Narendra - Marathi Story - 080909 - Ek Ratra Aani Aamhi Dogha

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Cricket And Recession

Once there was a World Cup Cricket tournament. There was a lot of interest in the indian subcontinent. Punter were in full action. By the time tournament was through more than $2 billion dollars of betting business had taken place. For the next turn of the tournament there was more interest and betting amount had already crossed $5 billion before start of the tournament. Looking at this opportunity some business houses invested additional $5 billions. Stakes went up, business went up. Tournament was a huge success. Interest was rising so fast that even before this turn had ended people had started betting and investing for the next turn of the world cup. Not only better but even common people had started taking interest, started participating in betting. Venture funds, banks had started taking interest in this field of investment. This time business went up to $50 billion. Immediately in the next year after this tournament some analysts and consultants in London thought its too long to wait for the next turn. They came up with idea of virtual world cup cricket tournament. They bought some unknown cricketers. They hired Masters and PhDees from IITs and Harvards to make up the model. They convinced investment banks to invest $10 billion. Then they spent half a billion into world promotion. Now there was interest world over, even from places which did know what cricket was. Investments poured in from China, Russia, USA, Japan, Mexico, everywhere. Now $500 billions were backing up the initial $10 billions, Mood world over was buoyant. But alas, suddenly there was a terorist attack on Mumbai. World went into state of shock. There was big Om Fuss! Suddenly people realised that there was no tournament, no cup. The cricketers they had betted on were all small time players from by-lanes of Mumbai. The sky came down. It was named Recession.

 

In conventional old-time betting there used to some winners and some losers. This time there were no winners, all were losers. ALL LOSERS!

 

There was cry world over for governments to step in…………….

Me And My Heart

What does my heart say

O God

what does my heart speak

what does my heart hear and what does it listen

what does my heart see and how does it view

how does my heart touch and what does it feel.

 

Have mercy O God,

give me ears to listen to my heart

give me voice to speak of my heart

give me mind to know my heart

Give me heart, O God,

to be my heart.

Good News In India

I am happy to say that after a long time I once again posted something on the blog Good News In India

Its a story of new initiative in Andhra pradesh, India of FM Radio station run by dalit woman for dalit women. (dalit is downtrodden) 

I find absolutely good news. It airs news that may not be news anywhere else but are ral news!

Kudos to the RJ Algol Narasamma, a dalit woman herself and the scoeity which initiated the idea. 

All the best to all such initiatives

Devaluing Money

Go back into times very old. You are in a situation where you have lot of grain but you don’t know how to cook. You are feeling hungry. So you go around looking for somebody who can take some grain and give you some food in exchange. Accidentally you come across a person who too is hungry. He has some salt to make your food tasty. But, alas, even he does not know how to cook. You continue your search and after a while you come across a person who knows cooking. But he has just had a huge meal. He only wants a mattress to sleep on and is not at all interested even in talking about food.  There is mismatch of needs and you would have to go hungry till you can find match.

 

Somehow you manage to find this match and get some good food. Then you go to pay taxes to the king. Every farmer has to pay one quintal of rice to the king. You have a very good quality rice with low yield. You feel sad to part it off. Your neighbor has very low quality rice. Even then he has to give same quantity. You feel cheated.

 

You would not need to suffer in these manners if you had money in those times. You would just sell your grain for some money and then go to a person who would sell you food in exchange of your money. With this money he can buy things, immediately or later, to satisfy his other needs. King’s taxes would have been in money terms. You would fetch higher money for your better quality rice and would not feel cheated in giving same money as your neighbor.

 

In those times men with desires for wealth, abundance or power would need material acquisitions to feel that way and to demonstrate to others. Men would accumulate land, slaves or animals. Some men built grandiose buildings. Some men kept huge harems. Kings were on continuous pursuit to expand their kingdoms. Some emperors were not satisfied even with this, they wanted to rule the whole earth. There were umpteen ways, but all those lacked commonality or standardization. A harem as a sign of wealth and power could be looked down upon in another culture. A big herd of camels of a desert king would be worthless in the hills of Maharashtra. A palace could not be moved even if another king wanted it.

 

Money solved all such problems. It became common exchange denominator to replace cumbersome and uncertain barter system and valuation system. Money came into use as commonly valued (within a community) natural articles (like beads, shells) and developed into metal coins to currency notes and then to purely conceptual money terms. Nowadays only a fraction of transactions are carried out with actual exchange of money coins or notes. Money has enabled complex and diverse trade transactions. So much so that money itself has become a tradable commodity. Money has replaced the need to own physical assets.

 

Tatas, Mittals, Sores and Gates of today do not need move around with large armies wielding weapons, destroying enemy properties and killing people. They can buy or sell assets without having to get out of their offices. They do not need to destroy properties, they simply buy those. They do not need to kill people, they just hire or fire people. Money has enabled ownership without needing physical possession or occupation. Money has enabled convertibility of economic value across nations. When something is said to be of so many pounds, a Japanese, Chinese, Indian, European and American immediately know what it means in his respective country.  Money has transcended boundaries of nations, races, cultures, classes, religions, castes, everything. It’s a common global language that everybody understand.

 

This omnipotent ability of money has lured people into expressing all value into money terms. So much so that if money value can not be attached to something then that thing is not considered valuable. Money actually originated as representation of economic value, but it has now become value in itself. Instead of doing things to earn money to own, possess or buy something valuable, we are doing things just to earn money. From being means for an end, money has become an end in itself. Money is becoming a purpose, the purpose, the only purpose.

 

Money has crossed boundaries of usefulness and has actually acquired many harmful qualities.

 

Go back again into time very very old. As humankind evolved out of its animal ancestry, it developed lot of abilities, physical and mental. An interesting aspect of evolution is that it is largely additive type. As human brain gathered new abilities to perform more and complex rational and cognitive tasks, those were additional abilities. Its original emotional brain remained almost unchanged. As the superior brain acquired abilities to tame, win over or direct emotional responses, those are learned abilities. These newly acquired abilities are learnt through awareness and perseverance. Some time in future, maybe, these abilities will get genetically coded into our beings, but today our emotional responses are very similar to animal behaviour. We feel awed or scared by big size or physical force. When threatened our expressions become similar to animals. We shout or grind our teeth in anger. We are basically insecure, just like animals. Animals are constantly under threat of attack, fear of injury or death, constantly worried whether they will be able to get their next meal, anxious whether they will be able to retain extra food they have been able to gather, so on and so forth. These fears probably are the roots of our habit to continuously amass things. Our need for appreciation and applause from others probably stems out of our instinctive fear of getting attacked. Our basic emotions need to be grounded into concrete material things. When we need something or are deprived of something we feel angry, sad. When we feel that we may not be able to meet our needs we feel anxious, worried. When we possess something we feel happy and satisfied. Combine all these emotions and we may find a basis for our desire for accumulation, our desire for ‘more’ and ‘more’. Though we have developed abilities which far exceed all our basic needs, we have not developed abilities to shred these emotional apprehensions. Money is universal assurance to all these apprehensions. Money enables you to satisfy all your material needs. Money can be amassed for any future use, it can be stored safely and indefinitely, and it can be made to grow. This way money addresses our anxiety about future. Money is universal language and so it enables us to get universal applause without fail.

