Forgotten India

August 15^th 1947, at the stroke of midnight we changed from a colony to a country, breaking allegiance to the crown we made the citizens of this then fractured nation the rulers of what we hoped was to be a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, vibrant, diverse and above all a unified nation that while respecting the differences will pave the way forward for collective growth and prosperity. Close to Sixty Four years since the Freedom at Midnight, much water has passed under the bridge and it seems the idea of a unified nation has been callously undermined, ignored and at worse forgotten!

The birth of a nation is sure to have its own share of teething issues, we went through a period of our own ‘integration-issues’ but eventually we seemed to have settled into being one-nation. Coming off from an intensely difficult separation at birth (the creation of Pakistan) and still having to face the remnants of its scourge in terms of terrorism, as a nation we should have by now understood and better appreciated the virtues of togetherness. Why is it then every day we find new reasons and avenues to fight and stay apart?

From a Telangana, to a Gorkhaland to Bodoland, from being BJP to Congress to I-am-aligned-to-anyone-with-power, from show-off-secularism to cultural nationalism… why do we continue to fragment ourselves into as-many-as-possible segments? And why are such segmentations so marked and defined?

If you disagree consider this

- A UPite or a Bihari in Mumbai is a ‘migrant’ – lynched as cattle by rightwing activists

- An Andhrite in Hyderabad is an ‘outsider’

- Recently the leader of a national party termed a leader of an opposition party as ‘untouchable’

- Kandhamal, 2008

- Gujarat, 2002

It appears as a nation we’ve only grown to the stage of being an unruly teen. Unsure of who we are, much less of who we want to be – we’ve forgotten our roots of unity and thus we do not know road to collective prosperity. Feels like its back to the future case, just that we are no longer fractured as kingdoms and princely states, we’ve evolved our fragmentations to religion, region, caste, economic & cultural affinity, political inclination etc… we’ve also evolved ourselves to be part of multiple fragments at the same time. Multiple fragmentations only leading to greater isolation!

The greatest ail for any nation has to be when we start to focus more on our differences. When self and individualistic interests override common goals! Today more than ever it appears we’re hurtling down the individualistic road. Sure there are differences, they are bound to be, but do they erase our common bonds? We have greater challenges outside; greater still are opportunities that surround us. Acceptance of diversity was intended to have been woven into the very fabric of our nation, so its not like we cannot iron out our differences – just need the earnestness to do so!

Abraham Lincoln once said that a house divided against itself cannot stand! Speaking against slavery, Lincoln said it was time for the nation to veer one way or the other… the operative word being ‘one’. Today standing on the cusp of world leadership we cannot be slandering, abusing, lynching and cutting ourselves into smaller fragments. Our greatest strength is our unity, our diversity is our USP, and the idea and ability to fuse both into one is the beauty and wonder that is India!

Twinkling Lil Star

I’d gaze up at the sky each night

and find a twinkling lil star!

Each night it felt it there waiting

so close, yet so far!!

Each night as dusk filled the sky,

it appeared out for the world to see!

Yet there was some magic,

that I felt it was just meant for me!!

For me the star was all of the sky,

nothing beyond it mattered, it seems!

That when I closed my eyes and went to sleep,

the star was all that was in my dreams!!

Then one day when you came across,

And it felt like a dream come true!

And you touched my life, so much so

That I felt that star in you!!

And if there was ever a day,

when I feel you’re afar!

I’ll look at that star,

And I’d feel you close

No matter wherever you are!!

I never thought!!

May be I don’t know you forever,

But that’s exactly how I feel!

Would you know all about me?

I wonder if there’s anything left to conceal!

I wonder how it sounds,

But I know that it’s true!

I never thought when we met,

That I’d fall in love with you!!

You’re the one I dream of,

Be it night or its day!

Long after time has passed,

Love wouldn’t fade away!!

Sure I don’t know you forever,

But I trust you know its true!

Though I never knew when we met,

I sure now am in love with you!!

Dance with me now!!

Step in with me now,

For there may be no tomorrow!

Dance with me now,

Past this hour, there may be no minutes to borrow!!

Let’s take this flight,

For this might be the night!

