Highway to men’s heart

Since last one week, I am on bed, isolated in one room. Neem leaves spread over the bed and I am awaiting for blisters to dry up and back to my health again. I, with two more colleagues got chicken pox at the same time. Not sure if its the temparature humidity controlled AC room and another colleague who have just recovered up or being blessed with the Mata not blessed earlier (Chicken pox is still considered the blessing of Godess in many part of India). Anyway it has to happen!

During the course, the fever, headache and the weakest feeling have changed the taste buds too. Earlier days as the mouth was affected, even a bit of salt or slightest spicy food was intolerable. I was given boiled food with little salt and turmeric. I used to have the changed menu even in those days. Though I must admit, the boiled food has been tasty really. Dear used to have the same food, prepared for me. Not sure, how! Note worthy here is we both love spicy food!!

Today’s lunch was again simple and again same dull looking because of the little oil and microscopic masala but it was plateful rice, dal with lauki, bottlegourd bhaji, aloo gobhi sabji. After the weakness in this recovery period, I had finished them in a shot and asked for a second little serving!!

May be its again one of the tastiest food, I had from her. May be spices that contribute to the taste, but its something else than spices that makes food so tasty! Love you dear !!

I used to have little argument with her on the old saying that, the way to men’s heart is not only through stomach but other things too. But I guess there exists ‘a way’, and infact there must be a national highway in construction !!

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Bride

She –

Sitting on a chair.
Silent – willing to talk a lot.
But she couldn’t.

Composed posture –
She can’t move much.

Silent – willing to ask,
But nothing she asked.
Questions buried in destiny.

Silent – willing to laugh,
But she can’t do.

Ah ! She is a bride –
For tomorrow – Of – Some man !

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For your eyes only – 6

On the Navami evening, I and my younger brother-in-law went out for the visiting the Puja pandals. My sister, Pinky decided not to go out because of the small kid, and so did Ma as she was not going. To us, walking hours, visiting the pandals through the crowd, meeting friends and relatives has been , great evening, once in the year. Though we could not spend time at any pandal much. Here are the more snaps of pandals, we visited.


Railway Colony Pandal (After seeing so many ballons, Still feeling kiddish 🙂


Railway Colony Deity (Dhupa Aarti is going on)


Deity made up of Glass @ Manoranjan Club ( that time under light show)


Durga Ma @ Lohar Patty Temple


Tribal Artwork @ Dompatty (See two sikhs praying at right side) Our town has the best example of communal harmony.


Ma Durga @ Subhash Pally Mandir ( Traditional way)


All Deity in one Singhashan @ Milan Pally Temple (All the deity is at one altar only- thats the traditional way )

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“60 years” – But nothing to be proud !

Independent India – out of the grips of colonial rule, is 60 years old, but I do see this period insignificant part of thousands of years of great grand Aryabhatta !

Today my Aryabhatta is a blend of Hindi & Urdu & English – Rock & Karnatic – Space shuttle & Bullock Cart – Jeans & Saari – Valentine Day & Karwa Chauth – Chess & Cricket – Google & Jyotish. Nothing wrong – I am part of it proudly.

 Imagining what if, if there had been no invaders / colonial rules here, had we remained the same? Perhaps, yes !

Celebrations.. Well I too did celebrate as there is a tricolor instinct inside, since childhood. But the fact is somewhere I do have a ‘pain behind this independence’.

Few questions keep revolving my mind! Why my country was dependent on / ruled by some other country for such a long time. These 60 years are still less then the around 200 years of colonial era. Why we needed to fight for the our own salt? Gandhi ji was great – but where does the courage missed in young generation of India, that time, such that we had to bring out Dandi march to make a memorable event. Though there had been Mughals and other empires too to rule our territory. There are socio-politico-economic and other reasons behind such things in case of a nation’s evolving process.

I have few regrets on our unconsciousness but still one burning question , I do search for an answer. That is, are we making a firm solid independent base for the gen next to stand upon? Are again we slowly allowing invaders to rule upon some or the otherway. Difficult question to answer ! But there is something Indian deep inside which loudly says – “No. “

To be practical, did this post of mine added anything for the national pride? If nothing much, its the freedom of speech – the only democratic backbone that ‘we re-attained’. It will revive its glory beyond ‘the freedom’.

