ENOUGH WORDS HAVE BEEN EXCHANGED; NOW AT LAST LET ME SEE SOME DEEDS! (30/05/2015)

I take the liberty to use this quote by noted philosopher and thinker Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe to explain the war of words that has been unleashed by various leaders of the present ruling dispensation on completion of the first year of the Government. I believe these words of wisdom aptly describe the performance of the present ruling dispensation during the last one year. While commuting to and from office I interact with people and often lend a receptive ear to the opinion of fellow commuters in a bid to read the mood of the nation. I believe, people are quite innocent and they readily believe whenever a new leader grabs the center stage and promises them something. They do not realize that “Achche din aane wale hain” was merely a jumla just like the “Garibi Hatao” slogan of 1971, to grab the seats of power. They never expected that the person who spoke it did not mean it and will disown it within a year. When I see people still sweating it out in this sweltering heat to earn a living, leaving their children on the pavements, I am reminded of the broken promises of these ‘leaders” who have deceived their own people during the last 68 years since independence and continue to do so with impunity- their political affiliation notwithstanding. It is indeed a sordid state of affair as people expected something different from a political party that had claimed to be different. The history of Indian democracy is full of precedence when a leader has taken such a stance to his own peril. “Jaise haandi kaath ke chadhe naa doojee baar”.

IF ONLY…….. (23/05/2015)

As the first year of the Modi Government comes to a close, the debate on its success and failures, achievement and shortcomings has naturally intensified and as expected the media trial of the present Government has begun. It is common knowledge that every news channel is politically affiliated, which it scrupulously keeps under the covers, until and unless there is a full blown out case like the Tejpal’s which brings out such affiliation in open, yet it’s amazing that even intellectuals get lured away by the discussion and debates on these channels, not to speak of lesser mortals. I believe, one must be loyal to his nation but loyalty to the Government or the political party that runs the Government is not correct. “Loyalty to the country always, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it” (Mark Twain). Thus news channels with affiliation to political party in power keeps on praising it while others keep on opposing every policy and programmes of the Government. This is the shortfall of the fourth pillar of Indian Democracy. The management gets carried away by the charm of political party in the hope of chalking a career in politics for themselves. When such bargaining becomes the order of the day journalism suffers and it also causes collateral damages to the nation. Hence instead of drawing my conclusion from the debates on news channels, I moved out in open to be with common man to overhear their comments and the manner they rate the present central regime, to draw my own conclusion on the first year of the present Government. I interacted with common man and daily commuters in bus and metro and also spent time at Jantar Mantar- the permanent dharna place in Delhi, in Railway Stations and at market places. I felt people had their own parameters to judge the performance of the present Government (read various ministries). I share some of these that I noted during such interaction ministry-wise:

1.  Agriculture: At Jantar Mantar where I found a banner of “Akhil Bharatiya Joota Maro Samiti” (An All India Association of shoe-beaters): If only the Government could have stopped suicides by farmers that it would have been considered a success, not to speak of the Land Acquisition Bill which puts its credibility in the dock.
2. Railways: At New Delhi Railway Station: If only the Government could have freed the Tatkal Services from the clutches of touts and agents, who have virtually hijacked the service and have made it inaccessible to common man, that it would have been considered a success in its first year- not to speak of bullet trains which is beyond the reach of the Government to achieve in its present tenure.
3. Urban Affairs: If only the Government could keep Delhi clean its first year rule that it would have been considered a success, not to speak of 100 smart cities which it intends to develop- a decision which is beyond the reach of present dispensation.
4. Consumer Affairs: At Vegetable market: If only the Government could have controlled prices of common vegetables in market that it would have been considered a success in its first year.
5.  Defence: If only the Government could have introduced the “One Rank One Pension Scheme” in the army in its first year that it would have been considered a success, not to speak of modernizing its arsenal which always gets stuck in kickbacks.
6.  Finance: If only the Government could have at least simplified the IT Return Form that it would have been considered a success in its first year, not to speak of its claims of a revolutionary economic reforms.
7.  MHRD: If only the Government could have freed the KG admission from the clutches of middlemen and touts that it would have been considered a success, not to speak of bringing about paradigm shift in education policy of the nation.

Ruling dispensations, irrespective of the political affiliation, have, over the years, failed to accept this simple fact that the aspirations of a common man of the nation are quite common and down to earth. The common man is least bothered whether or not India gets a place in UNSC or whether our mission to Mars is successful. He is also not bothered about the GDP and GST as long as the Government of the day is able to help them provide a means of livelihood. But it is an irony that while leaders continue to promise him a paradise, the common man has often pulled the rug from under their feet on a simple issue such as the price of a simple commodity like onion. This the leaders of the ruling dispensation must realize if they want to serve for a longer inning at the Centre. They must address basic issues affecting the common man rather than promising him a paradise which has proved a mirage for him.

INTOLERANCE THAT PUTS BEASTS TO SHAME! (11/05/2015)

I had heaved a sigh of relief when the Sunday newspaper did not report any news of violence by intolerant commuter. But alas! This was a very short relief.  The Monday issue of TOI covered a news item that read that, egged on by his mother, a youth bludgeoned a DTC bus driver (Ashok Kumar) to death in broad day light while 40 commuters stood mute spectator to this savage act. I hold these commuters equally blameworthy. We live in a savage society where beasts move around in human mask. I pray for the family of the departed soul. Delhiites proudly claim to be good Samaritans (Dilli Dilwalon Ki) but where the Samaritans are actually required, Delhi comes a cropper.
What indeed is more heart-rending is the fact that this unfortunate incident happened on "Mother's Day"  and the crime was committed by the son on being instigated by his mother. Instead of teaching her son lessons in tolerance and compassion, what our youths are being taught should be a matter of great concern for the society.

