Khwabon ke Taaqub mein

Phir se Saaman-e-safar baandh liya hai maine

Apne Khwabon  ke Taaqub mein niklana hai mujhe

Zindagi  ke sehra mein,

Waqt ki garm reiton per,

Ek Sunahri manzil ki

Justaju liye dil mein,

Phir se Saaman-e-safar baandh liya hai maine

Waswason ke toofan mein,

Azm ka alam thame,

Yaqeen ki asa le kar,

Ireteqa ki hasrat mein,

Phir se Saaman-e-safar baandh liya hai maine

Paon aabla-pa hain,

Zehan bhi tazabzub ki,

Aandhiyon mein larzan hai

Sa-oobton se be- parvah

Phir se Saaman-e-safar baandh liya hai maine

Ahbaab se judai bhi,

Aashana fizaon se

Thodi bewafai bhi ,

Husool-e-shauq ki zid mein

Phir se Saaman-e-safar baandh liya hai maine

Taghayyurat ke mausam ki dastak,

Nayee umeed ki mauhoom aahat,

Nayee manzil se aati yeh sadaayein,

Qadam ko aakhirash rokoon main kab tak,

Phir se Saaman-e-safar baandh liya hai maine

Apne Khwabon  ke Taaqub mein niklana hai mujhe

Woh nazm adhoori hai ab tak

Woh nazm  adhoori hai ab tak
Woh nazm  adhoori hai ab tak

Mulaqat ki pehli sham thi shayad,
Jab tum ne kaha  tha , ek nazm likho
Is maut si khamoshi se pare,
Door kahin traeeki se,

Khush-rang  sehr ke baare mein
Taaer ki sheereen sargoshi liye,
Baang-e-Jaras mein doobi hui,
Sarshaar fiza ke baare mein

Us nazm ki dilkash basti mein
Hasti ka sharara raqsan ho
Mehfil-e- yaraan jamti ho
Bazm-e-chiraghan hota ho

Har harf hawa ka jhonka ho,
Har lafz mein ho ehsaas-e-zyan,
Har sher ummedon ka chashma,
Har band se ho afkaar ayaan

Woh nazm  adhoori hai ab tak

Takmeel-e-nazm ki hasrat mein,
Khwabon ke nagar mein jata hoon
Chun Chun ke harf  ke phoolon ko,
Lafzzon ka mahal banata hoon

Phir din ki dastak hoti hai
Khurshid ke biphre sholon mein
Khwabon ka nagar jal jaata hai
Lafzon ka mahal gir jaata hai

Woh nazm  adhoori hai ab tak
Woh nazm  adhoori hai ab tak

A strange Rendezvous – Visit to Madam Tussad’s Wax Museum

Glowing sun was smiling graciously on the wild blue yonder, overarching the royal city of London. The elated caravan of the races and faces was rolling steadily on the concrete promenades. The big size hat lying comfortably on my upright head ,the camera swinging around my neck and  the curiosity and keenness peeping through my eyes  made me look like an arrogant (arrogance is perhaps a necessary skill) and accomplished photographer on his expedition to search for the unique, unimaginable and immortal masterpiece. I wished to capture the dark images of the miseries masqueraded behind the happy faces, hoped to imprison the young spirit immersed in the layers of wrinkles in my eager lens, desired to seize the images of the powerful dreams floating in the bright eyes of the fellow travelers – perhaps a few things can only be captured on the canvass of imagination. Thankfully, truth descended on me soon–I returned to my usual self requesting the travelers passing by for a nice click. Walking along the Marylebone Road our steps freezed and eyes glued to the beautiful light green dome of the Madam Tussad’s wax museum. It was an elegant and exquisite circular structure with the yellow letters of the name ‘Madam Tussads’s sparkling against the shimmering red stripe encircling the dome.  Maneuvering the Serpentine queue for the tickets, patiently and calmly (without the usual push and shove of ‘Delhi’),I walked  into the dimly lit room shrouded in the sheaths of mystery and mysticism , inhabited by the smiling  and lively wax sculptures of the ravishing beauties, authoritarian rulers, eminent  and illustrious people  from the various walks of life. It was pleasing to see Hitler and Churchill standing together in the silent wax graveyard, where ‘The dead’ are not buried. Every wax idol was telling his compelling story of rise and fall, ecstasy and agony, hits and misses. I was wondering;

Yeh kiya jagah hai doston , yeh kaunsa dayaar hai

The mesmerizing wax sclupture of the master blaster ‘Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar’ raising his helmet and magical cricket bat towards the sky, probably celebrating one of the ‘hundreds of the centuries’ is an inspiring story of glory ,grind and gumption. The high standard of the humility, simplicity and gregarious behaviour exhibited by him during such a long journey is exemplary for many of us living in a socioeconomic environment   where the plebian officers (managers of the corporate world belong to the same group) behave like conceited celebrities after the golden touch of the easy wins. His neighbour in the quiet museum was another gifted cricketer ‘Brian Charles Lara’, known for his long innings and classic drives. He was smartly dressed in a traditional white cricket uniform, resting his bat on his shoulder and spreading the infectious smile and his usual ebullience.

