Saturday, June 11, 2011

NagaRi KaNduChhi

The City is CRYING

I have composed nearly 70 poems on Hyderabad, the city where I have been since 1984. In many poems of the last three volumes, the imprint of my village in Odisha is seen heavily. Being reminded by Anjali, my wife I decided to write on Hyderabad. Most of these poems carry the words of a migrant that has moved to city from rural India. And also talks of the agony of a city due to indiscriminate expansion, that has been there now for many cities (like Hyderabad) in India

This poem, talks of the present of a city due to heavy expansion at the cost of greenery, erosion of culture and livelihood of people those who are living in villages around the city. The wide 6-lane ring roads are the pythons who spit fire and smoke everyday making the the city environment poisonous. Everyday, water table shrinks down by an inch. It aspires for judicious expansion taking care of greens and interest of poor.

The poem is published in SAGARIKA - Odia literary magazine, May 2011

Please Click on image for better view


Sunday, June 5, 2011

Obviate to Oblivion

'MaNile ThaKuR NamaNile KuKuR' - a say in Odia telling
'Believe it, then the God else a dog!' - says the inherent
strength of a belief. The institute of India democracy,
believed with utmost sanctity as an institute of functional
democracy,   is caught in a belief-disbelief tangle so much that
aam Admi (commoner) to big-admi, all have an
obvious feel, telling what else can be expected of it now
(from monkeys holding Salagram - a kind of stone pebble 
considered auspicious for Hindus) !

A recent book India's parliamentary democracy on trial, 
by an erstwhile insider, the former Union
Home secretary Sri. Madhav Godbole tells the ailments of
these institutions. It's needless to say of
the law makers and the proceedings they enact in.

In-actions with right mix of wrong-actions by these actors
have made ample space for Annas and Babas to come to the
rescue of the beleaguered citizens  of this great country, that
we claim again again to be sure we don't forget. Hopefully,
they will succeed at-least for the sake of goodness!

But, would the awakening (dictate?) that flows from  Jantar Mantar and
RamaLila Maidan  obviate the grand structures pushing them to oblivion?
The Great Indian soul must be watching with a lot of breathless anxiety! Will the soul whisper the mantra for sanity at the ears of who keep visit
for the sake of rituals round the year ? Let the goodness prevail............


Hrushikesha
another musing with a hope at gazing blue sky
dotted with floating clouds of hope at the end
of hot Hyerabadi summer! 



Saturday, June 4, 2011

World Class

Last month a union minister known for tongue-wagging (-in-cheek-speaking?)  [1]
had a barb for IIT,IIM faculty - telling them not world-class, but for self, was benevolnet
towards IITians, though many question their utility for their changes as migratory
birds to USA or IIMs, while very few are in real love with science and technology.
Interestingly, the observer has forgotten to place current of self in any standard
(are our ministers of world class?). Fortunately, another came to rescue of faculty
for it belongs to the domain of his ministry.

Again adding to the issue, yet another barb came from a recognized (though his 
detractors say 'sarkari') scientist - who tells not more than TEN Indian scientists 
are world class [2]. Till now, there is no report, to my knowledge on this issue.

Seems there is some truth in all these statements. After Saha-Bose_Raman era, in 
recent past, the science in India is nil. The science in India now, almost a
patchy work - a bit of twist to a published work! Meet a professor in any Univ./
Institute in India, to hear the standard advise - Go and do the survey first and learn
what and how they have done!
 
Who are these 'they's? Mostly from west - we look for science and technology. In
default 'they' project world class - the class that belongs  neither to Indians 
nor to their problems !

Hrushikesha
a Sunday Musing
References:
1. http://www.samachar.com/Jairam-IIT-IIM-students-world-class-not-faculty-lfyjP8cafhi.html
2. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2066308.ece