 

All these qualities of money are extremely useful. There is no doubt about utility of money. Problems arise when it expands well beyond its utility realm, and singly and completely envelopes our emotional horizon.

 

As humans developed abilities far exceeding needs for survival and sustaining, human mind was left with capacity unused. So it developed intangibilities. It flourished into rationality, logic, philosophy, religion, various art forms, and what we call values and special human emotions. These enriched to such an extent that they could become aim, goal, purpose for human activities, for human life. But with evolution of money human intangibility lost its ground to money and money engulfed all intangibilities. Any human intangibility started to be viewed, to be judged with reference to money. Temples started looking for ways to increase income. Rationality became subservient to applied science. Art became respectable not for its ability of human expression but when it can fetch (let us say ‘earn’) money.

 

Next obvious thing to fall was quality, quality in all its widest interpretations. Religions offered special treatment to rich. In logic, money was treated as hypothesis. Artists were respected by their earnings. Van Gogh was talked about after his death when his paintings started fetching millions. Even love was quantified in cost of gifts. ‘Enriching’ got confined to getting rich. Science lost its ‘pure’ness and it became ‘of commerce, by commerce and for commerce’. Good became that which fetches money and better is that which fetches more money. Corruption has become accepted social behaviour as money has become more important than ethical values.

 

Just as ‘purpose’ has been equaled to money even enjoyment is being equaled to luxury. This was another important intangibility to change its meaning to money. Gone are days when getting together, doing nothing and having a good time were treated as enjoyment. ‘What you feel’ has got lost behind veil of money. Only expensive is enjoyable. This way enjoyment gets separated from heart. People work solely to earn money. You don’t have to like your food. Simply ‘yeh dil mange more’. More the merrier, it doesn’t matter how it is. On one side people don’t know what to do with extra money they earn and on other side they don’t know what to do with the spare time they are left with. This is a perfect set-up for commerce of entertainment. You have both time and money, both in excess, and you don’t know what to do with both. So commerce lures you on a path. Buy leisure, buy sports, buy entertainment. It does not matter what you buy as long as you keep on buying. If you don’t know what to do with what you have bought, it doesn’t matter. Simply throw that away and keep buying something, anything anew. So much so that buying itself is presented as entertainment.

 

For entertainment industry to flourish it is imperative that work and pleasure remain separated. If people find pleasure in what they are doing their need for buying pleasure would be greatly reduced. So work is looked down upon, so daily chores are looked down upon. Pleasure is sucked out of normal life, it is packaged and is sold  back. It is not important that people live a lifeless life, but economy flourishes, money reins supreme!

 

Number of times I have heard a story of a fisherman. Each time it was a fisherman from different place, but story was same. It goes something like this. A fisherman was sitting on a bank of a river, merrily fishing to his pleasure. A businessman walking past saw him sitting idly and happily. Businessman walked upto the fisherman and prodded him to act towards prosperity. Everytime the fisherman would ask, “for what?” and the businessman would try to tell him, “so that you can more money” and would show him the next step. This went on for a while and finally exasperated businessman told him, “…oh, then it would make you happy”.  “What do you think I am right now?”, enquired the amused fisherman. It was always told as a joke of a stupid or lazy fisherman, but what I notice is his wisdom. He knew that happiness was not confined in prosperity. He did not question the businessman who felt that there could be no happiness without prosperity. For the fisherman happiness was a intangible entity to be felt, to be perceived within. For the businessman it was an otside thing to be found only in prosperity. For him there could be no happiness without money. Like him, we too do not see beyond money. Success is defined only in terms of money. ‘Successful’ person is a wealthy person, by definition. An adept sportsman, a creative artist, a skillful artisan, a mother of a happy child and an entrepreneur are not ‘successful’ if they have not converted their expertise into money. Instead of widening human horizons, this restricts human efforts into narrow band constrained by concept of money. A skillful housewife or involved mother is made to feel worthless because her work, her love does not bring money.

 

A person committed to his career has no time for his family, his children. His guilt is covered under sweet topping of ‘quality time’. This is probably the only place where ‘quality’ becomes more important than ‘quantity’. Human mind becomes mechanical following this career path to money goals. Everything is calculated in terms of profit and loss. Human relations too become means to achieve something else. Social networking is aimed for collective commerce.

 

I was once told story of factory worker who amassed a huge fortune by the time he retired. He was living alone, had no relatives or friends, had no ‘extra-curricular’ interests. He did not know what to do with time, so he simply kept on working for maximum hours he was allowed. He took no vacations, collected all the possible over time allowance. He had nothing to spend on. So till the end of his career he could accumulate huge sum. He was a successful man in the conventional sense. What kind of success is this, is it a fortune or misery that he had accumulated. This extreme story gives us a shock, but how far away are we from this gentleman! How many of us have strong extra curricular interests. how many of us watch TV because they want to watch TV and not because they don’t know anything else to do. All this may seem unconnected to money, but it is not. So much of our mind is at slavery of money that hardly anything is left for other things. So much of our physical, intellectual and emotional abilities are left to rot. We are so attached to money that it is difficult for us to empathize with others, difficult to relate to others. Heart of the matter is that heart does not matter, only money matters.

 

There are large number of people who need to work hard to earn money for sustenance and there are significant number of people who have so much money that they would not need to work for generations. The poor and the neglected people of society look up to the powerful, wealthy, respected, watch their steps to follow. Wealth and success are defined in terms of money. Power, wealth, respect all necessarily and sufficiently related to money. Powerful, successful and respected all walk the walk of money. Consequently it happens that money necessarily and sufficiently defines ‘development’. Everything else within us and between us becomes insignificant. Whatever be the monetary situation, everybody stands to loose from over-focusing on money. Money has its value but there is lot lot more to value.

Pause and Happiness

Right pause at right moment

Can say a lot more

Sound of silence

Can speak louder

 

Too long a pause

And it spreads it wings

Taking all expression

Under dark silence

 

 

Do you feel young

Well past your youth

Do you feel happy

With deep pain inside

 

Youth and happiness

Rise in our hearts

And like vapour

Go away unnoticed

 

Happiness is etheral

For it to stay inside

It needs protection of

Love, compassion and passion

Frankenstein and cricket

US government fed and nourished Al-Qayda and now US is spending billions of dollars and many lives to deal with it.

Indira Gandhi brought up Bhindranwale and later it his desciples that brought death on to her.

There is another example of Frnakenstein, in a field you would expect last to be related to this word. For long Australian cricket players are infamous for their arrogant and rude behaviour on field. As they were succeding, Australian media was showering more and moer laurets on them. They were greeted as competitive, aggressive, ferocious. All this when respected players like Sunil Gavaskar were complaining about their foul language, even to the level using bad words on other players' mothers and wives. Now the times have changed. Austrlia has to suffer one defeat after another. And NOW Australian media has discovered that Australian players are arrogant. Their foul language and behaviour is causing them to loose matches, in addition to loosing reputation. 