As I moved ahead, my feet stumbled and stopped before the commanding presence of the boxing champion ‘Mohammad Ali’, beautifully crafted and created with the art of wax. He was donning the elegant purple gown, wearing the enraged red boxing gloves he seemed almost ready and raring to knockout the invisible ‘Joe Frazier’. The excitement of his face and spark in the  eyes made  me believe that he would immediately break his silence and address the astound crowd  – ‘Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen, you remember me for  my heroics on the boxing ring but perhaps you have forgotten my  views on the injustice of Vietnam war that transformed my life’ . I nodded my head, confessing candidly, we have indeed forgotten your statement (‘I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong,No Viet Cong ever called me nigger’) against your own callous state. Yours was a powerful voice of dissent that inspired the movement against the Vietnam War and Johnson administration.

Not very far from ‘Mohamad Ali’,the soul of  Tiger Woods chased by the scorned screaming women seemed to have found  the peace and shelter in  wax body. Alas!  He is not aware that the steel mallet firmly gripped  in his hand may not shield him from the prowling ghosts of the past.

The stories of the greats cannot be complete without the pompous manifestation of the glorious and glamorous British Monarchy. Momentarily, the pang of pain gushed over me - Princess Diana in her flowing white gown, standing majestically  in the  solitary dignified  space was looking  gracefully and gallantly at the aristocratic troika of Prince Charles , Camilla Parker Bowles , Prince Harry standing together on a separately erected  rostrum. The poignant song of the separation fell on my ears like the rain drops sprinkling the face in the dark winter night:

Tum mere kitne paas ho             Main tumse kitna door hoon

Aangan mein saanson ke diye  Kamron mein khushboo ke bhanwar

Aankhon  mein mere jism ka     Nannha adhoora aks hai 

Aye mehrban , aye hamsafar    Be-rehm hain sham-o-sehr 

In saa-aton ki daud  ka                Anjam kiya iske  sawa

Tum aur mere paas ho                Main aur tumse door hoon

The spirited and vivacious generation of the go-getters was falling over each other to embrace, touch, cuddle and hug their Hollywood idols and pop sensations. People of all ages were competing vehemently for getting filmed and photographed with the likes of Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Kate Winslet, Bradd Pitt, Nicole Kidman, and Julia Roberts as their adorable and alluring icons have descended on the planet earth from their world of fairytales and will vanish soon forever.

I kept walking along the red carpet –stopped for a moment to have a fleeting glance at the wax sculptures of the Bollywood heartthrobs standing close to each other. The vapid smile of Madhuri Dixit  and  vacuous expression of  Asihawriya Rai  could not hold my eyes for long  and I wandered into the crowded space of the word leaders with the  conflicting beliefs and thoughts coexisting  peacefully as vulnerable creatures of the frozen wax.

Barack Hussein Obama – the first black president of America, the noble laureate and the most powerful person on the planet earth is indeed the peerless political personality cast in wax among the current covey of the leaders running the world affairs The imposing figure of Obama standing in his supposedly Oval office beaming smile and pride was telling the story of the current world order. Just a few easy steps away, the wax sculpture of his hero, the prophet of peace ‘Mohandas karamchand Gandhi’ was magnificently placed beside the noble laureates Nelson Mandela and  Martin Luther .Coincidentally ,I was taken aback to an interesting question  asked  by a school girl in 2009 to Obama “if you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?” .Obama’s repartee ‘I think that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of mine’ provides an insight  about  his views on the Gandhian philosophy even though his action  reflects the otherwise.

Out of the blue, my thoughts got trapped in the time warp, I imagined that ‘Time factor’ would vanish, past and present would merge,Gandhi would walk out of its sculpture and barge into Obama’s Oval office reminding him firmly but gently that 'Gandhian philosophy' and 'Imperialism' are oxymoron. The powerful words of Gandhi kept ringing in the back of my mind;

Be the change you want to see in the world

With the imaginary dramatic conversation playing in my mind, I stopped to pay my homage to two iron ladies of Asia Indira Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto, who were brutally assassinated by the terrorists at different phases of the history. I appreciated the elegant sculpture and walked out of the spellbinding effect of the miraculous ‘House of wax’  thinking about these two women who could not  contribute significantly for the empowerment of the women in their respective countries.

