लगा लगा थोड़ा ज़ोर लगा...

लगा लगा थोड़ा ज़ोर लगा,

भाग भाग ज़रा और भाग I

कदमों से मिट्टी का बोसा ले,

कदमों से जग का भरोसा ले I

जीत ले सोना चाँदी को,

जीत समय की आँधी को I

जीत कर दुनिया को दिखा,

हार कर दुनिया को सीखा,

के ऐसे जीता जाता है,

के ऐसे हारा जाता है I

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ज़िंदगी भर ज़िंदगी ढूँढते रह गये...

ज़िंदगी भर ज़िंदगी ढूँढते रह गये,
कभी रास्ते मिले तो मंज़िल ढूँढते रह गये I

ज़िंदगी भर ज़िंदगी ढूँढते रह गये,
कभी कोशिश मिली तो हासिल ढूँढते रह गये I

ज़िंदगी भर ज़िंदगी ढूँढते रह गये,
कभी समंदर मिला तो साहिल ढूँढते रह गये I

ज़िंदगी भर ज़िंदगी ढूँढते रह गये,
साथ रोने हँसने को एक यार मुसलसल ढूँढते रह गये I

ज़िंदगी भर ज़िंदगी ढूँढते रह गये,
इस जहाँ में एक ज़िंदगी मुकम्मल ढूँढते रह गये I
 

###

Face-booking and Face value: A rant of a cynic !

Though I am not trying to sound cynical but I would like to talk something about the “face-booking”. (And nonetheless, I am labeled cynical, I would not dither to write about, after all this is my space. I know I might offend some but that is a very tiny cost for freedom of expression.) 

I would like to write about the people who visit developed European or American countries or any rich and developed countries for that matter. When people post about their visits, it is a kind of information that announces:  see what I could achieve! You remained lagging behind whereas I am entitled to the most plush and luxurious locales of the world.

Agreed that being able to visit the exotic places of the world is a blaring recognition of your ability to mint money and I am not taking that away. But my question is that is everything hunky- dory in that part of the world as your pictures suggest?  I mean every time a beaming pair of lips in front of an imposing hotel or magnificent monument must be hiding the underbelly of the socio-political milieu of the country.

But the nature of face-booking is such that these aspects totally go to the background and only rosy pictures come to the foreground. 

The media paint the image of India as a nation unsafe for women though the situation is deplorable for Indian society but not uncontrollable, the Indian lawmakers have done utmost to ensure the stringent punishments for such offenders.  I had read an article on BBC some time ago about the appalling situation of rape in the U.K. Some time ago Spain was reeling under gruesome ghouls of unemployment, you must be aware about the situation of Turkey now. What I am trying to establish is that every country has its chunk of problems but the nature of face-booking is such that it conceals everything that is unromantic. 

My boss who is from an EU country talks about how you can be stabbed or mugged even few kilometers away from Paris. He talks about how dreams of making a livelihood in Paris perish every day. So, Eiffel Tower is not the only thing that is hot and happening in Paris. The shattered dreams and tears- brimming eyes are also reality of Paris.

Sometimes, the Indians who post the pictures of visiting foreign lands, willingly or unwillingly mock their network of friends who reside in the so called ‘trudging’ India. I must make them aware that the places where they visit are also homes for several diseases that people fight with .And even if such countries boast of rendering best of medical services, they have unsatisfied patients.

If you want to introduce a part of the world to your people, I guess blogging does that work far better than face –booking or else add a paragraph or two about the socio-political scenario of the country with your scintillating dentures, this way you can introduce that part of the world more sincerely . But then, whole essence of face-booking will get dilapidated for them.

Though I truly understand that it is human nature to seek praise and praise is also healthy to keep a positive frame of mind, my grouse is only with that aspect of face-booking where people seem to mock the existence of others. And such people do exist and this tells candidly about their face value.

###

एक दिन हम सब कहानी बन जाएँगे...

