Answer is 'Bhagwatgeeta'...!

Yesterday, Rashmi touched the question whose answer is only bhagwatgeeta !

The summery of the question was,

• Why doeas human being is the only living organism on earth who needs so many complex things on and from earth and no other living being needs even 0.1% of his needs? 

• Is he really the clever creature running endlessly behind a baseless self invented thing called 'money' and trying hard to get every happiness THROUGH money which he (or all other animals) gets anyways ! 

• Why is he trapped in a moebius strip (Please google it to understand this concept) and he is not finding a centrifugal force to come out of this trap or not willing to do it because world outside the strip seems so simple to understand and adapt?

It was a same question asked by Arjuna right on the battlefield when he was asked to fight his relatives and got confused why the heck am I supposed to do this? Why am I doing this? What am I going to earn from this? What am I going to loose if I do not do this?

Lord Krishna had to answer this quest with 'Vishwaroop darshan' and the whole 'Bhagwatgeeta' to enlighten Arjuna on this. Unless he explained Bhaktiyoga, Karmayoga, Nishkaam karmayga and many more things, there was NO answer to this quest. 

To take this question one step ahead, I have few basic questions.

• Arjuna and lord Krishna are assumed to be a representative of human being because this story is written by a human being. What if he is assumed to be somebody else and this is answered by an ANT or an EAGLE or a LION or a DONKEY ? Would they answer the same?

• It is a perfect human tendency to be worried about basic quests of life ONLY when you are right on the battlefield because that is when your brain and mind have to work really really together and it is a moment of survival. Do you think Arjuna would be similarly worried after winning the battle and sitting on a seat of a king. Would he be having time, energy or right to ask basic questions?

• In any case, Arjuna's questions are useless at that point and any verbal answer would not change any situation and the thing he has to do BECAUSE for whatever reason, he has been given the life of a human being and he has no choice than to live it the way it is supposed to be. WHAT IS THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIVED IDEALLY?

Everybody ends up asking this basic question about "WHO AM I" just before an exam or an interview instead doing the task of the moment. To divert the point, I would like to answer more generally that it might be the POWER OF THE CRUCIAL MINUTE when such a window in your brain suddenly opens up and it can see the situation with much wide angle (infact by 3rd person's perspective) and it closes very very very soon. Because, the human brain can not handle crucial situation long time and it simply gives up or ignores the complexity of the situation. 

If we continue the thought after "That crucial minute, then we find ourselves in a awkward situation because suddenly you do not find any reason to think to this basic level when everything is luxuriously happening around. You (and surrounding people) find yourself as a fool !

Now, to conclude, it is neither a question which helps this world nor the answer. You have no choice but to live life moment per moment. 

Frankly, It is the THOUGHT PROCESS of these question and answers going constantly in human mind which is the key behind evolution, development, construction, destruction, and whole mess going on in this world today !

(All thoughts inspired & derived from brainstorming chat with Rashmi)

A Birthday in Orissa....(By Ar. Tejaswini Mistri kapoor)

On my birthday 16th Feb, we were in Orissa where we got this experience. Thought of sharing this experience with you. 

Last week Rishi and I went for a short Orissa trip. One of the place we had to visit was ‘Vishwaneedam’ in Balangir district. This was mainly to see the transformation after installing Solar lights in tribal villages around Turla. But, indeed, this visit happened to be much more than that.
We reached Katabanji on 16^th early morning. Anant came to pick us up at Railway station. He was surprisingly late. And we got a message that his diesel ran out. That was a start of the day. But luckily, backdrop of low range mountains and beautiful rising sun light was enough to spend time on such small station. He soon came and then it was a beautiful drive of 2hrs to Vishwaneedam. We reached Turla and were welcomed by Anant’s family, infact Vishwaneedam family. Twinkle, his wife who really twinkles like a star, actually runs the school, family, house and almost everything. Everyone around knows her for her warmth. Their 7 yrs old son Evan goes to the school with other tribal children.
This does not complete the family. Mahadev who was Anant’s neighbor in his childhood days alsocame with Anant to settle down in this remote area. He does most of the field work and with immense passion. His wife makes incense sticks as part of her work contribution and they have a 6 yr old son, Jishnu. One little Sindhu (3yrs old) and her mother lives with them. Anant and Twinkle adores Sindhu and love to start their day with her sweet smile. Jyoti (a blind man) and his wife married each other against their family's wishes and so their village abandoned them. Vishwaneedam became home for this loving couple. They too, make incense sticks. Jyoti is exceptionally talented and wishes to make ‘til-laddu’ for nearby hari shankar temple. Kanti, one of the teacher lives with them too. She is from one of the nearby village with young in spirit. Ramprasad (8yrs), an orphan child, whose parents and family died out of starvation, lives here as another family member. Sukant’s (7yrs) mother died and father needs to work to earn, so he too lives here. Couple of months back, when Twinkle was coming in a public bus, she met a pregnant woman, Lipsa. Lipsa’s husband left her and ran away with another woman. Her husband had taken elder son with him. She had no place to go and had no choice but give birth to the child. Twinkle, without consulting anyone in the family brought Lipsa home and she was welcomed by everyone. Lipsa delivered a baby boy just a day before we reached there. The whole family was excited to welcome this child.
By the time we met this small family, it was already noon.
Anant works for a software company in Bangalore and runs this family. They have started a school and have 24 children. School gets part of the funds from a German friend. But it is still not enough. Anant and family has thought of many options for revenue generation. One of them, recently started, is making of incense sticks.
The same day we went to a tribal village, Dhodha, where solar lighting was installed. It was amazing to see the smile on people’s faces. They could do so many things after sunset which they could not do before. Women could cook after it was dark so they could continue working in the day time. Men could continue weaving in the evening. So, instead of delivering one saari in 4 days, they could now deliver it in 3days. In one house we saw 10-12 women rolling incense sticks after sunset with chit-chat. Children could study in the night. We saw two such villages and again, these became extended family for Vishwaneedam.
Things which are basic needs for some could be luxury for some. We take so many things for granted that we do not even realize that someone may not even have access to these things. I went to school to interact with children. School has a basic building infrastructure and needs a lot improvement. They get some funds from Germany but that only covers infrastructure cost. Out of 24 children, 14 children’s education is adopted. Each child costs 600 to 1000/- a month which includes study material and teacher’s maintenance. For many children, this is a pocket money. For many of us, it’s just one dinner cost. And for many, it could be schooling for the whole month.
I am sure there are many Anant and many such efforts happening around us. I hope we could be aware of such efforts and support them in any way we can, may it be in our thought, our feelings, our prayers, being volunteers, being contributors in knowledge or monetary terms.
Khalil Gibran says ‘Education sows not seeds in you, but makes your seeds grow'.  Could we help some seeds grow?

