चिड़ा – चिड़िया और भीगी बिल्ली

पुराने ज़माने में एक चिड़िया अपने आलसी पति चिड़ा के साथ एक गरीब मजदूर के छप्पर में घोंसला बना के  रहती थी। चिड़ा इतना आलसी था की चिड़िया उस से तंग आ गयी थी। वह दिन भर घर पे पड़ा रहता और चिड़िया उसे कुछ काम करने के लिए कहती रहती। एक दिन चिडा अपनी पत्नी के तानों से परेशान होकर उसके साथ चुग्गा ढूँढने चला गया। चिड़िया ने तो इधर उधर उड़ उड़ के काफी सरे चावल इकट्ठे कर लिए, लेकिन चिडा को कुछ मिल ही नहीं रहा था। अचानक उसके खुराफाती दिमाग में मजदूर के घर से कुछ चुराने की गलत सोच आई। वह चुपके से अपने घोंसले पे वापस आ गया और मजदूर के घर से काफी सारी दाल चुरा के अपने घोंसले में रख के सो गया। 

दोपहर में जब चिड़िया चावल ले के घर आई तो उसे काफी गुस्सा आ रहा था । चिड़ा उसे बिना बताये अपने घोंसले पे आकर के सो गया था। चिड़िया ने सोच रखा था की आज वह अपने आलसी पति को खाना नहीं खिलने वाली। लेकिन जैसे ही चिड़िया अपने घोंसले में अन्दर घुसी, उसकी नजर कोने में राखी दाल पे पड़ी। उसका गुस्सा कुछ कम हुआ और उसने बड़े ही प्यार से चिडा को नींद से जगाया। चिडा ने अकड़ के कहा, कभी तो आराम से सो लेने दिया करो, देखो तो सही कितनी मेहनत से इतनी सारी दाल ले के आया हूँ और तुम हो की सुबह से जाने कहाँ गायब हो और इतने से चावल ले कर के आई हो।  चिड़िया बहुत थकी हुयी थी और खाना बनाने की हिम्मत नहीं थी, लेकिन वह चावलों से खीर बनाना चाहती थी इसलिए वह अपनी थकान भूल गयी। चिड़ा ने कहा, खीर कभी और बना लेना, अभी दाल-चावल बनाओ, देखो मैंने कितने दिनों से पेट भरके अच्छा  खाना नहीं खाया है। 

चिडा की जिद के आगे, चिड़िया ने अपना मन मार कर, दाल - चावल बना दिये। वह उन्हें रख कर पास के ही कुए से पानी भरने चली गयी। वह खाना खाने से पहले नहाना चाहती थी। चिड़िया को पानी भर के लाने में कुछ देर हो गयी, इतनी देर तक चिडा को सब्र नहीं हुआ, वह जग कर, बिना मुंह धोये ही खाने के लिए बैठ गया। दाल - चावल इतने स्वादिस्ट बने थे की वह खाता ही गया और खाते - खाते सारा खाना ख़त्म कर दिया। वह इतना सारा खाना खा चुका था की बड़ी मुश्किल से अपने बिस्तर तक पहुंचा, और लेटते ही फिर से सो गया। उसने बर्तनों को फर्श पे ही पड़ा छोड़ दिया। कुछ देर बाद चिड़िया कुए से पानी ले कर आ गयी। वह खुद नहा कर चिडा को नहाने के लिए जगाने गयी, लेकिन वह तो गहरी नींद में था। उसने बड़ी मुश्किल से उसे जगाया और स्वंय रसोई में खाना लेने चली गयी। वहां का नजारा देख कर वह दंग रह गयी। खाने के बर्तन फर्श पे पड़े हुए थे और उनमें कुछ भी नहीं बचा था । वह तमतमाती हुयी चिडा के पास आई और चिल्लाते हुए पुछा - खाना कहाँ गया? 

चिडे ने मासूम सा चेहरा बना के पूछा - क्या हुआ? मैं तो गहरी नींद में था, मुझे क्या पता, तुम ही घर का दरवाज़ा खुला छोड़ गयी होंगी और बिल्ली आकर सारा खाना खा गयी होगी। लेकिन चिड़िया तो चिड़े के जवाब पे विश्वास नहीं हुआ, वह उसे खरी - खोटी सुनाती रही। चिडे ने गुस्से में आकर कहाँ - तुम मुझ पे झूंठे आरोप लगा रही हो, मैं ऐसी जिंदगी जीने के बजाय तो मर ही जाऊं तो अच्छा रहेगा! चिड़िया भी बहुत गुस्से में थी - उसने भी ताव में आकर कह दिया - जाओ, मेरी बला से तो जाकर कुए में कूद जाओ। चिडा और भी ज्यादा गुस्से में आ गया, वह आज चिड़िया को दिखा देना ही चाहता था की वह भी अपनी बात पे अडिग है और कुए की तरफ चल दिया।  

