The Journal (general) problem

Hmm...here's a bit of poetry created just for fun....many of you may not be able to relate to this with the way it is required to be....but my ex-colleagues definitely know the significance of the bold highlighted words here...these were acronyms used for the ELSEVIER science journals that our organisation worked for & I hope it still does :D ....probably now you know why is the title that ways :)

एक दिन यूं ही Mr. Gupta से पूछ लिया, “ कहिये हुज़ूर कैसे हैं AAP”,
बोले,” बस जी कट रही है जिन्दगी प्रभु नाम का करके JAAP…
हाई कोर्ट में property का आज भी चल रह है CACE,
सुख-शांति का तो मानो जीवन में रहा नहीँ कोई trace…
बेटा एक है पढ़ने में जो है टाईं टाईं FISH,
पर खाने में चाहे हरदम बढिया से बढिया वो dish…
East west FUSION का मानो उसके अन्दर है VIRUS,
बन जाना चाहता है वो MTV VJ Cyrus…
सोच कर उसके FUTURE के बारे में, होने लगता हूँ मैं MAD,

तब कहता है SON मेरा ," Oh! Don’t worry DAD”…
कभी-कभी behaviour उसका लगता है बड़ा erratic,
पर सच मानिये उसकी ही वजह से बाना हूँ मैं POETIC…
चाहता है वो मिल जाये उसे कहीं से अलाद्दीन का magic MAT,
और घूम आये सारी दुनिया पहन कर suit boot with hat…
या पहुँचा दे कोई उसको दूर कहीँ परियों के LAND,
छोटा सा है पर सपने उसके हैं बडे grand…
सुन कर उसकी बातों को मैं रह जाता हूँ STILL,
और कभी अपनी जवानी के दिन भी होने लगते हैं RECYCL…
कंगाली में अपना तो गीला होता है FLUOR,
पर बेटा कहता है मेरा,” DAD ये दिल मांगे more!”…
क्या कहें आपसे बस अपना तो यही है हाल,
नाचते हैं उस धुन पर बेटा जो देता है TAL…”
सुनकर उनकी कहानी मैं तो रह गयी बिल्कुल दंग,
ऐसा लगा मानो there was no oxygen in my LUNG…
उनकी परेशानियों का सुनकर HEAP,
भाग खड़े होना ही लगी सबसे बढिया तरकीब…

Don't remember the time I wrote this..however, since it was published in the Apr'05-Jul'05 of our quarterly company magazine 'Vishwas' so must be some time around that... :)

Seed..

A forwarded mail which re-emphasises, "As you sow, so shall you reap"..

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO," he said. "I have decided to choose one of you. The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - a very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.
He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.
Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by - still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - he so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened.
Jim felt sick at his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back.
"My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO.
"Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front.
Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed.
Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Here is your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!"
Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO the others said?
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was
not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. "When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!"


Moral:
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap
later.

Where is equality?

I believe that to an extent the title of this blog gives idea of what this poem could be about...yes, it's about one of our fundamental right...right to equality...a right for all humans..for all citizens in our country...however, not exactly 'coz it is still just a constitutional right which is not in practice for the fairer sex...

Those of you who read my previous post may wish to consider me female chauvinist...however, that doesn't shake my views on gender bias in our society...it exists...is visible...and is a shame for us....no amount of education has been able to teach men that women are not just a means to satisfy physical needs/give birth to their kids/take care of their attire/complete household chores....she is and can be much beyond it....

Shahrukh Khan as the coach of Indian women's hockey team in the movie 'Chakde India" while motivating the team for a match against the Indian men's hockey team asks them to go & let the men know that if a woman can give birth to a man she can do anything....I firmly believe that it's high time that men actually understand this...after all when they can praise Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Kalpana Chawla,Sania Mirza....and if a woman (Pratibha Patil) can be the President of this country..why even today, is a girl child killed even before she can see how beautiful this world is? With old age homes filled with parents disowned by sons why are boys still a preferred child? Why does a guy need dowry to marry a girl who'll be with him thru the thick & thin of life & support him against all odds? Why are girls still expected to play dual roles of a house wife & career woman?

There are many such whys but answers are yet to come...and what's even more sad is the fact that these practices are prevalent not only in the rural/illiterate/low income group population but also the urban,educated and the upper class...Despite having studied quite a bit and having a fair amount of experience of life I still fail to understand why are women the weaker sex? Who/what makes them weak? Why do they need to be escorted if they have to go out of home at night? Who's creating this fear for them & why? I think, it must be some such mind that doesn't have the capacity to think & understand that if women were not there neither would he be....

