Ae mere dil, kaisa hai tu!

ऐ मेरे दिल, कैसा है तू

तू खुश क्यूँ नहीं होता

जब सरहद पार से कोई मसीहा

हाथ मिलाने आता है

क्यूँ उसकी आँखो में

अच्छाई नज़र नहीं आती

क्यूँ उसकी बातोँ में

सचाई नज़र नहीं आती

ऐ मेरे दिल, कैसा है तू

तू यकीन क्यूँ नहीं करता

जब वो अंग्रेजी में सोचने वाला भी

विश्वास तुझे दिलाता है

क्यूँ खेद प्रकट करने वालो कि

प्रतिबद्धता कभी क्रियाशील नहीं लगती

क्यूँ अमर ज्योति पर जाने वालो से

कोई आग भुजाने की उम्मीद नहीं जगती

ऐ मेरे दिल, कैसा है तू

तू स्वयं को असहाय क्यूँ है समझता

जब गिन गिन के सफ़ेद-पोश

बहते रक्त का क़र्ज़ चुकाते है

क्यूँ इन लाखोँ देने वालोँ को

एक रत्ती इज्ज़त नहीं मिलती

क्यूँ इन परस्पर रोने वालो को

किसी विधवा की दुआ नहीं लगती

ऐ मेरे दिल, कैसा है तू

तू क्यूँ बेचैन सा रहता है

जब रेडियो पर सुनता है - दिल्ली पुलिस

आपके लिए, आपके साथ, सदेव !

क्यूँ सुनी सुनाई ये बातें सब

समक्ष दिखने से कतराती हैं

क्यूँ घर से बहार निकले अपनो

कि जान कि फ़िक्र तुझे यूँ खाती है

ऐ मेरे दिल, कैसा है तू

अब तो थोडा होसला रख ,

थोडा तो कभी आशावादी बन

आशावादी बन !!!

Commonwealth : The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

We had a plenty of common wealth spend and a lot of common wealth earned during the commonwealth games held in Delhi. So let's look at the good, the bad and the ugly .

THE GOOD

India has won 101 medals for the first time in the history of Commonwealth games. We won a medal in many sports where we did not have any history backing us. 38 Gold, 27 Silver and 37 Bronze medals was just a dream commonwealth run for us. Except for shooting and weightlifting, we broke all the previous records. We won 12 medals in athletics including 2 Golds which we never got on track and field over the last 50 years. 10 Gold medals in wrestling was amazing. Saina became the first woman to win a badminton Gold for us and not to forget women doubles Gold in badminton as well. We reached the finals of the hockey for the first time. Ashish Kumar won India the first ever medals in gymnastics (a silver and a bronze). Deepika Kumari, the 16 year old girl from a poor background in Jharkand won 2 Gold Medals in archery. Gagan Narang won 4 and a couple of shooters won 3 Golds. We finished ahead of a country like England which is something to be proud of.

The audience in the last 4-5 days of event was enormous. All tickets were sold out for the events with Indian representation. Even Rugby sevens was a sellout though all of us knew we didn't had even a whisker of a hope there. The crowd cheering for India - "India Jeetega... India Jeetega" and the applause heard after every point India won was a new feeling for a whole generation. Standing up on the sound of Indian National Anthem was a feeling hardly experienced by many of us

The aftermath of the event is highly rewarding. I don’t care if it is politics, but a gold medal would earn a reward of 50 lakhs, a silver medal 30 lakh and a bronze around 15 lakhs for sure from various sources combined. Money is not the motivation for the efforts many athletes put in but when it comes, it definitely helps them uplift their living standards and look for better facilities given that most of the athletes in India are from poor village background. A state like Haryana helped India win 15 Gold Medals from boxing, wrestling, shooting and athletics. There is a lot of incentive in terms of jobs and promotion in the state that helps promote such a culture and it will now give special facilities to the medal prospects for the London Olympics.

Another great effect cwg leaves is on the mind of aspiring sportsperson and their parents. The parents whose child is just a beginner have a better sense of security and proud feeling compared to a decade ago when they would have asked him/her to quit sports because there’s no security/facilities/money and a lot of struggle. Now when the middle class children will start coming in sports, when there would be more academies and better facilities, the number of athletes will improve and hence the quality. The orthodox mindset regarding daughters/women pursuing sports would also change. Come on, women wrestling is something hard for married women from the villages but they came out against the odds.

So in all, it would definitely revive sporting culture in India and inspire and motivate many others to take up sports as a career.