वह कुए पे चढ़ तो गया लेकिन उसमें कूदने की उसकी हिम्मत नहीं थी। वह पीछे मुड़ के देखने लगा की चिड़िया उसे मरने से रोकने के लिए आ रही है या नहीं। लेकिन चिड़िया को पता था की चिडा कहीं कूदने वाला नहीं है, कुछ देर बाद खुद ही वापस आ जायेगा, ऐसा सोच कर रसोई में जाकर फिर से खाना बनाने लगी। उधर, चिडा कुए के किनारे पे खड़ा होकर सोचता रहा की वह कुए में कूदे या नहीं? अगर वह घर वापस चला गया तो उसकी पत्नी उसे फिर से ताने देगी, वह कुछ दिन अपने किसी रिश्तेदार के यहाँ चला जायेगा और वहां भी मेहमानबाजी का लुफ्त उठा कर वापस घर आ जायेगा, तब तक चिड़िया का भी गुस्सा ठंडा हो जायेगा। वह ऐसा सोच ही रहा था की तभी हवा का झोंका आया और वह अपने आप को सम्हाल नहीं पाया, और कुए में गिर गया। 

उसकी "बचाओ - बचाओ" की चीख -  सुन कर आस पड़ोस के चिडे - चिडियाएँ वहां पे इकट्ठे हो गए। उनमें से किसी ने जाकर चिड़िया को बताया की उसका चिडा सचमुच ही कुए में कूद गया है। चिड़िया रोती हुयी - तुरंत ही उड़ के कुए पे पहुंची। वह वहां पे खड़े सभी चिड़ियों से गुहार लगाने लगी की अगर किसी को तैरना आता हो तो वह उसके चिडे को बचाए, लेकिन कोई भी खतरा मोल लेकर यह काम करने को तैयार नहीं था। इतनी सारी चिड़ियों को इकठ्ठा देख के बिल्ली वहां पे आ धमकी, उसके लिए शिकार करने का इतना अच्छा मौंका कहाँ मिलता। बिल्ली को आते देख वहां से बाकी सारी चिड़ियाये उड़ गयी, सिर्फ चिड़िया ही खड़ी रही। उस पे बिल्ली ने जैसे ही झपट्टा मारा वह उड़ कर कुए के दूसरे किनारे पे जा बैठी और बिल्ली से बोली एक चिडा कुए में भी है वह उसे निकाल के खा ले। वह पानी में भीगा होने से उड़ भी नहीं सकता। यह बात बिल्ली के दिमाग में भी जम  गयी। वह मेहनत करके वहां बैठी चिडिया को पकड़ के खाने के बजाय भीगे हुए चिडा को खाने के लिए कुए में उतर गयी और जाते ही चिडा को दबोच लिया। वह उसे खाने वाली ही थी तभी ऊपर से चिड़िया ने कहा, इसे भीगा हुआ खाने में क्या मजा आएगा, ऊपर आकर - धूप में बैठ कर आराम से खाना। बिल्ली को भी पानी में भीगने से ठण्ड लग रही थी - उसे धूप मैं बैठ के लंच करने का आईडिया अच्छा लगा। वह चिडे को एक पंजे में दबोच के बड़ी मुश्किल से कुए में लगी रस्सी के सहारे ऊपर निकल आई। उसने बाहर आते ही चिडा को खाने की कोशिश की - इतने में ही चिड़िया ने फिर से कहा, इसे गीला खाने में क्या फायदा - आराम से सुखा करके खाना। बिल्ली बहुत भूखी और थकी हुयी थी लेकिन वह चिड़िया की बातों में आ गयी। उसने चिडे को अपने पंजे से निकाल के सुखाने रख दिया और खुद फुरफुरी लेकर अपने शरीर से पानी झडाने लगी। वह जम्हाई लेकर अपनी थकान दूर कर रही थी तब तक चिड़ा भी थोडा बहुत सूख गया। चिड़िया ने उसकी तरफ उड़ चलने का इशारा किया। वह भी वहां पे आराम से वेवकूफों की तरह अपने आप को सुखाने लग रहा था। चिड़िया ने खुद ही उसके पास उड़ के जाकर के उसे उड़ चलने के लिए धक्का मारा। इस तरह चिड़िया अपने चिड़ा को वहां से बचा करके उड़ा ले गयी और भीगी बिल्ली देखती ही रह गयी।

