मुन्शीराम डाकिया

लेकर पीला पीला थैला,
पत्र बाँटने आता,
यह है मुन्शीराम डाकिया,
सब की चिठ्ठी लाता ।।

सर्दी हो या गर्मी,
पानी गिरता झरझर,
चला जाएँगा नही रुकेगा,
चिठ्ठी देता घरघर ।।

बड़े डाकखाने से आता,
लाता कभी रुपैया,
कभी किताबें दे जाता है,
मुझ को हँस हँस भैया ।।

गाँव गाँव जाता है,
पर कभी नहीं थकता है,
लाता है सब की खुशखबरी,
सब के मन को भाता है ।।

This poem was in my 5th Standard Hindi textbook in 1985-86. Please let me know the poet if you know the one.

काही साहित्यिक भोग

स्थळ : पुणे शहरातील एक बस स्टॉप.
पात्रे : खडूस ह्या शब्दाखेरीज दुसरा शब्द सापडू नये असल्या नमुन्याचे सत्तरीच्या घरातले गृहस्थ. मी त्यांच्या बाजुला जाऊन रांग धरतो. आश्चर्य म्हणजे रांग नाही. आम्ही दोघेच. काही क्षण ते गृहस्थ मला खालपासून वरपर्यंत न्याहाळतात. मी समोरच्या करांडे टेलर्स चे करांडे एका लठ्ठ गृहस्थाच्या पोटाचे माप घेत असल्याचे सुखद दृश्य पाहण्याचा बहाणा करतो.

इतक्यात कानावर आवाज...

ते उपाख्य बाजी गणेश जोशी : दशभुजा गणपतीचे देऊळ कुठे आहे हो?
मी : काही कल्पना नाही बुवा?
बा.ज.गो. : पुण्यातच राहता ना? (ह्या त्यांच्या प्रश्नावरून ते पुण्यात राहतात हे लक्षात आले.)
मी : हो.
बा.ज.गो. : किती वर्षे?
मी : बरीच.
बा.ज.गो. : काय व्यवसाय?
मी : पुस्तके वैगरे लिहितो.
बा.ज.गो. : म्हणजे साहित्यिक आणि तरीही तुम्हाला साधा दशभुजा गणपती ठौक नाही?
मी : आपण कुठल्या गावाहून आलात?
बा.ज.गो. : मी कशाला कुठल्या गावाहून येतोय? इथेच जन्मलो आणि इथेच मरणार.
मी : ('कधी' हा प्रश्न गिळून) इथेच मरणार कशावरून?
बा.ज.गो. : दशभुजा गणपती ठौक नाही हे सरळ सांगा. आमच्या मरणाची काळजी करू नका. तुम्हाला काही मी खांद्याला बोलावणार नाही.
मी : खांद्याची आमंत्रणं काय स्वत: मृतांच्या सहीने जातात वाटतं?
बा.ज.गो. : हे पहा, तुम्ही साहित्यिक असल्याने भाषाप्रभुत्व हा तुमचाच जन्मसिद्ध हक्क मानायची गरज नाही. मी देखील पुण्याचाच आहे. ज्या गावच्या बोरी त्याच गावच्या बाभळी. पुण्यात राहून स्वत:ला साहित्यिक म्हणवणार्‍या माणसाला दशभुजा गणपती ठौक नसावा? ही तुमची समाजाविषयी आस्था... उद्या शनवारवाडा ठौक नाही म्हणाल, परवा पर्वती ठौक नाही म्हणाल.
मी : तुम्हाला तरी कुठे ठाऊक आहे दशभुजा गणपती?
बा.ज.गो. : ठौक आहे.
मी : मग मला कशाला विचारताय?
बा.ज.गो. : तुम्हाला ठौक आहे की नाही ते पाहायला.
मी : पण दशभुजा गणपतीशी माझा काय संबंध?
बा.ज.गो. : सांगतो. 'पुणे शहरातील ढासळती धर्मभावना' ह्या विषयावर लेखमाला लिहितोय मी. ह्या स्टॉपवर सकाळी सात पासून उभा आहे मी. बेचाळीस लोकांत दशभुजा गणपती ठौक असलेला केवळ एक निघाला. पण त्या देवळासमोर त्याचे ष्टो दुरुस्तीचे दुकान आहे अकरा वर्षे. कधी आत दर्शनाला गेला नाही.
मी : म्हणजे दशभुजा गणपती फक्त पत्त्यापुरता.
बा.ज.गो. : हीच तर ट्रॅजेडी. देवळांचा उपयोग पत्त्यासाठी? एकदा आम्ही विचारले, डॉ. मंजुळाबाई सपाते प्रसुतीगृह कुठे आहे? तर एक गृहस्थ म्हणाला, 'सोमण मारुतीपुढे!' अरे काही सारासारविवेकबुद्धी? अरे निदान प्रसुतीगृहाच्या पत्त्यासाठी तरी मारुतीराया वापरू नका ! काय?
मी : खरे आहे.
बा.ज.गो. : एक साहित्यिक म्हणून तरी देवळात जाणे तुम्ही तुमचे कर्तव्य मानता की नाही?
मी : (देवावर भार घालून) मानतो तर...
बा.ज.गो. : मग जाता का?
मी : दशभुजा गणपतीला जात नाही.
बा.ज.गो. : I'm not particular about this Ganpati or that. (रिटायर्ट म्हातारा भडकला की इंग्रजीत फुटतो.) Any temple for the matter of that. (प्रत्येक 'द्याट' वर पाय आपटून) रोज जाता?
मी : (देवा! क्षमा कर. आपली जेव्हा भेट होईल तेव्हा खुलासा करेन.) हो. रोजच म्हणायला हरकत नाही. बा.ज.गो. : मला 'होय की नाही' चा रकाना भरायचा आहे. हो किंवा नाही.
मी : (Forgive me Oh Lord!) हो. (आता हे खोटे नाही. रोज रात्री गुडकुले विठोबाच्या देवळात काणे भटजी, विठोबा टेलर, सोपानराव हेयरड्रेसर आणि मी वरच्या नगारखान्यात रमी खेळतो. एक पैसा, शंभर पाँईंट. आषाढी कार्तिकीला काणे भटजी पाँईंट वाढवा म्हणतात पण आम्ही ऐकत नाही).
बा.ज.गो. : एक साहित्यिक ह्या दृष्टीने तुमची धर्मावर श्रद्धा आहे की नाही?
मी : श्रद्धा ही वस्तुच मुळी देव आणि धर्म ह्यांच्यावर ठेवायला तयार केली आहे असे माझे मत आहे.

(गोल पोटावरून तळव्यापर्यंत प्यांटीचं माप घेताना समोरच्या करांडे टेलर्सने टेप बेंबीपासून ओळंबा धरावा तशी सोडली आहे. हे मोहक दृश्य पाहायला मला उसंत न देता...)
बा.ग.जो. : तुम्ही सरळ हो की नाही सांगा.
मी : हो. कारण धर्मावर श्रद्धा ठेवायची नाही तर काय मुन्सिपालटी, जिल्हाबोर्ड, बसवाले, हॉटेलवाले ह्यांच्यावर ठेवायची ?
बा.ग.जो. : तुम्ही कृपा करून वाक्याच्या शेवटी पूर्णविराम येईल असे उत्तर द्या. शेवटी प्रश्नचिन्ह नको.
मी : (मुकाट्याने) बरं.
बा.ग.जो. : आता सांगा धर्मावर तुमची श्रद्धा आहे की नाही ?
मी : यथेच्छ श्रद्धा आहे कारण धर्म नसता तर दसरा, होळी, दिवाळी, नारळी पौर्णिमा म्हणजे पुरणपोळी, कडबू, मोदक बघायला सुद्धा मिळाले नसते. सत्यनारायण नसता तर असला शेराला सव्वाशेर तुपाचा शिरा खायला मिळाला नसता.
बा.ग.जो. : तुमच्या बोलण्यात थट्टेचा सूर आहे. धर्म काय शिरा खाण्यासाठी आहे? (इथे बा.ग.जो. नी शीरा ताणून हा प्रश्न विचारला).
मी : शिर्‍याशिवाय सत्यनारायण करून दाखवा, होडी बुडेल.
बा.ग.जो. : तो शिरा नसतो, प्रसाद असतो.
मी : सत्यनारायणाला खारीक वाटता येणार नाही. प्रसाद म्हणून सुद्धा. माफ करा, पण तुम्ही मला छुपे कम्युनिस्ट दिसता. (होतकरू साहित्यिकांस सूचना : अधून मधून अशी टफ लाईन स्वीकारावी. कम्युनिस्ट कसे बिगर कम्युनिस्टांना प्रतिक्रांतिवादी म्हणतात तीच स्टाईल.)
बा.ग.जो. : मी कम्युनिस्ट ? दशभुजा गणपती कुठे आहे हे तुम्हाला ठौक नाही आणि मी कम्युनिस्ट ? मी : (पुण्यात नव्या एका देवाला जन्म देत) झोपाळू नरसोबाचं देऊळ कुठे आहे सांगा पाहू ?
बा.ग.जो. : झोपाळू नरसोबा ? पहिल्यांदाच ऐकतोय.
मी : झोपाळू नरसोबा पहिल्यांदाच ऐकताय काय? अरेरे. प्रश्न आला. झोपाळू नरसोबा सारख्या जागृत देवाचे नाव पहिल्यांदाच ऐकताय हे ऐकून आश्चर्य वाटलं. जाऊ द्या मी नास्तिकांशी बोलत नसतो. सत्यनारायणाला खारका वाटायला निघाले आहेत. (होतकरू साहित्यिक प्लीज नोट : वादाच्या प्रसंगी प्रतिपक्षाने न केलेल्या मुद्द्यांवर जोर द्यावा.) सत्यनारायणाला खारका ? उद्या गोकुळाष्टमीला केक वाटाल..
बा.ग.जो. : तुम्ही हे कोणाला सांगता आहात?
मी : तुम्हाला ! इथे दुसरे आहे कोण? सॉरी, दुसरे कोणी नाही. पूर्णविराम.
बा.ग.जो. : तुमचा काहीतरी गैरसमज होतो आहे. आपण राहता कुठे ?
मी : (मी इथे खरी कसोटी आहे. डिटेलवार पत्ता देऊन गोंधळात टाकायच्या शास्त्राचा अभ्यास असल्याखेरीज ह्या कसोटीला उतरता येणार नाही.) तुम्हाला झोपाळू नरसोबा ठाऊक नाही, बरं रेडेकर तालीम तरी ठाऊक असेल !
बा.ग.जो. : ती कुठेशी आली ?
मी : रविवारात. घाणेकरांच्या कोळश्याच्या वखारीला लागून.
बा.ग.जो. : काढीन शोधून. घाणेकर तालीम...
मी : घाणेकर तालीम नाही घाणेकर कोळश्याची वखार. त्याला लागून रेडेकर तालीम. रास्ते वाड्यावरून खाली या सरळ (इथे खाली येणे ह्याचा हवा तसा अर्थ घ्यावा). तिथे घाणेकर कोळश्याची वखार विचारा. तिथे घाणेकरांना विचारा पापडवाले बेंद्रे कुठेशी राहतात? पापडवाल्या बेंद्र्यांच्या वाड्यावरून गल्ली जाते. तिच्या टोकाला माशेलकर बखळ (गल्लीला दोन टोके असतात ते विसरणे). माशेलकर बखळीत विचारायचे संपतराव लाँड्री कुठे आहे?
बा.ग.जो. : जरा सावकाश सांगा मी लिहून घेतो आहे. आताशा कापडवाल्या बेंद्र्यांच्या पर्यंत आलेलो आहे. मी : कापडवाले बेंद्रे नाहीत पापडवाले बेंद्रे. तिथे सोवळ्यातले पापड मिळतात. मग माशेलकर बखळ, मग संपतराव लाँड्री. (बस येईपर्यंत बा.ग.जो. ना घुमवायच्या बेताने) संपतराव लाँड्रीत सोनार आहेत का विचारायचे. ते तुम्हाला भोरप्यांचा वाडा दाखवतील.
बा.ग.जो. : भोरप्यांचा ? थांबा, जरा सावकाश सांगा.
मी : सावकाश काय सांगा, बस आली म्हणजे?
बा.ग.जो. : बस कशी येईल ?
मी : म्हणजे?
बा.ग.जो. : हा बस स्टॉप क्यान्सल झाला आहे.
मी : काय म्हणता ? बा.ग.जो. : अहो ! पंधरा दिवस झाले हा वनवे झालेला आहे. इकडून प्रवेश बंद. एकतरी बस इथून येऊन तिथे गेली का?
मी : मग मघाशी का नाही सांगितलत?
बा.ग.जो. : वा ! मग तुम्ही थांबला असतात का? आणि काय हो, साहित्यिक असून तुम्हाला गावातले वनवे ठौक नाहीत. कमाल आहे. काय नाव तुमचे ?
मी : (स्वत:चे नवीन बारसे साजरे करत) गोविंद गोपाळ दहिभाते.
बा.ग.जो. : आजच हे नाव ऐकतोय.
मी : मी सुद्धा! (बा.ग.जो. शुद्धीवर आहेत की बेशुद्ध आहेत ते न पाहता मी सटकतो. तात्पर्य : देवावर भार घालून सुद्धा भोग सुटतातच असे नाही.)