THE BAD

We should not have hosted the games if we are so bad at managing budgets and projecting deadlines. Obviously everyone knew the games would go quite well, I mean you just have to give a very high priority to the games, disrupt the normal proceedings of the city, give a high security to athletes, purchase the required stuff at whatever cost it takes and the games will go on normally. If Greece can have Olympics held, India certainly could have cwg held. It’s just that what was the benefit of holding the games? Fifa brought in huge revenues for SA and it was a profitable event considering it involved infrastructure development of the country.

The other day, I heard Chetan Bhagat on the News Hour debate with Arnab saying that when our annual higher education budget is just Rs. 9000 Cr, we are in no position to spend 70000 Crores on CWG in India. The athletes would have performed in some other country as well and if it is not so, then we should not be feeling proud of them.

The mass displacement of people who dwell by footpaths, slums and roads was painful. The tongas of Old Delhi were declined renewal of license by MCD and asked to stop operations. The roadside food sellers were asked to wind up for the last 3 months. Connaught Place (aka CP) was dug up and all electrical connections faltered and since no credit cards worked the revenues of th hottest showroom destination dropped by 50 %. They suffered a lot due to the games and we’re here celebrating the success of some 100 athletes on whom we spent 70000 crores. C’Mon a medal worth 700 crores is a no deal. All the people who advocate that our infrastructure improved should know what happened after Asiad'82 and the same will repeat. Maintenance is much tougher than development. Chances are we won’t be able to sustain whatever we have built.

Either the games budget should have been well within control or they should not have been held.

THE UGLY

Suresh Kalmadi was the man who spent 70000 crores on the games for the benefit of his family and the chosen few. No rules were followed. Roads were constructed once, twice and thrice before the games. Contracts were given without tenders with a heavy bonus to deliver within a short time (because they started the preparations late). Corruption alone would have accounted for around 50 % of the budget and then nobody even questions Kalmadi. A real funny and shameful moment was when Lalit Bhanaut said that foreigners have higher standards of cleanliness that's why they found our games village dirty. What did he mean? We are gutter-dwellers.

Apart from this going into the sports side, why are all the sports associations and Olympic federations headed by politicians and not by some notable ex-sportsperson? . We all saw a debate on two associations fighting and going to court on who should select the hockey team. The coach of Indian hockey team, Mr. Jose Brasa says he is not even asked in matters concerning the selection of the team.(http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sports/brasas-fallout-with-hockey-india-is-over-prabhjots-recall_100419220.html) The country who started the hockey tradition and won gold for almost half a century in Olympics is currently ranked 9th in the world. Why are there double standards in ensuring that elections are held and the same old people are there for like a decade. The players want a change, they want to play and perform for India and most of them don’t wanna be a part of politics that goes around. I sincerely hope the level improve but mixing politics with sports is something which repels the middle-class people to risk the career of their children.

The corruption allegations and the aware Media ensured that no foreigners came to India and the tourist business remains at worse. All the hotel owners made investments but got no returns since the dengue, the condition of games village, the chaotic havoc created by the media was enough to dread away many athletes what to say about normal citizens.

We failed to earn any revenue from the commonwealth games, the tickets were sold by some random process and the website sucked. I am not sure if the young angry men will still be aware that it has been such a loot from our tax paid money and we should not be enjoying the party for long or will they enjoy the Gold hangover forever. At least a lot of people want to be in the hangover. I wonder if the dug up Karol Bagh or CP will ever be properly constructed since there is no more excuses for funds and no more emergency. I wonder we paid too much for too little.

The probe has been ordered by the PM and I deeply hope to get some people behind the bars and held responsible for such a raid and loot party.

Imperfectly yours,

Rohan

I hate politics

This article is for people who say – “I hate politics” . I am tired of hearing this phrase over and over again not only personally but also listed in facebook profiles which says ‘not political’ or ‘not interested in politics’ which makes me wonder why and how does well educated people don’t understand the very meaning of politics. I want you to consider two scenarios which I think you would be able to relate to.


Case 1 :
There’s an interesting job opportunity lined up for you where you have to give an interview to a panel of five people from the company. Somehow, you have come to know that a guy who’s academically far superior to you will appear for the interview too and apparently, there is only a single vacancy.

What would you do?

