After three days of holidays, it’s tough to prepare yourself to get started for another working day…But this time, didn’t have to wheedle my mind too much, and I was ready for college. Unlike other days reached the bus stop at time and was comfortably waiting for my “luxury bus”! Well, it is indeed a luxury and you come to realize it only when you get to face the plight in other ‘line buses’. Never had an idea about the dilemma in these buses…simply coz I had the comfort of my company school bus. But once I was out of the protected environment I got to face the realities of life…and yes life is tough..!
But extravagance knocks again, and my so called bus is again at my service…so y should I waste it when I can use it…
So at sharp time my bus arrives and I make a random choice for my seat…well actually almost all the seats remain vacant and you have the liberty to choose whichever you like…simply coz they will never get filled…lol…
But today the bus was unusually empty…only five people including the driver!
After about half an hour got down at my stop, and was discussing about the dwindle population in the bus with my friend. Suddenly she says ,”I think we wont be having class today ,coz a student of our college died in an accident yesterday”.
“Oh…no! Is it?..Then why did we travel this long, anyways lets go to the college and see”
Reached the college a bit too early, but had a classmate for company. After sometime one of my junior arrives and he too says the same thing “I don’t think we’ll have class today” .So I was almost sure that classes won’t be held today. By that time almost all my class mates arrived and each one had a different story to narrate about the accident. At 10, bell rang and an announcement was made regarding a prayer meeting to be held in the auditorium for the departed soul and everyone was requested to attend the same. It’s another story whether all of us attended or not, but then I somehow did….
On the stage, were our principal, two other teachers and our newly elected chairman. And at the centre of the stage was affixed a photo of the departed soul. Our principal as usual began with a very monotonous tone…I agree u cant sound cheerful at such situations, but then you can always be clear.. And it was at that time I came to know, what exactly had happened..! The boy who was a third year computer science student didn’t go for the special class scheduled on Saturday, instead set on a small excursion with his friends. And while they were on their way back, this boy rear-ended with a truck, and ended up giving his life away….A pleasure tour ended up to be a mournful one!
The principal went on for another few minutes; praising the boy in everyway possible...about his academic excellence and stuff and then handed over the dice for the boy’s class teacher…she too made a few remarks ,and was seated .And then we prayed for the well being of his soul ,and disbanded as we didn’t have further classes for the day…While I was on my way back ,something kept choking me ….a few questions whirl pooled my mind……
Did his death affect anyone? One after the other people spoke about this boy….did they really mean what they said? Will the college really miss him? For me everything seemed so fake, so artificial ….a ceremony just for the sake of it. I could even hear murmurs and anxious whispers discussing about the date adjustments for the Arts day celebration and curious queries regarding its abandonment in between the ceremony. This is what mattered …..Arts days, elections, college day and a few more such days which, called for celebration and fun. What did anyone lose?...nothing at all! Its his parents who have lost their beloved son, who had once promised to live their dreams, to make them proud one day and to pay back oodles of love at their senility. For them, world would now seem shattered and hopeless. But for the rest of the world it’s yet another miserable death…to be remembered and forgotten!
People remember you, only when you are a part of their lives….and when your own life ceases to exist…. .You are forgotten and you live in to become mere memories….to be forgotten or remembered……!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
2nd october!
“Beep-Beep”…my mobile screeched at the top of its voice. And it made me wake up early on a holiday…I still lay on the bed with my eyes closed and my hand went near the windowpane searching for the gadget like a blind ,helplessly trying to find her fallen walking stick…!Finally I had it in my hand, I reluctantly pushed aside my ‘mink blanket’ and pulled up my pillow ,to let my back rest……oh!god its 9 o’clock, my swollen overslept eyes were wide awake now…(I wondered why amma didn’t come up to wake us up, but was happy she didn’t !;)).So I had over slept, and I certainly didn’t want to begin my day reading yet another stupid forwarded message….But since I had taken so much of pain (I mean giving up my precious sleep… etc etc…) I had no other go but to read it…
“Let us follow the path of truth and nonviolence shown by Mahatma Gandhi”
Sender: ministry of Information and Broadcasting
This made me realize it was “Gandhi jayanti” …The day when our “Father of the nation was born” A man who gave up everything for this nation…who taught the world an entirely different way to resist oppression ……. Who taught ahimsa and non violence were mightier than the sword…. who gave up all his luxury to become one among the down trodden ….who in himself became a Legend!
Like for many of you, it was yet another holiday for me … a day to sleep till noon, watch movies and have fun! But this message somewhere struck a cord …
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on this day, so what’s so special about it..?It’s just one among the other few public holidays we have ….This is our attitude! And I can’t afford to blame others too …simply coz even I don’t care about it…what matters is, is a holiday …no matter what it is for..!
