Types of Corruption

 

1. demanding, accepting, expecting,assisting or channelizing undue benefit or advantage or favour in cash, kind or any other means for doing or not doing what is one's duty.

2. not doing a task (mental or  physical) one is paid (cash or else) to do.

3. doing incomplete task against the payment for full.

4. doing a shoddy/substandard task (qualitywise, costwise, timewise)

5. hindering, influencing, authorizing, approving, affecting or manipulating the effective and efficient delivery of a public service by acts of ommision or commision or by any other shrewd manner for any undue unauthorised unfair immoral ulterior corrupt motive.

6. unfair use of invested or incidental power at disposal with a ulterior corrupt motive.

7. fraudulent cheating all types.

8. exploiting a strategic undue unfair immoral advantage.

9. hindering, influencing or effecting level playing field (by ommision or commision)

10. hindering, influencing or effecting other man's right (by ommision or commision)

11. all kinds of wrongful, undue, unauthorized, unfair manipulations with ulterior motives.

are you a bully's victim?

bullying is a universal problem of epic proportions. an epidemic nobody is talking about.

while everyone is suffering, nobody is recognizing it as an emergency or doing anything about it. people seem to have given up in sheer hopelessness.

there are countless articles and videos of experts giving solutions, ways, and tricks to counter and survive bullies, but all fall flat before the draconian reality.

bullying is like an unpleasant adamant elephant in the room making everyone's life miserable, and yet everyone is so used to it that they behave as if it is not there!

bullies are everywhere....in families, in the neighbourhood, at workplaces, in relations...not just individuals but also nations and all kinds of entities who are bullies...

they drive their victims crazy, making their personal, professional, and family life hell. the victims seem to have only two options - either surrender and keep suffering or fight to defeat in an unequal battle. the fight turns out to be a worse solution than the problem.

everyone seems to be clueless about the potential solution.

is there any?

fortunately, there is a solution. and that is what i am going to share below.

to understand the solution, let's first quickly understand the cause of the problem...

a bully is not necessarily a fat, heavy, ugly, angry guy....bullies come in all types and varieties. in fact, a bully is a state of mind.

a bully bullies because of 5 main reasons:-

1- that is his or her habit and is continuing unabated and unchecked because no one countered him or her to stop

2- that is his or her way of releasing his or her negative energy or frustrations

3- he or she is in a vulnerable position, considers you a threat or a competitor, fears you and hence bullies you consciously or subconsciously to get you out of the way

4- it gives him or her pleasure...typical hunting (killing for pleasure) mindset...a bully having little or no conscience (the sense of right or wrong)

5- bullying serves them some purpose, some benefit

the first and second types can be easily countered by just standing up to them. chances are that you have already done that and it hasn't worked. it means that your bully is not from these two types.

most chronic bullies are of type 3,4 or 5

so, what to do about them?

the hint of the solution to countering a bully lies in the reason why he or she doesn't bully everyone? why only you? or the likes of you?

you will notice that bullies don't bully everyone around you. you feel as if he or she has randomly picked you. that's not true.

you have become a victim for a reason, and that reason is missing in others.

what is that reason?

"power, strength, importance" 

yes, that's right. you read it correctly...

these are the reasons for your being bullied.

just answer me...

why are you important? (i mean in your place where you are being bullied)

are you powerful or powerless? what is your strategic power or strength?

confused?

let me give you some examples...

have you noticed that one of your colleagues is not being bullied by the same bully because his or her father or brother or husband is in police or income tax or is a politician etc.

have you noticed that someone in the same office is not bullied because he or she is in accounts and the bully needs to get his bills cleared from him or her...

have you noticed that the bully doesn't bully someone who has a goon bodybuilder friend...

have you noticed that the bully doesn't bully his friend's relative...

have you noticed that the same bully doesn't bully someone who is a source of profit or benefit to him or her?

....so what are the common patterns you see in these examples?

you got it!

if you are of any gain to the bully, the bully will spare you.

if you can potentially cause pain to the bully, the bully is unlikely to touch you.

please remember that the bully is a bully but not a fool. he or she knows where his or her interest lies.

it is all a game of gain or pain being played.

your ability to give gain or pain to someone trying to bully you is your shield against bullying.

all relations are negotiation balances. till the balance is achieved, negotiation continues, consciously or unconsciously, clean or dirty.

weakness is not good. it may comfort you temporarily but soon will make your life hell.

only some kind of strategic power or strength can save you from predators who will always be there.

you have to have a deterrent. you should not be a delicious target but a bitter one. the pain that the bully gets by bullying you (including the loss of gain) should take you out of his or her list.

bullies will continue to be there because that is human nature arising out of a particular cocktail of situations and traits. but your primary duty is to protect you and those around you.

you might say that you have no uncle or relative in police or income tax or muscleman etc. you might say that you are in no position to give gain or pain to the bully.

but you are wrong. the fact is that you are so full of fear and hopelessness that you are not noticing some strategic strength or importance you carry.

for example, you might be doing work so hard that the bully knows that he won't find another one to replace you in case you are not there.

maybe you know some critical information or have a skill which is difficult to find a replacement of and your absence can create real pain for the bully or his system.

everyone has some power. you must know it, understand it.

not to blackmail or take undue advantage but to protect and safeguard yourself.

a porcupine with spines on the back is not attacked by any predator.

recognize your strength and smartly, slowly, gently, and fearlessly stand up to the bully and call his or her bluff.

and, if you have no strength, create or find one. or call me, I'll help you identify it in you or your situation.

this is one of the key reasons why some people don't share their secrets, why some people don't share all the information they have got, why some people develop networks with strong people, why people make others dependent on them, make themselves indispensable to the extent possible...

i hope i have given you hope to reclaim your life.

best wishes

Jagmohan Singh
Friday Trainers
fridaytrainers@gmail.com

#bullying #bully

failing to arrive in future

George Santayana had said

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

sadly, the lesser mortals at the helm of affairs these days are choosing to close eyes to the painful aspects of their history which, they themselves are indirectly admitting, they have not forgotten.

all their stupid acts of changing names will lead to is forgetting the lessons.

there can be four kinds of responses to our history:

1. painful history, lesson taken
= the history is no longer that painful but very enlightening leading to an evolved and liberated race

2. pleasant history, lessons learnt
= pride of a nation or race reinforced enhancing confidence for the coming generations

3. pleasant history, ignored
4. painful history, lessons not learnt

unfortunately we are lately turning out to be the 3rd and 4th types.

we are ignoring and brushing aside our good fortune of glorious history points besides refusing to show character to acknowledge and plug our blunders and weaknesses as a race.

as Pema Chodron had said - "nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know..."