एक दिन हम सब कहानी बन जाएँगे,

बीते हुए वक़्त की निशानी बन जाएँगे I

आज लड़ते हैं, झगड़ते है,

कभी मानते, कभी बिगड़ते हैं,

एक दिन हम बात पुरानी बन जाएँगे,

बादल से बिछड़ा हुआ पानी बन जाएँगे I

मैं खुद में खुश,तुम खुद में मुबतिला,

ना खुद से शिकायत, ना तुम से गिला,

एक दिन हम,

बीते हुए मौज़ की रवानी बन जाएँगे,

सोए हुए मौत की जवानी बन जाएँगेI

एक दिन हम सब कहानी बन जाएँगे,

बीते हुए वक़्त की निशानी बन जाएँगे I

###

मैने हीं तरु को काटा था...

मैने हीं तरु को काटा था,
मैने हीं सरि को पाटा था I

पर उसका कारण जीवन था,
उसका कारण क्षुधा का पोषण था I

मैं अज्ञानी भूल गया,
अपने लोभ में झूल गया,
के प्रकृति ही निर्माता है,
के प्रकृति ही विधाता है I

अब जब अंबर ने मुझको कोसा है,
बस तुझ पे हीं मेरा भरोसा है I

दे दिनकर को आज्ञा,
ले सोख वो बहता प्रलय,
दे वापस मेरा हँसता निलय I

मानता हूँ मेरी ग़लती है,
जो प्रकृति मुझसे रूठी है I

पर मैं भी तो हूँ अंश तेरा,
रोक ले ये विध्वंस तेरा I

इस बार ये बेड़ा पार कर,
इस बार तो उद्धार कर I

मैं भी करता हूँ ये प्राण,
दूँगा तरु नदिया को नया जीवन,
दूँगा द्रुम दरिया को नया आँगन I

###

ईश्वर कृपा कर रहा है...

ईश्वर कृपा कर रहा है,
के श्वास चल रह है,
के रुधिर बह रहा है I

ईश्वर कृपा कर रहा है,
के धरा मचल रही है,
बादल पिघल रहा है I

ईश्वर कृपा कर रहा है,
के जब ऊषा सो रही है,
तब निशा गा रही है I

ईश्वर कृपा कर रहा है,
और सब विधिवत हो रहा है,
तो क्यूँ चक्षु से नीर बह रहा है ?
तो क्यूँ हृदय में पीर भर रहा है ?

       ###

Aspire to be a doctor? Prepare tad better!

The other day, I overheard a conversation between two top-notch officers of their respective companies about getting their offspring admitted into Medical Schools. One was of the view that dental would be a right choice for his ward whereas the other looked down upon dental stream of medical and vigorously advocated for M.B.B.S. So, here is also the class differentiation. M.B.B.S the elite class and Dental the pariah.

Anyways, my point of discussion is different. When people talk about their children getting into medical stream, their objective is the social honor that one is conferred upon when one gets the appellation of M.B.B.S and with the honor comes the glamour quotient with this profession. But, hardly, one ever thinks that why a doctor is needed in the first place while talking about sending their wards to medical schools?

A doctor is needed because there are patients. A patient is one who gets convulsions, who has bowel control problems, who has difficulty in passing stool or urine, who has white patches on his/her skin or who has body parts eaten up by lethal bacteria among many other mental and physical problems. In other words a doctor is needed to alleviate the pain that a patient suffers from.

And there is hardly any romanticism in dealing with such situations, but it is the romanticism of medical that first attracts parents and their wards towards medical stream.

When the society primarily talks of becoming its progeny doctors, the romance is about the Social Status, the Moolah, and the Stable Career. We seldom discuss about medical profession as an opportunity to understand and mitigate the pain suffered by patients in the first place.

We as humans have an ingrained ability that pushes us to be able to help, to serve. The philosophy of serving others gives us a moral kick/high. We tend to be looked upon as magnanimous in our attitude that gives a sense of satisfaction after being able to serve somebody. That is why first thing that our psyche lures us to is: to serve…not to suffer. Because serving is godly and suffering is lowly. And in the garb of serving lowly, we become godly. We humans are innocent hypocrites!

