पर महर लगा दी ! सिब्बल जी भी  भला क्यों पीछे  रहते  ? उन्होंने भी सोनिया कि दावेदारी कि हिमायत की ! 

और हाँ ! दिग्गू भाई तो हमेशा से ही बड़बोले रहे हैं , वो क्यों भला अपनी इन आदतों से बाज आते ? उन्होंने कहा - मैं तो पहले ही से कहता आ रहा हूँ कि सोनिया का कोई विकल्प नहीं है, पर यदि है तो वह सिर्फ राहुल बाबा ही हैं ! 

अब सब कॉंग्रेसी बयानबाजी में लगे हैं - कहते हैं कि सोनिया को फिर से बागडौर संभालनी चाहिए ! अरे भाई छोड़ी कब थी कि फिर से सँभालने कि नौबत आन पड़ी ?

कितने भोलेपन से ये सब लोग इस तरह कहते हैं मानो जनता बेवकूफ है , सोई है , नादान है , कुछ जानती नहीं है !

यह सब सौ चूहे खा कर हज जाने जैसा ही है ! है ना ?

CAUSE, EFFECT & REMEDIAL ACTION

I get in to adventure mode very often. Unfortunately it turns out to be a misadventure most of the times. I can’t help and I cannot refrain from trying to be adventurous again in spite of my previous failures. This time I decided to paint my table which had serious termite problems. I have always believed in “ Do it Yourself ” philosophy. So I decided to do it myself. I bought wood guard and applied it to the problem areas.  I achieved 100 % success. I was buoyed up and excited by success. I was floating on cloud nine. I felt “ Well Begun is….. ”. So I took out the oil paint which was left over after the painting works of interiors and doors of my house. I added turpentine as an expert would have done. I checked up the viscosity and color shade. I was satisfied with my artistic skills and was happy within.

I took out the drawers and opened the front shutters of the shelves under the table, cleaned up and started painting from the back side and then the drawers. SO FAR SO GOOD. My excitement was increasing leaps and bounds, exponentially. The Master Painter was at work. I asked my wife to come and see the progress. I was motivated by her initial good words. I asked her to capture the moments in our camera. Those all moments were like best moments of my life, as if, and hence needed to be captured for sharing with all my relatives, son in laws, friends etc. After all, I am a recognition savvy person, I admit that. 

CAUSE : 

Now, the painting of shelves under the table started. Top shelve was done. No issues, no problems whatsoever. I felt that a Great job was done methodically & systematically. Then the bottom shelf was done. I exclaimed and shouted “ Wow!! ” . Archimedes’s words “ UREKA ” became a history, so would mine be too, I thought.

I started the second coat, after a gap of about couple of hours. I realized that the surface had not dried completely, but I decided to continue. I had to bend and shove my head inside to reach the inaccessible parts of the shelves. The painting was thus completed. There were some paint spots on my hands. I removed those by applying kerosene soaked swab.  I was then relaxing in the sofa, when my wife saw some thing on my face and screamed “ What is this ”. This was only a beginning. A barrage of questions followed in high pitch tone, like bullets from AK 47. “ What have you done? ”, “ Who had asked you to do painting ?”and so on. Still I did not know what was wrong. 

EFFECT: 

I had already lost my zeal and enthusiasm and had almost lost all my energies. I asked meekly “ What happened ?”.  I had forgotten for a moment that she has " Simha - Leo Rashi / Zodiac Sign ". These people are aggressive by nature , you know.

She shouted “ Look at your hair…… they are all coated with paint ”. I touched my hair. These had become stiff. I went to the mirror, and said lightly this is “ SPIKE Style ”. That acted as fuel to the fire. She thundered “ What nonsense?”. Now I was speechless and defenseless, as always. I told her not to worry because I would remove that with kerosene like I did for my hands. She said “ Are you crazy? ”.    “ Don’t be stupid, You are allergic, don’t do anything like that ” , she said firmly and authoritatively.  I threw up my white towel in a mood to stop further assault.

In the mean time, her elder sister dropped in. when my wife told her the whole thing, she looked at me and laughed. Now the atmosphere eased out. Thanks to her, really. They both then advised me to go to the barber and get a size zero hair cut.

The barber saw my state, understood the problem and did the remedial action. Luckily, we still have almost two months for Anupama’s marriage on November 30, 2013. So I have sufficient time to regain normalcy.

