THE ANGST OF A COSMOPOLITAN CITY

Every morning

after daily routine

before proceeding to the railway station

neither do I promise

nor assure my wife and children

if and when they plead with me

to reach the flat at the earliest.

This cosmopolitan city

known for its magnetic charm, care and affection

and its ability to prevail upon its children

to maintain peace and harmony once

is now like a disappointed, devastated mother

which is incapable to offer us no guarantee

to our existence on her lap

since a decade.

With the inflow of hardcore

terrorists, accidents 

frequent incidents of rape, explosions and heist  

snatch away the precious lives of

hundreds of thousands of citizens.

In other words

none knows for sure

the victims whom

no one can identify faceless preys in this

city of surging crowds like the inexorable flow of water

through the rivers, that too once upon a time.

No wonder

this city, our mother and foster mother simultaneously

displays a sullen and gloomy look, pondering over

the plight and predicaments of her children.  

THE EUPHORIA

Hopes dashed to the ground

castle of dreams broken down

Jasmine scent a thing of past.

Every good effort went in vain

Libya

For exorcising the ghost

suffering millions took up cudgels

against the dictator Col.Muammar Qaddafi

who like a leech, stuck to his throne

and ordered  his loyal

militia to ruthlessly

suppress the rebellion

which went on for

two to three months.

The civilians refused

to cow down to the machinations of

the wicked autocrat.

With courage and determination fought

to dislodge the man from the citadel of power

until scenting the jasmine flowers of victory

the stubborn Col.was finally caught, dragged and lynched to death.

The exorcising of the ghost

finally achieved heralding a new dawn.

Unfortunately the dust of euphoria subsided after a short spell.

With the outbreak of another civil war

the scent of jasmine faded away.

Egypt

More than three decades in power

the ruthless, arrogant, authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak

found himself in serious trouble with the civilians

gathering at Tahrir Square

demanding his abdication from power.

On the orders of the dictator

his loyal dedicated army men

with sophisticated weapons

though triggered their guns

though threw bombs and grenades

which exploded at Tahrir Square

claimed thousands of lives.

The rebellion grew more and more stronger

until the person who

ruled more than three decades

had to bow down before the demands of civilians

and allowed himself to be their slave.

There too euphoria after a lull died down.

The rulers with authoritarian tendencies 

elevated themselves to the throne

civilians turned out be a

disappointed, disillusioned lot 

with military capturing the throne.

The scent of Jasmine exiled from Egypt too

within a short period.

Yemen

The scent of jasmine

which enveloped Yemen

forced the then ruler and his cohorts

remain sleepless

with the consolidation of the suffering thousands

coming under one banner

and saw to it that

the dictator was ousted.

God alone knows

how long peace would prevail…

Syria

With Jasmine scent

already a thing of the past

even after three years

Syria finds itself in doldrums

with no sight to the civil war subsiding.

A despicable, hated, ruthless ruler

and his loyal soldiers on the one hand

and the amoebic growth of militant outfits

Syria finds itself

between the Satan and the rock

close to two lakhs killed

and millions fled for life

Syria is now a ghost nation

waiting for a power to exorcise the ghost of dictatorship.

MY RIVER

In the course of my journeys

across the length and breadth of the country

the very sight of the rivers

filled my heart to the brim with joy

and ecstasy once upon a time.

The ever flowing rivers

made my mind full to the brim with

delight, serene and tranquility

my mind often travelled down my memory lane.

Right from my childhood days

reclining comfortably on the chair of my ancient abode

or taking rest on the river banks

together with my parents and siblings

it was our leisure time hobbies

and enjoy the cool and sweet breeze

which made us energetic and hearty always.

The very surface of the river resembled

a dark green wide carpet.

But we were aware that 

under the dark green carpet was deceptive

undercurrents - all once upon a time.

With the flow of time

the flow of the river too gradually

turned slow

with the sun showering fire on earth.

Destruction of mangroves on both sides of the river

by the ecological plunderers alongside

the sand-miners landed on our land

and forcibly took away lorries full of sand.

Nowadays while

travelling across the of the nooks and corners of the country

I often shudder

and with gnawing pain and agony

with tears welling up in my eyes

I tried in vain not to watch the drought-hit rivers

by deliberately closing my eyes.

It was quite natural that

the very glimpse of each river

often pulls me backwards and

which often prompts me to recall

the plight of our river…

albeit my reluctance….. 

THE CHALLENGER

Vigour, courage and

strength are his weaknesses

and these weaknesses his plus points.