-Tejaswini

तुम्हाला कोण व्हायचं ???

तुम्हाला कोण व्हायचं ? तामिळीयन  , युरोपियन कि ओरोविलिअन?

खर म्हणजे जगात प्रत्येक देशाच नागरिकत्व मिळवून तुम्ही त्या देशाचे होऊ शकता. पण ज्याच्या पुढे 'कर' जोडावे किंवा टेकावे अश्या ह्या ३ जाती जगात आहेत.तुम्ही कुठूनही आलेले असाल, तुम्ही तामिळी कधी होऊच शकत नाही. त्यासाठी तुम्हाला चेन्नैत तिसरी पिढी म्हणूनच जन्माला याव लागत. आणि सगळ्यात महत्वाचा म्हणजे तुम्ही श्रीलंकन, ब्राझीलिअन , आफ्रिकन, बिहारी, डोगरी अगदी पुणेरी असाल, तरी तुम्हाला तामिळी व्हायची झालेली इच्छा तमिळनाडूत आल्या आल्याच मरून जाइल. कारण ह्याच्या इतका गलिच्छ आणि अस्वच्छ कोणताच प्रदेश नसावा. (अमेरिका आणि लवासा सोडून)... पण तुम्ही इथे यायच ठरवलत कि मग कपडे, भाषा, जेवण ह्या बाबतीत तुम्हाला तमिळ व्हावच लागत.  लोक इतर कोणतीच भाषा बोलत नाहीत म्हणून, भाताशिवाय काहीच खात नाहीत आणि पिकवत नाहीत म्हणून, आणि उकाडा 'लुंगी शिवाय काहीच सोयीचा नाही' असा सांगतो म्हणून...!!!

तुम्हाला युरोपिअन व्हायचं का...सोप्पा आहे. एकच गोष्ट...कशालाही लाजायच नाही !!! म्हणजे हा नियम कष्टाची काम करणे स्वतःचे कपडे स्वतः धुणे, बाग स्वतःच स्वच्छ करणे, गाडी स्वतः रेपैर करणे, कपडे न घालता फिरणे, एका पेक्षा जास्त बायका आणि ५ पेक्षा जास्त (अनौरस ) मुल असणे, आपल्या बायकोच्या दुसर्या नवर्याची बायकोने स्वतःच ओळख करून दिल्यावर त्याला स्वताच्या तिसर्या बायकोची ओळख करून देणे आणि "हिच्यापासून लांब रहा' अस हसत हसत बजावणे, रस्त्यावर बसून खाणे, ५ स्टार हॉटेलात अर्धी चड्डी घालून मीटिंग ला जाणे, ह्या सगळ्याला लागू होतो. म्हणजे थोडक्यात 'स्वावलंबन आणि स्वैराचार ' ह्याचा सुरेख  (?) संगम असणे म्हणजे युरोपिअन होणे...!!!

तुम्हाला ओरोविलिअन व्हायचं का...जरूर व्हा..नक्की व्हा. पण मुख्य सल्ला असा..कि पुन्हा विचार करा...!!!  पण एकदा ठरलाच, कि मग यासारख दुसरं सुख नाही....!!! बेरोजगारीचा फोर्म  भरून सरकारकडून महागाई भत्ता घेणे, आणि ओरोविलिअन व्हायचा फोर्म  भरून मेंटेनन्स घेणे ह्यात एक कमालीच साम्य आहे. ओरोविलिअन होताना पोटा पाण्यासाठी तुम्ही काही करत असाल तर उत्तम...(ओरोविलिअन फाउंडेशन साठी)...पण जर २ वेळचे खाण्याचे वांदे असतील आणि हात पाय हलवायची इच्छा नसेल तर मात्र अति उत्तम...(स्वतःसाठी)... ह्यासाठी महत्वाचा नियम म्हणजे 'नादारी, आळस , योगासनाच्या नावाखाली २ तास झोप काढता येणे, "को अहं?" ह्या प्रश्नाच सगळ्यात जास्त कॅन्फ्युसिंग उत्तर देणे, अध्यात्म ह्या विषयावर अगम्य इंग्रजी भाषेत शेक्स्पिअर ला मुस्काडात मारेल अशी वाक्य रचना करून अत्यंत क्लिष्ट मत मांडणे, म्हणून मला असा उगाचच वाटता कि पुण्यातले पेन्शनर हे ओरोविलिअन होण्यासाठी उत्कृष्ट उमेदवार आहेत.

