REALITIES AND DREAMS

Sometimes, I talk to myself

without any lip-movements

and without facial muscles moving.

Sometimes, I cry to myself

without tears filling my eyes

or without any change of expressions.

Sometimes, I laugh to myself

without letting anybody listen to my laughter.

Sometimes, I sing to myself

silently

without allowing others to hear 

enjoy or making mockery of myself.

Sometimes, I fly up the sky without wings

in the starry nights

to touch a star or moon and

return to earth making merry

without anybody watching.

Sometimes, I drive a vehicle down the roads

full of craters or potholes

jumping the obstacles like humps and hills

like an expert driver

without knowing driving, in my dreams.

Sometimes, I swim against

the currents when the rivers flowing fast

and reach my destination at the earliest.  

Sometimes, I walk over an ocean

like I walk along a street without getting drowned

that too in my dreams. 

THE DARK CLOUDS

Like a bolt from the blue
was your appearance
in the temple premises.
Each day during my evening walk
you are seen in
the surroundings of the temple
clad in a grimy white shirt and lungi.
Like dark clouds of gloom enveloping your face
smoking beedies one after
another facing the idol of the temple
with no respect or devotion
leaning against any of the cars parked
nearby the temple
smoking beedies one after another
without noticing any of the devotees
frequenting the temple
to pray and pay obeisance
to the god.
You go on
with your daily routine
of smoking beedies
as if to vent your anger towards the God
clad in grimy white shirt and lungi.
I see you everyday
sometimes
 sitting on the verandha of the building
nearby temple drowsing sometimes
with the dark clouds
of depression conquering you.
You looked like a
man drowned in meditation.
None has been seen
talking to you
either out of fear or pity
you too not taking care to talk to anyone
I don’t know how long
you will be in the temple surroundings
in the evenings or throughout the day.
I know not from where
you get your daily meals
to keep you away from
an empty stomach
since I haven’t seen you
begging anybody.
Like a bolt from the
blue you may vanish to somewhere one day
without anyone taking care to think
about your presence or absence
from the temple premises.  
So what?..............

MODI GOVERNMENT’S HUNDRED DAYS

There is a misconception in the Sangha Parivar that seeds of communalism can easily germinate, grow up across India and can reap rich harvests within a short span. Agree. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi could win hands down in the previous election held in May 2014. The complacency among the leaders of National Defence Alliance (NDA) led to a somewhat poor performance in the bye-elections held in various States last month. Bharathiya Janata Party was forced to emerge with number two position which was something surprising and embarrassing to its leaders.

Indian Communist Party, I mean United Communist Party of India, too nurtured a similar misconception that it could reap rich dividends in a country like India where hundreds of millions of people live below poverty line. Even after more than six decades the chasm separating haves and have-nots are more and more widening. After India achieved Independence on August 15, 1947 several parties and alliances ruled the country and the expectations of a bright future remains elusive.

Amit Shah, the recently elected President of Bharathiya Janata Party who is referred to as a modern Chanakya was selected by Mr.Modi, our Prime Minister, to campaign in Uttar Pradesh for the general elections who worked tirelessly for the massive victory of the party in the State proved his worth when the results came pouring in. Out of the 80 seats, BJP after a long gap emerged with 71 seats which was a pleasant surprise to the party and a double whammy for parties like Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and last but not the least Indian National Congress which could win 44 seats only which was the lowest ever tally since independence.

Amit Shah’s trade secret was to drive a wedge between the majority community and minority communities there by snatching a major chunk of seats in UP.

Amit Shah has already started a whirlwind tour of the States which are getting ready for the elections shortly. They are Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana. The cards Mr.Shah is expected to play are already known to the average citizens. His trump card, no doubt will be the replication of Uttar Pradesh by adhering majoritarianism.

A visibly pleasant Modi, our Prime Minister, too is playing his cards and that is to lift those who are still in the abyss of poverty by introducing various reform measures. On independence day addressing the hundreds of thousands of people across the country and dignitaries he took the opportunity to make it known to the people across the nation like Pradhan Mantri  Jan Sadharan Yojana by which helping every Indian who doesn’t have an account in a bank to open one in any of the banks, provide them with RuPay card, accident insurance cover and life insurance. Already nearly two crore people have been brought under the scheme out of a target of 7.5 crore citizens.