- मम्मी ने सुनाई यह कहानी :)

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Story of Toran Marna in Marriages

शादी में "तोरण मरना" रिवाज़ की कहानी 

पिछले सप्ताह मैं और मेरी छोटी बहन जैसलमेर में मेरे छोटे भाई के यहाँ घूमने गए | वह वहां, नाचना गाँव के अस्पताल में डॉक्टर है | उसके जन्मदिन का अवसर था तो वह हमें इस ख़ुशी में जैसलमेर और तनोठ जी मंदिर ले के गया | 

किसी भी नयी जगह पे अगर आप घूमने जाते हैं और उस जगह के बारे मैं जानना चाहते हैं तो क्षेत्रीय लोगोँ के अलावा जानकारी का सबसे अच्छा स्रोत होता है आपके वाहन का ड्राईवर | यह बात अलग है की अगर ड्राईवर साहब अगर एक बार बोलना शुरू कर दें तो उनकी बातें उनकी गाडी से भी तेज चलती हैं | 

इधर से जाते समय तो हम तीनो भाई बहन आपस में बातें करने और फोटो खींचने में ही व्यस्त रहे लेकिन वापस आते वक्त ड्राईवर साहब से भी बातें शुरू हुयी | वह हमारे क्षेत्र में किसी शादी में आये हुए थे इसलिये अपने और हमारे यहाँ के लोगोँ और रीति रीवाजो की बात करने लगे | 

योँ तो शादियो में कई तरह की रीति रीवाजो का मनाई जाती हैं लेकिन शादी में तोरण मरने की रिवाज़ के कारण के बारे में उन्होने हमसे पूछा | जो लोग इस के बारे में जानते नहीं हैं उन्हें में बता दूँ की यह रस्म तब होती है जब लड़का दूल्हा बनके लड़की के घर बारात ले के आता है तो उसे लड़की के घर में अन्दर प्रवेश करने से पहले तोरण मरना पड़ता है | तोरण लकड़ी का बना होता है और देखने में ऐसा लगता है जैसे की कुछ चिड़िया जैसी आकृति है | दूल्हा उसे अपनी तलवार या कटार से छूता है, कभी कभी तो दुल्हे तोरण इतने जोर से मरते हैं की उसे नीचे ही पटक देते हैं, यह अशुभ माना जाता है |

इतनी जानकारी होने के बाबजूद हम्हे यह नहीं पता था की इस रिवाज़ का औचित्य क्या है और यह कैसे शुरू हुयी | हम दोनो भाई इस के बारे में अलग अलग तरह के अंदाज लगाने लगे लेकिन ड्राईवर साहब ने एक भी कहानी सही नहीं मानी | अंत में हमने उनसे ही पूछा की तोरण मरने की प्रथा के पीछे वजह क्या है ?

तोरण मरने की कहानी उन्होने कुछ इस तरह सुनाई -

एक बार एक राजा की एक बहुत सुन्दर राजकुमारी थी | जब वह राजकुमारी बहुत छोटी थी तो उसकी माँ उसे कहती की मेरी चिड़िया जैसी प्यारी बेटी तू इतने जल्दी बड़ी हो रही है, किसी दिन कोई चिड़ा (चिडिया का पुर्लिंग) तुझे ले जायेगा | रानी को इसी बात की चिंता रहती की किसी दिन उसकी लाडली बेटी उसे छोड़ के चली जाएगी | वह बड़े प्यार से अपनी राजकुमारी से अक्सर यह कहती की जब तू बड़ी हो जाएगी तो कोई चिड़ा तुझे उड़ा के ले जायेगा |

इस बात को वही पेड़ की डाल पे बैठा चिड़ा सुना करता था | वह उसी समय के इंतजार में बैठा रहा की यह राजकुमारी जब बड़ी होगी तो रानी किसी चिडे से इसका व्याह करेगी | राजकुमारी को चिडे के साथ उड़ के जाने की सोच के वह काफी खुश होता और अपने आप को उस समय के लिए तैयार करने लगा जब राजकुमारी असल में उसके साथ उड़ने के लिए तैयार होगी |

लेकिन जैसा वह सुनता था ऐसा हुआ नहीं | एक दिन वह देखता है की राजकुमारी की शादी की तैयारियां शुरू हो गयी हैं और एक राजकुमार अपनी बारात लेके राजकुमारी से व्याह करने आ गया है | चिड़ा बहु निराश हुआ, वह तो बहुत दिनो से इसी उम्मीद में कुंवारा बैठा था की रानी अपनी राजकुमारी को किसी चिडे के साथ उड़ने भेजेगी और वह राजकुमारी को उड़ा के ले जायेगा | उसका दिल टूट गया | वह सीधा राजा के पास गया और अपनी व्यथा सुनाई |

