I wrote this on my FB page on Nov 24th.

I have been watching the opinions and counter opinions on demonetisation. Supporters of the government's decision have been so vocal in criticising the opposition of the idea that they have no time even to go through what people are saying. They also are using foul and filthy language for the former Prime Minister and many other people who command respect in their respective areas of specialisation, especially economics.

Does one keep such people in deference who don't even know what language to use for people including some women in a civilised world?

Let's listen to the well known economist who understands the subject more than any of us. Please understand that he and many other economist have never objected the idea behind demonetisation, it is only the implementation part that they are concerned about.

Those in favour also say that suffering is a " necessary" part of the process.( suffering at this scale for this long?) majority of these people posting their views on FB in favour and feel that suffering is "good" I wonder how many of them have talked to people who are suffering and who have no or little money to even run their day to day chores. Have they ever talked to your maids, cook, Watchman, rikshawwala, driver, painter, Carpenter, Kabadi, dhabawala, Dhobi, tailor or mochi since the morning of Nov 9th? I have, and unequivocally each one of them said s/he is suffering from the process.. They don't even care if the coffers of government are full or empty they are first concerned about their meals for the day. Every citizen is not a freedom fighter, they never were even when the country was struggling with British ouster. So many of them were Raj supporters and sycophants and still they are equal citizens today.. Some having more privileges than many who fought and suffered.

Can and should you ignore all such people who form the majority of our country? Shouldn't you show concern, compassion for them? Shouldn't they be kept in mind first before taking/ making such decisions.

Do you think those who decided the roll out of the current demonetization and their supports have better understanding of economics than the experts and practicing people be them in politics or academia.

For God's sake be respectfu and listen to experts even if they have contradictory views before you maintain your own views, for reasons best known to you.

I wrote this on FB on Nov 26th, 2016

This guy has been so strong that death had kept herself away from him in despite of having declared him dead a number of times. But this time he surrenders.

Someone who dared mightiests of the world and survived, what a persona!!

Alwida Fidel Castro. Revolutionaries of the world have a lot to learn from you. Bon Voyage for your journey to heaven where you may perhaps start another round table with the elites of that world and Gods themselves.

Aug 13, 1926 - Nov 26, 2016.

I wrote this on FB on Nov 14th, 2016

Nation building is not a one day surgical strike. A person or ideology bashing could possibly be.

When an ideology is endorsed by great thinkers and leaders of the world it has to be the best possible path existing in those times.

Homage to the nation builder who was understood in his time and now gets bashing by people who have not read even a paragraph of volumes written by him.

We remember you on this day Chacha Nehru. (Nov 14, 1889 - May 27, 1964)

I wrote this on my FB page on November 18th, 2016.

Ashok Chickwala's story. Ashok is a chick maker ( chicks are curtain woven with the combination of cloth and small wood pieces or bamboo sticks used as curtains hung on outer surfaces of the house) this is a special craftsmanship but they earn very low amount their average monthly income would be less than Rs 10000 for a 14-16 hour day most of which goes in hunting for work. Ashok is a pleasant guy but can not read or write beyond the numbers he uses for taking measurement of curtains. With the technology invention his life became a bit simpler when he got his first cellphone some six years back. Now his satisfied customers don't have to wait for him to come to their door steps rather they call him on his phone. Most of his business happens through word of mouth so now almost all his business runs through this and rarely a customer walks into his pavement "thiya" where he waits for customer calls. Over the time his business expanded and now he goes to far off places like greater Noida etc because his neighbourhood customers shifted there.

Recently he also purchased a moped to use his time more efficiently. All this must have increased his monthly income now to may be Rs 15000.