When an inebriated, skeletal figure

throws choicest epithets at him

and dares to take on him

like a frog challenging a speeding car

coming from the opposite direction

and acting as a blockade sitting in the middle of the road

consequent to which meets a tragic end.

Our hero, vigour, strength and courage personified

takes pity on the man runs away from him

forcing the skeletal bloke

to burst out laughing

as if the man of vigour, strength and courage

ran away from him out of fear and apprehension

THE GARDEN OF LIFE

Like a football being kicked

right, left, centre and above

we, human beings

are being kicked

right, left, centre and above

by an unknown power,

like a rat is being tossed

here and there by a cat several times around

and draws maximum pleasure

and swallows the prey

and satiate its hunger,

like the pretty garden of life

is being trampled upon by

an autocrat and draws sadistic pleasure

on the surface of this Earth

these strange times make

a mince-meat of every living-being.

SLAVERY IN MODERN PARLANCE

Upon winning first rank

in the Civil Service Examination

he evolved into an

overnight celebrity.

His parents, siblings,

relatives, friends and well-wishers

on listening about his marvelous victory

hundreds of well-wishers

in all walks of life

flocked around him

presented him with precious gifts

made him elated  with joy and delight.

Those from afar rang him up

and offered him heartfelt congratulations.

Media people rushed to him

had interviews with him

and his photos with his family members

got published in all prominent newspapers.

Flowers of appreciation showered on him

and wished him a bright future in his career

throughout his service period.

Ministers and top political leaders

with bouquets in their possession

appreciated him, handed over gifts to him.

Gifts of recognition piled up before him.

After undergoing mandatory training 

at Mussorie alongside his colleagues  

he came back to his native State

and the govt appointed him

in the higher echelons of power.

Everything made him more and more humble

and he was humility personified.

But unfortunately

his days of glory

and feelings of elevation were short-lived

with the Ministers at the helm

shoot off missiles of their orders one by one

be them good or bad

the alternative being obeisance

to those who commanded

otherwise face the Music….. 

SPELLS OF DROUGHT AND SPRING

After a prolonged period of drought

on a fine morning,

spring dawned on her life.

With the arrival of a handsome youth in her life

making his jovial entry

lifted the veil of melancholy covering her life.

From the very day

I started living in this residence

together with my family

I had made it a habit watching the lady

whose face reflected an air of melancholy.

She was residing alone in her flat.

In the morning

at about 9 AM

she proceeded ahead

to the nearby station

and returned at about 6 PM in the evening.

After switching on the lights and fan

she changed her dress and wore a nighty.

After about one hour

she closed the doors and windows,

and lay on her hammock and entered

the world of sleep

while the whole city remaining awake.

One day

she came along with

a handsome youth

with the both in sweet, pleasant smiles and laughter.

It was the first time since I arrived in the city

she was seen delighted.

For a short while they lived happily together.

One day bidding adieu to her

the youth left after a short span

and plunged her again into

a shell of melancholy.

Who was the

handsome youth

and where did he go?

With the spring gone,

drought in her life

made its appearance and plunged her into

a veil of sadness.

Will the spring make a return again

with the cycle of life turning a full circle?

Will drought last for a long spell? 

AN IRRATIONAL WORLD

Is innocence a crime?

Are infants criminals?

If not, why they are

being bombarded,

gunned down,

or mined?

What crimes the warring 

nations find in them

and reduced them to pulp?

At a time the war between two nations

is being categorized in the list of crimes

is there any justifications behind

taking a plunge and indulge in wars?

How come they

dare to fight it out

and squeeze the very honeyed essence of existence

numbering about millions of

citizens across the world 

majority of them kids

who do not

know the meaning of life

who do not know

how to dream about their future, ambitions, imaginations

and even fantasies.

I am at a loss to know whether

the rulers of the

warring nations don’t

have innocent kids

who too perish in the blood-bath?

Is innocence a crime?

Are infants criminals?

And what for

they are not allowed

to grow under the care, love

affection of their parents?

INCARNATIONS OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

We are proud of being the incarnations of

Florence Nightingales

hailing from a South East nation

for the last two years.

With the eruption of a civil war breaking out

between forces belonging to

the reigning nation and hard-core militant outfits

spilling rivers of blood

and vast areas of properties including cultural heritages

being bombarded and devastated by the

ruthless rulers and equally ruthless

militants forcing the

civilians cocooned in their residences

and lakhs of refugees fleeing

to other nations across its borders.

We are held hostage by rough militants

since the last one or two months.

With explosions and loud cries renting the air

we with our empty stomachs with prayers

fearing we too might be bombarded

by the soldiers loyal to the government or by the elements of terror.