राजा उसकी बात सुनके बहुत जोर - जोर से हँसा | उसने रानी को अपने पास बुलाया और पूछा की क्या सही में रानी यह कहती थी की कोई चिड़ा राजकुमारी को उड़ा ले जाएगा ? इस पे रानी ने कहा की वह तो प्यार में ऐसे ही अपनी बेटी से ऐसे कहती थी और उसका मतलब यह बिलकुल नहीं था की सचमुच का चिड़ा उसकी बेटी को ले जायेगा | लेकिन चिडे के साथ धोखा हो चूका था | वह राजकुमारी को अपने साथ ले जाने के लिए अड़ गया | राजा ने अपनी बेटी को चिड़ा के साथ व्याह करके भेजने से इंकार कर दिया | अपने साथ हुए धोके को चिड़ा बर्दाश्त नहीं कर पाया | उसने अपने सारे चिड़िया समुदाय को इकठ्ठा कर लिया और राजा से युद्ध करने की तयारी शुरू कर दी | राजा को अपनी सेना पे बहुत घमंड थे, वह भी चिड़ियाओं से लडाई करने के लिए तैयार हो गया | 

लेकिन राजा की सेना को युद्ध में हार का सामना करना पड़ा | युद्ध जीतने के बाद जब चिड़ा राजकुमारी को अपने साथ उड़ा कर के ले जाने को तैयार हुआ तो देवताओं ने हाहाकार मचा दिया | उन्होने कहा की अगर ऐसा हो गया तो आगे आने वाली पीढीयो का क्या होगा ? चिड़िया और आदमी के विवाह से उत्पन्न संतान कैसी होगी? काफी समझाने के बाद चिड़िया प्रजाति यह मान गयी की राजकुमारी को अपने साथ ले जाने में उनकी भलाई नहीं है | इन सब बातो को सुन कर चिड़ा इस बात पे राजी हो गया की वह राजकुमारी से शादी के लिए जिद नहीं करेगा लेकिन रानी को अपने गलत वचनो और उसे धोखे में रखने की सजा जरुर मिलनी चाहिए | इसलिए दूल्हे को चिड़ा और उसकी प्रजाति से क्षमा मांग के उनके पैरो के नीचे होकर गुजरना होगा| 

तो इस कहानी के अनुसार तोरण में लगी हुयी लकड़ी की चिड़ियाँ उस चिडे और उसकी प्रजाति को दर्शाती हैं और जब दूल्हा - दुल्हन के घर में प्रवेश करता है तो वह असल में चिडे और उसके भाई बंधुओं के पैरो के नीचे होके गुजर रहा होता है | तोरण से कटार या तलवार लगाने का मतलब दरवाजे पे बैठी चिड़ियाओं को नमन करके जाना होता है !

इस कहानी को सुन के हम दोनो भाई काफी अचंभित हुए और चिड़ियाओं की चालाकी से दंग रह गए | मैंने कहाँ की ऐसी कहानियो पे तो आजकल सब हसेंगे, लेकिन ज्यादातर रीति रीवाजो के पीछे ऐसे ही हास्यापद कहानियां हैं | हम सब चुपचाप रीति रिवाजो को मानते और पूरे करते चले जाते हैं क्योन्कि हमारे समाज में सभी इनकी पालना करते चले आये हैं और किसी ने इनके पीछे के कारण और उसकी सार्थकता के बारे में जानने की कोशिश ही नहीं की |

लेकिन इन रीति रिवाज़ो से ही शादी - व्याहो में और नियमित जीवन में कुछ मजे की बात होती है नहीं तो लड़की और लड़की के साथ रहने के लिए शादी के नाम पे इतने ताम-झाम करने की भी क्या जरुरत है ?

वापस आते समय ड्राईवर साहब ने ऐसी कई और कहानिया सुनाई, जो आसानी से किताबो में पढ़ने ले लिए नहीं मिलेगी | 

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Pattern in the Randomness

The title of the post has to do with the book "Fooled by Randomness" which I've read recently. Its a good read, even better if you wanna blame something for your luck, it'll re-emphasize it.