Surely, loosers have no takers!

Fully Democratic Traffic Lights

No wonder that India is reaspected as the largest democracy in the world. Its also the deepest democracy in the world, i.e. democratic values are followed to the smallest of details. These are the real fully democratic traffic lights you will ever ge to see. Drivers have complete freedom to choose the color of their traffic light and act accordingly.

Free Hugs: A wonderful video

जिस्म, कुवाँ और मैं

इक सुंदर जिस्म के अंदर के

उस मनोहारी कुवें में

मैं झाकता हूं

दिल खोलके कुदता हूँ 

पुरा खुलके डूबता  हूँ

सुंदर जिस्ममें मनोहारी कुवाँ

कैसा होता ये कुवाँ

गर जिस्म सुंदर ना होता

क्या होता ये कुवाँ

गर जिस्म होता ही नही

इक मनोहारी कुवेका सुंदर जिस्म

मैं आँखे  फ़ाडके निहारता हूँ

इस मनोहारी कुवेका जिस्म

अगर बदसूरत होता

तो क्या मैं इतना झाँकता-डुबता ?!

Mumbai terror ............. and me

My salute to all the heroes that gifted our country and countrymen with the saving grace in face of the glaring attack on its dignity. 

My salute

• to all officer and men of police and ATS who lost their lives showing courage in engaging the extremists
• to all officers and men of police and ATS  who suffered injuries while courageously engaging the terrorists
• to all officers and men of police and ATS who showed same courage in engaging the extremists but were unhurt by sheer luck or grace of God.
• to wives, mothers, children family members and friends whose support must have played a role in making those men the metal they showed
• to all our countrymen who make the great image of India that it is today
• to all the staff of the hotels and other support staff who helped the injured and took the rescued people to safety. It is sure that drivers of ambulances and of rescue vans staked their lives in danger.
• to all medical and para-medical staff who worked round the clock to help the injuried and medication and counselling.
• to all the media people who took the gory scenes to international forefront.
• to all the common citizens who showed courage and presense of mind in the times of panic, shock and chaos.
• to all the politicians who showed immense restraint in keeping their sick babbling mouths relatively shut.

By saying all these I am probably trying to make up for the my lack of patriotism. I did not light a single candle, I did not participate in a single rally, I did not forward a single patriotic email, I did not support attacking Pakistan, instead I was pleading our own folks to introspect on why and how this could happen ..... and so on.

But what was I doing when Mumbai appeared to be under seige? I was doing many things:

• Seeing that some of the terrorists might have escaped, I quickly realised the danger to my children. I closed the windows, pulled down the curtains, asked children to lie low and sat with them to support them. I switched off all the lights (except, of course, of TV) so that the escaped terrorists would not notice our housse
• I intensely watched all that was showing on TV. During commercial breaks I switched channels for uninterrupted viewing.
• I did Reiki on the injured and the shocked
• I thought of strategies and communicated those to ATS through Reiki
• I fervently discussed what needs to be done now
• I loudly denounced corruption and other rot in indian polity and administration

It is strange that after all these patriotic acts I have continued to feel some sharp pangs.  Pangs for something that I did not do or would not do. Pangs for dumping responsibility on something or somebody else. Pangs for not owning up my role in getting to the situation that such attackes could be made on our country. Pangs of guilt by realisation that the way we are and will continue to be, this may not be the last attack.  Pangs of realisation that there is more to me than I was willing to admit. 

Now that dust has settled and tempers have clamed, I have gathered courage to be naked. I have become 'gopees' and have also become Krishna too.

• Watching the whole damn thing on TV, I was shit scared that I could have been one of those guys in pool of blood.
• I went all the way from my home at Kothrud to Aundh, but had there been such a march in the slum just accross the block, would I have gone? The answer is a Loud NO.
• While profusely commemorating the  'shaheed' officers, I was surprisingly quiet about the non-officers jawans and sipaahis.
• I am on the forefront to criticise politicians and government officials, but I not willing to do anything to improve the situation.
• I refuse to acknowledge that on of the reasons that terror incidences are so frequent in Inddia is total disregard for rules and laws. I take every opprtunity to break a rule or a law, even for petty benefits.
• Not able to do anthing to calm even a single heart, that was enflamed by what happened in Mumbai.

The kind of incidences that I had seen only in movies, were actually happening in fron of my eyes. Unbalievable. Bu then somebody has said, " anything that is difficult to believe can be experienced.

खजुराहो

खजुराहो मंदीरावरची कामशिल्पे पाहिली आहेतच बऱ्याचदा फ़ोटो-चित्रांतून. पण नुकतेच खजुराहोवरचे ओशो रजनीशांचे भाष्य ऐकिवात आले. खजुराहो ्मंदिरात आत अजून भाग आहेत, एकात एक असे. कामशिल्पे फ़क्त बाहेरच आहेत. आतमध्ये वेगळी शिल्पे आहेत. सगळ्यात आतल्या गर्भगृहात तर काहीच शिल्पकाम नाही. काहीकाही योगायोग अगदी योग्यवे्ळीच होतात असं वारंवार जाणवतं, त्यातलाच हा एक योग. मला ही कविता सुचली आणि लगेचंच खजुराहोबद्दल  कळलं. तर या बाहेरच्या संमुक्त कामशिल्पांपासून ते आतल्या रिकाम्या भिंतींच्या गर्भगृहापर्यंतच्या संपूर्ण मंदिराला ही कविता अर्पण. 

तू विचारलंस

आठवतंय काही?

म्हणजे काय 

सगळं सगळं आठवतंय

ते आरक्त ओठ

ते मत्त डोळे

ते उन्नत उरोज

ते आसक्त बाहू

सगळं सगळं आठवतंय

ते उंकार हूंकार

माझ्याकडे झेपावणारे

ते आसूस वक्ष

टपोरे स्तनाग्र

माझी बेभान

संपूर्ण बिलग

सगळं सगळं आठवतंय गं

नुसतं आठवतच नाही

क्षणक्षण जगतोय ्मी

अक्षरशः क्षणोक्षणी.

आता तू विचारतेयस

अजून काही आठवतंय का,

या आठवणींच्या पलिकडलं

त्या शरीरांच्या आतलं?

काय असतं गं

शरीरांच्या पलिकडे

शरीरांच्य़ा आतमध्ये?

काय असतं  .... ?

काही असतं  ?

कोटी कोटी

प्रत्येक भाषेची काहीतरी खासियत असते. तशी मला वाटतं द्वयर्थी शब्द ही मराठीची एक खासियत आहे. आता ’वाट’ ्या शब्दाचच पहा ना. वाट काढली, वाट लावली, वाट पाहिली आणि अजूनही अशा अनेक वाटा असतील.  तसाच अजून एक शब्द म्हणजे ’शहाणा’. हा ्शब्द अगदी शब्दशः शहाणा ते वेडा अशा कुठल्याही अर्थाने वापरला जातो.  इंग्रजीत पन आहे (म्राठीतले ’पण’ वेगळे). पण मराठीतल्या्सारखे द्वयर्थी, बहुअर्थी पद्धतीने वापर माझ्यातरी वाचनात , ऐकीवात नाही.