लेखक - पु.ल. देशपांडे.

ठकास महाठक

ठाण्यामध्ये श्री. कखग नावाचे एक मराठी लघु उद्योजक आहेत. त्यांचा कारखाना ज्या उद्योगभवनात आहे तिथे असलेल्या इतर ११ कारखान्यांचे मालक हे अमराठी आहेत. हे सर्व अमराठी मालक सदैव संघटित असतात. विशेषतः कामगारांचे शोषण करणे, चोरून वीज वापरणे, सरकारी कार्यशाळा निरिक्षकाला (फॅक्ट्री इंस्पेक्टरला) लाच देणे, शनिवारी रात्री मद्यपानी मेजवान्या झोडणे ह्या बाबतीत त्यांची मते एकमेकांशी जुळतात. श्री. कखग ह्या गटात मोडत नसल्यामुळे थोडेसे वेगळे पडतात.

तर सांगायची गोष्ट ही की दरवर्षी गणेशोत्सवापूर्वी स्थानिक शाखेतील मावळे त्या उद्योगभवनात येऊन उत्सवासाठी काही प्रोत्साहनपर रक्कम (देणगी / खंडणी) घेऊन जातात. श्री. कखग यांची पद्धत अशी होती की ते इतर ११ मालकांकडून प्रत्येकी रु. १००/- घेऊन, घासाघीस करून, गोड बोलून मावळ्यांना रु. १५०० ऐवजी रु. ११००/- मध्ये पटवायचे आणि चहा-नाश्ता देऊन कटवायचे. ते स्वतःचे पैसे घालत नसत. कारण आपले पैसे केवळ सुरवाणी, जिज्ञासा, हरियाली इ. चांगल्या संस्थांना देण्यासाठीच आहेत ह्या बद्दल त्यांच्या मनात कोणतीही शंका नव्हती.

२-३ वर्षांनी इतरांना ह्या गोष्टीचा सुगावा लागला. त्यांनी सर्वांनी मिळून ठरवले की ह्या वर्षी श्री. कखग ह्यांना पैसे खर्च करायला लावायचेच. लगेच ते कखग यांच्याकडे आले व म्हणाले, "कखगभावु, ह्या वख्ताला गनेश फेस्टिवलासाठी पैसे सर्वानी वायले वायले देवुया. " कखग ह्यांनी मान डोलावली.

सालाबाद प्रमाणे जुलैमध्ये मावळे उगवले. लगेच कखग ह्यांनी त्यांचे चहा, नाश्ता देऊन प्रेमाने स्वागत केले. हवापाण्याच्या गप्पा केल्या. नंतर विनम्र स्वरांत म्हणाले की यंदा थोडी पद्धत बदललेली आहे. आम्ही सर्व लोक आपापले पैसे वेगळे देणार आहोत. हे माझे दीडशे रुपये घ्या.

पण एक सांगतो, इतर गाळेवाले उगाचच मंदीचे कारण सांगून पैसे द्यायला काचकुच करतील. हे काही बरोबर नाही. एऱ्हवी ह्यांच्याकडे पार्ट्या करायला भरपुर पैसा आहे. तुम्ही एक काम करा, प्रत्येकाकडून कमीत कमी अडिचशे घ्या, सोडू नका एकालाही. आपला उत्सव थाटामाटात झाला पाहिजे.

पुढे काय घडले ते सुज्ञांस सांगणे न लगे.

जंगले आहेत सुंदर, गुढ आणि घनदाट

हिमाच्छादित संध्याकाळी जंगलाशी थांबणे - रॉबर्ट फ्रॉस्ट

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening - Robert Frost

मला वाटते मला माहित आहे, ही कोणाची झाडे आहेत.

जरी त्याचे घर गावामध्ये आहे,
बर्फाच्छादित झालेली त्याची झाडे पाहण्यासाठी इथे
थांबलेल्या मला तो पाहू शकणार नाही.


Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.



जवळपास कोणतीही झोपडी नसताना असे थांबणे
माझ्या शिंगराला हे नक्कीच तर्‍हेवाईक वाटेल,
(कारण) झाडी आणि गोठलेल्या तळ्याच्या मध्ये ती
संध्याकाळ आहे वर्षभरातील सर्वाधिक धुकटलेली.



My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.



काही घोटाळा आहे का असे विचारण्यासाठी ते
खोगीराला जडवलेल्या घंटेला हलकेच झटका देते.
अन्य एकच आवाज सर्वत्र पसरलेला असतो, तो म्हणजे
हलक्या वार्‍याचा आणि खाली तरंगत येणार्‍या हिमपुंजक्यांचा.


He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.



ही जंगले आहेत सुंदर, गुढ आणि घनदाट
पण मला काही वचने पाळायची आहेत आणि
मैलोगणती जायचे आहे मी (काळ)झोप घेण्यापूर्वी
आणि मैलोगणती जायचे आहे मी (काळ)झोप घेण्यापूर्वी....

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

खेळ

मराठी भाषा शिकणे व शिकवणे हे दोन्ही कठिण आहे असे माझे ठाम मत आहे. उदा. आमची मुलगी मधील ‘च’ चा देशी उच्चार आमच़ा मुलगा मध्ये पर्शियन होऊन येतो. र्‍हस्व दीर्घाचे ’अनियमित’ नियम जाणून घेताना तर सर्वच मराठी जनांची फेंफें उडते, तिथे अमराठी जनांची काय कथा? इंग्रजी भाषा शिकताना जसे 'का' विचारणे व्यर्थ आहेच तशीच काहीशी स्थिती मराठी भाषा शिकताना होते. असे असताना गेल्या आठवड्यात योगायोगाने काही इंग्रजी माध्यमातील इ. ५-६-७-८ वीच्या विद्यार्थ्यांना अमराठी मुलांना मराठी शिकवायचा योग आला. 'हसत खेळत शिकविणे’ हे माझे तत्त्व असल्यामुळे एक गंमत म्हणून आपण लहानपणी खेळायचो तो ’नाव, गाव, फळ, फुल, रंग, प्राणी, पक्षी, खेळ, वस्तु’ हा खेळ घेतला. आधी मुलांना वाटले की हे सर्व इंग्रजीतून लिहायचे आहे. पण जेव्हा मराठी भाषेतील शब्द वापरायचे आहेत हे कळले तेव्हा त्यांचा विरस झाला. तरी पण त्यांनी नेटाने प्रयत्न करून, दिलेल्या संकेतांच्या आधारे बरेचसे शब्द शोधून काढले. त्यातल्या त्यात नाव, गाव, वस्तुंची नावे शोधणे त्यांना फारसे कठिण गेले नाही. मात्र ‘ह’ अक्षरावरून पक्षी शोधणे, ‘ब’ आणि ‘म’ वरूनफळे व रंग शोधणे, ‘र’ वरून खेळ शोधणे इ. इ. मला पण कठिण गेले. पुलंच्या ‘असा मी असामी’ चा पगडा असल्याने ‘ब’ आणि ‘म’ वरून रंग शोधायचा विचार आला तेव्हा मनात बैंगणी व मळखाऊ असे दोन शब्द रुंजी घालायला लागले. असो.

मला आठवलेली काही फळ, फुल, प्राणी, पक्षी, रंग व खेळ ह्यांची नावे सोबत देत आहे. त्यामध्ये आपणही भर घालावी ही विनम्र विनंती. तसेच काही शब्द मुद्दामच पांढर्‍या रंगात देत आहे. आपल्याला जमले तर आपण आधी आठवून पहा आणि आठवले नाहीच तर मात्र ते शब्द पहायला हरकत नाही.

वर्ण	फळ	फुल	रंग	प्राणी	पक्षी	खेळ
ब	बोर, बदाम	बकुळ	बदामी	बेडूक, बैल	बगळा	-
र	रामफळ	रातराणी	राखाडी, राणी	रेडा, रानगवा रानमांजर	राघू	रस्सीखेच
ह	-	हिरवा चाफा	हिरवा	हत्ती	होला, हळद्या	हुतूतू
म	मोसंबे	मोगरा, मल्लिका	मोरपिशी	माकड, मगर, मांजर, म्हैस	मोर	मामाचं पत्र हरवलं..
ख	खरबुज	-	खाकी	खवले मांजर, खेचर	-	खो - खो
च	चिकू	चमेली, चाफा	चंदेरी	चित्ता	चिमणी	चोरपोलीस
स	सीताफळ, सफरचंद	सदाफुली, सोनचाफा	सोनेरी, सफेद	साळींदर, सरडा, ससा	साळुंखी, ससाणा	सारीपाट
प	पिस्ता, पेरु, पपनस	पारिजात	पिवळा, पोपटी	पांडा	पोपट	पकडापकडी
अ	अननस, अंजीर	अबोली, अर्किड	अबोली, अंजिरी, आकाशी	अस्वल	अडई	आंधळी कोशिंबीर

उपाय सुचवावा

मी मुंबई मराठी ग्रंथसंग्रहालय (मुंमग्र) दादर शाखेची प्रथम बालविभागाची सदस्या होते व आता सामान्य विभागाची सदस्या आहे.

