India is My Country - Thoughts

22/03/201514/03/2016

जन गण मन !!!

आज प्रधानमंत्री ने किसानों से अपने मन कि बात कही. विशेष कर उन्होंने भूमि अधिग्रहण कानून सम्बन्धी कुछ ‘भ्रम’(जो चर्चा में है) दूर करने कि कोशिश कि और किसानों से आग्रह किया कि वे उन पर विश्वास करें और इस कानून का समर्थन करें.
ऐसा नहीं है कि प्रधानमंत्री जी ने केवल यही बात की. उन्होंने हाल ही में हुयी बे-मौसमी बारिश और ओला वृष्टि से हुयी फसल कि बर्बादी को लेकर भी चिंता जताई एवं अपने सम्बंधित मंत्रीयों से इस बारे में कही गयी कारवाई का भी हवाला दिया.
लेकिन, कुछ प्रमुख टीवी समाचार चैनलों पर जिस तरह कि चर्चाएं इस ‘मन कि बात’ को लेकर हुयी और उसमे जो किसानों कि प्रतिक्रियाएं आयी, उससे साफ़ हो गया कि इस ‘मन कि बात’ को लेकर लोगों में और विशेष कर किसानों में निराशा का माहौल बना दिया.
या तो प्रधानमंत्री को सबसे पहले अभी जो फसल कि बर्बादी हुयी है और इससे जो किसानों का नुकसान हुआ है उस पर ज्यादा जोर देना चाहिए था या उनको आश्वस्त करना चाहिए था इस मामले में भी युद्धस्तर पर कदम उठाये जायेंगे. मगर ऐसा होता नहीं है.
क्यों?
क्योंकि या तो प्रधानमंत्री तक ज़मीनी हालात कि सही जानकारी उनके सम्बंधित मंत्री और पार्टी के लोग पहुंचाते नहीं है और न ही राज्य स्तर पर उनकी पार्टी के मुख्य मंत्री, अन्य मंत्री,सांसद, विधायक और नेता कोई ऐसे कदम उठाते है जिससे लोगों को लगे कि उनकी बात ज़रूर सुनी जायेगी. और जब ऐसा नहीं होता है तो प्रधानमंत्री कितना भी कहे कि ‘आप मुझ पर विश्वास कीजिये’, लेकिन बात बनती नहीं है.
ये बात भी सही है कि लोकसभा चुनाओं में तमाम जनता ने अकेले उनकी ही बात पर उनकी पार्टी को प्रचंड बहुमत से जिताया, मगर इसके बाद एक एक कर जो जनता के साथ छलावा हो रहा है उससे लोगों का विश्वास अब डगमगा गया है.
ये भी सही है कि प्रधानमंत्री लाख चाहे तो भी हर काम वे अकेले नहीं कर सकते. और उनकी तमाम योजनाएं तभी सफल हो सकती है जब खुद उनके मंत्री, सांसद, विधायक और कार्यकर्ता उतनी ही गंभीरता और संजीदगी से हर काम को अंजाम दे और ज़मीनी समस्याओं को समझ कर सरकार और लोगों के बीच एक सकारात्मक ‘सेतु’ का काम करे.
सरकार को कई मुद्दों पर नए तरीके अपनाने होंगे और समय समय पर जो मुद्दे उभर के आते है जो कि जन-मानस से जुड़े हुए होते है, ऐसे मामलों में सरकार को एक नयी पहल कर युद्ध-स्तर पर निर्णय लेने चाहिए और जनता के बीच ‘विश्वास’ का सन्देश पहुँचाना चाहिए.
जैसे कि बलात्कार, देश कि सीमा पर हमला, आतंकवादी हमला, कोई बड़ी दुर्घटना और सबसे महत्वपूर्ण कोई प्राकृतिक आपदा जैसे मामलों में युद्धस्तर पर करवाई करनी होगी. ऐसे मामलों में और विशेष कर जहां किसान लगातार आत्महत्याएं कर रहें हो, उनके ऊपर क़र्ज़ बढ़ रहा हो और फसलें बर्बाद हो रही हो वहाँ तो आपको हर हाल में युद्धस्तर पर करवाई कर लोगों का हौसला बढ़ाना होगा और उनकी समस्याओं को दूर करना होगा.
लेकिन आज तक कोई भी सरकार न ऐसा करते आयी है न करना चाहती है. लेकिन ‘बदलाव’ कि जिस हवा का हवाला देकर यह सरकार बनी है उसे आज के ‘सोशल मिडिया’ वाले दौर में लोगों कि भावनाओं को समझ कर, हवा का रुख देख कर, राष्ट्रहित को ध्यान में रख कर उचित कदम उठाने होंगे ही और यह सब जल्दी भी करना होगा.
‘रिपोर्ट आएगी तब देखेंगे’ वाला रवैया बदलना होगा !!
यह बात भी सही है कि लोगों को अपनी बात कहने का मौका भी प्रधानमंत्री जी ने ही दिया है. आजतक किसी प्रधानमंत्री ने अपने ‘मन कि बात’ इतनी बार लोगों से कि नहीं है.
लेकिन जब आप कुछ अच्छा करना चाहते है तो उसे संपूर्ण समर्पण से करना होगा और लोगों के ताने भी झेलने पड़ेंगे. अगर इस चर्चा को और ‘संवादात्मक’ बनाया जाता तो अच्छा होता. या किसानों को ही उनके द्वारा नियुक्त किये गए ‘प्रतिनिधि मंडल’ को इस चर्चा में शामिल किया जाता तो अच्छा होता.