आता इंग्रजी आणि इतर भाषांच्या मेळमिसळीने ही मजा आणखीच वाढतेय. आजच ’सकाळ’ वर्तमा्नपत्रात वाचलेली ही कोटी किंवा ग्रफ़िटी बघा : लोण्याच्या योग्य  वापराशिवाय त्याचे चीज होत नाही.

पुलंना अशा कोट्या करण्याची खास हातोटी होती. ’कोट्याधीश पुल’ असं त्यांचं कोट्यांचं पुस्तकच आहे. 

गाण्याच्या भेंड्या असतात तसा एक द्वयर्थी-बहुआर्थी शब्दांचा खेळ करता येईल नाही का : कोटी-कोटी.  बघा कोणा कल्पनाधीशाला (creative mind) सुचतोय का नीट.

Mother Tongue

There is a story in Indian history, which goes something like this:

One man was expert in many languages. He went to a king and challanged the court to find out what his mother tongue was. Many people tried different ways, but to no avail. Man was equally adept in all the languages. Everybody gave up. Finally the responsibility fell on the intelligent and shrewd Prime Minister. On his able shoulders was the responsibility of saving the reputation of the king. He too made some attempts, bidding time to find an opening into this person. It was a chilly winter night. The Prime Minister went to the man in deep sleep late into the night. He threw a bucket of very cold water on the sleeping man. The man woke up shivering and yelling. THAT was his mother tongue. The man bowed with respect to the intelligence of the Prime Minister.

Mother tongue easily speaks the language of our heart. Personally I am most comfortable when expressing my feeelings, my emotions, anything that is intense to me. I am quite fluent in English too, I have done most of my academic learning in English, all technical, logical thoughts come naturally in English to me. But when something deeper than thoughts is to be expressed it comes automatically in my mother tongue. I feel that my mother tongue, marathi, is most suited to express feelings. But many others feel their mother tongue is most suited for their expressions.  

Insult

"Sorry, if I have insulted you", a friend said in an apologitic tone. Surprised, I replied, "No, no, you can't".  He was pleasantly surprised by my faith in him.

Yes, I knew him so well. He was such a nice friend that he just could not insult me even if he  wanted to. But there was more to it than our friendship, our bonding, our faith in each other. I don't remember when was it last that I felt insulted. 

Not feeling insulted ...... is it good or is it bad?  Have I become so numb that I do not feel any insult or have I become so inferior that there no isnult left for my ego. Or have I become like solid rock that howmuchever an elephant bangs on it, it does not move a bit.  Howmuchever we throw stones on a banyan tree it does not waver and keeps on offering his vast cool shadow. Or I might have become an solid armour which does not get penetrated.

I dived inside myself and was surprised to find some fantastic pearls of my own emotions. There was no numbness, there was no lifeless firmness. There was calm sound and clear light. There were no dark spots, there was nothing hidden. Those unique speckless pearls were smiling bright, smiling at each other, smiling at themselves. 

I, too, came out smiling. When you are filled with such precious stones, when you are so contended with yourself, where is the space for an insult to enter in ?!?!?!

एखादा तू, एखादी तू

कुठली वाट आपली, कुठली वाट तुपली

कुठल्या वाटेवरून आलोय, कुठलीवर चाललोय

अशीच एखादी वाट

मनातून उमललेली

तुझ्यापर्यंत पोचलेली

मला न घेताच गेलेली

असाच एखादा तू

वाट होऊन आलेला

वाट दाखवून गेलेला

वाट पहात राहिलेला

अशीच एखादी तू

वाट काढत शिरलेली

वाट मळवत चाललेली

वाट पहात ठेवलेली

छोटा मी

चिडवले की चिडतो

पट्‌कन्‌ रुसून बसतो

 

रडवले की रडतो

हसवले की हसतो

 

डिवचले की रागावतो

थयथयाट करतो

 

डुंबायला आवडते

खोलीला घाबरतो

 

वरवर बघतो

आत शिरत नाही

 

दिसला पदर धरतो

चटकन्‌ कुशीत शिरतो

 

मोठ्या शरीरामध्ये

इवलसं मन दिसतं

 

वय वाढलं तरी

मन लहानच रहातं

Am I Listening

Am I listening

To hearts that kill

Kill by vengeance

Even giving own life

 

 

Am I listening

To hearts that are killed

Are bruised, hurt, angered

Want to take revenge

 

Am I listening

To hearts that are weeping

Watching this game

Of death and revenge

 

Am I listening

To hearts that are happy

Picking opportunities

In death and revenge

 

Am I listening

To hearts striving

To change their being

To be a change

 

Am I listening

To hearts melting

Into death and revenge

To make one warm heart

आशा

सूर्यकळी नभी उमलता

गंध किरणांचा दरवळे

झोपाळ्या डोळ्यांना मंद

गारवा उबेचा मिळे

 

उमलल्या सूर्यफ़ूलावरती

हे भ्रमर आशेचे फ़िरती

चुंबून केसरांना प्रेमाने

भविष्य आशेचे बनती

काय करावं काही सुचत नाही

काय करावं काही सुचत नाही.

घरामध्ये वीज नाही

गाडीमध्ये पेट्रोल नाही

फ़ोनला रेंज नाही

टीव्हीला चेंज नाही

फ़्रीजमध्ये बीअर नाही

खिशामध्ये फ़ॅग नाही

जाता कुठे येत नाही

बसून राहता येत नाही

बसून बसुन करा्यचं काय़

करता काही येत नाही

कारण काही सुचत नाही

काय करावं सुचत नाही.

Sunday

Oh my God,

in the name of God

we are fighting.

In the name of our mother

we all beloved brothers

we are fighting.

For peace and love

in the name of peace and love

we are fighting.

Yes, we are,

in peace and love

we are fighting.

This Sunday I awoke

all eager to fight

one so dear a  fight

Strange thing happened

my heart wouldn't pump

heart turned blue n pink

If I wouldn't fight

how can there be 

one so dear a fight

dear, dear, so dear

fighting to me is

so bloody dear

but my heart dear

had lost all its fear

didn't need a dear fight

It opened and embraced

to win over everything

without needing a dear fight.

