It could have been a wonderful year. A year in which we grew to such a height that all we could see was a colourful crop of crisp flowers without all the worms and mud blurred and buried underneath. We could be euphoric about our GDP growing at a steady rate, a glorious presence in the global IT sector, people of Indian origin stealing the limelight, finally justice meted to Jessica Lal and Priyadarshini Matoo and so much more. The list seems long.
The words on TOI’s front page on 1st January, 2007 expresse a similar sentiment and felt like a powerhouse of inspiration. But the last words caught my attention – Our Time Is Now.
Our time is now; we are the privileged ones to be experiencing the turning page of history. There is reason for us to believe that we will make it. But we should not forget to salute the ones who in the bleakest of times believed that India could make it, that India will make it. The ones who had a vision to bring this moment of hope in the annals of our history. Who are those people? Visionaries like Nehru, APJ Abul Kalam, Narayana Murty ; scientists, writers, artists and the common man who spent all his life’s savings to provide best education to his children. A moment like this is not the achievement of one generation alone, it is the result of hard work and sacrifices made by the ones before them.
I repeat the year could have been a wonderful year, but if we lower our necks we will notice a layer of deadly worms thriving on our society. The NOIDA serial killing case shocked the NCT and the police-criminal nexus once again sprang into limelight. Most of the people killed belonged to the poor class and the police had taken no action till the affected people took the matter in their own hands. Children kept on disappearing and police kept on sleeping. A timely action by the police could have saved so many innocent lives.
The whole nation may have prayed for a single Prince to be saved from a 50-metre fall into a pit, but the pits proliferate and children keep falling into them, most of the time fatally. When the urban youth with large pay packets splurges in malls and Discos, the poor farmers commit suicides for lack of resources to sustain their farming. And yes despite the justice granted to Jessica and Priyadarshini innumerable woman are raped, harassed and molested every year.
So India is poised only for the rich and the haves. The lives of have nots remain marginalized and unaffected by this turning page of history. If we really have to take a giant leap forward in time the richer India the prosperous India should look down. Whatever it does should pour down to all below them. If there is justice it should be for all. If there is food it should be for all. If there is education it should be for all. If there is growth it should be broad based.
When we finally make that flight let us all fly like birds. The privileged ones pushing the poor ones to make a pattern. A pattern of victory.
PS :
India Poised
"There are two Indias in this country.
One India is straining at the leash, eager to spring forth and live up to all the adjectives that the world has been showering recently upon us. The other India is the leash.
One India says give me a chance and I'll prove myself. The other India says prove yourself first and maybe then you'll have a chance.
One India lives in the optimism of our hearts. The other India lurks in the skepticism of our minds.
One India wants. The other India hopes. One India leads. The other India follows.
But conversions are on the rise. With each passing day more and more people from the other India have been coming over to this side. And quietly, while the world is not looking, a pulsating, dynamic new India is emerging.
An India whose faith in success is far greater than its fear of failure. An India that no longer boycotts foreign-made goods but buys out the companies that make them instead.
History, they say, is a bad motorist. It rarely ever signals its intentions when it's taking a turn.
This is that rarely-ever moment. History is turning a page.
For over half a century, our nation has sprung, stumbled, run, fallen, rolled over, got up and dusted herself and cantered, sometimes lurched on. But today, as we begin our 60th year as a free nation, the ride has brought us to the edge of time's great precipice.
And one India - a tiny little voice at the back of the head - is looking down at the bottom of the ravine and hesitating.
The other India is looking up at the sky and saying it's time to fly.
Our time is now"
I hope everyone here had a merry Christmas irrespective of their caste, creed or religion. Yes, irrespective of all that. I read with wonder Karan Thapar’s Sunday Sentiments. And his observations were confirmed by my visiting friend from the US. Times evolve and old customs give in to new ones, but for some of us the old order remains.
With Christmas came a host of memories that chronicle how priorities change through times. My earliest memories of Christmas celebration are from Prague. Two incidents rush forward from a muted clamour of memories. The first one is the memory of the Christmas being celebrated in the school. How the class was decorated and a Christmas tree stood at the corner of our class. All the children brought their gifts and kept it under the tree. The class teacher then picked up each gift and announced the name of its receiver. Total bliss.
The other one was how being the elder sibling, I conspired with my dad to hide Santa’s gift for my darling sis. We were to hide it in a small enclosure meant for switches etc., at the entrance of our residence. She already had an inkling of something being cooked up. But she was smarter than we gave her credit for. Just as the father daughter duo were tiptoeing back after safely hiding Santa’s gift she frightened us by coming out of her hiding, clapping and jumping hilariously. Needless to say that was the last of Santa years for the two of us.
