Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Nausea after Mumbai terror attacks.

I live in Mumbai. Mumbai is not a boring place. Good, bad and ugly things keep happening here.
Somehow natural calamities, tourists and also politicians have great affection to this city. All journalists say, it is great Mumbai spirit etc, nothing like that. It is sheer pressure on Mumbai people to live day today life; they want to eat and sleep. If they sit and worry, they have no food that forces them to go to work in spite of no security what so ever. Terrorists struck today, TV channels scored over rest of the channels (Let me write some other day how some of the reputed English news channels were in the verge of yellow journalism or they were in and out of yellow journalism ). One journalist covering CST on the next day was telling, "CST has deserted look" and as his camera men focused on the platforms it was crowded not as usual but definitely not deserted!!!!!!!!!!!!. Journalists did a great job. That was of some comfort for the families struck inside the buildings, but surely they were giving live position of the commandos. Whenever they interviewed people on the street they expected all of them to show anger or frustration, if someone did not show, these journalists poked them, they just re-framed the sentence and said that person is very angry; but in reality he was not, or they focused on person who is crying, these journalists reduced their voice addressed him and said I understand your tragedy we are with you, let me ask one last question - but person across you can’t even speak. One famous journalist is asking a CEO of a company, how you felt when you saw your children at home after the ordeal, he said it can’t be described in words, only parenthood understands it; but it was in very blunt tone. Even when we go out for few hours to market and when you come back and see children it is a happy occasion,,,,,,,,, journalist must have expected on these lines “I felt like I back from hell, my son face was radiant, I cried like child, I held him close to my heart” all these answers were expected. Even some of the websites were giving hourly updates. The terrorists having a Blackberry easily could assess the commando strength and strategy. They should have shown much more maturity and national responsibility when they broadcasted the news. When NSG chief briefed about attack, there was a cat and dog fight among journalists to get audio and video inputs. They were brave to cover the news but this may be to ensure an assured future in journalism (except few). I wish if they could do some investigative journalism so that help police to nab these outsiders. However, these news channels were much more sensitive than politicians.
Much more fearful thing is that, how many people are still at large. By the number of places attacked and amount of ammunition they carried defiantly point out many more people and local logistics. If someone wants to attack a place in neighboring city they need some support there, I just can’t walk into anyplace and shoot. What essentially means that in India we have enough people who can sell their country. As we just witnessed the series of arrests of the previous bomb attacks all were Indians. Some people don’t have gratitude that you are staying in a place, you are eating the food produced from the same place, and still you support someone else from outside. It is just like one of the panchatantra kata where one frog king did not like some of its people so it brought a snake from outside to eat them, but once those were eaten snake ate even the frog king. If some people feel marginalized they are at receiving end, it is not the way to solve that problem, that is bringing snake from outside- what it led to profiling of the people not on their caliber but on their religion. Two of them do 100 will suffer. I did not find a single MLA or MP in Mumbai who was setting up an email facility for foreign nationals, or food facilitates, or vehicles for relatives to move from hospital to hospital, or a photo footage of all dead bodies and made it available at one center where relatives could identify so that they can reduce trauma of walking to morgue……….

Instead of buying so expensive cars for these ministers, we should provide decent accommodation to the police, 40% of Mumbai police stay in slum. If their salary is 5 to 8 thousand rupees in Mumbai definitely they can’t afford a house to rent. The traffic police don’t have shades to stand. They are corrupt but for a reason.
This time more rich and less poor people died. But people died and both will cry. All have emotional turmoil. But poor can’t sit and cry long because for the next day food he has to worry, rich at least I hope they have money so they can rise their voice in a systematic and strong way against apathy. They can fund rallies and public discussions they can fund for RTI, and PILs to fight dirty politics. This they can fund anonymously because the same politicians are required for their business to run. These leaders (?) elected by the people ( but not for the people) are the one who issue permission to business, so they hold these rich at ransom in their own way. In some way these politicians are unimaginably great. They can resign with anger because his colleague in Mumbai is hitting his state people but did nothing to his own state. We also have some politicians who resign to save a foreign terrorist organization which has been labeled as terrorists by 30 countries and responsible for the assassination of an Indian prime minister!!. Chameleons
Forget the rest. What I can do about this. I need to get a voter ID here and vote. I am and I will be vigilant about my surroundings, I will be completely cooperating with all security checks without showing any annoyance, these are the few things I could do. I should be contributing to Indian defense fund, but I am afraid it won’t reach the target. At last I pray for those who are killed innocently in attack and also those who got killed resisting the attack.

