अब नहीं रहा वो हिंदुस्तान हमारा!

 Dear Friends,

Whatever happened on the night of 16 December was a shame for our nation...

सारे जहाँ से अच्छा हिंदुस्तान हमारा
जहाँ माँ बहनों की इज़त को सरेआम लूटा जा रहा!

गोदी में खेलती है जिसकी हजारों नदियाँ
वहां खून का सैलाब क्यूँ बहाया जा रहा!

जहाँ मजहब नहीं सिखाता आपस में बैर रखना
क्यूँ वहां धर्म के नाम पर बेगुनाहों को मारा जा रहा!

जहाँ पर्वत का साया है सबसे ऊंचा
क्यों वहां उंच नीच का भेद बूनाया जा रहा!

अगर है ये गुलिस्तान हमारा
तो क्यों नन्हे फूलों का भविष्य ऊजाडा जा रहा!

क्या ये वही वतन है
जिसके लिए लाखों शहीद हुए!

क्या मिला इस आज़ादी से
क्यों अपने ही देश में कैद हो गए!

वही देश जो था कभी सारे जहाँ से अच्छा,

अब नहीं रहा वो हिंदुस्तान हमारा!
अब नहीं रहा वो हिंदुस्तान हमारा!!

Miss you everyday!

I miss you today, I' ll miss you tomorrow
There is some pain, and there is some sorrow!

I live a life which is so worthless
Without you everything's just mess!

With you in my life every place looked heaven
The touch of your hands turned everything 'golden'!

The light of your eyes lit up my dark life
Emptiness gone, love filled up my eyesight!

The smell of your skin, spread fragrance everywhere
The smile of your lips were rosier than ever!


You were with me when i was a loser
I won it all but lost you forever! 

I walked away when you said 'Dont go please'
Now you are gone leaving behind your memories!

Tears of your name are left in my eyes now
Without you my life has gone hollow!

There is just pain, there is just sorrow
I still miss you everyday, I am gonna miss you tomorrow...

Even when i am gone..

When my time arrives, would you be next to me…
And hold me tight, as I close my eyes..
When I need your love, would you promise to stay
With me, forever…
 I will be there when the times and tides turn over you..
 I will be there to bring you back to life..
Times will pass but our love will always remain
The world around you will change but I will be the same..
And even when I am gone,
You will find my name, you will find my name!

When the sky falls, would you hide under me..
And watch me brave, the mighty blows over me..
When your tears fall, will they fill up my wounds
Or wash my sins, blind my eyes as I lose my sight..
I will be back and will still find you again..
I will be hunting down all of your pain..
They will come and try to steal the best of you, best of you..
But a light of me will send them burning from within , deeper in..
And even if I will lose,
 I will make you win, I will make you win!

When the roads are rough, would you guide me away..
Or watch me cruise, all the way, as I stray
Will you make divine, an entire life of mine
And be my soul my guiding light, the way you shine
I will be there when they turn their backs over you..
I will be there like an untold story that you knew..
Time will come and you will find me next to you, next to you
The world around you will die but I will be alive..
And even when I am gone, 
I will be nearby, I will be nearby!

A dark night near PGI Chandigarh

The PGI is a state of the art hospital in Chandigarh renowned for its best medical facilities not only in the north but in the entire country as well. Everyday hundreds and on some days even thousands of patients enter its building for diagnosis and treatment of various ailments and accidents. The hospital emergency building is a place where everyday some get new lives while some reach their last destinations.

           But, away from the 24/7 hustle bustle at the hospital compounds, there are certain dark quiet areas in the vicinity which become alive in the dead of the night to departed souls who walk free, enjoying their new found freedom away from the clutches of life!

It was one such cold dark night with the festival of Diwali just a week away. I worked at a retail outlet in sector 17 and that night I was on my bike returning late from work after conducting an audit of the shop. I stayed in Nayagaon which was around half a kilometer away from the PGI.

