To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.
Source: Bible-Isaiah (ch. XXXVIII, v. 1)
Monday, December 25, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
DEAD MAN SPEAKS
Till some years ago ,before getting admitted to college,visit to Mihirda's house was a must for us friends in the weekends.Being a bachelor the Addas in his house supplemented by hot tea and Cutlets was too hard to resist.As I went to college Mihirda got married and correspondingly
our visits to his place became rarer .As I visited Kolkata during one of my college vacations I took my freind Aman and went to Mihirda's house.Mihirda's elder son Amit was 3 years old then.Quite sober and calm by his age he sat quitely in the corner of sofa in the drawing room.Moni Boudi(Mihirda's wife) called him and said
"Ektu Shuniye Dao to oi Kobita taa" (Recite the poem to uncle)
and he started Ba Ba Black sheep with his loud exclamatory gestures.It was mandatory to applaude to such an effort and Moni Boudi's face was nothing short of being the proudest mother on the earth.This trend went on and on every day and as the stocks expired and repetition of nursery rhymes became predictable it became frustrating.After all how long can someone listen
to the same old Jack and Jill and Ba Ba!!!
One day myself and aman called it quits and decided to sacrifice those irrestible Cutlets and
tea for our life.We had a good laugh over the entire thing and Aman even suggested that it was
all Mihirda's way of telling us Thank you dont visit our house again.Although unsure of his
statement I stopped going to Mihirda's house.
Anyway this blog is not about Amit or Mihirda.Aman is 10 years old now and in a good convent school.I get to see Mihirda in parties and social functions and every time
he would plead to me to visit his house.So last week I decided to take a chance and visit there.
As I sat down over the safe Sofa I noticed a peculiar thing.Mihirda's second Child "Brishchik"
who is five years now was trotting all over the house like anything.And this time both Mihirda
and Moni Boudi was quite indifferent in their attitude and neither they had any interest in
showcasing his talent.Unfazed by the presence of a stranger in his house Brischik kept running
behind his fictitious enemy with a gun.I decided to catch him and after some failed efforts
I finally got a catch of him,and running my hands through his silky hairs I asked him
"Whom are you trying to catch so nastily"
"Doc-Oc" came the unwilling reply
Courtesy electronic media it was clear to me that Brischik has converted himself into the all powerful Spiderman and chasing his favourite villain.
"Don't you know any poems or story?"
"No"
Looking into Moni Boudi's eyes i felt embarassed and hoped they dont get the impression that
I am mocking about their elder son.Mihirda took control over the situation and said to Brishchik
"Shona Ki ki Paro Shuniye dao Kakuke.." (Say whatever you know to Uncle)
To my surprise Brishchik started lyrically
"Amader party Jindabad Jindabad
Ei Annay Maanchhi na Manbo na" (long live our party.no compromise with sin)
I have expected anything but this from him and left behind stunned.Not only he was perfect
in his narration he also copied the way they were acted in streets.
"what else you know beta"
"One road..sooooo many people and a bus put on fire,burning like Pri- Pri- Pri"
Although this was the first time I was hearing how fire sounds like Pri Pri but I was amazed
about the whole instance so well captured in the child's mind
"And what does the police do Brishchik"
"Police fires gun groom groom groom"and Brischik took up his gun and fired at us fictitiuously
Surprised like a dumb I asked Mihirda "Oke ei shab ke Sikhiyechhe"(who taught him all this)
"No one;he learnt all this by himself only"
Mihirda's face looked grim now and he said " Have you ever thought of one thing?Our childhood
mwmories were so pure so nice.Gardens,Playgrounds,playing with our hearts out,theatres,
picnics... so many things.And what does our future generation remember as they grow old?
Bombs,firing,fire...these will be their childhood memories!"
"Certainly not,I said When these children grow ols they will say How fools those people were who fought among themselves without doing any work."
"Do you think everything will change for good in thirty years?"
"Surely Yes.Everything will be fine.People will love each other.Everyone will understand the value of human life."