You would try to convince the panel that you’re a good candidate for the post. You’d tell them that you’ll work very hard and be an asset to the company. Since you’re not good academically, they’ll certainly ask you why is it so that they should choose you over some other guy? Then you’ll tell them about your practical skills and try to convince them that academic excellence need not be a necessity for the job and you have also done great in extra-curricular activities which helps in developing ‘competitive skills’ .

In the end, they got impressed by your smart talks and they select you for the job though you always knew you’re not academically better that the other guy but you stood out in convincing them.

I want you to consider the analogy between the people who contest for elections. How is it any different from what we all term as ‘politics’.

I have seen people cheat in exams, these ‘politicians’ cheat in elections. Any different??? What’d you do if you have a leaked paper with you before the night of exam? Of course, you would read it once that it might come in exam even if there’s a little hype about it. Is it legal? NO . So why do we condemn when these people bribe and distribute alcohol to vulnerable communities for a biased vote? It’s the same.

Case 2 :
You see another job offer and this time you’re the one who’s the best qualified person but still you don’t get selected because the other person was a smart-ass and convinced the panel about his potential. Now who would you blame? Of course the company is responsible as it was unable to identify your potential and took someone else in your place.

I want you to consider the analogy between the blame we put on politicians when the blame should really be on the people. I believe the government, howsoever it is, it is still what the majority of people think it should be.




Politicians are a class of people who are less talented and really smart to convince others. They’re just like marketing agents who are selling promises, commitment and a vision.

Consider some more popular politicians. Dhoni is a politician. It’s a political comment to blame IPL Parties for the poor performance in T20 WC just like Congress says it’s the high fiscal deficits and subsidies that has forced them to raise the prices. (comparable??? ). This is just a recent comment and I haven’t even talked about the politics associated with team selection yet. Cricket is still the most popular game in India and Dhoni was still among the most eligible bachelors in the country of the youngsters who ‘hate politics’. (Double Standards, huh??? )

Consider the fact that in IIT Delhi, the place where I study, all the HOD’s and Directors are the ones who did their PhD in India and most of them from IIT Delhi. If I’m allowed to be factual, in 90 % cases, people who stay in India for a PhD are the ones who are unable to get admission abroad because most of the PhD's offer you scholarships to cover all your expenses and considering the fact that there are open minded people educated from who have a vision for changes in educational system, they’re not given enough chances. Can you believe that some professors don’t like it if you do your final degree project under some profs and can really screw you if they happen to sit across the table while you’re presenting?

Consider a singer from a village in , let’s assume, Rajasthan appealing to people of Rajasthan to vote for him. He gets huge votes as a benefit of the huge population of a particular state. Doesn’t his relatives and family ask people they know to vote for him endlessly. Doesn’t campaigns run around to vote for ‘the pride of Rajasthan’. Isn’t he a damn politician? How many people who vote for him really think he’s the best singer? Do we hate Indian idol??? Do we hate the singers??? But yeah. We hate politicians and damn, we hate politics.

What more examples do we need to understand the fact that Politics is just a survival extinct against competition from talented people. Why're the people with the job of running the country are considered bad politicians comapared to these cricketers, professors, singrs, judges and so on. It certainly appears bad when you’re on the losing side but you’ll get enough chances when you’re not the most talented person and want something badly.

I feel really pissed off when people say – “I hate politics”, it’s just like saying “I hate competition” because politics will always be there in competition whether one likes it or not, whether one is good at it or not. I do agree that our country needs to improve a lot and a few things must be really based on talent but it’s not the case in the present and we're sadly living in the present era.

Please keep in mind, Politics is not just being in government. We would always hate our government (or at least we would like to think we all hate a ‘democratically elected’ government) but we all have to be smart to convince others to hide our weaknesses or the ambitions of being powerful.

P.S. - Don't hate politics. KILL politics ...

Additions - 10th July (I thought a dialogue is missing)

P.S. - I don't think everyone should indulge in politics, if you choose to stay away from 'politics' and selections not based on talent, I respect you but at least we should potentially 'realise' what all around us is politics and be 'conscious' when we've some power to 'select' .