SOARING TEMPERATURE, SOARING INTOLERANCE (09/05/2015)

It was a non-event. Yet the central character involved in the event did not spare any effort in blowing it into a full-fledged fight. The youth in front had not brought off his backpack while entering the metro compartment and it hit another youth behind him who had rushed in to enter the compartment at the last moment before the door closed. However, it was a cause enough for both of them to enter into a verbal spate that turned to near fisticuffs. Thanks to sane fellow commuters who intervened, the situation was stopped from taking an ugly turn. This is not a stray event. Every morning the newspaper has one or more news item of such nature- of brawl and scuffle for minor reasons leading to serious injury and in some cases even death of the person involved. One gets to see people in Delhi enter into a fight even on petty issues such as parking, jumping of queue by fellow commuter, on deciding who among the two is more elderly citizen to occupy the seat meant for elders in metros, road rage due to reckless driving or delay of a few minutes in providing the service by people manning organization rendering services etc. Does this mean that people in Delhi are more conscious or is it a sign of increasing intolerance among its citizens? Agreed, one must not take things lying down for it is a sign of weakness; but the manner people in Delhi react to anything and everything makes them appear as if they are in constant mode of daggers drawn, ready to enter into a brawl at the drop of a hat. I regard this not as a sign of consciousness but of intolerance. A conscious commuter is also a compassionate commuter. At times it appears as if people have lost their sense of judgment and yet love to be judgmental. “There is a tendency for people to get rigid and caught up in their beliefs of what is right and wrong and they lose sight of humanity. Being human has to come first before right or wrong”- Matisyahu. People fail to differentiate a genuine mistake from a deliberate mischief. Coming from a small town I find that community feeling is stronger in such small towns and this often helps in checking intolerance. On the other hand in a metropolitan like Delhi, life is much more challenging, the fight for the survival of fittest is bitter and tendency to ape the affluent class or a class higher than the one to which one belongs to is greater- factors which breeds intolerance, frustration and results in violence. Such a life style makes one self centric and selfish and it also leads to alienation in society. People are least bothered of the miseries and woes of fellow citizen- they behave in a mechanized manner just like a robot leading a robotic life from morning to dusk. Hence where there occurs an interruption they collide into one another like any machine. We need to become human being once again. “One should adopt the same attitude towards all beings, his mind should be even towards all beings, he should not handle others with an uneven mind, but with a mind which is friendly, well disposed, free from aversion, avoiding harm and hurt, he should handle others as if they were his mother, father, son or daughter.”- Gautama-the Buddha.

DELHI: A CITY IN STRESS AND FEAR (04/05/2015)

Early morning every day as I leave for office, I come across my neighbour who I invariably find busy in feeding ants, his five year old son in tow. He is a software engineer in a multinational company.  On way to office I come across many other such commuters. Some even stop their car and step out to feed a cow or a black dog. Feeding partridges and crows are also quite common. Delhi has places earmarked for such purpose. This is the same hip-hop Delhi that considers it progressive and modern, a city said to be leading the nation in a self-styled manner which also considers it to be India’s window to the world. Feeding birds, cows and stray dogs is not bad as long as this is done with a genuine concern and compassion for fellow creatures. But it isn’t the case. Such compassion and care stem from a deep sense of insecurity by people leading a life full of stress and strained relations. Every Saturday there is an addition to this show in the form of Lord Sani (Saturn). Children of poverty stricken people, for whom the pavements are their dwelling, scare the regular commuters into paying up a good amount as alms to get rid of the ire of Lord Sani. These children can be seen at any traffic-signal, carrying the image of Lord Sani immersed in oil in a bucket, seeking alms in the name of Lord Sani.  And people readily oblige- their progressive views and their modern outlook notwithstanding. If you observe the number of commuters who oblige these pavement dwellers, one would get a feel that the whole of Delhi is in the grip of the saadhe saati (the seven year period of Sani) or the dhaiya of sani (2 ½ years period of Sani) of Lord Sani who is dreaded even more than one’s boss. It only signifies the level of stress that has become a part of life of people in Delhi. Such stressful lifestyle also provides a fertile ground to modern Guru to strive, who extracts maximum benefits of this fear and stress. They prescribe all sorts of remedies including those mentioned above. A Guru must not draw fear but love and compassion. I am reminded of the teachings of Lord Buddha on this Buddha Purnima, who had asked his followers to be their own light (Appo Deepo Bhava) because He believed that it was near impossible to find a real Guru in this Kalyug. “Guru keejye jaan ke, paani peejye chhan ke” (Accept a Guru only after knowing him well and drink water only after filtering it properly)- an advice given even by Ramkrishna Paramhans to his noted disciple Swami Vivekananda.

     Human being should never consider him weak to seek solace in such quick fix solution to his problems from quacks moving around in the name of Guru. One must have faith in God and His divine justice who only will give us the strength to overcome the stress and strains of life as it unfolds before us. If only we raise our faith in God to this level shall we be able to achieve real peace in our life.