India's daughter

It has been three years since the Nirbhaya incident. The juvenile rapist is to be released on December 21, after serving the maximum sentence of three years that can be awarded to an under-aged criminal.
The case always brings out emotions of disgust, fear, sadness, and anxiety in me. The parents of victim are demanding that the identity of juvenile be revealed before his release so that people are cautious of him; I empathize with them because who is to say that person will not do this again? And he was just shy of 6 months to be an adult, in which his mindset wouldn't have changed. Had he not been caught, could he repeated such an instance after turning 18? I don't know the answers to these questions.
I hold another contradicting perspective too, that Law is just and above the emotions. It is supposed to be objective and impartial. I believe in that; but the truth at hand is not an objective one but a subjective one. Who holds the true moral compass then? This boy came from our society, brought up amidst extreme poverty and a highly patriarchal mindset. He has his whole life ahead of him, shouldn't we give him a chance of rehabilitation and reform? Shouldn't we give a benefit of doubt that he might change? Revealing his identity would definitely hamper this chance.
One of the solution is keeping him under watch of police, something like a parole. With limited resources the country has, when dangerous criminals are out on loose and yet to be prosecuted, how effective this solution is to be?
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Looking for answers
India's Daughter

True Companion

Me and loneliness,
We are friends a companion true
No pretense Feeling down Or depressed
She's always there My loneliness
Back from work Tired and worn
She sits by me And adorns my home
Eating dinner, A book by my side
She indulges me With a smile
Snuggled up at night I turn out the lights
She lays down beside
To empathize
Exhilarated or unhappy Fretful, anxious or snappy
Forever present, always at hand
No matter how preoccupied I am
What would I do
How would I cope
Constantly by my side
Me and my loneliness

Born Beautiful

I saw a friend’s link about baby photo contest. The idea shook me, how innate competition has become for us, that we have started comparing babies. Well this certainly isn’t about the abilities of a baby, how s/he grew teeth, when s/he started walking. I am pretty sure this is about the superficial beauty or may be to an extent your photography or photoshop-ing skills. It is about parents feeling good that their ‘baby got the looks’.

I want to ask you (future) parents, is this how shallow you are? Is this the impression you want to make on a developing mind? I say this because if Abhimanyu could learn how to enter a Chakravyuh in womb, your child will might as well be judging people on the basis of their “beauty”, for rest of her/his life!! I dare you to dream of a better tomorrow, of your child to be devoid of discrimination. And don't create a hue and cry for equality, because mate you started it.

Irony might be grievous on you, if you are posting ‘Dark is beautiful’ on your wall as well.

Grow up, and teach high morals to your child! Stop behaving like a child. Stop seeking approval of “beauty” of your baby from other shallow individuals.

By the way your baby no matter how you perceive her/him is beautiful, because I see an opportunity of a beautiful, unbiased better future in her/him.

तब और अब

धरती से जोड़ती थी,
आलती-पालती और खाने की थाली
आष्टा-चंगा-पे और लंगड़ी-पुआ
नानी का घर और छत का बिस्तर |
अब बस ज़मीन के कुछ ऊपर है,

कुर्सियों से लटकते पैर और Frozen food
SAP और Solitare
Sleepwell का गद्दा और निद्राहीन रातें |

Deception

We live in a deception
Faces we see ain't any true than light of moon
Everyone pretends to be someone
Some try being good, others bad
Look at me I am pretending to be a poet
Even when my poem doesn't rhymes
Never can one peel this mask off
I laugh at me and others
Who see them as they are
But none is able to look inside and face the truth
Bcoz truth is ugly and scary
So lets get back to our false lives, fake smiles and alias personalties

Why?

It started with the movie Schindler's List. Thought it is on IMDB top 250, rated 8.8, must be good. The movie was great, but it blew my mind. Picturisation of Holocaust was so dreadful it caught me on my nerves. And Oskar Schindler despite of his alcoholism and womanizer, became a saint in my eyes. How he risk all his life and hard work for saving 1200 jews touched my heart like anything. The film made me cry, made me think how perfect my living is. In nutshell, I was totally moved by it. As the Talmudic saying "Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.", I pondered upon the fact that war has never left humanity. After experiencing two world wars, it is not enough for us to learn that this is it. We still create examples of Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel-Palestine. I wont say further, you ponder on the situation.

Why these boundaries

Why these religions

Why so much restrictions

I wonder Is it a crime to breathe?

Or is it to speak?

Or to eat?

Don't they have a right to live

So what they were war prisoners

Did they become rodents because of it

Does a human life has no importance

Or is it a game of shooting for fun

Cause I find no more humans

Long ago a saint came, rescued them

But now we are again on the same standstill

Where it is a crime to be human

I shall not be a jew, a muslim, a hindu for this

It is just a crime to be born

To expect hope

I and She

She used to come late
I tried hard to be awake
I tried harder
I slept sooner
I woke up
She used to sleep
I wanted to talk
I wanted to hug
I went off
I came back
She came early today
I pretended to sleep
She wanted to talk
But I still slept
She wanted to hug
I continued sleeping
She went off
She used to come late
I used to sleep
She is far now
I can't try hard to be awake
I tried to sleep
and never I got.

