Forgive, forget and move on

We are possibly on the threshold of  a defining moment in our country’s modern history. In about 15 hours from now, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court is expected to deliver its verdict on the Ayodhya issue.

No matter what the decision is, we cannot turn back time and right the wrong Babur supposedly was guilty of. But we can prevent another wrong from occurring. I am referring to politicizing the judgment and rabble-rousing to keep the issue burning.

In a perverse sort of way, there is one good thing that has happened because of the nearly 20 year gap between the demolition of the mosque and tomorrow’s verdict. Many of the people who experienced the horrors of partition- and thus felt that the Two Nation hypothesis was true- have passed away.That will hopefully temper sentiments on both sides.

More important, India has made huge strides in term of economic development in the last 18 years. People have begun seeing first-hand the benefits of higher wages, better infrastructure (I hear some of you smirking as you read this) and an overall improvement in quality of life. There is too much at stake.

Many have also seen what acts of terror like the Mumbai blasts of 1993 or 26/11 can do to our society.

I am thus hopeful that we shall overcome. Amen. Ameen. Tathastu.

Here is another poem written by Vidya, my wife. It asks us as a people to forgive. Perhaps we can’t forget. But forgive we certainly can. As always, please leave your comments.

Maafi

Kyon karo aisa gila

Khud se hi nafrat ho chale

Bair to hai sirf jasba

Kyon who vehshat si pale

Zakhm uska kholke

Tera bhi ghav kyon rise

Uske ghar ka who andhera

Tere man mein kyon jale

Who to jal kar raakh hai

Iski na khushiyaan tu mana

Bujh raha hai dil hi tera

Ho raha hai tu fanaa

Uski khataein maaf kar

Usko sazaa na tu suna

Poochh apne se yeh chupkar

Kyon tu insaan hai bana

Dil mein hai kuch aur jasbe

Unko bhi daawat de zara

Apne dil ko muskrane

Ki ijazat de zara.

On Kashmir

Emperor Babur was supposedly so captivated by Kashmir that he famously proclaimed that “if there is a heaven on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this”. (“agar firdaus ba ruay zami ast, ami asto, ami asto, ami ast”).

Over the past 60 years, the situation in J&K has steadily worsened. Unmet aspirations, frustrations of succeeding generations, anger, rancour, green shoots of hope, a ray of light at the end of the tunnel… A myriad emotions twirl in the minds of various stakeholders of J&K.

Here’s a poem on Kashmir that is inspired by what has happened to this “heaven on earth”. I think it aptly captures the situation in J&K over the last 60 years. It is as relevant today as it was in 1947. It’s written by Vidya, my very talented wife. It is her original work and as such, her IP.

On the subject of J&K, no one side is completely right. Neither is any one side completely wrong. Mistakes have been made by everyone. Some are deliberate, some are truly unintended. But if all sides involved in trying to make political capital of the situation on the ground can grasp the various shades of emotion embedded in this poem, I believe a solution will emerge more easily.

Kindly share your feedback on Vidya’s poem via comments on this blog. Of the many poems she has penned, this is one of my favorites.

Halaat-e- firdaus

Maatam ke is mahaul mein

Ulfat simat gayi.

Khushiyaan bhi yahan dard se

Rokar lipat gayin.

Nafrat ki sili aanch par

Khwahish pighal gayi.

Khwaabon ke aaftabon ko

Dahshat nigal gayi.

Aankhon se behta ashk toh

Arson se tham chuka.

Ghabra ke dil ka yeh lahu

Rag rag mein jam chuka.

Halaat se Kashmir yunh hai aaj jhoojhta

Ab chinar bhi padosi ka mazhab hai poochhta.

Taariq kya kahegi

Gam iska kya karein

Kal ka khayaal ho hamein

Jo aaj na marein.

Bangalore’s development

Even as recently as 5 years ago, MG Road, Brigade Road and Commercial Street formed the main shopping area in Bangalore. Not any more. The emergence of malls in different parts of the city mean that most branded goods are available within a few kilometers of where you live. The growth of retail chains means each neighborhood has its own Reliance Fresh, More or Spencer’s stores. As a result of this competition, smaller local players too, such as M K Ahmed’s, have begun expanding their presence across the city. They are also embracing the modern self-service retail store format, with well-lit aisles, prominent merchandising displays, direct or indirect loyalty programs etc.

Similarly, hospitals too are expanding their footprint across the city. Some, such as Manipal and Fortis (earlier Wockhardt), have several hospitals, each catering to a smaller catchment area.

For its part, the government is developing bus facilities and railway stations  in different parts of the city.

Personally, I think this trend in development is welcome. It makes each locality reasonably self-sufficient (of course, if you have to catch a flight today, you have to go only to BIA @ Devanahalli).

Unfortunately, all this has not translated to a reduction in traffic flow. Maybe to meet friends and relatives, or perhaps for the snob value of having bought something at Mantri Mall, people are willing to drive 25-30 kms through the city’s maddening traffic. And until all reaches of the Metro are operational (and there is last-mile connectivity to/from metro stations), I’m afraid Bangaloreans have little choice. 2015 maybe a good time to revisit this topic.

Extending the argument further, this concept of self-sufficient villages in what Gandhiji proposed all those years ago. Even now, if development is planned, we can accelerate growth not just in GDP (and the stock market) but also in India’s human development index. We can reduce urban migration, in turn relieving the pressure on our stretched infrastructure and systems. Quite possibly, a win-win situation.