I shiver with pain on the thought that our past 500  or 1000 years of forgotten or trampled history may curse us to bear it again.

this great nation may fail to arrive in future along with other civilisations.

ਗੋਲਕ ਦੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ

ਇਹ ਗੋਲਕ ਅਤੇ ਤਕੜੀ ਦੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਦੀ ਲੜਾਈ ਜਾਪਦੀ ਹੈ।

it is v a very very serious issue. it is not just a matter of brandishing swords, it is matter of use of weapons by groups in the Golden Temple complex. just imagine if they had guns instead of kirpans. in fact they must be having. it is a real danger that someday when these men are pushed to their limits they will take those guns out and use. imagine what can be the scenario. what damage can be done. it is a very serious issue.

ਇਕ ਬੜੀ disturbing ਨੋਟ ਕਰਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ। ਕੀ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਝੜਪ, ਤਲਵਾਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਗੁੱਟਾਂ ਦੀ ਲੜਾਈ, ਗੁੰਡਾਗਰਦੀ, indiscipline ਸਾਡੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ ਦੀ ਹਾਜ਼ਰੀ ਵਿਚ ਹੋ ਸਕਦੀ ਸੀ? ਕਦੇ ਵੀ ਨਹੀਂ! ਸੋਚਿਆ ਵੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ। ਫ਼ੇਰ ਮੈਂ ਇਹ ਪੁੱਛਣਾ ਚਾਉਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਦੋਨੋ ਧਿੜੇ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਸਮਝਦੇ ਨੇ ਕਿ ਹੁਣ ਗੁਰੂ ਓਥੇ ਵਿਰਾਜਮਾਨ ਨਹੀਂ? ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸ੍ਵਰੂਪ ਵਿਚ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਹਨ। ਤੇ ਕੀ ਇਹ ਸਮਝਿਆ ਜਾਵੇ ਕਿ ਇਹ so called ਸੇਵਾਦਾਰ ਉਸ ਗੁਰੂ ਨੂੰ ਨਹੀਂ ਮੰਨਦੇ? ਯਾ ਉਸ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਕੋਈ respect ਆ obedience ਨਹੀਂ? ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡੀ ਬੇ ਅਦਬੀ ਹੋ ਨਹੀਂ ਸਕਦੀ। ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ imagine ਕਰਕੇ ਹੀ ਕੰਬ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਕੋਈ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਤੇ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਏਨੀ ਹਿਮਾਕਤ ਕਰ ਵੀ ਕਿਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਸੈਕੜਾਂ ਹੈ? ਇਸ ਅਵਸਥਾ ਵਿਚ ਹੋ ਵੀ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ?

population of punjab is approx 3 crore. approx 57% out of these are sikhs. for sikhs (and even many others) the Golden Temple is like the seat of God. there is a mischievous attempt by some to use Golden Temple & SGPC to influence these sikhs to gain the reigns of the state government besides other benefits. when the devotees who visit Golden Temple and other Gurudwaras under the SGPC control see the same men who are associated with these holy shrines asking for votes for Vidhan sabha or Loksabha conscious/ subconscious rub off effect is there.

this situation can be drastically arrested and rectified thru ballot during SGPC elections. but that is not that easy. good honest god-fearing and wise visionary candidates are either not willing to stand because of their hatred of "politics" or are too fearful. besides, 90% of the voters are either too blind or don't see any need for change.

any attempt for change with force shall be met with force as was evident yet again yesterday

ਕਦੇ ਕਦੇ ਲਗਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਏ ਗੰਭੀਰ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਬਦਲ ਸਕਦੀ।

people seek and see spiritualism in the holy Golden Temple and other sacred places. but some see therein an economic opportunity worth 1100 crores per annum besides a chance to influence devotees to lay hands on the coffers of the state worth rs.1,18,000crore besides mindboggling money. the spiritualism has mixed v dangerously with economics we like it or not

ballot is a very very powerful tool. weapon of mass construction. if people don't like a governance they can change it. but changing sgpc control is easier said than done. there is no wave against sgpc as of now and for a long time. the voters are from several social economic political background and are divided in opinions. masses behaving like illiterates. only a handful raising voices of sense

if today a ballot is casted, we will be surprised how many people again vote for the same sgpc candidates from the same party affiliations. there are more seas of humans beyond what we see and meet and talk to in facebook etc. people from various age groups, castes, financial background, occupations, districts, malwa/majha/doaba/out of punjab.....all with different understanding of the sgpc and panth affairs. if everyone is criticizing then how come the same majority emerges resulting into the photo shared in this post. reality won't change till ground reality is acknowledged. mere criticism (even though very very valid) is ineffective in improving the situation. sometimes i even feel that common people from punjab villages far from amritsar rarely think beyond their local gurudwaras. they don't see any evil anywhere and whenever they come to sri harimandir saheb all they see and feel is the bliss. masses are not concerned with the economics or politics. for them the holiness of guru's path is beyond tarnishing by anyone. votes slip out of their hands v easily and in good faith.