We curse ourselves for boarding flights to this nation

for earning a livelihood,from our land of origin.

Our parents, siblings,

friends and relatives

must be praying to the God Almighty

for our safe passage to our land of birth.

We can very well

fathom the depth of their angst

with all communications broken

and our contacts lost.

The explosions can destroy our hospital

killing us all

we are shivering with fear by hiding

in the basements of the hospital.

Like us the patients too are trembling

with fright including the seriously ill struggling for life, praying to God.

Which power can rescue us from this hell?

    

THE TOWERING INFERNO

Bashar-Al-Assad, would have been a renowned ophthalmologist if he had stepped into a pair of new shoes after throwing away the old pair of shoes worn by his father Hafiz-Al-Assad, the notorious autocrat who let loose a reign of terror across Syria with an iron hand. He was like a king cobra on prowl spreading its fang and bite his victims.

Dr.Assad, the junior, instead of following his profession stepped into his father’s shoes and with a streak of authoritarianism running through his veins rules Syria with an iron fist and going on with his father’s ruthlessness, venality and determination from the very day he assumed power and since 2011 is on a venomous mission of annihilating the rebels who are determined to kick him out from his throne and subsequently his soldiers went on a genocide snatching 150000 and more civilian deaths. Millions displaced from their abodes yet the blood-shed continues with no sign of peace in sight. A son who has inherited his father’s genes finds no escape from choosing a reign of terror across the length and breadth of the country.

Otherwise what explanation one has to offer to the massacres of lakhs of his own country men.

Nowadays we the citizens across the world seem to have forgotten that blessed inspiring, charming slogan ‘Jasmine’ Revolution.

With Iraq on the boil, Ukraine about to fall into a civil war, Boko Haram, the militant outfit on a killing spree across Nigeria, more than 200 young children held hostage according to their will and pleasure, the Palestinian Hamas involved in deadly conflict with Israel causing the murder of a number of Hamas citizens majority of them innocent children for no fault of theirs’ – our world is heading to a towering inferno.

BOOKS AND LETTERS

If I was not a book-worm

If I was not a man of letters

I f boredom like a curse

was fallen upon me

I f I was not confined to a room

with none to cultivate friendship, camaraderie and love.

I would have been

thrown out into a ditch of insanity already. 

THE HYDRA

The city, once my foster-mother beckons me not these days.

Her inability to offer guarantee to one’s life

if he/she mulls over catching a train or any vehicle

and for that matter keeps her silent, gloomy and frightened

due to her helplessness

since the hydra of

terror, violence and apprehensions spreads its tentacles

across the length and breadth of the

hapless foster-mother.

There was a period when the city and her

children basked

in the glories of peace, non-violence and harmony.

True,

her tremendous growth makes one baffled

the advent of the monster of terror,

violence and apprehension goes on strangulating her

she never welcomes any one to her lap

reaching from faraway lands risking their lives

in order to have their daily bread

by toiling hard throughout the day taking no rest.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

I can sense a

protective covering around me

whenever you are by my side.

I can experience

the agony and ecstasy

whenever I am around your arms.

I can recall the gone days in our life

whenever we rewind our past

driving us to get drowned in the sea of nostalgia.

I can feel the glories and ordeals

our ancestors underwent before we made our presence

on the surface of Mother Earth

from the books and documents available to us.

I can experience with shudder

the generation next will have to suffer

the catastrophe with our earth heading

to evolve into an unlivable place

owing to our own undoing…. 

BLACK AND WHITE

Our benevolent king

kept no time-schedule or deadline

for travelling under the moonlit, starry nights

astride his white horse.

The benevolent king

despite keeping the deadline

and the routes for travelling

under the starry, moonlit nights

astride his horse

kept his secrets close to his chest.

We, his loyal subjects lay on our cots for hours together  

waited and hoped to listen to the ‘tuck tuck tuck’ steps of his

white horse everynight.

Though we were ignorant about

his dead-lines and the routes he chose.

Still expectations and hopes

never allowed us to fall in the sleep,

we lay glued to our cots.

 Our despair and sorrow

forced us to push into the verge of abyss

we continued to listen to the steps

astride his white horse every night.

One day to our shock and agony

news of a malevolent king from the neighbouring country

astride his black horse

and long array of his soldiers with sophisticated weapons

conquered our country overpowering

our king and catapulted himself to the throne

and let loose a reign of terror across the country

consequently sending the lightning shivers down our spines. 

ALIEN PLANET

Flowers are withering away

alongside the plants.

Rivers, rivulets, streams

and ponds dried up.