The darkest first hour had started when I took the Madhya Marg route passing through sec 16 towards the sector 15-PGI roundabout and after passing by the New OPD gates I had just entered the badly lit dark road near PEC (Punjab Engineering College) when I was suddenly startled by what I saw! It seemed as if a girl in her twenties was walking alone on the road. She was wearing a Salwar and a shawl covered her head as she walked alongside the road towards my direction.

She stopped the moment the headlights from my bike fell on her. I was reminded of the horror stories of dead women walking alone in the streets. I feared this to be anything but different! Hence, I raced past her almost blinding myself to cut her presence. Only after reaching a comfortable distance away from her that I turned around to look at her expecting her to disappear by now as it happens in most ghost encounters. But, she was still there standing with her eyes fixed on me. For a while I thought what if she was a girl in distress? Someone who needed help! But, I was too terrified to go near her. I just raced my bike and sped towards the village.

I had just entered the village crossing when I happened to notice something in the rear mirror of my bike. The sight of it shivered me from within. It was a dark face like structure. Trembling! I stopped at once to turn around. But, there was no one behind. I looked at the mirror again. The face was gone. My entire body shook with fear. Unable to drive anymore I stood there holding my head and remembering all the gods that I could. Moments later I saw a man on a bicycle riding swiftly towards the city. I was relieved to see a sign of life but at the same time I felt concern for the man.

‘In this time of the night!’ I thought I must stop this man else the poor guy might run into that departed girl! I raised my hand signaling him to stop but he cycled faster. I even kick started my bike again to make him feel that I was not a ghost and that he must not fear me. But, the man was cycling away as he went past me without even noticing me! Finally I decided to call him and I was about to speak out just when I was left speechless by yet another horrifying sight. The man and his bicycle vanished in the darkness right in front of my eyes!

Having enough encounters with the dead, I just raced my already buzzing bike and drove as fast as I could towards my home. I couldn’t sleep that whole night. The image of the girl and the man kept appearing in front of me!

That morning while going through the newspaper I came across an article about an incident a night ago when a girl of the village succumbed to her injuries after being mercilessly gangraped by some unidentified men. Her only surviving brother was also found dead an hour later in a no-man area outside the PGI hospital. In a state of shock, he had reportedly consumed poison. They were survived by no one. I kept on reading the news few more times. It was apparent that the girl I saw in the night was her and the man on the bicycle was her poor brother rushing to save his sister!

The body dies, but the soul remains!

Since then I never took that route again whenever returning late from work but their story had removed the fear of ghosts from my mind. No soul would want to be a wandering ghost. It’s the unnatural deaths forced on them by the injustice and atrocities of the society which hamper their peaceful departure from this world! I was also moved by the love and concern of a brother for his sister which remained intact even after his death.

The pain dies with the body, but love indeed becomes a part of the soul! Forever!

At the Helm of Crossroads!

The mornings of Chandigarh are better than of any other Indian city I have ever known. All odes to its architect Le Corbusier whose planning ensured that the rapid industrialization does not hamper the reds and greens of residential areas.A good reason of my morning exercises and my walk through the park in my sector. The only part of the day when you feel like being in laps of the Mother Nature.But,nothing would have been more rejuvenating had not i walked into her on that day!

 My jogging partner Mr. Ramandeep stopped for a while and pointed towards a couple,
'O Sadde naal Survey daftar ch kaam karde ne!'
(He is my colleague from the regional Survey office)
'Hor, O unandi missej!'
(And that is his wife)
'Chaloji! tuhada inroduction karanda hoon'
(Come! let me introduce you to them)
'Halle hi shift kitta hai, saddi gali ch'
(They have recently shifted to our lane)
I felt goosebumps while going near her. Does she remember me after all these years? All the blast from my past started reverberating in my mind.