Discovering Aspirations -
Now lets figure out a pattern amongst these pictures which my younger sister bought and put in the drawing room. The selection of the wall papers may be random, depending on the attractiveness of the image, but the order in which these were put may not be. Because it has a pattern, which we need to discover - 

Village life

A nosegay

A residential colony

A Villa

It must be my bored mind at home which is trying to make some meaning out of the wall papers, is there any?

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Cattle Fair – the real one!

Don’t confuse it with the Cattle fairs which reportedly happen in the IIMs. It’s about the real cattle fairs where the cows, buffaloes, camels, donkeys, horses etc are brought to be sold. They also come to participate in the competitions like beauty pageant, races and bull-fights. Some people even come to look out for their lost or stolen cattle.

So what is special in the cattle fairs which led me to think about it and write this blog? Yes, it’s the psychology of the buyers and sellers which intrigues me.

The preparations farmers or cattle herders make before taking their cattle to the fair are quite elaborate.   The buffaloes and cows, generally painted in mud, get a good bathe, and then an oil massage. Some even get their horns and tails painted. They even tie a necklace of colored rope or peacock feathers and human hair around neck almost suffocating the poor animals. Camels get a nice haircut with designs brought up on their dark brown body. So elegant they look that all you want is ride on their back, at least once!

So far so good, the real fun begins in the fair. Farmers from all the nearby places bring them to the market, laden in the tractor- trolleys or trucks, most of the times its too crammed for the spaces that poor animals feel suffocated. You don’t need to be an expert to see the pain in their eyes.

A buyer may want to know, how much milk a buffalo produces daily? So, live demonstrations happen. The owner milks it in front of the potential buyer. The little ones are deprived of their mother’s milk as she has not been milked for two three days before bringing her to the market. They must believe that it’s better to keep the milk accumulated in her udders for a better show!

The evaluations go on for whole day, buyers keep coming, most of the times leaving them just after initial inspection, roaming around, checking the features of the animal. Looks of the buffalo is one of the most important parameters. Looks? You must be wondering! What do looks have to do with the quality of the cattle? But you guessed it right, we are humans after all. We are so much worried about the looks of anything feminine that we tend to simply ignore other important factors! The breed has to be good; it’s the matter of pride to have a Murra or Khundi at home.

At the end of the day, most of the cattle are sold off. The owners who have reared its cattle for so many years just let them go. For the emotional types it’s a tough choice which they have to make. But the deal is done; they have to send them, this time, laden in yet another vehicle.

For the rest, who are not sold, it’s the journey back to home. I don’t know whether the animal feels happy about returning home, to be with rest of the herd, but the owner is definitely not! How will I feed it in the times of inflation, when there is no fodder in this dry season? Monsoon too has not been favorable, and I need the money to pay the debt, to purchase other house hold items or to pay off the tuition fee of the kids who have just got into a college. The questions keep busy his mind as he return home.

The animal must be wondering, what was lacking in me? They didn’t buy me just because I didn’t look good enough to be accepted into their herd? For an Oxen, the owner might be heard whispering, had you been able to pull the cart, why would have I brought you in the market? There are no buyers for you in the fair. I’ll have to sell you to the Butcher now! I can’t help it. 

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A testimonial from my pillow

Hello Roomie,

It’s the time when you and your batch-mates are going to leave the Kampus, everyone is busy writing testimonials to their close friends. You too shall write to some of your close friends and hopefully some of them will also do the favor for you. I too thought of leaving a note while you are still asleep.

You know it well that I’ve been your closest friend over these months you’ve been here. It’s another matter that you’ve not even changed or washed my cover in these two years, and I smell like a rotten pig, but its only you who had to smell me, I don’t complain much. I’ve been lucky that you’ve not burned me with cigarettes and did not puke over me after your daru-parties. I'm thankful for it.

All said, there are many memories of yours which I’ll cherish. The way you cuddled with me in not so cold nights of Kerala. The giggles I used to have when you shouted WTF, whenever you were bitten by the ants who roamed on your bed to collect the food particles and the dead insects. I’ve also seen you watching not so civilized kind of videos and wasting time on facebook, but I kept quite. It’s your personal life and I don’t believe in being too possessive.


I need to confess that I tried to eavesdrop on the talks which used to go on in your head, I don't know whom you talked to in your dreams. But, I also got quite angry once when you showered a torrent of blows on me without any mistake of mine and in the end it was I who wiped your tears when you cried. I hope your remember that.

You’ve got a job, though not as high salary as newspapers wallas want people to believe. I’m sure you are going to start a new life with a new pillow and leave me here. It’s ok! I don’t want you to get emotional about me. You need to move on! You’ve got a life ahead. I’ll be happy with Chechi, if she agrees to take me with herself or I’ll walk away with the goonj people.

