Friday, December 19, 2008

Where’s my Cell Phone?

This Monday I woke up on time. No problem with that, my alarm clock(s) takes care of it. Got dressed, checked my pockets as usual. ID card: Yes, Keys: Yes, Wallet: Yes. Okay, all set to go to the office. All seemed well but something was amiss, there was this inner feeling. “Its nothing”, I told myself. Let’s go. All through the way to office, I had this feeling that I was missing something, something crucial.
It was only when I reached the office and checked the time that the realization struck me. “Oh! God, I forgot my cell phone”. A lot of us would agree that despite us purchasing and using the cell phone, in reality it’s we who have become the salve of it. It’s my watch, I need to exchange messages now and then, I need to exchange missed calls, and I need to check mails. In short I need my cell phone more than anything.
Let’s discuss what happens when I forget my cell. I can’t check messages, I can’t check calls. There is always that feeling, who would have called? Could it be something important? It was not as if life couldn’t go on without cell phone, it’s just that it has become an important part of our life. It can be understood as the extension of our body which helps us connect via telepathy. It’s the same, if not equal to it. The feeling when I forget my cell phone can’t be explained in words. It has to be felt to understand. I love you, my cell phone. I love you so very much.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Bush Shoed: Why does nobody care?

The President of the world’s strongest democracy; the leader of the free world; one who could demolish the whole world. I am talking about none other than George Bush. Amidst the election campaign and following elections in US, it struck me how politically irrelevant Bush has become today. He has become a bit dormant of late. Gone are the animated speeches, war on terror talks and all those gimmicks. Republicans might have forced him to become mellow, keeping anti-Bush sentiments in mind.
His irrelevancy became all more relevant when an Iraqi reporter threw a shoe at him. I mean come on; a President being thrown a shoe at should/would have evoked sharp feelings among the people. I don’t see much of such reactions, at least neither in the news nor on the blogosphere. Americans seem to have moved on. For them Obama is their man Friday.
What struck me is the fallibility of human being. Some 6 years ago, who would have thought that anyone, leave alone a Muslim would be able to throw a shoe at the President of USA. I read in an article that throwing a shoe is the ultimate insult in the Arab world. Was this anger and insult against President of USA or George Bush? Would Obama also be subjected to the similar treat? Let’s wait and watch. A person, however powerful he may be, has a particular shelf life. This is the biggest strength of nature against us humans. Everyone die one day. Bush era is over in US, so much so that people don’t even care anymore if he is shoed at. At least, not much. As for rest of the world and also liberals among the United States, we can surmise the reaction as,“Usne kaam toh Joote khane waala hi kiya tha”.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

जीवन: कठिन या आसान

कभी ऐसा महसूस हुआ है की हम अकेले नहीं है| कोई है हमारे आस पास जो हमें देख सकता है, हमें महसूस कर सकता है| कभी ऐसा नहीं लगता कि जो हमारे साथ हो रहा है वह पहले भी हो चुका है| ऐसा नहीं लगता की हमारी जिंदगी हमारी होते हुए भी हमारी नहीं| अपनी किस्मत पर हमारा कुछ अधिकार नहीं| हम अपनी मर्ज़ी से पैदा भी नहीं हो सकते| हाँ मर ज़रूर अपनी मर्ज़ी से सकते हैं, जब चाहें तब| मतलब यह हुआ की हम अपने लिए अपनी मर्ज़ी से कुछ अच्छा नहीं कर सकते| हाँ बुरा ज़रूर कर सकते हैं, जब चाहें तब|
जब भी में आइना देखता हूँ, मुझे उसके अन्दर एक दूसरी दुनिया दिखाई देती है| मैं ख़ुद को कैद पाता हूँ| पता नहीं उस दुनिया का कैदी हूँ या इस दुनिया का| वह दुनिया असली है या यह दुनिया| मैं अपना अक्स देख रहा होता हूँ या में ख़ुद किसी और का अक्स हूँ|
जब कभी रात को में डरावना सपना देखता हूँ और अचानक नींद खुल जाती है, तब भी मुझे डर क्यों लगता रहता है| अरे वह तो सपना मात्र था, डर कैसा| पर नहीं, मुझे डर लगा रहता है, जब तक कि दोबारा नींद नहीं आ जाती| तो वह डर किसका था, डरावने सपने का या डरावना सपना टूट जाने का| कहीं हमारी जिंदगी दोहरी तो नहीं| हम सपना देख रहे होते हैं या हम ख़ुद किसी और का सपना हैं|
रात को अकेले आसमान की तरफ़ देखा है कभी| मिलाईं हैं कभी आसमान की आंखों में आँखें| टिमटिमाते तारों को देखकर सोचा है कभी, की उनमे से किसी तारे के इर्द गिर्द भी कोई दुनिया होगी| जब हम तारे को देख रहे होते हैं, तब क्या पता उस तारे के किसी ग्रह से हमारा ही अक्स हमें देख रहा हो| वह भी हमारी तरह आसमान को घूर रहा हो|
कौन है वह जो ना होते हुए भी है, क्या वह ही आत्मा है| या वह जीवित है और हम एक आत्मा हैं| आख़िर क्या है सच| क्या आईने में हमारा अक्स हमसे कुछ कह चाह रहा है या वह दूसरे ग्रह वाला शायद या फिर हमारा सपना, हमें कुछ बताना चाहता हो|
जिंदगी कितनी आसान हो जाती है ना, अगर इन सब बातों के बारे में सोचो ही मत| अगर है भी कोई अकेले में, तो अब तक क्यों नहीं आया सामने| अगर अब तक नहीं आया है, तो अब क्या आएगा| आईने में कोई भी दुनिया हो, अगर वह हमें डराती है, तो तोड़ दो ऐसे आईने| मत चिंता करो, दूसरा ग्रह हमसे बहुत दूर है| कोई वहां से चिल्लाएगा भी, तब भी सुनाई नहीं देगा|
उन चीज़ों के बारे में सोचना ही क्या, जिसके बारे में हम कुछ कर ही नहीं सकते| जिंदगी को बेकार में ही, और कठिन क्यों बनाएं|