' Oh! so you are the columnist of a popular daily. It is a pleasure meeting you!', her husband exclaimed, to which she gave affirmative gestures. I wasn't exactly looking at her but my mind was completely conscious of her presence.I wondered if she could recognize me majorly because a lot had changed in me since then. I have grown a beard, have longer hairs, wear spectacles and gained a little weight. She was pretty much the same plump girl she used to be except her boy-cut hairdo and her age showing through the lines on her face and around her eyes.
Anyways, she left along with her husband after a while without batting an eyelid which only left my mind restless. I went straight back to my home moving towards the store room in the backyard to search for my old belongings.
'Where had you kept my school stuff mother?', i asked the moment i heard her preparing tea in the kitchen.
'That day i took an off from work only to ransack my house for memories of the year 1986!

Carefully wiping out the dust, i looked at the group photo of the 86 batch of my school. Felt like wiping the years away pushing myself back to my teens when i was just an average charming 12th standard pass out!


Even a single picture can sometimes tell you numerous stories. Every moment seemed to return in a flash. Nostalgia was too small a word to express the impact it was having on my mind. My past slowly began overpowering me by laying a cold sheath upon myself. All this was surreal!

The students popped out of the picture screaming and running towards the playground as i found myself running along with them. There was a lot of screaming and yelling. We were overjoyed and we had all the reason in the world to be. The final exams would start in March and it was our last day of study at school. We will join again only after few more days for the farewell party. The day was 18 February, 1986.

'No way, Jaggi! This is stupidity, moreover i don't think she will accept this!', said Govind as others looked at him with curious faces.
'Oh! stop it you coward! You never had the guts to propose Supriya, now you don't start discouraging him as well!' interrupted Gurinder.
'You just go ahead man! We are with you, after all its just a matter of few hours, you are not taking her away for your whole life!', he continued.
Though in my heart, i seriously wished if i could and why not? After all she happened to be my first crush. 
' I can even get you my brother's bullet! Punjabi girls love it, she will never refuse its ride', he added.

                   I just couldn't get my eyes off her when she stepped in the school premises along with other girls. She looked incredibly stunning in a bluish-white sari so much that she became my absolute center of attraction on our big day. It also happened to be the first time in our school life that i got to see her without  braids, her open hairs which only added to her beauty.

'Don't worry Jaggi, everything is ready! Supriya will tell the teachers that Surveen has gone back home as she wasn't feeling well' whispered Govind in my ears while the farewell function was about to commence.

Minutes later...
'Jaggi wants to meet you in person! He is waiting for you at the parking!', Supriya told her in a hushed up tone.
My heart both jumped and thumped the moment i saw her crossing the school gate, reaching towards me. I swiftly kick-started my dad's Priya scooter which i had borrowed for my D-day. I chose it over bullet as the latter's high decibel levels would alarm the teachers and the school authorities.

'Why have you called me here?', she asked. She looked nervous.
'Don't ask! Just sit!', I instructed her while racing the scooter for take off.
Soon we were vrooming  past the Fiats, 800s, ambassadors...and the timeless cycle-rickshaws..clearing one roundabout to another metering closer to the northern sectors carefully away from our residences and our fathers workplaces.

I noticed her through the rear mirror. She was quiet throughout seated with her head down as if she blushed profusely. In order to break the monotony, i applied a quick brake at the sector-17/8 lights. She leapt over me holding my chest tight. She spoke at once.
'Don't drive so rash, Jaggi! What will we answer our parents if we hurt ourselves?'
'Just hold me tight Suvee! I promise this to be the best ride of our lives!'

She withheld her arms in a fit and patted on my back saying, 'Just be quiet and better keep your eyes on the road!'
We were about to reach Sukhna lake when i felt her head resting on my shoulder and her constant breaths alternating with mine.
I looked at the mirror again.
'Her eyes were partially close and a peaceful smile had appeared on her face'

The happiness of achieving everything you wanted in this world!

We sat on the water steps, holding hands while she rested her head again on my shoulders. The waters shone against the noon sun as we looked at the people cycling their boats. Destiny was cycling ours as well. To where, we had no idea!
We spent some more time together later that year. She applied in Arts at Khalsa Girls College while i secured a seat in English Hons. at Punjab University. We remained in touch through our home phones(mobiles and internet were still a decade away) and with the help of our friends. We would bunk lectures and meet up to watch flicks or simply walk around sector 17 market. I still have vague memories of buying first show tickets of the hit movie 'Karma'. But, our favourite was 'Love 86' which happened to be symbolic of our days.
                The days went on until her engagement in the summers of the following year and her marriage in the subsequent autumn and off she went away from my life!  

