iDEALLY SPEAKING...

The Indian Idol season 3 or may be 4... ( i don't care) is on air & it sucks. It's such a dampener on my spirit that i feel so ashamed to watch it that i choose to silently switch off the tv, lest i break my fists or my cute little tv.

Frankly speaking, i preferred to watch IPL & thoroughly enjoyed the game & the spirit even when the out of ground issues seemed more dramatical, so to speak...

After all, if "Life is a game" (of which i am pretty much assured about), why would someone try to transform the game itself into a kind of war where winning (..these days you are a winner only if you are filthy rich & famous ;-) is of paramount importance & loosers should die instead of humbly accepting the defeat.

Come on man ! it's just a game & loosing is not all that bad, especially if one is candid enough to learn from it & compete once again to the best of one's abilities. Not to prove a point or two to the opponent but to be glad of one's own skills. That to me is playing the game in the right spirit. The true warriors fight for a cause & not for their pride.

Speaking of whom brings me again to the topic of talent hunt shows(..look at the lingo - talent "hunt"- as if they are on a kill ;-).Here, most of the warriors are not out there to showcase their talent but to somehow make it big on the small screen. They want to be "visible", (as Paul Coelho puts it in his latest book " WINNER STANDS ALONE"..) even if it is for a minute or so, even if they are made a laughing stock, even if their ridiculous thirst/greed for success & fame is shamelessly sold on prime time tv.

i would still be happy if the channel or so called esteemed judges of these reality shows do it to draw home a message or two to the vast number of viewers watching their show. The message, if any, is lost in the laughter & the sadistic pleasure the viewers indulge in when a participant is made fun of in the preliminary rounds.

In due process, selected ones are silently robbed of their humility too. They are made to feel as if they are some kind of superstars only to be forgotten completely the next week after finals.( ok..ok that's a tad too rude...i agree, this shows have indeed brought a wholesome change to the life of few contestants..i do not know at what cost though...)

They can always come back as anchors though. A few, who are somehow able to maintain their poise in all this hulla-bulla around them like Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chouhan eventually make it big & become judges. The cycle completes.

i am pretty sure that the channel or the judges do not take the pain or the risk to tell the participants their actual status. If at all an Annu Malik does so it is only done on screen & that too only to spice up the drama forgetting that what you sow so shall ye reap. i mean..just look at Mr Annu Mallik's music creativity...it's almost gone...not on the shelf anyway. Mallik's journey from creativity to plagriasm to poking fun gives us a signal or two.

Sunidhi, of all is the greatest disappointment of the season. i mean...just look at this wonderful talent...she is desperately trying to prove that she is no less than a diva than Shreya Ghoshal.
Women !! oh Women !!

But..may be that's what is the plan of the super-natural....
because if the message - "if you wanna find yourself, first loose yourself" has daunted on a dumbass like me, there is every chance that it will reach all & sundry.

Sooner or later.......

सरकार-ए-दो-आलम

देखते हैं जो

इस क़ाएनात  को

इसमें और उसमे बाँट-बाँट कर...,

दूर..

बहोत दूर..

बहुत ही दूर हैं

अभी वो सरकार-ए-दो-आलम से..!!

क्यों करते हो

यों फिजूल ही

उसे भुलाने की कोशिशें..??

हर ज़रिया जब

वो नाकाम रहा

तुम्हें खुद की याद दिलाने में..!!

पूछते हैं वो मेरा हाल

यूँ घबरा-घबरा कर...,

डरते हैं..

कहीं में ये ना समझ बैठूं

की उन्हें मुझसे महब्बत है..!!

हमने तो बस..

एक ही दौलत है कमाई,

गीन सके ना कोई

ऐसी रहमत है पाई,

ना श्रम किया 

ना किया परिश्रम,

बस शीश दे अपना

सारी कीमत है चुकाई..!!

उपयोग करूँ तो होती जग-हँसाई..

इकतरफा मोहब्बत में वो मजा नहीं,

जो लुत्फ़ है इकरार-ए-यार में..,

शायद इसी लिए..

बिखर गया वो बनकर क़ाएनात..!!

जानता था वो बखूबी..

की इस तरह तो बिखर जाएगी मोहब्बत भी..,

मजा जो मगर बिछड़  कर मिलने में है,

वो लुत्फ़ कायम-पहलु-ए-यार में नहीं..!!

लूटेरा है वो

बखूबी जानता है

क्या लूटना और क्या नहीं...,

छीन लेता है

वो शय जो तुम्हारे रूह में बसी,

छोड़ जाता है

वो, जिसकी तुम्हें ही इज्ज़त नहीं..!!