Mr.Modi has outlined some reform measures to extend maximum help to the farmers. His aim to introduce infrastructure development which is his pet project, the railways, irrigation, electricity, transport and education, maintain warm relations with foreign nations and invite them to invest in India on a large scale. ‘Come, make in India’ is his new advice to industry and business circles belonging to various countries. He has already visited Nepal and signed agreements and established friendly ties in various fields beneficial to both. He has been to Japan last week and was given a red-carpet welcome by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. During his five day visit there both the PMs discussed matters of importance to both countries like economy, trade and industry, civil-nuclear energy and he interacted with Japanese industry circles and coined a new slogan ‘no red tape, but red-carpet’ to lure them to invest in India.

He is expected to visit US, Vietnam and Australia in September-October-November months respectively and is likely to mingle with the heads of friendly countries.

While Amit Shah is trying to play majoritarianism which is his trump card in the ensuing elections to Assemblies of certain States, his right hand Mr.Narendra Modi(or left?) is busy with his Prime Ministerial obligations to give a face-lift to India on a war footing,by evoking popular measures which if implemented would be of great benefit to the people of India.

Through unprecedented economic development within a span of five years, people would benefit on a grand scale and with the people emerging out from the abyss of poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, sanitation problems, accommodation problems, slavery of women, rapes, covering both majority communities as well as minority communities Mr.Modi can ensure that the nation is likely to undergo a sea-change. Otherwise just opposite could be the result, I mean the bitter fight between majority (Hindutva) and minority communities like muslims. 

NUCLEAR FAMILY

They are two strange bed-fellows

though man and wife.

They are two islands

each far away from the other

in the vast expanse of the ocean of life.

In the morning none has noticed them

leaving the flat together to their offices.

Whoever gets ready

or whoever is urgent to go

either he or she steps down the stairs

and enter the road leaves first

to catch the train.

Whoever arrives first in the evening after

the day’s duties unlocks the door.

Since both of them keep keys

either of them can unlock the door.

Those who live

in the neighbouring flats

none gets time to seek

the welfare of others.

Who cooks the food 

who serves the food

who washes the vessels

who fills water in the vessels

nobody knows

and that’s none of

the business of others.

This is the age of nuclear families

none needs to teach others about it.

Nuclear families are

here to stay as the joint family

system is a story of the past.

Joint families have already collapsed

like a pack of cards.

   

ISLAMIC STATE BLOWS OUT THE FLAME OF ANOTHER US JOURNALIST….

Hardcore militant outfit Islamic State (IS), deadlier than Al-Queda, has snatched away the life of an American journalist Steven Sotloff close on the heels of the beheading of James Foley, a freelance US journalist who were captured by the outfit, one in 2012 and another in 2013 which has sent shock waves among the citizens the world over. On recalling the cold-blooded way with which those two journalists were killed send shudders down the bodies of all of us, the world citizens.

On recalling the killing of Steven Sotloff, another picture, a heart-rending one emerges before us. In spite of the polite appeals and prayers of his wife to self-proclaimed Caliph, Abbobakkar-Al-Bagdadi to set her husband free which was displayed on the television channels world wide. Those appeals and heartfelt prayers of his wife were enough to melt even the persons who are basically unemotional. Instead of her pleadings and prayers the response was just the opposite. It must have excited the terrorists and they might have celebrated the beheading of Steven Sotloff with much fanfare.

‘Maximum City’ authored by Suketu Mehta, is a matter of factly written story of Mumbai by touching all aspects of the cosmopolitan city. In the book which is a fairly large work a huge chunk of the said book deals with underworld of Mumbai.

A number of young men who are loyal to their masters, most of them living abroad with pomp and pageantry whose signals  guide the young men to fish out the victims and do away with them without showing any mercy whatsoever.  

The victims often plead with the trigger - happy youth to spare them from death, which actually intoxicates and excite these underworld youth if and when or even otherwise the victim begs the underworld ‘incarnations’ by sparing their lives actually are doing them a favour since his parents and siblings for whom he is the sole bread winner.

Such pleadings often lead the underworld youths travel down the memory lane, who were not blessed with such love, affection and care right from their early days of their life and a number of them were orphans and therefore in a hurry to deprive the victim’s family of his livelihood and ruthlessly trigger their guns and shoot them point blank there by enjoying maximum satisfaction.

These underworld youth and the militants of the terror outfit Islamic State (IS) are moving along the same wavelength.

Islamic State (IS), is the Frankenstein Monster which was provided with financial assistance and logistical weapons by United States itself, as the famous defence analyst Brahma Chellany noted in one of his articles, to fight against the Bashar-Al-Asad, the Syrian President, thereby helping them to oust Azad from power, then the name of the Islamic State (IS) was Free Syrian Army. The same forces have turned against United States now and Brahma Chellany’s assumption that Islamic State (IS) have gradually evolved into Frankenstein Monster is absolutely correct which nobody would like to disagree.