Colors

Yes, we can; and, we did

America has shown the way

world is blue, once again

there are strange colors inside

those colors deep deep inside

debating, arguing, figting, loving

blues n reds, n saffrons n greens

bulls n bears, n wolves n doves

those gory Hitlers n bare Gandhis

Will they ever stop, ever cease 

probably not, maybe never

but sure they will get better

they will mix, they will melt

surely there will  be newer colors

धुंदला

काही धूसरशी भरली हवा

काहीशी दमट काहीशी कोंदट

काहीसा उजेड जरासा अंधार

मधूनच वाऱ्याची हलकी झुळूक

हवेत उभरलेली नवथर थरथर

एकदमशी थोडी उघडीप मोकळीक

कुठूनशी तिरकी कोवळी किरणे

बहुतेक सूर्याची, जराशी चंद्राची

लांबून येणारी आर्त सुरावट

बाहेरून येणा्री वा मनातच उभरणारी

कोणा तरुणीची वा लहानगीची

माझ्या प्रियेची वा गोडुलीची

मनात उठलेले काहूर तरंग

सुरास सूर मिळल्यासारखे

मनातून सूर उमटलेले

स्वरविश्व जन्मल्यासारखे

फ़ुलताना एक थोडेसे फ़ूल

काळे पिवळे निळे सावळे

यावर एक पाखरू फ़ुलपाखरू

सावळे पिवळे निळे काळे

कसे रंग रंगांत मिसळलेले

आकार इतस्तः विखूरलेले

स्वप्नगंध दरवळल्यासारखे

रंगस्वप्न उमटल्यासारखे

धूसर अशा या धुक्यात

दिसतंय ते खरं की नाही

नक्की काय वाटतंय जर

समोर काहीच नक्की नाही

धुकंच आहे की दुसरं काही

मी तरी आहे की तोही नाही

रहावं असच हरवल्यासारखं

आहे नाही मिसळल्यासारखं.

धंदेवाईक

रस्त्यावरची उभ्या गजांची जुनी खिडकी

आतून येतो स्वस्त सेंटसकटचा उग्र दर्प

खिडकीतून बाहेर सतत तिरके कटाक्ष

गजांतून खुणावणारे हात व उन्नत उरोज

अवेळी दिले जाणारे आळोखे पिळोखे

वक्षांना दिलेली नकळत कळत थरथर

कधी गाठ सुटलेली अर्धीशी काचोळी

किंवा कच्च बांधलेला उघडा पदर

रस्त्यावर अशा अनेक जुन्या खिडक्या

बाहेर पिढ्यांपिढ्या फ़ेऱ्या मारतो मी

राकट मिशांना तूप लावून दिलेला पीळ

सदऱ्याची उघडी बटणे, पुढे काढलेली छाती

सिंहाला असते आयाळ तशी पुरुषाची छाती

हातात गजरे न कडी, आणि मांडीत बेडक्या

ही नजर निवडयची की ती छाती झेलायची

खिशात असता पॆसे मी असतो राजा

विकणारी करते धंदा आणि मी काय करतो

पॆसे देऊन मी काय फ़ार उपकार करतो

भीक नाही मागत, काहीतरी विकतेच ना

विकत घेतल्याशिवाय काय धंदा पूर्ण होतो

बाजार मांडणाऱ्या कंपन्या मार्केटींग करतात

बाजारातल्या बायका मात्र  ’धंदा’ करतात

विकणारीची आम्हाला अती घृणा  वाटते

विकत घेऊन मी मात्र ताठ मानेने मिरवतो.

कर्णभाष

कातर त्या पहाटे

आतूर या कानांत

कशी कळत नकळत

होई हळवी कुजबूज,

लाडीक गोड पापे

किती लाघवी दातांचे,

रोमांची खोल चावे

कोमल सालस ओठांचे.

आतूर अशा पहाटे

थंडीचे बाळ मिश्किल

ओठांची करून चुंबळ

बाहेर खुणावत राही.

जावे का बाहेर

गुलाबी बाळास भेटाया

का रहावे असेच

कर्णभाष कराया

Devaluation, Revaluation

Share markets have crashed, land prices have crashed, interest rates are slashed, demand is going down, economy is going down. Everything I had is worth a lot less now. My present assets have devalued more than half. My present is devalued a lot worse than that.

But I am not worried. I have my heart which is not devalued. I have my values which haven't devalued. As long as I value my heart, I value my values there is nothing important that can get devalued.

All these crashing and slashing and bashing has shaken my mind immersed in sluggish luxuries. From the mist of inert abundance a lot of memories surfaced. I remembered the cheap vendor in our university campus who used to serve great egg bhurjee at 2 or 3 am. That old old taste started watering my mouth. I compared it with the five course dinner I had yesterday at the exclusive restaurant. They stood matched.  my morale got a boost. Even if GM wouldn't get a bail-out in US, even if world auto industry takes a sharp dip, even if my business goes for a rest, even if all my assests are no more any asset, I still can have a great meal!

I closed the Economic Herald in front of me, I switched off mobile phone and businees news on TV. I called up my secretary to tell her that I will  be 'occupied' for some lengthy time. I stretched my legs and closed my eyes. I felt like a broad smile is appearing on my face and its still glowing and growing.

Excuse me, I will tell you more when the smile lets me . . . . . . . . .

रेशीमस्पर्श

रेशमाचा

रेशमी स्पर्श

माझा तुला

तुझा मला.

मऊसूत रेशमाचे

गुंते होतात तरी कसे?

गाठी पडतात अशा कशा?

रेशमाचेच फ़ास

मग ते मजबूत असणारच

रेशीमगाठी

सोडवण्यासाठी

हवेत हात

तसेच खास

जे गाठींच्या आत जाऊन

अलगद गुंता सोडवतील

स्वप्न

एक रात्र अजूनी स्वप्नाची वाट पहाते

एक स्वप्न अजूनी रात्रीची वाट पहातं

एक प्रिया कुठूनी माझीच वाट पहाते

मी असा इथूनी तिचीच वाट पहातो

वाटेवरती असाच वाट पहात रहातो

स्वप्नाळल्या वाटेची वाट पहात रहातो

रात्र संपून जाते, जाग येऊन जाते

तरी मी तसाच स्वप्नं बघत रहातो

द्रौपदी आणि कांदा

द्रॊपदीच्या वस्त्रहरणांतरच देवाने कांदा बनवला. आवरणात आवरण, आवरणात आवरण. आवरण काढत अनावृत्त करताना त्रास होतो, डोळ्याून पाणी येते, मनःस्ताप होतो. पण आतलं सत्व मात्र सुंदर असते, उच्च असते.

अशाच पद्धतीने अनेक गोष्टी आप्ल्याला दिसतात. शिल्पकार दगडाला टोचे मारमारून, पॆलू पाडून त्यापासून सुंदर शिल्प घडवतो. आई अनेकदा आपल्या मुलाला रागावून शिक्षा करकरून त्य़ला उत्तम माणूस बनवायचा प्रयत्न करते.

असेच अनेकदा माझेही होते. मला माहितीये माझे मन. असेच नितळ सुंदर आहे आतून. पण त्यावर आवरणंच्या आवरणं चढली आहेत. ती बाजूला करणेही असेच त्रासदायक आहे. अंग सोलवटून निघते, डोळ्यांतून धारा वहायला लागतात. शेवटी कंटाळा येतो तरी आवरणं संपत नाहीत. 

द्रॊपदीला किती सोसायला लागलं! त्यानंतर सर्व जनांचं खरं रूप स्पष्ट झालं. माझंही तसच होईल का? होईल का माझं रूप स्पष्ट? उघडं करण्यापेक्षा उघडं व्हायला जास्त हिंमत लागते. उघडं होताना नागडं व्हायची भिती सगळ्यात जास्त असते.