Still I want to live in Mumbai!!!!!!!!! these petty terrorists can't make me run away from this city!!!!!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Monday, August 18, 2008

ಅಲೆಗಳು

ಅಲೆಗಳು ನಿರಂತರ
ಒಂದರ ಹಿಂದೆ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು.
ಕಟ್ಟಿದೆ ಗೋಡೆಗಳ
ನೋವಿನಲೆಗಳು ಮನ ಮುಟ್ಟದಿರಲೆನ್ದು.
ಅದ ಮೀರಿ ಬಂದವಲೆಗಳು,
ಅಲೆಯ ಹನಿಗಳು ಚದುರಿತು ಮನದ ತುಂಬಾ
ಒದ್ದೊದ್ದೆ.
ಮೂಕ ಭಾವ.
ಮುರಿದು ಬಿದ್ದ ಅಸಹಾಯಕ ಗೋಡೆ.
ಕತ್ತಲೆಯ ಮೂಲೆ ಹಿತವಾಗಿದೆ.......

ಗೊತ್ತಾಯಿತೀಗ ಮೂಲೆಯಲಿ ಕುಳಿತು,
ಅಲೆಗೆ ತಡೆ ಹಾಕುವುದು ಸಲ್ಲ.
ಮನದ ಅಲೆಯ ನೋಡುತ ಬದುಕು ಧ್ಯಾನಸ್ಥನಗಿ.
ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾದರೆ ಅಲೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ
ತೇಲುತ್ತಾ, ಅದರ ಏರಿಳಿತದೊಡನೆ
ಬದುಕು.
ನೋವಿನಲೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಕಾಲವೇ ಮುಲಾಮು.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

"Kere kodi bittu" "ಕೆರೆ ಕೋಡಿ ಬಿತ್ತು"





Last week when I called my native village, my mother told me “Kere kodi bittu”. What is so significant about it? This has many meaning. Kere = pond, kodi = gate, bituu = overflow. This is what my mother told me last week. Our village pond was full. This is a happy news. In my village, rain is always unpredictable. We measure the rain, by assessing how much our pond and well are filled? However, global warming has all to do with “Kere kodi bittu”. Global warming has changed the precipitation (rain) pattern. Heavy rain in dry region, no rain in regions where lot of rain and rain dependent crops are grown. So global warming has touched until my village. They are not aware of a bit. They know fuel price has increased and it is difficult to live. Their children don’t stay in village to do agriculture (one is me!!!!!!!!). Self-sufficient village economy exists no more. People who have never heard of America, Iraq, global warming and globalization are affected without their knowledge. They are least aware of WTO agreement, and by that, their homegrown rice will be sold at Rs 2/- kg. All is “MAYA” ha ha ha. There was a time, a 20 days power cut or 5 days of bus/ lorry strike would not have affected our village people. Now even mobile line congestion bothers village people!!!!. Each strike affects them, forget that, even Hurricane Katrina ( a manifestation of global warming) in distant America affected these innocent people because of fuel rise!!!!!!!!!!.Nor we neither our villagers are isolated any more, even 2 km bike ride, a over night use of AC has Global effect!!!!!!!!!!!



“Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity”

William Butler Yeats, January 1919

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Read this blog

I was browsing through internet and ended up in reading this blog, I wish few more people would read it.

http://www.helpothers.org/story.php?sid=9190

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Mansoon

Monsoon started here in Mumbai.
Every monsoon, brings back so many memories................ some are heart warming some are depressing ............... mixed feeling
ಅನುಭವವು ಸವಿಯಲ್ಲ ಅದರ ನೆನಪೇ ಸವಿಯು
ಅದ ಕದ್ದು ಮೇಯದೇ ಮನವು?
ಕಡ೦ಗೊಡ್ಳು ಶ೦ಕರ ಭಟ್ಟರು.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Sagara Bus-stand