आज कल ज्यादातर टीवी चैनल पर जो चर्चा होती है उसमे मुख्य ‘मुद्दों’ को भुलाकर आपसी विवाद कि स्थिति पैदा हो जाती और हर पार्टी के प्रवक्ता अपनी बात और काम को सही ठहराने में लगे रहते है, इससे सच कहीं बातों में उलझ कर रह जाता है और राजनीती असल मुद्दों को खा जाती है. तो फिर ‘सच’ और ‘झूठ’ का फैसला कौन करे. और जनता कि भलाई चाहनेवाला पक्ष कौनसा है यह कौन तय करेगा.
या तो फिर ‘मिडिया’ को ही कड़े शब्दों में सच जनता के सामने रखना चाहिए, और मुद्दों को ‘गोल-गोल’ बातों में और ‘आंकड़ों’ के जाल में उलझाकर न रखते हुए, वास्तविकता को जनता के समक्ष प्रस्तुत करना चाहिए.
और सरकार को भी ये ध्यान में रखना चाहिए कि देश के न.१ चैनल पर अगर जनता से ये आवाज़ आती है कि ‘प्रधानमंत्री’ झूठ बोलते है और झूठ ही बोलते रहे है तो फिर कहीं न कहीं ये असंतोष भविष्य के ‘चुनावों’ में सामने आएगा ही.

02/10/201423/04/2016

Cleanliness Pledge

स्वच्छता शपथ
( स्वच्छ भारत – एक कदम स्वच्छता की ओर )

महात्मा गांधी ने जिस भारत का सपना देखा था उसमे सिर्फ राजनैतिक आज़ादी ही नहीं थी, बल्कि एक स्वच्छ एवं विकसित देश कि कल्पना भी थी !

महात्मा गांधी ने गुलामी कि जंजीरों कों तोड़कर माँ भारती कों आज़ाद कराया !

अब हमारा कर्तव्य है कि गंदगी कों दूर करके भारत माता कि सेवा करें !

मैं शपथ लेता हूँ कि मैं स्वयं स्वच्छता के प्रति सजग रहूँगा और उसके लिए समय दूंगा !

हर वर्ष १०० घंटे यानी हर सप्ताह २ घंटे श्रमदान करके स्वच्छता के इस संकल्प कों चरितार्थ करूँगा !

मैं न गंदगी करूँगा न किसी और कों करने दूंगा !

सबसे पहले मैं स्वयं से, मेरे परिवार से , मेरे मुहल्ले से, मेरे गाँव से एवं मेरे कार्यस्थल से शुरुआत करूँगा !
मैं यह मानता हूँ कि दुनिया के जो भी देश स्वच्छ दिखतें हैं उसका कारण यह है कि वहाँ के नागरिक गंदगी नहीं करते और न ही होने देते हैं !

इस विचार के साथ मैं गाँव-गाँव और गली-गली स्वच्छ भारत मिशन का प्रचार करूँगा !

मैं आज जो शपथ ले रहा हूँ, वह अन्य १०० व्यक्तियों से भी करवाऊंगा !

वे भी मेरी तरह स्वच्छता के लिए १०० घंटे दें, इसके लिए प्रयास करूँगा !

मुझे मालूम हैं कि स्वच्छता कि तरफ बढ़ाया गया मेरा एक कदम पूरे भारत देश कों स्वच्छ बनाने में मदद करेगा !

Cleanliness Pledge

(re-blogged from Local Circles)

14/09/201423/04/2016

मंथन जारी हैं …

एक महीने का समय गुज़र गया . . . . .

कहने का तात्पर्य यह है कि इस ‘ब्लॉग’ पर पिछला लेख ठीक एक महीने पहले १४ अगस्त को प्रकाशित हुआ था.
ऐसा नहीं है कि इस महीने भर में कोई घटना ऐसी नहीं हुयी जिसने ‘समाज-शिल्पी’ को नहीं छुआ हो या ‘आहत’ न किया हो.
और जिस ब्लॉग का उद्देश्य ही समाज कि ‘नव-रचना’ करने में योगदान देना हो, उसे तो हर रोज ही अपने आस-पास कि घटनाओं के बारे में या जिन मुद्दों ने उसे छुआ हो उसके बारे में टिपण्णी ज़रूर करनी चाहिए.
लेकिन कभी कभी लेखन प्रक्रिया में ऐसे पड़ाव आते हैं जब एक रचना से दूसरी रचना के बीच में कुछ अंतर आ जाता है.
अपनी भावनाओं को शब्दों में ढाल कर प्रकाशित नहीं कर पाने का दुःख तो है ही, मगर जो अच्छी-बुरी घटनाएं इस दौर में हुयी, उसने ‘विचारों’ कि प्रक्रिया को जारी रखा और ‘मंथन’ करने पर समय समय पर मजबूर किया.
इस लेख में हम मुख्य रूप से उन् सभी घटनाओंका जिक्र करेंगे, और आनेवाले लेखों में उन्ही मुद्दों का तार पकड़कर विस्तार से चर्चा करेंगे और नए मुद्दों को भी छुएंगे.

सबसे पहले तो बात हमारी बढती ‘संवेदनहीनता’ कि. दिल्ली में फिर हमारे गिरते मानवीय मूल्य और समाज में ‘गहरी पैठ’ बना चुकी ‘नपुंसकता’ का उदाहरण देखने को मिला जहां एक जख्मी को बीच बाजार में लोगों ने पानी नहीं पिलाया और उस इंसान को अपनी जान से हाथ धोना पड़ा.

‘बलात्कार’ कि घटनाओं में कोई कमी नहीं आयी और ‘गुंडे-बदमाश’ लगभग हर राज्य में ‘कानून’ कि धज्जियां उड़ाते फिर रहे है.
कुल मिलाकर नयी सरकार को अभी तक तो ‘क़ानून का राज्य’ स्थापित करने में उतनी सफलता नहीं मिली हैं जितनी उम्मीदें जनता को ‘सत्ता परिवर्तन’ के होने बाद इस नयी सरकार से थी.
‘क़ानून व्यवस्था’ के मामले तो लगता है कि जैसे अभी भी ‘युपीए’ का ही शासन चल रहा है.
और तो और जिन अपराधियों कों फांसी कि सज़ा दी जाती है पता नहीं क्यों उनकी फांसी कों बार बार मुल्तवी किया जाता है?