 

                                                                               

The Grand Parade of Pride

A parade of Pride

I was taken aback by the pompous display of the arrogance of a self proclaimed gentleman dressed in a dark blue suit, red tie and gold cufflink shining against the black coffee mug held in his hand. Sitting in front of me on a coffee table, he continued with his vulgar spurt of vanity and vainglory. Inebriated by the concocted ambrosia of power, imperium and self righteousness, his tone and tenor were not very different from an idiosyncratic feudal lord of the medieval world.
I felt disheartened and disappointed at the behaviour of my host wearing all tangible attributes of the modernity and  elegance on his sleeve .Without wasting much time, I gulped the black bitter coffee, excused myself for another meeting and rushed out of the restaurant immersed in the green light emerging from the beautiful curtain of the evergreen shrubs

Pride and Arrogance - Virtue or Vice

Bitter taste of the coffee was gone , vitriolic leftover of the presumed pleasant conversation continued  burning  my senses - I got into my car  switched on the music and  got lost in the mystique aura created by the divine voice of Abida Parveen:

  “Aap apne dekhane ke vaste        ham ko aina banaya yaar ne
  Apne ik adana tamashe ke liye    ham ko Sooli par chadhaya yaar ne”

I had to rush to the conference venue for meeting my old friend Ranjan who had come to Delhi for presenting his research paper. The magnificent red brick structure of the university auditorium surrounded by the sprawling lush green lawn reminded me of my student days at Aligarh Muslim University campus. Delegates and volunteers proudly armed with the colorful badges were engaged in the ritualistic intellectual conversation punctuated only by the sips of the flowing tea. It was a planned ‘Tea Break’ and I could find the familiar face of Ranjan holding a white tea cup in his hand, surrounded by the people wearing colorful ties and suites and some socialist intellectuals donned in kurta, white trouser and Nehru jacket(perhaps ‘Suite’ for them is a representation of the oppressive class) .Ranjan introduced me to a middle age professor of psychology talking loudly to his fellow delegates. Professor Sahib, just fitted into his apparently marriage suite (at least 30 years old, if not more), holding is burgeoning belly in the right place with great difficulty, responded to my greetings with the warmth and affection.

Conference was in full swing, I was listening to a young speaker arguing ardently about his views on the human behavior in the modern world before an urgent message forced me to come out of the auditorium. Surprisingly, Professor Sahib (yes, with the large belly and little blazer) was sipping coffee in the corner. I seized this golden opportunity to share my ugly experiences with him to explore and understand his perspective on the subject. His eyes sparkled with the joy of finding a student who could listen to him for hours without an iota of unstated complaints. Sitting in the lawn outside the auditorium compound he explained the concept of pride and arrogance-  Arrogance and pride are the metaphorical twin brothers – One symbolizes the vice and the other one ‘Pride’ is the darling of many successful souls though abhorred by the multitude of mortals.

Unruffled by the sting and irritating buzz of the prowling mosquito march-past, he continued sharing the views of Aristotle, GB Shaw and Thomas Aquinas. I was astonished and attracted by the sharp contrast between the spectrums of views on ‘pride’ narrated by professor sahib with the perfection of a story teller. Aristotle identification of the Pride as the crown of the virtues, distinguishing it from vanity, temperance, and humility is an antithesis to the theory propounded by the medieval century theologian Thomas Aquinas – It states that the Pride (inordinate self-love) is the cause of every sin. As the respected delegates started coming out of the auditorium, he concluded with an emphatic assertion that - There might be cogent arguments in favour of the pride being celebrated as ‘profound virtue’ or rejected as ‘capital vice’ but there is no similar disagreement between various schools of thoughts about the ‘arrogance of power.

While going back I shared the interesting story of Professor Sahib with Ranjan whose mysterious smile befuddled me. Well beyond this intellectual debate of virtue and vice, I never appreciate the ostentatious display of one’s pride or greatness, even though ‘feeling proud’ of the accomplishments is necessary for motivating the hardworking souls. Appreciating self in seclusion is different from the loud orchestration of the accomplishments for the friends and companions to shower eulogies. On various occasions, I felt baffled and badgered by the monologues of glory and gratification by the people whom I used to hold in very high esteem. I did not express these thoughts simmering in the crucible of mind after Ranjan’s inconclusive and uninspiring smile and silently drove to the 'Pandara road’ for the delicious delicacies.

While relishing the ‘kakori kebab’ ,Ranjan finally broke his solemn silence on the subject of pride and shared  his valuable experiences of life(perhaps a ‘Kebab Effect’).With the final scoop of  ice cream melting in his mouth, his voice touched the acme of  the intensity  to assert his belief -Arrogance is not necessarily a byproduct of glory and accomplishments, it is indeed a human trait  but the ramifications of the explosive arrogant behavior of the powerful educated class is far reaching.

Interactions of the memorable evening with my megalomaniac host, mercurial Professor Sahib and mysterious Ranjan taught me an important lesson of life- ‘Do not overestimate the successful people; they may have the ‘feet of clay’.