Ambika hotel, anyone remember....
It was there at the heart of Sagara bus-stand when I was studying in high school. You have to enter the bus stop thorough two or four stone pillars , you go sideways inside, on left and right side you have long cement seats to sit, red oxide one and all the side was covered with iron mesh. At the center of this U, Ambika hotel was located. This bustand/hotel complex was again situated in the U of bus stop; on either side of the hotel buses were halted. Our Siddapur ST bus was parked on the left side of the bus stop. Across the road , Himalaya cool drinks Karnataka stores, Kinimamu shop, and one more shop in the corner I hardly remember name of the shop, but I do very much remember all the girls who were standing there!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then many more memory snaps.........
Hebbar 1/2 coffee in PUC........
Evergreen heroes in kinimamu shop they were there from my high school days to college days, they watched infinite number of girls
Lot of girls on the corner shop , I mean standing and waiting for bus , especially from Hamsgar village or that side villages, they had only one bus at 1.15 pm, then you had another group from Nichodi village, so on so forth ( let me write this in detail some other day)
Then, there is a Sharada temple in Railway station road, there also few girls !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sometime we had idli in Ram bhavan in front of police station..
Hall-ice in Himalaya cool drinks...
Just opposite to the Ambika hotel, there was ST bus office, we stood there and took our monthly pass for Rs5 I still have a copy of that pass
Then there was Priyadarshini hotel next to Jyoti petrol pump on the other side of police station.
There were pan shops , which were favorites with many.......... I never had...
In high school days it was all about LB college and many more gossip from the seniors.......
Our ST bus would go for Varadalli a short trip and will go to Siddapur at 5.30pm, there was a Harishi ST bus too. there was always competition between the two, students after Ulavi /Nisarani always travelled in Siddapur ST and Ulavi/Sorab students in Harishi ST, but students in between ( Lingadalli and Padagodu) they were never loyal to any bus,,,
Apart from that Limbu peppermint, was regularly sold.. and given as nutritious and cry stopping diet by all village mothers, babies crying, their sticky nose mouth and hands...........a common seen in bus stand.
Let me stop here........ and let me tell many small stories revolved around this bus stand.......

Saturday, February 16, 2008

ನಿಜವನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕುವುದು - ಸುಳ್ಳೇ ?

ಇದ್ದಿರಬಹುದು... ಆದರೆ ಈ ನಿಜ ಹುಡುಕುವರಿ೦ದ ನಮಗೆ ನಿಜ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದೆಯೋ ಇಲ್ಲವೋ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ.... ಆದ್ರೆ, ಇವರುಗಳು ಪ್ರಪ೦ಚದ ವೈಚಾರಿಕ ಸ್೦ಪತ್ತಿಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿದ್ದು ಅಗಾಧ. ನಿಜ ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಲೇ ಗ್ರೀಕನ ಮಹಾನ್ ಫಿಲಾಸಫರ್ ಗಳು ನಮಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಜ್ಞಾನ ಅಪಾರ. ನಮ್ಮ ವೇದ, ಉಪನಿಶತ್ತುಗಳು ನಿಜವನ್ನೆ ಹುಡುಕುಲು ಹೊರಟಿದ್ದು. ಗೌತಮನು ಹುಡುಕಿದ್ದು ಇದೇ............. ಇವರಿಗೆಲ್ಲಾ ಅವರವರ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ನಿಜ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದೆ............. ಅದರೆ ಅದೇ ಸರ್ವಕಾಲಿಕ ಸತ್ಯವೇ?,,, ಹಾಗೆ೦ದು ಸತ್ಯ ಹುಡುಕುವರು ಇಗಿಲ್ಲವೇ... ಕವಿಗಳು, ನಮ್ಮ ಕಾದ೦ಬರಿಕಾರರು, ಈ ನಿಜದ ಹುಡುಕಟದಲ್ಲೆ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ. ನಾನು ಇದರ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದಲ್ಲೇ ಇದ್ದೆನೆ , ಇವತ್ತಿನವರೆಗೆ ಉತ್ತರ ಸಿಗದೆ ಅ೦ತರ್ಪಿಶಾಚಿಯಾಗಿ........ ಉಳಿದಿದ್ದೇನೆ................. ಉತ್ತರ ಸಿಗಬಹುದು ಎ೦ಬ ಆಶಾಬಾವ!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