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Married life and one year…

And Pinky gave me the missed call. I guess I am the perfect victim when she needs someone to hear so many things ( including craps) with patience. After hearing I was in the market, she was suggesting me to sleep, eat and merry best in the bachelor life as long as its available to me. “Why?” I asked. It was something different than her talks she would have so many of complaints.

“Dada, you may have free (?) classes from me. All your marriage dreams and poems may be about one year, once married. Afterwards you will feel how responsibilities are coming one by one. ” – she told.

She has got some uncommon sense of humour always. By grace of God, they make a perfect couple. She continued -“See for the whole day I took care of the baby. Now your bro-in-law is about to come home. And I am going to act slightly angry for just two minutes, as he will ask the reason, and I will tell a fresh set of grievances. And as reply, with all new set of promises, he will try to make me happy and take the baby for rest of the evening. And your ‘bechara’ bro-in-law with hungry stomach and tired body, have to do his father’s responsibility as well as husband’s. His business expectations are keeping him more busy for the day. And at home, the promotions demand more time from him. All of his friends do complain that for one year after marriage, they were happy. Once they got family promotions, they talk about the golden life of bachelorhood !! ”

I was just listening her and thinking these woman are no different.

On the other front, I was feeling happy, as she understands the things in much matured way and how she is going to do the pretty tantrums once he comes back to home. I know he will be relaxed in reality.

Her unwanted lecture was really helpful for me today. As I got an answer to – my worries of settlement that I had today. There is nothing blissful than golden bachelor life. Though ‘one year’ and afterwards, where my poems will go, I am not sure but . Before “Delhi ke laddu(I mean Saadi ke laddu)” , its time to write few more poems…

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Music for life – 3 : Begum Abida Parveen (Sufi Queen)

“Aashna – Mystical fragrance of divine love by Begum Abida Parveen” is the album by Times Music – I am listening these days.

A taste for Sufi music – the diva have something great for your soul – through the channels of ears. One can understand that through the path of love one reaches the supreme joyous path leading to God. So what better than songs and poems can convey the feelings!

Begum Abida Parveen born on 1954 in Larkana, Pakistan has got trained voice brought up by her father Ghulam Haider’s music school and then Ustad Salamat Ali Khan (Sham chourasia Gharana). And the wings to her voice was given by her husband Ghulam Hussain Shiekh (senior producer of Radio Pakistan).

In this album she has picked up the lyrics of Urdu poets personally and the rendition is spiritual. Her heavy voice gives one a base to lift upwards the plane of love and hate one stays.

As the words are ‘Urdu – Punjabi’ type normal light song listeners needs some effort to understand the words deeply. But the voice have spiritual touch for sure, simple disciplined yet carefree.

Lyrics of Sufi verses from CD 1 – >

Song no. 1
Bulle noon samjhana Aaiyaa ( Poet : Baba Bulleh Shah )

Ganga tirath mul naa mil yaa painde behisaab hu
Jag daa murshid mil yaa baahu chhutte sab azzake hu
God is neither found in the sky, nor at the pilgrim towns
He cannot be found in bookish knowledge, even in high towers
God was not near to Ganga( But He is here)
All my troubles have ceases since my preceptor looked at me.

Song no: 3
Rabba Mere Haal Da ( Poet: Hazrat Shah Hussain)

Rabba mere haal da mehram tu
( You are the only one who understands my pain)

Jo kucch baab mere dukh karde Hai ki khabar kise nun
(No one knows how much pain my sorrows give)

So yaa jane kadar Mohammad Tanman lagdi jaenoon
( Only the one who experiences it, understands the pain)

———————-

Yaaran baaj Mohammad Bakhsha
Kaun kare damkhari
( God is kind, my friends ae around me
Who share my grief and sympathise with me )

——————–
Kahe Hussain faqir nimmana
Main nahin sab tu
(Helpless hussain can only say
All this is your energy, not mine)

Song no. 5 :
Ishq de pichche bane faqir ( Poet: Waris Shah)

Kaafire denda pinda vich saare
Aao kise faqir je hona je
Mang khavnaa, kamm na, kaaj karna
Na kujj chadhna te, nahin chauvnaa je
Zaraa kann padaaeeke swaah mallani
Guru saare hi jag da hovnaa je
( Ranjha is an addict of love, a maverick
He is like the king of the world
Love has made Ranjha
A sage, a renouncer , a fakir )

The bonus thing with this album is lyrics with meanings are given in a pretty good booklet (Which I reproduced partially). That helps to understand the lyrics in her mystic voice that sublimes one. Earlier when I didn’t go deep into sufi music, without any particular reason Nusrat Fateh Khan’s few songs I could hear for hours at stretch.