        Years just lingered on and after finishing the Masters, Jaggi became Mr. Jagmohan Bhatia- a reporter in a regional daily. Times passed, but i couldn't get her out of my mind, so much that i remained single all through these years.
Today apart from my work as a media political analyst, i run a Sunday School where free education is provided to kids from slums and villages. I have teamed up with some young volunteers for this noble cause but with a little self motive hidden in it.

The smiles of these children remind me of the smile on her face! 
Even though i had lost her
but with the love of these kids
I have found a reason to love again!

"Say No to Regionalism!"

Dear Friends

Regionalism is one of the major hindrance to the integrity and prosperity of our country. The word is a political ideology of a region. It represents the blind following of allegiance and favoritism by the inhabitants or natives of a certain region.
                 The practice of regionalism can be good for the people of the respective region but only for a short period. In the long run it is responsible for creating rifts between different regions of the country hampering the unity and integrity of the nation.
Though never considered as evil as its notorious cousins viz. communal-ism and caste-ism, its presence dates back to centuries when India was a land of many regions, religions and castes before the invasion of the British. Starting from northernmost Kashmir then the pahari region( Himachal ), the Jaat land (Haryana), the Jat land of East Punjab (Indian Punjab), the Pathan and Sindhi regions of West Punjab (Pakistan Punjab), the Gujjar, Marwari, Rajput region (Gujarat and Rajasthan), the Maratha region (Maharashtra), the Pandits, the sufis and Garhwali dominant regions(Uttar Pradesh), the tribal regions(Madhya Pradesh and Orissa), the Telangana region( Andhra Pradesh), the Dravidian region (Tamil Nadu), the Kannadigas and Konkani (Karnataka and Goa), the Portuguese influenced regions(Goa), the Bengal region which was divided by the British into East and West Bengal and the powerful princely kingdoms of north-east inclusive of the Meitei, Ahom and Khasi which were among the most notable kingdoms in today's Manipur, Assam and Meghalaya.
These communities favored their region or their kingdom before their annexation and control by the British which paved the way for their unification for a single nation and a common goal of that to throw away the foreign rulers. Region, religion and every other factor which divided the country took a backseat and on the forefront appeared freedom fighters and leaders who became instrumental in attaining freedom for our country. Martyrs like Bhagat Singh and leaders like Gandhi and Bose never professed their religion or favored their regions. They wanted freedom for the whole of India.
                Unfortunately, even today not only in national politics but also in colleges and university elections regional card is widely played. Students vote for a certain party only if it represents their state or has an alliance with a party of their state and not on the basis of student welfare work done by the party. Not just academics, you can also find it in your workplaces where you are favored by your bosses if you belong to his region or state.
The strength of superpowers like USA, UK, Russia, France and China are their people who keep their country above anything else. Leave the first four, we can take the example of our neighbor China. The Chinese are known for their people power and their strong national values.
 In this age of globalization, we must rise above our narrow-mindedness of regionalism and divisive politics which only creates unrest among the youth and all the citizens of our country.

"Lets pledge today that we will not discriminate our fellow countrymen on the basis of caste, religion, region or any other factor which divides us!"

Remember! The great Bhagat Singh gave up his life not only for Punjab but also for the freedom of India.
The youth of today must not let his martyrdom go waste! 