It was the same scenario in Afghanistan in 1989. To drive out Soviet Union from Afghanistan, US without weighing the pros and cons of such a step extended a helping hand to Al-Queda led by Bin Laden. Funds and lethal weapons were generously supplied in ample measure to them to force the Soviet troops to withdraw from Afghanistan. The same hard-core militant outfit, ie; Al-Queda later turned against the USA and like the Frankenstein Monster, turned against its creator were the first to strike US by demolishing World Trade Centre and reducing it into a pile of dust in 2001.

And now Islamic State (IS) has turned out to be the principal enemy of US.

The exasperated Obama, US President has ordered his forces to bombard and thereby wipe out the last terrorist from the soil of Iraq and Syria.         

BEWITCHING BEAUTY

Enchanting and enthralling, she is

seductive and inviting her eyes and lips

heartthrob of hundreds and

thousands of us, the gents, she is

youth, middle-aged and even the old

sensuous and sweet her lips

just a kiss

a sweet kiss

enough to get bewitched by her honey-dripping lips.

Forgetting everything we fall flat before her

and in other words we are enslaved by her proximity

forgetting the surroundings

forgetting our duties

forgetting our responsibilities

towards our wives and children

we continue to enjoy

and derive maximum pleasure.

Our women on hearing about a lady

enslaving their life–partners

got furious, agitated and pained

went to the authorities

and kept them abreast of the

‘witch’ squeezing the essence of their men.

Those in power assured the ladies

to take necessary steps

to keep the enchanting beauty in  check

though willy-nilly;

Yet we can’t back-track

from our from the hallowed lady

jumped all hurdles and are

flocking around her

since we can’t find an escape route

since we are enslaved by her.

Despite listening to the

appeals and loud cries of

our wives and children

we remain rock-solid.

CAN PROHIBITION HELP IN PUTTING AN END TO THE CONSUMPTION OF LIQUOR BY THE PEOPLE

‘Defiance, not obedience is the answer of an American to prohibition’ – wrote a renowned US writer in one of her essays. As a citizen I am of the view that these lines are applicable to all nations especially democratic nations. A citizen needs only commonsense that by slapping prohibition across the nation or any of the states of nation, people who are prone to liquor consumption do have a penchant to violate the rules and go in pursuit of illicit liquor which is available from those who indulge in distillation by stealth across the state or the nation as a whole. As a respected, former judge of High Court of Kerala observed yesterday, the sale of illicit liquor is likely to become a cottage industry and in the place of foreign liquor and arrack, illicit liquor is poised to flow like rivers around the state or nation which could harm the health of drunkards.

I have seen in Mumbai sale of illicit liquor by those who live in chawls (chawls are small houses reminding one of matchboxes arranged in a straight line) where confirmed drunkards frequent on a regular basis without fearing any law enforcers. Those who can’t afford to visit foreign liquor shops, they frequent chawls which sell illicit liquor for cheaper rates. The owners of the chawls don’t have any other ways to earn a living. These people are from the inner areas of Maharashtra who came in search of jobs years ago and were appointed as employees of textile mills about two decades ago. These textile mills had to close down due to labour problems and the labourers were left with no choice but to sell illicit liquor through their chawls. They are very well aware of the fact that the thing they sell is very cheap but is poisonous too adversely affecting the health of the consumers. But with guilty conscience they serve liquor to the customers frequenting the chawls. In Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra there exists no prohibition still this is the state of affairs prevailing there.

With total prohibition coming into effect in our State one need not have an iota of doubt that spirit from the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is certain to flow into Kerala thru borders where there are no one to check the vehicles carrying large quantities of spirit. The other day a TV channel brought to everyone’s view an unmanned border in Karnataka through which anyone can smuggle spirit, foreign liquor or for that matter any banned substances without any apprehensions.

With festival season approaching Kerala the flow of spirit, foreign liquor and pan masala, cannabis(ganja) etc are likely to play a leading role thereby providing intoxication or inebriation creating waves across the State.

We did witness a tragedy in Kerala years back, through the consumption of illicit liquor which claimed the lives of a number of people. And the culprits are still languishing in prisons.

If and when the prohibition coming into existence on the stipulated date, our hopes and prayers should always be that such replication of the tragedy must not visit again the Keralites, the tourists or ordinary mortals. Sorry I am not optimistic.

Remember the well-known American writer’s words – which I quoted at the outset of this article.