माझ्या लहानपणी दूरचित्रवाणी नावाचा सर्व मनोरंजनांच्या साधनांना भस्म करणारा असुर फारसा कोणाकडे नसल्यामुळे बालविभाग सुद्धा दणकून चालायचा. मनोरंजनाची अन्य साधने होती पण वाचनालयाला पर्याय ती होऊ शकत नव्हती.

कालांतराने ग्रंथालयाची बालविभागाची बरीच पुस्तके गहाळ झाल्यावर, वेगवेगळे सदस्य क्रमांक घेऊन झाल्यावर यथावकाश मी सामान्य सदस्या झाले. म्हणजे आता मोठ्यांच्या विभागात आले होते. इथे गुप्तेबाईंच्या सारख्या तत्पर व ग्रंथालय शास्त्रातील जणू संगणक असणार्‍या ग्रंथालय सेविका होत्या. पारायणेंसारखे त्यांना पण लाखो पुस्तकांच्यात कोणते पुस्तक कुठे ठेवले आहे, लेखक कोण, प्रकाशक कोण, मुल्य काय हे सारे तोंडपाठ असायचे. त्यावेळी सर्व ग्रंथालय सेविका उत्तम सेवा देत होत्या आणि आजही देत आहेत. तेही केवळ प्रतिदिनी रु. १/- इतक्या कमी सदस्य शुल्कात (ग्रंथालयाचे मासिक शुल्क रु. ३० आहे).

मात्र त्यावेळी माझा सदस्य क्रमांक ९०० च्या आसपास होता. तो दरवर्षी कमी होत होत आता चाळीसच्या आसपास आलेला आहे. बालविभाग तर नामशेष झालेला आहे. प्रौढांचा विभाग बहुतांशी पुस्तकांवर चालण्याऐवजी गृहशोभिका सारख्या मासिकांवर चालत आहे. अंदाजे लाखभर पुस्तके वाचकांची वाट पाहात आहेत. सर्व ग्रंथप्रेमींनी ह्यावर गांभीर्याने विचार करण्याची वेळ आली आहे.

बरेच जण म्हणतात की मुंमग्र ने आता इंग्रजी पुस्तके ठेवावीत. पण इंग्रजी पुस्तके वाचनासाठी ठेऊन मराठीचा वाचक वर्ग वाढेल असे म्हणणे फारसे सुसंगत आहे असे मला वाटत नाही. अर्थात असे होऊ पण शकेल, मला नक्की कल्पना नाही.

आपल्याला काही तर्कयुक्त विचार सुचतो का?

मला एक उपाय सुचतो तो म्हणजे शासनाने फिरते ग्रंथालय निर्माण करून मुंबईत ज्या मराठी शाळा आर्थिकदृष्ट्या दुर्बळ आहेत त्यांच्या दरवाज्यापर्यंत ही पुस्तके न्यावीत तसेच उद्योगजगताला पुरक असणार्‍या पुस्तकांचे संच करून वेगवेगळ्या उद्योगांमध्ये ते तिथल्या चाकरवर्गाला देता येतील ह्यासाठी तिथे लघुशाखा निर्माण कराव्यात. उदा. दर आठवड्याला बँकेत अर्थशास्त्राशी संबंधित वेगवेगळी पुस्तके ठेऊन तिथल्या कर्मचार्‍यांना पुस्तके वाचण्यास प्रवृत्त करणे.

असो. आपणही ह्या विषयावर चिंतन करावे व आपली मते मांडावीत.

माहिती द्या

मी लहान असताना माझ्या बाबांनी आमच्या घरात टेलिफोन आणला. आमच्या आळीत आलेला तो पहिलाच टेलिफोन होय. मला अजूनही भिंतीवर लटकवलेले ते सुरेखसे चकाकणारे टेलिफोनचे यंत्र आठवते. एक लखलखीत झळाळता रिसीव्हर त्या चौकोनी यंत्राशेजारी लटकत असे. मी इतका लहान होतो की माझा हातच तिथपर्यंत पोहोचत नसे. पण मी आई त्यात बोलत असताना भारावल्यासारखा ऐकत असे.

एके दिवशी मला अनपेक्षितपणे शोध लागला - की त्या अद्भूत यंत्रात कोणीतरी एक आश्चर्यजनक व्यक्ती राहते. तिचे नाव होते "माहिती द्या" आणि तिला माहित नव्हते असे ह्या जगात काहीच नव्हते. ती कोणाचाही फोन नंबर देऊ शकत असे आणि कधीही बिनचुक वेळ सांगू शकत असे.

एकदा माझी आई शेजार्‍यांकडे गेली असता अचानकपणे माझा संबंध ह्या जादुच्या दिव्यातील परीशी आला. तळघरात हत्यारांशी खेळताना चुकून माझ्या बोटावर माझ्याच हातून हातोडी बसली. खरेतर वेदनेने अगदी कळवळायला झाले पण रडत बसण्यात काहीच अर्थ नव्हता कारण माझे डोळे पुसायला (सांत्वन करायला) घरात कोणीच नव्हते.

माझे ठुसठुसणारे, दुखरे बोट चोखत घरभर फिरताना अखेर मी जिन्यापाशी - टेलिफोनपाशी आलो !

मी तडक देवघरातील चौरंग आणायला धावलो आणि तो चौरंग ढकलत टेलिफोनखाली आणला. त्यावर चढून मी रिसीव्हर काढला व कानाला लावत म्हणालो, "माहिती द्या".

एक दोन बटने दाबली गेल्याचा आवाज आला आणि एक किनरा पण सुस्पष्ट आवाज ऐकू आला, "माहिती घ्या". "माझे बोट दुखत आहे" - मी हुंदके देत म्हणालो. ऐकणारे कोणीतरी असल्यामुळे डोळ्यातून लगेच अश्रु बाहेर पडायला लागले.

"तुझी आई घरात नाही का?" प्रश्न आला.
"घरात मी एकटाच आहे", मी रुद्ध कंठाने म्हणालो.
"बोटातून रक्त येत आहे का?"
"नाही", मी उत्तरलो, "माझ्या बोटावर चुकून हातोडी बसली आणि आता खूप दुखत आहे."
"तू फ्रिझ उघडून बर्फ काढू शकतोस का?", तिने विचारले. "हो"
"मग एक बर्फाचा तुकडा त्या दुखर्‍या बोटावर दाबून ठेव", ती म्हणाली.

त्यानंतर मी नेहेमीच सगळ्या काही गोष्टींसाठी "माहिती द्या" ला फोन करायला लागलो. मी तिला भूगोलाविषयी विचारले आणि तिने मला अरुणाचल कुठे आहे ते सांगितले, मी तिला गणिताविषयी विचारले. तिने मला मी नुकतीच बागेत पकडलेली खार फळे आणि शेंगदाणे खाते हे पण सांगितले.

मग एके दिवशी माझी आवडती पाळीव मैना गेली. मी "माहिती द्या" ला फोन करून ही दु:खद गोष्ट सांगितली. तिने ती गोष्ट शांतपणे संपूर्ण ऐकली व मोठी माणसे लहान मुलाची समजुत घालण्यासाठी जे काही बोलतात त्या पद्धतीचे ती बरेच काहीतरी म्हणाली.

पण माझे समाधान काही होईना. 'त्या सुस्वर आणि आमच्या सर्व कुटुंबाला आनंद देणार्‍या आकर्षक पक्षिणीचा असा दु:खद अंत का व्हावा? का तिने असे पिसे झडलेल्या अवस्थेत पाय वर करून पडावे?'

तिला माझ्या दु:खाचे गांभीर्य जाणवले असावे. ती पटकन म्हणाली, "पिंटू, लक्षात ठेव, इतरही अनेक जगे आहेत जिथे गाणे म्हणण्याची आवश्यकता आहे". मला आत कुठेतरी बरे वाटले.

नंतर एकदा मी फोन उचलून म्हणालो, "माहिती द्या" आणि आता तो ओळखीचा झालेला आवाज म्हणाला, "माहिती घ्या". मी विचारले, "स्टेशन शब्द इंग्रजीत कसा लिहायचा?".

हे सर्व घडले भारताच्या पूर्वेला एका छोट्याश्या शहरात. मग मी ९ वर्षांचा असताना आम्ही सुरतेला राहायला गेलो. मी खरोखरच माझ्या प्रिय मैत्रिणीला मुकलो. "माहिती द्या" केवळ त्याच जुन्या टेलिफोन यंत्रात राहात होती. सुरतेत आल्यावर कधीही चुकूनसुद्धा माझ्या मनात आमच्या दिवाणखान्यातील टेबलावर विराजमान झालेल्या नव्या टेलिफोनचा वापर करावा असे आले नाही.

पुढे जरी मी तारुण्यात प्रवेश केला तरीही मी त्या सुखद संवादाच्या मोहक आठवणी कधीही विसरू शकलो नाही. गोंधळलेल्या आणि शंकाकुल मनस्थितीत नेहेमी मला त्या प्रसन्न सुरक्षित करणार्‍या संभाषणाची आठवण येत असे. मला आता जाणवत होते की एखाद्या लहान मुलाच्या निरागस पण बालिश शंकांना उत्तरे देण्यासाठी वेळ देताना ती किती संयत, समजुतदार आणि प्रेमळ असणे गरजेचे होते ते.
नंतर काही वर्षांनी गुवाहाटीला उच्च शिक्षणासाठी जाताना मला कोलकत्याच्या विमानतळावर १५-२० मिनिटे थांबण्याची वेळ आली. मग मी सध्या तिथे राहात असलेल्या माझ्या बहिणीशी गप्पा मारल्या आणि तो फोन संपल्यावर नकळत पुन्हा फोन उचलून विचार न करता सहज म्हणालो, "माहिती द्या".

१-२ दा बटणे दाबली गेल्याचा आवाज आला आणि चमत्कार घडला, मी तोच ओळखीचा किनरा पण सुस्पष्ट आवाज पुन्हा ऐकला - "माहिती घ्या". मी काही ठरवले नव्हते पण सहज माझ्या तोंडून शब्द बाहेर पडले, "स्टेशन शब्द इंग्रजीत कसा लिहायचा?"