Complexity of the Human Relationship

The roaring of the clouds is so rare in the capital city of India; amused and enticed, I came out in the balcony to feel the first brush of the much awaited monsoon. Tiny clouds enamored with the shimmering droplets of the water were frolicking in the dark sky like the kids playing the hide and seek game on a cloudy summer evening. Just below the shades of my balcony, a mother cat was trying to shield its kitten from the barrage of unkind and untimely rain. Spellbound by the fascinating sight of love and affection I rushed inside to bring my camera. Alas-they vanished faster than the flush light, leaving me bewildered and bedazzled. Perhaps these lovely felines could not trust a stranger armoured with a friendly gaze and moving surreptitiously with a supposedly dangerous object in his hand

Enlightened by the act of distrust, I returned back to my desk thinking about the complex subject of the ‘Human Relationship’ that impacts all of us  in the parallel worlds of our lives (comprised of personal and professional worlds – ‘State of the Nirvana’ is excluded for the sake of simplicity). We experience the similar responses and rebukes in our day to day interactions with the acquaintance, and associates. Out of shear curiosity to explore the subject further, I turned to a selfless granny with a weird name ‘Google’ who reveals the treasure of the truths hidden behind the pile of obvious. Comprehending the granny’s musings is not a child’s play –one needs to know the art of sifting the obscure from obvious I entered the word ‘Human Relationship’ on the ‘Google’ and the information erupted like the emotions of a melancholy poet. The phrase ‘Interpersonal Relationship‘ caught my attention amid the clutter of the information piled up on the screen. Wikipedia defines 'it as an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring’

The definition hanging on the screen reminded me of the corporate world obsession with the catchy phrase ‘Interpersonal Relationship’. Organisations spend huge sum of money in training the people to learn the methods and magic of building the same fleeting or enduring relationship. Necessity of imbibing the skill of the ‘Interpersonal Relationship’ from the perspective of the professional life is augmented by its role in providing impetus and stimulus for the career growth. The question that is haunting me for the last few years emanates from my inability to forge a resilient relationship that could withstand the tides of tough times

Going by the rationale and raison d'être passionately  explained by the 'Human Resources Mangers' of the organisation through powerful and boasting presentations, I would have mastered the subject of ‘Interpersonal relationship’ after having spent the humongous amount of time in learning, exploring and understanding the ways to execute the transactions of the lives smoothly. Doesn’t the training on the subject starts from the day a child is born? Baby starts recognizing the face of his mother probably not later than a month of his birth, he turns his head in the direction of her voice; his keen bright eyes follow her footsteps, smile returns to his cherubic face when he hears a known voice around him. The innate ability to distinguish the trusted voice from the cacophony is learnt by him before his precious and tottering first step of life brings joy in the lovely little world around him. For the people having spent the childhood in the  Indian joint family setup, informal  behavioral  training and guidance comes from the grandparents and elders They keep teaching us the art and science of acting ,reacting and responding to the complex conundrums of life.

I must stop and  make a candid confession - albeit the necessary behavioural trainings of the childhood  mentioned above, I could not learn the skill of differentiating the  ‘Act of Credence’ from the ‘Acting of Assurance’ while negotiating the blind turns of the corporate world  . Perhaps my methods are obsolete, possibly my skills are blunted in the dust of time, probably my responses are not sharp, perchance I am not equipped to handle the acts of the corporate theater where façade is more important than the purity of the character, where ‘Glorious manifestation of self ‘ is considered to be a just synonym of the ‘Humble presence'.

The competition is hotting up, swords are rattling in open- I ought to learn the skills of relationship building before I am thrown in the dustbin of the obsolescence. A few successful footprints are visible with the naked eyes. Some options for the easy wins are also available with a few conditions(much easier than the IMF loan terms and conditions for the developing nations)- I need to crush my rebellious inner voice, I must follow the steps of the virtuous homo sapiens walking around my invisible shadow. Dynamic challenges of the modern business environment requires astute professionals who can build ‘Quick fix Relationships’. Skills have to be rejigged, tools need to be modernised.Duly tested and certified tool kits such as ‘Lie without Regret’, ‘Fake without Guilt’,’ Exhibit without Shame’, ‘Act without Compunctions’, ‘Boast without Substance’, ‘Goad without Empathy’ among many others are readily available for grab. And here cometh the multipurpose tool ‘Sing paean for the wise men occupying the seats of power’. This may not assure sustainable relationship but it guarantees short term successes and enough medallions

Nay! But my objective is to gain the necessary skills for developing trust worthy relationship, not just winning the  gold  and silver  medals for metaphorical '100 meter race' of life . I know the world we have inherited, cannot be seen through the prism of black and white, I understand that the sacrifice of the  ‘Belligerent Ego’ at the altar of the ‘Good Relationship’ does not assure the successful return, I admit that extending the bouquet of respect and politeness may not help winning the trust ,I recognize that niceties and pleasantries can be taken for granted by self proclaimed smart souls  but I am assured that the structure of relationship resting on the heap of untruths, guile and chicanery cannot sustain and will fall like a castle raised on sand.