ನಿಜ - ಸುಳ್ಳು

ನಿಜ
ಸುಳ್ಳು
ಯಾವುದು ನಿಜ?
ಸುಳ್ಳು ನಿಜವೋ..
ನಿಜವು ಸುಳ್ಳೋ..
ಕಳೆದು ಹೋದವು ದಿನಗಳು
ಉತ್ತರ ಹುದುಕುವಲ್ಲಿ.
ಸುಳ್ಳು ನಿಜಗಳ ಉಯ್ಯಾಲೆಯಲಿ,
ಉತ್ತರ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು ತಿರುಗುಮುರುಗದವು.
ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗೆ ಉತ್ತರ
ಉತ್ತರಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ
ಹುಟ್ಟುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಯಿತು.
ನನ್ನ ಆತ್ಮಸಾಕ್ಷಿ
ಯಾವುದನು ಹಿಡಿಯುವುದು ಎ೦ದು ತಿಳಿಯದೆ
ಅ೦ತರಪಿಶಾಚಿಯಗಿ ಉಳಿಯಿತು.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

ಹುಡುಕಾಟ

ಕಳೆದು ಹೋದದ್ದ ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಾ...
ಹುಡುಕಿದ್ದು ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದಾಗ
ಮತ್ತೊ೦ದನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಾ
ಹುಡುಕುವಾಗಲೇ
ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದ್ದನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳೂತ್ತಾ
ಬದುಕಿನ ಗಾಲಿ ಉರುಳಿದೆ
ಹಿ೦ದೆ ಬದುಕಲೋ
ಮು೦ದೆ ಬದುಕಲೋ
ಇ೦ದು ಬದುಕಲೋ
ತಿಳಿಯದೆ
ಈ ಮೂರರ ಕಲಸುಮೆಲೋಗರದಲ್ಲಿ
ನಾನಿದ್ದೆ!!!!!!!
ಹಿ೦ದೆ ಕಳೆದದ್ದನ್ನು
ನಾಳೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಾ
ಇ೦ದು ಖಾಲಿ ಆಗಿದೆ...
ಹಿ೦ದಿನ ಜ್ಞಾನ
ಇ೦ದನ್ನು ಮು೦ದನ್ನು
ಅಳೆಯುವ ಸೇರಗಿದೆ..
ಹಿ೦ದಿನ ನಾನು ಎ೦ಬ ಜ್ಞಾನ
ಇ೦ದಿನ ನಾನಾರು ಎ೦ದು ಕೇಳದೇ ಹೋಗಿದೆ!

Monday, January 28, 2008

DVG

My life would have been something else without these three letters. I wonder, how this person can be so simple? I was introduced to him in my 5th standard by Vasuda teacher, long back, I still remember the story she told about Kagga, and why and how it was written. After that I tried to read Mankutimmana Kagga, it was bit difficult for me... After that, Kagga and me didnot meet for long time, till my graduation. There I met him again, after that till today he is a great companion to me. Day in day out he is with me, in my most difficult situation he pulled me out. All great literatures are produced in poems, because it can be remembered and songs can be sung... this was true with Kagga, I wrote these poems on first page of my notebooks. Daily read them and try to put them in practice or for inspiration...
When I felt lonely
When I lost hope
When I struggled to find purpose in life
When I try to understand God
When I lost hope in humanity
When I felt down
many more 'when', but always DVG was around..... guiding me, taking care with all love and assurance. I learnt to look at life in a funny way, or keep asking questions, I also learnt like DVG not to answer all questions of life, leave some of them as it is. Ask and leave it.......... And also learnt to look around the beauties of life and have a 'wow' feeling about it. I also learnt who is poor.. ಬಡ ಮನಸ್ಸೆ ಬಡತನವು.... learnt to live in family, learnt to balance the life.
.... hunger and desire........ ಗುಟ್ಟು ಕೀಲುಗಳು ಸ್ರುಷ್ಥಿಯ೦ತ್ರದೊಳು................. isn’t it true? I read many self-help books management books, nothing was Mankuthimmana Kagga, it was always one step ahead.