If one believes in spiritual touch of love for God and vice versa – this poetic album will surely uplift the listener – of course if one is ready to accept a taste – that is altogether a higher plane of music.

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पुष्पांजली

सुबह की शीतल किरण नहाकर,
आज नये एक गुलाबी चुनर में,
मंदिर जाती प्रिय सखियों संग,
देने उन चरणों में फिर अंजली ।

गेंदा गुलाब और चंपा – चमेली
रजनीगंधा की माला लेकर,
मन में वंदना के गीत गाकर,
बृजबाला ले चली कमल कली ।

रोली – चंदन फुल – दुब की,
हाथों में आज थाली सजाए,
मंदिर के घंटी में विभोर होती,
श्याम की अपनी एक मनचली ।

कहीं मंदिर के मृदंग थाप पर,
थिरकते कदमों के पदचाप पर,Worship
मनमत्त होकर गाना चाहती,
मीरा की हृदय एक दोहावली ।

मंदिर के बंदनवार मे सजी,
सैकड़ो जलते दीपक के बीच
मेंहदी हाथों से दीए जलाकर,
ज्यों मना रही हो दीपावली ।

कहीं किसी मन के मंदिर,
भावों के पुष्प हाथों लेकर,
चुप बैठी आज मनन करती,
गोरी का मन एक गीतांजली ।

(P.S. : Thanks to Goggle image search for the picture. Credit being acknowledged to the respective owner of the same.)

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मीनू

दीपा की शादी में मुहल्ले के सारे लोग जमा थे उस दिन सब खुशियाँ मना रहे थे । जैसा मामाजी ने बता रखा था – सोना उस रात बारातियों के लिए सारी व्यवस्था कर रहा था ।

सोना ने उस रात खाना भी नहीं खाया, उसकी प्यारी ममेरी बहन की शादी में उसे भुख भी नहीं लग रही थी । वैसे भी उसके यहाँ बहनों की शादी के दिन भाईयों को खाना नसीब नहीं होता है – जब तक सही सलामत विदाई न हो जाए ।

रात के ग्यारह बज चुके थे । पर जेनरेटरों की आवाज और दौड़ते – भागते और ठंड में भी आईसक्रीम माँगते बच्चे, और शहनाई की धुन में लगता था अभी भी शाम ही है । बंगाली बाराती के लड़के- लड़कियाँ और सजेधजे घरवाले । एक रात का नाच – गाना और झुठे – सच्चे वादे, छोटे मोटे तानाकशी और प्यार भरी शरारतें ।

शादी शुरू हो चुकी थी । पंडितजी नव-दंपती को अपनी नहीं समझ में आनेवाली मंत्र सुना रहे थे । सोना की माँ, मीनू सबके साथ मंडप के पास कुर्सी पर बैठी हूई थी । वैसे बेटियों की पसंद की हूई, क्रीम सिल्क की हल्की जड़ीदार साड़ी में आज वह खिल रही थी पर अब उसके चेहरे पर झुर्रियाँ साफ दिखती थी ।

अभी सोना बारातियों को जनवासा में रखकर मंडप के पास पहूँचा ही था कि मीनू उसे बुलाकर कह दी – अगर समय मिले तो हम सबके लिए काफी बनाकर ले आओ । पता चला कि भाड़े का काफी वाला जा चुका था और सभी को काफी पीने का मन हो रहा था ।

वैसे माँ की बात काटना उसके बस की बात नहीं । पर बगल में बैठी हूई थी सोना की मौसेरी और उसकी अपनी बहन भी – जो यह सोचकर मुस्कुरा रही थी – कि चलो सोना भैया हैं – अब काफी मिलेगा । कम से कम पचीस कप काफी बनाने में सहायता के लिए फैशन स्टुडियो की कोई मा़डल बहन आगे नहीं आयी – अगर साथ आयी तो फिर वही – छुटकी साँवली पियाली – सीधी साधी ।