Inspired by a scene of 'Saving Private Ryan'

आरक्षण की महिमा

गुर्जरों ने किया फिर से धमाल, जिससे हुआ सारा देश बेहाल
कर्नल ने बोला चलो यारों आग लगातें हैं
आरक्षण के इस मुद्दे पर जातीवाद फैलाते हैं
आओ साथ मिलकर बंधी का त्यौहार मनाएं
रेल की पटरी पर चलो मिल के आशियाना बनाएं
तालों का लटकना, रैली की बहार
बसों को आग लगाना, मार-पीट के समाचार
रेलों को रोकना, ना होना आम लोगों का विचार
मुबारक हो गुर्जर भाइयों आपको बंधी का त्यौहार
हैरान हुई दुनिया सारी, करोडों का नुक्सान हुआ
आरक्षण की इस महिमा से सारा देश निहाल हुआ
गुर्जरों की इस जिद के आगे "वसुंधरा" को झुकना पड़ा
जनरल में से 5 फिसिदी आरक्षण देना ही पड़ा
बड़े गुर्जर नेता तो अभी भी महलों में रहते हैं
अधिकतर गुर्जर अभी भी झोपडों में सोते हैं
आरक्षण से भला क्या होगा लाभ?
जब बालक आज भी पोथी-पाठी छोड़ गाय-भैसों को चराते हैं?
इस आरक्षण की पचडे में
कही उच्च शिक्षा वाला ना पिछड़ जाये
और गंवार इस देश का शासक ना बन जाये
क्या आरक्षण से ही होगा इस देश का उद्धार?
फिर भी "धन्य! धन्य!" आरक्षण तेरी महिमा अपरम्पार

लाडली

लाड़ों से पली कलिओं सी खिली
होती है ऐसी सबकी लाडली
माँ की दुलारी, मैय्या की प्यारी
पापा की आँख का तारा लाडली
चूडियों की खनक से सबको मुस्कान दे जाती है
पायल की झनक से आँगन महकाती है लाडली
आता है जब विदाई का समय
आंखों में आँसू लिए सबको खला जाती है लाडली
परायों को अपना कर हर रिश्ता निभाती है लाडली
इतनी कुर्बानियों के बाद भी
क्यों जला दी जाती है लाडली
इतनी मासूमियत के बाद भीक्यों छीन लिया जाता है उसका आँचल?
क्यों मार दी जाती है उसकी आत्मा?
क्या है कोई जवाब इसका की क्यों
अब भी वो दरिन्दे फिरते हैं सड़कों पर खली
और कहाँ खो जाती है हमारी वो लाडली

The Namesake

Naming myself, but I ask is that me?

I'm lost somewhere in this sunlight

somewhere in darkness of night

Somewhere in noise of world

somewhere in silence of ocean

Somewhere in wrath of a devil

somewhere in warmth of mother

Somewhere in materialism

somewhere in spritualism

Somewhere in you

somewhere in me

I'm gathering all parts

but don't get a name for me then

I think its better to be lost

so atleast I have a "name"

In parts I have different names

But together still looking for a name for namesake

After reading 'The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri' and watching the movie based on it.

To mom with love

Everything seems all right in her lap,
Every tension fades away with her touch,
Every tear turns into smile with her words,
Every thing she does for us takes me near to God ......
I don't know what to say ...
I am ashamed that I hurt her sometimes,
I am a fool that makes her cry,
I am sorry mom ....
but you are my god ...
I wont hurt you I will try ...

I had a dream

I had a dream yesterday
of walking on the clouds like a fairy
of spreading my hands and flying like a bird
I had a dream yesterday
of walking in rain 100 miles all alone
of weeping in that rain
I had a dream yesterday
of going to the roof
of shouting how much i love him
I had a dream yesterday
of dancing with him
of sleeping on his shoulders
I had a dream yesterday
of being locked up somewhere
of being lonely for years
I had a dream yesterday
of losing my family
of crying in my mom's lap
I had a dream yesterday
of Today
of enjoying every moment of life
of praying to him to thank for everything
of having a dream today of tomorrow
I will have a dream today
of forgetting my yesterday

This poem was developed into a song by my dear friend Avinash and was sung by a talented team of vocalists and musicians at National Youth Festival, 2008 (Ranchi). It bagged us first prize in the competition.

मुखौटे

मुखौटा हर चेहरे पर दिखाई पड़ रहा है
कोई ख़ुशी कोई ग़म का पहने है
हर शख़्स अपने आप को अपने से छुपा रहा है
किसी ने अपने आपको ख़्वाबों की दुनिया में बसा रखा है
कोई इस दुनिया की भीड़ में खोया है हर किसी के लिए मुखौटा उतारना मुश्किल है
इन मुखौटों के पीछे हर शख़्स का असली चेहरा ढूँढती हूँ
पर मेरी आँखें भी धुंधली हैं
क्योंकि एक मुखौटे के पीछे मैं भी हूँ
मैं भी लाचार हूँ , इस मुखौटे को ख़ुद से अलग नहीं कर पा रही हूँ
बस भीड़ में मैं भी चली जा रही हूँ