म्हारी छाती हुई नहीं भारी

बाबला योह केसो सम्मान दिखायो 
लपेट सफ़ेद सूती में गोदी उठायो 
और घर आते ही लक्ष्मी ने
परायो धन बतायो 

मायेड़ी योह केसो लालन पालन दिखायो
भाया न लोटो भर दूध पिलायो
मने छेटांक छाछ चखायो
और बचेडी रोटी खिलायो

सारा दिन गाँव गली में फिरतो फिर
भायेड़ो डांगर नेह भी ना चरायो
माँ फिर भी तू लाढ दिखायो
मने बोली जा पिछवाड़े में गोबर थाप
चुल्हो जलाने के साधन कम हो आयो

बाबोसा न रोटी पुरसुं, दादोजी का पैर दबाऊं
जानवरां न पानी कुत्तर घाल, भारी गठरी खेत से ले आऊं
पर सून
मायेड़ी म्हारी छाती हुई नहीं भारी हाल
मने पराये घर मत धकाल

माँ बोली तू किस्मत आली
बापूसा ने बड़ो दिल दिखायो
तने जन्मता ही लाडू ना खिलायो
न दो नास्यां में रुई सुन्घायो

मैं लूँ घुंघटा में घुटती सांस
माच्चा पर बिछ जाऊं, दर्द दांता निच दबाऊं
फिर सिकुड़ के सो जाऊं
और पोह फटने से पेहली फिर खड़ी हो जाऊं

बापूसा खड्या द्वार
मन करयो भागर जाऊं, सारो दुःख सुनाऊ
पर बैठक बेठा सगा सम्भंधी
रित रिवाज़ समझी बढ़ता कदम पर लगाम लगायो

देवरियो पानी लेगो बोल्यो बापू नेह
तपती धुप में आया हो थोड़ो गलो भिजाओ
हाथ जोड़ के बापू बोल्यो
मालकां क्यूँ पाप चढाओ
बेटी के घर को अन्न-पानी क्यूँ खुवाओ

बाबुल क्यूँ म्हारे पर तरश खायो
क्यूँ ना जन्मता ही लाडू खिलायो, रुई सुन्घायो
रेहती मह दफनाई धरती में थारे कन
आज परायी धरती में मने
इतनो परायो क्यूँ महसूस करायो

A Room with a View

The current blog is all about serious stuff. But, then what about the world of crass entertainment, politicians, masala-cricket, idiot box, spoofs & other nonsense in general. Please follow this link for my ode to this wonderful-wonderful world of quixotic happenings.
http://theinaneshow.blogspot.com/

A color called Black

The video clip of Martin Luther King juxtaposed with images of Barack Obama stream in and i'm witness to a very historic moment. That was a dream, here right now there is conviction. There are experts and more experts all dissecting- why he would succeed and why he might fail. But to me, Obama will deliver simply because it's an idea that was waiting to take shape, it is deliverance waiting to be served, it's a healing without which the celestial bodies will loose motion.

Truth will prevail, so say the scriptures, and i firmly believe it.

As i hear Martin's call for freedom for every nook and corner of the Americas and equality in every sphere of life, there is a lump in my throat. Suddenly i remember something i wrote when the issue of apartheid was on the front page all the time and South Africa was gearing for that big transition. I need to publish this today with a wish that never again would be a man judged by his color in the civilized world and never again would we need reasons....reasons to love a color called black.

******************************************

This flesh of yours
is an obstacle
to our hopes and aspirations
it makes fraternity an utopian dream

Do you find hallowed
the white your mirror reflects
else why mock providence
why manipulate destinies

Red gushes from the wounds
you have inflicted
red drips from the cross
that adorns your chest

that your heart enshrines
Yet you look for reasons
reasons to love
a color called black.

Emotionally incorrect

Accidents, terror attacks, natural calamities, man-made calamities - more often than not these tragedies result in loss of human lives. There are people who live to see another day and then there are some who are not so lucky. Those who survive thank God for his kindness and then there are some who point towards their special tryst with God which resulted in their providential escape. It is understandable that these are the most natural of reactions, but somehow, one's heart reaches out to those who loose out in these battles, and their near and dear ones. While carrying guilt for being survivors in tragedies would be extreme, a certain amount of restrain in feeling alive would make it emotionally correct especially with so much of media footage streaming into every drawing room.

Ideas for a non-existent Ideal

Google Inc. will award $10 million to solicit ideas it believes could benefit the world.

I mentioned this award casually over dinner and to my surprise I found that my 10 year old daughter was very curious. I gave her a rough estimate of the amount at stake in our currency and she was all the more excited. I explained to her that we need to come up with an idea which is good for the majority of the human race.

She gave a pregnant pause and then asked – “But papa, can you tell me what is good for the humanity?”

Now, when you are asked to ideate, it’s normally towards something. In this case we have been asked to ideate towards the welfare of humanity. But, do we really know what’s good for us. All indicators from the social, economic, faith indexes point towards a negative downslide. Growth is synonym to plunder, religion to fanaticism, and social relations have been stymied to – What’s in it for me?

I didn’t have an answer to my daughter’s queries; perhaps a project which helps the administrators of the world in understanding the actual needs of the deprived millions for whom words like growth, prosperity, and freedom have a different connotation altogether is not a bad idea.

Teach India

The induction program is scheduled on the 14th of October, and I’ve been tagged with an NGO called Project 511. After the induction program we will get the details of our training program. For years together, I've always thought of giving back something, but somehow was never able to get out of the ‘me, my family, and my job’ routine.

Thanks, Teach India Movement.

Children benefiting from this movement are only one part of the story. A critical mass had developed in the society which was waiting for the right launch. It had the right intentions and the desire to make some difference but somehow was just not able to give shape to its ideas. A platform is all that was required to break the inertia. Close to a hundred thousand will get exposure to social responsibility in this movement, and I can see immense possibilities. What if just a hundred out of these volunteers get the impetus to execute the next big movement? I sincerely hope that this movement is a resounding success, because in its success lies the hope of building a nation in which the youth don’t just ideate and ask questions, they also act and provide solutions.