All said & done..I know things would not change over night neither do I expect them to..however, it needs to be understood & engrossed in the minds of all that it requires a conscious effort to overcome & end this terror....after all wouldn't men be happy if their mothers/wives/sisters/friends had a mind without fear.... WAKE UP MEN..WOMEN BROUGHT YOU IN THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD...IT'S YOUR TURN TO ENABLE THEM ENJOY THIS BEAUTY TOO :)

I still remember as a student of ninth,
I learnt our so-called fundamental rights…
I learnt the right to equality which made me feel,
All are equal irrespective of caste, gender, religion or creed…
My parents taught me, “Girls & boys are equal”,
& I always took whatever they said to be real..
But as time passed & I grew old,
I discovered the fallacies of what I was told…
No, it was not of my family,
But, because of newspaper that I read daily…
I read how a girl is raped by her stepfather,
& is not helped even by her real mother…
I read how a man burnt his wife for dowry,
& tried to make it a suicide story..
I read how a policeman molests a girl,
& calls his misdeed a mistake in front of people…
I read how a female student is dragged into a van,
& raped by four men one by one…
I read about child marriage, female infanticide & ‘Sati’,
Which fills my heart with pity…
No, this pity is not for the females,
But, for the so-called stronger sex, the males…
For they never have and never can,
Realize the importance of a woman…
They worship their mothers & take care of their sister’s security,
However, all other girls for them are their private property…
Then they ask,” Why do ladies want reservation,
In buses & in parliament, when they want to prove themselves equal to men”…
I take this opportunity to tell all men,
“ We don’t want reservation any where,
We don’t want any special care…
Just give us our fundamental right,
Let us live fearlessly with pride…
Let us do what we wish to do,
Respect us if you want it too…”

(27-08-02)

कितना कुछ देखा है..

नन्ही-सी कली को सुन्दर फूल बनते देखा है,
ऊंचे आकाश को ज़मीन की धूल बनते देखा है..
सुख की मुस्कानों को दुःख के आँसू बनते देखा है,
दौलत के खातिर ख़ून के रिश्तों को टूटकर बिखरते देखा है…
निर्भीक जवानी को सहमे हुये बुढ़ापे में ढलते देखा है,
स्वार्थ के लिए इन्सान को पल-पल रंग बदलते देखा है..
कमजोर ओर असहाय पर बलवान को अकड़ते देखा है,
हालत से हारकर हमने पत्थर को पिघलते देखा है..
अपनों की आशाओं को निराशाओं में बदलते देखा है,
और यूं ही गिरते-गिरते कितनों को संभलते देखा है….
जीवन और मौत के बीच जो बारीक-सी एक रेखा है,
उस रेखा को किसी अपने के चेहरे पर हमने बड़ी नजदीक से देखा है…
छोटे-से अपने जीवन में जाने क्या-क्या बनते बिगड़ते देखा है,
कितना कुछ देखा है, लेकिन, अपने सपनों को केवल सपनों में सच होते देखा है…

(12-07-02)

Husband अपना इतना nice हो

On a lighter note ;)

Husband अपना इतना nice हो…
5 foot 10 इंच जिसकी height हो…
रंग चाहे जैसा हो दिल मगर white हो,
Jeans ढीली body मगर tight हो,
Husband अपना इतना nice हो…
मेरा हर नखरा सहे nature उसका इतना light हो
जहाँ चाहे जाऊँ जो चाहे खाऊँ ऎसी अपनी life हो
जब भी shopping करके आऊँ बोले, “ बीवी तुम मेरी pride हो,
मैं खुशनसीब हूँ कितना जो तुम मेरी bride हो”…
दुःख-परेशानी में जो हमेशा मेरी side हो,
Husband अपना इतना nice हो…
अच्छा-अच्छा dinner बनाए जब भी romantic night हो,
बिना लड़े ही हार मान जाये जब भी हमारी fight हो…
सास-ससुर के सामने हमेशा कहे, " जान तुम ही right हो”,
ऐसे husband के साथ ही तो जिंदगी delight हो,
Husband अपना इतना nice हो…
Decision हमेशा सही ले ऎसी उसकी insight हो,
हर weekend पर कहीँ ना कहीँ घूमने की अपनी flight हो,

ऐसे husband के साथ तो मेरा भी future bright हो,
और जो ऐसा हो तो मैं उडू आसमान में जैसे kite हो..
Husband अपना इतना nice हो…

(November, 2000)