२ मिनिटे नि:शब्द शांततेत गेले आणि मृदु आवाजात उत्तर ऐकू आले, "एव्हाना तुझे दुखरे बोट बरे झाले असेल ना..."

मला हसू फुटले. "म्हणजे ती तूच आहेस अजूनही", मी म्हणालो, "तुला काही कल्पना आहे का तुझे माझ्याशी बोलणे हे त्या काळात माझ्यासाठी किती महत्त्वाचे होते ते?"

"तुला काही कल्पना आहे का?" ती म्हणाली, "तुझे माझ्याशी बोलणे हे त्या काळात माझ्यासाठी किती खास होते ते? मला कधीच मुलबाळ झाले नाही. मी आतुरतेने तुझ्या फोनची वाट पाहात असे." मी तिला सांगितले की कशी वारंवार मला तिची आठवण येत असे आणि मी तिला गहिवरून विचारले की परत कोलकत्याला येईन तेव्हा मी तिला फोन करू शकतो का?

ती म्हणाली, "जरूर कर आणि मी नसले तर सरोजिनी आहे का ते विचार". नंतर ३ महिन्यांनी मी काही कामानिमित्त कोलकत्याला परत आलो, ह्या वेळी एक वेगळाच आवाज माहिती देण्यासाठी पुढे आला. मी सरोजिनी आहे का असे विचारले.

"तू तिचा मित्र आहेस का?"
"हो, अगदी जुना मित्र".
"मला सांगायला वाईट वाटते पण सरोजिनी गेले काही महिने आजारपणामुळे आमच्याकडे अर्धवेळ नोकरी करीत होती. ती गेल्या महिन्यात वारली".

मी फोन ठेवणारच होतो पण तो आवाज म्हणाला, "एक मिनिट, तुझे नाव पिंटू आहे का?" मी हो म्हटले.

"असे असेल तर तुझ्यासाठी एक निरोप आहे. सरोजिनीने तो लिहून ठेवला आहे. मी वाचून दाखवते - त्याला सांगा, पिंटू, लक्षात ठेव, इतरही अनेक जगे आहेत जिथे गाणे म्हणण्याची आवश्यकता आहे. मला काय म्हणायचे ते त्याला नक्की कळेल".

मी तिचे आभार मानून फोन ठेवला. मला नक्कीच माहित होते की सरोजिनीला काय म्हणायचे होते ते.
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मी जरी अनुवाद क्षेत्राशी संबंधित असले तरी आता पावेतो कधीही मराठी ललित साहित्याचा अनुवाद केलेला नव्हता. मात्र आज एक प्रयोग म्हणून एक अग्रप्रेषित हृद्य लघुकथा अनुवादित करत आहे. हा अनुवाद करताना थोडेसे स्थानिकीकरणाचे स्वातंत्र्य सुद्धा घेतले आहे. मूळ कथा इथे वाचता येईल. आपल्यापैकी कोणालाही जमले तर मी दिलेली कथा शब्दरचना, विशेषनामे आपल्या कल्पनेप्रमाणे, आवडीप्रमाणे बदलून इथे प्रतिसादात संपूर्ण घालावी व चांगला अनुवाद कसा करता येईल ह्याचा वस्तुपाठ घालून द्यावा ही विनंती.

नृशंस

माझे वडिल इझ्रायल प्रेमी असल्याकारणाने आमच्या घरात सर्वांत जास्त पुस्तके इझ्रायल, ज्यू, ज्यू तत्वज्ञान, दुसरे महायुद्ध ह्या संदर्भात होती. ना.ह. पालकरांचे "इझ्रायल, छळाकडून बळाकडे" मी अनेकदा वाचले. त्यावेळी मला दोन गोष्टींचा प्रचंड अभिमान वाटत असे - १) जगाच्या पाठीवर भारत हा असा एकच देश आहे जिथे ज्यू धर्मीयांचा केवळ ते ज्यू आहेत ह्या एका गोष्टीमुळे छळ झाला नाही. २) ना.ह. पालकरांच्या लिखाणाची दखल घेऊन त्यांना अभिवादन म्हणून इझ्रायलमध्ये एका रस्त्याला त्यांचे नाव देण्यात आले (लक्षात घ्या की इझ्रायल हा एक आकारमानाने महाराष्ट्राच्या १/३ देश आहे).

त्यानंतर वि. ग. कानेटकरांचे "इझ्रायल, युद्ध, युद्ध आणि युद्धच" हे पुस्तक वाचले. इझ्रायल सारखे एक चिमुकले राष्ट्र जन्मल्याक्षणी सहा क्रुर व खुनशी इस्लामी शेजार्‍यांशी कसा लढा देते व पुढे पण वेळोवेळी अतुट राष्ट्रनिष्ठा, विजिगिषु वृत्ती आणि योग्य राजकीय डावपेच ह्यांच्या जोरावर ते कसे सततच्या लढाया जिंकत जाते ते मूळातूनच वाचण्याजोगे आहे.

मी अनेकदा पाहते की लोक म्हणतात की अमेरिकेचा पाठिंबा होता म्हणून इझ्रायल तगले. पण इझ्रायल जरी अमेरिकेचे सहाय घेत असले तरी ते एक व्यापाराचा भाग म्हणून. त्यात कोणताही मिंधेपणा नाही. अनेकदा इझ्रायलने अमेरिकेला न पटणारे निर्णय घेतलेला आहेत. प्रत्येक इझ्रायली परराष्ट्रमंत्र्याने अमेरिकेला बजावले आहे की इझ्रायलला अमेरिकेची गरज नसून अमेरिकेला शीतयुद्धात मध्यपूर्वेत गैर-इस्लामिक सहयोगी म्हणून इझ्रायलची गरज आहे व अमेरिकेची अर्थव्यवस्था ज्यू धनिकांच्या हातात आहे.

तसेच केवळ अमेरिकेच्या पाठिंब्यावर जर कोणतेही राष्ट्र सशक्त बनू शकते असे जर कोणाला म्हणायचे असेल तर त्यांनी आज पाकिस्तानची अवस्था पाहावी. असो.

पुढे पुढे, इ. ९-१० मध्ये असताना इंग्रजी पुस्तके वाचायची सवय लागली. एनिड ब्लिटन, एरिक क्येस्तनर वैगरेंची पुस्तके वाचता वाचता लिऑन युरिसचा "एक्सोडस" हा पहिलाच मोठा ग्रंथ वाचला. खरेतर ती एक सुरस कादंबरी आहे. मात्र त्यातील प्रसंग हे सत्य घटनेवर आधारित आहेत. कादंबरी वाचत गेले आणि मला तिचे वेडच लागले. तिचे इतके वेळा पारायण केले की कित्येक उतारे तोंडपाठ झाले. सुरवातीला इंग्रजी शब्दांचे अर्थ संदर्भाने कळायचे. मग मी एकदा न कळलेले शब्द लिहून काढायचा व शब्दकोशात त्याचा अर्थ शोधायचा व मग पुन्हा एकदा तो उतारा वाचायचा असे चालू केले. मग ही कादंबरी पुन्हा नवी होऊन समोर आली.

विशेषत: ऑश्विट्झ, ट्रेबलिंका, बिर्केनाऊ वै. ची वर्णने वाचून अंगावर काटा उभा राहिला. युरोप आणि रशियातून ज्यूंचा समूळ नि:पात करायचा ह्या वेड्या विचारांपायी ज्या क्रुरतेने ६० लाख ज्यूंची ह्या छळछावण्यातून निर्मम हत्या करण्यात आली ती वर्णने वाचवत नाहीत. त्यातूनही जे बचावले त्यांची, विशेषत: मुलांची शारीरिक व त्याहीपेक्षा जास्त मानसिक अवस्था पाहून मन विदीर्ण होते.

आज हे सर्व आठवायचे कारण की भारतात सध्या हिस्टरी वाहिनीवर आश्विट्झ विषयी विशेष मालिका चालू आहे. ती पाहिल्यावर मनाला प्रश्न पडतो की कोणाचीही एखाद्या गोष्टीबद्दल, समाजाबद्दल इतकी टोकाची मते कशी काय बनू शकतात? मात्र जर समाजातील काहींची अशी मते बनली तरी त्यांच्या अमानवी आज्ञांचे पालन समाजातील इतर माणसे उदा. आईखमन, डॉ. योसेफ मिंगेल इ. कशी काय करू शकतात?


एखादा डेन्मार्क सारखा देश सोडला तर सरसकट सर्व युरोपीय देश ह्या ज्यूंच्या कत्तलीकडे डोळेझाक करतात किंवा स्वत:ला सुरक्षित ठेवण्याकरता स्वत:हून आपल्या देशातील ज्यूंना जर्मनांच्या ताब्यात देतात. जणू काही ज्यूंचे शिरकाण ही त्यांची स्वत:चीच इच्छा जर्मन गेस्टापो पूर्ण करीत असते. उदा. रशियामध्ये अनेक शतके ज्यूंच्या कत्तली (पोग्रोम) उघड चालू होत्या. रस्त्यात चालणार्‍या एकट्या दुकट्या ज्यूंना ठार मारणे हा काहींचा छंद होता. रशियन सरकारच अश्या गोष्टींना सतत प्रोत्साहन देत असे.
पुढे ऑश्विट्झ सारख्या छळ छावण्या झाल्यावर गाड्या भरभरून ज्यू संपूर्ण युरोप आणि रशियातून आणण्यात आले. फार कमी सहृदय लोकांनी ह्या काळात ज्यूंना आश्रय व रसद दिली. पोलंडसारख्या देशात तर दुसरे महायुद्ध संपल्यावर जे दुर्दैवी ज्यू छळ छावण्यांमधून कसेबसे वाचून परत आपल्या घरी परतायचे ह्या विचारांनी परत येताना दिसले त्यांना पोलिश लोकांनी प्रचंड विरोध केला. हे सर्व समाजशास्त्राच्या दृष्टीने अनाकलनीय आहे.

कोकण प्रवास

माझे कोकणात पूर्वी बरेचदा येणे जाणे असल्याने प्रवासाच्या दृष्टिने माझ्या काही गोष्टी लक्षात आल्या. त्या इथे नमुद करू इच्छिते.