"You are a big time optimist" Mihirda smiled with a frown
I reciprocated with a smile "Yes Mihirda-I am.An impossible optimist.This disease is beyond any treatment.Otherwise whats the point living in a dead society like this?"
our visits to his place became rarer .As I visited Kolkata during one of my college vacations I took my freind Aman and went to Mihirda's house.Mihirda's elder son Amit was 3 years old then.Quite sober and calm by his age he sat quitely in the corner of sofa in the drawing room.Moni Boudi(Mihirda's wife) called him and said
"Ektu Shuniye Dao to oi Kobita taa" (Recite the poem to uncle)
and he started Ba Ba Black sheep with his loud exclamatory gestures.It was mandatory to applaude to such an effort and Moni Boudi's face was nothing short of being the proudest mother on the earth.This trend went on and on every day and as the stocks expired and repetition of nursery rhymes became predictable it became frustrating.After all how long can someone listen
to the same old Jack and Jill and Ba Ba!!!
One day myself and aman called it quits and decided to sacrifice those irrestible Cutlets and
tea for our life.We had a good laugh over the entire thing and Aman even suggested that it was
all Mihirda's way of telling us Thank you dont visit our house again.Although unsure of his
statement I stopped going to Mihirda's house.
Anyway this blog is not about Amit or Mihirda.Aman is 10 years old now and in a good convent school.I get to see Mihirda in parties and social functions and every time
he would plead to me to visit his house.So last week I decided to take a chance and visit there.
As I sat down over the safe Sofa I noticed a peculiar thing.Mihirda's second Child "Brishchik"
who is five years now was trotting all over the house like anything.And this time both Mihirda
and Moni Boudi was quite indifferent in their attitude and neither they had any interest in
showcasing his talent.Unfazed by the presence of a stranger in his house Brischik kept running
behind his fictitious enemy with a gun.I decided to catch him and after some failed efforts
I finally got a catch of him,and running my hands through his silky hairs I asked him
"Whom are you trying to catch so nastily"
"Doc-Oc" came the unwilling reply
Courtesy electronic media it was clear to me that Brischik has converted himself into the all powerful Spiderman and chasing his favourite villain.
"Don't you know any poems or story?"
"No"
Looking into Moni Boudi's eyes i felt embarassed and hoped they dont get the impression that
I am mocking about their elder son.Mihirda took control over the situation and said to Brishchik
"Shona Ki ki Paro Shuniye dao Kakuke.." (Say whatever you know to Uncle)
To my surprise Brishchik started lyrically
"Amader party Jindabad Jindabad
Ei Annay Maanchhi na Manbo na" (long live our party.no compromise with sin)
I have expected anything but this from him and left behind stunned.Not only he was perfect
in his narration he also copied the way they were acted in streets.
"what else you know beta"
"One road..sooooo many people and a bus put on fire,burning like Pri- Pri- Pri"
Although this was the first time I was hearing how fire sounds like Pri Pri but I was amazed
about the whole instance so well captured in the child's mind
"And what does the police do Brishchik"
"Police fires gun groom groom groom"and Brischik took up his gun and fired at us fictitiuously
Surprised like a dumb I asked Mihirda "Oke ei shab ke Sikhiyechhe"(who taught him all this)
"No one;he learnt all this by himself only"
Mihirda's face looked grim now and he said " Have you ever thought of one thing?Our childhood
mwmories were so pure so nice.Gardens,Playgrounds,playing with our hearts out,theatres,
picnics... so many things.And what does our future generation remember as they grow old?
Bombs,firing,fire...these will be their childhood memories!"
"Certainly not,I said When these children grow ols they will say How fools those people were who fought among themselves without doing any work."
"Do you think everything will change for good in thirty years?"
"Surely Yes.Everything will be fine.People will love each other.Everyone will understand the value of human life."
"You are a big time optimist" Mihirda smiled with a frown
I reciprocated with a smile "Yes Mihirda-I am.An impossible optimist.This disease is beyond any treatment.Otherwise whats the point living in a dead society like this?"
Friday, December 22, 2006
The Journey Begins
So finally the journey begins.For all these years I have tried hard to be able to mask myself and my emotions from the world.The reasons for that may be my not being able to face the world with my difficulties and prejudices.Am I a difficult person?Why do i laugh,cry,love or hate?Why do I react to others or not react sometimes?These are the questions which had put me in dizzy for some time.Then I realized there are some journeys where path is more important than the destination.Enjoying the walk is much more important than thinking about the dangers ahead.So I decided to go ahead and put my thoughts down in a place.May be this journey will lead me to the place where I can get my answers.
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