इन मंदिरों-मस्जिदों

इन सजदागाहों में

खुदा घर नहीं

ऐसा भी नहीं...,

है मगर जहाँ

खुदी खुद से बाबस्ता

और

खुदाई खुद से जुदा

हरगीज वहां खुदा नहीं..!!

हार-जीत के पार भी है एक जहाँ,

सतही निगाहों से मगर नज़र आते दो जहाँ,

ज़िन्दगी ना अजीब लगे

ना ही लगे कोई चक्कर,

दो जहां के बीचों-बीच हो जिसका मकां..!!

कोई किसी से बेहतर नहीं है यहाँ,

हम्माम में तो सभी नंगे हैं यहाँ...,

सवाल मगर ये के हुआ शर्मिंदा कौन..??

अब आपसे क्या छिपा है भगवन,

अपनी तो सूरत क्या..

सीरत भी डरावनी है यहाँ..!!

हम-तुम जो फ़ना हुए,

तो पूरी होगी मंशा...,

तेरी-मेरी नहीं,

ये तो है साईं  की इंशा..!!

ज़िन्दगी देकर 

सब-कुछ   तो दे डाला  है

मुझे  मेरे  महबूब ने...,

दुनियावालों की नज़रों  में मगर
ज़िन्दगी ये मेरी ज़िन्दगी नहीं..!!

चुप्पी या मौन

तेरी ये चुप्पी

गर तेरी मौज है मेरी जान

तो मेरे शब्दों में भी

छुपी एक खोज है मेरी जान

माना के तेरे मौन के आगे

मेरा ज्ञान है बिलकुल फीका

उठाता हूँ फिर भी जोखम

के ज़िस्त बस चंद रोज है मेरी जान

बात अच्छे - बुरे या

अधूरे - पुरे से परे है मेरी जान

बात ये है की...

बात कुछ भी नहीं है मेरी जान

कुछ भी तो नहीं है कहने को

और फिर भी कितना कुछ है बाकी

बातों में बस इशारे हैं

इश्क तो नहीं है ना मेरी जान

भीड़ में रह सको गर तनहा

तो लुत्फ़-ए-तनहाई है मेरी जान

लोग कर दें अगर तुम्हें बेकल

तो भी तो गम-ए-रुसवाई है मेरी जान

ख्यालों से ही गर तुम

 हो जाते हो बेचैन

ज़रा मेरे बारे में भी तो

 सोचो मेरी जान

ना भी कह पाया वो

जो कहना चाहता हूँ तो क्या

कमज़र्फ  या हरजाई तो

नहीं  ना कहलाऊंगा मेरी जान...

भिखारी हो या हो फ़कीर.....?????

ज़हे नसीब ! गर वो सामने खड़ा  हो जाए तो कभी सोचा है की क्या करोगे..??

भिखारियों की तरह दुनियावी ठीकरे मांगोगे या फकीरों की तरह रब मिल जाने का रक्स करोगे..??

क्या वो सब की ही ना माँग करोगे जो मांगते हो तुम अपनी तनहाइयों में या इल्तजा करते हो मंदिरों-मस्जिदों और सजदागाहों में जा-जा कर..??

बोलो ना ! रब से तुम ये मांगोगे या के फिर वो मांगोगे..??

ईमान से बोलना प्लीज़............

मांगने को मांग लोगे तुम शायद सारा जहां ही,

खुदाया ! इस खुदाई के अलावा तुम और क्या मांगोगे..

मांग लोगे तुम ख़ुशी-ख़ुशी ज़र, जोरू और ज़मीन,

जानता हूँ ! ज़ाहिर के आगे बातिम तुम क्या मांगोगे..

फितरत, या यूँ  कहूँ की तिशनगी ही तुम्हारी कुछ ऐसी है,

बाखुदा ! डर के आगे की जीत तुम क्या मांगोगे..

करके  इस ज़माने को शोशेबाजी और दिखावे से भरपूर,

वल्लाह ! दिमागी फितुरों से पेश्तर तुम दिली सुकून क्या मांगोगे..

कदर फ़क़त तुम्हें जब उसकी जो हो सके नुमाया या फिर हो बिकाऊ,

अल्लाह ! के फन में पोशीदा फनकार की जुस्तजू तुम क्या मांगोगे..

जिस्मानी हसरतें जो पूरी हुई तो देखा है मैंने तुम्हें कामयाबी के लिए गिरते हुए,

तौबा ! की खुद-बुलंदी के आगे तुम रूह-पोशी क्या मांगोगे..