The Solitary Hexagenarian

It was only recently that i came to know about the 8 'O' clock local bus time to sector 17 bus stand from sector-20, where i happened to stay during my first year of graduation in Government College, Chandigarh.
I fastened my pace towards the bus shed at sectors 19/20 point You cant be on time while boarding these local buses.
         Bus stands and bus sheds are a home to many beggars and vagrants in our country with a major chunk of the population still living below poverty line, these public places become a home to the homeless. The bus shed of sector 20 was anything but different.
 Skeletal walls with a long fixed cemented bench aligned along them, the bus shed was quite old almost as old as the sector itself. Adding to its rustic tones was its inhabitant, a hexagenarian man who resided in it since when neither i knew nor anyone else.
Well, just like any early morning commuter getting late for college or work, i was careful not to look at him with a perception that he would ask for alms. Instead, i would steal a look at college girls, the early morning being the only rush hour period at the bus stop. The old man would be awake by then and would look at the by standers and passers by with a stone face. He wore shabby clothes which appeared dark grey in color probably due to discoloration. He also had a blanket which he spread on the cemented seat. His thin frame, greyish white beard and hair loss over his frontal cranium symbolized his frail condition. Initially i assumed him to be a beggar but it turned wrong and to my surprise, i came to know that he was just a solitary man in his sixties. I remember almost every time i boarded the bus , i could see him either sitting or lying down in the bus shed. He was an omnipresent being of that place.

                      Time passed by and with the start of my second year in 2006, i shifted to a sector 15 rented accommodation. But, that didn't deter me from visiting sector 20 as one of my friends resided there.

One evening while returning back from sector 20 it got very late and i feared missing the bus. To add to my woes, my friend left for his hometown the same evening and there wasn't enough moolah in my pockets. The last bus at 8.15 didn't show up and i stood there looking at a distant light point in hope of a bus coming through.
All of a sudden, i heard a shaky voice from behind.
'What's the time? Son!'
I turned around to see that old man. The bus shed was dark and he was fairly visible. I wondered why this man was asking for time! Why would time matter in his life? Anyways his query incited me to inquire about the bus schedule.
'Yes Son! The last bus is at 8.45!'
It was already 8.20 and there was no sign of bus. I had been waiting for the last twenty minutes. Maybe, the driver skipped a route. But, was waiting for another 25 minutes worth it? What if the bus didn't arrive again?
' This old man is not going to drop you!', i lamented myself. There wasn't any other option either. I had to wait or walk all the way back to sector 15.
However, the old man lied down as if he was trying to sleep while i waited looking at every vehicle passing by me. I had almost lost hope of finding another bus and felt like abusing the man for making a fool of me just when my eyes were blinded by the glare of two big lights. That was nothing but the last bus to PGI via sector 15. I was elated and felt gratitude towards the old man. I looked at him before stepping in the bus. He was fast asleep. I just thanked him by heart as the bus gradually sped away.

' The very next month my friend shifted to sector 21 and i stopped visiting sector 20 anymore!'

Around two years later in the cold month of November 2008, i got a shocking news while flipping the pages of a newspaper reporting the death of an old man living in a bus waiting shelter of sector 20. The report added that the man had been living there since a decade. Some early morning walkers found him lying in a suspicious state and alerted the police. He was declared brought dead. Post mortem reports claimed that he died in sleep unable to bear with the prevailing cold weather conditions.

'Even to this day, whenever i pass through the sector 20 bus shed, i could feel something missing'. 'And yes, ever since i could never catch a bus at 8.45 pm!' 
 

A Father's story - 'you reap what you sow !'

Daddy please save me..I don't wanna die...!

                  The screams of my daughter took me eighteen years back. My business had just started growing likewise, yielding a better life for me and my family. We could afford two cars and a chauffeur. Now the story is not about our prosperity or the benefits of abolition of license raj or the open economy policy of the then Congress government. This story is about our driver Ramesh or Rameshji which i respectfully called him as he happened to be some years older to me.

'Saabji! choti baby reminds me of my Gudiya back home. She is also of the same age', he used to reply in his chaste Luckhnowi whenever i warned him against feeding too many chocolates to my five year old daughter. I also have a son who is three years older to my daughter.

It was in the winter of 94 when the bonding of my daughter and my driver grew. He used to pick and drop her daily from school and on evenings he would escort her to the locality park. Soon, they became such good friends that she stopped playing with other kids. He would give her swings, play 'catch me if you can' with her, run around the park and tickle her to make her laugh. He even used to bring 'gajar ka halwa' for her which he himself made from his chawl room in a village in the vicinity of the city.

