Chill and Kill

I call myself a big news freak and a voracious news reader. Try to reach out whatever source available around me. Morning before leaving I scan through a Bengali newspaper. Only headlines and sports news cannot go through whole newspaper because Bengali newspaper have nothing, not even a spoonful. Apart from a big headline and the sports news limited to Bengal, Saurav Ganguli and rivalry between East Bengal and Mohan Bagan. Bengali newspapers are surviving on gossip columns only. The news looked as if taken from a chapter of a fiction; this is not news journalism. After coming to my work place I go through an English daily and then I surfed the net for the current one every hour. Now these day news bring less joy and more sorrow. All the time you will stumble to a piece either man made disaster or a disaster related to natural calamities. Some of the news are so disturbing even it is not relates to any disaster.

In current situation, terror is a word that we have to live with it. This is a business that run and funded by some maniacs. They are sitting back and plotting it then having fun. The victims are the innocent peoples and may be the hand that carried out job, they are brainwashed by the handler and blindly follows the diktat. The news that really disturbs me is not this terror but the other terror that we come across everyday in daily newspaper.

In India all the claims regarding education and literacy goes to kaput when you have to face the caste and castesim and our new ID card supposed to come with our caste. That was not enough, now Gotra, God, save us from this. How many people in modern India know their Gotra? Even if you know it, is it making any difference to human kind?

In rural India (mainly North India) in the name of caste and gotra peoples are playing holy with real colour that is blood. A journalist staying alone and working with a renowned newspaper decided to marry a deserving person she liked, killed brutally by her own family. A woman working and living in London, when she decided to go her own way she lured by her mother-in-law and husband to their native in Punjab, she never returned. When men from these communities want to choose their own path nobody bothered about Gotra. If a girl brings so much honour to you then why you kill them before they can see the light. More disturbing thing is that women are equally involved in this kind of terror plot. A lawmaker in every house and Government is doing nothing. Gosh, they need a psychiatric. You will find lots of news regarding honour killing but I fear that mostly never come out in open or failed to find a place in a newspaper.

!!!Loads of blood, innocent peoples dieing young in the hand of insane, a cold-blooded murder, so, where is the honour and anyway whose honour it is?!!!

Up market sales! Sale anything.

Selling or buying is the process that known as trade. Trading is thing that has many dimensions. Since last June, I am writing, not only this blog, about the stories that I am writing. It is still my property and apart from a few of my close person other yet to read it. Before starting a new one I often discuss the outline of the story with a few student of either sex, most of them are in college or working. Before starting my current one, I told them that I am writing a story, which based on life of a woman who finally has to sell herself, because she left with no other choices or options. Some appreciate my idea and reading four chapter which I completed, they found it good, those not agreed I told them what about those in the name of high society, changing their partner everyday or some of those just using their beauty to reach at the top and using themselves (their body) exclusively. Character in my story was in a position that she had no other options left. Therefore, I dedicate that particular story to those women, who have to sell themselves to survive, because they just cannot die at one instant and dieing everyday.

Until you do not trade your integrity, all are fine. Two words both starts with ‘T’, traitor and terrorist are just like a dangerous termite which eating up the world’s peace slowly and steadily. Both are faceless and ruthless. Traitor is the most disgusting one out of two, because they are the one who is one of us and always moving around us. When I saw the photo of a smiling Madhuri Gupta in newspaper, an instant anger creep through my whole body, I cannot describe the feeling. Her explanation was that she wanted to teach a lesson to her superior, what you can say about this explanation from a so-called street-smart woman. I found the above statement could come out from only a dumb and dumber mouth. You are having a grudge against one your family member and you are all set to bring down your whole family, you throw your mother to pyre. Paper describes her street-smart, glorifying a traitor. Somebody smart means having little brain, will never do this. No, nobody will do this to his or her motherland that also to ISI that brings pain in our neck for last 63 years, trying everything that hurt us. Loves for money, expensive accessories, liquor, car, jewelry, affairs with someone who is as good as half of her age and she is ready sell her own country. Tomorrow you will find one Ram Gopal Verma, Mahesh Bhatt or somebody else will make a movie ‘Madhuri Gupta Ki Amar Kahani’ or ‘Main Madhuri Gupta Banana Chahati Hoon ’, because they lack creativity and always tried to glorify an outlaw. What better they can do.