Furthermore, because being an M.B.B.S pushes you up in social echelons, there comes a sense of hubris after being a doctor. And this hubris leads sometimes to uncalled-for behavior by Doctors. They shout at patients and misbehave with them. And the reason under which they conceal such unreasonable behavior is: work load.

If workload is such that it is grinding you, then you should talk about this to your higher management or if workload is sapping up all your mental energy then you should talk about this to your fellow shrinks. But stress doesn’t give you license to behave rudely. I mean what would you say to a pilot if he/she says in the mid- air that only because he/she felt stressed and overworked, so he/she would take dangerous somersaults putting lives of his/her passengers (who also happen to be from upper strata of the society like doctors) in danger or to a waiter who would pour piping hot coffee onto your shirt instead of the cup because he/she was feeling stressed?

You would call them irresponsible and unprofessional, won’t you? And the same applies to the breed of doctors also who behave in wayward way in the name of stress. This ugly behavior stems from the rudiments of the thought (ingrained in society) which says that if you are a doctor then everything is right for you and around you.

No…the thing is that if you are a doctor then you will see the pain and suffering from close quarters and you will get affected by it too. And people around you will have pain and problems for which you will have to provide solution. So, your preparation should include conditioning about the situations that are not lenient and convenient in life.

I mean the romance of becoming a doctor doesn’t start with the perception of behaving in unruly manner; it starts with the notion to serve not to slice.

Therefore, as a society we must learn that becoming a Doctor is not only about the social stateliness and paraphernalia attached to it, but it is also (and mostly)about understanding human suffering and emotions tad better than uninitiated ones.

And when we talk about the polymath & dexterous doctors, we forget diametrically about the patients. I mean being a patient also deserves social accolades (not only sympathy, empathy and on some occasions affront that patients are meted out by society), because when patients suffer, it needs gallons of gallantry to surmount the challenges posed by their destiny. I am waiting for the day when gallantry award or higher order civilian awards would be conferred upon patients who fight valiantly with dreaded diseases and defy them and sometimes (many times) succumb to them intrepidly.

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P.S: Though this article deals with the rude behavior of doctors, it is not in any way an allusion that all doctors are the same. The good and great souls are always there in every field.

जो जन जन में था...

चित्र साभार: Rediff.com & ANI

चित्र साभार: http://www.newsnation.in/india-news/former-prime-minister-atal-bihari-vajpayee-dies-at-93-due-to-multiple-organ-failure-article-200821.html

जो जन जन में था,
वो सफ़र कर रहा है I

जो सत्य सृजन में था,
वो सफ़र कर रहा है I

जो हर नज़र में था,
वो सफ़र कर रहा हैI

जो हर शिखर पे था,
वो सफ़र कर रहा है I

जो मात्र सफ़र में था,
वो सफ़र कर रहा है I

      ###

जो गीत नया गाता था...

जो गीत नया गाता था,

वो रीत पुरानी निभा गया,

जग में आना, जग में जीना, जग से जाना,

अटल सत्य है बता गया I

जो काल के कपाल पे लिखता और मिटाता था,

वो काल के गाल को अंतिम आलय बता गया I

जो गीत नया गाता था,

वो रीत पुरानी निभा गया I 

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हम करते हैं यकीन...

हम करते हैं यक़ीन, जुनून में,
तुम करते हो यक़ीन, मज़मून में I

हम करते हैं यक़ीन, मश्कूर में,
तुम करते हो यक़ीन, मग़रूर में I

हम करते हैं यक़ीन, महरूम में,
तुम करते हो यक़ीन, मशहूर में I 

###

मश्कूर : शुक्रगुज़ार

तुम तोड़ते हो रिश्ते...

तुम तोड़ते हो रिश्ते,
बटन की तरह I
हम ओढ़ते हैं रिश्ते,
कफ़न की तरह I

                                                  ###

भगवान ने सूरज बोल दिया...

