Pluralism and Democracy

The whole world seems to be having credentials enough on passing judgments on Taslima Nasreen, M.F. Hussain and the Indian government these days, so also I thought of joining the party!!!
I was seeing this debate on "we the people" on NDTV24x7 on "putting curbs on artistic freedom".....something like that.What I'd like to ask is what is artistic freedom? who defines it? for me its nothing but a politician's word, a word that has been coined for the sole purpose of getting your way out of embarrassing situations (something like what Ms Nasreen and Hussain sahab have encountered). Then in a most ridiculous way some bonehead lady (say this expletive can be artistic freedom!) on the show says that our Indian civilization is not ready for such openness and rationality, that our people are still under-educated. Are we Indians really fond of self-pity? of finding faults in our ways? and adulating about what our contemporaries in west are doing?Its not a question of being educated or not? A believer'd have been offended seeing those nude impersonations (on canvas) of Hindu goddesses, notwithstanding his educational qualification.
Its simply a point of crossing the line. The west exploded over those danish cartoons. In a plural society like ours there are a lot of lines, and being an influential person one should have a sense of responsibility to respect and defer all those lines.
The most pathetic party to all these fiasco s are politician's elected by us. See what BJP is doing, it is advocating Nasreen's case and it hounded Hussain like a mad dog, despite there being glaring similarities between the two cases. And who elects these politicians, its we....shouldn't we be ashamed of ourselves.
Why does CPI-M gets elected again and again in West Bengal, why do we elect proven criminals as our representatives? why hasn't a single politician been imprisoned?May be after all it is a question of people being educated....................

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SARFAROSHI KE TAMANNA AB HAMARE DIL MEIN HAI....

I just wanted to have a record of this beautiful peace of patiotic-art by RAM PRASAD 'BISMIL', one of the revolutionaries prosecuted by the British under the Kakori train Robbery case. 'Bismil' was a great poet, his most celebrated writing is being presented here:-

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.
Dekhna hai zor kitna baazuay qaatil mein hai

Karta nahin kyun doosra kuch baat cheet,
Dekhta hun main jise voh chup teri mehfil mein hai
Ay shaheed-e-mulk-o-millat main tere oopar nisaar,
Ab teri himmat ka charcha ghair ki mehfil mein hai
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Waqt aanay dey bata denge tujhe ay aasman,
Hum abhi se kya batayen kya hamare dil mein hai
Khainch kar layee hai sab ko qatl hone ki ummeed,
Aashiqon ka aaj jamghat koocha-e-qaatil mein hai
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Hai liye hathiyaar dushman taak mein baitha udhar,
Aur hum taiyyaar hain seena liye apna idhar.
Khoon se khelenge holi gar vatan muskhil mein hai,
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Haath jin mein ho junoon katt te nahi talvaar se,
Sar jo uth jaate hain voh jhukte nahi lalkaar se.
Aur bhadkega jo shola-sa humaare dil mein hai,
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Hum to ghar se nikle hi the baandhkar sar pe qafan,
Chaahatein liin bhar liye lo bhar chale hain ye qadam.
Zindagi to apni mehmaan maut ki mehfil mein hai,
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Dil mein tuufaanon ki toli aur nason mein inquilaab,
Hosh dushman ke udaa denge humein roko na aaj.
Duur reh paaye jo humse dam kahaan manzil mein hai,
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.
Dekhna hai zor kitna baazuay qaatil mein hai.

Yoon khara maqtal mein qatil keh raha hai baar-baar,
Kya tamanna-e-shahaadat bhi kisi ke dil mein hai.

The original(Urdu) and the English version can be found at:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarfaroshi_ki_Tamanna

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India Empowered

I believe that the wall that separates India from its empowered self is the parochial mindset of its people. So, we will have to change the very perception of people (including ours), this will be done through creating more opportunities, and their equal distribution amongst the worthy. So, what’s new in this what I’m saying, actually I believe that a novel or totally fantastic idea is not always required for having good results, the beauty lies in simplicity. Creation and distribution of opportunities may look clichéd but it is the lack of this very basic thing that is plaguing our society. What we need is the application and implementation of this simple yet beautiful thought of makers of our constitution, in the sense they had dreamt of, in the sense every patriotic Indian wishes.

Most of you’ll agree that the basic shortcomings of India are Over-population, Corruption, unemployment, and lack of basic infrastructure. Now let us analyze them one by one.

Let’s start with over-population. Why is our country over-populated? The straight answer being lack of awareness among masses which in turn arises from provincial mindset, let’s see how--- right from our childhood we are taught or made to believe that that sex is very bad, it’s forbidden to talk about it, discuss about it. So, that attitude sticks in most of the cases even after adolescences, I’ve seen people in my college who are uneasy discussing sex, seeing smooches in movies and these are the people in big cities like Delhi, so leave aside rural India, mentioning sex there is blasphemy. You just go on doing it behind the covers without no protection, why because either you don’t know what the hell ‘protection’ is supposed to mean, or you are so ashamed that you cannot muster up the courage to walk to the nearest medical store or dispensary to get some contraceptives. So, we’ve an over-populated India courtesy narrow-mindedness.

Next comes corruption.

To be continued.....
(Keep thinking)

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