I have nothing to trade than my little intelligence, ability to work hard and honesty and I am happy even I am not in big money. My requirements are very little and happy whatever I have. I still left with a priceless assets, my integrity. Buy it? Sale the universe, still you will find the amount is not handful, forget it, why to bargain, this one is not for sale, move on and you will find many Madhuri Guptas.

!!!Keep your integrity close to your heart, look forward but once in a while look back too, limit your requirement below you capacity, be happy and sleep well.!!!

Ocean of Gems and Jewels

I am dedicating this blog to bard of Bengal Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore. May 9, 2010 was his 150th birth anniversary. Throughout my life, I maintained a unique relation with Tagore’s work. My first encounter with Tagore was obliviously by ‘Sahaj Path’. Before that ‘Sonar Tari’ (The Golden Boat) was the poem which my brother used to recite many times, I was barely three or four, two lines of the poem puts lots of questions in my mind and I was very angry too

Thai nai thai nai choto se tari, aamari sonar dhane giyeche bahri
No room, no room, the boat is too small. / Loaded with my gold paddy, the boat is full.

I asked my granny, why police never catch the thief, who ran away with all gold paddy. Latter came to know it was all about the British, who were robbing our prosperity.

After moving to Jammy, then the place was full of Bengalis and we were having a Bengali section separately in our school. In high school, we always conducted many cultural programs and when a Bengali does that, Tagore will be always there. Specially ‘Basant Utsab’ (Spring Festival) would never happen without all that Tagore left behind.

Then I was fall prey to a thing that happen to most of the Bengalis, Tagore’s works overshadowed by Hindi film and English music, forgetting my roots totally. After coming back this time around, all of certain waked up or call it discovers myself all over. I have a bathroom-rejected voice so never tried to hum anything loudly but certainly my soul always there when I listen to his song.

In my inspiration or depression, joy or sorrow, always find a piece and then tell myself – ‘there is somebody else who is sharing your pains and happiness as same as you are going through now’. I try to take the positive notes from there and find myself all pumped up. Another thing that may be many people not aware of that Tagore's biggest gift to the world of literature was the short stories, no body written these the way he did. Songs (written and composed), poems for all ages, prose, short stories, novels, dance drama and painting, you name it and everything is there, in vast quantity and excellent quality(quantity and quality under one roof, a rare thing). It is difficult to pick up a few drop form this ocean, still giving a few.

‘Amaro parano Jaha Chai, Tumi tai, Tumi tai go’
What my heart desire, you are having it all

I also want to hum to someone (do not jump to the conclusion) of either sex or any age who is having all qualities which I appreciate.

Gram Chhara Ei Ranga Matir Path/The Little Red Muddy Road
I never been to a real village except one in Goa but you believe me or not this song remind me my all visits to Matheran.

‘Purano shei diner kotha Bhulbe kii re Hai o shei chokher dekha, praaner kotha Sheikii bhola jaaye’
The memories of the good old days can you ever forget it? It was seen by our eyes, was voice of our life can it ever be forgotten?

‘Neel nabaghono Asharh gogone til thain aar nahire. Ogo aaj tora jasne ghorer bahire."
There is virtually no space in the new deep dark-blue of the Asharh skies, Take heed all of you, don't venture out of your homes.

Kachhe theke dur rochilo
Though so near, yet you are far. You create separation within union. The sea of nectar lying ahead is a mirage. I cannot quench my thirst. I know you, yet I know you not.