The Gas Will Leak Out Again

The gas leaked out from the Chimney
It was on a mission to kill
No one the servant, no one the boss
just like selfish animals in the chaos
when sons died away and old men survived
to bury what we call as 'innocent lives'

The gas leaked out from the barking newsroom
Everybody was first to condemn the tragedy
the TV talk shows, the bloody trained spokesperson
the pass-the-blame game round an infinite circle
They got the pawns transferred, a few made to resign
we believed yet again that it won't happen next time

The gas leaked out from the corrupted courts
A few 'watchmen' decided to wander through dark
They cried out the plea, but there wasn't much sound
so they still kept fighting in the background
They had filed the case, they got the suspects
but I'm sorry, they were not so politically correct

The gas leaked out from the ignorant heads
I aint sure if that was a natural disaster
Some lit the candles, some still pray for the souls
Some put the blame on the God's pistol
Was it the cruel destiny or some butcher's crime
who made 'those' eyes blind by throwing away some dimes

I'm sure, the gas will leak out again
We'll still be lost in fantasies,lost in dreams
and we won't ever listen any watchmen scream
The poison will make us go more quiet
no worldly pain after this silent dark night
Oh my handicapped brothers,
I would pray a nightmare for me and you
may we wake up in fear, before it's due

Sapno ka Bharat

मनोज एक गरीब मजदूर का बेटा है ,
वह पढना चाहता था पर आसपास सब कमाते थे,
पढाई तो खर्चा है, रोटी तो मेहनत से आती है
गरीब का बेटा गरीब, मजदूर का बेटा मजदूर ,
पारिवारिक व्यवसाय की परंपरा यूं चलती ही जाती है |

उसका सपना अब बस नियमित मजदूरी है
दूसरों का घर बनाना ही उसकी मजबूरी है
कोई उसका नसीब हाथ देखकर नहीं बताता
वो सांवलापन, मायूस चेहरा, कालिक-पुते कपड़े
लाचारी की एक अनंत कहानी है |

मैं एक ऐसे भारत को ढूँढता हूँ ,
जहाँ कोई फकीर उस मनोज को भी रोके,
एक पांच रुपये का सिक्का मांगे और
उसकी हस्त-रेखाओं को निहारकर बोले -
"क्या किस्मत पायी है सेठ जी !"

लक्ष्मी, मीरा की एक लोती बेटी है,
उसके जन्म पर कोई मिठाई नहीं बँटी,
दस साल बीत गए, कोई जनम-दिवस न मनाया गया |
बाप तो भगवान है क्यूंकि लक्ष्मी अभी तक जिंदा है
जो जीवनदान देता है, वही तो सबसे नेक बन्दा है

कल लक्ष्मी की शादी है, वो पहली बार सजेगी
जाकर किसी कमरे की शोभा वो बनेगी
वो किसी को पुत्र दे, वो मन्नते यही करती है,
पुत्री तो एक श्राप है, वो जीते जी मरती है |

मैं एक ऐसे भारत को ढूँढता हूँ
जहाँ लक्ष्मी का शारीर, नींद की गोली से बड़कर हो,
वो जीतने को तेयार, उन आदमियों से लड़कर हो,
क़ाबलियत ही माध्यम हो, इस ऊँच-नीच के खेल का,
जहाँ एक गीत गूंजे - सपनो और आशाओं के मेल का |

मैं कटे हुए उन सुन्हेरे पंखों को ढूँढता हूँ |
मनोज के खोये बचपन को ढूँढता हूँ |
लक्ष्मी के उस चंचल मन को ढूँढता हूँ |
मैं सबके सपनो के भारत को ढूँढता हूँ |

Sarhad Ki Jung

जब सरहद पे छिड़ती है जंग
हमे हाथों से लड़ना पड़ता है
फासले तो अब ये मिटते नहीं
हमे ही मिटना पड़ता है

शहीद होने से दो क्षण पहले,
लाचार ही तड़पना पड़ता है
उन खुली आँखों के खोंफ को
तिरंगे से ढकना पड़ता है

निकलते नहीं बातों से नतीजे,
ये खून यूं रोज़ निकलता है
मुआवजों के धिन्धोरे रुकते नहीं,
साँसों को रुकना पड़ता है ,

फिरंगियों के इस चक्रव्यूह में
हमे अभिमन्यु बनना पड़ता है
तुम गिनती करके थकते नहीं,
हमे थक के मरना पड़ता है

जान देने या जान लेने के अलावा
कोई रस्ता नहीं निकलता है
इंसानियत की परछाई देखी अगर
तो गद्दार का दर्ज़ा मिलता है

कभी किसी पत्नी, कभी किसी बहन
यूं हर निर्दोष को रोना पड़ता है
भारत माता के नाम पर
खुद का नाम लुटाना पड़ता है

जब सरहद पे छिड़ती है जंग
हमे हाथों से लड़ना पड़ता है
फासले तो अब ये मिटते नहीं
हमे ही मिटना पड़ता है

Naxals - Right or Wrong?