१) कोकण रेल्वे - हिचे नाव बदलून गोवा - मंगळूर रेल्वे करायला हरकत नाही. कारण गाड्यांना कोकणात थांबे कमी. बर्‍याच स्थानकांवर गाड्या थांबत नाही. काही ठिकाणी तर किमान राजापुर सारख्या महत्त्वांच्या स्थानकांवर तरी ही रेल्वे थांबवावी म्हणून लोकांना आंदोलने करावी लागली. मुख्य महसूल गोवा आणि पुढच्या भागातील स्थानकांवर उतरणार्‍या प्रवाशांकडून. २) एकच रुळ असल्या कारणाने लांब पल्ल्याच्या गाड्यांना प्राधान्य. बरेचदा गाड्यांच्या वेळापत्रकात गडबड झाली की लहान अंतरावर जाणार्‍या गाड्यांना बाजूला ठेऊन लांब पल्ल्याच्या गाड्यांना पुढे काढले जाते. ३) भुसभुशीत जमीन पोतामुळे दरडी कोसळणे, रुळावरून गाडी घसरणे इ. प्रकार घडतात (विशेषत: पावसाळ्यात). ४) बरीचशी स्थानके मूळ गावापासून बरीच लांब. त्यामुळे रेल्वे तिकिट दर कमी असले तरी पुढे रिक्षाने त्याच्या २-३ पट पैसे टाकून आपल्या गावाला जाणे म्हणजे पैशाचा अपव्यव तर होतोच पण रिक्षा मिळाली नाही तर टेम्पो वैगरेने किमान महामार्गाने तरी कसबसे यावे लागते. मगच पुढचे वाहन मिळू शकते. उदा. आमच्या गावाला जर जायचे असेल तर आडवली ह्या स्थानकावर (इथे कोकण रेल्वेच्या काही मोजक्याच गाड्या थांबतात) उतरून (रु. १००) रिक्षाने किंवा टेम्पोने लांज्यापर्यंत (रु. १००) आणि मग एस्टीने किंवा ती मिळाली नाही तर पुन्हा स्थानिक रिक्षाने (रु. १००) गावापर्यंत पोहोचावे लागते. ५) सुट्ट्यांच्या दिवसात आरक्षण मिळणे कठिण. आरक्षण असले तरी बरेचदा गाडीत इतकी प्रचंड गर्दी असते की जीव मुठीत धरून प्रवास करावा लागतो. असो.

दुसरा पर्याय खुष्कीच्या मार्गाचा - बरेच जण स्वत:च्या वाहनाने कोकणात जातात. मात्र सार्वजनिक वाहतुकीने जायचे असेल तर एस्टीने जाणे सर्वाधिक सुरक्षित. कारण प्रशिक्षित चालक आणि बस पंक्चर (मराठी?) झाली तर तातडीने जवळपासच्या आगारातून दुसर्‍या बसची सोय केली जाते. तिसरे महत्त्वाचे म्हणजे चालकांना दारू पिण्यास मनाई आहे. तसेच एस्टी ठरल्या वेळेला निघते. प्रवासी (सीटा) भरेपर्यंत खोळंबा करत नाही. तसेच एस्टिचे जाळे सर्वदूर पसरले आहे. एका ठिकाणी गेले किदुसर्‍या ठिकाणी जावयाची एस्टी संबद्ध (Connected) एस्टी त्याच आगारात मिळू शकते. आम्ही आजही कोकणात जाताना लाल रंगाच्या / एशियाड एस्टीने जाणे पसंद करतो. पण चांगल्या स्वच्छतागृहांचा अभाव हे मात्र एस्टी प्रवास टाळण्यास कारणीभूत ठरू शकते.

कोकणात खाजगी ट्रॅव्हलर्सच्या व्होल्व्हो वाहतुकीने जाणे हे मात्र एक दिव्य आहे. १) गाड्या बेदम हाणणे. वेगाची ऐशी तैशी. १ दिवसात एकच वाहन चालक एकाच गाडीला सहज ६००-७०० कि.मी.चा प्रवास घडवतो. २) अशिक्षित चालक ३) व्यसनी चालक ४) बसमधील प्रत्येक सीट भरेपर्यंत जागोजागी गाडी थांबवणे. ५) नंतर वाट्टेल तशी गाडी हाणून वेळेची भरपाई करणे. ६) गाड्या केवळ महागड्या धाब्यांवरच थांबवणे जिथे अनेकदा जेवण शिळे, बेचव असते किंवा उपलब्ध नसते. ७) अपघात झाला तर प्रवाश्यांसाठी विमा संरक्षण नसणे. ८) क्षमतेपेक्षा जास्त प्रवासी भरणे. ९) प्रवाश्यांशी दादागिरी / पैशावरून भांडणे. १०) ह्या खाजगी गाड्या अनेकदा भंगारातून सेकंडहँड घेतलेल्या असतात. त्यांची पुरेशी देखभाल केलेली नसते. ११) टुकार मराठी चित्रपट भसाड्या आवाजात लावणे.

तिसरा मुद्दा येतो तो महामार्ग १७ वरील रस्त्यांची स्थिती आणि वाहतुक खोळंबा (Traffic Jam) ह्यांचा.
सध्या कोकणातील मुख्य रस्ते नारायणकृपेने चांगले झाले आहेत. मात्र अनेक ठिकाणी ते रुंदीला कमी आहेत. वडखळ नाका वैगरे अशी ठिकाणे आहेत जिथे हमखास वाहतुक खोळंबा होतोच होतो. तसेच घाटात अशिक्षित चालकांमुळे / डुलकी लागल्यामुळे होणारे अपघात, खाजगी वाहतुकदारांच्या बेफाम गाड्या हाकण्यामुळे होणारे अपघात, पावसाळ्यात रस्ते निसरडे झाल्याने अपघात अश्या अनेक कारणामुळे अनेकदा प्रवास ५-६ तास विलंबाने होतो. जो प्रवास एर्‍हवी ८ तासांत होतो त्याला कधीकधी १४-१६ तास सुद्धा लागतात. तसेच पावसाळ्यात कित्येकदा पूर येतात. प्रवास अधिकच अवघड ठरतो.
ह्या सर्व गोष्टींना चांगला पर्याय हा जलवाहातुकीचा ठरू शकतो. कोकणातील मुख्य बंदरांचा सर्वांगीण विकास करणे त्यासाठी महत्त्वाचे ठरेल. १) गाळ काढणे २) व्यावसायिक जेट्टी बांधणे ३) संबद्ध वाहतुकीचा योग्य पर्याय ठेवणे. उदा. गेटवेला अलिबाग तिकिट काढले तर रेवस पर्यंत बोटीने प्रवास करावा लागतो आणि तिच बोट कंपनी पुढे त्याच तिकिटात अलिबाग पर्यंत आपल्या बसने लगेच नेऊन सोडते. ४) वेगवेगळ्या प्रकारची वाहतुक उपलब्ध करणे उदा. सामान्य, जलद, ऐषो-आरामी इ. तसेच वेगवेगळ्या प्रवासी आणि पर्यटन योजना जाहीर करणे. ५) व्यापारी वाहतुकीसाठी गोद्या बांधणे.

ह्या पर्यायामुळे कोकणचा सर्वांगीण विकास होईल ह्यात शंका नाही मात्र त्यासाठी प्रबळ राजकीय इच्छाशक्ती हवी. (क्रमश:)

WHY NEWTON COMMITTED SUICIDE???

Here is the reason. Once, Newton came to India and watched a few Tamil movies that had his head spinning. He was convinced that all his logic and laws in physics were just a huge pile of junk and apologized for everything he had done.

In the movie of Rajanikanth, Newton was confused to such an extent that he went paranoid.

Here are a few scenes :

1) Rajanikanth has a Brain Tumor which, according to the doctors can't be cured and his death is imminent. In one of the fights, our great Rajanikanth is shot in the head. To everybody's surprise, the bullet passes through his ears taking away the tumor along with it and he is cured! Long Live Rajanikanth!

2) In another movie, Rajanikanth is confronted with 3 gangsters. Rajanikanth has a gun but unfortunately only one bullet and a knife. Guess, what he does? He throws the knife at the middle gangster? & shoots the bullet towards the knife. The knife cuts the bullet into 2 pieces, which kills both the gangsters on each side of the middle gangster & the knife kills the middle one.

3) Rajanikanth is chased by a gangster. Rajanikanth has a revolver but no bullets in it. Guess what he does. Nah? Not even in your remotest imaginations. He waits for the gangster to shoot. As soon as the gangster shoots, Rajanikanth opens the bullet compartment of his revolver and catches the bullet. Then, he closes the bullet compartment and fires his gun.
Bang...the gangster dies... This was too much for our Newton to take! He was completely shaken and decided to go back. But he happened to see another movie for one last time, and thought that at least one movie would follow his theory of physics. The whole movie goes fine and Newton is happy that all in the world hasn't changed. Oops, not so fast!

The 'climax' finally arrives. Rajanikanth gets to know that the villain is on the other side of a very high wall. So high that Rajanikanth can't jump even if he tries like one of those superman techniques that our heroes normally use.

Rajanikanth has to desperately kill the villain because it's the climax. (Big brother Newton is smiling since it is virtually impossible?)

Rajanikanth suddenly pulls two guns from his pockets. He throws one gun in the air and when the gun has reached above the height of the wall, he uses the second gun and shoots at the trigger of the first gun in air. The first gun fires off and the villain is dead. Newton Commits Suicide!!!!!!!!!!

Original post : WHY NEWTON COMMITTED SUICIDE???

Situation 1

There was a criminal called `Raju’ who was suffering a rigorous imprisonment for 10 years in a jail. Before the eighth year of his imprisonment he escaped from the jail and in order to avoid police he had gone to a tiny village in an adjacent state and started living there in a hope that nobody will recognize him.

He started a small business there. Gradually his business flourished and in a few years he was well-known as a successful businessman. He used to help the village people financially, used to give advises to the people, used to give decisions in small disputes and he also built a temple in the village.

One day a newly married bride called Jayashree comes to this village. She is a simple lady, straightforward, hard-working and kind. She becomes the gem of her family.

One fine day she sees Raju and recognizes him as a escaped criminal. She couldn’t sleep for the next three days due to her conscience ….. One moment she feels that as he became a good person she should not go to police and other moment she feels that as an alert citizen its her duty to tell the police that this is the one who escaped from the jail. Now suppose that you are that Jayashree. What you would have done….. What will be your decision and why? Explain it in few words.

Original post and must read comments : Situation 1

Born to live...

Don't go the way life takes you. Take the life the way you go. And remember, you are born to live and not living because you are born.

Original post : Born to live !!!

Raju and Jayashree

Reference: My second last blog `Situation 1’.

When I was doing B.Ed. one day our teacher suddenly presented this situation to us and asked our opinions on it. As we were 100 students, nearly 40-50 students gave their opinions. Few of us asked the teacher her own opinion. And other students remained silent.

The situation given here is called dilemma situation. It is to be given in the classroom and students are asked to give opinion. When students respond to this situation it gradually helps them to increase their power of decision making and moral development as this question and the answers on it by other people stir their mind.

Sometimes students change their opinion hearing colleague’s opinion. It is good in the sense that the teacher could take the student to desired moral development. But teacher must not give her own opinion as a senior figure her right/wrong opinion could affect the students.

On our each opinion teacher asked us some questions but never told her own opinion. Later she told us to repeat the same procedure in regular classrooms when we’ll become the teacher.
My experience of Std. 8th student is that every child has his own ideas/explanation about the situation. They do not talk philosophy but they have certain action plan. They never say let ‘Jayashree’ do it but they say that I’ll do this and that. Lastly I’ll say they have special way of thinking, unusual logic and a capacity to think with totally diverse angle.