आपण सदाशिव पेठेतले कोकणस्थ ब्राह्मण आहोत त्यामुळे आपल्यापेक्षा हि वरचढ कोणीतरी चेष्टेचा विषय होऊ शकत हे वाचून (आणि लिहून) बर वाटत...!

नादकासमोर मी वाजवलेला चारुकेशी...!!!

नादकासमोर मी वाजवलेला चारुकेशी...!!!

आम्ही फोन केला, म्हणलं  येऊ का?

तो म्हणला "ये, जरा गम्मत  करू.."

गेलो .

तो म्हणला , "चहा घेणार?" म्हणलं "नको".

पण त्यांनी दिलाच. मग काय?

घेतला.

आम्ही विचारलं , "कसे आहात?" तो म्हणला , "बराय कि, संतूर आणलय? बसुयात?"

म्हणलं  "हो".

बसलो.

त्यांनी गिटार काढली आणि म्हणला , "आम्ही  बुआ ख्रिस्चन , पण गायत्री मंत्र म्हणतो रोज, म्हणूयात का?"

म्हणलं  "हो".

म्हणलो.

गिटार कसली, वीणा वाजत होती...राग हेमावती, 

तो म्हणला, "वाजवू का?"

म्हणलं  "हो, मी गातो थोडासा".

गायला.

मग काय, सुरूच झाला तो,

म्हनला, "हे ऐक, ते ऐक,

हे कसय , ते कसय ?

हे कसं वाजवलं ? आवडल?"

आता काय सांगणार?, कपाळ?

रामाच्या देवळात जावं , नमस्कार करावा,

आपण म्हणाव, "अस्य श्री रामरक्षा स्तोत्रम..."

तेवढ्यात रामानी म्हणावं , "ऐक, मनोजवं मारुत तुल्य वेगम......इति श्री रामरक्षा स्तोत्रम...,

बरी म्हणली का रामरक्षा??

आता काय सांगणार?, कपाळ?

मग तो म्हणला, "काय वाजवतोस?"

मी म्हणलं , "काही नाही, हे आपल, असाच, सहज..

चारुकेशी वाजवावासा  वाटतोय, वाजवू?"

तो म्हनला, "वजाव कि, मी पण वाजवतो सोबत."

मग काय?

वाजवला.

त्यांनी गायत्री मंत्र म्हणला , शांताकारं म्हनला,

शिवस्तोत्र म्हणलं , 

मला वाटला त्याचं नाव घैसास नायतर अभ्यंकर आहे,

नव्हतं .

नादका च होतं .

मग तो म्हणला , "जेवणार का? मी स्वयपाक केलाय."

मी म्हनला, "राहूदे कशाला? "

तो म्हणला, " नाही नाही, जेवाच."

मग काय, 

जेवलो.

पुढचा आठवत नाही.

हे पण आठवत नव्हताच. 

घरी आल्यावर मर्ढेकरांना विचारला,

त्यांनी सांगितल.

The world is not one...!

The world is not ONE ......(yet) !

         After all this technology revolution,coming closer globally,observing all countries , their cultures , behavioural patterns , frequent travelling & mixing with people from varied background...I hope you can see clearly the cultural paradox of society within this 'so called' tiny world !!! If you wish & allow to keep your eyes truely open with senses alive, you will immidiately notice that the world is not one...yet...!!! And fortunately , it is not meant to be so !!!

         Humanity , global peace , are great terms on their own , but they have nothing to do with cultural setbacks & differences which people have amongst them.Cultural difference is not always (actually, at any point) a bad thing. It is perhaps...an identity. It is not a matter of few years as it does not come from how & where a person grows up or with whom he educates himself, but it comes from what his country, religion, cast and community has gone through for last few thousand years. Attempting to bring everyone on same platform makes them explore new things, but fake promises of openly adapting each other's culture for convinient reason without giving change the 'TIME' it needs...is a shame for all.

         Even the sun does not rise in all parts of the world at the same time. It freshens up the morning somewhere in East when cozy evenings are hugging the West. It takes whole africa into a dark tight sleep making the whole austrailian continent to work at its full pace at the same time. Let me ask you....Is it a diversity? Is it a partiality? Is it an injustice?....definately NO...! It is just a characteristics. It is simply the reality...!!! No matter how much you lighten up your cities to compete with the darkness of night, you can not ignore the the reality that it is a damn night ! Whoever tries to change whole East towards West only because they think that it is little ahead (forward), is a fool who tries to convert all night into a day...!!! It is not correct and to be honest..it is not possible too...!!!

         For example...the parameters of human relation are drastically different. Sex in europe is similar to shakehand in India. You can do it to many without being an issue. Having relation with more than one partner is a serious crime (not by law , but socially) in asian countries where the same thing is considered as prestige and proud in arab countries. It is difficult to find 5 french people successively who are born from their current parents. To the contrary, In india, it is difficult to find 5 successive people who's girlfriend and wife are not same. The society rules in India are tough, strict and rigid but they keep the ultimate life easy and simple. In European society, rules for private human relation do not exist at all making their life flexible, but eventually it ends up being too complex too solve. It is not the result from what people choose to be , but it is the evolution occured in their respective country for past 20000 years. It is the output of climatic, natural, psychological input they got in the past.