Trust is the cornerstone of the human relationship and I shall continue applying the same old methods to win the trust of the people around.  I would extend my hand of friendship even though at times it will remain unsolicited and  flying in the thin air. Building trust takes time and I hope lovely felines will pose for the camera next time

Hey It’s me – From the City of New York

Hey  Bro,

So many  summers have gone by since we last met, spoke or remembered each other even faintly.Your vitriolic and virulent commentary  about  the fall of American economic empire(published on your blog), flaunted flagrantly on the face book wall grabbed my attention. Needless to say, it was infuriating, instigating and deplorable.

    For the last seven years I am thriving in the dazzling city of New York, leading an enviable life with the post modernistic value system (A life,I always dreamed and aspired for). I have been honoured with the nationality of the most powerful nation of the world. I know, it would be difficult for the self proclaimed sane souls (with medieval beliefs) inhabiting in the dark side of the world (which you claim to represent) to even comprehend the meaning of the progressive phrase ‘Post Modernism’.

    I am not interested in teaching or telling you about the about the virtues of the ‘Post Modernist value System’ – after all damned ‘Value System’  does not help me in earning the extra dime. What bothers and baffles me most is your predilection for the ominous predictions. Contrary to your chest thumping statements, steel structure of American economic system alloyed with the military doctrine, riveted and rested on the unyielding foundation of strategies (long term and short terms) for global dominance is not going to melt in the heat of global recession or euro zone crisis. America would do anything and everything to accomplish its economic and military objectives – killing a few thousands faceless and nameless creatures are non event in the human history. Just to refresh your memory (you seem to be suffering from amnesia), Iraq was not invaded for WMD (Weapons of mass destruction) or Bush’s veneration for the ‘Holy Grail of Democracy’ – WMD was actually the weapon of mass distraction effectively used by America to safeguard impending energy crisis. Hope you remember the stunning statement of ‘John Connolly (US secretary of treasury)’ - Dollar is our currency but your problem’ .It is being substantiated by the reaction of Indian political and corporate leaders who are jumping like a ‘cat on the hot tin roof’.
   
    Hey! Let me stop for a while and have some beer- these kinds of discussions not only dampen my spirit but also impact my appetite for the dinner. Couple of months back (may be winter season in India), I sent you a gift from my own farm that you neither appreciated nor accepted. I am sure; you would be surprised to know that I have fallen in love with the ‘science and art of the farming’. It has redefined the propose of life for me .It gives me immense pleasure, when I log in the social networking website ‘face book’, after getting exhausted  by the turbulent and tumultuous events  of the day. The proud feeling of  ‘Owning a  farm’ , ‘Process of  harvesting a crop’ ,’Healthy engagement of rearing the animals’ is indeed like achieving the state of  ‘Nirvana’  that  relieves  me of all the woes and worries of the modern life .why don’t you become  my neighbor in the beautiful space of ‘Farmville’?, this would  also help to resurrect the  rather dying relationship between us.

     We ‘The Americans’ are big hearted people(though I am not sure about exact size but it may be bigger than ‘Big Mac’) , we consider India as a great nation of philosophers, thinkers and computer professionals. We want India to play greater role in the oilfields of Iran, in the explosive land of Afghanistan and other south Asian countries. Trust me; saving Afghanistan is safeguarding your future energy needs, besides saving the world from the clutches of jihadies (men with big beard and weird sense of dressing). All wise men including me believe that controlling Afghanistan is critical from the perspective of controlling the potential transit route for oil and natural gas exports from central Asia to the Arabian Sea. The Soviets believe that under the rocky, rugged layers of Afghanistan soil , there lies a  natural gas reserve of  5 trillion cubic feet – we do not trust the communists (unlike us, they do not believe in the 'Omnipresent God').As advised by Reagan Reagan, ‘Trust but Verify’ (loose translation of the Russian proverb ‘doveryai, no proveryai’ )is our policy.

    I forgot, but let me congratulate you (though a bit late) without wasting a second, for joining the elite and exclusive ‘nuclear club’ with the launch of Agni –V(ICBM) .We have also signed the nuclear treaties, allowing you to purchase technology and nuclear fuel from us. This is a reflection of our continuous commitment to empower and prepare the developing nations for managing their future energy needs effectively and efficiently .Fear of nuclear disasters should not deter a nation from pursuing the great dreams. Disasters are the nonevents in the history of the nation.

    In spite of our good gesture, great cooperation at all levels, Indian parliament stalled the bill of ‘FDI for Retails’, shattering the wishes of the likes of ‘Walmart’ to contribute to the ‘India growth story’ like a ‘castle raised on sand’. Lady in the ‘white Sari’, I m forgetting her name made such a hue and cry about the small issue as the ‘communists would return to power', if the bill is passed.Honestly, let me admit without an iota of guilt, I could not understand a word spoken by her (did you?, I felt that the humble words  were scared of her whine and shriek and chose to remain within her mouth). Can you imagine a developed nation without a ‘Walmart store' ?.I cannot help, but laugh.