I wonder, if this is the situation now, then what would be the affairs after a few decades or so? Would any one even believe that such a man walked on earth ? A person who could give his life and soul for a nation like ours …where every now and then people fight over property, wealth and fame …where selfishness rules all minds ….where bloodshed and tears are a common picture …where people live in crumpled cities …where corruption and red tapism is unavoidable….where bomb blasts gulping innocent lives is always forgotten …yes this is our nation today…but its certainly not what Gandhiji would have dreamt…..! I know it’s hard to digest, but it’s the naked truth, which is seldom sweet…or rather never!
Bapuji , a real time hero is more of a myth now…whose principles and values seem superficial and unpractical. But these were the same principles which lead a nation to attain its freedom. Talking of Gandhiji may bore us, but if its Rajkumar Hirani’s new flick, we run to the theatres to grab a ticket…where bapuji seems be the hero with munna bhai preaching “gandhigiri” .Thanks to Hirani for making a commercially meaningful film!(At least gandhiji was remembered and the youth loved him… )
Why am I writing all this, what good will it do? Well, I guess it’s a small tribute from me to a great legend who once lived and fought to make his dream a reality…and to make myself realize, if not others …that I still remember you bapu…!
I know am being too patriotic and emotional..But I guess its no harm being so at least once a year if not more .Well, I know if something of this sort had been posted on aug15, it would have been more meaningful …But aug15 attained its relevance because of a soul born today…who sowed seeds of craving independence about half a century back and lead the nation to attain the same!
It’s said that history repeats itself and every character that becomes a history, some day reborn to create yet another history!
Bapu in disguise is sure to walk this nation again and start yet another revolution…where all of us are not going to sit idle, but strive to attain our precious peaceful country back…!
This post in some way made me connect myself to bapu and will continue to do the same at least until the next post arrives,,,,lol….;)
“Let us follow the path of truth and nonviolence shown by Mahatma Gandhi”
Sender: ministry of Information and Broadcasting
This made me realize it was “Gandhi jayanti” …The day when our “Father of the nation was born” A man who gave up everything for this nation…who taught the world an entirely different way to resist oppression ……. Who taught ahimsa and non violence were mightier than the sword…. who gave up all his luxury to become one among the down trodden ….who in himself became a Legend!
Like for many of you, it was yet another holiday for me … a day to sleep till noon, watch movies and have fun! But this message somewhere struck a cord …
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on this day, so what’s so special about it..?It’s just one among the other few public holidays we have ….This is our attitude! And I can’t afford to blame others too …simply coz even I don’t care about it…what matters is, is a holiday …no matter what it is for..!
I wonder, if this is the situation now, then what would be the affairs after a few decades or so? Would any one even believe that such a man walked on earth ? A person who could give his life and soul for a nation like ours …where every now and then people fight over property, wealth and fame …where selfishness rules all minds ….where bloodshed and tears are a common picture …where people live in crumpled cities …where corruption and red tapism is unavoidable….where bomb blasts gulping innocent lives is always forgotten …yes this is our nation today…but its certainly not what Gandhiji would have dreamt…..! I know it’s hard to digest, but it’s the naked truth, which is seldom sweet…or rather never!
Bapuji , a real time hero is more of a myth now…whose principles and values seem superficial and unpractical. But these were the same principles which lead a nation to attain its freedom. Talking of Gandhiji may bore us, but if its Rajkumar Hirani’s new flick, we run to the theatres to grab a ticket…where bapuji seems be the hero with munna bhai preaching “gandhigiri” .Thanks to Hirani for making a commercially meaningful film!(At least gandhiji was remembered and the youth loved him… )
Why am I writing all this, what good will it do? Well, I guess it’s a small tribute from me to a great legend who once lived and fought to make his dream a reality…and to make myself realize, if not others …that I still remember you bapu…!
I know am being too patriotic and emotional..But I guess its no harm being so at least once a year if not more .Well, I know if something of this sort had been posted on aug15, it would have been more meaningful …But aug15 attained its relevance because of a soul born today…who sowed seeds of craving independence about half a century back and lead the nation to attain the same!
It’s said that history repeats itself and every character that becomes a history, some day reborn to create yet another history!
Bapu in disguise is sure to walk this nation again and start yet another revolution…where all of us are not going to sit idle, but strive to attain our precious peaceful country back…!
This post in some way made me connect myself to bapu and will continue to do the same at least until the next post arrives,,,,lol….;)
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