जहाँ प्रधानमंत्री के विदेश दौरों ने हमारे देश कि गरिमा बढ़ाई और यह सन्देश भी जाते दिखा कि हमारा देश भी दूसरे देश से ‘आँख से आँख’ मिलाकर ही चलेगा.
प्रधानमंत्री के जापान दौरे के समय जब ‘स्मार्ट सिटी’ कि बात चली तो नयी आशाएँ जगी, लेकिन जिस रस्ते पर मैं हर रोज सफर करता हूँ उस ‘एन एच – ८ ए एक्सटेंशन’ और एस एच -४६ पर हर रोज बीच सड़क पर बैठा ‘मवेशियों’ का ‘झुंड’ इस बात कि याद दिलाता रहता है कि अभी तो ‘मंजिल’ दूर ही नहीं बहुत बहुत दूर है.
अभी तो राज्य परिवहन कि बस में सफर करते समय जब चालक कों अपनी गाडी बीच सड़क पर बैठे मवेशियों के कारण ‘आडी-तिरछी’ करनी पड़ती है तो लगता है कि देश कि स्थिति भी ऐसी ही है, कहीं बहुत ज्यादा विकास हैं तो कहीं कुछ भी नहीं. और विकास अगर हुआ भी हैं तो उसका समतोल बदलती सामाजिक परिस्थितियों के साथ रखा नहीं गया.
तभी तो वड़ोदरा जैसे शहर में लग-भग हर साल बाढ़ आती है और रिहायशी इलाकों में पानी भर जाता है.
सबसे दुखद त्रासदी ‘जम्मू-कश्मीर’ में आयी बाढ़ है, जहाँ का हाल समाचारों में देख-सुनकर कलेजा मुंह कों आता है.
इस त्रासदी से जहाँ हमारी ‘आपदा प्रबंधन प्रणाली’ कि खामियां सामने आयी, वहीँ ‘विकास’ कि दौड में प्रदुषण के खतरे और उसके दुष्परिणामों कों भांपने में हमारी नाकामयाबी का भी पता चलता है.
हर चीज़ पर ‘बाजारीकरण’ के बढते प्रभाव और पैसे कमाने कि होड में भागती दुनिया का सच हमारे सामने आता है.
विकास कि चकाचौंध में हम मानवीय मूल्य और इंसानी जिंदगी के साथ ही सौदा कर बैठे है. और हम लोगों कि जिंदगी इसीलिए हर समय ‘दांव’ पर है.
वर्षों से चली आ रही हमारी सोच के ‘अपने बाप का क्या जाता है’ , ‘सरकार से हमें क्या लेना देना’, ‘सब चलता है’ ने ही हमें आज इस मकाम पर ला खड़ा किया है, जहाँ ‘प्रशासन’ हमारा ‘अपना’ नहीं बन सका और हम ‘जनता’ प्रशासन के लिए केवल वोट देनेवाली मशीन बन कर रह गए.
जम्मू-कश्मीर कि बाढ़ के कुछ समाचारों में हाल ही में कुछ व्यक्ति प्रधानमंत्री श्री.मोदी जी कों कोसते हुए दिखाए गए. क्या यह सही है?
भाई, इतने सालों से जिन लोगो ने तुम्हारे ऊपर ‘राज’ किया है, कुछ उनसे भी तो पूछो. मोदी जी कों आये तो अभी तीन महीने ही हुए है. फिर भी उन्होंने वो किया जो दस सालों में तुम्हारी चुनी हुई सरकार नहीं कर पायी.
और तो और जब घाटी में सारे नियम क़ानून ताक पर रखकर अंधाधुन्द निर्माण हुआ तब आप क्यों तमाशा देखते रहे? आपने क्यों नहीं मुलभुत सुविधाओं के निर्माण के लिए अपने आवाज़ बुलंद कि?
हाँ, एक बात ज़रूर सरकार कों (चुनाव आयोग से सिफारिश कर ) करनी चाहिए थी कि ‘उप-चुनावोंको’ कुछ समय बाद कराया जाता तो अच्छा होता.
इस बीच देश के कई हिस्सों में बदलते ‘मौसम’ का मिजाज़ पता चला और ‘पर्यावरण’ में होते बदलावों का भी एहसास हुआ. कहीं भयंकर गर्मी रही, तो कहीं बाढ़ और कहीं एकदम सूखा.
इससे हम को सबक लेकर अभी से चेतने कि जरूरत हैं.
और जो मैं इससे पहले भी कहता आया हूँ कि ‘हमारे बाप का कुछ गया हो या नहीं’ मगर ‘हमारे बच्चों का और आनेवाली पीढ़ियों’ का बहुत कुछ ‘दांव’ पर है…

इस दौरान मैंने यह भी महसूस किया कि पहले तो हम ‘भारत’ और ‘इंडिया’ में बंटे हुए थे, मगर आज ‘ट्विटर’ का भारत अलग है, ‘फेसबुक’ का भारत अलग है, अंग्रेजी और हिंदी समाचार पत्र पढ़ने वालों का अपना भारत है. ‘व्हाट्स-एप’ का भारत इन सबका मिश्रण है और टीवी चेनलों कि प्राथमिकताएं ‘टीआरपी’ और अलग अलग ‘ब्रांडों’ के प्रायोजक है, या फिर ‘क्रिकेट’ है.
‘क्रिकेटरों’ कों हमारे देश में इतना ज्यादा महत्व दिया गया है कि उनके सामने देश पर मर मिटनेवाले शहीदों कों भी इतना सम्मान नहीं दिया जाता.
अपने आप कों ‘न.१’ कहने का दावा करनेवाले समाचार चेनल पर तो क्रिकेट के लिए विशेष समय (आधा घंटा) दिया जाता है. जब देश इतनी समस्याओं से घिरा हो तो क्रिकेट कि बात तो होनी भी नहीं चाहिए, या फिर सभी खेलों कों उतना ही महत्व दिया जाना चाहिए. क्रिकेट कि हार जीत पर भी न तो ज्यादा हंगामा होना चाहिए और न ही ज्यादा उत्तेजना होनी चाहिए. क्योंकि हर क्रिकेट खेलनेवाले देश का फ़र्ज़ है कि जीत ने के लिए खेलना और खेल का अविभाज्य अंग है ‘हार’ या ‘जीत’ इसीलिए न तो क्रिकेट में एक हार पर दुनिया भर का गम लूटाने कि ज़रूरत है और न ही जीत पर क्रिकेट के खिलाड़ियों कों ज़रूरत से ज्यादा सर पर उठाने कि ज़रूरत है.