    I felt very bad, could not have dinner (same appetite issue, I discussed earlier) , When the biggest defense deal was awarded to ‘French’ firm. Well! you cannot become ‘Big’ , unless you act ‘Big’

    It is time for my favourite TV series ‘How I met your mother ’, pardon me I hate, being disturbed at this hour of the day.

Hope to see you as my neighbour on ‘Farmville’

Gud  Nite

Morning Raga

Sun is free from the shackle of the night,
Birds are chirping and chanting in the wild

Breeze frolicking like careless damsel,
Leaves are dancing with the boughs that bind

Red rose is whispering to the little butterfly,
Surrounded by thorns, shying like bride

Cacophony of the voices breaking the silence,
Vibrant ‘Life’ is returning from the hide

A beggar has started his struggle for food,
Carrying the bowl, guided by the child

Passionate souls would resume their journey,
With spark in the eyes, spring in the stride

Blessed children are waiting for the school bus,
Poor would be left working on the road side

‘Light of the day’ would ignite the hopes,
Hope of success, resurgence and pride

Not very far from the glamour of the city,
Many would mourn the day of the grind

Search for the livelihood hangs like a sword,
‘Loss of dignity’, is a peril they fight

Islands of pain disappear in the night,
Wounds get open when the Sun unbinds

They pray to God, when the Sun rises to the top,
Protect pride or let the darkness reign the light

Act for one more day- Sing till the eventide

Soothing silence of the dark night,
Fleeting thoughts igniting the mind
Revelation of wisdom enlightening the senses,
Shadow of self, strutting with pride
Soul has shed the layers of pretensions,
Verity unveiled, principle unbind
Mask of truth, façade of grace, cloak of courtesy,
Denude, dismantled, disrobed in the hide
Whisper of wind punctuated with murmurs,
Creating a symphony of mellow and mild

Voice of conscience reverberates in the alleys,
‘Self’ is startled with the mystery of find
Where you were all through the years?
When I was in tears, torn and tired
Calm voice- smiles and chides,
Conscience dies in the sea of lies
Snobbish ‘Self’ confides in its gratifying reflection,
Bewails the sense of deception and divide
Comfort of company grows with the night,
Time passes with the celerity of ride

Alas! callous day is knocking at the door,
Sun is furious, rays unkind
‘Self’ will be lost in the brightness of the day,
Conscience will vanish in the darkness of the wild
Captivating smile, Confident walk, elegant attire,
Charade of the day begins with the morning tide
Disguise of truth, visage of virtue, display of valour,
Act for one more day, sing till the eventide

Yet Another Crossroad...

Yet another crossroad of hope and despair,
Yet another struggle of calm and clamour
Vulture of failure is hovering around,
Carcass of spirit is lying on the ground
Tiered hands orchestrating the mundane chores,
Flashing smile in the fake surround
Anxious mind asking for the answers,
Zealous heart caged and confound
Tempting dreams beckoning from the strange habitats,
Alluring promises of growth unbound

Yet another crossroad of hope and despair,
Cloud of darkness engulfing the glare

Dream or mirage, escape or insight,
Senses are silent, prudence astound
Fancy of glory, fear of gloom, fullness of life and fangs of doom
Dilemma of mortals to choose from abound
Purity of soul, Prayer of Divine
Life with purpose, the purpose of God

Yet another crossroad of hope and despair,
Loathing and Longing will continue forever

Arab Awakening –A Spring of Hopes

The Protestor
Humankind would remember the year 2011 for the wave of protests cutting across the political boundaries of the globe, though varied in nature, scale and impact. From Tunisia to Spain, from Manhattan’s Liberty Square to Cairo’s Tahrir Square – the world witnessed an unprecedented phenomenon of people awakening and asserting to change the small world around them. It was not surprising when the Time magazine declared the ‘The Protestor' symbolising the global movements (that includes Arab spring,TheIndignant's movemement,The Tea Party movement, and Occupy Wall Street movement among others) as the ‘Time Man of the Year’.
The protests across the different countries erupted because of the varied reasons mired in the local problems - protest in Middle east was against the repressive regime and for the right to participate in deciding the policies that would shape their future, Occupy movement was against the economic policies of America (policy of laissez faire etc.) that had strengthened and empowered the hands of 1% population and created huge economic disparity among the various sections of the society. India also experienced its first televised mass protest against the corruption of the political class. Among the multitudes of the protests ‘The Arab Spring’ emerged as the most impactful voice of the rebellion that created the ripples around the globe and redefined the role of people courage and conviction in changing the destiny of the nations. Slogan of the demonstrators ‘ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam'(the people want to bring down the regime)ignited a fire in the desert.