         Now the question comes for right or wrong, day or night...!!! To my opinion , nothing is right and nothing is wrong. They are just multiple colours of cultures. Neither any colour can be wrong nor any colour be perfect. Each colour has its place. It is not that the colour always stays like it is forever...!!! It changes...!!! but, to change a colour naturally needs its time. Similarly , the attampt to stretch one culture towards another makes uncomfortable situation for all. I strongly feel that the human unity exist only in basic neccessity ...i.e. food , shelter & clothing. anything else has its own identity & place. Everyone should respect his own culture as well as others also. 

         Because , one being 'so called' forward and one being backward are relative (illusive) terms ! 

THE WORLD IS NOT ONE...IT WAS NEVER...IT WILL NOT BE EVER...!!!

A coffee with maestro...!

Somtimes,(almost every time) the destiny cheats you...!!! It either gives you way less than what you asked for or way more .....(rarely)..!!!

but in any case,the demand and supply does not match...!!! 

I dreamed of being a doctor in college.But when I failed medical entrance,I cursed my destiny.I thought its all over and etc...but today,I am an architect...!!!

not atall as bad as I thought before...but still not a doctor for sure...! I can not cry for not being a doctor throughout my life...I have to keep flourishing my architectural good going career and live life...!!!

Same thing happened about my wish to meet The mastreo...A.R.Rahman...! For almost 5-6 years of my college,I dreamed of meeting him,working with him as music composer,learning from him and many more...I could not even reach at a level which can be called as attempt to meet him.I had no contact,no address,no friend who can help me,I was not capable enough of presenting music to him,I was unaware of his schedule...nothing...!!!

After 5 years of wait,some tries here and there,and looking at his global success,I thought it will be only the dream and never the reality. I concentrated in my architectural field,he kept on becoming hard to meet.....there was no common point where we both could atleast accidently arrive together and i would get chance to atleast see him....!!!

But,this time,destiny has decided to give more than I asked for...!!! The desire which did not happen in 8 years...happened suddenly in last 3 months...! I shifted to auroville,working with an architectural+acoustical unit..And in 2 months,The mastreo called us to design his music school and now we are almost done with it...!!! I met him once in this process , had a coffee with him at his studio , I get regular mails from him , he replies to mine almost immidiately after he gets it...!!! and.....nobody knows...what close relation we will be having in remaining 30 years of my career...!!!

It seems like everything was waiting for a smallest move from a smallest particle of whole game...!!!

Even our office was not in touch with him for last 8 years.

Why did we get call from him exactly after I arrived here???

How come the timing of me being architect & he announcing for music school matched???

Who would have designed the school if I was a doctor???

Why did I meet him as an architect when I had a desperate wish to meet him as a musician???

He is what he is for last 20 years....but I have changed drastically in everything from the moment I wished to meet him...

Then I think.....

          Being a doctor , being happy , earning good money , having own consultancy , was my wish....

I am earning good money , I own a consultancy , I earn good money....And I am damn happy...but I am not a doctor...

           Similarly , Having coffee with the mastreo , having a chat with him , working with him , presenting my creation to him    ...was my wish to be satisfied in life...

I have met him..had coffee with him...I had worked with him , I had presented my creativity before him..and I am damn satisfied...!!!

...................but , I am not a musician...!!!

Somtimes,(almost every time) the destiny cheats you...!!! It either gives you way less than what you asked for or way more rarely..!!!

but in any case,the demand and supply does not match...!!! 

एक कविता ...!!!

परत काय लिहिणार,सगळं तर आधीच लिहून ठेवलंय

नवीन काय सांगणार,सगळं तर केव्हाच सांगून झालंय

तरीही लिहिणारे लिहितात,वाचणारे वाचतात

सांगणारे सांगतात,ऐकणारे ऐकतात , पण कळतंय कुणाला ?

ज्ञानेश्वरांपासून गांधीजींपर्यंत सगळ्यांनी तेच तेच सांगितलं

पण आधीच कळलं असता,तर पुढच्यांना चावायला काहीच उरलं नसतं

मला सुद्द्धा कुणाला काहीच सांगायचं नाहीये

खरतर सांगायला काहीच उरलं नाहीये

पण करायचीच कविता असा ठरल्यावर मग काय,

भाषा जरा बदलली,शब्द केले इकडे तिकडे

वृत्त बित्तात बसेना,म्हनला नवशिक्यांना मुक्ताछंदच बरा

बघता बघता पानं भरली,भराभर कविता झाली

चाऊन चाऊन चोथा झाला,तरी विषय ठरलेलाच आहे,

............माणुसकीचे तत्वज्ञान !!!

एका (तमिळ) लग्नाची गोष्ट…!! ...(रश्मी)

मित्रांनो,

आजच सकाळी तमिळ लग्नाला जायचा योग आला. एकाच मंदिरात अंदाजे १0-२0 लग्न लागली असतिल. काही तमिळ मित्रांच्या माहितीनुसार त्या मंदिरातली लग्न शक्यतो पळून आलेल्या नवरा नवरीची असतात. आणि उरलेली गरीब घरातली असतात. 