"if you can't dislodge an evil try to keep it under check".................. in these highly media glare times, when votes and waves matter, the powers that be are very sensitive to bad publicity. they are very senstive to anything negative that comes out in the open. healthy though strong criticism in media (including social media) by the aware people can ensure that by and large the evil designs, tendency and temptations of the not-so-ideal-persons-at-the-helm-of-affairs are kept in serious check. this may not desist them from doing lesser evil things, still considerable cleanliness can be achieved till the society is ready for a broad based change.

(tremendous) pressure is an adhoc revolution

ਮੇਰਾ ਇਕ ਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਹੈ ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ ਵਿਚ। ਹਿੰਦੂ gentleman। ਉਸ ਦੇ ਵਿਆਹ ਦੀ ਅੱਜ ਵਰਹਿਗੰਡ ਹੈ। ਪਰਸੋਂ ਓ ਪਰਵਾਰ ਸਮੇਤ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਗਯਾ ਸੀ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਮੱਥਾ ਟੇਕਣ। ਬਹੁਤ ਚਿਰ ਤੋਂ ਸੋਚਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ ਕਹਿੰਦਾ। ਜਦੋਂ ਉਪਰੋਕਤ ਘਟਨਾ ਵਾਪਰੀ ਓ ਨੇੜੇ ਤੇੜੇ ਹੀ ਸੀ। ਕਿਸੇ ਨੇ ਉਹਨੂੰ ਜਦ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਹਲੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਨਾ ਜਾਓ ਅੰਦਰ ਕਿਰਪਾਨਾਂ ਚਲ ਰਹਿਆਂ ਹਨ, ਓ ਆਪਣੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਸਹਿਤ ਬਾਹਰੋਂ ਹੀ ਮੱਥਾ ਟੇਕ ਕੇ ਪਰਤ ਆਇਆ। ਮੈਨੂੰ ਅੱਜ ਪਤਾ ਲੱਗਿਆ। ਬੜਾ ਦੁੱਖ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ। ਸ਼ਰਮਿੰਦਗੀ ਮਹਿਸੂਸ ਹੋ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਅਸੀਂ ਕੀ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ। ਸੋਚਿਆ ਵੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ ਕਿ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਤਕ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਖ਼ਬਰ ਦਾ ਕੀ ਕੀ ਅਸਰ ਹੋਂਦਾ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ। ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਨੇ ਕਿ damage ਨੂੰ ਸੁਧਾਰਨਾ damage ਨੂੰ ਰੋਕਣ ਨਾਲੋਂ ਕਈ ਗੁਣਾ ਮੁਸ਼ਕਿਲ ਹੈ। ਕਈ ਵਾਰ ਨਾਮੁਮਕਿਨ ਵੀ ਹੋਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

ਬੜੇ ਦੁੱਖ ਦੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਮਿਸਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ, ਸਬਕ ਤੇ ਮਿਸਾਲਾਂ ਤਾਂ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਯਾਦ ਹਨ (ਓ ਵੀ ਇੰਨੀ ਸ਼ਾਨ ਨਾਲ) ਪਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ, ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦੁਰ, ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਬ ਦਾ ਸੰਦੇਸ਼ ਨਹੀਂ।

ਅਸੀਂ ਕਿਸ ਖ਼ਜ਼ਾਨੇ ਨੂੰ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਕਿਸ ਸਵਾਹ ਨੂੰ ਭੱਖ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ। ਸਾਡੀ ਸੋਚ ਆਚਰਣ ਤੇ logic ਦੀ ਲੜ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਬੰਨੀ ਹੋਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਹਕੀਕਤ ਵਿਚ ਅਸੀਂ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਬੰਨੀ ਹੋਈ ਹੈ?

ਕਦੇ ਕਦੇ ਸੋਚਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਜਿਸਮਾਨੀ ਤੌਰ ਤੇ ਲੜਾਕੂ ਕੌਮ ਰੂਹਾਨੀ ਅਧਿਆਤਮਿਕ ਸਿਆਣਪ ਵਿਚ ਲੜਾਕੂ ਕਦੋਂ ਹੋਵੇਗੀ?

ਗ਼ੈਰ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਤਾਕਤਾਂ ਜਿਸਮਾਨੀ ਯਾ ਪੋਲਿਟਿਕਲ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਅਤੇ ਮੈਨਿਪੁਲੇਸ਼ਨ ਨਾਲ ਸੁੱਚੀ ਜਗਹ ਤੇ ਕਾਬਜ਼ ਹਨ।

ਮੁਗ਼ਲ, ਤੁਗ਼ਲਕ ਅਤੇ ਚੰਗੇਜ਼ੀ ਵੀ ਲੜਾਕੂ ਸਨ। ਸਿੱਖੀ ਨੂੰ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਾ ਰਲਾਇਏ।

ਸੱਚ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਲੜਾਕੂ ਬਣਿਯੇ, ਝੂਠ ਜ਼ਬਰ ਤੇ ਬੇਇਨਸਾਫ਼ੀ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਨਹੀਂ। ਉਸ ਵਿਚ ਵੀ ਮਾਨਸਿਕ ਰੂਹਾਨੀ ਆਧਯਾਤਮਕ ਲੜਾਕਾਪਨ ਪਹਲਾਂ ਵਰਤ ਲਾਇਏ।