I hope you’ll have wonderful time with the new pillows. Best wishes!

Love,

Pillow

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Matki and the Restless Soul

It starts getting really hot in Rajasthan by the end of March and as the air gets hotter, it forms heat waves which become unbearable by the beginning of May. The scorching Sun and the dry air suck the life out of humans as well as the birds and animals.

If my memory serves me well, the scene of the story must be of earlier than 1991, before we started building our current home. In the afternoon, our grandmother used to force me and my brother to sleep so that we don’t roam around and catch the heat waves. We on the other hand preferred to play under the Neem tree, which was in the same place where we have built the drawing room now.

The birds, specially the parrots were fun to watch when they drank water from the water pot hanging by the Neem branch. There used to be membrane like thing with strange shapes running randomly, which could be seen in the bright Sunlight. Airplanes used to fly shining brightly and leaving a white trail, which I later came to know were clouds. The planes must have gone to land in Delhi. It was almost unimaginable for us that real people sat in those planes. If they really did then we’ll sit in those planes and go to Delhi, my brother used to say!

I told my grandmother that I see some strange shapes in the distance which come down on the earth and disappear and it goes on. I still don’t know what these were, but she got a new idea to keep us indoors. She said that those were ghosts and they’ll catch us if we go out in the afternoon. I don’t remember listening to her. I’m not sure if watching ghosts or was it that watching airplanes fly in the sky more fun.

tribuneindia.com

Another amusement were the new earthen pitchers (Matke) being brought from the potters. These were mostly bartered against wheat instead of being purchased in return for money. My mother and grandmother used to go and bring these pitchers on their head and the Tayi (wife of potter) also accompanied them to take the wheat from home. A few earthen cups (kullad) were given for free if we accompanied our grandmother. Now we wouldn’t drink water in a glass as long as the kullads lasted. They generally broke in a matter of days.

The matka used to survive for a week and then it won’t keep the water cold for any long. It was always fun to drink water from the new matka as it has a totally different taste in it. The water used to be brought by the ladies over head from the wells nearby. My mother used to bring two matkas over her head and one small one (matki) in her hand to avoid many trips to the well.

The matki used to be kept over matka and it used to become quite high for us, so we used to struggle to reach up it. One day I left it uncovered as the lid fell off and I could not reach up to matki’s mouth to cover it. My grandmother saw that the matki doesn’t have its cover, she scolded me and asked not to leave it open. I thought it may be because insects might fall in the water. But the reason she gave was totally different. She said that there might be someone’s mann – the restless soul, which might come to drink water from the matki and get into it. How was it possible? I asked. Then she explained, suppose you are having a tight sleep and feel thirsty. If you are lazy and don’t want to get up to drink water. Your soul will come out of your body. It'll get into the matki to drink water and quench its thirst. Now, if someone covers the matki, the poor soul may get trapped in it. In that case the person’s body will be without soul for some time and he or she may die!

It’s obviously quite tough to believe it now, but it was perfect explanation. After that, whenever I used to go towards the matki, I used to think whether there is a soul entrapped in it. Once I even brought my friends. We climbed on a chair and opened the lid to see if there was really any soul inside it.

It’s not summer yet and there are no pitchers nearby. But sometimes I feel as if my soul has left me and it is entrapped in some matki somewhere. What if someone has put the lid on matki’s mouth? Will the matki realize that I belong there itself and bring me to life by quenching my thirst? Will there be someone who’ll come and remove the lid and take my soul out of the matki? 

*On a lighter note, M.Tech junta in IITs is called Matka / Matki and the B.Tech junta is called Bhatke, which means restless souls!

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Godgiri - The past and future of communication

If you have seen any of the TV serial based on Hindu mythologies, you’ll remember the way Gods used to communicate with each other; they’ll just think in their head and communicate the messages to whomever they wished. Someone will have a dream while others will get it through self realization. For example - Narada Muni, the eternal reporter, passed on his message to Shiva. Hanuman Ji used to close his eyes and offer his prayers to Rama, and Rama in turn used to smile and talk to Him. Many devotees still do the same but it’s not clear for me whether the Gods listen to these prayers.

There are many communication mediums, like this blogging platform, available now by which it’s so easy to get your voice heard to other people but it requires highly complex networks and processing power which were unimaginable to most of the people just few decades back.

Just think, how convenient it will be if the Gods' Brain wave communication system really works in our day to day lives without the need of these modern digital gadgets. You close your eyes, establish a connection with the person you want to talk to and he/she listens to you. You can even figure out how many people are thinking or talking about you. There can also be a deluge of messages but you can priorities, which you want to subscribe like on Facebook and Twitter.