जोडप्याला 'कव्हर' म्हणजेच पाकिटात घालून पैसे (च) द्यायचे असतात. पाकिटावर ज्याला देतो त्याचा नाव न लिहिता जो देतो त्याचा नाव आणि रक्कम लिहितात (?). माझ्या पाकिटावर "रश्मी - २०० /- अस लिहिल गेल. (हाहाहा). हे पाकीट नवर्याच्या हातात दिल्यावर तो कुठे ठेवतो हा प्रश्नच आहे म्हणा…(लुंगीला खिसे नसतात न…)

आमच्या सोबत परदेशी मित्र मंडळी होतॆ. १0-२0 लग्नांच्या जोड्यांपैकी एका जोडप्याने काहीही संबंध नसताना परदेशी मुलींसोबत फोटो काढले (!)

प्रदर्शनात असतात तसले गाळे होते बाहेर. मग कळल कि ते प्रत्येक लग्नाचा एक, असे जेवायचे मंडप आहेत. बसायला जागा नाहि. टेबलावरून थाळी उचलायची, उभ्या उभ्या भरभर जेवायच, आणि घरी जायचं !

शिरा, इडली, सांबार, पोंगल, आणि वडा असा मेनू होत…. (कोणाच्याही घरी अचानक टपकले असते तरी हेच मिळाला असतं) … 

अशा पद्धतीने लग्नाच्या जेवणात पण इडलीच खाउन हा सोहळा (जेवणासकट) सकाळी ७ ते ९ मध्ये संपला !!!

- रश्मी हर्षद मेहेंदळे 

India is my country...!

Kholeea is non maa khantlee....eendia ees maa khantlee ! 

(Korea is not my country...India is my country !)

A korian nationalist who works in my office 150km down south Chennai in a small town for last 8 years feel the need to say this on every occassion he gets !

He is 40 years old which means only 1/5th of his life belongs to India..

We live in a state where people from another city 100 km away are called as wallakaras ! (Foreigners)

We live in a state where people speaking Telagu (The most similar language of their own) are considered as underdogs !

We live in a state where all regional things are considered as universal !

There is a French-Canadian in my office who can speak fluent Tamil just like Madurai Tamil ! (Chennai tamil & Madurai tamil are two seperate languages just like Pune Marathi & Nagpur Marathi) !

There is an italian who can not speak single word of any indian language & even english he has learnt after coming to India 14 years back !

He does not hesitate to say that non of Italian in the town are his friends because they are crooked minded but then ask him who are his friends ...he counts with "Baskar, Palani, Govind, Murugan, Ayyapan, .... so on !

& there is one Tamil who is not willing know even about Maharashtra ! He never asks me how is my city like...What is our food...or anything !

We all go for lunch together... The korian doesn't like to eat much...so he takes 1 Roti & Daal... The Italian takes little rice, little salad, little curd, & lot of pickle... The french canadian usually skip lunch but whenever he takes... he never use spoon & eats rice just like you & me...

I try to take little Pasta, & have roti, vegetable as usual... &............. The tamil guy has never tasted Roti in his life... Never tased salad, pasta or anything other than Rice & Sambar....(Thanks to buffet where he doesn't starve to death ! )

Kindly note... This is not about food..This is about attitude...

All foregners love this place, food, atmosphere, clothing etc... And almost all indians, local people hate or complaint about it ! 

He reason is simple... Whoever loves, admires, atleast thinks about his own country.... he can love, admire or atleast think about any other country...!!!

We neither love our own country.... nor care for it... !!!

I don't remember when I said loudly (or thought in my mind) that ............................................."India is my country" !!!!!

मला भेटला एक वेडा..एक कविता...!!!

मला भेटला एक वेडा

इयत्ता ९ वी तुकडी क मध्ये बसायचा

दर सोमवारी रडायच्या तासाला

बुट्टी मारून फिरायला रानात जायचा

मुला म्हणायची , बुडला कि रे तास तुझा

आता बस रडत ! पण हा कशाला रडतोय

रडाय्चाच तास ना बुडवला

पुढं आयुष्यात रडायचे खूप प्रसंग आले

पण हा कधीच नाही रडला

शाळेत शिकवला तेव्हा गेला होता ना नदीत पोहायला

बाकीची हुशार मुलं neet रडायला शिकली

शाळेत तर झालीच पुढं ही खूप वेळा प्रक्टिस झाली

पण म्हातारपणी वेड्याचे पेपरातले फोटो आणि सत्कार बघून त्यातलाच एक जण म्हणाला

.....बहुतेक आपण सुद्धा सोमवारचा तास बुडवायला हवा होता !

एक संवाद ...!!!

तो: हा साहब, पचास रुपया होगा...

मी: चलेगा, लेकीन १ घंटा   रुकना पडेगा.

तो: कोई बात नही , बिना भाडे के दिनभर रुकानेसे अच्छा ही ना.. 

मी: अभी ९ बजे , आप को घर जाते जाते ११ बज जायेंगे...खाना कब खाओगे?

तो: वोह तो रोज का ही है ... लेकीन बेटी को बोला है , मेरेलीये रुकना नही ...खा के सो जाना ....

मी: फिर ?

तो: सुनता कौन है ? बीवी और चारो बच्चे के साथ खाना खाता हू १२ बजे.

मी: अच्छा...फिर आज मुझे होटल छोड के निकाल जाना . रुकना मत. मै पैदल चला जाऊगा...

तो:  नही नही ...मेहमानोंको थोडेही रास्तेमे छोडू...

मी: चाचा..........

तो: एक बात बोलो साहब.. सब लोग केहते है , हैदराबाद के लोग अच्चे हे... मुझे तो आने वाले लोग ज्यादा अच्छे लगते है .