Meaning of success

They say,"Nothing succeeds like success" yet "There are no short cuts to success"...very often in our lives we define boundaries around ourselves to define our failures & success...for some money is sign of success..for some name & fame...yet others feel successful if they have successful people around themselves...I tried putting words to my thoughts about success seven years ago...I believe for me meaning of success still remains the same....for me little things bring happiness and success and failures are just a means to learn how to try better the next time... :)

Once someone asked me,” What does success mean to you,
And to achieve it what would you do?”…
Quite unprepared for the question that came out of the blue,
I felt surprised because it was a question whose answer I never knew…
I asked myself, “Will I be successful if others thought so?”
Prompt came the reply, “Of course NO!”…
For me success changes its meaning at all stages of life,
& I don’t have definition of success of a particular type…
When I’m able to lend someone a helping hand,
I feel successful as a friend…
When I’m able to bring my parents a cause for laughter,
I feel successful as a daughter…
When I’m able to guide my brother & sister in the right direction,
I feel to have done the duty of a sister with much perfection…
When I’m able to study with sincerity & prudence,
I feel successful as a student…
When I’m able to set an example for others,
I fell successful as a trendsetter…
When I’m able to get my work done on my own terms,
I feel successful as a person…
So, I think success to me means, a feeling of contentment & satisfaction,
Which comes to me when I’m able to put my thoughts into action…
Whether peers criticize or praise, never catches my attention,
I hope there will be a day when I’ll call myself a ‘Successful Human Being’ without any hesitation…

(14.12.2000)

Chanakya's quotes...

Here are a few nice quotes that I received in a forwarded e-mail...

"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are victimized first."

***************************************************

"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous." ***************************************************

"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody! It will destroy you."

***************************************************

"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no Friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth."

***************************************

"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."

***************************************************

"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it." ***************************************************

"Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest."

***************************************************

"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."

***************************************************

"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."

***************************************************

"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends."

***************************************************

"Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person." ***************************************************

"Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth."
***************************************************

Independent India

It's that time of the year again when we the citizens of India see & feel patriotism which though deep rooted in our blood but comes out on occasions like Independence & Republic day only...Independence day wishes make a round across the country thru forwarded mails..SMSs...and at least for a few moments..or may be a day the pride of being an Indian is visible everywhere...

They say in India "कोस-कोस पर बदले पानी; आठ कोस पर बानी" (the taste of water changes every mile and language changes every eight miles.)...as many states...as many regional..socio-cultural diversities..yet unity in cultural diversity...is what makes us Indians hot...It's pleasing to see the progress that India has made in the last few years....India & Indians have made their presence felt everywhere across the globe and left it's mark everywhere...

However, all that glitters is not gold..I eagerly wait for a day when India can bid adieu to social taboos like..dowry deaths...female foeticide...etc etc..neither the constitution nor the laws can help shoo these away from society..we need a change in mindset...we need to start thinking differently now...it's ironical that though we are much appreciative of the western cultural & lifestyle where both genders enjoy equal rights & freedom...deep within us we still differentiate between a girl & boy child...& the differentiation that starts from birth ends only after death...gender equality is a much needed change 'coz unless we remove the gender bias..we may progress economically but can never move from 'developing' to 'developed' state...

I'm hopeful & wait to become citizen of a developed India...thus I wish that may the life of this bias & social taboos be very short in independent India..None the less;am still a proud Indian ... I have INDIA in my name :) B-India..Proud to be an Indian...

We're hot! We are Indians..... VANDEMATRAM!

She’s rich, she’s beautiful,
She’s cultured and colorful…
She’s our darling, she’s our soul,
She’s independent India, now 57 years old...
We love & respect her the way it is,
She’s our mother, though she’s a miss... :)
She has seen, faced & suffered a lot,
She is the witness of all the battles fought...
The struggle for freedom, the battles to make her free,
The battles to throw Britishers out of our country…
She was born on 15th August 1947,
And looks young & fresh as a girl of 17 even at the age of 57…
May she progress & lead us for time immemorial,
May she live forever & become immortal…

(15-08-04)

मेरा भारत महान है

हम सब भारतवासी हैं, भारत हमारी जान है,
इस धरती पर हमने जन्म लिया, ये देश हमारी शान है…
इसीलिये कहती हूँ मैं मेरा भारत महान है…

मेरे मातृभूमि का हरेक नेता घोटालों की खान है,
खुद्दारी की रोटी खाना इनके लिए हराम है…
इसीलिये कहती हूँ मैं मेरा भारत महान है…