येईल ना कृष्ण माझी पाठराखण करायला?

ओरखडे

आपल्या मनावर उठणारे ओरखडे हे रेघेसारखे असावेत. पाण्यावरची रेघ किंवा वाळूवरची रेघ! पण दगडावरची रेघ मात्र नको की जी पुसलीच जात नाही. मनावर उठलेले दुःखाचे ओरखडे हळूवार पुसले जावेत. कायमचे कोरले जाऊ नयेत. आनंदाची, ममतेची, प्रेमाची, किंवा अगदी विस्मरणाचिही फ़ुंकर त्यावर मारावी आणि पुन्हा मन स्वछ करावे. 

आपण दुःखाच्या लगोऱ्या जमवत राहून त्यांची एक भिंतच बांधतो, आपल्या ्चारही बाजूंनी. आणि दुःखाच्या त्या दगडांमध्ये लिंपायला आपण आपले आनंद वापरून घालवून बसतो. कदा्चित हे नैसर्गिकही असेल. कारणं काहीही असोत पण होते ते असे आणि आपण ते बदलू शकतो. दुःखाचे दगड, दुःखाच्या रेषा विरघळवून, पुसून टाकायच्या. आनंदाचे कण जमवत जमवत त्यांचे एक सुन्दर वाळूचे पेटिंग करायचे. 

थेंबे थेंबे तळे साचते. हे तळे गटाराच्या पाण्याने भरलेले दुर्वासी असावे कि निळेशार सुंदर असावे ते आपल्याच हातात असते. हे तळे स्वछ निळे हलते खेळते ठेवा आणि बघा मग किती सुन्दर सुन्दर पक्षी, मासे आपल्या मनाभोवती उडतात, आपल्या मनाला गोड लुचतात ते.

Love And Bliss

I had childhood friends

very good friends

love and bliss.

We used to be together

all all the time.

 

We played n played

even when we fought

always ended with

a nice broad smile

n heartful of time.

 

As I grew up

love and bliss

became very elusive.

I got very sore

kicked them afar.

 

I stayed alone

in youthful arrogance

closing all inways

for any bit of fragrance,

leaving my heart stink.

 

Love and bliss

knocked so often.

I numbed my ears

with loud cacophony

of my anger n agony.

 

I danced a lot

in gay and merry,

i fought a lot

in anger and vigour,

i was loved a lot.

 

Years went by

in love and gaiety.

Love and bliss

kept on knocking.

My heart remained closed.

 

Years went by

and I met a heart

heart opened my heart

love and bliss

zoomed in n stayed.

 

Just a heart

loving and lovable

opened my heart

for divine old friends

love and bliss. 

Mother

When a cub returns bruised

From an unsuccessful kill

Mother tigress licks its wounds

Prods it for another try

 

When a baby sucking milk

Bites on the nipple

Mother simply cuddles him hard

Takes him to the other breast

 

When a child returns bruised

After a fight with others

Mother scolds him right

Tearfully hugs him tight

 

When a mom scolds for better

Gets a growl in return

She respects young passion

Time for love and compassion

 

When a man sees these moms

Its his time to grow

To embolden his heart

To give more, to be more

एक शेर

"ख़ुद को कर बुलंद इतना के खुदा ख़ुद बन्दे से पूछे के बोल तेरी रज़ा क्या है। "

कही सूना है ये शेर।

If I don't take care of my baggage, who will?

A train passenger was holding his luggage on his head. When asked why he his doing that, he replied, "If I dont take care of my baggage, who will?"!

If I dont take care of my baggage, who will?
who will?
co-passanger
mother
wife
doctor
leader
government
police
official
friend
foe
god
fate
something
somebody
?

If I dont take care of my BAGGAGE, who will?
baggage?
bags
hold-all
stuff
ornaments
near, dear ones
emotions
sexuality
feelings
unwanted
wanted
longing
thoughts
rationality
valuable
despicable
good
bad
ugly
worthy
?

If I dont take care of my baggage, who will?
I?
body
soul
heart
mind
brain
emotions
children
husband
family
society
beauty
gender
sex
ego
god
Satan
loving
aggressive
king
beggar
one
many
everyone
only me
?


Does this remind you of man having many children from many wifes?!
P.S.: No religious or gender comments, value judgments are involved or intended

Passanger with luggage on his head

A typical indian train was going along. All passangers were well seated. Among them was a man who was holding his bag on his. I suggested to him that there is enough space around and so he could keep his bag down. He refused by wave of his hand. Being an Indian I could not keep off my curiosity. I prodded further. I asked why he was holding his bag on his head. He replied, "If I dont take care of my baggage, who would?"!

Sharp Corners

          I am a man who often wanders into dreams. When I walking, eating, bathing, doing anything I often realise that for the past some time I was not here. I had left the now and had walked into dreams. This makes me walk into a wall, hit a corner, miss way, let soap into my eyes, realise people staring at me like I am mad. When I return form my dreams I often feel a pain here, see a bruise there. 

          That is why when I designed my home furniture I was extremely cautious not to keep any sharp corner. That has relieved me immensely. These days I am with much less bruises, blue spots on my body. 

          There is a kind of furniture in my mind too and if I am not careful I do get bruised. I also tend to move around this furniture and end up bruising others too. When I hurt somebody I feel a mirroring hurt inside. This mirroring hurt is a tool which prods me round the sharp corners inside me. I have realised that the inside furniture has very tough wood. Its very hard to round even a small bit. As I go on round a certain magic unfolds. The hard sharp corners become soft and soothy as the get round. The rounding have soothing powers. So the sharp corners which previously used to hurt now start giving pleasure. 

          As I feel soothed breeze enters my mind, breeze with fragrance. It starts tingling the jingle bells inside. Music fills my ears. 

          And suddenly I am out of dream and back into the now. Seeing that I am not around the sharp corners inside rebuild their shaprness and regain those hurting powers.

          This is the challange I am working on to help those rounded corners stay soft and soothy.

ANYBODY KNOWS HOW TO HELP ME?????

अगम्य रम्य

ते अकारण भूँकार भूत्कार
उंचावलेल्या माना टवकारलेले कान
रोखलेले डोळे नि भिरभिरते नाक

सरर्रर्कन उडे इकडून तिकडे
चिवचिव चिवचिव करे तिकडे
अचानक झेपावे तिकडून इकडे

ते आवर्षण अतिवर्षण
कधी मेघांची नुसती लगबग
इथे पाउस शेजारी ऊन

ही तळ्मळ घालमेल
कधी आतपर्यंत ओहोटी
क्षणात भरतीचा महापूर

असे आरक्त रुसवे फुगवे
संतापाचा प्रकांड कल्लोळ
कधी प्रेमाचे अतीव उमाळे

अद्भूत अनाकलनीय रम्य
बाहेरचे तरी खेळ सोंपे
मन आतले अती अगम्य.