ਇੱਕੀਵੀਂ ਸ਼ਤਾਬਦੀ ਇਸ crisis ਦੇ ਦੌਰ ਵਿਚ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਦੀ ਰਵਹਨੁਮਾਈ ਦੀ ਦਹਾਕਿਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਇੰਤਜ਼ਾਰ ਵਿਚ ਹੈ। 200 ਸਾਲਾਂ (ਤਕਰੀਬਨ ਸਨ 1500-1700)    ਦਰਮਿਆਨ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਨੂੰ ਜ਼ਬਰਦਸਤ ਰੂਹਾਨੀ ਆਧਯਾਤਮਕ ਸਮਾਜਿਕ ਵ੍ਯਵਹਾਰਿਕ ਅਤੇ ਆਰਥਿਕ ਨਵੀਂ ਸੋਚ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਦਾ ਜ਼ਖੀਰਾ ਰੁਮਾਲੇ ਵਿਚ ਬੰਨ ਕੇ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਨੇ ਇੰਸਾਨਿਯਤ ਦੀ ਝੋਲੀ ਪਾਇਆ ਸੀ। ਅੱਜ ਦੀ ਤੇ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਨਸਲ ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਸਿਰਮਾਯਾ ਖੋਲ ਕੇ, ਸਮਝ ਕੇ, ਰਿਸਰਚ ਤੇ ਚਿੰਤਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਅਤੇ ਨਵੇਂ ਜ਼ਮਾਨੇ ਵਿਚ ਇੰਟਰਪਰੇਟ ਤੇ adapt ਕਰਨਾ ਹੈ। ਜੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ ਪੀੜੀ ਇਸ ਕੱਮ ਵਿਚ ਫੇਲ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ ਤਾਂ ਫੇਰ ਇਹ ਟੀਚਾ ਦੁਨੀਆ ਵਿਚ ਕੋਈ ਹੋਰ ਆਧਯਾਤਮਕ ਤੇ ਰੂਹਾਨੀ ਲੜਾਕੂ ਨਸਲ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਵਿਚ ਆਪਣੇ ਹੱਥ ਲਵੇਗੀ। ਪ੍ਰਿਥਵੀ ਤੇ ਉਹ 200 ਸਾਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਚਮਤਕਾਰ ਵਯਰਥ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ।

ਅਕਸਰ ਸੋਚਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਕਿਸੀ ਵੀ ਵਿਸ਼ੇ ਤੇ ਡਿਸਕਸ਼ਨ/ਬੈਠਕ/ਵਿਚਾਰ ਵਿਟਾਂਦਰਾ/ਪੜ੍ਹਨ ਤੇ ਸੁਨਣ ਵਿਚ ਬੜੀ ਬਰਕਤ ਹੈ। ਵਾਦ ਵਿ-ਵਾਦ ਕੋਈ ਜਿਤ ਹਾਰ ਦਾ ਅਖਾੜਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਬਲਕਿ ਸੱਚ ਦੇ ਮੱਖਣ ਦੀ ਚਾਹ ਵਿਚ ਵਿਚਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਮਧਾਣੀ ਨਾਲ ਸਮਯ ਦੀ ਚਾਟੀ ਚ ਝੂਠੇ ਸੱਚ ਤੇ ਸੱਚੇ ਝੂਠ ਦੇ ਦਹੀਂ ਨੂੰ ਰਿੜਕਣ ਦਾ ਯਤਨ ਹੈ। ਪਿੱਛੇ ਬੱਚੀ ਫੋਕੇ ਸੱਚ ਦੀ ਲੱਸੀ ਵੀ ਸਵਾਦ ਤੇ ਧਨਵਾਦ ਯੋਗ ਹੈ ਜਿਸਦੇ ਕਰਕੇ ਸੱਚਾਈ ਦੀ ਚਮਕ ਮਨੁਖ ਦੀ ਧੁੰਧਲੀ ਅੱਖ ਨੂੰ ਸਪਸ਼ਟ ਦਿਖਦੀ ਹੈ।

ਪ੍ਰੋ ਸਾਬ ਦੀ ਹਰ ਪੋਸਟ ਸਾਡੇ ਵਰਗੇ ਦੂਰ ਨੇੜੇ ਬੈਠੇ ਸਿਖਯਾਰਥਿਆਂ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਇਕ ਐਕਸਰਸਾਈਜ਼ ਹੈ virtual classroom ਵਿਚ।

ਅੱਜ ਦੇ ਸਮਯ ਵਿਚ ਜੋ ਅਨਰਥ ਹੋ ਰੇਹਾ ਹੈ ਓ ਯਦਿ ਠੀਕ ਹੈ ਤਾਂ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਵਿਚ ਸਾਰੇ ਮਹਾਪੁਰਖਾਂ ਗੁਰੂਆਂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥਾਂ ਦੀ ਕਾਦਮਪੋਸ਼ੀ ਦੀ ਕੀ ਜ਼ਰੂਰਤ ਸੀ! ਜੇ ਇੰਸਾਨਿਯਤ ਨੇ ਖੱਡੇ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਡਿਗਣਾ ਸੀ ਤੇ ਰੋਸ਼ਨੀ ਦੀ ਤੜਪ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਤੇ ਉਡੀਕ ਕਯੋਂ ਸੀ? ਕਯੋਂਕੀ ਏ ਤਾਂ ਬਿਨਾ ਜਤਨ ਤੋਂ ਵੈਸੇ ਹੀ ਹੋ ਜਾਣਾ ਸੀ ਜਿਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਹੁਣ ਹੋ ਰੇਹੈ ਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਹੋਣ ਦਾ ਖ਼ਤਰਾ ਹੈ।

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਦਾ ਕੋਲ ਪਇਆ ਹੋਣਾ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਚ ਅਮ੍ਰਤਵ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤੀ ਲਈ ਗਾਰੰਟੀ ਨਹੀਂ। ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨੇੜੇ ਹੋਣ ਦੇ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਜਾਨ ਜਾ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ। ਜ਼ਹਰ ਪੀਣਾ ਬੰਦ ਕਰਨਾ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਪਛਾਣ ਕੇ, ਚੁੱਕ ਕੇ, ਸਤਿਕਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਪੀਣਾ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਕਿਰਤ ਵੀ ਲਾਜ਼ਮੀ ਹੈ। ਵਰਨਾ ਦਰਿਆ ਕਿਨਾਰੇ ਬੈਠਾ ਵੀ ਪਯਾਸਾ ਮਰ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ।