It’ll obviously have it negative implications as well, but you can go into invisible mode or simply block the person you don’t want to communicate with. I read an article in the Economist that scientists have developed a technology by which it’s possible to know what a person is thinking, as a certain part of the brain is activated in the process.

Right now, this thought also looks childish or quixotic, but I’m sure there will be a time when this will be possible. There will also be hackers who would like to break into your head and try to get the access to the data stored in your brain cells, with new rules being drawn up  to stop the malpractices.

There are some artificial intelligence applications available now which can talk to you like real people, sometimes even better.

A real  chat on Cleverbot.com

It’s only a matter of time when these technologies are advanced to a next level when there won’t a need for any technology at all and it will be as simple as the Gods have in the TV serials. Even you will need to visit this blog as I’ll directly send my thoughts to you and get your comments! 

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Come, let’s talk :)

It’s not that I’ve stopped talking to you because I’m being lazy. I guess, I was not putting my thoughts in the right words, so I was writing the posts and then deleting these.

Sometimes, I was talking by writing it in the notebook.  For example - while sitting face to face with US Consulate General in the board room, evincing my interest in the climate change issue but scribing the squabbling in the diary. Professor sitting opposite to me too had the same kind of diary; we designed it and got it printed to gift to our alumni earlier this year.

Last week, the marketing head of a company, the biggest tobacco brand in India, too was giving his life’s learning for free. He’d given us all a pen and a notebook as an incentive to listen to him, and I started putting down the bickering to the words instead of paying attention to his story of breaking into top brands league. The page was shredded into pieces later on, just after coming out of the auditorium. It’s better to let the thoughts die sometimes.

Yeah, let’s get back to the talking issue, which I want to build this story up on.

This goes back a rather a longer time – almost 15 years, I must have been in 6^th standard then. Another guy Surjeet, just in my neighborhood, whose home used to face our home at ninety degree angle, was also in the same class. He got himself electrocuted few years back, while trying to catch a bird. It made him sweaty most of the time, even while sitting under the fan. The black color of his skin made it even harder for him to get into Sun, as his face absorbed most of the rays, I didn’t knew this physics concept before reaching into the 12^th standard. He was very silent most of the time, but we were good friends and used to walk to the school together, which was more than a kilometer away. It used to take us almost as much time as the rays take to reach the earth.   

It was December, the cold got both of us coughing like dogs, but he blamed me for his cough because it caught me first.  Other classmates too started pulling my leg every now and then accusing me that I got the cough from the puppies and was spreading it to the whole class. In the moment of embarrassment, I hit my friend Surjeet because he was taking side of other students instead of being with me. Both of us grappled with each other, pulling the hair and running around the classroom. A teacher gave us both good beating for it.

We stopped talking over it. The cough was gone but not the anger. We had common friends, studied in the same school for next four years till the 10^th class but neither of us let go of our egos. We kept going to each other’s home, talking to other family members, who didn’t seem to know that the kiddos were not on talking terms!

The group study, doing homework together, climbing the Neem tree, running the cycle tyre, playing Kanche, all stopped all of a sudden. We crossed each other path many times but the eyes didn’t meet. After 12^th class he got into the Army at the age of 18, I moved to Kota and then to Kgp. It had been almost a decade since we talked. His younger brother too got into Army, both of them got married in a joint marriage, as it’s a common practice there.

Now it was the summer time in 2005, I came for the semester break after my 2^nd year; he too came for two months leave, a tough time to be in the heat of Rajasthan. One fine evening, both of found ourselves in the same kabaddi team. He was almost double the size of me now, a perfect army man. We played the match, covered in the dust; we held each other’s hand and stopped the other team’s players. After the match, both of us looked at each other and started laughing hysterically.

Other friends asked, what’s the matter? I said, guys it’s a special day, we have talked after a decade. Now it was time for others to laugh at both of us. I asked him, “Did you think about talking to me during all these years?”

He said, “yes, But I wanted you to talk to me first. I even forgot why we stopped talking!”

“Yeah, it has been a pretty long time; I guess it was in the 6^th class. Even I thought the same that let him talk to me first.” I replied.

It has been more than six years now, I’ve not met him since that Kabaddi match, in fact I didn’t even remember our last meeting till I started writing this post. All I remember is the time both of us wasted by not talking to each other. The ego we succumbed to and the fun of playing together we missed.

This thought crossed my mind because I have got into a similar situation now, I made a mistake. I hope I don’t develop a similar ego problem again and I should extend the hand of friendship once more.