मीनू अब भी देख रही थी – शादी की रस्में । बीच-बीच में कुछ मजाक भी कर लेती थी आस-पास की मेहमानों से । अचानक पीछे से आ खड़ी हूई – मधुजा की माँ – विद्या । और पता नहीं क्या सोचकर रख डाली अपने दोनों हाथ मीनू के कंधे पर । विद्या और मीनू में गहरी जानपहचान थी । वैसे विद्या थोड़ी अभिमानी भी थी – उसका एक कारण यह भी था – गोरी तीखे नयन नख्शों वाली उसकी बेटी मधुजा । मधुजा दीपा की सहेली भी थी पर उन दिनों एम एस सी की परीक्षा के कारण शादी में नहीं आ सकी ।

मीनू को विद्या को वैसा करना थोड़ा अजीब सा लगा ।

“क्या हो रहा है ।” – मुस्कुरा कर मीनू सिर उठाकर देखने लगी ।

विद्या ने फिर हँसकर थोड़ा वजन और बढ़ा दिया ।

“अब इस उम्र में इतना वजन कहाँ सह पाती हूँ ।” – मीनू दोनों हाथों को उलटकर उसके हाथों को प्यार से पकड़कर कहने लगी ।

अब थोड़ा बजन और बढाते हूए सिर झुकाकर धीरे से कहने लगी – ” मैं तो आपका वजन हल्का कर दूँगी – आप भी, अगर हो सके, तो मेरा वजन हल्का कर दो ना ! “

विद्या अब हँसकर भार हल्का कर दी । मीनू को सारी बातें समझते देर न लगी । बाकी कोई न समझ पाया कि क्या हो रहा है ।

मीनू के सपने वह खुद ही जानती थी । चाहती तो वह भी की सोना की जल्दी अंगुठी बन जाए । पर वही जानती थी कि सोना के लिए उसे क्या चाहिए – बस एक बिलकुल साधारण पत्थर खोजती थी – बाकी पारस पत्थर की कला उसे जो आती थी ।

मीनू कभी मधुजा की धुँधली छवि याद करती, तो कभी बारातियों और मेहमानों पर आँखें दौड़ाती पर उसका सिर अभी भी भारी सा लग रहा था ।

वह इंतजार कर ही रही थी – कि ट्रे में कप सजाए “साईड प्लीज – गरम काफी” ट्रेन भेंडर वाली स्टाईल में बोलता हूआ सोना आ गया था । मीनू कप उठाकर कहने लगी – “सोना, पहले आँटी लोगों को दो ।”

पियाली दुसरी छोटी ट्रे लेकर लड़कियों की तरफ चली गयी ।

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Sarva Siksha Abhiyan – the execution reality

The children are about to follow the parents – as they are born of illiterate parents forming a vast class of Indian illiterate, somnolent society. As our integral part of society, this class spends nights in the murkiness of huts and slums. A grotesque persona of another Indian – to form an uncivilized massed of developing country. With them along us, we economic reform advocates have compunction about ground realities.

While for our developing country, visualizing vision 2020, is daunted by this mass of children, who are currently in the age group of 5- 10 (supposed to be in class I – V), and by the year 2020, they will form the youth aged 18 to 23. Govt. policies of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) as planned in the communiqué, if implemented properly, will make some difference by that time – I am sure.

Evidently as I have seen my last home trip, the managing the Abhiyan is a challenge with the available man-power and additional contractual positions. When the locally elected persons serve voluntarily in the school governing body, the concerted execution of the program was thought to be smooth. Worth to add is, currently financial assistance available in these programs, with transparency, hence details need not secluded, seems far better, compared to trifle funds available earlier for doing so.

As the are funds available and given the nature of planned spending, brings sometimes management problems, when govt. bodies gets embroiled with locally elected management representative bodies. The challenges arises, when these representatives, from ‘quota’s turn out logically blunt/twisted. At this situations, there requires not being martinet, but authoritativeness and skillful manoeuvering of surreal meeting situations.

At the ground level, still the manual trumpery documentation and accounting process is underway in these programs. And this is really time and productive time consuming. These most of the bland junk of paper-works forms the heap in the govt. offices, that needs to be cleaned fast. Otherwise just paper works are not supposed to deliver a fecund SSA.

The assiduity of the teacher’s efforts as chain link between policies on paper – the beneficiary children – funds and pedagogues may show some results in near future.

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