Shapane dohe chhino ki mohe
The dream is now ended. Before you go do leave something behind,. A tear-stained glance, so that parting is memorable. Only sweet memories shall remain like the polestar or a melody…

Jakhun porbe na mor payer chinha
When my steps would touch this bank no more,/ When my life’s canoe I would row no more,

Tomar kachhe khache na mor kobir gorbo kora,/ Moha kobi, tomar paee dite chai je dhora.
My poet's vanity dies in shame before thy sight. O master poet, I have sat down at thy feet.

A poem from Geetanjali –
Death
O thou the last fulfilment of life,
Death, my death, come and whisper to me!

Day after day I have kept watch for thee;
for thee have I borne the joys and pangs of life.

All that I am, that I have, that I hope and all my love
have ever flowed towards thee in depth of secrecy.
One final glance from thine eyes
and my life will be ever thine own.

The flowers have been woven
and the garland is ready for the bridegroom.
After the wedding the bride shall leave her home
and meet her lord alone in the solitude of night.

!!!There is no dearth in this ocean, global warming and greenhouse effect cannot destroy it, just take a dip and the feeling ……feel yourself!!!

Night's darkness is a bag that burst with the gold of dawn. - (Tagore - Stray Birds)

Labour Pain or Master Gain!

Finally done with April but there will be no respite in May too. Sun god looks very cheerful and animated but often lost the battle to a rare burst of clouds and rains, certainly brings a huge relief on a hot and humid day. Rains in summer are more pleasurable than the one in monsoon. No, this blog is not about the seasons.

The word slavery will remain a black spot on human kind. Every country in the world gone through it. Slaves worked, ate and slept like an animal and women, just go on and guess yourself. Looking at the famous and beautiful monuments like Pyramid, Taj Mahal and others we just appreciate it but never think about those people who made it possible. Name of Pharos or Saha Jahan will be remember but nobody ever think about those thousands of peoples who once chained, flogged and have to work day night to erect these monuments. People bought and sold like any other commodities, what a shame on civilized world. Not only that, an owner given full permission to kill the slaves they owned. Even slavery abolished somewhere between 18th and 19th century, modern society and so-called white collar human still practice it. You will find something comes up everyday. In Bangalore, a software professional feeding their 15 years old domestic help in an astray like their dog or someone working in an office for twelve hours, at the end never paid in time. People forget one thing, on the final day our destination will be same. Things were worst in Arabian countries than other places, once their main trading was slave trade and still they treat their domestic help as good as a slave. They totally unaware about the word human rights while treating their domestic help. Recently a domestic help killed by her employer in Kuwait, there are many more.

When slavery finally abolished on paper, still working conditions were not good. After much protest and bloodbath, finally eight hour a day working and a weekly holiday came to the picture at the end of 19th century. May 1st celebrated as International Labour day in India and all over the world.

However, today same Labours also need little soul searching. Working conditions improved day by day, but not for all. Exploitation is still there and will be there.

With changing time peoples like me who worked in Private firm or MNC, every penny we earned we sweated for it. A few years back if you gone to a Government office that includes banks too, the employees over there make you feel like that they were doing a big favour to you, first they never showed up in time and then the behaviour of those, just unimaginable. Bribing is a daily routine be it a micro level or macro level. For your new telephone connection, your loan sanction, to police for a passport clearance (even you never killed a mosquito) is a part parcel of our life. Often you will find some of these government servants moving around mid-afternoon, if you ask – Are you on leave? A reply will come with lots of pride

- No, my time is 10 O’clock but I can go by 1p.m.

With the time, there are little changes in the approach at the government offices but still mountains to climb over and years will pass by, when you get the due service for which you pay your hard-earned money and may be without bribing.

Many ways one can beg, employees, who are earning fat salary from government (that is peoples money) and not performing their duty are the biggest one. Life’s biggest feel good factor is work hard and earn legally, self-satisfaction is another thing that bring more joy than those extras…!

!!!To keep ones head high, not required a seven feet frame, be honest, work hard, earn your due and feel sky is just in your limit.!!!