Two rats met at Copenhagen.
rat-1: where are u from?
rat-2: from third world and u?
rat-1: i belong to that place which created third world. we felt there was a need to create third world we created third world we saw it and said it was good.
rat-2: yes..yes sir.

"you were late!"

it was 11 at night when an auto screeched before halting at front gate of AIIMS. a young man in his early twenties almost jumped out crying for help. he turned back towards auto and carefully carried out his mother in his arms with his father holding her legs. he was extremely nervous as his face glistened with sweat and tears. he was desperately calling out for nurse and doctor while the patient  hardly moved. her head hung back at her son's arm and her tight grip around his waist began to loosen. son was too nervous to notice these. he was wailing at times, at times praying his mother to hold on ,at times to god asking him to forgive his sins and at times to doctor.
since a week or so he was running after hospital authorities to admit his mother.  there wasn't a single person left to whom he hadn't pleaded to. at times he brole down before many people with tears refusing to hold back.he was new in delhi with a cheap job so he couldn't secure any preferment. every day he visited authorities instead his office but with no success. even today he entered home with no consolation when he saw his father comforting his mother. she was in extreme pain and only tears were her medium of expressing her pain. she could no longer cry out. her lower body was immobile and she only could rise a little. but today she could not lie down. she clasped her husband's shoulders and dug her nails at his neck.
it was a terrifying sight, to see his mother in that condition. he was still a kid and needed his mother as much as a child of 5 needs. his mother was everything to him. and to see her in pain was unbearable. what else he could do other than crying helplessly. there wasn't a single person who could help him. what could he do? how helpless he felt! how would a son feel to watch his mother dying in front of his eyes and he can't do anything!
          mother saw her dear son crying and she tried to comfort him forgetting her pain. even at that moment she felt for her son. the day he got his job he brought her from bihar for operation. how mature he became in just a week! he couldn't do anything without her help, and now he was working and looked after herself when he stayed at home. she felt her death would be better but again fresh stream of tears rolled out.how would he live if she dies? she didn't know whether to pray god or to curse him for bringing in this condition. how cruel is he who doesn't even let one die?
            meanwhile father took charge of situation and consoled both son and wife.though griefed he asked his son to take her to emergency. that was a light of hope to son who rushed out to get one auto.yes! doctors could save her. atleast they could medicate her temporarily and tomorrow he would check other private hospitals.
      it was country's biggest hospital; doctors rushed and checked her.she was laid out in stretcher. with group of doctors and nurses around son was sure she would not die. he got a bit of consolation to watch doctors quickly examining her and instructing nurses in their language. he closed his eyes and thanked god for saving her life. he took a deep breath and tried to relax himself. he could never forgive himself had she died due to lack of medical attention. he got new ideas and thought of various other hospitals. he would move heavens and earth to cure his mother.though he realised he had done that before. but he dispelled these negative thoughts. god had saved his mother and he would find a way to cure her too. he couldn't live with burden of letting his mother die due to lack of medical attention." no! ..no!...... she would be fine".
                       while he lapsed into thoughts a soft voice rung in his ears"she is dead. you were late"

Dog and his reflection

A dog had found something to eat.He grabbed it in his mouth and ran back to his place. While he was crossing a small drain he happened to look at his reflection. He was surprised to see another dog inside the water with same stuff. He was puzzled. He watched carefully. yes, it was same!, but how could that be? He had tried so hard to get something which other dogs couldn't even imagine. He didn't find any difficulty in getting food but he wanted to get something different so that others could envy him,respect him. 
       He was angry now. He stared angrily at his reflection.The reflection stared back too.He was infuriated beyond pale. He barked angrily at his reflection.The moment he opened his mouth, his stuff went into drain. next moment he was shocked to find his mouth empty.He looked here and there nervously and desperately but it couldn't be found.
     He didn't care about his reflection now.Cursing his providence he walked away in dejection.

Athiti devo bhavah

Diwali is just round the corner. From now onwards to a week after diwali or maybe later depending upon laziness of the person you would see every structure whether of brick or wood glittering in colorful electric bulbs. Some extra excited people or those who have capability of celebrating more keep their lampposts lit till dawn. At night where darkness engulfs even street lights, they act as light posts to provide direction. Delhi’s celebrations are similar to it this year.

Delhi’s celebrations are going to be mixture of excitement and extravagance. There is an air of beqarari as she is busy sprucing up for commonwealth games 2010. That would be the event where she would appear before her foreign wooers. Remember that song, sajna hai mujhe….yes! the same emotions have arrested it.