Ashok has a bank account and had some savings for moving into a bigger "house" from his one room set-up. So when the money he was "hoarding" became illegal he decided to deposit the same into his bank account. He had heard about long queues so he decided to reach bank at 4.00am and after loitering for half an hour decided to return as looking at the queue he realised he won't possibly get his chance till evening. So next day he decided to reach the bank at 3.00am but then queue was even longer so returned after a while. On the third day he reached there close to midnight at 1.00am and saw some 40-50 people so decided to stand in the queue. He noticed that closer to the bank opening time 9.00am the people in front multiplied 3 to 4 times and people who were originally in the queue gave way for others ( they took some Rs 100.00 for standing in the queue for them. There were also some who were depositing for others for a small fee, of course.Then the guy who came there in the queue "inserted" three or four of his friends/family and that was the reason for the queue expansion. People behind did not resist or may be could not. Finally after stopping all his physical "needs" for over 13 hours he was lucky to find himself inside the bank at 2.00pm and was out an hour later. The bank staff was quite cooperative, he said.

Ashok was feeling so lucky with his "achievement"that he never felt the need to crib, although he lost his day's wage and the other two days just managed half day of work.

This was Ashok's" contribution" to unearth black money in the country.

PS: Ashok, besides helping us with chicks is also a friend who often comes over for a cup of tea. He has lots of interesting stories from back home a village near Agra as well as related to his work, that he shares. The demonetisation story was told this afternoon when he came for a small job.

साहिर-अमृता से एक मुलाक़ात..

आज फिर किसी खयाल ने झकझोरा है मुझे
क्या खयालों की दुनिया भी सो जाती है?
जिसे जगाने खुद बखुद उसे आना होता है
जिसकी कलम ने कहा हो
"कभी कभी मेरे दिल में खयाल आता है"।
आज अचानक "एक मुलाकात" में
साहिर को अमृता के खयालों में देखा
तो बरबस ही आंसू छलक आए
उस अधूरी सी प्रेम कहानी के लिये
उस अधूरे से देश के लिये
उस अधूरे से समाज के लिये
जो न इसका रहा न उसका
साहिर को तो चैन नहीं मिला
पर साहिर कि रूह को?
इश्क में  जो "अमृत" उसने पाया, उसका सूकूं
जिसे ना पाया उसके गम से कहीं बेहतर था।

प्रदीप/ दिसम्बर १४, २०१५

नववर्ष २०१६

हर नया पल एक नया जोश 

वैसे तो पल एक से होते हैं

पर कल के पल में कुछ खास था

जाने क्यूं घडी की सुइंयां 

और केलेंडर के पन्ने 

पलटते ही एक नयेपन का एह्सास होता है

कुछ सुनहरे पल जो अब अतीत में विलीन 

हो गये हैं, खोये खोये से लगते हैं

कभी उन पलों को सामने लाकर 

अपने आज को भुला देना चाहता हूं  

तो कभी आनेवाले कल की कल्पना में

खुद को डुबो देता हूं 

कुछ असमंजस में होता हूं 

मैं अकसर और यह जानने 

को आतुर

कि क्या और कब मैं अपना

आज और अभी जीता हूं? 

प्रदीप 

नववर्ष के आगमन पर , शुभेच्छाऐं

जनवरी ०१, २०१६ ‎

मेरी बगिया के फूल

मेरी बगिया के फूल

फूल चाहे मेरी बगिया के हों 

या तुम्हारी

फूल तो फूल ही हैं

फूलों ने सुन्दरता बिखेरनी हैं

फूलों ने महक फैलानी है

फूल तो आंखो को सुकून देते हैं

फूल तो शान्ती का संदेश हैं

कांटो के बीच गुलाब है

कांटो के राजा केक्टस

का फूल भी कितना प्यारा है

कीचड़ में खिलता है कमल

घर हो या बाहर

जंगल हो, नदी हो चाहे 

नदी का किनारा

फूलों की वही प्रकृति है

प्रफुल्लित, आल्हादित करना

न उनका कोई धर्म है ना कोई जाति

क्या दुश्मन के फूल दोस्तों के फूलों से

भिन्न होते हैं?

काश कि यह दुनिया एक

बगिया होती

काश कि हर इन्सान

एक फूल होता

हर चमन में अमन ही अमन होता।

प्रदीप

अगस्त १, २०१५