ताउम्र चाहतें तुम्हारी हो ना पाती हैं सयानी,

बच्चे हो ! खिलोनो के अलावा और क्या मांगोगे..

यूँ मायूस और नाराज़ ना रहा करो लोगों से तुम 'मनीष',

दिलवाले हो ! होशवालों से बेखुदी  भला कैसे, क्यूँ और क्या मांगोगे..

भिखारी हो या हो फ़कीर.....?????   

An Ominous Warning..

This is in refernce to the recent killings of 76 police men by so called naxalites..
Although in no way i favour violence, we, still need to ask ourseles as to why & what makes a naxalite or a terrorist out of a common man...
The write-up below was written long back to the editor of The Times Of India in reference to the the editorial titled " An Ominous Warning ", the link of which is given below for the reader's reference :

An Ominous Warning

Minister shouldn't peddle victimhood to justify murder.

Log on to : http://www.timesofindia.com/

The letter written by yours truly has no direct connotation with the Dantewada killings but surely has the potential to give us an insight as to what exactly goes through the mind of a common man who is facing a crisis in his life.
The elite class only gets to read about the crisis & has very little clue about the actual fallouts of the crisis. Media too, looks at the issue very superficially or as per their political or economical inclination.
Yours truly is going through such a crisis since February 2003 & hence there is no scope for any doubt on the authenticity of the feelings, atleast.
i have tried my level best to stay level headed on the issue instead of being partisan to one class.
i hope you conform & acknowledge..

Now, the write-up :

With reference to your editorial dated Sept.25, titled " An Ominous warning", i would like to share my views on the subject.



Alas! it takes a gruesome murder to get heard by the confederation of Indian industry & a union ministers comment for The Times Of India to take note of the sorry state of labour dispute resolution or malaise affecting employer-labour relations, as you aptly term it.
i am sure that CII in particular & TOI being an honorary member of CII by way of being a business house is & was totally aware of the grim situation. You must also be aware that what is " self evident" can also have a catastrophic effect. That you choose to term ' linkage' as 'specious' & still go on and link with existing regulations by lamenting about non-implementation of proposed amendments to ID Act of 1947, speaks on its own about your partisan and tilted attitude towards the employer.
It also gives an hint about the respect you have for democracy.


You advice labour class to adopt constitutional & legal ways to protest, conveniently forgetting, as to what actually happens to such polite & righteous methods when faced with an opponent who is not only strong & powerful but also cunning enough to practice autocratic, high handed & strangulating measures with complete ease & authority.
Hordes of cases filed against the employers ( including TOI) to fight against the extra-constitutional & sometimes blatantly un-constitutional measures still wait in depression & frustration to see the day of final judgement in our courts.
Assistant labour commissioner to labour commissioner to labour court to industrial court to high court to division bench to supreme court, the journey to seek redressal of a grievance is so long & arduous that it is extremely difficult to keep one's justice seeking spirits alive thereby making a complete mockery of the belief one so painfully endures in the SYSTEM, of which labour is a tiny & insignificant part.
Patience soon becomes a distant virtue. Frustration creeps in & violence which one so carefully & successfully avoided all these years, slowly starts to raise its ugly head & seems like one's best friend and saviour.
Saviour from the agonies that one goes through just because one is not rich enough to endure the struggle, just because time is slowly but surely running out.....


On the other hand, the employer gleefully takes advantage of the situation & professes to stick & follow "the due process".
Why...?
i am pretty sure its not because he is more righteous than the employee or a great believer in the current democratic system but because in this case ' THE SYSTEM ' is working to his advantage. In some other case the same employer is vehemently opposing the same system because in this case he might be the disadvantaged party.
For example, the monopolies restrictive trade union (MRTU) & prevention of unfair labour practices (PULP) Act 1971 is duly implemented in the state of Maharashtra. The act enables the labour to directly file the unfair labour practice complaint in front of the labour or industrial court, depending on the nature of complaint, thereby saving precious time & energy of the labour by avoiding rigorous trips to the office of the Assistant labour commissioner (ALC) and then to the office of the Labour commissioner. This act also helps in getting some interim relief so that the labour can survive till the case is finally disposed off.
Now, this does not suit the employer. So...what does he do?
He lobbies hard, in fact very hard, to get the MRTU & PULP Act scrapped off by threatening the Maharashtra Government that he & his cohorts will pull out all the industries from the state if an ordinance or bill which suits the industry is not passed in the state legislative assembly. Government in order to please the industry & to earn revenues tries so, but unfortunately meets with strong opposition from trade unions & from members within & outside the party.
The employer is relentless in his efforts to curb down the fighting spirit & approaches High court of Mumbai with a plea on the issue of territorial jurisdiction.
Inspired by Mr.Raj Thackere, he pleads that MRTU & PULP Act is only for Mumbaikars or for the people of Maharashtra & hence no outsider, even if his employer's office is registered in the state of Maharashtra, should take advantage of the MRTU & PULP Act by filing the complaint in the state of Maharashtra. Instead, the labour should file the case in his respective state even if his appointment letter is given in Mumbai, even if his salary and other sundry expenses are generated, furbished and disbursed from Mumbai. Interesting part is that the same set of employers not so long ago i.e. before the MRTU & PULP Act got actually implemented, used to raise the same issue of territorial jurisdiction when the employee used to file the case in his respective state, only this time to tell the court that the employee ought to file the case in Mumbai because that is where the employer & the cause of action is.