Their bonding went on for months until my wife started disliking this sheer closeness of our daughter with a driver! The possessive mother's envy would soon hit hard on their relations.

One fine day Rameshji came up to me and asked leave for some days.

'Saabji! Gudiya is very ill'. My wife has sent me this telegram. I need to rush immediately.

Just as i was about to nod my head in approval, my wife came in from nowhere and remarked, ' How can you go now?', 'Have you forgotten that you have to drop me to my parent's place?'
'But! Memsahibji in that case i will miss the train and by bus it will take far too long to reach my village'.
 My wife frowned, 'Rameshji! don't take undue advantage of our treatment of you as our family member!'.       Finish your work and then you can leave!
I looked at Rameshji's face. A gloom had descended on it.

I wish i had reprimanded my wife for such a rude behaviour but i just felt that maybe Rameshji's innocence would melt my wife's negativity towards him. Hence, i chose to remain a mute spectator.

'It was the biggest mistake of my life as a father, as a husband and most importantly as a human!'

 Within days after he left for home, i got the news of his daughter's demise from his colleague of the same village. I went into a state of shock and guilt knowing that she died before he could reach her. My wife gave snobby sympathies as if someone had died of a natural calamity! Somewhere deep inside i knew that we were responsible for it and someday we might have to pay the price for it.

After some weeks Rameshji returned but only to say goodbye to my daughter. She would not let go of him until her mom slapped her and pulled her away from him.The last words I heard from Rameshji were,

'Saabji! i will miss choti baby!'

                    Today my twenty three year old daughter was discharged from the rehabilitation centre after suffering from hallucinations and physical weakness due to drug abuse. Bad company of some of her college-mates led her to this condition. Had my wife concentrated more on our daughter and less on her kitty parties and ladies evenings, all this could have been averted. Now my wife prays daily and we even went to many temples and shrines for the recovery of our daughter but nothing improved. Our daughters condition has worsened with each passing day. It was only when a renowned sage asked my wife to remember a sin she committed in the past which resulted in a girlchild's death, that she realised her mistake and pleaded for repentance. But, was it too late?

'We tried to trace Rameshji in entire Lucknow and almost half of Uttar Pradesh but there was no sign of him or his family anywhere!'

What we sow, we will reap one day and it doesn't matter who or what we are because in the eyes of god every human is equal and that in his court the final judgement is made!

'We took eighteen years to realise, i hope after reading this you will learn sooner!'

No Matter! Where you are...

Whenever Darkness surrounds the sky
Or if it falls with all its might
You will feel safe with me
No matter where you are..

Whenever the sun is up on you
And it gets hotter each day
I will be your shade
No Matter where you are..

Whenever you are in the crowd
And you seem to lose your way
I will lead you to your place
No matter where you are..

Whenever you are all alone
All you need is someone to hold you
You will find my hand in yours
No matter where you are..

Whenever there is no moon
And the night doesn't seem to end
I will be your shining star
No matter where you are..

If someday I lose my life
And you could see me no more
Close your eyes and you will find
No matter where you are..
No matter where you are...

EDUCATION IS THE BIRTHRIGHT OF EVERY CHILD

Dear Friends

                    The recent Supreme Court verdict for private schools on the implementation of 25% seats for EWS(Economically Weaker Sections) of the society was a welcome move even though it carried with itself a 'better late than never!' tag. This was an impending need for millions of children in our country crying for a better education system in order to be at par with the minority of 'over-privileged' children studying in so called 'Branded Schools'.

A land where IIT's, IIM's, AIIMS and end number of Engineering, Medical and Management private and public institutes are funded and promoted by the bigwigs and the political leaders of our country whereas small primary schools and Anganwadi's situated in suburbs, villages and slums are neglected and alienated. Most of these schools have been struggling to survive with the help of NGO's and some volunteering Samaritans.