ਜਲੇਬਿਆਂ

ਅਕਸਰ ਮੈਂ ਕਹਿੰਦਾ ਤੇ ਸੁਣਦਾ ਹੋਂਦਾ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਉਰਦੂ ਜ਼ਬਾਨ ਬੜੀ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਹੈ। ਇਕ ਵਾਰ ਮੈਂ ਦੋ "ਭਇਆਂ" ਨੂੰ ਆਪਸ ਵਿਚ ਕੋਈ ਗੱਲ ਬਾਤ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਗ਼ੌਰ ਨਾਲ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਤਾਂ ਲੱਗਿਆ ਕਿ ਭੋਜਪੁਰੀ ਵੀ ਬੜੀ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਜ਼ੁਬਾਨ ਹੈ। ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਇਕ ਵਾਰ ਮੈਂ ਹਿਮਾਚਲ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰੁਨੀ ਇਲਾਕੇ ਵਿਚ ਕਿਸੇ ਪਿੰਡ ਗਯਾ ਤੇ ਓਥੇ ਦੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਆਪਸ ਚ ਗੱਲ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਕੰਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਬੜਾ ਆਰਾਮ ਮਿਲਿਆ। ਹੁਣ ਪਿਛੇ ਕੁਛ ਚਿਰ ਤੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪੜਦਿਆਂ ਲਿਖਦਿਆਂ ਸੁਣਦਿਆਂ ਬੜੀ ਸੁਖਦ ਹੈਰਾਨਗੀ ਮਨ ਵਿਚ ਪਰਤੀ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵੀ ਤਾਂ ਨਿਰੀ ਖੰਡ ਹੈ ਬਿਨਾ ਕਿਸੀ ਖੁਸ਼ਕੀ ਦੀ ਕੁੜੱਤਣ ਤੇ!

ਇਹਨਾਂ ਤੇ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੋਰ ਅਨੁਭਵਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਹੁਣ ਸੋਚ ਰਿਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਜ਼ੁੱਬਾਂ ਤਾਂ ਸਾਰਿਆਂ ਫਿੱਕਿਆਂ ਨੇਂ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਗਰਮ ਤੇਲ ਦੀ ਕੜਾਈ ਜੋ ਕਢਿਆਂ ਤਲਿਆਂ ਜਲੇਬਿਆਂ ਜੋ ਹਲੇ ਚਾਸ਼ਨੀ ਚ ਨਹੀਂ ਡੁਬੋਇਆਂ। ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਜ਼ੁਬਾਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਮਿਠਾਸ ਵੀ ਸ਼ਾਯਦ ਮਨਾਂ ਤੇ ਵਿਚਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਅਵਸਥਾ ਵਾਲੀ ਚਾਸ਼ਨੀ ਚ ਡੁੱਬ ਕੇ ਆਈ ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਮੁਖਬਰੀ ਹੈ! ਜ਼ੁਬਾਨਾਂ ਤਾਂ ਬੇਜ਼ੁਬਾਨ ਨੇ। ਮਿਠਾਸ ਤਾਂ ਸ਼ਾਇਦ ਕੰਠ ਦੀ ਬਾਂਸੁਰੀ ਚ ਫੂਕ ਮਾਰਦੇ ਸਵਾਸਾਂ ਦੀ ਅਵਸਥਾ ਦੀ ਹੈ।

2 indians on the world badminton podium!!!

how many times have we witnessed a perfectly natural phenomenon of patriotic frenzy when we are watching an international sports match between an India team or athlete versus some other (often superior) competitor, especially in a crucial prestigious championship final or semi-final!

same happened when P V Sindhu played (and comprehensively beat) Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in 2016 Olympics semi-final and then played (and painfully though bravely lost to unmistakably better) Carolina Marin of Spain.

this phenomenon of charged emotions again played out in front of millions of TV sets yesterday when Sindhu was up against the same Japanese in the World Badminton Championship final in Glasgow.

while every Indian worth his or her salt wanted Sindhu to become the first ever World Champion from India, so would have every Japanese.

i guess this competitive spirit to win and be a champion is what brings the excitement that every sport is underlined with.

well, if you add the phrase "may the best one on the day win!" to "my country should win!" you reach closer to the mental state which can give best juice of satisfaction to any sports lover.

this is the exact spirit in which i went into the match as a spectator, albeit on TV.

it was heart breaking that Sindhu lost (yet again) in a major final, but there were many crucial learnings, experiences and take aways, even for the spectators...

first, the match brought forward the importance of three crucial parameters

- skill and technique
- mental toughness
- physical fitness

on the first aspect, both the indian as well as the japanese were almost equal albeit in slightly different shades.

both were equally mentally tough as well as vulnerable. we have, though, seen tougher players in the history of the game.

the more than slight difference which came to forth in the final set though was that of the physical stamina. that of the shorter and more balanced japanese was one or two notch higher than that of the tall and high 'center of gravity' indian.

it was fast turning out to be the match of "who collapses first"

all through the three sets both of them were mildly attacking and largely defensive with a lot of rallies and positional plus net play. unforced errors were deciding the score rather than forced errors (which players like Marin depend more upon).

the final two points Sindhu conceded were unforced errors having their roots in her state of exhaustion.

well, in the end the better player won.

a champion has to be of champion material and there is often a very thin line separating the one from others

we got a new world champion who truly belongs to the whole world.

what a wonderful badminton we all witnessed.

as a big consolation, what a sight to see two indians on the victory podium amongst 1 chinese and 1 japanese.

who could have even thought of it some years ago?

these girls have made us proud! three cheers!!!
  

