NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

Every morning is the beginning of a new day, the beginning of a new week, a new month and a new year. But certain days have been identified as important and we celebrate them as New Year's day like the morning after Diwali, after Holi, after Pongal and so on. But, always a new day starts in the morning. The year 2011 ends tonight at 24 hours. It will be neither the end of the day nor the end of the night but it will be end of the year. Indeed the new year would begin in the morning tomorrow and this would be the mid-night in England. Aping the British,we also started celebrating New Year's day in the midnight.

Then,some of us make a resolution for the New Year. What should it be ? To be more prosperous than we were the year befor, to be more powerful than the previous year or to become more famous than the last year. I think the resolution should be that we would try to make our surroundins better than they were last year.

LOKSABHA ON LOKPAL

You might have heard the debate on the Lok Pal Bill in Loksabha and seen the arguments our politicians gave. Do these people represent India, the Jagat Guru? Their level of arguments, personal accusations and approach to a serious issue was strange to say it mildly. In this whole exercise we are all defeated. The common man is defeated because he did not get an effective tool for reddresal of grievances. The government is defeated because it did not have its way in the last and Anna is defeated because the crowds are gradually thinning on the ground. The government will never bring an effective or strong Lok Pal Bill because it will be 'noose around their neck' as lalu Yadav has timely realized. They will not disclose the names of those having ill gotten money in foreign banks because it will bare them naked and they will not act against the culprits because they happen to be their kith and kin. We cannot expect much in the circumstances. We have to live with HOPE ,let us keep it alive.

CORRUPTION IS IMMORTAL

I doubt if the disease of corruption can be eradicated.It is almost immortal and may take another shape if removed from one place. I illustrate the fact with an assumed satirical story of an office clerk. The clerk had become infamous for corrupt practices he followed and despite transfer after transfer he always found ways of receiving bribe. Then he was transferred to sea coast for some assignment. He was getting bored of not receiving his daily dose of bribe. He sat one day on the sea shore asking fishermen not to enter the sea. When they asked why no entry. The clerk said 'lahren gini ja rahi hain tum unhe bigad doge' (waves are being counted and you will erase them). After repeated pleadings and requests he bargained for his dose, saying the officers will also share the amount. The fishermen went for fishing. This became a routine and the fishermen knew what to do.

So, this imaginary story tells you that any number of Lokpals or Prithwipals will not be able to eradicate the menace of corruption. We must realize that those who give bribe are more guilty than the ones who take it. Bribe givers are not being punished and therefore when 'miyan bibi razi kya karega kaazi' (when bribe giver and taker are concurring what will Lokpal do?). People are getting frusrtated and becoming Naxalites. Perhaps Islamic laws can be more effective but then what about democracy?. A dictator like Neta Ji Subhash Chandra Bose might do some good and this also will be at the expense of democracy. Hople Anna Hazare is able to refine his ways to deal with the devil of corruption.

NON-PRODUCTIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION

Yesterday in Lucknow, there was huge rally of Dalits in Lucknow in support of a political party. On 18th December there will be another rally of Thakurs, Muslims and Vaishya communities of the same party. There already had been a Brahmin rally. Apart from dividing society on caste lines, the rallies of any kind bring thousands of vehicles for a non-productive cause and consume huge quantity of fuel. Besides, due to traffic jams caused by crowds, traffic moves at snails speed forcing vehicles to consume more than normal fuel. It may sound insignificant but if you imagine the rallies organized by all the political parties, trade unions, student unions and all the rest, the quantity of non-productive consumption of fuel will come out to be enormous.

We are silent spectators nay sufferers of the political hooliganism. We cannot do much but surely we can do one thing. All those who cased inconvenience to us and wasteful consumption of fuel by organizing rallies should not get our vote. We can possibly do it through carefully identifying such people. There are decent ways of canvassing like debates on tv, Newspaoer ads, hoardings, pamphlets, corner meetings, door to door contacts and so on. I feel the Election Commission should ban the vulgar show of muscle power and ill-gotten money.

AUSPICIOUS - INAUSPICIOUS

I was building he school Bhartiya Gramin Vidyalaya, my dream project. One fine morning the mason informed that one window was short and was needed the same day. I asked my driver to start the Marshall and move to Itaunja, at a distance of 12 km, where I used to go to school everyday as a child. I purchased a window there and was returning. When I reached Mahona, about 3 km from Itaunja, on my way back, I realized it was Saturday. I should not have purchased iron that day. Well, I said to myself that I have done it without knowing and allowed the mason to fix the window. Many years have passed and nothing bad has happened. Whenever I go to the room and glance at the window, I smile and say to myself 'inauspicious Saturday'. All days are equally good or bad bu destiny or the law of probability decides incidents. We cannot be absolutely rational but surely it is possible to introduce certain elements of rationality. When we see young kids and old ones alike begging for money and oil on Saturdays, they must be discouraged. It is a pity that some of us encourage them by paying money.

NEEDS COURAGE TO BREAK TRADITION

When I got married some 40 years ago and marriage party along with the bride (my wife Nirmala) arrived to my village, the village women said I could not enter the house though the bride could go in. I was told a ritual called 'Chatursi' must be performed before the bridegroom could enter his house. And the ritual this time had to wait until the auspicious time two days thereafter. I was shocked and disappointed to be asked to spend two nights and two days outside my house. I gathered courage and asked the village folks ' we should forego chatursi as it was not an essential part of the marriage'. They were reluctant but I was firm and they finally agreed. Believe me there has been no chatursi thereafter and evil spirits have harmed any one. I do not mean that traditions be broken for the sake of breaking them but if superfluous, they must be dispensed with.

There are many beliefs in the countryside like you should not travel to North on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to South on Thursday to East on Mondays and Saturdays and never travel on Sundays to West. This may sound ridiculous and ridiculous it is but the people in the villages believe in such notions. It is good that children in the cities are not aware of such beliefs and may be I should not tell them but those who are aware should refrain from following the practice.

Agnivesh with Bigg Boss

Swami Agnivesh has gone to the house of bigg boss supposedly to guide the youth there. He seems to forget 'kaajal ki kothari mein kaiso hi sayano jaye ek leek kaajal ki laagihai pai lagiha". It would have been different if he has claimed to go there to learn a few more tricks of his trade. It would be appropriate to take Digvihjay Singh and Manish Tewari along to give him company. Occasion demands that he take off his saffron garments and do as Romans do. In any case, let us wish him to achieve for which he has gone there.