और सबसे सुखद रहा दस दिनों तक चला ‘गणेशोत्सव’, ‘बाप्पा’ आते हैं तो अपने साथ कई यादें भी लेकर आते हैं. ‘गणेश उत्सव’ कि वो यादें जो मेरे बचपन से जुडी है. हो सकता है कि आनेवाले दिनों में मैं अपना पहला ‘मराठी’ लेख (जो कि १९८० के बाद आएगा) ‘गणपति-बाप्पा’ कि यादों के साथ ही लिखूं.

19/05/201419/05/2016

From ‘Secular’ with Love

Dear World Encyclopedia,

Most painfully I would like to request you to ‘ban’ my use by ‘all Politicians’ in India with immediate effect.

This is the only country where my true meaning and dignity have been reduced to a ‘mockery’ the Politicians in India.

‘Secularism’ in India means ‘equal treatment of all religions by the State’.

However in real practice people are using it for their own political benefit mostly, and to divide and rule the common man in this country.
Vested interests are misleading uneducated, poor and helpless people to satisfy their own political ambitions.
These vested political interests do not want development in their country and fear that if people get educated and developed, they will not be able to divide them over communal and religious lines.
These vested interests and power hungry groups have reduced me to a ‘controversial topic’. For years now I am feeling hurt and tortured in this country. The suffocation has become unbearable for me now.

I feel very proud, when years ago, in 1976 I was included in the ‘Preamble’ of the ‘Constitution of India’ by the 42nd amendment in the constitution.

But sad to say that, thereafter, I have been misused largely by the ‘Politicians’ there, though People of this country have maintained the spirit and have always make me proud.

For the young people of India I would request them to give me a understanding at Secularism in India.

People can learn more about me at Secularism

Those who wish to understand me better can visit Secular – Definition at Free dictionary

I know that the young generation in India is eager to understand my meaning in Hindi also. Here it is at Hinkhoj

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

08/03/201418/04/2016

“Deewaaron Ka Jungle Jiska Aabaadi hai Naam” – Sahir Ludhianvi

‘Deewaaron ka Jungle- Jiska Aabaadi hai naam’

Go To Deewaaron ka Jungle – I
Deewaaron ka Jungle – II
Deewaaron ka Jungle – III

I had marked this ‘poem’ about a year back when I read it in book of compilation of Sahir’s poems and songs. I had no idea then if it was included in any film or the film’s name.

One day while doing my regular searching information about films, I was going through the information about the film ‘Deewaar-1975’ on wiki and there I noted the soundtrack and found this song mentioned therein.
Then the search on you tube followed and this was available there.

But this song was not included in the film for the reasons unknown to me.

However as I wish to present this song with a write up (as it very well deserved) the post got delayed.

When I was going through this poem and reading it again and again it prompted me to weave an article around it.

The infamous ‘Delhi Gang Rape’ was in news then, corruption at its peak, public apathy towards social commitment also at its peak, insensitivity and callousness taking to new heights and the daily news and the various discussions on TV channels only add to the agony of our helplessness and inability to bring an ‘overall change’.
The whole country was in state of shock over the ‘Delhi Gang Rape’ and scattered revolt and protests were held up in the country which later on settled down and now forgotten only to raise head at a time which nobody knows, and in the process the culprits of the Delhi Gang Rape have also got a respite and who knows, one good morning, they will be able to roam freely in around.

As I was half way through of my article there were two ‘interviews’ one of Nana Patekar on IBN Lokmat and another one of Gulzar Saab, which I have already covered in Part-II and III of this article.

Somewhere I also had apprehensions of doing a balanced write up for this song so that it is in line with the meaning of the lyrics and seek for the essence of the emotions, the agony the poet is going through and finally to bring the change the poet is striving for.

And thus the draft was revisited and updated time to time.

This four part series – ‘Deewaaron ka Jungle’ is concluding today.

Today is also the birth anniversary of the great ‘shaayar Sahir Ludhianvi’ who had written this poem almost about 38 years back.

Just to put here that, the incidences of crime against women, crime against children, the overall increasing crimes in the society, the vulnerability of human life, the problems faced by common man, inflation, hunger, corruption, lack of basic amenities all make us to think – is this the country our freedom fighter heroes have dreamt of ?
The situation is grimmer than we actually see it.

But the daily survival in this competitive environment and fast moving life takes it all and finally the ‘roti ki Jung’ covers all agonies of life under it.
In circumstances like above where the common man suffers the agony, a litterateur, a poet, also go through the same emotions, and when the poet is Sahir Ludhianvi, the words are surely to hit directly our conscience;

Deewaaron ke is jungle mein
Bhatak rahe insaan
Apne apne uljhe daaman
Jhatak rahe insaan
Apni vipadaa chhod ke aaye
Kaun kisi ke kaam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Note that Sahir has written these lines about 38 years or so before?
What has prompted him then?

It seems that the social values had started declining since long time back and today it has reached its peak
We have made developments only in terms of ‘insensitivity’ and ‘callousness’.