 REMEDIAL ACTION:

So Once again it is proven that every action has a CAUSE & an EFFECT & a REMEDIAL ACTION . Q. E. D.

राख से फिर निर्माण

 हमारे दो नौजवान शहीद होते हैं,
           कुछ पाकिस्तानी सिरफिरे
एक जवान का सिर काटते हैं, और
         तोहफे की तरह ले जाते हैं,
हम कुछ नहीं करते, या फिर
       कुछ नहीं कर पाते हैं।

सरकार विरोध जता  कर शांत होती है,
          किसी का खून नहीं खोलता,
सहिष्णु जो हैं हम ! या हमारी सरकार ?

हमारे नेता कहते हैं " मेरा देश महान ! "
या फिर
कुछ  कहते हैं " वन्दे मातरम !! "

वे लोग भी क्या करें?

आये दिन जगह जगह बलात्कार होते हैं ,
        हम कुछ नहीं करते या फिर कर नहीं पाते ,
आये दिन जगह जगह माओवादी हमले कर
        हमारे अपने जवानों की हत्या करते हैं,
हम कुछ नहीं करते या फिर कर नहीं पाते ,
       कभी तो उनकी  लाशों में बम्ब पिरोते हैं,
हम कुछ नहीं करते या फिर कर नहीं पाते ,

पर, हमारे नेता कहते हैं " मेरा देश महान ! "
या फिर
कुछ  कहते हैं " वन्दे मातरम !! "

कहीं स्त्रीभूण हत्या होती है,
        कहीं दहेज़ जान ले बैठता है,
        कहीं दिन दहाड़े चोरी - डकैती होती है,
हम कुछ नहीं करते, या फिर कुछ नहीं कर पाते,

कहीं सड़कों पर दुर्घटनाओं से मौत,
        कहीं समय पर चिकित्सा के अभाव से मौत,
कभी बेकारी से खुदकशी, तो कभी
        भूक से आत्महत्या,

पर, हमारे नेता कहते हैं " मेरा देश महान ! "
या फिर
कुछ  कहते हैं " वन्दे मातरम !! "

कभी अति वृष्ठी से तो कभी अना  वृष्ठी से मौतें,
        तो कभी भूकंप से मौतें,
यह काफी नहीं जैसे , इस लिए
       कभी विदेशी हमलों में मौतें ,

पर, हमारे नेता कहते हैं " मेरा देश महान ! "
या फिर
कुछ  कहते हैं " वन्दे मातरम !! "

कभी आतंकी हमलों से सीमाओं पर पस्त हम,
         कभी देश के अन्दर आतंकियों से झून्जते हम,
हमारे देश में जीवन का कोई मूल्य नहीं है,
         किसी को दुसरे की जान की कोई कीमत नहीं,

यह सब हो गुजरने पर ,
      कुछ देर पटरी से उतरा लगता जीवन,
फिर सामान्य होता है, होने पर मजबूर  होता है,

हमारे नेता लेकिन जीवन का मुल्यांकन करते हैं,
           जीवन की पैसों से बोली लागतें हैं,
आर्थिक मदत या दान की घोषणाएँ करतें हैं,

और कहते हैं " मेरा देश महान ! "
या फिर
कुछ  कहते हैं " वन्दे मातरम !! "

सच पूछा जाए तो यह जीवन का मूल्यांकन नहीं है,
        मौत का मूल्यांकन है,

मुझे इन नेताओं से कोई उम्मीद नहीं है,
        इन्हें तो उठा फैंकना होगा,
परिवर्तन लाना होगा,
        समाज में , व्यवस्था में !!

मुझे उस दिन का  इंतज़ार  है, जब
       अपना हर नागरिक इस देश के
मिट्टी की कीमत समझेगा,
        अपने स्वार्थ से परे, देश की सोचेगा,
तभी,

हम और हमारा देश,
        एक फिनिक्स - अमरपक्षी की तरह
जापान या जर्मनी की तरह
      राख से फिर निर्माण करेगा

यह जरूर होगा , यह जरूर हो कर रहेगा !!

फिर, हम सभी एक बुलंद आवाज में कहेंगे -

         " मेरा देश महान !! , वन्दे मातरम , वन्दे  मातरम !!