Love, Life & Happiness

Hindi Satire- Inspired by timeless legend of Shrilal Shukl- Raag Darbari   (राग दरबारी से प्रेरित ) क़स्बा गाँव के लार्वा और शहर की ख़ूबसूरत तितली के बीच का टेडपोल है। १५ अगस्त १९४७ को चाचा नेहरू ने रोबदार भाषण के साथ स्वतंत्रता की घोषणा की। जैसा कि श्रीलाल शुक्ल ने लिखा है कि रोबदार वार्ता के लिए अंग्रेज़ी अनिवार्य है, चाचाजी ने अँग्रेजी में भाषण दिया। राष्ट्र बहुत तो नहीं समझा पर तीव्र गति से चलते हुए चाचा जी के पीछे चल पड़ा।  शहर वाले कुछ समझ गए , महानगर बने; गाँव लँगड़ाते हुए पीछे पीछे मंथर गति से चले, कुछ क़स्बा बन पाए, कुछ कुछ न बन सके। चचा चीते की चाल से चले, तो गाँव कछुए की। पाँच साल में एक बार चचा राग दरबारी के रंगनाथ की तरह पलट कर गांव की तरफ़ देखते और उसकी धीमी गति से खीज कर पूछते - ‘लंगड़ हो क्या?’ और गाँव भी बिचारा सहमकर, ठिठककर कहता - ‘हाँ बाबू , लँगड ही हूँ।’   अढाई दशक बाद चाचा की पुत्री आईं। उन्होंने लंगड को ही राष्ट्र निर्माण में बाधा जाना। उन्होंने समझा की लंगड़ ही राष्ट्र की गति में बढ़ा दाल रहा है| उनके पिता तो जेल में भी लंदन से कपडे मंगवाते रह

It occurred to me that we are pulled so far away from our own history and heritage that all we know is interpretations of translations of our primary sources. If we could even go to the translations, we would still gain much insight of our past. Without knowing our past, our minds float like rootless lilies in a muddied pond and thrown hither and tither with each forceful wave spiraling out, every time one stone is thrown.                               This contention that we must not learn our histories simply because it is not tabulated is a myth. Greek history by Herodotus is also not a very factual statement, nor is Roman history by Livy.   That is the way how history was written in ancient times. Times could change suddenly, empires destroyed and survival required one to write history wrapped in mythical stories. Still, if one has the patience to skim through it, there is immense wisdom lying underneath the waterbed waiting to be discovered. The books we left unread being

“May you live in interesting times.” – Thus goes a Chinese wish from the ancient times. Thanks to the surprise thrown by the electorate, on the unsuspecting and entitled cosy club of the Congress in 2014 assembly election, catapulting Narendra Modi to the throne of Prime Minister of India, much to the dismay of puzzled Pundits; we have been living in absolutely interesting times since them as Congress keeps struggling to claw back to what it believes is their divine right to rule. Anything short of absolute power of the dynastic despot over the unwashed masses of India is for the Congress, a threat to democracy. With multiple avatars failing and multiple take-offs nose-diving into the dust, the ecosystem was put to task of getting the legitimate heir (if we can use the term in a democracy) back into the power.                 From the crafty designs of caste conflicts, failed attempts at engineering riots, Global shaming of the country on account of the fake narrative of gr

                 The Bard am I, my father, a healer;                 My mother grinds Corn in the quern.                 Striving for wealth, with varied plans,                 We follow desires like a herd of Cows.                                                 (RigVeda, Mandala 9, Hymn 112) The above Hymn from Rigveda, which is not intentionally a social commentary of the times to which it belong, explains how men (as early as 3000 BC) would move in one direction or other, as they deemed fit, making their career choices, unhindered by their parentage and birth.  The Congress scion Rahul Gandhi came up with eloquent response when asked about dynasty in politics during his US tour. He brazened out, brushed the charge aside and claimed that dynasty is the way things are done in India. After his travel to the US, which was much celebrated by the media, such blatant nonsense notwithstanding, he jumped into the Gujarat electoral campaign, with a newly f