(Thanks to the book that I got 4/5 years before that I came to know about this song)

Deewaaron ka jungle jiskaa
Aabaadi hain naam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Deewaaron ke is jungle mein
Bhatak rahe insaan
Apne apne uljhe daaman
Jhatak rahe insaan
Apni vipadaa chhod ke aaye
Kaun kisi ke kaam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Seene khaali aankhein sooni
Chehron par hairaani
Jitney ghane hangaame isme
Utni ghani veeraani

Raatein qaatil subahein mujrim
Muljim hain har shaam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Haal na poochhe dard na baante
Is jungle ke log
Apnaa apnaa sukh hain sabkaa
Apnaa apnaa sog
Koyee nahin jo haath badhaakar
Girton ko le thaam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Bebas ko doshi thehraaye
Is jungle ka nyaay
Sach ki laash pe koyee na roye
Jhooth ko sis nawaaye
Patthar ki in deewaaron mein
Patthar ho gaye raam
Baahar se chup chup lagtaa hain
Andar hain kohraam

Poem in Devnagri script:-

दीवारों का जंगल जिसका
आबादी हैं नाम
बाहर से चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

दीवारों के इस जंगल में
भटक रहे इंसान
अपने अपने उलझे दामन
झटक रहे इंसान
अपनी विपदा छोड़ के आये
अपनी विपदा छोड़ के आये
कौन किसी के काम
बाहर से चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

सीने खाली आँखें सूनी
चेहरे पे हैरानी
जितने घने हंगामे इसमें
इतनी घनी वीरानी
रातें कातिल सुबहें मुजरिम
रातें कातिल सुबहें मुजरिम
मुलजिम हैं हर शाम
बाहर से चुप-चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

हाल न पूछे दर्द न बांटे
इस जंगल के लोग
अपना-अपना सुख हैं सबका
अपना अपना सोग
कोई नहीं जो हाथ बढ़ाकर
गिरतों को ले थाम
बाहर से चुप-चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

बेबस को दोषी ठहराए
इस जंगल का न्याय
सच की लाश पे कोई न रोये
झूठ को सीस नवाए
पत्थर की इन दीवारों में
पत्थर हो गए राम
बाहर से चुप-चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम

07/03/201418/04/2016

Deewaaron Ka Jungle – 3 – Gulzar

(Deewaaron ka Jungle – III)

Deewaron ka Jungle – I, Deewaaron ka Jungle – II

(Though the posts under this series ‘Deewaaron Ka Jungle’ are delayed posts, the issue discussed is still as much relevant to our society, social life and for ‘we the people of India’.
And it will be of utmost importance in the coming years too, till we rise as ‘one soul-one nation’.

So continuing with the balance posts in this series and sharing my thoughts with you…)

Moving to the 3rd part of this article, just to share – ‘when we watch these great peoples speaking about such social issues, listening to them is like an altogether different experience,

‘us ek ghante mein ham ek umr jee letein hain’,

‘Kitni gehraayee hoti hain unki baton, lagta hain poore jeewan ka anubhav samet liya hain un kuchh palon mein’.

And, when the person speaking, on such sensitive issue is none other than Gulzar Saab that is sure to happen. (Watching him and listening him … these lines repeatedly come to my mind – Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je peed parayee jaane re….

It has been exactly a year now… (And coming to full circle of this thought process I had gone through)..
9 th March 2013 Gulzar Saab was speaking on the occasion of release of the ‘third’ edition of his ‘Dyodhi’ (on ABP Majha)

As the basis of this series of articles is a poem from one of the greatest ‘social’ poet or rather the ‘Peoples Poet’ of our country Sahir Saab, I thought it more appropriate to combine it with thoughts of another great poet Gulzar Saab.

In this conversation he speaks on various issues affecting our social existence. When he was asked ‘how do you feel about the current issues in our society?’
(Link of this is available here)

Gulzar Saab on release of 3rd edition of ‘Dyodhi’

‘Geetkar ki baat ham alaahida rakhe, lekjn shaayar ko kaisa lagta hain aaj ka vaastav, jo iird gird uske mandra rahaa hain wo yatharth wo jo reality dekh rahaa hain shaayar usko kaisa lagta hain

Use chotein lag rahi hain,
Ji
Chotein lag rahi hain

Main yun kahoon,
Thode thodese ehsaas hain jaise

Kaagaz par girte hi phutee hain labz kayee, (maaf kijiyega, main kavita par aa gaya)
Kaagaz par girte hi phutate hain labz kayee
Kuchh dhuaan uthha, chingaariyaan kuchh, ek nazm ko phir se aag lagi,
Kaagaz par girte hi phutate hain labz kayee
Kuchh dhuaan uthha, chingaariyaan kuchh, ek nazm ko phir se aag lagi
Jalte shehar mein baithha shaayar isse zyada kare bhi kya, lafzon se aag nahin bujhti,
Nazmon se jakhm nahin bharte(ye, yoon mahsus karta hain kavi). Aapke chaaron taraf dekhte hue, to bebasi to hain, kabhi use bayaan kar letein hain jo ho raha hain…

Baat kahin khalti to hain andar jaake; par aap kya karenge;

Main cigarette to nahin peeta hoon, magar aanewaale se main itna pooch leta hoon ke maachis hain?
Main cigarette to nahin peeta magar aannewaale se bas itna poonchh leta hoon ke maachis hain?
Bahot kuchh hain jise main phoonk dena chaahta hoon,
Magar himmat nahin hoti…..meri himmat nahin hoti

How long can we remain isolated from the society? How long can we ignore the social circumstances?

What other Gulzar Saab said in this talk is summarized in the following points;

We need to be social conscious!
Cinema cannot bring revolution!!
It is a recorder and reminder!
On women issues he says;
We do not respect children and women in society.
We are callous!
We continue to tolerate the ‘wrong’ at the cost of ‘right’, we continue to tolerate!

