Open letter to Mr. Chetan Bhagat & like minded people...with love

Dear Mr. Bhagat,

This is with reference to your latest article published in "Dainik Bhaskar" titled - कैसे छु लें आसमां !

There are a few things which i would like to share with you, viz.

1) It is my observation that you are trying to create a new divide that is of YOUTH versus OLD through your articles. Let me tell you that it does exist & your efforts certainly have the potential to further widen it up. However, let me also tell you that such divide is superficial & only exists in the minds. In fact there is no such thing...but that is a fact only a fully aware man could know. Please do read, as a case in point, a quote by Munshi Premchand published at the left hand top corner space of the same news paper. It is published on the same date that is 22/10/2009, on which your article is also published. i quote it for your ready reference ;

" मानव जीवन में लगन का बड़ा महत्त्व है I जिसमे लगन है वह वृद्ध भी जवान है, लेकिन जिसमे लगन नहीं है, वह जवान भी मृत जैसा है I "

2) Yes..i am not at all interested in awards or rewards of my passionate work & that's why it is not a topic of discussion for me. Only a person who craves for recognition or fame or money works with a set goal of award & reward in his mind. One whose work is a passion for him has no other interest or goal but for the pure ecstasy of doing the work itself as a mode of self-satisfaction, peace & bliss & nothing else. You have either not observed the works of people like A R Rahman, Gulzar, Aamir Khan, Amartya Sen, Narayan Murthy etc etc or you chose to ignore that sort of passion & look only at the flip side of the coin. Mind you, the awards that these people get is secondary, a byproduct & never ever a primary goal.

3) Yes..i am unique & i also know that everyone else is unique too & that this uniquely common phenomenon keeps all of us noumenons bound by one thread of love & humanity thereby making a beautiful world.
Comparison is not my cup of tea as ambition & the desire or ego to prove myself numero uno can not even touch me. It does trouble a feeble mind who is in full control of the real self.
Mind you, the question is not who brought progress..an Indian or an American or a Australian ? The question is that humanity as a whole benefited or not ?

4) Yes..i am sorry to note the definition of "talent" that a man of your talent percolates to the people of world.
No my dear Mr. Bhagat, talent is not about being one step ahead from the other. Let me compassionately share with you that the real talent lies in being free from the materialistic attachments, being in bliss & peace with ourselves, in spite or despite of the outworldly conditions - no matter what. i am happy to note that you yourself confess in your article that talent is a gift given by nature to all & sundry in equal measures & that there is no partiality in these department. i am also happy to note that you agree that this talent needs to be nurtured by passionate work & preparation. i am sure you will also agree that there is no place for dis-harmonious or dis-pleasing thought process to nurture this talent lying latent in all of us.

Observe the spellings of 'talent' & 'latent' & you will know what i mean..

5) Real talent does not need help or support from others to nurture itself. That talent is not the real talent if it is dependent on others or societies or systems or any other thing other than himself to liberate itself. He is just a pampered, coaxed child...a push over & not a self-made man. Talent is given equally to all of us & so are the conditions. What we make out of them is a matter of perspective & choice. To lament about them is also a choice.

You must have heard the story of that farmer who was not happy with God's ways of farming. He always use to complain that God doesn't know anything about farming & that HE should learn a thing or two from the farmer. The farmer always use to lament about rainfall & its timing, about sunlight & its intensity, about soil & its fertility & so many other things.

One day God, with His love & compassion appeared in front of that farmer & granted him his wish to have the controls of rains, sunlight, soil texture & other things for one full harvest season. God only put one condition that this facility will be available only on & for the land in farmer's possession. The farmer readily agreed & brought in all his experience to work upon getting a wonderful harvest. He made the best of soil, provided the best of climate conditions, optimum quantities of water & sunlight & took perfect care of the minutest details.

Lo ! The crop which then resulted was extremely good in shape, size & quantity. The farmer was very happy to see the magnificent crop.

The harvest time came & when the farmer saw that his crop had marvellous grains but all was very feeble to touch & had almost no strength, he got furious & blamed God charging Him with treachery & deceit. God smiled & said, " i didn't intervene in your work. The controls were totally in your hands but in your dream of creating a perfect crop, you didn't allow your crop to undergo the hardships of time & weather. You didn't allow storms & scarcity to happen & in the process your seeds never gained the mass & strength that they should have thus gained."

i think you are that farmer...

Please do prove the God wrong this one time...

God bless..

manish badkas