Like the King

As the poll counting came to an end…the Congress led UPA emerged triumphant. While the members of the winning camp harped on every instant to lionize their triumph, the loosing camp was busy doing the ‘soul search’ and run, also, the blame game. In the world which we live in if something, at all, does matter that would be [Winning]. To win and not to loose, any soul would do practically everything under the sun.

Election is a process, putatively, where people of different views struggle to attain power to lead the country in the way in which they suppose would be prosperous. But is that really so?

If with a good and adequate proximity with nearly all the political parties one cannot but find an striking similarity among all the political factions. You have no idea about the kind of money which is pumped in during the canvassing process. And this money isn’t spent just like that. There is a repayment anticipated. And that repayment comes through kickbacks and other traduced and corrupt practices, which are mostly against the interest of this land and its people.

In his tenure the winning candidate has to do everything to earn back the money with interest. It scarcely counts, then, if the manner endorsed is effectual or otherwise. Even if it scathes the interests of this nation – who cares?!

The election which is to foresee nation ‘prosperous’ is simply lost in transit by the time all the MPs fight for a berth in ministry to earn bucks and return it to their masters, or for themselves, with a wonderful rate of interest.

Not just John F Kennedy but even his motto ‘Ask not what your country has done to you, but ask what you can do for your country.’ is dead. Forget others; would you at least worry to realize the innate entailing of the words of late JFK?

The ancient saying ‘YATHA RAAJA TATHAA PRAJA’ (Meaning: Like the king are his men), of Kautilya, is still nonpareil. The reason for the state of the nation being so is because in Democracy it’s the people who are the king(s). If the king(s) by themselves are corrupt, then…

Pain Endured is Pleasure Sought

Life has awe-inspiring ways to impart its lessons. And every lesson it imparts, is either with great “pain” or with extreme “pleasure”. Pain and pleasure are the most impending sentiments of life. You can seldom be glad with your pleasure, and similarly, can never be happy in presence of pain. But if you have had no pain where would have you realized the pleasure? It’s tricky, indeed. If you could sum up your lessons in life it would certainly tell you all but one thing: You have zilch within your purview. You have so little to do when circumstances are upon you.

Many, I have seen, have a life of pleasures filled to the brim and yet they aren’t satisfied. Even a minute thorn may seem to them as if a grand obstacle. Contrary to it I have seen also people who have outlived their pains so much so that “pain” is no more a pain. Agony is for them is in absence of pain. May seem strange, but it’s all but true.

After witnessing several instances if I have realized but one thing that would be: Pain is something which you don’t love and pleasure is something which is completely in contrary to the definition of former.

If you think your work is a pain, just promise yourself that you shall endure it and in no time will your feel the pain is paving way for the pleasure. Pain endured is pleasure sought.

Information & Knowledge: A Distinctive Insight

Sometimes you feel you have nothing to do for the day and something really fascinating happens. All my days are the same. Each day I enter my office at sharp 8:00 in the morning and by the time I leave, somewhere around 12:00 in the night, there would have been so many changes.

Since I assumed my position as Director at Prabal I have had made a promise to myself. I want to see to it that I seldom let a day pass by without having learnt anything. I buy a lot of books and a major part of my investment goes in it. I read it or not, I just want to make sure that I have in my shelves enough of good books seeing which I can always recall how little I know and how much more, at the least, I have to read.

In my office I have 3 large shelves, designed well enough to keep books safe from dust and worms. Because they are fitted with transparent mirror anything inside is clearly visible. Every day I am remembered, while glancing at them, how little books do I have in my selves and second, I am sure, when they are filled, they will speak to me of how little I have learnt.

‘But life is something more than books.’ you may find many people saying this. But they say for a very simple reason to justify the very fact that they haven’t even read even one book. Honestly, I feel it’s a pathetic idea to call a person as an ‘educated’ who have read not a book in his life. ‘Oh don’t ask me to read books… I have lived life so long and I never felt the need of It.’ one proud gentlemen told me once. ‘But did he even read a book before he could conclude to such a rustic statement?’ I wondered, but seldom conveyed as I could realize how proud he was of his unrealized ignorance. That’s true people are not just ignorant these days but are also pompous about it.

The only reason why people read today is to say wisely ‘for the heck of it.’ They read to pass in their exams to win marks. Once the marks are obtained and the certificate is received, they hardly touch a book again. To be in their own words ‘After all, what is the need?’ Many consider the ones with degree to be ‘learned fellow’. That is certainly not so.

Today’s education, I firmly believe, imparts not knowledge but information. Information is time sensitive. Once the time is passed away you can’t use the information. You cannot use your information of using a 386 Processor computer in the age driven by Intel Dual Core Processors. Or can you?

There is so much to write. But I have recently decided not to write lengthy researched and thoughtful articles as I have given up writing as a profession. I would certainly appreciate if someone would take this idea and write a detailed thesis on it. No acknowledgements needed.

Little lesson from a little one

It was to be just another day at one of the bookstore, where I go, of course, to buy books and not just to ‘window-shop’. But it turned out a bit different experience for a very simple reason.

As browsed through the scores of books under various categories under the new release segments just a few paces from there, at the billing counter, a lady customer appeared. Somewhere in her 30s she had a very cute kid along. She presented to the counter a book for billing. ‘That would be 300 bucks madam.’ said the vendor while handing over the bill, furthering ‘How would you like to pay? Would you like do the payment by cash or credit card?’

‘Err…’ looking a bit skeptic, lady presented a piggy bank ‘By this.’ Everyone standing in the queue was looking more strangely. ‘My daughter has saved for several months, from her pocket money, to buy this book and she wishes to pay from her piggy.’ The young kid’s was a face to see.

This attracted not just mine but everyone’s eye ball. I was so moved, for a while. The mom was really teaching her kid the value of money, something which we are mostly forgetting.

It added more to my pleasure when a very sweet lady, employee of the store, patted the girl back saying. ‘How sweet of you… so you buy things with your hard earned money.’ The girl, though filled with shyness, would turn to her mom but convey to the lady ‘I don’t earn. I save it.’

I was so moved. The child could distinguish, and well, between ‘Savings’ and ‘Earnings’. And the kid was barely 5-6 years old!

There is truly something to learn and realize… from every person… no matter how young or old he/she might be.