भगवान ने सूरज बोल दिया,

भगवान ने चंद्र बोल दियाI

भगवान ने अंत बोल दिया,

भगवान ने अनंत बोल दियाI

भगवान ने पवन बोल दिया,

भगवान ने गगन बोल दिया I

भगवान ने चिड़िया बोल दिया, 

भगवान ने चुहिया बोल दिया I

भगवान ने जल बोल दिया, 

भगवान ने थल बोल दिया I

भगवान ने फूल बोल दिया,

भगवान ने फल बोल दिया I

भगवान ने अग्नि बोल दिया,

भगवान ने ध्वनि बोल दियाI

अंत में भगवान ने इंसान बोल दिया,

और इंसान ने भगवान को पाशेमान तोल दियाI

     ###

पाशेमान : शर्मिंदा

हम टूट भी जाते हैं तो ज़र्रा नही हिलता...

हम टूट भी जाते हैं तो ज़र्रा नही हिलता,

तुम फूँक भी मारो  तो बनता है रास्ता I

हम डूब भी जायें तो मिलता नही मोती,

तुम रह के किनारे पे पा जाते हो ख्यातिI

हम काट काठ जोड़ें पर बनती नही कश्ती,
तुम एक घूँट में हीं पी जाओ दरिया की हस्ती I 

हमारा जीवन है, जैसे एक जलती हुई भट्टी,

तुम देखते हो ऐसे हमें, जैसे हम कोई फेंकी हुई रद्दी I

हम उड़ जातें है, जैसे शाख से टूटा हुआ पत्ता,
तुम उड़ते हो जैसे, तुमसे हीं गुल, तुमसे हीं गुलिस्ताँ I

हम दिखते हैं, जैसे हों, लफ्ज़ से लूटा हुआ नुक़्ता,
तुम दिखाते हो, जैसे हो तुम हीं ख़ुदा, तुम हीं फरिश्ता I

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मैं हर रोज़ एक नयी उम्मीद बांधता हूँ...

मैं हर रोज़ एक नयी उम्मीद बांधता हूँ,
सपनों के जीने की तावीज़ बांधता हूँ I

कल आज से बेहतर होगा,
आज कल का रहबर होगा,
इसी उम्मीद की दहलीज़ बांधता हूँ I

वो कहते हैं तुम्हारा नही कोई काम,
तुम्हारे लिए नही है कोई ईनाम I

फिर भी पसीने की परछाई में,
कुछ चाँद तारों के बीज महफूज़ बांधता हूँ,
मैं सपनो के जीने की तावीज़ बांधता हूँ I

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तुम हीं हो सब कुछ...

तुम हीं हो सब कुछ,
तुमसे ही हैं आशायें आपार,
तुम हीं हो सृष्टि का आधार I

तुम हीं हो प्रश्न, तुम हीं हो उत्तर,
तुम हीं हो सूक्ष्म,तुम हीं हो वृहतरI

तुम हीं हो रात और दिन निरंतर,
तुम हीं हो धूप और छाओं का अंतर I

तुम हीं हो गीता का मूल सार,
तुम हीं हो राधा का अप्रतिम इंतेज़ार I

तुम हीं हो मुरली की मधुर बयार,
तुम हीं हो साँसों का सतत श्रृंगार I

तुम हीं हो नभ में चंद्र और दिनकर,
तुम हीं हो बीज में अंकुर तत्पर I

तुम हीं हो स्वर,तुम हीं हो अक्षर,
तुम हीं हो भगवन,तुम हीं हो ईश्वरI

फिर तुम क्यूँ हो खड़े निरूतर?
फिर तुम क्यूँ हो नीरव पत्त्थर?

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नीरव: मौन,चुप, शांत, मूक

वो चाहती थी उड़ना...