१० साल पेहले एक मेहमान आये थे... दिल्लीके थे... दो साहब और एक म्याडम थे. उन्होने ५ दिन हमारा रिक्षा बुक किया. हमने उनको पुरा सिटी घुमाया..

बहोत अच्छे थे साहब. और म्याडम तो बहुत हि अच्छी ठी...अभी देखो, मी तब ४० साल का रहूंगा म्याडम २५ साल कि रहेगी... उनको गार्डन वगरा छोडके में बाहर खडा होता था तो म्याडम 

बुलाती थी . में एक बार उनको बोला, कि यहान गरम है , में थोडा दूर पेड के नीचे रूकता हू...तो म्याडम मेरे लिये पानी लेके आई साहाब...पानी लेके आई.

आके बोली कि धूप  है ...पानी पिओ...

वो मेरे साथ ५ दिन घुमे और फिर उनको हवाई अड्डा छोडा . वो तो ऐसे लागा कि अपनी बेटी को बिदा कर रहा हू . आंख मे पानी आया. वो म्याडम भी मतलब उनको थोडासा ...मतलब कि क्या बोलते ही न...

कि थोडासा अच्छां नही लाग रहा था... और लाग भी रहा था ...वैसे कूछ हुआ . उनको छोड के दोपहर को वापस घर आय साहब. उस दिन में गाडी हि नही चलाया साहाब....

मतलब चला हि नही पाया . पुरा दिन घर बैठा रहा.........

१० साल हो गये...फिर कभी रात ११ बजने से पेहले घर नही गया साहब....कभी नही .... ...............वैसे आप कहां खाएंगे खाना ???????? 

लोकमान्यांचा प्रश्न ...!!!

सरकारचे डोके ठिकाणावर आहे काय?????

१०० वर्षापूर्वी आमच्या गुरुंनी हा प्रश्न विचारला होता आणि स्वातंत्र्य मिळून ६० वर्ष झाली तरी हाच प्रश्न विचारावा लागतोय .

तेव्हा परके लोक राज्य करीत होते आणि आता आपलेच लोक राज्य करतायत त्यामुळे आजची परिस्थिती जास्त खेदजनक आहे.

मुघल साम्राज्य वाईट ... कारण ते जनतेची पिळवणूक करतात लूट करतात..आया बहिणींची अब्रू लुटतात.....ते घृणास्पद प्रकार करणार्यांना पाठीशी घालतात....

शिवाजी महाराजांनी त्याविरुद्ध लढून जे स्वराज्य उभा केला त्यात असा काही घडू नये म्हणून महाराज रक्त आटवत होते...गुन्हेगारांना त्वरित कडक शिक्षा करीत होते...

जेव्हा परकीय राज्य उलथवून एखादा राष्ट्र स्वतंत्र होते, तेव्हा हे सर्व थांबेल अशी एक सर्वसाधारण अपेक्षा असते कारण राज्य करणारा राष्ट्राला आपला घर मानत असतो, किंबहुना ते त्याचा घर असत.

पण हजारो लोकांचे प्राण देऊन मिळवलेल्या राष्ट्राचे राजे जेव्हा तेच जुलूम तीच नपुंसकता दाखवतात तेव्हा असा प्रश्न पडतो कि गेल्या १०० वर्षात आपल्या आबा पणजोबांनी लढून काय मिळवला...

आधीच बर होतं ... फार त्रास देणाऱ्या इंग्रज गोर्याला गोळी घालून ठार तरी करता येत होतं ... आता ते सुख सुद्धा नाही.. ब्रीतीशान्पेक्षा नीच वागनार्यावर काळे झेंडे घेऊन मिळमिळीत निषेध व्यक्त करण्या पलीकडे आपण काहीच करू शकत नाही...

आणि तो पण आपल्याच घरासमोर.. राष्ट्रपती भवनासमोर जावा तर आपल्यालाच तुरुंगात टाकतात... अरे ...जे व्हायचा ते झालं ...गेली....१२ च्या भावात मेली ती मुलगी .... इथे लोक दंगा करतील म्हणून सिंगापूरला नेउन मारला तिला..

आणि एकाही कॉंग्रेस नेत्याला घराच्या ए.सी मधून बाहेर येउन लोकांशी साधा बोलावस सुद्द्धा वाटला नाही.. एकून माज असा होता कि जणू सगळे लोक दिवाळी बोनुस मागायला जमलेत..... १० दिवस देशाच्या राजधानीतली तरुण पिढी आपापले काम धंदे सोडून एका मुलीला न्याय मिळावा म्हणून काही सांगायला आलेत तर त्यांचा म्हणणं १-२ तासात ऐकून त्यावर कारवाई करून सगळ्यांना दिलासा देण्याचा काम होतं ह्या नेत्यांचा.. १० दिवस १०००० लोकांचे कामाचे तास ह्या महामूर्ख, निर्लज्ज आणि कोडग्या नेत्यांमुळे वाया गेले ... एका मुलीचा जीव गेला. तो घेणारे सहीसलामत सुटणार  हे सगळ्यांना आत्ताच दिसतंय... कारण तसाच चाललंय गेली ५० वर्ष....

ह्या सगळ्या बातम्या येईपर्यंत अजून १५-२० मुलींवर अत्याचार झाले....त्याची तर बातमी पण छापू नका म्हणून वर्तमान पत्रांनाच दम भरला... हि लोकशाही नसून भारतीय लोकांच्या बुरख्यातली ब्रिटीश राजावातीपेक्षा भयंकर दडपशाही आहे...