Or maybe I am wrong. The Santa days were to come back again when Dove started relishing chocolates. Months ahead she would be told to behave herself as Santa’s inspectors would be looking for well behaved children who deserve gifts from him. So finally, when the gifts arrived they served a double purpose, the sheer joy of receiving the gift and a boost to her pride. She was the chosen one. Well indeed she is. But as she grew up she would try to refute the existence of Santa. Once the gifts stopped coming as a punishment of her doubts she quickly realized the folly of being so loud. This year it was, “ Mama what will Santa bring for me? Could it be an iPod?” Well doubt kills many a joy of life. Sooner or later she had to learn it. Nevertheless, Mama promised her a gift in the coming New Year.
With Santa missing in action, this Christmas wasn’t that christmasy like the earlier ones. But Jingle Bells kept echoing throughout the day as the sledge kept running through the snowy paths.
Happy New Year to all of you.
Some Colours...and Gogh
Spring follows the cold winter...
Yellow is bright but red never fades...
Peschi in fiore, 1888 Vincent Van Gogh
Some Frost ... All Gogh
...and the eternal struggle.
Thank you Ganga for the tag. I was tagged at a time when the only thing I wanted was to coil up in my cocoon, and couldn't think of anything to talk about myself. But then I saw Shankari’s Fine Tunes and thought maybe I could. So here comes my octet
Aapki nazron ne samajha pyaar ke kabil mujhe…
(Movie: Anpad Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
Normally I am the typical nagging, cribbing wife who at times has the I_have_been_wronged_at_the_cruel_hands_of_destiny attitude. Blah blah. But somewhere deep, somewhere, there always lurks a feeling. A feeling of gratitude for everyone I have got.
Payo ji maine Ram ratan dhan payo…
(Meera Bhajan, Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
I envy the faith of Meera. Pursuit of a figure unseen but deeply felt. Have always lived in the quagmire of doubt and question. Still trying to fathom that Unknown, Almighty, Omnipresent and Omnipotent.
Madhuban khushboo deta hai sagar jivan deta hai…
(Movie: Saajan Bina Suhagan Singer: Yesudas)
Earning your own bread and butter is no doubt the best way of leading your life. But wonder, what if we were not to enjoy the fruits of hard work put in by Edison, Pasteur, Bell and all those innumerable people whose sole purpose was to make everyone’s life better. From the beginning of history if we were to be ruled by the doctrines of Ayn Rand where would we be, today?
Gaata rahe mera dil tu hi meri manzil…
(Movie: Guide Singer: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar)
Music Music … that’s the way aha aha …I like it….aha aha
Terebina zindagi se koi shikva nahi…
(Movie: Aandhi, Singer: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar)
My all time favourite…the song and the singers.
Ee mere vatan ke logo zara aankh bhar lo paani...
( Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
Is it too weird to be a diehard Indian in the buzzing times of globalisation? Shameful? No. No. No. I don’t think there’s a conflict between being a proud Indian and proud global human being. Being a proud Indian is just a precursor of being proud of all the diversity that this universe offers.
Woh shaam kuch ajeeb thi yeh sham bhi ajeeb hai…
((Movie: Khamoshi Singer: Kishore Kumar)
At times get engulfed by deep sadness - unexplained and unfathomed.
Aaj phir jeene ki tamana hai, aaj phir marne ka iraada hai…
(Movie: Guide Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
Times pass and moods pass. Every day I want to sing this song because it spells a deep affection for life.
Everyone who reads this is welcome to take this tag.
PS : And lest Dove label me a “Bygone Era Freak” let me declare that I love Shakira and her songs, Celine Dion’s Titanic song and the beats of Vengaboys besides “One Love “ and “Waiting for tonight”.
Dove : Mumma, what is this nonsense about Shashi Tharoor? All your recent blogs are filled with his praise.And you keep reading about him?
Me : (aghast) Come on baby. He is a public figure and there are many people who like him. It's like so many people are crazy after John Abraham and Salma Hayek and Zeta Jones. I am sure their family members have no issues with that.And you have yourself collected a hundred pictures of Daniel Radcliffe.
Dove : Aha! Like that ! Now I understand. What John is to cool gals like me, Shashi Tharoor is to nerds like you.
Me : Ahem…well…
So much for Gen X….
A mountain of checking
the speeches in writing
A board with quotes
where hyperbole floats
More boards afloat
where clichés bloat
A Hasya Kavi Samelan,
with goofed up syllabication
Posters on teaching
deprived of any meaning
A saree in clutter
with hurried up flutter
Celebration ! Celebration !
and more jubilation
Sweating and panting
and endlessly wondering
Am I really the one
For whom this all was done !