Pic Courtsey:   https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/news/patna/bihar-muzaffarpur-shelter-home-muzaffarpur-rapes-case/1187303.html

वो चाहती थी उड़ना,
वो चाहती थी खिलना I

वो लगती  थी गुड़ियों सी,
वो बोलती थी बुढियों सी I

पर लानत उस मैली निगाह पे ,
जिसने हाथ डाला उसके लिबास पे I

कैसी है ये फाहीशगी ,
जो मुन्नी में नफ़्सानी देखे,
कैसी है ये दरिंदगी,
जो बालिश्त को पुरगोश्त  देखे I

कैसा है ये आज का शहर,
कैसा है ये आज का बशर I

जो नोच डालता है मासूम का वसन ,
जो लिख डालता है बचपन में ग्रहण I

कैसा है ये सरबराहों का खेल,
जो
खिलौने को ही खेल गया ,
जो
 खिलौने को ही लील गया I 
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फाहीशगी: अश्लीलता
नफ़्सानी : वासना की सामग्री
बशर : मनुष्य
वसन : वस्त्र
सरबराह: प्रबंधक

दम तोड़ती ज़िंदगी...

दम तोड़ती ज़िंदगी,

बेदम रेंगती बंदगी I

पत्थर होती आँखें,

नश्तर होती साँसें I

कब तक झुके कोई ?

कब तक रुके कोई ?

जब जो होना है, वही होना है,

तो फिर,

जी जान एक, क्यूँ करे कोई ?

###

Role Models…Are They?

Many times it is written that the emerging and established film stars are role models for today’s youth. And this “role model” argument wins heavily when big companies want to project their products through advertisement before the masses. 

Now what is unique about these stars that they are considered the “role models”? I will try to enumerate. The sine qua non quality that these role models have is their network. They take birth in royal (moneywise or contact wise) families and the high society connections they get as their birth right. When they grow up the connections pay off and they become actors in movies. And after that the insane PR advertises as if the new savior of filmdom has incarnated.  And the advertising Gurus declare them the next big thing. Companies vie for their attention and advertising agencies present “role model” in a package. 

They think that the youth of India will get enamored by the stunts made by computer graphics and start worshiping the movie stars as role models. One advertisement (in which the role model for many had featured has been taken off air recently after flaring up a controversy) shows the reasoning capacity of the so called “role models”. Why in the first place he would consent for an advertisement that would belittle other profession? I mean didn’t he think a single time before agreeing to do the ad that will show other profession in a bad light or such role models only think through the specs of moolah?  I don’t think that the great advertising men like David Ogilvy and J. Walter Thompson would have approved off such mistakes in the name of “role models”. (It is just my thinking.)

Now what is the role of these so called role models—to inspire, right? And inspire in what way? Jumping from the hill, doing parkour, and serenading a girl are not the essential inspirational skills to survive or to earn a living for millions of youths in this country.  So, in a way they are not inspiring but just entertaining with their antics that are done with all safety supervisions. So, they are entertainers in the first place not the role models.

To assume that the youth will get inspired by the antics of movie heroes done in controlled environment seems ludicrous. I mean how come a youth will get inspired by the cosmetic chivalry of movie stars and will remain ignorant to the real bravery that is shown by their parents in day to day life to survive; bravery that is shown by the soldiers on the borders to save the country; bravery that is shown on streets by street vendors to eke out a living.  I am just trying to explain that the environment in which these stars live and the opportunities that these stars have is very different in dimension and nature that the most of the youth have. So, they can’t be role model for a nation where most of the youth is after the opportunity to learn and earn not to jump and run.

At the most these movie stars can be is the ‘brand’ not the ‘role model’, and however you argue the brand will always take a second seat in competition to a role model.

 I mean Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Che Guevara , Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, Vir Savarkar, Martin Luther King Jr., Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Khudiram Bose should be called role models whose fight were for real not for reel. You might not be the fan of their ideologies but you cannot take away the credit of being “role models” from them.

If at all the film stars can be called role models, they can be called only for those persons who aspire to become film stars or want to pursue an acting career. Since acting is also a form of art and with your acting, if you inspire someone to become an actor, you could be considered a role model. But save for this aspect, I don’t think that the youth of India in entirety should feel comfortable with the “role model” tag being imparted to the movie stars.

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