in defense of the Green Revolution

there were many famines in india from 1940s to 1970s. lacs of people died. agri infra was almost non existent in those decades after independence. dependency on imports was near total to feed the population. and that sucked out precious foreign exchange which india had v less at that time because exports was v low unlike today. land was in plenty but the agri productivity per acre was v v low. plus irrigation network was pathetic. agri output depended hugely on rains. no finance from govt was available before green revolution. farmers were in the total clutches of zamindars and money lenders......all these problems got addressed for the first time in free India. many like American agronomist Dr. Norman Borlaug, Indian geneticist M. S. Swaminathan and other scientist took the challenge and started what was later called the Green Revolution. feeding the starving crores of a poor freshly independent country was a bigger priority than bothering about the possible unforeseen side-effects. when our near and dear is dying we don't mind giving him alopathic drug despite knowing the side effects to kidneys etc. saving patient is more important. side effects can be taken care of. nobody expects the patient to keep eating medicines as a food when he recovers. green revolution was not a bad concept at all considering the realities of those times. we should admit that we didn't have the social and national maturity to change course once the starvation was brought under control. who stopped us from take measures to move away from side effect causes? why didn't we? green revolution was an immediate disaster response of a new nation to feed its half a billions. it was understandable. what other alternative did we have? except remain begging for the international grants whenever bengal like famine struck again? just because we over did it or didn't have the head and character to change course doesn't mean that the first positive collective effort of Indian farmers and scientists and not-so-corrupt-then politicians was a mistake. it wasn't. it was a brave response under all sided crisis. why didn't we course correct when we saw signs of side effects? present drug problem, dilution of culture, erosion of family values has little to do with the original concept and execution of the so called green revolution. it had other causes like what happened from 1980 till now....we can't blame everything on the (hunger) freedom movement fought by our farmers and scientists despite constraints. the nation is forever indebted to these great sons and daughters.

from shankar, thru me, to mr.ahluwalia, with love

shankar is homeless.
but he doesn't need money to sleep at the pavement
on the shimla bus-stand.
every morning
he doesn't brush his teeth
because he can't afford it.
but he does spend 5 rupees every dawn
to go to the shulabh facility every morning
in the bus stand complex.
then he buys a bread for rupees 15
and a glass of tea for rupees 5.
the bread keeps the flame of hunger under check
for rest of the day
but he needs two more glasses of tea
worth rupees 5 each
at noon
and at night respectively
to swallow the bread.
all these luxuries eat up 35 rupees
that he had begged the previous day,
already 3 more than
the limit permitted by
the honourable and learned
planning commission
to be an honourable poor.
he has no money left
to buy a soap
to wash the only shirt and pyjama he is wearing since days
he has no money left
to buy
a tablet of paracetamol
to cool down
his hot forehead
engraved with the "not-poor" lines of destiny.
he has no money
to go home
to face his children and wife again.
fortunately
he doesn't need money to drink water from the municipal tap
neither does he need money to breathe the city air.
he would need money for his coffin
but that may not be too soon.
for the time being
he is happy
for not being "poor".

types of corruption

1. demanding, accepting, expecting,assisting or channelizing undue benefit or advantage or favour in cash, kind or any other means for doing or not doing what is one's duty.

2. not doing a task (mental or  physical) one is paid (cash or else) to do.

3. doing incomplete task against the payment for full.

4. doing a shoddy/substandard task (qualitywise, costwise, timewise)

5. hindering, influencing, authorizing, approving, affecting or manipulating the effective and efficient delivery of a public service by acts of ommision or commision or by any other shrewd manner for any undue unauthorised unfair immoral ulterior corrupt motive.

6. unfair use of invested or incidental power at disposal with a ulterior corrupt motive.

7. fraudulent cheating all types.

8. exploiting a strategic undue unfair immoral advantage.

9. hindering, influencing or effecting level playing field (by ommision or commision)

10. hindering, influencing or effecting other man's right (by ommision or commision)

11. all kinds of wrongful, undue, unauthorized, unfair manipulations with ulterior motives.

it's different!

nobody is good or bad

only different!

and when different people

are compatible with each other

they become "good" to each other

otherwise they look at each other

as "bad"

and are repelled!

same person who may be "good" for someone

is likely to be "bad" for others

for no real fault of his or her!

so,

nobody is good or bad

just different!

when you have a feeling about someone

as to how bad he/she is

just tell your mind

it is just a compatibility issue!

hopefully

this will help in avoiding

yet another

unintended mindless useless clash

and thus

help in reducing stress levels

in your part of the world!

fashion

fashion

they say

comes back after some years!

how true!

probably

it also includes

the fashion

of

admitting

that

corruption

is an issue

of deep concern!!!

modern times

"this is no way to eat, sweetheart!"

mom pointed out to her daughter

studying in the convent!

the girl didn't understand what her mother was indicating at!

seeing her perplexed look

the mother pointed towards her hands

"why are you eating with your hands?

looks so bad!

why don't you use a knife and fork!"

she said.

"but grandma had said you always had your food this way when you were young! grandma taught me eating like this. she said this is our culture!"

the girl retorted.

the mother was not happy now.

"it was then. we are talking about now!" she said, angrily!

"this are modern times! moving with the world is more important than culture!" she underlined her authority!

the girl stood up

washed her hands

and picked up fork and knife!

the argument seemed to have settled!!

--

next day the family went for a day out!

they strolled on the mall

watched a movie together

had a lot of fun

and

for lunch

they then went to Dominos

and ordered for mouth watering piping hot cheeze burst pizzas for all!

--

pizzas came...

everyone claimed his or her

...and the feast started!

--

everyone was hungry

and silently enjoying the pizza

when the girl broke the silence with a piercing question

"mom, can i have fork and knife!"

the mom looked up

speechless....

she looked around

and saw written on the board

"our pizzas taste best when had with hand. as a company policy, we don't serve fork and knife"

mom looked around

everyone was enjpying their pizza with hands

mom looked at the daughter with a strange look and said

"darling, when at the dominos, it is ok to eat as per your culture!"

the race

independence came

like the gunshot

fired in the air

to mark the start of a race!

--

those with shoes

overtook the barefoot

--

left behind

were those

without feet!