Unable to withstand

the red hot sun

the verdant landscape has already vanished.

And the fields get burnt by blazing sun

and they develop cracks.

Scarcity of grass and water forces the farmers

to dump their cattle at the abattoir.

The farmers unable to repay the loans

they availed of from banks and shylocks

attain solace by the kisses of death.

The melting glaciers cause the water levels

of the oceans to rise threatening the

submergence of island nations below sea-levels.

With the famines like sharks and whales

reaching out to swallow us, the victims - the Homosapiens.

One day our Mother

Planet – the Earth

will turn into an alien planet

with none remaining alive…..  

THE CIVIL WAR

With the explosions

reaching nearer and nearer

with explosions piercing

our ears intermittently

we were left with

no other alternatives

except to flee for life

leaving our belongings

then and there.

Looking for a safe place

we covered hundreds of miles.

And

after a number of days we

reached the outskirts

of a neighbouring country

tired, devastated disheartened and frightened we were.

Like any other refugees

who had pitched their

tents before our arrival

we too pitched a tent nearby.

Hunger was taking our toll

resulting  in the death

of a few of our near and dear

on the way

what we were badly missing was

at least a square meal once in a while

if not daily.

After pitching our tent

we could hear with fear

the loud but compassionate sounds of

helicopters flying above our heads

dropping food packets.

We could see from inside our tents

refugees in other tents coming out

and fighting for the food packets

like stray dogs fighting for a crumb of bones.

Hunger doesn’t

have caste, creed and religion.

Hunger knows not the

meaning of love, friendship or compassion.

After finding out the reason behind

the crawling out of

the refugees from

their tents in hundreds

we too started sitting with our 

ears glued to the ground

for the occasional arrival of helicopters

with food packets.

We too started

fighting with other refugees

for at least a food packet to

satiate our hunger.

We hate our government like anything

we hate our enemies - the militants

who are bent upon ousting the

autocrat ruling our country.

What we need is peace

What we dream is peace

What we want to lead

is a peaceful life with at least a square meal a day

which are eluding us.

Instead of that

what we undergo are a chain of nightmares. 

CAN WE?

Violence,

physical and mental,

both are being enacted

on the stages 

across the countries
the world over

but

that which are visible

before us are physical violences

like Shakesperian tragedies

or for that matter any tragedies,

violences that which are enacted in the

minds of people

I mean mental violences

are performed in the minds

of the citizens across the world.

Mental violence finds

its expression

like black humour finds its source,

in the works of certain

artists, writers or intellectuals.

Can we come to the point

that the mental violence

evolves into physical violence?

THE BROADWAY

Under a scorching sunny day

down the busy Broadway

four (or five?) young men or (women?)

undertook a streaking.

Like a flash of lightning

making the onlookers spellbound

with unbelieving eyes

they stood rooted like statues

unable to even identify 

those four (or five?) young men (or women?)

Was it a hallucination?

Or flashes of lightning

melting into thin air

just before a heavy downpour

they couldn’t make head or tail of it.

With the onlookers

coming to their senses

each glanced at the other

with big question marks

glimmering in their eyes inquiring

whether they actually went thru

a sleight of the hand feeling, a magical feeling

none could respond with conviction.

Where did (or didn’t?) they come from?

Where were (or weren’t) they heading to

even today it continues an unsolved puzzle….  

  

A SCOUNDREL

He always yearned

to take a bath in the limelight.

What he badly missed was a platform

and a sea of audience to listen to his words in rapt attention.

He had a mountain of views

and ideas under the sun and occasionally beyond the sun

to ventilate his feelings at the top of his voice.

After weighing the pros and cons

he chose a political outfit albeit politics

though it is often said is the last resort of a scoundrel.

‘It is better to be a scoundrel’

rather than a non-entity in the society – he believes.

Politics, after all, is a lucrative profession

which needs no capital. 

AN IDEAL COUPLE

Knowing her

pastime of fondness

towards her garden

bearing colourful blooms

he brought her various

plants and gifted it to her.

Reading his love of flowers

she would present him

bunches of flowers to make him hale and hearty.

Reading her attachment towards him

he would pour in

elixir of love in abundance

to get her inebriated with love.

Aware of her longing

for sunset he would give her company

to Marine Drive and

enjoy the sight of the waves of the sea

lashing the sea shore.

They are moments of the

Sun in his ochre robe

slowly taking dip for the day.

Knowing his love of

Sunrise she would wake him up early in the morning

and would walk to the sea-shore.

They would wait for

the appearance of

silvery Sun smiling at them.