बेबस को दोषी ठहराए
इस जंगल का न्याय
सच की लाश पे कोई न रोये
झूठ को सीस नवाए
पत्थर की इन दीवारों में
पत्थर हो गए राम
बाहर से चुप-चुप लगता हैं
अंदर हैं कोहराम
दीवारों का जंगल जिसका
आबादी हैं नाम

We do not revolt, and if at all it is only little crawling here and there, so the overall view seems to be ‘all is well’, collective revolt to shake up overall is necessary!

(Note: I had earlier read about Gulzar Saab’s ‘Dyodhi’, but this book was not available at the leading ‘online’ store.
Before concluding this post I thought it would be better if I get it and finally on searching I got the publishers website and get this book directly from them.

Now ‘Dyodhi’ is with me …)

(To …… Deewaaron ka Jungle – IV)

19/01/201418/04/2016

Deewaaron Ka Jungle – 2 – Nana Patekar

(Deewaaron ka Jungle-II)

Deewaaron ka Jungle-1

बहुत घुटन है कोई सूरते बयाँ निकले
अगर सदा न उठे, कम से कम फूगां निकले
– साहिर लुधियानवी

As a human being we cannot remain isolated to what is happening in our surroundings and day to day life. Sometimes we are hurt, we are pained, we struggle, we fight back in our own individual way but we alone cannot make all right as we would like it to be.
We are confined to our comfort zone. And it is very difficult for us to come out of it.
Ultimately we are compelled to confine ourselves to our own priorities, we have our own personal problems and in our own way we are attached to it. Even if somehow we want to do something for a social cause we are unable to do so and we could not carry our fight for others for longer.

We cry, we weep, we keep wailing for some time and then back to square one we are back to the only cause of our ‘do joon ki roti’.

And then there is this ‘chhodo yaar, ae sab to chalta hi rahega, apne baap ka kya jaata hai’

But believe me, though not much may have gone of our Fathers but everything of our children is at ‘stake’.

Take for instance the ‘Nithari’ killings of innocent children years before… what has happened?
The ‘Satan of Patans’, the continuous rape in PTC college of Patan in Gujarat?
It is more heinous act than terrorism.
It is only who lost their near and dear ones those suffer.

And the others will continue to suffer some other day because we have all accepted it now as a routine and the ‘bench-mark’ has been set and achieving to ‘new heights’ of ‘heinousness’- thanks to the people of this country – because for rest of them it is all ‘sab chalta hai’, ‘chhod na yaar’, ‘apne baap ka kya jaata hai, ‘bhool ja ..’ , and happily the ‘republic’ goes on, moving further, marching to ‘mars’ and going down with ‘humanity, values, ethics, moral, civic sense, social commitment, social responsibility, and moral and social responsibility’;
(Yesterday there was news about a Son of Leader (of the party in power) in UP, beating a Ladies Officer on duty- where are the ‘woman rights activists’ or ‘human rights activists’ and so called NGOs?)

Deewaaron ke is jungle mein
Bhatak rahe insaan
Apne apne uljhe daaman
Jhatak rahe insaan
Apni vipadaa chhod ke aaye
Kaun kisi ke kaam

Here I would like to share with all what the great film personality Nana Patekar had said about in a interview with IBN Lokmat editor Mr.Nikhil Wagle few months back.
This discussion held then is very much in line with our topic of this article and hence I feel it is essential to share it with all of you (those it has been almost ten months now when this interview was held)

On 3rd march there was an interview of Nana Patekar on ‘IBN- Lokmat’ where the editor of the news channel Mr. Nikhil Wagle discussed about his latest film – the attacks of 26/11-and the prevailing socio-political situation in the country. I missed some earlier part of this discussion, but thanks to YT, it is available on it. Nana talks about many current socio-political issues in this talk and very less about his new film. As we know about Nana he is socially active and do many things ensuring that there is no ‘publicity’ about it.
Nana is worried about the current scenario, the way life has changed, that he watched through his journey of life from his childhood days to now.

‘Hamne ek dusre ke prati vishwas kho diya hain’

About the vulnerability of life nowadays he says ‘one cannot ensure that the person who left his house in the morning will be back in evening (as it is) to home or not?’
Nana also speaks on the deteriorating social values in our society.
But he is optimistic that the new generation will be able to shake up the current system and bring a change.
Something needs to be done. If I do not express I get suffocated. Cinema is the medium.

As mentioned above while watching this on 3rd March I had missed some earlier part, but very soon I find it on YT and please note what note it start –
Nana is walking in his farms followed by the editor and his crew, and the editor and what Nana said – ‘mumbai mein kuchh nahin hain, sirf ‘deewaarein’ hain! It’s suffocating in Mumbai behind the ‘four walls’.
(Deewaaron ka Jungle-II) …

12/01/201418/04/2016

Deewaaron Ka Jungle – 1

(Deewaaron ka Jungle-1)

All of us read news or watch them on TV. And as we read or hear the happenings in our society and around us, we are shaken, heartbroken at some times, depressed, dejected and helpless…

I am again reproducing text of some news for the incidents that we all know have taken place around us, and on the same land where we ‘the people of India’ live in and moving forward, waiting for some more ‘ghastly’ to happen …

New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS) at an age when most children cherish their books, clothes and toys, a 12-year old girl is silently suffering the pain of a brutal gang-rape which has forced her to undergo 19 surgeries till now. The victim is now waiting for her 20th surgery at the premier AIIMS here.
Gang-raped by six men in Sikar in Rajasthan more than a year ago, the girl has undergone both mental and physical trauma and has been waging a silent battle against all odds since the time the men left her on the roadside to die after brutally raping her.
When this IANS correspondent met the victim in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), she was lying on the hospital bed with her face covered with the sheet, while her sister and 65-year-old widowed mother sat near her – hoping that the next round of medical treatment will help her regain her health.

Bhubaneswar, Jan 6 (IANS) A teenaged girl who was sexually molested by a boy of her age while returning after a bath in a nullah (drain) in Odisha’s Jajpur district committed suicide by hanging herself at home, police said Monday.
The 17-year-old girl was reportedly molested by Rajan Bhoi..
Ashamed and apprehensive of the response from other villagers, the girl hanged herself to death from the ceiling of her home, police said.