Desert on Fire
People of Tunisia would never forget the twenty six year old young university graduate Mohamed Bouazizi who set himself on fire against the repression of the President Ben Ali regime of Tunisia. The fire did not extinguish with the death of the young crusader in the capital city of Tunisia-riding on the wind of change ,fuelled by the stories of anger and anguish shared on the social networking sites ,flamed by the passion of the young generation it engulfed the Arab World encompassing the North Africa and Arabian Peninsula. Sight of the people with steel like heart and rock like spirit, demanding for their rights at ‘Habib Bourguiba Avenue’ in Tunis , at ‘Tahrir Square in Cairo and on the streets and lanes of the Libiya and Syria sent the shock waves through the corridors of power. King and their men (that includes the self appointed caliphs, chest thumping dictators, presidents who hate democracy and brave monarchs who kill their own men) felt the tremor of change.

Spring of Hopes
The revolution that rocked the Arab world has kindled the hopes for a better future in the heart of the millions inhabiting the Arab land. The hope emanates from the fortitude of the brave people of Tunisia who weathered the storm of terror and tribulations and ended the 23 years rule of President Ben Ali unceremoniously. The zeal and enthusiasm of the men and women defying the rising mercury ,standing in the serpentine queue to vote for their leaders in the historic election strengthens the belief of the people keenly watching the unfolding of the events for a new “Tunisia’.
Hosni Mubarak, the once invincible president of another African nation Egypt had to relinquish power after ruling for three decades. The power unleashed by the people marching on the streets of Cairo and the unparalleled display of grit and gumption by the men , women and children at Tahrir Square changed the course of history .Longest serving President was deserted by his own army and abandoned by his long time friends in power. The years of silent sacrifices and endurance by the people propelled the desired change of the guard at the helm of national affairs. It would be naive to believe that the rule by Military Junta (SCAF) represents the aspiration and wishes of the people of Egypt. But the struggle continues with the unwavering determination for changing the rulers and rules of governence.
Bloodshed and revolutions are not oxymoron – unlike other countries protest in Libya was an armed struggle by the rebel fighters backed by the NATO forces. Western super powers played their nasty game of one-upmanship in the disguise of NATO forces striking to help the rebellion fighters to ouster their enemy ‘Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi’ and export their version of democracy .Bloodshed on the streets of Libya by Gaddfi’s men equally matched by the rebel fighters would shame every sane soul on the planet earth. Brutal "King of Kings of Africa" Muammar Gaddafi was brutally killed by the rebel fighters in collusion with the self proclaimed champions of human rights. NATO backed ‘National Transitional Council(NTC) has assumed the power amid the prevailing chaos and bloody civil strife.
There is a strong undercurrent of political and social changes sweeping across the Arab land. The road ahead is long mired ininsurmountable challenges - but I can sense and see the ray of hope for a bright future in the dark smoke arising from the ruin and rubble of the war:

"ab bhii Khizaa.N kaa raaj hai lekin kahii.n kahii.n
goshe rah-e-chaman me.n Gazal-Khvaa.N huye to hai.n
Thaharii huyii hai shab kii siyaahii vahii.n magar
kuchh kuchh sahar ke rang par-afshaa.N huye to hai.n"

[Though autumn still reigns but in places, nevetheless
The sound of singing can be found in some corners of the garden]
[The darkness of the the night does not seem to lessen
Yet the colours of dawn can be seen in the Eastern sky]


March to Democracy and aftermath
Entire Arab world is going through the turbulent and tumultuous transition. Path to sustainable democracy is stalled by the heaps of stumbling blocks of the various shapes and sizes. Onus lies on the newly elected leaders to seize the opportunity lying in the sea of distressing crisis to address the aspirations of the people. Foremost priority of the governments should be to build the credible and independent institutions of the democratic structure. Independent institutions act as a safety valve for venting the grief and rage of the people in a society undergoing radical transformation.
Seed of democracy sown in the Arab land may not yield immediate fruit; it requires people to exhibit the extreme restraint and patience to allow democracy to take its root. For the political commentators and analysts, it is easy to debate and deliberate about democracy as an idea or ideal form of government but the process of building effective democracy to deliver goods to the people is slow and painstaking. Arab nations’ experiment with the democracy is being closely watched by the array of social scientists, observers and political analysts spread across the nations.
‘Will the democracy survive in this ‘part of the world’ is a million dollar question that cannot answered , can only be analysed retrospectively looking in the callous ‘Mirror of Time’. Enabling democracy to work effectively is the collective responsibility of the people & their representatives as the cost of failure in this politically volatile region would be extremely high for all the stake holders. I congratulate and extend my best wishes to the young generation of the Arab world to live happily and peacefully with the newly found love ‘Democracy’.