                 Every year the national budget allocates grants and plans for these institutions but most of it never reaches them. It gets usurped by the 'blood sucking succubuses' in our system. I have heard and witnessed public employees misusing funds provided by the state. I had a friend, the mother of whom happened to be a teacher at a government school. She used to carry home 'atta' and 'dal' (wheat and pulses) which infact was provided by the government under the 'mid-day meal' scheme for poor schoolkids. The infringement of National Food Scheme under the Public Distribution System for providing subsidized food for EWS and Below Poverty Line families was another instance of the Nation's failure in controlling poverty. Also, equally gory examples of Red Tapism, Nepotism, Bribery and Corruption as a whole are the imprints that we are planting on the future of our country.

"Recent survey claimed that over 500 million children below the age of five are malnourished in our country!"

'What will you expect from impoverished, underprivileged and malnourished children of our country?'

To become a frustrated culpable youth when they grow up!?! 

'Corruption and other ill factors hampering our growth cannot be eradicated in a single day or one movement'

It requires consistent endeavors and efforts to promote values and the light of proper education in the minds of the young.

To grow a plant, we must water the root
To build a house, we must strengthen the base
To create a better nation, we must educate the little minds!

THE DEGRADATION OF TODAY'S PUNJAB YOUTH

Dear friends

                  Before i raise my concerns regarding the youth of Punjab, i would like to present myself as a Punjabi in spite of connection with south because of my south Indian parents. I was born in Chandigarh and had my upbringing, academics and career in the north. All my friends are from north and most are Punjabis and i feel proud to have been brought up on the soil of this great land.

Now the point which has been gushing on the back of my head for quite some time is the adverse effect of modernization on Punjab youth. I have had friends from all states and most of them have benefited from rapid globalization and modern outlook commensurately with the growth of sites like facebook, twitter ; western-wear like Tommy, Gant, Fcuk, Ck ; food chains like KFC, Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut ; gadgets like Blackberry, I-pad etc. The rise of Healthcare, IT, Retail, Insurance and Banking in private sectors have led to an increase in employment, high disposable incomes and subsequent improvement in standards of life. The social networking sites, search engines like Google and educational sites like Wikipedia have broadened the horizons of education and social interaction which even a decade ago was limited to classrooms, books and constricted to a corresponding locality or region.
                 
                 The big question arises on whether the youth of Punjab have benefited from these changes or not?
Recently, some Punjabi youths in two different cases were in the news for creating ruckus on road with their swanky BMW's. Also, there were reports of eve-teasing by the miscreants. Misbehaving with girls is a common sight in the discotheques of Chandigarh. I do not mean that guys from other states do not involve in these acts, but what bothers me is the fact that Punjabi youths have affluent family backgrounds than youths of any other state in this country. Those committing crimes were from rich families. Also, a matter of concern is the attitude of their parents who gift them flashy cars, expensive gadgets, branded apparels and accessories instead of giving them better education and making them responsible human beings, they throw them into a materialistic rat race. Their ignorance to the harsh realities of life is the reason behind scores of youths facing unemployment and vulnerability in the western countries they migrate to. This has also led to the flourishing of drugs peddling in the state.

Not just guys, the same applies to Punjabi girls as well. The womenfolk of Punjabwere known for their beauty and valor, who stood by their husbands in troubled times. The girls were known for their innocence, femininity and talents like 'Giddha'. Now look at what modernization has done to them! Hours of endless chatting on phone, texting on whatsapp like chat applications, using facebook to search flamboyant boys and uploading their pics just to showoff their branded clothes or trying to scoop as many boys as they could. They spend most of their time daydreaming about marrying an NRI or who inherits vast land and property or both. Ask them about the latest trends in fashion and you will get answers in split seconds but most of them will not even have an idea of who our current President is. They will also fall blank if asked about the culture and history their own state.

Are they the future of Punjab? Are drunken brawls, road rages, crimes against women, political squabbles, drug abuse the order of the day?