चिमाणीचा पापा

एक चिमणी आली
दाणा देवून गेली,
एक चिमणी आली
पाणी ठेवून गेली,
एक चिमणी आली
काडी शिवून गेली,
एक चिमणी आली
मेण लिम्पून गेली,
एक चिमणी आली
बी पेरून गेली।

मी ते बी रुजवलं
ख़तपाणी घालून फ़ुलवलं
फळाफुलांनी सजवलं,
चिऊकाऊन्नी गजबजलं।

तिच्या काडीची सुंदर घरटी बांधली,
तिच्या मेणाने ती सुंदर लिम्पली,
फळंफूलं त्यात भरभरून भरली,
इवल्या इवाल्यान्नी चिवचिवली।

एक चिमणी येते
माझ्या कानात चिवडते
एक चिमणी येते
छान काम म्हणते,
एक चिमणी येते
दूर झाडं दाखवते,
एक चिमणी येते
पापा घेऊन जाते.

तू झालो

एक अन्धुकश्या संध्याकाळी

माझा मीच बसलो होतो

रात्र उजाडण्याची वाट पहात

तुझ्या येण्याची वाट पहात



तू आलीस -

चमचमत्या तारयांचे

छनछानते पैंजन घालून,

काळयाशार आभाळाची

लख्ख शाल पांघरून,

आसमंत दरवळीची
मनभर संगत घेऊन,
प्रतिपदेच्या चंद्राची
आशापालावी होवून,
अनंत विश्वाची शून्यता
अलगद माझ्यात भरून,
अशी आल्यावर स्वतःच
होत्याची नव्हती होवून।

माझा मीच राहिलो नाही
इतका तू झालो.

एकच ना

Marathi poem 'Ekach Naa' by Ganesh S. Bhakare published in Mauj diwali, 08 issue. Reproduced here without permission.

कवी : गणेश भाकरे

झालो परदेशी
घासासाठी फ़क्त,
तुझ माझ रक्त
एकच ना!
बोलणारी बोली
जराशी वेगळी,
तुझी माझी झोळी
एकच ना!
पोटासाठी आम्ही
सोडल रे गाव,
पोटाचा स्वभाव
एकच ना!
करू नको गड्या
असा माझा द्वेष,
तुझा माजा देश
एकच ना!
गाळूनिया घाम
भरतो रे पोट,
जगण्याची गोठ
एकच ना!
आम्ही काय केलं
असं गड्या पाप,
तुला वाटे शाप
एकच ना!
असं कसं म्हणू
मला परप्रान्ती,
पोटाची भ्रमंती
एकच ना!

व्हेन्डिंग मशीन

त्या रात्रीही ती रोजच्यासारखीच
पाय फाकवून झोपली होती
कोणीही या, फटीत नाणं टाका,
गचगच करा नि पाहिजे ते मिळवा
व्हेंडींग मशिनाला काय त्याचं

माझी मात्र ती पहिलीच वेळ होती।
दाटून आली होती
अनामिक भीती नि नवागत थरथर ।
तरुण भावनांचा उमलायाचा क्षण
हलूवार अलगद फूंकर मारल्यासारखा।

समोर पडला होता मांसाचा गोळा
अनावृत्त, मांसल, सुडौल, मृत
फूलपाखाराला मिळाली पत्थराची साथ
एक झांज वाजली मातीच्या गोळयावर
तेवू पाहणारी ज्योत पडली बर्फात जाऊन

माझ्या त्या नाजुक सुंदर ज्योतीचे
आयुष्य कसे तेवले माहीत नाही
मेणबत्ती मात्र वितळून जागीच
झाली मेणाचा गोळा
अनाकार, भावहीन, प्राणहीन, अर्थहीन

Now I love her

I knew I was going to loose her,
but I let her go,
let her flow,
let her grow.
and she grew into me

I knew I was going to be lonely,
but I did not ask of her,
did not seek from her,
did not hold her.
and she grew in me.

Now I say I love her.

Ek Rukaa Hua Faislaa एक रुका हुआ फ़ैसला

In honour of emotional memory I decided to watch a movie which I had earlier watched many years ago. And hoola, I tumbled upon this hindi movie of 1985. This is starring 13 men, Pankaj Kapoor, K K Raina, Kureshi among them. The plotis very simple. A young boy of 19 years has been charged with murdering his father. These twelve men are juries whose decision is going to decide his fate. If they decide 'guilty' then he will be hanged. They are closeted into a room with no external contact. They can take all their time but have to ome out with a unanimus verdict.
The movie starts with a rakhwaldar ushering these 12 men into a room. There is a lot of banter about how the boy is a murderer and should eb severly punished. They immediately decide on voting to seal the decision. 11 men unequivocally vote 'guilty', but one man says he is simply not sure and needs some discussion. After lot of heated arguments others relent. They agree to logically convince the 12th person. And what actually unfolds is an intense emotinal drama. Its amazing to w atch how our emotions decide our logic, from hypothesis to conclusion.
Its a very fast paced drama which unfolds in a single room. Yes, believe me, in one big room. No flashbacks, no dreams, no fighting, no jumping around. Still a amazing pace.
In a hindi movie style this movie too, is a bit tool bold and loud, and characters well demarked. But if you discount these then you are in for a intense interpaly of human emotions and characters. Believe me, its worth this much discounting
I got it in a video library. So its easily accessible.

खुलली कळी

थकूलं मन हळूच
कळीत जावून लपलं
सूर्यासवे उमलायची
वाट पाहू लागलं

सूर्य आला वर तरी
कळी काही उमलेना
किती केली आर्जवं तरी
फूल काही फुलेचना

तिकडून आला माळी
घातलं ख़त पाणी
खूप घातल्या शिव्या अन्
खोचक टीका टिप्पणी

शिव्या खूप बोचल्या
टीका खोल रुतली
कळी अशी घाबरली
घट्ट मिटून लपली

मनाने मनावर घेतलं
भ्रमरावर सवार झालं
कळीच्या मनात शिरलं
अलवार तिला थोपटीलं

खुदकन कळी खुलली
अंगांग रोमांचली
हात पसरून नाचली
फूल होऊन बहरली

Shell of a Snail

when I was a small child
on grass I was rolling wild
there I saw a quiet snail
with a bright shining shell

in warmth of morning sun
sparkling with beads of dew
it sparkled its shining smile
from beneath the shining shell

sun rose, went up the sky
snail only wondered why
its so quiet and blissful here
why then rush here and there

in wonder and in awe
snail took a tiny step
with wonder and with awe
its mind grew a zillion way

a dot and the universe
really there is no difference
wise was the quiet snail
smiling inside its shining shell

Be Good

A man spent a busy life

all his life he created wealth

a zillions in wealth

didn’t  waste a moment

didn’t waste a smile

did not shed a tear

 

after his ultimate death

he donated all to charity

to build temples and

to run many schools and

to feed a thousand hungers

to a benevolent earth

 

After his such a deeds

he was well remembered

his statues were erected

schools were named and

awards given in his name

he was conferred a saint

 

he went to God

to take him in heaven

God asked him why.