It has always been questioned if it can be justified what the naxals are doing or can we really stop them? I would say we're no one to justify something that's been going on for a reason, which includes near about 15-20 thousand people and almost half of them equipped with arms. It's a struggle that covers 1/5th of Indian Jungles and around 160 of the 604 administrative districts.

So let's talk it the government way or the 'non-violent guy next door" if he has a solution to the problem. The govt. has armed forces in jungles fighting and looking for these naxalites. Are they trying to promote peace with arms? C'Mon, if you stand with a gun on my head and advocate peace, no one would heed to you and I'll create a story that look what you all did to me. Everyone says - " We condemn the act of killing or rather butchering 75 CRPF personnels in Dantewada" and the violence is not justified and they'll "fight-back" against naxals. (How???)

I mean isn't it a joke??? You're talking about cutting the leaves of trees this season which will grow again at a faster pace. Mahatma Gandhi said - "An eye for eye makes the whole world blind" which is quite true. You can never kill thoughts and ideologies by killing people.

Let us go back to 1960's and 1970's on how these Naxals came into existence and how the movement grew from a single village of "Naxalbari" to such a massive movement. Back then. there was a "directly proportional" relation of higher caste with a higher ability to manipulate laws and with a greater amount of money to make the govt. officials inactive or even support them to oppress the lower caste helpless people. Naxalism, when it started was to tell these landlords, collectors and other powerful people that they can fight them back. If you were a small villager and your land was taken away for a pence with the local authorities kicking your ass, what would you do??? If your answer is you believe in "Indian Judicial System" where it takes decades for a verdict, I'd say you're quite aware of the "realities" .

We're talking about the states of Chattisgarh, Jharkand, Bihar and WB where almost half of the population is illiterate (The definition of illiteracy is not being able to read, write and understand even a single language) and you expect them to hire an advocate who would ask for money again which the landlords have in plenty. So I'd definitely reject this possibility, don't know about you. So what am I left with? I'd say I'm left with nothing. I'd not raise violence because I know I can't but definitely I won't be against it. What have I got to lose??? I have got nothing at all. I'd die anyways, so why not at least do "something" about it.

So I am a lonely guy with nothing at hand and then comes a stream of people who have been through the same, who know what the "pain" is to having suffered this way, who give me a hope that may be we can take revenge and give our children some hope for food. Of course, the reasons are quite emotional at the lower level.

Now, I'd wonder what the naxal leaders think? They're not illiterate, oppressed people. They're people who are trying to run a parallel government. At the lower level, people are associated with the movement and even brain washed successfully to take arms in their hands in a hope of getting back what was their own property. Everyone of us admired "Khosla ka Ghosla", didn't we??? as we believe "chor ke ghar chori" is an act of brilliance so get a step further and try to think won't these people be definitely convinced that fighting against the state which is "creating situations that'd eventually lead to starvation, suffering and deaths" quite justified?

So, yeah these leaders who have got a army of hundreds of people who'd blindly follow them do have their selfish motives. They're only little bothered (but enough to make the followers get a feel-good factor) about the welfare of these castes but they enjoy the power and attention they get. They know they can blackmail landlords, go and kill anyone and hence they enjoy running a parallel government, just like Amitabh Bachhan did in "Sarkar" . If you had watched Sarkar, did your ever think it was wrong??? I didn't, infact everyone enjoyed that movie and wanted the system to revolutionize this way. Everytime, the people killed are not innocent. If the state governments are their enemies and they send the troops to fight against naxals, they're quite determined to kill anyone that comes in their way.

Only if these people were literate, only if someone from govt. showed sympathy and took some effective steps like the naxal leaders do (giving them the feel-good factor), only if the oppressed people can get their "Equality" in everything, only if the corruption was less would they think they could trust the state.

I'm imperfect but I'm not helpless. I'm educated and HENCE, I don't support violence. I don't know if I was a poor, helpless, illiterate, socially discriminated piece of "humanity", what would I do? I can't imagine anyhow so I never would like to comment on "justifying the naxal activities" which is quite complex then we all can imagine.

What do you think, What would you do if you were ripped off to nothing???

Further Readings -

Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naxalite

Karan Thapar with Binayak Sen (One of the leading social workers of India) -http://ibnlive.in.com/news/devils-advocate--dr-binayak-sen-on-state-vs-maoists/109491-3.html