One look - deep into those eyes,

Who knows if I can again behold the sight!!

Should we take a walk?

Before we reach the end!

Should we turn it around?

Before it’s too late to amend!!

Get back into the groove,

Like we did, again, let’s move!

Before the time strikes still,

We must, and I trust we will!!

Magical Night!!

Underneath the bright moon light,
With the stars shinning galore!
We walk hand in hand,
We walk the sparkling sea shore!!

Whispering sweet nothings,
So softly that only you can hear!
As the waves gently caress our fee,
Want you to know, I love you my dear!!

Basking in the moonlit rays,
As stardust falls from above!
Hand in hand, eye to eye,
We stand locked in love!!

Surrounded by the captivating starlight,
Majestic moon shining by!
With the blackened skies as the backdrop,
Oh, I couldn’t help but sigh!!

As the magical night nears its end,
All I have wish to pray!
That each night be this magical,
However stressful might have been the day!!

Stay Still!!

In disagreeing acquiescence I lie,

Wishing for these times to go by!

While I summon all of my will,

Oh, troubled heart, just stay still!!

I sit and watch, and hope and pray,

For the night to pass for a brighter day!

Lonely as it may be, perched on this hill

Oh, troubled heart, just hold on until -

It’s time to wake up,

And it’s fine to go make up!

Swallow this bitter pill,

Oh, troubled heart, for now stay still!!

A lil confused and befuddled am I,

Too confused even to try!

Need some steel in me to instill

Oh, troubled heart, just stay still!!

It might be long, and let it be,

A bright new dawn I’m sure to see!

Find what I want, I sure will

Oh, troubled heart, just be still!!

Let it go!!

Don’t know why I look that way,

When you keep looking away!

Wonder when I’d get to know,

At times it’s fine to let it go!!

Not sure when I’m in need,

I should let my heart to bleed!

Wonder when I’d learn to see,

At times it’s fine to let it be!!

Like punching hole in a cloud,

Fruitlessly I keep looking over aloud!

Wonder when I’d come to learn,

At times it’s fine to turn a lil stern!!

I hope to come around,

To the lonely sights and sound!

I hope to soon learn & know,

That it’s sure fine to let it go!!

Just for dad!!

Not often we sing his praise,

Or sing him a song!

Quite easy it seems to overlook,

The joy that he brings along!!

So easy to see the stern eye,

And keep a safe distance!

Yet so difficult to see beyond,

That with you he’d love to be friends!!

But I trust it’s not quite so,

There’s a special place he’s always had!

Deep in each of our hearts,

A special place just for a dad!!

Osama is in the Bin! But we're still Laden with the Scourge!!

Huh… finally the dreaded man is put to rest! In spite of being in hiding for ten years, Bin Laden was most certainly would make it to the Top ten List of Most Recognized Faces (well, there are Top Ten lists nowadays for everything, I presumed there’d be one of that category too). Seemed, like the man had perfected the demand-supply curve, ‘cos he literally cut short himself out of supply and it only aided to him being Most Wanted of Most Wanteds!

Anyways, to say that the there is widespread rejoicing would be the understatement of the year, but the fact remains… Bin Laden – Dead or Alive… the world is no more a safer place today as it was yesterday. The chest-thumping-sloganeering jingoist might have had a field day today, but the sad reality of our times hasn’t changed an iota – there are enough people (and more so ideologies) that threaten the peace and tranquility of our civilization as it they were yesterday. The death of a frail, sick and probably dysfunctional Osama hardly does anything to change the contours of International Terror.

In the wake of the terror attacks on American soil on 9/11, the United States quite rightly launched a counter-offensive – yet sadly it was against the perpetrators alone! Not against the ideology of the perpetrators. What has been done by anyone in these ensuing years to promote the ideology of peace? Sadly, no one! Everyone is just as guilty and justifiably everyone will face similar consequences. The scourge of terrorism is just as alive today as it was yesterday and that is good enough to put cold water on our celebrations of the day. Might I add, celebrating the death of Osama only makes me feel like ancient lords who might hang the head of a slain-opponent like a trophy.