--

how different

from the race to dandi!

uniform

i chased the bus

and somehow managed to get into it.

inside

it appeared as if the entire city was there!

but perhaps that was a daily scene for everyday commuter.

i wriggled through to the center of the bus

and got lost in my thoughts...

--

i must have been in that lost state for several minutes

till a heavy voice over my shoulder brought me back

"excuse me!"

i bent on one side to let the man get ahead!

but when i saw the police uniform

i bent much more and abruptly

"i'm sorry" slipped out of mouth!

the bulky policeman smiled

and moved ahead!

i must admit that i had seen a policeman smile after a long time!

--

a youngman

seated near the place where the policeman was standing

got so much unnerved by the standing beat-man

that he stood up and offered his seat.

but to every onlooker's surprise

the policeman refused

politely but firmly.

the youngman didn't know whether to sit down back again

or keep standing.

"please be seated" insisted the policeman!

--

at the next stoppage

the nervous youngman got up and got down the bus.

the seat became vacant

but none around dared to claim it

in the presence of the man in khakhi!

"please come and sit here!"

to everyone's amazement

the policeman asked the elderly lady in his front!

the elderly lady blessed him

and occupied the seat.

--

conductor came

and asked everyone for the ticket

but

not surprisingly

skipped the policeman.

the policeman called him from behind

"one ticket for cannaught place, PLEASE!"

the conductor looked back

and gazed into the policeman's eyes

to check if it was a real offer.

but when he saw the seriousness

he quickly produced the ticket

but hesitated to take the money

till the policeman pressed it into his hand.

--

what a sight it was!

all kind of good thoughts started running through every commuter's minds!

--

suddenly

at the next turn

the bus driver slammed the brakes hard.

everyone was thrown off balance

including the cop.

he lost his balance

and fell on the man in front.

--

"i'm so sorry!"

came a voice draped in genuine apologetic soft tone.

not surprisingly,

it was again from the man with the authority!

--

the discomfort could now be seen on every face around!

none was used to all this!

--

at the next stop

he finally moved ahead

and

to everyone's big relief

got down!

the driver took extra care that he didn't move the bus till he had completely got off!

"thank you!" said the cop after getting down

leaving everyone shell shocked one final time!

--

when the bus started to move again

my head was still turned in the direction of the amazing policeman!

"what a cop!" i couldn't help saying

"no, he is not a cop" said a youngman standing behind me

he is an undergraduate in St.Paul.

They have a dress rehersal for the drama fest today!

at your service

tata winger was cruising towards the picnic rendezuous

carrying a dozen young university students

under its wings!

--

"look at the smiling faces of the shameless big thugs!"

said the girl, who wanted to be a journalist,

pointing towards the big hoarding on one side of national highway

caryying the photo of three beaming faces with folded hands!

--

"and all rubbish written below..."

pointed out the youngman who aspired to be a literary critic

--

"they should write "WANTED" in big bold letters in place of all those lies!"

quipped the girl who wanted to be an IPS officer.

--

"UNWANTED"

uttered a low voice from behind!

--

the two faces on the side smiled

and the one at the center winked!

by invitation only

...and with those words

the entire auditorium burst into a big round of applause!

it was a mesmerising discourse on god!

swamiji was elated at the unstopping resonance of clapping by over a thousand deligates!

after a brief pause

the open-house question and answer session started.

question after question was tossed in front of the brilliant guru

who gave answers which triggered fresh burst of ecstasy among the sea of followers!

no wonder the swamiji had become so popular so fast!

everything was gliding smoothly as planned when a question surprised everyone

"swamiji, what if god were to come amidst us in flesh and blood? how would we recognise him?"

everyone was struck with awe with the question-of-the-day by a youth!

swamiji was delighted at the question.

answers to such questions had helped inflate his clout!

"don't worry!" replied swamiji, to an ultra-attentive audience.

"i am with you. i will recognise him."

the answer was greeted with a thunderous applause by everyone except the youngman!

"what if he asked you to vacate the high seat, swamiji?" he quickly threw his supplementary question.

this question killed the thunder in a flash!

the smiles on the face of the followers of the sect turned blank and then into anger!

everyone was shocked at the mischievous question!

even swamiji felt a lump in his throat.

he had never faced such a blunt question in his entire "career"!

the cameras were rolling live

swamiji brought smile on his face back

and returned a calculated answer

"in that case i would have to ask him for his identity card!"

the entire gathering again erupted in joy!

they were proud of their guru and his quick-wittiness!

but the joy in the air was short lived.

the young guy was in no mood to let swamiji off the hook in the duel!

he had sensed that swamiji's makeup was coming off.

"what if the god produced his identity card?"

the audience now wanted this guy's blood!

the security guards started inching towards him.

entire world was watching.

swamiji handled the delicate situation by quickly intervening

"in that case i would send the identity card to the forensic lab to check whether it is forged!"

swamiji rebutted, unable to hide the tense breath!

this time there was no applause

everyone turned towards the youngman to see if he had anything left to say more!

"what if the concerned examiners confirmed the authenticity of the i-card?"

"that's not possible. those officers are my followers!" swamiji's toungue slipped under provocation in an unguarded moment.

now it was personal face-off between swamiji and the challenger!

"what if god sacked the obliging officers?"

this was too much for the officers who were sitting there only!

"we will never allow that!" they shouted. "our union will never let it happen!"

"what if god dissolved the union."

"over our dead bodies!" declared the president of the union sitting in the front row!

swamiji was pleased at the show of strength!

"god can't do whatever he wishes. he isn't even invited! this is democracy. god would have to do what the majority wants! "

"yeah! yeah! yeah!" everyone in the hall shouted in support!