My New Year Resolution- Explore, Observe and Express

Alarm clock is crying full throttle like a nagging wife bumbling and babbling in her coarse voice. Chilling wind is knocking the at the window-pane with the rage of an angry employee just out of a rough session with his yelling and hostile boss. Infuriating clocks are the necessary evil that continuously reminds us of the celerity at which lively present becomes a dead past that can only be relished or mourned.

I started my first day of the new Gregorian calendar 2012 with a rebel lion against the tiny clock that was trying to dictate my free soul .After muffling the voice of the tiny machine, I closed my eyes and silently wished if I could defy the erratic demands(at the most inopportune time) of the ‘Big machines’* (*Big machines are the progressive and smart souls who have shed their ‘Humane characteristics’ voluntarily, to transform themselves into machines with the inherent intelligence- This is known as ‘Evolution with a Difference’ ).

Shrouded in the layers of a blanket, having nothing else to do I started my search for an ideal ‘New Year Resolution’. My thoughts strayed and crossed the boundary of the enticing present to enter into the den of the mysterious past –suddenly, depressing and comforting events of the yesteryear started to flash before my eyes like the video projected on the well lit up giant screen hung on the rocky roof of the den .Images of the free flowing cocktails and the lively urban population shaking their legs on the crowded dance floor to welcome New Year was telling the story of shining India ,in a moment I was enjoying the sight of Tunisian people voting to democratically elect their rulers , pleasing sight did not last long- it got punctuated with the horrible images of the blood bath on the streets of Libya, I could feel the pain on the forlorn faces of the people of Greece appearing on the imaginary screen, and then there was the defining image that brought me back to the real world of rapidly changing fortune–proud Barrack Hussein Obama was announcing the death of their old friend and new enemy Osama Bin Laden from the sprawling and shimmering White House .

My abstract journey through the corridors of the past in search of the ‘New Year Resolution’ left me enervated though enlightened with the facts of the conveniently ignored past. I am not sure if, I can ever see the hazy roadmap of the future in the rear view mirror of the past. Perhaps, the sensible realization that sneaked into the guarded zone of my grey cells silently and surreptiously on the chilling winter morning during my rendezvous with the past is to explore and observe the world around with the keenness of a child and share the stories of triumphs and tribulations with the passion of a revolutionary poet.

This gave birth to my ‘New Year Resolution for the year 2012’-Explore, Observe and Express.

Having discovered the elusive ‘New Year resolution’ boosted my confidence and energy to quit the comfort of the bed room and start my day on a spirited note by documenting the reflections of the vivid images of the preceding night. Though I am skeptical about my ability to sustain the sudden surge in the spirit for scripting my experiences and silent observations but I would try even if I fail believing in the famous saying “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”

New Year Party

How are you planning to celebrate the New Year? .One of my relatively new friends asked casually while stirring the coffee delicately and dexterously. As always I did not have a fascinating answer of this baffling and boring question. I tried to explain my views and my reasons of reluctance to join the high octane New Year’s Eve parties with simple examples and at times with some complex raison d'être. I argued passionately and assertively, evenly punctuated by the small pauses of coffee sips.
Alas- these gentlemen refused to understand and appreciate the power of reasoning on a coffee table discussion. They obliterated my cogent arguments that supported the idea of introspection and rejected the celebration as a waste of time and money. After numerous failed attempts to convince them, I thought to join their planned party as a fellow traveler to understand their perspective that ‘life is not necessarily a statement of profit and loss account measured against the pre defined benchmark, it is indeed about living the life'.
Maneuvering the traffic in the rainy evening ,we reached the happening discotheque of the city that seemed to have been recently renovated and extended to accommodate the pouring young crowd in this unkind weather. We settled in a corner, chatting and observing the incessant flow of liquor of all varieties to keep the folks warm and wild. The music got louder as the night grew darker , dance floor was bursting with the energy and finally the countdown began, crackers exploded, champagne oozed out of the bottle and the people roared at the top of their voice - Here comes the new year 2012.
It was interesting to realize the power of these spirited and thrilling moments that make you enjoy the present and forget the woes of the past and worries of the future. I recalled the beautiful poetry of famous urdu poet ‘Noon Meem Rashid’ that aptly describes my thought of the moment.

“Ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
zindagii se bhaag kar aayaa huu.N mai.n
Dar se larazaa.N huu.N kahii.n aisaa na ho
raqs_gaah ke chor daravaaze se aakar zindagii
Dhuu.NDh le mujh ko nishaa.N paa le meraa
aur jurm-e-aish karate dekh les

ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le”

(Noon Meem Rashid)

Party reached its logical conclusion and we parted our ways .It was irony to see the people lying on the ground and some lucky one being pulled like a baggage by their companions.
It was indeed an exciting and enlightening experience that helped me to understand the perspective that I always ignored - Introspection and celebration are not the mutually exclusive activities, you can choose your own way of celebration- ‘Dull and decent’ or ‘Loud and pompous’