हि  घटना आहे असा नाही....ह्या म्हातार्या लोकांनी  खूप गोष्टीत शेण खाल्लाय...आपण तरी किती बोलून तोंड खराब करणार...शेवटी आपणही बोलणार बोलणार आणि फेसबूकिंग करणार....

अभयारण्यातले प्राणी…!!!

भारतातल्या कुठल्याही गावात मनोरंजनासाठी फार कष्ट घ्यावे लागत नाहित. अम्युझामेंट पार्कची इथे गरजच नाहि, कारण 'भारतीय' असा शिक्का लावलेली प्रत्येक व्यक्ती स्वतहाला नेमून दिलेल्या कामासोबत आजूबाजूच्या शहाण्या लोकांचा मनोरंजन करायचा जोड धंदा करतच असते. … आता म्हणाल मला एकदम काय झालं ? तर मी मद्रास मधल्या एका प्राणी संग्रहालयात गेलो आणि दिवसभर आजूबाजूला जो प्रकार पाहिला, त्यावरून मी वरील विधानं केली आहेत. म्हणजे आपण गेलो पिंजर्यातले प्राणी बघायला, पण धमाल मात्र पिंजर्या बाहेरच्या प्राण्यांनी आणली, असा वाटलं . कारण माझा झू दर्शन पोन्डिचेरी मधून निघालो तेव्हाच सुरु झालं.

५५-५६ माणसांची  एक बस जर ८५ पेक्षा कमी लोकांना नेईल तर तो इथे फ़ाउल धरतात. आणि त्या लोकांनी जर चारशे देशस्थांचा (किंवा चार हजार कोकणस्थांचा ) आवाज केला नाही तर बहुदा पोलिस ती बस जाळतात . ह्या बस मध्ये जर ड्रायव्हर म्हणून काम करायचं असेल तर आधी अलिबाग - मुंबई बोट चालवायचा अनुभव असावा लागतो, आणि कंडक्टर म्हणून यायचा असेल तर कमीत कमी रिंग मास्टर !
आणि संभाषणाच्या बाबतीत तमिळ लोकांनी इतकी सुंदर प्रथा पाडलीये , कि जवाब नही ! हिंदी बोलायच नाही, इंग्रजी धड येत नाही, आणि तमिळ बोलायचा ते महाराष्ट्रातल्या 'माळशिरस' गावातले लोक इंग्रजी बोलतील तसं ! त्यामुळे झालं काय, कि मला उतरायची जागा मला माहित नव्हती, ती दाखवण्याबद्दल शेजारच्या मुलाला मी विचारलं  तेव्हा तो "I know !"  असा म्हणला आणि माझ्या आधीच कुठेतरी उतरून गेला. मी गोंधळून दुसर्याला विचारला तेव्हा तो म्हणाला कि  झू चा स्टोप गेला. आता घ्या, "I know" चा अर्थ "मलाही तिथेच उतरायचं, मी उतरेन तिथेच उतर" असा कसा घेणार ? असो. पत्ता सांगताना दिशाभूल करायचा मक्ता काय फक्त पुणेकरांचा आहे काय?

झू जवळ गेल्यावर माझ्या लक्षात आल कि आई बाबा आणि मुलं अश्या कमीत कमी ७ लोकांच्या कुटुंबासोबत कमीत कमी १५  प्लास्टिक पिशव्या कुरकुरत असतात. आणि त्यात निरनिराळ्या मावश्यांनी केलेलं एकाच चवीचं सांबार वाघाच्या पिंजर्यासमोर जो उग्र वास येतो त्याला उत्तर देत असत .

कुटुंबातल्या प्रत्येकाला वेगळाच प्राणी पाहायचा होता. त्यामुळे सगळे सर्व दिशांना धावत आपल्याला हवा असलेला प्राणी शोधत होते. (आणि ते कुणालाच मिळत नव्हते कारण प्राणी ओळखता येतात कुणाला?)… पण जेव्हा ते मिळायचे तेव्हा सगळ्यात जास्त गम्मत येत होति.

माणूस हा प्राणी ज्या पिंजर्यासमोर जाइल त्यातल्या प्राण्यासारखा का वागतो हो?

म्हणजे माकडासमोर जाऊन वाकुल्या करणे, वाघासमोर जाउन "व्हाउअ" अशी पाचकट  डरकाळी फोडणे, हत्ती समोर जाऊन स्वथचा एक कान हातांनी पकडून सोंड करणे, हरणासमोर जाउन हाताच्या दोन बोटांनी खोटे कान (का शिंग) करून टुणूक टुणूक उद्या मारणे, सापाच्या डबक्याजवळ जाउन "फुस्स्स्स" असा आवाज करणे, आणि सगळ्यात कहर म्हणजे साळिंदराच्या समोर जाउन "चूक चूक" असा आवाज करणे….(कारण साळींदर काय करतं हे कुणालाच माहित नसतं .)
आता ह्यातल्या माकड चेष्टा सोडल्या तर इतर कोणतीही क्रिया माणसाची स्वाभाविक क्रिया नाहि. पण अगदी सगळे तसं कर्तात. ते बघून मला डार्विनचा हेवा वाटला . त्याला उगाचच प्रसिद्धी मिळाली. खरतर आपले पूर्वज माकड आहेत हे समजायला डार्विनची काहीच गरज नव्हति. 