DVG- too many things can be written about him..... but he never liked lime light. He gave us most wonderful things. He changed many lives (including mine) but never spoke about. What he advised, he lived that, very rare thing ... Even the most honest writers I have seen and heard, found it difficult to do it; from somewhere hypocrisy peeps in. Even in his 4th edition of Kagga (1964!!!!) , he was so humble, acknowledging readers for the sucess of Kagga!!!!!!!( look at me, even one comment for my blog will change my walking style!!!!!!!!!!!!). and then he writes ..ಬಹು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯರಾದವರ ಮನೆಗೆ ಇದು ಒ೦ದು ತೊಟ್ಟಿನಸ್ಟು ಎಣ್ಣೆಯ೦ತದರೆ ನನಗೆ ತ್ರುಪ್ತಿ.... but it has become guiding light for life to many people
DVG fragrance is around, but flower is not to be seen, .....ಕಾನನದ ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆಯು ನಿಜಸೌರಭವ ಸೂಸಿ, ತಾನೆಲೆಯ ಪಿ೦ತಿರ್ದು....... ವನಸುಮ...... I have tried to be like this, failed utterly.
Instead of complicated mantras I adapted this poem as prayer, not to pray anyone but to remind me, how to live........... it is difficult.. but as he said... keep trying.. Some day I may achieve.........
Finally, I couldn’t meet him, here is all gratitude and thanks to him; I know only way to thank him is to live like him...............

Friday, January 18, 2008

ಪ್ರಯಾಣ

ಹಳೆದು ಕಳೆದ೦ತೆ
ಹೊಸದೊ೦ದು
ನೋವು (ಸುಖ!!!)
ಮುಗಿಯದು ಈ
ರೈಲು

ಮದ್ಯ ಹಾದು ಹೋಯಿತು
ಗುಡ್ಡ ಬಯಲು
ಏರು ಹತ್ತುತ್ತಾ
ಇಳುಕಲು......,
ಇಳುಕಲಲಿ ಮರೆತೆವು
ಮತ್ತೊ೦ದು ಏರು.

ಎಲ್ಲದರ ಮಧ್ಯ
ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಸ೦ತಸದ ಪದ್ಯ
ಆಗ ನೋವು ತೆರೆ ಮರೆ ಸದ್ಯ!!!

ಬಿದುಗಡೆಯ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ,
ಗೊತ್ತಿದ್ದು ಆಗದೆ೦ದು;
ಮರಳಿ
ರೈಲಿನಲಿ..............
ಪಯಣ

ಬ೦ದು ಹೋಯಿತು
ದೊಡ್ಡ ಸಣ್ಣ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ
ಕೆಲವು ಚ೦ದ,
ಕೆಲವು ಹೊಲಸು
ಒಮ್ಮೊಮ್ಮೆ ಅನಿಸೀತು
ಚ೦ದದ ಊರಲ್ಲಿ
ನಿಲ್ಲಬಾರದೇಕೆ?

ನಿ೦ತೀತಾ.......?
ಹ.... ಹ... ಹಾ............


ಕೊನೆಯ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ
ಬರುವರೆಗೆ....
ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಕನಸು

ಬಿಡು..............

ಓ ಇವರೆ,
ನಿಲುಗಡೆಯಲ್ಲ ಗುರಿ,
ಮತ್ತೆ............
ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ....
ಪ್ರಯಾಣ.....

Saturday, January 12, 2008

ಇವಳು

I wrote this for few people who were close to her. It was read out for them, they appreciated and also suggested many more things to add, but I couldn't do much on that. And I am too lazy to write whole thing in Kannada on web , since I am not used it ( learning...........). Therefore, I am giving this link to a PDF file, If any one wants to read it they can go to this link and read it. Please excuse me for bad handwriting and poor spelling. I have tried my level best not to mention any name and place to keep the anonymity, if anyone feel so please let me know, I will remove this blog. Few people can easily make out who is this and I am not worried about them!!!!!!!!!!!!!! here it is
http://nishachara101.googlepages.com/blog.PDF