Hilarious...
you think..but no, this is nothing when you come to know that the double bench of High court of Mumbai on 12th of August 2008 is pleased to pass the order in favour of the employer in the case of GLAXO against ABHAY RAJ JAIN & others.
Its a strange coincidence that the same duo of judges pass one more order in the favour of employers of the aviation industry on 13th August 2008. Its even more strange to note that one of the senior judge of this duo namely Mr. Khandeparkar retires on 14th August 2008.
Now, again the employee has to control his rage & approach Supreme court of India. The fact that JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED, not withstanding. As a fallout of the Mumbai high court judgement in the Glaxo case, other workmen who have filed their cases in Mumbai labour court since years, ranging from 1 to 17 LONG YEARS, has to wait patiently for supreme courts decision on the issue of territorial jurisdiction, hoping that someone brave enough will challenge the Mumbai high courts decision. This, my dear editor, is the real ' limbo '.


All these for what...to curb down the fighting spirit...to allow capitalists to rule...to encourage greed in the mask of labour reforms...to murder humanity...


Well...it seems you & your industry wallahs are successful in generating an extreme response from the suppressed. Its all chain reaction ..you know. Pray that it remains sporadic lest you become a victim one day.

manish badkas

सरफिरा......!!!!!!!!!!

चुप करवाने में लगा है ज़माना मुझे...,

सोचता हूँ के सीख ही लूँ कोई नयी ज़बान..!!

नौकरी  से निकाले गए,

संघ  से खदेड़े गए,

बखेड़ों  से होती तुम्हारी पहचान,

सभी बाट जोह रहे,

कब सुधरोगे मेरी जान..??

बातें तुम्हारी अफलातूनी,

सभी कहते तुम हो बातूनी,

काम-धाम कुछ करते नहीं,

जिम्मेदारियों से तुम अनजान,

सभी बाट जोह रहे,
कब सुधरोगे मेरी जान..??


सत्य का पिटारा तुम ढोते हो,

संसारी की हालत पर तुम रोते हो,

दुकानदारी तुम्हें आती नहीं,

घरवाले भी समझें तुम्हें नादान,

सभी बाट जोह रहे,
कब सुधरोगे मेरी जान..??


सफलता पर तुम हँसते हो,

शायरी  कर तंज कसते हो,

दुनियादारी  तुम्हें आती नहीं,

अव्यव्हारिक तुमरा सब ज्ञान,

सभी बाट जोह रहे,
कब सुधरोगे मेरी जान..??


कभी काटने को दौड़ते हो,

कभी यूँ ही रख छोड़ते  हो,

साधारण तुम रहते नहीं,

जन-साधारण परेशान,

सभी बाट जोह रहे,
कब सुधरोगे मेरी जान..??




जीवन को खेल समझते हो,

दिन-रात एक जुआं-सा तुम खेलते  हो,

जीतना तुम्हें आता नहीं,

दोस्त-यार कहें तुम शैतान,

सभी बाट जोह  रहे,
कब सुधरोगे मेरी जान..??




प्रेम की बस बातें करा लो तुमसे,

काम-शास्त्र का बस पाठ पढवा लो तुमसे,

बच्चा एक पैदा कर सकते नहीं,

वाह 'मनीष' !! पुरुषार्थ तुम्हारा महान..!!

सभी बाट जोह रहे,
अब तो सुधर जाओ मेरी जान..!!




कोई कहे पागल., कोई नासमझ, तो कोई कहे सरफिरा...,

रोते हैं सब अपनी किस्मत पर के मुझसे पाला ही क्यूँकर है  पड़ा..??

क्या कहूँ मैं..
की मैं तो जी.. 
एकदम सरफिरा......!!!!!!!!!!