Few days back a 16 year old is gang raped and burnt to death as the ‘nation’ ‘silently’ watched on…
It has been in news recently that around 50 children have died in the relief camp housing at Muzzafarnagar (U.P) and the deaths still continue whereas the government is engaged in partying, touring and celebrating ‘mahotsavs’!
How can we tolerate this?
And how long are we going to tolerate this nonsense?
Some time back three persons were killed while saving a girl from eve-teasers, among the three one was the girl’s father and two were her Uncle. (Well, naturally as it happens in our country, the goons escape safely).
Coming to the daily news of Molestations and Rape and even Rape and Murder, now it has become a daily routine and reduced to mere a ‘news’.
Following are some more excerpts of incidents that took place around us recently;
# a truck of onion triples down, its driver injured and crying for help, peoples gather there but only to pick up the onions leaving the ‘human being’ screaming for help and ultimately resulting in his death when he is taken for treatment.

# in a shocking case of public apathy, a man lay on the road crying for help inside a tunnel next to the bodies of his wife and infant daughter with nobody stopping by for around 40 minutes after a speeding truck hit his motorcycle.
Police said the injured husband kept crying for help for around 40 minutes but the motorists ignored their cries and every vehicle passed by without stopping delaying prompt medical treatment.
CCTV footages showed that the woman’s husband and his four-year-old son beseeched passers-by for help for almost 10 minutes. However, no one stopped to help them, police said.
No one stepped out for help as the man holding his son sat in the middle of the road while his wife and daughter lay in an unconscious state and without knowing their fate.
#3 two women were tonsured and garlanded with shoes in a Jharkhand village after they resisted a molestation attempt, police said Thursday. According to police, four youths forcibly entered their house and misbehaved with them. When they resisted, they were tonsured and garlanded with shoes.

Police have registered a complaint against four people but no arrests have been made as yet.

# Bangalore: Senior citizen beaten to death by teenagers. … in Bangalore has died after he was allegedly assaulted by two men who were eve-teasing his niece.
# a senior citizen who opposed a group of eve teasers in Delhi’s harsh….
# Two boys in the prime of their youth killed for defending the honor of their women

Anger has erupted in Mumbai and across cyberspace over the killing of two young men after they tried to defend their female friends from a man who allegedly hassled the women on a night out.
They were allegedly stabbed to death by a group of men after they objected to the indecent behavior of one of the men toward their female friends.
“The problem of eve teasing in the country is getting out of hand. Women everywhere, at least once in their lifetime, have either been groped or pinched or had to bear lewd remarks from men,” she said in an interview.
Early last month, also in Mumbai, a girl was stabbed for resisting an assault.
Sarmishtra Neogy wrote on the page’s wall, “At 11pm in a crowded place how can these goons have so much of courage to openly commit such a crime? They were confident that the Police will anyways do nothing to them and they will get away with it…When can we roam around freely? And when will there be a stop to all the brutality?”
Sympathy tweets poured in for the victims as people demanded justice. Nikhil Chinapa, a DJ and MTV anchor, wrote:, “Why can’t our legal system fast-track these cases? Isn’t it in everyone’s best interest to conduct a swift trial?”

Music director Vishal Dadlani wrote, “Keenan and Reuben, killed for standing up to eve-teasers. What has our city, our home, become? WE, who live here, must stop this, NOW!!”

“Yuva Satta,” a youth organization that works for good governance and political reforms is planning a campaign for awareness about eve teasing and the laws related to it.
“We are irritated and angry, but we have to channelize the emotions into something constructive to tackle the bigger issue of eve teasing and the stigma attached to it,” Mr. Mascarenhas added.
“The incident is definitely shocking because we don’t hear so much of it in Mumbai,” she told India Real Time. “But it isn’t going to stop me and my girl friends to enjoy and lead our lives as we want to.”

#Acid was flung on Preeti, 25, by some unknown people as she got off the New Delhi-Mumbai Garib Rath Express at Bandra Terminus May 2 morning to begin work as a nurse at the army hospital here.
She was on a ventilator for the past two weeks as her right lung had collapsed and the left one was only partly functional.
According to doctors attending to Rathi, her survival chances were as slim as five percent, given the extent of internal injuries, damage to vital organs and bleeding following the attack.
Acid had entered her oesophagus, windpipe and trachea.
She was initially treated for burns and other complications at the Masina Hospital in Byculla and then shifted to Bombay Hospital, New Marine Lines, May 18 for advanced medicare.
Doctors prioritised efforts to keep her alive and attempted corrective surgery on her, but abandoned the operation at the last minute due to internal bleeding.
Amar Singh had petitioned Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil and state Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal last fortnight, asking that the probe into the attack be taken away from the Government Railway Police (GRP).
“We want it to be handed over to either the state Crime Investigation Department of Central Bureau of Investigation as the GRP are not investigating it properly,” Amar Singh claimed in his petition.
He alleged that the GRP had wrongfully arrested a youth and was yet to track down the real culprit.
For the last three weeks, Amar Singh, his wife, their son and two nephews maintained a constant vigil by Rathi’s bedside as she battled for life.

#Woman blinded in acid attack in Mumbai. HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times Mumbai, May 03, 2013. First Published: 00:23 IST(3/5/2013) | Last Updated: …

And finally;
A 23-year-old woman, who died of injuries following an acid attack in Mumbai, was cremated with state … IANS New Delhi, June 3, 2013 | UPDATED 21:08 IST
Jun 1, 2013 – Delhi girl who suffered acid attack dies in Mumbai hospital – Delhi resident Preeti Rathi, who was … Updated: Wed, 16 Oct 2013, 19:43 IST.

But, we do not know if the real culprit has been arrested and even arrested, will he get the punishment he deserved?