2010 games is going to be a great market. A market for all, rather. for sociologists as meeting of different cultures, for capitalists to pick up their spot,for nationalists to express their pride, for tourists to avail catalogue of sites in delhi and for poors to see and feel that the have no price at all. In those days delhi would be centre of media attention worldwide. It is expected that it would open flood gates for FDI to flow. WHERE WOULD THAT GO? Tourism is expected to take a hike. TO WATCH PEOPLE PISSING AWAY THEIR NATIONAL HERITAGE. In nut shell, it would give nitro-x boost to Indian economy. That is why govt. has invested billions of rupees to broaden roads, build new style urinals other than construction projects that would project Delhi as global city.

CONGRATULATIONS ON 134th HDI RANK !

Don’t mind these voices, they have no patriotic feeling left. How can you forget  athiti devo bhavah! They should learn from govt. which is leaving no stone unturned to make this event unparalleled in games history.

Indeed it would be if constructions are not completed on time! I am amused to imagine that situation! Just kidding! I believe every word that govt. says. I have included it in my habit. Like mike fennel who on his second visit appeared more satisfied than suresh kalmadi. I am puzzled what jugaad govt. had employed this time.

Hosting games has become a matter of national pride and prestige. Indeed it is. Apart from physical transformation govt. wants delhites to learn some etiquettes before games. Some newspapers have already taken initiatives to impart lessons, especially to obey traffic rules. Their efforts at times make me suspicious that they are trying to redo the magic created by Chinese when they hosted Olympics last year. If that is so, please don’t mind my amusement!

I can believe for once that all those constructions would get ready but I can’t believe at any cost that we would be ready. Do they want us to stop at red light, clear zebra crossing, stop honking, be sober at wheels and wait till light turns green? You got to be kidding me! Seriously.

Leave zebra crossing for whom? For people who have developed an expertise in crossing roads when vehicles are at full throttle? Just observe their deftness, swiftness and agility. Their eyes are sharp and body agile. Look out for leg-eye coordination there! Even poor Homereho  with all his modesty had described Achilles would hide his face in embarrassment if he watched them perform on roads.They don’t even care for being hit or swearings or physical combats.

I understand roads are essential part of infrastructure and backbone of nation’s development. That is why we have such broad roads whose sides appear similar to sides of flooded river. Hence they have adapted to reach ohter part. Surely India has got talent. Don’t be surprised when you find a talent show based on them.
Also, if zebra crossing is left for them then how would they get a chance to showcase their gymnastic skills in hopping sorry jumping over barriers. Even a 5 ft. barrier is no challenge to them. They would surely win laurels for country if they are sent to participate in long jump. Or lets train our players on road.It is cost efficient and effective too.Now, instead of applauding them you want to deprive them of the opportunity.

Honking is necessary. It is their deep rooted belief that we have to make our own wayand they push for it. Even if a vehicle next to us is standing at red light we believe there is a possibility to accommodate our vehicle. As far as drunkunness is concerned they are happy people as a recent poll showed. Any curb to their happiness won't go down well with them as they have been enjoying democracy since 60 years only. Let them enjoy first.

Well that’s how it is. I remember before Beijing 2008 some people themselves decided to clean a river and beautify it. Can they do the same? No way. After all why do we elect govt. govt. must have formed some organizations, they would take care of it. How could you think of us getting into that water?Disgusting!
What?
Did you just utter national pride…. duty.. ……mythological river? For god’s sake leave us alone! We have enough problems in our lives.Our neighbor has recently bought a new car. He has three now. Whereas we have only one.
They  talk about promotion of tourism and what are they offering to visitors- The mechanically sculpted Akshardham temple where no one goes to worship but marvel at god’s majestic mansion or monuments under ASI which are being pissed away. I am sure you won’t find freedom to piss on your national heritage anywhere else. It is something exclusively available to citizens of world’s largest democracy. But govt. is not functioning properly. Had it allotted houses to poors and constructed urinals I am sure people of delhi would have refrained from encroaching upon some medieval structures which ASI doesn’t know about.

But whatever, i wont act as fly in the ointment like congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar. Look at this man! He is going against his party. He has decided that during games he would sit at Gandhi Ashram to protest. His complain is that how can a country like India which has high number of poor and under nourished people can afford to indulge into such lavish prepration. He was panchayati raj minister and is still working for them. isn't that a wonder? Ministers hardly work while they are in-charge and he has made it his life's motto.
 Ours is a developing nation. It is no big deal that we have poors. Govt. has always strived to remove poverty. remember that famous slogan of 60s' garibi hatao'. 
garibi toh nahi gaye lekin kahne wale zaroor chale gaye.
Anyways our govt is still trying its best to remove poverty. Though it is a different issue that in 10th plan there was hardly anything on panchayati system.
Why else do you think govt.is trying so hard to make it a successful event? The profit generated would be  spent in developmental activities.So lets wait for sometime and hide our underbellies and be hospitable.