Such situations help them for moral development in adolescent which helps them in later years. It also helps them to think about a question with various angles and to respect other’s opinion.

Thanks and warm regards,
Mrudula.

The moral development technique most often used is to present a hypothetical or factual value dilemma story which is then discussed in small groups. Students are presented with alternative viewpoints within these discussions which are in hypothesized to lead to higher, more developed moral thinking. There are three critical variables that make a dilemma appropriate:
The story must present "a real conflict for the central character", include "a number of moral issues for consideration", and "generate differences of opinion among students about the appropriate response to the situation."

A leader who can help to focus the discussion on moral reasoning.

A classroom climate that encourages students to express their moral reasoning freely.

The links :
http://www.vtaide.com/blessing/Kohlberg.htm
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/affsys/values.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development

Original post : Raju and Jayashree

Stay connected.....

It was a sports stadium. Eight Children were standing on the track to participate in the running event. * Ready! * Steady! * Bang!!! With the sound of Toy pistol, all eight girls started running. Hardly have they covered ten to fifteen steps, one of the smaller girls slipped and fell down, due to bruises and pain she started crying. When other seven girls heard this sound, stopped running, stood for a while and turned back, they all ran back to the place where the girl fell down. One among them bent, picked and kissed the girl gently and enquired 'Now pain must have reduced'. All seven girls lifted the fallen girl, pacified her, two of them held the girl firmly and they all seven joined hands together and walked together and reached the winning post.
Officials were shocked. Clapping of thousands of spectators filled the stadium. Many eyes were filled with tears and perhaps it had reached the GOD even!

YES. This happened in Hyderabad, recently !

The sport was conducted by National Institute of Mental Health.

All these special girls had come to participate in this event and they are spastic children.
Yes, they were mentally retarded.What did they teach this world?
Teamwork?
Humanity?
Equality among all? . . . . . . . . ????

"Successful people help others who are slow in learning so that they are not left far behind."
Stay connected........

Original post : Stay connected.....

Pampered

The Hicks family of Adelaide, Australia, before going on a long overseas holiday, dropped their Persian cat, Howie, off with their parents, whom lived over one thousand miles away from Adelaide. Months later when the Hicks family returned and was ready to pick Howie up, they found out that Howie had escaped in his second week of visiting.
Howie was an indoor cat who had never even seen a dog, and never hunted anything more substantial than a housefly. The family was heartbroken, and searched for him for a month without success. Having to return to Adelaide, their home was not the same, but they could not bring themselves to get another cat.
A year had passed, when one afternoon they found a miserable looking longhaired cat, with a wounded paw, who was filthy and starved. When their daughter Kirsten came home from school and saw the cat, she stopped, then ran forward screaming out “Howie ! Howie !”. The mother was shocked, could this straggly cat be their pedigree Persian? It was Howie.
In the twelve months it had taken Howie to make the one-thousand-mile trek home, the pampered Persian had somehow forded rivers, crossed two tracts of hostile desert and fought his way through the vast wilderness of the Australian outback. He knew where his home was and neither distance nor danger could keep him from coming back. A trip to the vet, lots of food and love, and soon he looked again like the proud Persian king of his household.

The Link : http://rulingcatsanddogs.com/cat-stories-feline-story-pampered-persian.htm

Original post and comments : Pampered

सुभाषितम्.....

सुखस्य दु:खस्य कोऽपि न दाता
परो ददाति इति कुबुद्धिरेषा ।
अहं करोमीति वृथाभिमान:
स्वकर्मसूत्रे ग्रथितो हि लोक:।।

There is no one who gives us happiness or pain. The thinking that someone else gives it is totally wrong. The feeling ‘I do’ (I’m the doer) is wrong. Every person is bonded with the `Karma’ of his/her previous birth (Whatever happens with us is an effect of our previous birth behaviour).

सुख या दुःख देनेवाला कोई भी नहीं होता। दूसरा कोई हमें यह देता है, यह विचार गलत है। "मैं करता हूँ", यह अभिमान गलत है। सभी अपने-अपने पूर्वजन्म के कर्मों से बन्धे हुए होते हैं।


Original post : सुभाषितम्.....

The Help

A man is walking along the street when he is brutally beaten and robbed. He lies unconscious, bleeding.
While he is lying there, a police officer passes by but crosses to the other side of the road, without trying to help.
A boy scout troop does the same. As does a number of pedestrians.
Finally, a Psychologist walks by, and runs up to the man. He bends down and says, "My God! Whoever did this, needs help."
.
- Thanks to C. Buckly and others.

Original post and must read comments : The Help

Wah Wah

Few days ago I sent a piece of Shayari as a personal message to all. My 360 Friend Mr. Aanand Ghare replied instantly in poetic form only. Just putting it here as a blog before I forget. Hats off to his poetic ability....

-------------Mrudula wrote:

ऐ दोस्त तू भी लिखाकर शायरी,
किसी दिन मेरी तरह तेरा भी नाम हो जाएगा,
जब तुझ पर भी पडेंगे अण्डे टमाटर,
तेरी भी शाम की सब्ज़ी का इंतझाम हो जाएगा ।
(My dear friend, start writing poems and be a famous poet like me,
when people will throw the eggs and tomatos on you, atleast you will have something for the diner)
.
----------------Aanand Ghare wrote:
.
बात मान ली आपकी, बन ही गये शायर । पहुंचे मुशायरे झोलेमे उम्मीदें लेकर ।
झोलेवालोंकी भीड थी, नामुमकिन घुसना अंदर । ना हुवा नाम, ना मिले अंडे ना टमाटर ।

(I followed your advice to become a poet. Went to a concert holding hopes great. Could not pierce through the crowd of hopefulls. Returned home with neither fame nor vegetables. )

Original post : Wah Wah!

आषाढस्य प्रथमदिवसे

तस्मिन्नन्द्रो कतिचिदबलाविप्रयुक्त: स कामी नीत्वा मासान् कनकवलयभ्रंशरिक्तप्रकोष्ठ: ।
आषाढस्य प्रथमदिवसे मेघमाश्लिष्टसानुं वप्रक्रिडापरिणतगजप्रेक्षणीयं ददर्श ।।

A certain Yaksha who had been negligent in the execution of his own duties, deprived of his powers on account of a curse from his master which was to be endured for a year and which was onerous as it separated him from his beloved, made his residence among the hermitages of Ramagiri, whose waters were blessed by the bathing of the daughter of Janaka and whose shade trees grew in profusion. (1)

That lover, separated from his beloved, whose gold armlet had slipped from his bare forearm(as he became thin due to separation), having dwelt on that mountain for some months, on the first day of the month of Ashadha, saw a cloud embracing the summit which resembled a mature elephant playfully butting a bank.

Original post : आषाढस्य प्रथमदिवसे

Was Dheerubhai wrong?

Few years ago I read a hand-book by great industrialist and visionary Dheerubhai Ambani named “India a superpower by 2020”.

The time when I read it was totally disturbed atmosphere for an Indian Economy. Everyone was experiencing the shortcomings of accepting globalisation. The economical corruption was on the peak as it is today and the GDP and other indicatory rates were depressing. Moreover the MNCs were trying to buy Indian Market using the money-power by manipulating economical policies.

As I was an Economic’s student I felt that it is a sheer madness to think India as an economical superpower not only within next 2 decades but atleast for next 50 years.

But on June 25, 2006 the world biggest steel company Arselor merged into Mittal Steel which is owned by India Born Industrialist L.N. Mittal. It was a major set-back for not all but for some Eauropeans who were opposing Mittal due to their Racial Ideas.

On the same day Tata Tea, a well known Indian Company baught US-based Eight O’ Clock Coffee Company for $220 m.

Our commerce minister Kamalnath righly pointed out the changing conditions and said that “I’m happy that some countries have realised that globalisation is not a one way street. They are realising that Indians are creating economic activity in their country”.

One can read it about it in detail in June 26, 2006 Economics Times issue. But the most important article in the same issue is “The Year Of The Liger”.

In this article the ET said that Indian Lions are taking over Global Tigers and gave the list of some recent overtakings viz. Beta farm was takenover by Dr. Reddy’s Lab for $570 m in Feb. 06, Sinvest was takenover 33.08% by Aban Lloyd for $446 m in June 06, Terapia was takenover by Ranbaxi Lab for $324 m in May. 06, Docfarma was takenover 22% by Matrix Lab for $263 m in June. 05, Teleglobe was takenover by VSNL for $239 m in July 05, Millenium Steel was takenover by Tata Steel for $175 m in Dec. 05.

Frankly speaking these overtaking are nothing do with current stock exchange index as it is driven by the operators but does make an long lasting positive impact on our economy and I think the India will be the economical superpower by 2015 if the same environment continues….

The question remains : Was Dheerubhai wrong expecting India as a superpower by 2020?

- Mrudula Tambe

Original post : Was Dheerubhai wrong?

A night with unknown....

A man and a woman, who had never met before, found themselves assigned to the same sleeping room on a transcontinental train.

Though initially embarrassed and uneasy over sharing a room, the two were tired and fell asleep quickly, he in the upper bunk and she in the lower.

At 2:00 AM, he leaned over and gently wakes the woman, saying, "Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but would you be kind enough to reach into the closet to get me a second blanket? I'm awfully cold." "I have a better idea," she replied. "Just for tonight, why don't we pretend that we're married?" ;-) "Wow! That's a great idea!!" he is excited. Next..... . . . .
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . she remarked "Then getup and take it yourself"!!


Original post : A night with unknown....

The best YOGA position

To forget all the bad and unwanted memories and to gain health...

Original post : The best YOGA position

The ugly truth

Frendz,
This anti-smoking advert is from Everest Brand Solution, Mumbai. It is shown that the smoke room is a grave-room. It may win a prize but according to me there is a small mistake.
As per my experience usually the active smoker never dies due to smoking but person next to him i.e. The passive smoker must dies because of Cancer, Asthma, and TB etc. I think this is because the smoker’s body cells get used to the toxin.
When I see a newly married couple and husband is smoking I feel that what will be his marriage anniversary gift to his wife, Cancer or TB? I truly feel that smokers do not love their family. There may be passion but not a love in any form.
This situation starts in adolescent. In childhood they know that cigarrate is injurious to health. Many of the children pledge to keep away from cigarrete and tobacco. But in adolescent their bond with family gradually decreases to nil and their friends takeover the control of their mind. Friends become the source of smoking habit. There may be some psychological reason behind it but I haven’t seen the person started smoking on his own or family members are asking a person to smoke. This is a peers’ pressure which works.
Also in movies and advertises it is hammered again and again that smoking is a symbol of manliness. So the teenager feels that smoking is another way to look smart and handsome. Later a cigarette or two once a day changes to once every half an hour. Also the subtropical climate is not at all suitable for smoking.