"and majority will want what our swamiji will desire!"

my personal private god

i started from shimla by 10am
and expected to reach bachchauri in around 6 hours
more than me
my god inside me was excited
about the journey ahead
leading to the magical countryside!
vast fields
fresh air
great food
no automobiles
simple people
laid back life
lives full of stories.....!
i reached chandigarh on time
but beyond chandigarh
it took me 4 hours where it should have taken 2
courtesy
demostrations
and on-going construction of flyovers!
what was expected to be a refreshing drive
turned out to be a very tiring one
especially considering that i had been driving
half of the previous day as well while returning from chindi to shimla!
my personal private god inside me
was more tired than me!
upset and annoyed!!
finally,
both of us reached bachchauri.
i parked the car
had a refreshing tea
relaxed a bit
and took a bath which gave some life back to my tired body
and my god inside me!
the tasty food thereafter
gave it all back!!!
both me and my god
were atleast mentally refreshed by now!
after the dinner
both of us decided to have a small walk
in the narrow lanes of the sleepy village
getting ready for an early retiring to the bed!
by the time we returned back
our
bed was ready!
both of us jumped in
and don't know when sleep got the better of us! --
i don't remember the dream i had
but it must have been a beautiful dream
for i was having one of the most sound sleep
i had had in a long long time!
--
all was all right
when
suddenly
a big noise
shaked me out of deep sleep!
"what's that?" i blabbered!
--
it didn't take me long to realise that
some great soul
had switched on the loud speaker
of the local worship place
to play the recording of scriptures!
it was shockingly loud
at the shocking hour!
simply shocking!!!
i pressed the light button on my wrist watch
- it showed 4.05am!
i wished someone would realise the mistake
and turn the loudspeaker off, mercifully
and let everyone sleep!
but since it wasn't a mistake,
it was not switched off!!
--
i could neither be angry nor happy
lest god got annoyed at my blasphemy!
--
but wait a minute!!!
"i didn't have to fear god! i had my private personal real god always inside me!" i recalled!!!
i searched frantically inside me
and got the shock of my life!
he was not there!
he was missing!!
--
where had he gone?
i checked again
thoroughly!
yes, my god inside me was missing!
i jumped out of my cozy bedding
switched on the lights
and searched all room for him!
he was nowhere to be found!!
i opened the door and went out.
--
outside, it was pitch dark
and much much louder!!
"who's listening? who wants to listen?"
i murmurred!
--
but for the moment i was more worried about my lost god!
i searched for him in the streets without streetlights...
he wasn't there.
when i had searched all probable places
i decided to go where the loud noise was coming from
looking for him!
--
the loudspeakers had won the war
of calling me in!!!
i went in and searched.
but to my utter shock
he was not there as well!!!
in hearts of heart, i knew he couldn't have been there!
i knew my god more than others.
so where was he?
i couldn't ask anyone
for there was no one out in the streets
not even the dogs
at that sleepy dark hour
pierced by the high decibel preaching!
--
i returned back
dejected
and empty handed.
i closed the door behind.
the sleep had vanished from my eyes!
and so had my god from inside me!!!
--
it was very cold and i felt like zipping myself up in a warm jacket.
i opened the almirah
and amidst the layers of warm woollens
saw huddled and sleeping cozily with a smile
my personal private god.
--

welcome home

the alarm hasn't gone off

the newspaper hasn't come

neither has the milkman

nor has the bin collector

no morning tea to make

no water to store

no dresses to iron

no shoes to polish

no utensils to clear

no clothes for the machine

no brooming

no mopping

no aastha

no bloomberg

no aajtak of overnight

no to-do list

no deadlines to meet

no calls to take

no waiting customers

no boss to be

no boss to see

---

surrounded by a hundred tall deodars

carpetted by a thousand idle apple trees

few koels and meerkats

wild cats

occasional humming car passing by on the serpentile sleepy road

alone in 'the mamleshwar'

amidst cold winter winds of chindi

waiting for the warmth of the fresh sun

of what is

a monday for the world

but an eternal sunday for me

the morning hasn't started......

welcome home

dear life!

grandmother

"papa, i want to ask you something!"

"what's that,son!"

"hope you will not misunderstand!"

"ok, i will take it with open mind. pl tell me."

"papa, when i was a boy

you allowed me to choose my own books

my own clothes

my toys

my friends

you gave me the freedom to eat what i liked

you allowed me to do what i wanted to do

you gave me the freedom to say no to what i didn't want to

you even allowed me to choose my own religion

you allowed me to choose my own career

you allowed me to choose my life partner

you allowed me the freedom of thought and expression

you allowed me to have my own point of view....

now i want to ask you for more...

i am fed up with the state of affairs in the country

i am in deep pain to see the state of rot

and the extent of it!

i don't see any silver lining for as long as i can see

i have just one life

i don't want to waste it

so,

will you allow me one more time

to choose the country of my choice to live my life?

i will keep coming every month to meet you

afterall the jets can take us anywhere in a matter of hours!

also, you can come and stay with me"

---

the father went silent

this was the toughest question he had ever faced in his life as a parent.

he couldn't say "yes"

he didn't want to say "no"

the son gave his father some alone moments to find out the correct answer

to a life changing question!

---

afer remaining silent for what seemed like ages

father asked

"son, this land is like your mother!"

"but papa! the world is like my grandmother!"

crossroads

at the crossroads

the lights turned red

everyone stopped.

traffic lights - what great levelers they are!

cars and buses and rickshaws and bikes and trucks

all standing together

without discrimination.

everyone was drowned in some thoughts

when a voice suddenly brought them back

"today's newspaper!"

"today's newspaper!"

"MPs double their salary!

"today's newspaper!"

---

a government servant inside the bus

already late for his office by an hour

took out three coins for the newspaper

"when will they double ours?" he murmurred with a frown on his face.

the ceo in the adjacent car

ignored the newspaper boy

"i am not impressed

i am earning many times more!" he quipped with a snub on the face.

the unemployed youngman on the new mobike gifted by his dad

shrugged his shoulders

"i am not interested!". he sniffed with a dejection on his face.

the 75 year old man pulling the rickshaw

took out 3 rupees from his pocket and then put them back

"i must save these 3 bucks for my retirement!" he said to himself

with a face covered with sweat!