an afternoon with a rat

It was noon. I went into kitchen to get water.As soon i entered i heard a faint ruffling of some plastic.
 I smelt a rat!
 I desperately looked around to find it.That little creature had been menacing me for some weeks. Everywhere i could hear its movements- crawling beneath newspapers, nibbing wood, or ambling across computer wires .My ears have become extremely sensitive to detect any movement. This was not due to awakening of some chakras due to yoga and pranayama, but due to my prolonged enmity with rat race!
 I don't know what auspicious movement was that when i caught my prized catch! I can't narate how i felt. How would Indian govt. feel if it catches its own rat!
 A bread packet was lying open and there lay  struck my opponent! Porous bread was not a perfect launching pad and crumbled plastic walls were not rigid to offer any assistance. I pounced upon the packet and held it tight with my fist. I raised it upto my face where i could look into its eyes. I remembered the trouble it had created and with paroxysm of rage i shuffled it violently.
                Over weeks i had been trying to flush out these insurgents out of my place.Using prescribed methods of dealing with your enemy, saam daam dand bhed i couldn't achieve any success. After  failed to help me deal with them i raked my brains. At times it was despairing to be at my wit's end. At times i became violent. I would go berserk whenever i spotted rat. I would chase with anything i could lay my hands upon. One day i spotted it running across my study table. Then what,  i threw everything but kitchen sink,but the proverbial coward escaped and my study lamp was broken. After this loss i was quiet for some time.

 Earlier i used to put a  piece of roti or bread in a cage and fat rats were easily trapped. We only had to leave them at some vaccant plots. But now a days there is no vaccant plot but vaccant rooftops. So i walked upstairs.

But where will they go. Only homes are left for them. Everywhere there are bulidings and it drove them out of their places. But that doesn't mean we have opened our houses for them to compensate or accomodate them. So what that they are vehicles of lord ganesa, we can't park them. Why is there not a separate place for vehicles in temples? God would never run short of land even if his followers have no place to live. Look at Akshardham and the piece of land that has been utilised for its construction. Anyone could be led to believe that there is no scarcity of land for India's poor.Well, land is limited but cars are not and in coming time parking places would become costlier than houses.
            Not only rats, there are number of small birds and animals that have been displaced out of their natural habitat. A recent research showed that setting up of mobile towers have led to decline in no. of sparrows in that area.
But, towers are obviously more important. Yes, if sparrows or rats can offer something valuable then i can  assure them. Look at chicken, though it is culled like anything still it is under notice of man and he takes care of them. I donot know if rat meat is edible or not or its skin is useful for something or its teeth or bones anything which could be used by man. Man is nothing but utilitarian. Once you prove him of your worth he would take care of the rest.

         Some concerned environmentalist requested  to scatter some grains at our rooftops for birds. The alarming rate at which birds are disapperaing has troubled them. I tried once to pigeons at my verandah. They came, ate,chirped, chased each other and stayed. Their little noise wasn't exactly music to my ears but it certainly asserted their presence and broke dead silence that prevails between humans.But their stay caused some tension between oue relationship. Their droppings made the verandah dirty. Everywhere i could see light green and white liquid. as a landlord i asked them to leave but they like stubborn tenants refused. After that a battle ensued between us. i used to drove them out of my verandah. after few weeks they left. I was relieved but at times missed their noise.
 What else could i do? I apologised to environmentalists but to compensate, decided to spread their advice to other families.
Lost in these thoughts i reached upstairs.I sympathised with the little creature i was holding and thought of mercy killing. I  cursed it. why didn't it fell for ratkills.These younger generation are very smart. They don't fall for ratkills or for cage.
Well i let it go.
 I released the packet and it jumped instantaneously. It took giant strides into future and disappeared.

here we are!

Now nasa is exploding moon’s surface to confirm presence of water. What a tremendous achievement! About 50 years ago no one would have imagined in wildest dreams even to reach moon. And now, science has reached moon and tracing possibility of life there. Yes, life. We might get to live on moon within a century or so. Imagine life on moon, amazing isn't it?

Why not, after raping earth its time to move on.

Indeed there is a need to move on. Alarming rate of global warming and its concomitant effects have brought us in a perilous situation. Melting glaciers, rising sea levels have brought fears of soaring sea level submerging  coastal areas in few decades. These reckless developments have come at cost of environment which sustains our life. Now when the man’s greed has pushed it to its limits, there is indeed a prudence in abandoning the earth. After all who would want to live in polluted world!

But why have we reached in these conditions. Who is to blame? These third world nations with their surging populations have exerted too much stress on resources. Their desire to develop and provide quality services to their people has deteriorated environment. How could everyone get same facility? They are consuming more, they demand oil more, they are acquiring vehicles etc. the emission their industries produce have polluted the environment and there is need to curb their emission. Is it?