Some people say that even our ancestors used to smoke Gudgudi/Hukka/Chilim but major thing to be noted here was these smoking habits were usually herbal smoking. The smoke of various herbs was used to intake by the smoker along with the tobacco.

Unfortunately currently there is a heavy increase in girls’ smoking too. Because the cigarettes companies are successful in campegning that smoking helps to maintain diet.

These girls may be happy while smoking but no doubt they are doing terrific injustice with their forthcoming babies.

Original post : The ugly truth

Frendz

Today there were eight bomb blasts occured in Mumbai by Islamic Terrorist. 190 people are dead and 500+ injured.

The moment I heard the news, I alongwith my brother had gone to nearest hospital i.e. Hinduja and donated the blood. On the streets everywhere people were helping each other by giving water and food, controlling traffic, helping people to go home etc.

I'll humbly appeal every Mumbaikar to donate the blood in nearest Govt. Hospital and to immediately register with www.indianblooddonors.com

Also take atleast 2 friends with you for the donating. The blood is needed highly and blood banks are open day and night next 100 hrs.

Let terrorists understand that Mumbai is with the high spirit and it never stops....

Original post : Frendz

A request

On 11th July the bomb blasts occured just in our neighbourhood so all of us were watching television. There was a change in victim's numbers every few minutes and there was a contineous flow of SMS to TV channels from the relatives asking the whereabouts of the Mumbai residents.
In that SMS, there was really a good SMS from the viewer which later shown as a ticker by the television channel in a big font. That was
"प्रिय नेताजी,

आप जहाँ कही भी हो वही रहिए, कृपया मुंबई आने की चेष्टा न करें ।
आपके आने से व्यवस्था पे बोंझ बढ़ सकता हैं ।"

which means :

"Dear Political Leader,

Stay wherever you are and do not attempt to come to Mumbai. Because of your arrival, there will be pressure on the system"

Then also some higher level political leaders like Laloo visited the Mumbai very next day and invited the press-conference etc.

It is really poor... Isn't it?

Original post : A request

...calling me coloured ?

When I born , I black .

When I grow up , I black .

When go in sun, I black .

When I scared, I black .

When I sick, I black &
when I die , I still black.

And u white fella ,
when you born you pink .
when you grow up u white.
when u go in sun you red.

when u cold u blue.
when u scared u yellow.

when u sick u green & when u die u gray.

And u calling me coloured ? ?

by an African child .

Nominated for a prize for the best poem of 2005 .

Courtasy: Bhagyashree Kenge of marathiworld.com

Original post : ...calling me coloured ?

Untitled...

In 1962, four nervous young musicians played their first record audition for the executives of the Decca recording Company. The executives were not impressed. While turning down this group of musicians, one executive said, "We don't like their sound."
Groups of guitars are on the way out. The group was called The Beatles.

In 1944, Mr. Emmeline Snively, director of the Blue Book Modelling Agency, told modelling hopeful Ms. N J Baker, "You'd better learn secretarial work or else get married."
She went on and became Marilyn Monroe.

In 1954, Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired a singer after one performance. He told him, "You ain't goin' nowhere.... son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck.
He went on to become the most popular singer in America named Elvis Presley.

When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, it did not ring off the hook with calls from potential backers. After making a demonstration call, President Rutherford Hayes said :
"That's an amazing invention, but who would ever want to use one of them?"

When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he tried over 2000 experiments before he got it to work. A young reporter asked him how it felt to fail so many times. He said :
"I never failed once. I invented the light bulb. It just happened to be a 2000-step process."

In the 1940s, another young inventor named Chester Carlson took his idea to 20 corporations, including some of the biggest in the country. They all turned him down. In 1947 - after seven long years of rejections! He finally got a tiny company in Rochester, New York, the Haloid Company to purchase the rights to his invention an electrostatic paper-copying process.
Haloid became Xerox Corporation we know today.

She was the 20th of 22 children. She was born prematurely and her survival was doubtful. When she was 4 years old, she contacted double pneumonia and scarlet fever, which left her with a paralysed left leg. At age 9, she removed the metal leg brace she had been dependent on and began to walk without it. By 13 she had developed a rhythmic walk, which doctors said was a miracle. That same year she decided to become a runner. She entered a race and came in last. For the next few years every race she entered, she came in last. Everyone told her to quit, but she kept on running. One day she actually won a race. And then another. From then on she won every race she entered. Eventually this little girl, who was told she would never walk again, went on to win three Olympic gold medals!!!
She was Wilma Rudolph....................

Original post : Untitled...

Not me but you...

Frendz,

It is really a nice thing to be a citizen of the largest democratic country and we are lucky that we are not born in Pakistan where democracy is a fake. But in last many blogs you commented that the Indian politics, government and the politicians are responsible for today's India’s economical, social situation.

What if I say that you are only responsible for this situation? You are the culprit.

When there is an election, on voting day you woke up late. Had a bed-tea. Then Put on the Television enjoyed the news about low percentage of voting (For you news channels are just entertainment channel). Then you talked with your wife how to celebrate the holiday. Whether to go to hotel nearest hotel or to go on a long drive and to enjoy the lunch in a distant royal hotel. Post lunch you had a nice long siesta. When you got up it was already 6 O’ clock. So you started enjoying exit poll results. Then late night you had gone for movie at 9 p.m. to 12 p.m. and lastly you slept happily after a rare pleasurable day.

You were so sure that not a single candidate worth voting for that you don’t even thought about voting. But a slum-dweller nearest your colony was not so sure. He voted instead of you to his favorite candidate in your name because he was getting bundles of Rupees for it. Off-course he thanked you many times for it.

I wonder when people say that in our opinion all candidates are equal to us, some say that we vote only one party for last 20 years, some say that we are going to vote Mr. so and so because he is from our caste or some say that we are living here from last 30 years but our name is not in voting list.

My friend was telling me that the villagers in his village when go to election centre just look for 2 leaves sign to stamp. They don’t even see other signs or other candidates. Its a kind of a tradition in their village.

Surprising really…

There are many foreigners who visit India to understand how ideal elections are taking place in a vast country like India where the population is now 100 Crores +.

I admit that there are some exceptions like Bihar but otherwise it is indeed a special thing to arrange the elections so systematically and so fair. I think it’s credit goes to former election commission Mr. T. N. Sheshan`.

And how many of us are aware that even if we dislike all the candidates there is a provision in Indian Constituency to give negative vote using form 49.


"In a particular constituency, if a voter has dislike to all of the candidates competing there, then he can show his dislike to all of them by registering for 49'O. Steps for doing this: 1. While registering the name by the time of voting, convey the booth officials that "I want to go for 49'O". 2. Register your signature in the 49'O form available there. Done. Now, if the number of 49'O count is larger than that of the winning candidates total vote count, then a re-election is called there.


Isn’t it something good?

I’ll be glad very much if my article will make you go for voting in coming election.

Sincerely yours,

Your alert and dutyful co-citizen,

Mrudula.

Original post : Not me but you...

Population Explosion

This is basically a cartoon on the motto of Indian Railway. But it forces us to do introspection.
Its high time for India to think about population problem seriously as it already crossed 1000 million +.

We must think what we can do for it as a citizen especially about orphan children.

Original post : Population Explosion

An advertise with less words

Are we the fish and the glass pot is an earth?

Original post and comments : An advertise with less words

Litterature skill

Dear All,

Some people say that routine journey is always tidious. But if we start finding the moment of pleasure then there can be many. Daily I spend more than 4 Hrs. in journey. But never once I felt any kind of tiresome experience. I just try to make my journey wonderful. In my company bus I read daily the 2 lines on the door i.e.
खीर चम्मच से खाते है, हातों से नही । प्यार दिल से होता है, बातों से नही ।।
(The sweetened milk is to be drink by the spoon and not by the hands; like that love is to be made by the heart and not by the speech).
These lines make me smile.
Like that :
The other famous lines we usually find on the truck are
सौ मे अस्सी बेईमान फिर भी मेरा भारत महान ।
(80 out of 100 in India are scoundrels then also I'll say my India is great).
Nearly behind every truck there is a line
बुरी नज़र वाले तेरा मुंह काला ।
[The one with evil spirit, shame on you (as shown in the picture)]
Some times there is a long chain of children's name or just the "Life is a blessing of the parents" or just God is taking care of this Car etc.
The best line that I read recently is that "Let's not meet by an accident"
Funny, isn't it?

Original post : Litterature skill

Thimmakka wants to be born as a tree in her next birth.....

SALUMARADA THIMMAKKA, the woman who planted banyan trees as her life's mission along the Bangalore-Nelamangala highway, is certainly not a household name in the "happening" metropolis. For, she went about her selfless work for 45 years without any fuss or publicity. And, of course, she never called herself an environmental activist, though she planted and painstakingly watered and nurtured some 400-odd trees, along with her husband, Chikkaiah.

Thimmakka is a storehouse of knowledge on environment and knows all there is to know about agriculture. This is not unusual in agricultural communities, where the woman not only takes care of the household but also plays an active part in the entire agricultural process. Ask Thimmakka about trees, and she will name some 25 species in one go, and will also tell you why they have to be planted.

But what egged Thimmakka on to take on the extraordinary task of planting 400 trees?
"I longed to have children, but couldn't. My husband felt that we should make up for it by `parenting' trees. He believed that it was a work of great Punya, and would do us good. He used to tell me it would also fulfil my desire for motherhood. Believe me, nobody ever told us to do this. It's our own thinking that put us on to it," says Thimmakka, explaining the circumstances.
But this meant that Thimakka and her husband Chikkaiah had to walk about three kilometres from their home in Huligal to the highway, along which they had decided to plant trees. They couldn't afford to buy saplings either. So, they cut branches off banyan trees and planted them in a row. During the first year, they successfully planted 10. But their task did not end there. The couple drew water from the village well, trudged the three-kilometre distance, and watered the young plants. "I would carry two pitchers, one on my waist and one on my head, and my husband would carry one on his head." They did this round the year, except during rainy season.
Moreover, protected the growing plants from grazing cattle by fencing them with thorny shrubs. They actually felt like anxious parents, until the plants took root and began to grow! "We planted more, increasing the numbers to 15, 25, and more." Neither Thimmakka nor her husband ever found the need to keep count of the trees they planted. It was only after she got recognition that the Government started counting them.

Life had never been easy for Thimmakka. Her husband had a tiny piece of land on which they grew ragi. It was barely sufficient for them. She worked in fields, carried stones to construction sites, dug drains, besides other backbreaking jobs. All that she earned was taken away by her mother-in-law.