It is the social and collective responsibility of media and families of Punjab youths to guide and direct them towards a better future. Also, Punjabi socialites and artists especially popular Punjabi singers must initiate to raise social issues.
'Yo-Yo is good but proving an ideal to both youngsters and society is better'           

The World of Dreams!

Monday, November 1, 2004

Last night i saw movie The Titanic. I had always been inspired by this flick which i first saw on Valentine's Day earlier this year when it was aired prime time. Also, i believe this movie is a must watch for every romantic being. I couldn't sleep for hours after it ended. Such was the impact that it had on my mind.

       There is something in the movie which mesmerizes me. I felt so emotional that i started remembering
my days at Eicher School. I just wished to get up, wear my uniform right away and rush to school. I wished my world should had stopped at Eicher and never progressed. Those days of 10th, 11th and 12th standard should never had ended.

I am not depressed or discouraged. I know that miles away from our world stands yet another world. The world which belongs to the almighty. The world full of life and no fear of death, the world where every human is treated equally, the world without any sorrow or pain, the world which is full of love, love and only love. The world they call a paradise. But, there is no hell other than the world we live in whereas in lord's world all evil souls are redeemed, where all wishes and dreams are fulfilled, where time and tide waits for everyone!
               I know i must move on before i could go there someday and meet my friends again, all together, no one missing and there is my school again, my teachers and lo! i am running to catch the school bus!
And with this wish i went back to sleep humming my favorite lines that i made..

The World of Dreams, the place where he lives
where i shall go when my time is over
The World of Dreams, it surely is
where all will live and no one dies
And there is no sorrow, not a sign of pain
Not a hint of fear, don't worry Oh dear!

The World of Dreams, the place where he lives
the world of love where the loser wins
and it is the place where i shall go one day
and meet them again and give them a hug
wishing to start all over again but before
I must do what i am sent in for
to be a part of the World of Love
The World of Dreams where dreams are real
is The World of Dreams, the place where he lives... 

                      

My First Date

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2005

I used to go back home on Fridays and Saturdays during my college days when i stayed at a PG in Sec 20, Chandigarh. It was the beginning of my first year of graduation and only two weeks had passed since i began staying in the city.
               The moment bus halted at Kalka bus stand, my eyes started searching for someone. Once stepping   out of the bus i seated myself on a bench and began looking for buses coming from Chandigarh. In my mind i was sure that i would meet her. Minutes later i saw Shilpa stepping out of the bus and following her was the girl i was searching for- my sweetheart Kritika! I stood up and walked towards them. They as always were delighted to see me. Also accompanying them was their cousin Shalini. After greeting each other we planned to have lunch at a restaurant. Initially i was a both a little shy and apprehensive going around with three girls but after patting my pockets i felt better as i had good amount of bucks with me and so i confidently walked along with them. Money can be a good confidence booster, i had always known.

The eating joint was at the Railway road area which was a good twenty minutes walk from the bus stand. Shilpa and Shalini led the way leaving us- Kritika and me lagging behind. With me she behaved like a intimate girlfriend or even better, like a true lover. She first asked me sportingly whether i had started seeing any other girl in Chandigarh (huh! common question which your girlfriend asks) to which i replied a firm 'No'!
(again same answer by every boyfriend). Evens apart i trusted my reply as much as i trusted her.

                And while we were walking on the highway she all of a sudden caught hold of my arm and pulled me towards her. My mind was subconscious and i didn't knew how to react. Noticing the blush on my face she giggled and cautioned me from walking closer to the road else i would be hit by a speeding vehicle. A moment later i deliberately tried to move towards the road and she again and again pushed me towards her. Next she caught hold of me again and interlocked her arms with mine saying, 'she would never let me go'.
And i simply loved the way we looked that day, as if we were already a couple.

Soon we reached the restaurant. More than having food i kept on looking at her listening to her chirpy talks!

The charm, the affection and the glint that i saw in her eyes, i could never see in the eyes of any other girl. Even today i miss those beautiful eyes which had a better me in them! Regardless of whatever i was in those times but for her i was always 'A Winner'.