इंसानों के हक से लेकर पशुओं तक का चारा खाया,
वाह रे मेरे देश के नेता पलक झपकते सब पचाया…
बुध्दि इनकी तेज़ है और हाजमा भी बलवान है,
इसीलिये कहती हूँ मैं मेरा भारत महान है…

अपने आराम में है दिखता, जिनको जग का कळयाण है,
जनता से मतलब उनको कुर्सी में उनके प्राण हैं…
बस एक बार नेता बन जायें, फिर करते जीवन भर विश्राम हैं,
इसीलिये कहती हूँ मैं मेरा भारत महान है…

गुठली से क्या लेना इनको चाहते ये बस आम हैं,
जो दे-दे थोड़े से पैसे कर देते उनपर तन ओर मन कुर्बान हैं..
ऐसे खुदगर्ज़ लोगों के हाथों में मेरे देश की लगाम है,
इसीलिये कहती हूँ मैं मेरा भारत महान है…

रख कर बगल में छुरी ये कहते राम-राम हैं,
जिसने किया तेहेल्का उसका कर देते काम तमाम हैं…
ऐसे सभ्य नेता मेरे देश की पहचान हैं,
इसीलिये कहती हूँ मैं मेरा भारत महान है…

जानकर सब कुछ इनके बारे में भी जो चुनती इनको हर बार है,
वह आंख मूंदकर चलने वाली जनता भी प्रशंसा की हकदार है..
जो देते हैं धोखा इसको ये करती उन्हें प्रणाम है,
इसीलिये कहती हूँ मैं मेरा भारत महान है…

स्वार्थी नेता, अंधी जनता फिर भी मेरे देश का नाम है,
लगता है मेरे देश की नैया के खेवैया स्वयं भगवान हैं..
इसीलिये कहती हूँ मैं मेरा भारत महान है,
इसीलिये कहती हूँ मैं मेरा भारत महान है…

(०३-०८-०२)

Happy Friendship Day

On our life’s way, we meet many people everyday,
We find some good, some bad & some just okie…
Some bring with them clouds of distress & some hope’s ray,
Some rely on lies & some do what hey say…
We wish to keep some near & some at bay,
Thus, some always remain strangers, while some become friends in a day…
But, not all friends are as good as they look,
For they just want their work done by hook or by crook…
They show their true colors as the friendship grows old,
& in the process teach us that old is not always gold…
True friends are hard to find today,
Because with all the uncertainties in life, unselfish love has lost its way…
If you find a true friend somewhere someday,
Don’t let him go; come what may…
Because for all that’s good in life,
You surely need to pay a price…
And in the meantime bind all those whom you find nice,
With your sincere friendship’s strong ties…
With a hope that you all, always find good friends on your way,
Wish you all a Happy Friendship day…

(03-08-02)

Call me...I'll be there for you...

Call me...when you lose all your hopes,
Like a dream in your eye...I’ll be there for you…
Call me...when life becomes unbearable,
Like a beat in your heart...I’ll be there for you…
Call me…when all ideas abandon you,
Like a thought in your mind…I’ll be there for you…
Call me...when happiness leaves you all alone,
Like a smile on your face…I’ll be there for you…
Call me…when moving ahead becomes difficult,
Like strength of your soul...I’ll be there for you…
I’ll be there for you…on your every call,
‘Coz you were, you are and will remain my sweet pal…

(09-12-04)

A friend...

When you feel depressed & let down,
And your self confidence is all gone…
When you feel there is no one to be called your own,
& find yourself all alone…
When there’s none to stand by you & share your sorrows,
& you are scared to think of the morrows…
When you feel betrayed by your destiny,
& reasons to survive don’t seem to be many…
When you find yourself good for nothing,
& life appears to have no meaning…
When your enthusiasm to live is lost,
That’s the time you need a friend the most...
A friend is someone who brings cheer when you are sad,
& gives you hope to make you glad..,
He extends his hand when you’re about to fall,
& comes to your rescue even before your call…
He gives you faith when you have none,
& makes you feel he is the one you can rely on…
He has the spirit of unselfish love,
With a touch as soft as that of a dove...
He wipes your tears & forgives calmly all your sins,
& makes you realize how special & important you are for him…
He never loses his faith in you come what may,
His helping hand for you, is always there all night & throughout the day…
He always encourages you to enter the race once more,
With confidence, enthusiasm & energy much more than before...
He fills in you the instinct to fight till the end,
& may be that’s why he is called a friEND…
However, a true friend cannot be begged, borrowed or stolen,
For he is an invaluable gift of god to man…

(05-01-2000)