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

EMI: Behind the Spirit of Mumbai

In midst of the recent Terror attack on Mumbai, there has been a phrase which is circulating around, “The Spirit of Mumbai”. It drives in a sudden rush of blood. Doesn’t it? It sounds real might and courage. Ultimate fighting spirit and respect to the nation. Whatever happens, life goes on in Mumbai. Such is the spirit of Mumbai. We saw it at the time of local train blasts, when the very next day, local was running full load. However resounding it may seem, it rides on a highly depressing fact, which really no one wants to touch. It’s the compulsion or mazboori as we call it that keeps Mumbai running. If we call the same “the spirit” then so be it.
What’s the compulsion on Mumbaikars that don’t/won’t let them stop? Is it the “never say die attitude” or “I can’t afford to die, helplessness”. What is it? Let’s enquire.
Recently there was a movie EMI which came with a tagline, “liya hai to chukana hi padega” i.e. you have to pay back anyhow. It’s real sad to hear but yes, it’s true. Most of us have EMI compulsions. These EMI are not always of a bank per say. The monthly bill of the grocer, the milkman, the electricity, the water, the children’s school fees, the doctors’ bill for ailing mother, the tension of marriage of the unmarried sister, the landlords’ constant calls for rent, the innocent face of the family that wants to go the new movie, the bare wrists of the wife in need of golden bangles…The list is endless. All these are the EMIs that keep us, Mumbaikars, going. What would we do, if not travel via local? The office is open. We need to work to get paid. The drive of the monthly pay check never let us cease. People call it the spirit.
Authorities take shelter behind this Spirit and we tend to forget the tragedy. Let’s not mistake our helplessness and compulsions to perform, as our Spirit. Each and every Mumbaikar dread for the safety and security of his/her family. It’s an expected behavior.  The problem is that we tend to forget and never learn from these attacks. We just say that Mumbai is standing unshaken. We are shaken, we are scared but there’s no other way round for us but to keep going. The EMI is too strong a force to let us stop.

Monday, December 1, 2008

True citizens of the Nation: Baniyas

t’s an old thing. I had almost forgotten it. Yesterday, we were having a discussion when a friend of mine popped out, “I am a true citizen of the country”. When asked why, he stated coz he is a baniya by caste. I am abaniya too. So when he said that Baniyas are the true citizen of the nation. I couldn’t but spare a laugh.
During my 11th std, there was a teacher of mine who used to tease the baniya students among the lot with the same line. It went like, “Bete aap baniya ho? Are aap to desh ke saache nagrik ho” Dumbstruck when the student looked at him, he explained it further. Everyone would just roll with laughter.
A lot many of us might have read “Desh ke sabse aache nagrik baniye“, painted on the walls, baners, road sides etc. “देश के सच्चे नागरिक बनिए”. Offcially it means, become a true citizen of the nation but just for fun of it we read it like, “देश के सच्चे नागरिक, बनिए”. It’s the game of how u read it (with a pause after nagrik) so it becomes, baniyas are the true citizen of the nation.
So all you baniyas out there, remember, We are the true citizens of the country.