Many a great men before us left us saying “hate sin and not the sinner” and yet we haven’t quite taken it too seriously, have we? In the heat of the moment we take one for the other and are quiet adept at eliminating the sinner – and hoping the scourge is gone too! We’ve had almost ten years since 9/11 … and plenty of similar incidents since, and yet we relentlessly pursue the perpetrators while turning a blind eye to why such perpetrators still exist and why such an ideology is still rampant. We’ve seen all sorts of terror – religious, regional, economic… people taking up arms and disrupting peace. We have rightly right brought them to the book, yet missed the bus on tackling the reasons behind them.

No, I am no sympathizer, far from it! Yet I most certainly believe the role of our government is simply not act as an executioner of ‘an eye for an eye’ policy!

The root of this evil lies in man’s selfish quest – to fracture the world, countries and societies into bits and pieces. To demarcate things as mine & thine! To grab and steal! The powerful dealing with the powerless with contempt – disdain even!

There is still as much poverty, inequality, racism and division within each of us to think of a world without killing & terror. And sadly, rejoice as much we may over the death of a Bin Laden, the this scourge of terror will haunt us so long as we don’t eliminate those diseases from every corner of the world known to man.

The words of Shri. Rabindranath Tagore, ring in my heart and I believe it nothing more aptly sums up our failure in tackling terror while also providing a guiding path on where we ought to head

“Where the mind is without fear, and the heart is held high,

Where the world is not broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls,

Where the words came out from the depths of truth,

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habits,

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and action -

Into that heaven of freedom,

My father, let my country awake.”

I’ll paraphrase the last line “My Father, let this world awake”

We need a world of equality, we need a world of mutual respect, we need a world of true freedom & awakening!!

Lemonade Republic!!

As someone who believes in the spirit of democracy, it was heartening to see the country rally around Anna Hazare, and how! As a frail, old Gandhian took center-stage built on the hungry pedestal provided by the national media – it seemed in a long time the country had found a collective voice, it seemed that the concept of our government being “of the people” hadn’t lost it credibility. The government literally bought down to its knees, politicos for once running to take cover from the junta, it just seemed that this was the one bright spark of political activism the country so badly needed!

And yet, a couple of weeks on from the moment Anna took a token glass of lemonade, it seems we’ve had our full – of political activism. Feels as though, the token lemonade was good enough to satiate our hunger for change, our clamor for riddance of graft & corruption.

Alas, sad it may sound, but scratching a little at the surface of our collective political activism, it smacks so badly of hollowness; of complacency and herd mentality. And it will be these very reasons that once again, the politicos will be proved to be smarter than the junta. They have thick enough skins to see an adverse period through, and we don’t have enough gas in our activism engine to outlast them. As junta, we eventually have to come back to worry about our dal-roti while the neta can slug it out even though he currently looks silly with an egg on his face.

The fact that so many of us supported Anna, because it just seemed to be the “in thing”… heck how could be seen “left out” shows the herd mentality of our times… just lending a voice to the much hyped-up campaign was a sort of no-brainer that one would be foolish to miss – shows the little understanding we have of political activism. Tweet, blog, text and re-tweet, we did all … and with such gutso as though it was the end of the world. Sadly, as collectively as we got behind the septuagenarian, we also failed to capture the fact that merely lending our voice wasn’t ever going to be sufficient.

How many of us can confidently claim to have opposed offering bribe in the last two weeks? Whether its twenty bucks to a traffic constable or a lavish praise to an ego hungry babu… we all have and continue to bribe our way through our system! The reason why our politicians take us with the pinch of salt is the fact that tokenisms work wonders with our public – whether it’s a glass of lemonade or an heaps of empty promises that we seem to buy time and again.

Heck, who cares and needs an Anti-Corruption Watchdog, if as a nation we become Anti-Corrupt – be it politician, governance, system, people … anything! We’re too easy to mend, and therefore too easy to corrupt! As a public we’ve become spineless and therefore our country a puppet in the hands of the corrupt.

We’ve all given ourselves a pat on the back for seemingly have brought the government to its knees, but even while all the brouhaha over the Lokpal played over in the media… the Corruption machine kept milking our nation away – and many of us gladly provided the fodder – in an act of super-hypocrisy – that betrays at the very heart of our collective conscious.