he had a long list

of charity done unto others

after his divine death

 

God looked  the whole list

top to bottom, bottom to top

He could not see his name

whole world was there but

not even a bit of self

God refused him in

 

to his agony He answered

I am you and you are Me

how can you be good

 when you ain’t good to self

its not enough to do good

if you aint be good

नाचे म्हातारा

घेर कळेना, ढेर कळेना
बम्ब नाचायाचे याला
अरे कुणीतरी थांबवा
या माझ्या म्हातारयाला
ओ माझ्या म्हातारयाला ।

नाच नाचूनी पाय थकले
झिजलेले गुडघे सुजले
आणखी तरी नाचायाचे
या माझ्या म्हातारयाला
ओ माझ्या म्हातारयाला ।

झुकले जरी याचे तन
मस्त आहे हिरवे मन
त्याची ही हिरवी धुंदी
या माझ्या म्हातारयाला
ओ माझ्या म्हातारयाला ।

हरले तन जिंकले मन
थकलेले उथले मन
वाजवू किती तालया
या माझ्या म्हातारयाला
ओ माझ्या म्हातारयाला ।

Who Is The Deadliest Terrorist of them all

These days there is heightened level of alram for terrorist bombs. People are alert towards suspicious objects, there is supposed to be a toll free number in case of terror attack, high pitch speeches are heard all around, there is very high security checks etc. Apparantly all these are focused on one type of terrorists, i.e. islamic terrorists. No doubt these people are a big threat to our peace, safety and security. But is it happening that focusing on this we are neglecting other terrorist? 

"Other Terrorists? Who are they?"

Yes. They are not only 'who', but also 'what'! Let me offer you some data (this is not an official data, is not varified and is indicative only):

• Between Jan, 04 to Mar, 07 there were 3675 deaths in attacks by islamic terrorists.
  
• Between Jan, 06 and Mar, 07 there were 1221 people killed in maoist attacks.
• A study indicates that smoking account for 90,000 deaths in india every year
• Government data indicate that end Aug, 06 there were 14325 reported cases of AIDS in Maharashtra and 124.995 in total India. Prevalence of AIDS in maharashtra in 50-06 was estimated to be 0.62% of population. This means that if Pune's population is taken as 40 lakh then there may be nearly 25,000 cases of AIDS.
• Only on Pune raods there were 324 accident fatalities in 2004 and 172 in 2005.
• There are number of deaths in North Eastern states by insurgents there.(I could not get figures)

If you take all these figures to a common denominator, you may notice that there are causes, other than islamic terrorism, that account cause high number of deaths. The number of deaths from terrorist attacks may have been low because of all the efforts being put by security agencies. This is like arranging all the fielders on off side because the batsman is strong on off side. 

This is not to downplay the threat posed by islamic terrorism but to make us aware and alert to the other dangers that are threatening us.

.....participation to fight terrorism

Jayant Umranikar, the former police commissioner of Pune has written an article in Sunday Sakal, discussing different aspects of dealing with terrorism. Though I felt a lot to agree and many things to debate, I am dealing with just one point he has said. He has refered to the IA flight hijack episode of few years ago. He has said that loud demonstration by relatives of abductees forced the government into knealing in front of the terrorists and has opned doors for future abductions as tools in the hands of terrorists. Looked in isolation this point may look very impressive, but an officer of his stature should deal with broader understanding. (Or i dont know if it is deliberate). Let me remind that Kandahar was not the first instance. I remember atleast one instance when a politicians keen was freed in exchange of terrorists' demands. Wasnt that a precedence that need to be talked about first? People today have so much faith in politicians and high officials that they know for sure that unless they should loud and hoarse they will be mercilessly made sacrificial lambs while politicians and officials make merry. What might have enabled those people to stake the lives of their abducted relatives and stand united behind the country would have been a solid affidavit or declaration by the President, Prime Minister and all his ministry stating that if such an incidence were to occur with their relatives they would not ask for any negotiations. If this was to be followed by all high politicians and officials including the respected officers like MR. Umranikar then, probably, those people would have acted differently. 

Mr. Officer, Sir, it is so easy to offer big statements from high dias. Let us see higer ups acting even a part of what you are preaching. Let the Lords lead and commoners will follow.

Have you seen the movie 'Farenheit 9/11'? When in Amrican Senate and Congress there were big loud speeches asking citizens to participate in war on terror, urging youngsters to join army to fight in Iraq, these same senators and congressmen were asked to sign a statement asking their urging their own children to join the army. Not a single one, I repeat not a single politician, signed such a statement. And we see what has happened of that War on Terror and of those young americans who lost their lives or limbs in that same war on terror.

Stones of heart

Do not pelt thy stones
for they carry your God

put them in gold
they carry your ornaments

feel them all around
for they carry your river

put them on one another
see them make your house

put them alongside other
they chart your path

give them to your kid
see world of play evolve

share them with beloved
and create loving monuments

stones ...  Read Moreare not mere things
they are loving beings

hit them hard
they will hurt you

caress them with warmth
a world of love will emerge

touch them to your heart
they will in turn touch your heart

श्रावण

श्रावणाचे मन तुझे
हळूच एक सर पड़े
काळोख्या मेघांतून
हळवे तिरके ऊन पड़े

घनसावळे प्रेम दाटले
सस्मित किरणे मनी पोचले
मनभूमीवर हरीत उमलले
वार्यासंगे लहर नाचले
ghanasaavele

दंगल वि. दंगल - प्रताप रामराव बोर्डे

Poem by Pratap Ramrao Borde, Pashan Road, Pune
Published in 'Muktapeeth' edition of the daily 'Sakal'
Reporduced here without permission:

Title: दंगल X दंगल

एक भित्तिपत्रक फाडलं, दंगल उसळली
नऊ ठार नव्वद जखमी, चौकशी सुरू झाली
एक शेळी पकडून आणली, तिनं फाडलं होतं
हे भिन्तीपत्रक
शेळीला विचारल, 'बोल तू हिंदू की
मुसलमान?'
शेळीनं जबाब दिला,
'जन्मले हिन्दूच्या घरी, पोसले मुस्लिमाने।'
पोलिसांनी विचारले,
'तू निधर्मी आहेस तर भिन्तिपत्रक का
फाडले?'
शेली म्हणाली,
'भूक लागली होती, कारण मीही आहे
दारीदरया रेशेखाली,
शासनाने मला शेतीच्या जोड़धंद्यात टाकले
तेव्हापासून !'
पोलिस म्हणाले, 'पण असे दुसर्याचे
भिन्तीपत्रक खाने गुन्हा आहे,'
शेली म्हणाली, 'मी अशिक्षित आहे, भुकेपोती
खाल्ले। तुम्ही तर चैनीसाठी लाच घेता'
पोलिस म्हणाले, 'गरीब असून चराचरा
बोलते। कास्टदीताच कापून खाऊन
निकाल लावू हिचा!'

पोलिसांनीच कायदा हातात घेतला, पुन्हा
दंगल उसलाली!