Enjoying the warmth and brightness of Sun

both would get locked in embraces

and thousand kisses.

Come Sunday mornings

he would give

her company to the church

to attend the Holy Communion.

Whenever he aspired to

go to the temple

she would accompany him

and would wait for him

outside the temple.

MY PURSUIT

In pursuit of her proximity

I ran fast, walked fast,

and jumped many a hurdle.

Fatigue, tiredness, agony

thirst and hunger

all turn immaterial

when a goal is set.

I am optimistic

still optimistic

one day my purpose

ought to be materialized.

Life is a game of pursuits

one’s aim

one’s dedication

one’s devotion

relegating all other matters behind.

WHAT THE STARS FORETELL?

What the stars foretell?

Stars foretell umpteen things.

Not all predictions need be true.

Some go right

but many go awry.

What the stars foretell?

Stars foretell many things

love, hate,

wealth, penury,

vigour and strength

friendship and enmity

the lists go on.

Not all of them need be true

but many go wrong.

Knowing all these facts

we go through, “what the stars foretell

this week for you”

in the inner pages of

a newspaper or magazines.

Funny….. really funny……

WITHER GONE ARVIND KEJRIWAL AND HIS PARTY?

It was a meteoric rise. It was an incredible nose-dive. Within one year of its formation it could draw the attention of the whole world. Majority of citizens across India - most of them middle class citizens and those belonging to the lower middle class - got attracted to the new party.

AAP(Aam Admi Party) leaders, through their dedication and sincerity spread far and wide across the nation was in the vanguard against massive corruption, poverty, unemployment, millions of masses without roofs over head, lack of sanitation, scarcity of pure drinking water, sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities and food – all eating into the vitals of national fabric fought against government in the citadels of power through peaceful demonstrations. Leaders and followers of the party visited each household and those without covers of their heads drew the attention and apprised them of the immediate need of changing the shape of the body-politic.

Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav, Manish Sisodia and a number of leaders made the people aware of the murky political situation prevailing across the nation and could succeed in bringing the latter to its fold. The citizens who were suppressing their anger and indignation since decades at last got a savior to fight for them. The excitement and enthusiasm with which they flocked to the leaders of Aam Admi Party were inspiring.

The bye-elections to the assemblies of five States were round the corner and the party under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal decided to contest from New Delhi with vigour, spirit and determination mobilized the citizens as a first step in the direction. Even AAP members of other States caught trains to New Delhi to contribute their mite and invoked the Delhi citizens to exercise their franchise and catapult the Aam Admi Party to power. The citizens of Delhi with courage and conviction cast their valuable votes in favour of AAP at the hustings since they were reeling under the pressure of corruption, unemployment, poverty etc since a prolonged period.

With the counting of votes nearing its end, to everyones’ surprise and delight AAP came second, the first being BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) but without the majority to form a govt.

The Congress got relegated a poor third and to prevent the BJP from cobbling together a govt the former decided to extend its support to AAP to run the Union Territory of Delhi.

Thus a party of one year old was elevated to power with full of promises.

With Arvind Kejriwal in the chair of Chief Minister, a group of his colleagues held the positions of various Ministries, the govt proceeded ahead implementing a host of reforms. Mr.Kejriwal’s unnecessary hurry proved his undoing. True. He could provide seven hundred litres of water free of charge to those who were suffering from scarcity of water, cutting the power-tariff to half bringing cheers in the faces of Delhites those were good times to Delhites.

With him taking up tabling of Jan Lokpal in the Assembly, Indian National Congress(INC) which was extending support to his govt from outside decided to withdraw support to his govt since the leaders of the INC were apprehending framing of charges against them for the massive corruption indulged in by them. But Mr.Kejriwal, the young man in a hurry remained stubborn, tabled the bill in the Assembly. With BJP and Congress members voting against Kejriwal was left with no choice except to step down after 49 days of AAP’s holding of power. Later he even went to the extend of offering unqualified apology to the Delhites but they couldn’t and wouldn’t wanted to share the blame with him.

Within three to four months, approached General elections and AAP wanted to field candidates across the States. And it did. But with rumblings within AAP and many resigning from the party as they got fed up with the party the party could garner only four seats, that too from Punjab. Delhi which made him Chief Minister and blessed his party once, turned their faces away from him and his party and was pushed into a big zero.

Nowadays, even the party’s name not coming up I wonder what actually happened to Mr.Kejriwal and his colleagues.

As Jairam Rmaesh, the Congress leader put it ‘the AAP can’t be called a party but it is a collection of inividuals’. His statement has been proved right.