We should let our personalities be different, if they are so, and start talking all over again.

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Nostalgia - IIM Kozhikode

“I want to know each and every one of my batch mates and befriend them all, it may take a month or two, but I really want to develop this culture of learning within a community here.” This is what was going on in my mind when we were asked by our institute’s director Prof.Debashis Chatterjee to let the mental chatter come out on a piece of paper, on the very first day at IIM Kozhikode.

This sense of bonding with the fellow students and colleagues probably comes due to my upbringing in a village, where I know most of the people, not just my neighbors but people from one corner to another.

Creating and moderating online social groups for my batch at IIT Kharagpur is something which is not mentioned in degree/certificates obtained but the experience is very much valuable.

The spirit of building a community continued as I was elected to Alumni Committee at IIM Kozhikode. The opportunity to talk to my seniors from different batches and the stories of their time in the Kampus has been something which I didn’t imagine that I’ll get before coming here. The excitement of preparing to organize our first ever International Alumni meet, Sangam’11, cannot be described in words. The pleasure of seeing two alumni of PGP01 batch meet for the first time after leaving IIMK is something which I’ll cherish for long time.

As the days of stay at the Kampus are in double digits, there are many important things to happen, appearing for placements being one of them, but the focus is set on Nostalgia 2012 – the on campus alumni meet. It’s just two months away now, and we are back to work to make it even better than all the previous meets.

It’ll be the 10^th year of PGP2002 batch and I’m sure all of them would like to come together and enjoy the New Kampus, which was ready only by their juniors admission. For all of the alumni it’ll be a much needed break from their busy corporate schedule to enjoy and relive the two years of their college life in just two days during 14^th-15^th January 2012. The 2^nd edition of Cultural fest Echoes is definitely going to be another attraction and will surely bring back the excitement of the carefree youthful days.

For me, personally, it’ll be another chance to work in a family like setting with my batch-mates and juniors and strengthen the bond with the God’s Own Kampus.

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Intoxication Free Campus - A Crazy Idea

Laughing at this idea is encouraged - your lungs will get some fresh air :)

It’s very clear from the studies on smoking practices that most of the people start smoking while they are living their school or college life. The easy availability of tobacco products in and near the campus increase the chances of students trying to smoke and being habituated subsequently.

A person's friends help in starting the bad habit of smoking, sometimes unknowingly. On the other side, no one can be a better help than a dedicated group of friends who are committed to help their smoker friends in the process of quitting the habit of smoking. The social support along with the alternatives to tobacco products is very much needed in effectively countering the menace of smoking in the youth.

The biggest fear for the early smokers is to get caught by their parents, partners or close friends who care for their health and well being. However it’s important that the caring person come to know about their  smoking problem before they get addicted to it and it’s too late for them to quit.

There is need for anti-smoking campaign targeted on parents as well, so that they can talk to their kids about the harms of smoking and prepare them for the unwanted habits which they might be getting in their school/colleges otherwise.

There is a need for Intoxication Free Campus Campaigns across the world. To begin with we can start the anti-smoking awareness campaign on the social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, where most of the educated youth socialize. The online forums for helping the addicted people in quitting are also there, but they are not as effective as the regular as the personal attention by the close friends. The online pages/forums and groups can help people in smoking cessation by providing and sharing useful information, however the smokers keep avoiding these as long as they are not self driven and determined to quit. The social help can only support them, but the determination to quit has to come from the within.

Helping a friend or partner in quitting can be as much difficult as quitting your own, hence it's very important for the friends to be emotionally strong. To quit smoking is one of the hardest things to do. The importance of not nagging and making their life stress free is very important. For example a friend can join its friend to a quit class, so that the friend can understand the process of the quit and be more supportive. 

When a friend forces something on the smokers, it makes them back away from the quit and makes it much more stressful process. One thing we need to remember is that nobody is going to quit anything unless they want to. Forcing them to quit and bothering them is very different from being supportive.

Rewarding the smokers in quitting process is important. Reminding them that you are proud of them and acknowledging that it's a very hard process and it takes a very strong person to go through that process and you are always going to be with them

The institutes of higher learning and the public schools in cities, where the administration is relatively better than in schools and colleges in small towns, can kick start a campaigning for intoxication free campuses.  The strict implementation of government directives in the educational institutions is needed to stop smokers  from influencing other students who have not yet started smoking.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/IntoxicationFreeCampus

[ This post is based on a report submitted in Consumer Behavior Course at IIM Kozhikode - PGP/14/123 ]

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