आहिस्ता चल जिंदगी

आहिस्ता चल जिंदगी,अभी 
कई कर्ज चुकाना बाकी है 
कुछ दर्द मिटाना बाकी है 
कुछ फर्ज निभाना बाकी है 
रफ़्तार में तेरे चलने से 
कुछ रूठ गए कुछ छूट गए 
रूठों को मनाना बाकी है 
रोतों को हँसाना बाकी है 
कुछ रिश्ते बनकर ,टूट गए 
कुछ जुड़ते -जुड़ते छूट गए 
उन टूटे -छूटे रिश्तों के 
जख्मों को मिटाना बाकी है 
कुछ हसरतें अभी अधूरी हैं 
कुछ काम भी और जरूरी हैं 
जीवन की उलझ पहेली को 
पूरा सुलझाना बाकी है 
जब साँसों को थम जाना है 
फिर क्या खोना ,क्या पाना है 
पर मन के जिद्दी बच्चे को 
यह बात बताना बाकी है 
आहिस्ता चल जिंदगी ,अभी 
कई कर्ज चुकाना बाकी है 
कुछ दर्द मिटाना बाकी है 
कुछ फर्ज निभाना बाकी है !

On Reservations

The reservation policies of successive governments have created the most divisions in India. While free India’s first government might have been motivated to alleviate caste-inflicted discrimination to provide a more level playing field, the quota policy was given a five-year term to be extended only if absolutely necessary.

Today, discrimination exists in reservations wherein merit is ignored on caste grounds and economically deprived sections are refused a chance for not falling in a reserved category. This bodes ill for progress and growth. Governments must end caste-based reservations and provide economic subsidies to encourage genuine talent from all economic strata.

Suren Abreu

(Letter to The Editor, Times of India, January 2, 2012)

The Essence of Democracy

Looking back at the events of the year, I would like to highlight what I believe was the real achievement of the India Against Corruption movement: giving a sense of agency to a large number of people, especially middle-class youth. It was a sense of agency which, in contrast to the Maoists, is also nonviolent. To me, this sense of agency, that one is not a passive victim of a political order and circumstances beyond one’s control, is Anna Hazare’s most important legacy which, I hope, will continue to animate our youth irrespective of the fate of the Lokpal Bill.

My own appreciation of what has happened has less to do with all the sound and fury around the Bill itself, effective/ ineffective, good/bad, or with the personalities of the individuals spearheading the ‘movement’ and of others opposing it, but with the rediscovery of the ‘Gandhian moment’ as a way out of cynicism and despondency.

The Gandhian moment, as the political philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo defines it, is understanding citizenship ‘as a form of moral and political agency outside the framework of the state and in relation to an active exercise of dissent.’ To Gandhiji, in a democracy, the exercise of active citizenship was primary while its other features, elections, parliament, etc, were secondary. More than the shape of any future legislation, i think Gandhiji would have seen the events of last year as a major success of our democracy, not in a sense of winners or losers, but as a dialogue of citizens among themselves – the essence of democracy.

~ Sudhir Kakar, SALCETE, GOA

(Letter to The Editor, Times of India, January 2, 2012)

Don't Quit

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't quit.

