R.I.P. : The 2 Nation Theory

What is it that binds a nation together....can religion be a basis to build a nation?

A singular glance at the state of two nations, born on the 15^th of August,1947 vindicates our approach to nation building.

As I witness our neighbor battling with violence and anarchy,I think about the the bloodbath witnessed at the dawn of independence. The insistence on having a separate nation on 'religion' as the binding thread,drove the destinies of millions.

Where has religion led to the fate of that nation?

Religion may strengthen the efforts of nation building , but it is not the solution to bank on,for attaining a harmonious social order.

We, not only believed in unity in diversity, but also cherished it in ideology and practice. Agreed, there have been blemishes in the form of communal riots spoiling the sanctity of our fabric but such sporadic guided events are a far cry from the anarchy faced in the vacuum of development in a theocratic state.

Nation building is all about an inclusive people-centric development, where governance plays a key role. And when the courtyards of governance are guided by the selfish motives of men-in-power,it can overlook the contours of religion.The self-professed messengers of Almighty,then create factions with their own convenient interpretations of the "will of the lord".

The mayhem spills blood,not of man who bowed religiously before his God or read the scriptures as dictated but of a father,a husband,a son,and a breadwinner for struggling family.A family ,which will eternally question the strength of religion to protect them.

The victims may lie on the other side of the fence we created and we may dismiss the entire violence as "theirs",but can we disown the brutal butchery of humanity,organized against the pious backdrop of religion.The ethos of faith,strength and peace,which emanate from religions,have given way to distorted interpretations and grossly insensitive use of "religion" as a tool for manoeuvrings.

The 2 nation theory faced a major blow when the political fissures translated into a ground reality with the creation of Bangladesh. Can religion ever fulfill the needs of starving millions, fighting disease, ignorance and corruption? Factions, with varying shades of “hard line” ideology, emerged on the landscape of same religion and wage battles for “their respective rights”.

The innocents perish when "the messiahs of masses" draw out a wrong priority order for people to follow...

For those struggling to get food,clothing and shelter,the need to prioritize amongst religion,region and nation is an arena of irrelevance...

The state remains a lame, helpless spectator .... searching for its own identity

The foundational theory creaked,collapsed,cremated

Smile please !

Beep, beep, beep…

A swing of my hand,

The alarm clock falls, its machinery pops.

A rumpled shirt, blazer becomes a must.

No water to brush, bath or flush.

A roasted toast, a burnt omelette,

Need to buy today, a better fate.

I switch on the radio-

A RJ pleads, “Good morning Delhi ! Smile Please!”.

I’m already late, should make a call,

My N-phone is there, NO balance at all.

Procession on road, the traffic packs,

Next parking is full, then swipe card cracks.

The lift out of order,

(And boss out of mind!),

Clients’ notices, Deadlines-churn and grind.

My cranky colleague, a double faced horse,

Makes graves of my chances,

When boot-licks the boss.

In midst of this skewed life,

The newspaper ad reminds-

“Sparkle at ease, Smile Please!”.

A small curve on your face,

Puts lot of things straight.

This cliché about smile,

I refuse to buy.

The mask of smile, we often adorn,

Not springing from your heart,

No purpose will it solve.

When sealed with content,

Honesty it reflects.

Connects and resolves.

Rendezvous with Indian village

Sweeter was the cup of tea,
Simplicity and love, without any fee.
Greener looked the stretch of green,
Their heartbeats - their paddy fields.

Time fails to sail,
Goes at pace of a snail.
Struggle breathes beneath the calm,
Fate delivers the acceptance balm.

Their eyes have hope,
A prayer on lips, a story to be told.
Betrayed by power, time and again,
Warmth of emotions, conditions stay cold.

Peace at surface, frustrations to deal,
Anxiety persists over next day’s meal.
Romantic portrayal through poets’ eyes,
Beauty in books, a painters’ delight.

But reality bites,
Pain survives,
Drowning voices,
About to resign…

The year gone by!

Its that part of the year,when every section of media - whether print or electronic -seems bent on impressing upon your senses the need to look back on the year gone by.

They analyze,dissect,glorify and cremate - people and performances.

Minimal research to fill a slot or sell an edition.

Selling opinions,which we all are entitled to have,not news.

Arm-chair experts presenting "a year-end review !"

Almost like a ritual.

Ever wondered how much of our existence do we devote in such exercises - discussing and glorifying acheivements of those "others",for whom we exist as "crowd" or "masses". At the risk of sounding selfish,more time spent on self-enhancement and self-evaluation may yield better dividends for the self as well as the society.

Having expressed my distaste for most of such opinionated rankings and reviews,dished out by the media,I could not resist going in for a similar exercise. But I won't present another ivory-tower study about "people".Rather,how about retracing my own footprints and gathering memories from an "eventful" year on personal note!

From scaling the peaks of Himalayas to a snorkelling experience in the Indian Ocean, the spirit of adventure which often gets snubbed in our mechanical existence got a chance to explore the unknown dimensions.The year helped me trace out the love for travel and adventure resting somewhere deep within me,impressing the importance of experiencing to discover the untapped and dormant tastes within.

Traversing the biosphere reserve across the Nilgiris and witnessing nature's virgin beauty in a week long trekking experience to the thrill of speed at karting track and speed boating. The daring stunt to cross a hundred odd feet high dam by walking atop it on a narrow path will be relished with elan forever.

Also etched will be the week long stay at an obscure village (Garispudi,Andhra): a learning experience,not only as my first rendezvous with simplicity of village life,but also with a India,we refuse to embrace.

From realms of books to reality.

Emotions are transient,Impressions imparted are forever

One such impression was that how a small policy change from the corridors of power and honest commitment of all(in whichever position)to their jobs can change lives; re-instilled a sense of responsibility and vigour to bring smiles to faces.

Another high point,as I reflect,was witnessing the humanity in a form we brand as "tribes".The Jarawas,inhabitants of rich wilderness of Andamans,are numbered and protected.

Our eyes scan them,amused,frightened.

Theirs' have a frightened innocence.

Much like us,yet much different.

Sprinkle it with a bit of professional success, delight of watching limestone caves, corals and flying squirrels, encounter with leeches, thrills of 3D shows and a crazzy upside-down swing, chills of Andamanese malaria(104deg), learning a new game-tennis(always wanted to), smiles for parents, some theatre, some writing and a successful attempt to socialise by shedding off some inertness and introvert streaks helped to round off a rather "happening" year.

What took a backseat in the process was "reading" and so have plenty to catch up on!

Agenda set. Batteries recharged.

A few satisfying "strike-off" acheived in the ever-increasing "to-do" wishlist.

Monotony,in any form,in emotions or actions,Pinches.

So as time rolls on,it unfolds a new game.

Safely expected,(on relative grounds)a more static,yet challenging time beckons.

In pursuit of a bite of moon...

Toil awaits...

Game on !!!