हे अभयारण्य ५० एकर जागेत आहे. एकाही प्राण्याचा पिंजरा एक इंच सुद्धा कमी न होता हे ७ एकरात सुद्धा  बसू शकेल. कारण ४३ एकर जागा लोकांनी बसून खाण्याच्या जागेला दिली आहे. मी तिकीट काढून १५  मिनटा नुसता चाललो तेव्हा प्राणी असलेला पिंजरा पहिल्यांदा लागला. इतका वेळ पिंजर्या बाहेरचे प्राणी पाहाणंच चाललं होत. त्यातही माकडाचे प्रकार सगळ्यात जास्त !

बायकोच्या हाताचा भात होरप्ल्यावर झाडाखाली ताणून देऊन घोरणारा एक हुप्प्या, त्याच्या खांद्यावरून क्रिकेट खेळणारी वानरसेना, आणि त्यावर आवाज काढून इडलीच पीठ कसं भिजवायच, हे कुणाला तरी सांगणारी एक मर्कट 'मादी' ! ( सुधृड तमिळ बाइला 'मादी' म्हणल्याबद्दल सिल्क स्मिता, रागेश्री, आयेशा आलाना फलाणा आणि श्रीदेवी ह्यांची जाहीर माफी)… अशी अनेक कुटुंब त्या बागेत खेळत होति.  माझा डोकच गरगरायला लागलं २ तासात. कुठे ती जंगलातली शांतता आणि कुठे ह्या प्राण्यांच्या डोळ्यावर आणि कानांवर होणारे अत्याचार !!! हे सगळ गेली ४ -५ वर्ष तरी सहन करणारे प्राणी "पिंजर्यात असलो तरी आपण प्राणी आहोत, माणसं नाही" ह्याच समाधान मानत असतिल.

बाहेर आलो तेव्हा सुन्न डोक्यांनी एकच विचार माझ्या मनात आला. आपण आपापसात बोलताना शूर माणसाला वाघाची उपमा देतो, निर्लज्ज माणसाला गेंडा म्हणतो, लबाड माणसाला लांडगा म्हणतो, …….तसं हे प्राणी आपापसात बोलताना कशा स्वभावाच्या प्राण्याला माणसाची  उपमा देत असतील ???



………… बहुदा देतच नसतिल. कारण प्राणी म्हणून जगताना दुसर्या प्राण्याला कठोर आणि घाणेरड्या शब्दांनी मारायला ते प्राणी म्हणजे 'माणसं ' थोडीच आहेत??? !!!

Beliefs !

Have you ever experienced a feeling of strong beliefs about yourself getting break everyday as you live routine life !

I have !

I don't want to praise or curse Auroville for no reason but still, few things happening here never ever happened to me anywhere else...To make a long story short, let me put it this way.

From childhood, we are leaving with some beliefs about yourself, your culture, your abilities, your goals and many other things. Those get build up on your own, through your parents and surrounding atmosphere in these many years of your growth. For example, I CAN'T SLEEP WITHOUT FAN...I DON'T LIKE SWEET...I WANT TO BE AN ENGINEER...and bla bla...! generally, we manage to continue to believe this and we live our whole life. Also, I CAN'T STAY ALONE...I NEED PEOPLE AROUND TO TALK...I CAN'T DO ONE THING FOR LONG TIME..ITS SO BORING...and many simple (?) beliefs like this are strongly built up in our mind and the compound wall around them become thicker and thicker. Imagine, one fine day....something penetrates through the wall and breaks them one by one every day. You suddenly realize that the aim and objective around which your whole thinking process, daily routine, priorities were based is changed ! We do everything assuming a basic thing that I AM A HUMAN BEING AND I NEED A HOUSE TO STAY IN, FOOD TO EAT TWICE A DAY, MANY FRIENDS TO CHAT WITH... and one day you realize that may be you are not a human being...or even if you are, it makes no change. You still may not need a house, may need food only once, may be you can stay alone for days ................. what you do next day?

Something similar (not that extreme) and funny experiences I am getting every day. A small earthquake (limited to only myself) is shaking ground below my foot by few inches every day. After crying many years for peace, time for composing music, lot of money to have for luxuries...I landed up in Auroville where all needed things are provided. And after staying for almost 2 years and after vigorous efforts to live up to my aims and beliefs, I realized today that I don't want to be a musician anymore...(I was just fooling myself by saying that)...I don't need money for luxurious things at all (though i have lot more money to spend than before, I don't feel like spending it on luxurious things)...I don't need peace around me...I have found inner peace...!

You all know rashmi. She used to say...I HATE CATS, I AM AFRAID TO LIZARDS, I CAN'T DO NEGOTIATIONS EVEN IN VEGETABLE MARKET, I CAN'T SIT ONE PLACE INSIDE HOUSE IN EVENINGS, I DONT LIKE TO COOK MUCH, etc etc.... And today, she takes care of 3 cats, she can kill big lizards with a single stroke of broom, she meets business people and talks about economy and negotiate a lot, she sits in evening reading a book or planting a trees without a single thought of getting bored and cooks delicous food... She has found inner peace too !

The question is not about changing your priorities...They change anyways with time...But, the important thing is the pride, self esteem, also gets break along with those beliefs. You suddenly think that If my assumptions yesterday are changed today....May be my assumptions today will change tomorrow??? That is a point, where you find yourself melting into surrounds, our acceptance level for everything increases exponentially. You suddenly realize that your own limitations were fictitious and you come to know your real abilities. AT least you realize one thing that "your assumption about yourself for NOT having ability to do something might be wrong and you may eventually do those things easily. Then, unknown journey towards achieving goals without stressing yourself starts....!