---

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out,

Don't give up though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

---

Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

न कर्त्याचा दिवस

Today was the day to remember. Right from the morning, whatever I tried, it was not to be done.
With no rains in the entire June, Pune is facing acute water shortage. The municipal water supply is in a precarious state. First they announced 20% cut, next 40% cut in water supply. Next, they announced that the water will be supplied (with 40% cut) on alternate days. Yesterday there was no water supply at all. So I was expecting water in the taps today. Since the supply is limited, it remains only for a short time - about two hours only since all the people store water for the day. I put on the alarm and got up at 5:30 a.m. There was no water. I checked at 6:00, at 6:30, again at 7:00. Then again at 7:30. But no, no water in the tap. I wanted to store water for the renovation work that is going on. Those people need a lot of water. As I was checking for water every half an hour I could not continue my sleep.
Then I thought of doing some work on the Internet. The computer refused to start.
After some trials it ultimately started, XP loaded. But could not get broadband connection. The modem developed a snag.
With some efforts I could switch on the modem. I connected to Internet with broadband connection and started Outlook Express to download email. It stopped after downloading about 20 emails out of 176. I disconnected broadband and tried to reconnect it. Suddenly the modem conked off. So no broadband.
Now luckily I have two dial up connections. I first tried VSNL but could not get connection. Then I tried BSNL's NetOne connection. I got the connection but it was very slow. I again tried to download emails using Outlook. About 50 emails were downloaded and the connection broke.
I tried to reconnect when suddenly the telephone became inoperative. No telephone means no dial-up connection. I checked the telephone line. It was dead.
It was about 10 O'clock. The workers came for bathroom work but they could not do any work as there was no water. So they left without doing any work.
There was no point in remaining at home now. So I dressed up and went to the city to Sathe Gadi Karkhana for redoing the mattresses. Sathe told me that the old mattresses cotton is not good for making new mattresses. It is so old that it has lost its softness now. Nothing can be done with this cotton. I told him to return the mattresses and got a rickshaw to go to Aundh, Amita's place.
Just before Bremen Chowk I realized that I forgot the dentures at home. Now it was not possible to go back for the dentures.

No Time

Everyday there are so many things to write, but there is no time. This poem says so in Hindi:

हर खुशी है लोगों के दामन में,
पर एक हंसी के लिये वक़्त नही.
दिन रात दौडती दुनिया में,
ज़िन्दगी के लिये ही वक़्त नही.

मां की लोरी का एहसास तो है,
पर मां को मां कहने को वक़्त नही.
सारे रिश्तों को तो हम मार चुके,
अब उन्हे दफ़नाने को भी वक़्त नही.

सारे नाम मोबाइल में हैं,
पर दोस्ती के लिये वक़्त नही.
गैरों की क्या बात करें,
जब अपनों के लिये ही वक़्त नही.

आंखों मे है नींद बडी,
पर सोने को वक़्त नही.
दिल है गमों से भरा हुआ,
पर रोने को भी वक़्त नही.

पैसों की दौड मे ऐसे दौडे,
की थकने को भी वक़्त नही.
पराये एह्सासों की क्या कद्र करें,
जब अपने सपनों के लिये ही वक़्त नही.

तू ही बता ऐ ज़िंदगी,
इस ज़िंदगी का क्या होगा,
कि हर पल मरने वालों को,
जीने के लिये भी वक़्त नही.......

'Always keep smiling and be happy. Life is too short to complain.'

First week of January

January 1

Today is Sujit's birthday. At 10 p.m.(here; i.e. 8:30 a.m.there) I called him to wish him "Happy Birthday and Many Happy Returns of the Day". But he was not up yet, having had a New year party till late yesterday night. So I offered my wishes and told him to continue with his sleep.

Today we celebrated the New year. Had a get-together at Prabhakar' place. Ulhas brought a one-liter bottle of "Black Lable". After drinks we went to Bamboo House for dinner. The restaurant was packed, not a single table was vacant, groups were waiting outside for tables. We were eleven in all. But the owner is a client of both Prabhakar and Subhash. He made special arrangements for our party. He opened the hall on the first floor, exclusively for us. One captain and four waiters were attending us. We had a lavish dinner of chicken and fish (prawns). I had neer dosa instead of naan.

January 2

Manoj arranged a lunch party at "Barbecue Nation", a new restaurant opened about three months ago at Kalyani Nagar. Originally from Bandra, Mumbai. Nitin and family is here; so we were eight persons. It was barbecue buffet. Every table has a barbecue sigree at the centre and were served hot tikkas. In all three veg and three non-veg tikkas were served. Beer was complimentary - on the house. After generous servings of starters, there was buffet lunch. The spread was lavish with chicken, mutton and fish preparations, soups and salads and other accompaniments such as papad, achars, etc. Also a variety of desserts. Food was excellent so also was the ambience.  

January 3

Ram Dabadghav, a school class-mate, now staying at Chicago, USA, came to India. He is having an apartment here and he comes practically every year. Today he celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary at Hotel Coronet, Apte Road. It was a wondeful get-together of close friends. Cocktails started at 7 p.m. At 9 p.m. cake was cut. Ram and his wife Smita presented a beautiful dance performance which was followed by dinner.