All these capitalist and so called developed nations should be held culpable. What kind of double standard is this? After bringing world in position it is now, they are pointing it to emissions of developing countries. They always blame it to their Frankensteins. Who is responsible behind rising food prices? Aren’t they who use 70% of food grains produced in country to feed cow and pig for producing meat. According to research, a cow takes 16 kg of food grains to produce One k.g. of beef. Why don’t they work to increase productivity of cow!
An average American eats 125 kg of meat every year and all Americans consume 35,000,000 tonnes of meat every year. America is not alone there are countries whose staple diet is meat not grain. As a result there is acute shortage of food grains. What an irony, animals are getting food but not men who produce them! Also there are some pointings to America deploying its fields to produce ethanol-a fule substitute, rather than grains. Who is going to toll them?

Capitalism thrives on human greed. If you donot wish then how would this market run? Thoda aur wish karo, right mr. khan, but you hardly know what you are talking about! All the world is a market and players are consumers.Wish is infused and it is acted upon market forces to make it a need.If every wish becomes a need and people just start running after these artificially created demands, then where would this stop? Where does this conspicuous consumption leads us?

Well we have arrived .It is the final destination of journey started with Industrial Revolution. That was a water shed movement in history of civilization. But the greed generated by it has culminates here. It has reduced humans into haves and have-nots. Haves have more than they require and have-nots hardly have something to feed themselves. And there is certain amount of elitism attached with haves group.other group just exists for them to exploit.

Now instead of checking their reckless behavior they are shifting to other places. after ravishing large parts of Asia and nearly whole of Africa, capitalist forces are on hunt again. I am amused to think about people who consider moon as god. They failed to protect their earth godess they cant do anything when moon would open up its resources to man’s greed. What is the bloody use of your religion and your gods?Take yamuna, a goddess daughter of sun, is dumped with industrial wastes and it is no more than a ganda naala. Fie! Only time you remember when you go to dump those idols. Even then no shame. If that’s how you treat your gods then its no wonder humanity has become extinct.

Go on. Go on with your liberty. There is no one you fear. God was killed centuries ago. There is no law for you, for you make laws. what was it? 'survival of the fittest' isn't it? Yes sir, the ones who eliminate are the ones who have contributed to your survival!

Since 2 weeks or so the Grand old man of bollywood has been on and off interrupting us to remind of his new interest –to watch few people confined in a house for nearly 3 months. He is excited at prospect of looking at real faces of celebrities behind mask-an ironical thing to say for superstar of the millennium. Where new lads like Ranbir Kapoor are keeping low profile so that people don’t get bore of him, Mr. Bachchan has no such qualms. Perhaps after spending nearly 4 decades in Hindi Film Industry, as he calls it, the seasoned pro certainly knows how to mesmerize his viewers. In a recent interview to an English daily he said he is not afraid of over-exposure. He is passionately involved in every assignment he takes and it is his duty to guide that to success. So no matter whether it is a hair oil, a chocolate co. which was once accused of providing worms for free or cement or designer suitings etc.  he is honestly doing his duty. Son of a great poet who was a close friend of Nehru, and having spent his youth when Nehru’s socialist illusions were breaking away, Amitabh Bachchan certainly knows how to create demands.
                This time he is for bigg boss 3.

After successfully completing 2 seasons it is back on colors for 3rd one.The whole fixation with this kind of reality shows began when Shilpa participated in Big Brother to resuscitate her dwindling career. There she was made a victim of racism. Billions of Indian felt indignant and sympathized with her; She later got a film. However, Shilpa went on to win that show. All that hoopla created over racism row apart from helping her made Big Brother a household name in India. After 'who wants to be a millionaire', 'American idol' and few others desi version of big brother was inevitable.

Over the years reality shows of this kind have been whetting our voyeuristic appetite. People enjoy watching others in their private moments. 'Sach ka samna' a reality show which recently went off air was another chip off the block. According to the makers and host it was inspired or at least they pretended it to be guided by spirit of 'satymev jayate' – truth alone triumphs, who realized importance of truth in life. They were extremely pious people who decided to work for upliftment of society. They thought once a person decides to accept his guilt in front of millions he becomes chastened and remorse free. It helps him to live better.
Another hypocritical attempt at unravelling truth!

Well, of late contestants too joined the bandwagon and defended their decision to appear at the show. they felt relieved after a great load off their mind was removed. Good for them. But their relief was too much for people to handle and some perished in the process. The questions which had noble purpose of taking guilt of their mind had the unusual proclivity towards their sexual life. The host with all the sobriety of philosophers inquired ladies about their first night. The fact that even when ladies blushed host was pertinacious shows how honest he was to bring them to path of truth. it is amazing to see the publicity 'truth' has got. now a days everyone is mad about truth. lets see what truth Big B has to offer.