Towards the late '80s, her life grew more complicated when her mother-in-law had a stroke and brother-in-law took seriously ill. "It was a traumatic phase of my life. I had to give them bath, feed them, and even clean their shit," she recalls. After prolonged suffering, both passed away. Soon, Chikkaiah also took ill. Cousins came and took him away on the pretext of nursing him to health, though all the while, they had intentions of claiming the small piece of land he owned.
Chikkaiah also died soon. "I felt I had been stripped off my clothes," she recalls, tears in her eyes. "There was nobody for me, no money, nothing..." Worse still, her dilapidated hut began to crumble. There was no roof over her head and no walls around her. All she had was a gunnysack to lie on. The few vessels that she had, she gave them away to her neighbour. "This Sankranti, it will be 13 years since my husband passed away. I haven't planted a single sapling since then."
It was not as if she was too depressed to continue the task, but just that there were too many practical problems. There was nobody to help her cut branches and plant them, and with what little she earned, it was impossible to spend money on plants as well.

But things did change for her, when Prajavani correspondent N.V. Negalur, realised the tremendous significance of Thimmakka's work. He not only broke the story of the couple's 45-year effort, but was far-sighted enough to write out applications to the departments concerned, both at the Central and State level. Several awards and recognition came her way. "I have a whole lot of prizes, I have no place to keep them. I have put them all in a plastic bag and kept them in the attic," says Thimmakka in a matter-of-fact tone.

Original post : Thimmakka wants to be born as a tree in her next birth.....

The line of fire...

Vivek Pradhan wasn't a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the First Class air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi Express couldn't cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin guy, it was the savings in time. A Project Manager had so many things to do!

He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use."Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop.Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car."You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today everything is getting computerized."'Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a detailed look.He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stocky like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a Railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass."You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naivety demanded reasoning not anger."It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex.""It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply. This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence came into his so far affable, persuasive tone."Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in." "Hard work!" "Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office doesn't mean our brows don't sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."He had the man where he wanted him and it was time to drive home the point. "Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database at a given time; concurrency, data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system?"The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium.

This was something big and beyond his imagination."You design and code such things.""I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the project manager,""Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, "so your life is easy now."

It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan.

The man had to be given a feel of the heat."Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I don't do it, but I am responsible for itand believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. And to tell you about the pressures! There is the customer at one end alwayschanging his requirements, the user wanting something else and your boss always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realisation. What he had said was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth."My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in the line of fire."

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization.When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek."I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was staring blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time. "There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolor at the top only 4 of us were alive.""You are a...""I am Subhedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a land assignment. But tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier. On the dawn of that capture one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded. His own personal safety came last, always and every time. He was killed as he shielded that soldier into the bunker. Every morning now as I stand guard I can see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire."

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a word document in the presence of a man for whom valor and duty was a daily part of life; a valor and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes.The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and Subhedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight."It was nice meeting you sir."Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This was the hand that had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger and hoisted the tricolor flag.

Suddenly as if by impulse he stood at attention, and his right hand went up in an imprompt salute.It was the least he felt he could do for the country.

PS: The incident he narrates during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true life incident during the Kargil war. Major Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and his various other acts of bravery he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra - the nation's highest military award.

Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn!

Original post: The line of fire...

My Wallpaper

This is my current wallpaper. It is really nice. Also it is peaceful for eyes......

Original blog : My Wallpaper

YOUR TIME WILL COME....

One day I decided to quit... ! quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life..

I went to the woods to have one last talk with GOD. "GOD", I said."Can you give me one good reason not to quit?" His answer surprised me..."Look around", GOD said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?""Yes" I replied."When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good careof them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grewfrom the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothingcame from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In thesecond year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on thebamboo".GOD said."In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But Iwould not quit." GOD said."Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fenr it was seemingly small and insignificant..

But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It has spent thefive years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it whatit needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle" GOD said to me."Did you know, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?""I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.""DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS" GOD said.

"The bamboo has different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful." "YOUR TIME WILL COME",GOD said to me. "You will rise high""How high should i rise?" I asked."How high will the bamboo rise?" GOD asked in return."As high as it can?"I questioned"Yes"

GOD said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."I left the forest. GOD will never give up on you.....

Original post : YOUR TIME WILL COME....

Harshness

When I started learning German I used to catch every foreigner on the street especially Europeans and used to talk with them in German (Poor people! They must have said in their mind: This Deutsch is something special, never heard of it ).

One day I met a French girl in a train and started talking in Deutsch with her. I helped her lot to make her understand the Map and other transport related things. So we developed a friendship. Then she said why did you choose German language to learn and why not any other language e.g. French? Don't you feel German is a harsh language?

I said, "for me all foreign languages are any way strange only, and secondly when it comes to harshness my mother-tongue (Marathi) itself is very harsh".

Many people say that when two Marathi people are talking it sounds like a quarrel. No doubt about it.

But I think for that the geographical/political situation is the main reason. My state Maharashtra is made up of the Lava – Basalt Stones. It is a mountainous region. Life here was too rough. More labour and less earning.

Politically speaking it was the only state which continuously fought against the foreign rulers. Therefore Maharashtra has tasted freedom more and continuous. Therefore the language is rather rough. OTOH if you see the languages in north especially Hindi they are sugar-coated and unnecessary soft. That is because the North people were constant under the rule of one or the other foreign ruler. They have got habit of saluting the rulers. So their language is elastic.
It reflects in Marriage System also. While north Marriages are of 6-7 days long and expensive, Marathi Marriages are hardly 7-8 hours long with low budget. That is because life was full of warfare. Many warriors used to go hundreds of Kms on the horse and used to eat or sleep on the horse only. Only great kings were afforded to have 5-6 days Marriage.

Also the Maharashtra is a land of reformers. All the reforms were instantly took place in Maharashtra viz. Woman education, Widow re-marriage, low budget marriage, cost of the marriage divided in Bride and groom equally, treating boy-child and girl-child equally (No Gender - biasness) etc. Therefore many outsiders feel that the life of Marathi people is harsh specially Marriage system.

(The funniest thing is that I have many friends who speak fluent Sanskrit and who have different mother-tongues. Their Sanskrit speaking tone and words are very much the reflection of their mother-tongue viz. Marathi pronunciation is hard and words are difficult, south Indians use more religious words, Katchchi toning is different, Gujrati will speak to the point and grammatically correct, Bengalis are proud about their speaking etc.)

But overall Maharashtra people are kind hearted, straight minded. You will hardly hear that Maharashtrian Shopkeeper cheated a customer in any manner or Marathi person is standing far away when anything wrong is taking place. The recent train bomb blasts in Mumbai is the best example of it. Within an hour or two Mumbai was on it’s wheel again. Even the trains started working within 2 hours. This is the spirit of Maharashtra.
So what makes a difference how the language is?

Must read comments at Harshness

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Original post and comments : The Mega Bumper offer...

The Slum Tourism

As Mumbai (Bombay) is financial capital of India, all the main government tourism offices and tour company offices are here.

Foreigners prefer to visit Mumbai first when they come to India. But unfortunately some tourism companies under the banner of NGOs started new kind of tourism which is called slum tourism. This thing is really hurting me.

Yes, there are slums in Mumbai but is it a thing to be shown especially to the foreigners? Why?

India is a largest democratic country. It is the self dependent and technically highly progressed country. It is thoroughly self promoted country. When America pressurized Russia to not to give Cryogenic Engines to India, our scientist made our own Cryogenic Engines. When America was trying that no country should sell India Super computer technology, Indian researchers made our own Super-computer i.e. PARAM which is selling largely in the global market now.

Even who will forget the two atomic explosions made in Pokhran cheating the satellite technology? No country in the world ever noticed before the explosions are made. Even CIA and other Spy companies were astonished because of it's time schedule and accuracy. It was technically so fine that "International Data Centre", an organization which puts out information based on a large number of worldwide data collection centers, initially classified it as an earthquake some 47 km deep in the earth instead of nuclear explosions. It was an achievement for India.

I still remember an article by one US based NRI just after the Nuck-explosions. He wrote that previously people used to ask him where is India on the world map and he used to say southward to China and now people ask him how India made such a fine atomic explosions that also cheating our spy satellites.

Also as I mentioned in my previous blog India is slowly moving towards Supreme economical power. The Indian companies are taking over the other global companies by sparing trillions of dollars. Recently, Daewoo Electronics of Koria was taken over by Videocon by signing $ 700 million deal which is not a small amount even in financial language.

Not only this but in cultural aspect also India is a rich country. So many religions, so many languages, so different traditions and yet people live together without hating each other i.e. unity in diversity. I remember that Ben Gurion, Israel's first PM said that the India is the only country in the world which never hated Jews because they are Jews. Yes, Indian philosophy is live and let live. No Indian religion is spread through Sword or false monitorial attractions whether it is Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism or Sikhism. People accepted these religions because they like the philosophy behind it.

Geographically also the country is very prosperous. There are beaches, deserts, heavy rainfalls, waterfalls, mountains, rivers, Icebergs, oceans etc.

Thousands of foreigners come to see the temples only which are the examples of the architectural and sculptural Beauty.

Therefore according to me showing the tourist the slum area is a crime. I'm not disagreeing with the truth that there are slums and there is poverty in India. But is the life-style of the slum-dwellers going to change because of this tourism? These NGOs are just making money in dollars by providing such kind of tourism.

Therefore when some news channels interviewed the slum dwellers about it, they rightly replied that the foreign tourists are the Guests to our country so we'll not harm them but we'll not spare the Indian tour operators who are doing this kind of vicious jobs.

Must read comments at The Slum Tourism

A wise sign...

Original post: A wise sign...

$ 500

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $500/- note in the room of 200, He asked, " Who would like this 500 note?" Hands Started going up. He said, " I am going to give this note to one of you But first let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the note up. He then asked, " Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, " What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground And started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. " Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "

My friends, you have all learned a very valuable Lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $ 500/-. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will Happen, You will never lose your value. You are special don't ever forget it! Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.

Original post: $ 500

Die Lampe

While learning German I noticed that the gender of the Lamp is feminine (Die Lampe). I liked it very much. I felt that the German language is logical like ours. The ancient German people must have thought about it while deciding the gender of the words.

It is a famous say that if a man learns he is literate but if a woman learns therefore whole family learns. Her learning reflects on the culture and the behavior of the family overall.

Many years ago I read a sonnet on the State transport Bus. It was saying that Girl is far better than that of a boy as she enlightens the two houses. One house is of her father and the other is her in-law's house. This sentence touched my heart that time.

This thing stroked my heart's chord again when I read my friend Shail's 360 latest blog. Really one should not ignore woman just because she spends more time for family.

My father always says that the words Buddhi (Intelligence), Shakti (power), Yukti (Plan) are feminine words as women contain these things more.

Yes, Every woman is an image of Goddess Durga provided she look within herself and she trusts herself, her abilities always.

Since Tomorrow onwards Durga Festival is beginning let's pray her again.

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु बुद्धिरुपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमोनमः ।।
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरुपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमोनमः ।।
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु युक्तिरुपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमोनमः ।।

(The Goddess who is living in all beings in the form of Intelligence, Power and Planning, I bow to her again and again)

Original post: Die Lampe