I shall repeat here the below lines mentioned by my friend Shri.Raja in his tweets;

“Today we have millions of more educated people. So much more technology. Life has become easier in many ways. But still SOMETHING’s missing.”

– A collective outrage is missing
– Caring for each other is missing
– A collective fight is missing
– Rising above petty political differences and rising above caste, creed and religion is missing
– The Nation’s soul is missing

Going by the current incidences of crime against women, crime against children, the overall increasing crimes in the society, the vulnerability of human life, the problems faced by common man, inflation, hunger, corruption, lack of basic amenities all make us to think – is this the country our freedom fighter heroes have dreamt of ?

The situation is grimmer than we actually see it.

It seems that the social values had started declining since long time back and today it has reached its peak
We have made developments only in terms of ‘insensitivity’ and ‘callousness’.

‘Haal na poochhe Dard na baante
Is jungle ke log
Apna apna sukh hain sabka
Apna apna sog
Deewaaron ka jungle jiska
Aabaadi hain naam’

(Deewaaron Ka Jungle-1)

03/12/201318/05/2016

ख़ामोशी कब तक …

समस्याएं कितनी हैं
कहना चाहता हूँ,
इंसानियत किस हद तक गिरी हैं
बताना चाहता हूँ,

अपने चारों ओर देखो तो –
रोज़मर्रा के झगडे कितने हैं,
हिंसा कितनी बढ़ी हैं,
अपहरण, लूट और डकैती
हर रोज का नियम हैं,
‘भ्रष्टाचार’ अब ‘शिष्टाचार’ ही नहीं,
हमारा ‘चरित्र’ बन गया हैं,
‘बलात्कार’ अब हमको ‘झिंझोड़ता’ नहीं हैं,
वो तो बस एक ‘खबर’ होती हैं,

अभी कानून कितना लचर हैं,
समाज कितना अनुशासनहिन् हैं,
‘सरकार’ कितनी ‘लोला-पोला’ हैं,
आम आदमी क्यों पीस रहा हैं,
‘राजनीती’ कितनी ‘स्वार्थी’ हैं,

प्रकृति क्यों नाराज़ हैं,
‘दोहन’ की क्या कोई ‘सीमा’ हैं?
भगवान क्यों ‘रूठे’ हुए हैं?
देश के ‘नौनिहाल’
क्यों हैं ‘बेबस’ और ‘बदहाल’,

पीडाओं को बयान करना चाहता हूँ,
मैं शब्दों को ढूंढ रहा हूँ,

इमानदारी ने पूछा,
इंसानियत ने आवाज़ लगाई,
ज़मीर ने पुकारा,
दोस्तों ने कहा
कलम क्यों खामोश हैं,
कुछ बोलते नहीं,
आवाज़ क्यों नहीं उठाते,
क्यों बर्दाश्त कर रहे हो सब,
क्या ‘अलफ़ाज़’ नहीं मिल रहे,
क्यों लिखते नहीं?

ख़ामोशी मेरी भी
तड़प रही है,
और,
मैं शब्दों को ढूंढ रहा हूँ,

ताकि अपनी भावनाओं को,
जन जन तक पहुंचा सकूँ,
या फिर अपने सवालों का
जवाब मांग सकूँ
वे जिनके पास हैं –
सत्ता और साज़-ओ-सामान –
इन समस्याओं को सुलझाने के,
या करूँ यलगार के –
जाग जाएँ मुल्क के रहनुमा अब,
‘ख़ामोशी’ का ‘लावा’ उबल रहा है….

28/09/201318/05/2016

INDIA IS MY COUNTRY – Thoughts – 3

INQUILAAB ZINDABAAD …!!!

At young age in school when we learn about the freedom movement and the freedom fighters we are easily inspired by Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh. Because their life has struggle, thrill, passion and action. But all they did do was for the people, for the nation, for us who are enjoying the freedom.
Still, at the young age when we are growing we could not imagine the depth of their sacrifices, what difficulties they have gone through, how they struggle, how they fight, and against the all odds how they sustain their fight, and above all what motivated them to do all this?
At that time we could not really understand the value of their sacrifice for the nation.

As we grow to be mature, we also understand that the sacrifice made by Mahatma Gandhi is no less. We cannot even try to do what he has been practising all his life.
In spite of the ideological differences between them, they all fought for freedom and to free the country from the Britishers. And the sacrifice made by them can never be forgotten.

But what motivates them for the highest sacrifice. If we study their lives and what they had gone through we are compelled to think what made these persons that as we know them?
What was going on in their mind?
What stuff they were made of?
They dedicated their life for the supreme cause of freedom, they fight for us.

We cannot forget them …!!!

Today we remember Sardar Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary.

We remember him for his bravery, his sacrifice for the nation and the inspiration he has been for us for years now and will be there forever.

Subhash Chandra Bose said “Bhagat Singh had become the symbol of the new awakening among the youths …”
Today we need more awakened youths who would fight against the lacunae in our system, fight against corruption in our country, and fight for the poor, child and women in our society to make India a strong and better country in the future.

The ‘common man’ is still suffering and issues like corruption, atrocities on women and children, upliftment of the downtrodden, the poor, farmers’ suicide, lack of basic amenities are still there.
Our freedom fighters fight for the freedom with the British rulers, but to fulfill their dream of ‘India- a – Republic’, we have to come together and raise our fight against our own rulers now.

When he was hanged to death Bhagat Singh’s age was only 23 years, 05 months, and 25 days.

We all know what we achieve at this ‘age’ and what our ‘youths’ of this age are driven by.

It was Bhagat Singh, who, to avoid his marriage had written that “My life has been dedicated to the noblest cause, that of the freedom of the country. Therefore, there is no rest or worldly desire that can lure me now.”

It was his determination, devotion, courage and an undying patriotic spirit to carry the mission he dreamt of.

Our country today needs more ‘youths’ driven by the same ‘passion’ that lead Bhagat Singh to become ‘Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh’.

INQUILAAB ZINDABAAD …!!!

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