FREE HAPPY MOMENTS!

It is the biggest thing a person desires. We work for it hard, and we live for it. The aim gets fixed and we revolve around it in the entire game of life. Adjustments are made to achieve that ‘aim’. MONEY, you guessed it right. First I was going to say satisfaction, but many say unless your pockets are full, how will you be ‘satisfied?’ Is it?? I mean, are we always satisfied (completely) even when our pockets are overflowing, our bank balances is ‘balanced’ heavily? I won’t answer these questions, as every person has his own answers.
In childhood, I remember, everyone asked – What do you wish to be? In schools to we have written such essays. Doctor, Engineer, Cricketer were the predominant answers. I tto, said something similar. But what am I doing now? May be not the same, what I had said. But surely, I am driving the vehicle to reach the aim ‘money’. Everyone does it, so am I! it has become so important! Deviation from this journey leads you somewhere else, leaving you ‘Alone’! We humans hate this word, no matter if we are accompanied by money only, but we want some company, we can’t live alone at all.
Money is a transactional tool. We pay it for daily activities, for our comforts, for entertainment, travel, luxury and thus we try to be happy. The more you will pay, the happier you would be, is the golden equation. Do we pay for breathing clean air? Do we pay for smiling? Do we pay for true love? Do we spend money for watching the setting sun? For resting in a trees shadow? Or for experiencing star studded sky on no moon day, or for watching a full moon?
All the above things and many more, for which we don’t pay at all, we don’t experience them either. We have moved far away from the FREE HAPPY MOMENTS! May be, we think they aren’t worthy moments as they are free. Because now we decide the worth on the amount of money we spend for sa particular thing. On reading this, go step out and be happy. Go see some splendid things happening around you continuously, which demand you time and not money! Do earn HAPPINESS along with MONEY.

(photo by soham)

Twice A Day..

Me and my friend had been to McDonalds this Monday. We had a burger and Mc Swirl Ice-cream. Wow!! I enjoyed it after a long time; we stepped out and were walking on JM road. A boy came and asked for money, easily I said no. he followed us for a while demanding money, with our tummies full we ignored him, until he said, “Bahot bhuk lagi hai, paise do khan ke liye...” (I am hungry, and have no money to eat). Instantly the burger which I had, started dancing in my stomach... I asked him “kacchi dabeli khaoge?”(Would you have kacchi dabeli?) Without a second thought he said yes!
There was a stall nearby, we went there and ordered one. I asked him his name, “Rohit”, he replied. He was eagerly waiting for his ‘treat’, the first one in how many days??? I don’t know, neither I asked him! Rohit enjoyed every bite, his face became so expressive! I asked whether he would like to have another dabeli, he just nodded, he had no time to speak..
“School jate ho?”, I asked. Rohit said no, and said “ Iskool ke liye paisa nahi hai!” (he had no money for schooling). But when I asked if he wishes to study, his ‘yes’ was a lazy one. Rohit is a representative of all children roaming on streets doing nothing. They don’t understand how important education is, no one told them. All they know is to have food twice a day... they have to work very hard to have it.
Rohits face was glittering as his stomach was full(may be), he had a wide smile on his face, this made me very happy, very satisfied. He thanked me with his smile... we parted ways by waving hands…

STRONG SUPERSTITIONS…

(Stream flowing, which is worshiped)
What’s so incredible about Indian wildlife, or nature? Strong mountain ranges, curvy rivers, streams, channels, brooks, blossoming flowers, chirping birds, noisy cicadas, roaring Bengal tigers!!!! These are the very few things to name, in reality NATURE to understand and more importantly to digest it is so like a horizon to us. In cities we rarely come across nature, and we forget that NATURE is dead for cities! Moving a little away from cities we see green rice fields, age old trees, flowing streams, lively waterfalls. Our journey begins and we think how it is preserved here?
(thick bamboo cover in the forest) TAMHINI- a small village which happily dwells in mountain’s lap is worth visiting! Decent forest covers the small village, and a beautiful, pure, clean stream flows through the forest. It’s a place where our mind experiences divine peace! Biodiversity found here is mind boggling and it’s a treat for naturalists. Rainy season cordially invites number of frog species and thus a food web develops strongly! Photographers enjoy thoroughly and return home satisfied by capturing such a splendid beauty! Why am I talking about this when title is STRONG SUPERSTITIONS? Because superstitions have conserved this nature, they have saved our mother earth from deteriorating! Stunned???? Villagers have a superstition that the stream flowing through the forest is of GOD. They worship this stream, they care for it. Hence, villagers never wash their cattle, clothes, utensils in the stream. Thus, maintaining in its natural form. Neither, they cut any wood from forest. A small deity temple is constructed on a hill and the forest surrounding it is called as DEVRAI. This is preserved in the name of goddess VINZADEVI.

We spontaneously raise eyebrows when heard of superstitions. But never analyze why these are being followed for years together. I thank all those who follow such superstitions. These are contributing immensely in conserving nature. I wish everyone in cities too; believe in such STRONG SUPERSTITIONS… I AM HIGHLY SUPERSTITIOUS!!!
(All photos by SOHAM)

SUNSET.......

It acts as a magnet for me! Witnessing the setting sun is my favorite hobby since couple of years. Some people think sunset means 'win' of DARKNESS. But according to me, it is a healthy goodbye to the ‘day’ and warm welcome to the coming Darkness. Sun slowly creates space for moon to take over the SKY, leaving behind color palate, which fascinates me a lot! Sky moods during sunset are simply amazing! Numerous colors mixed in ‘perfect’ proportions. …

Seen and observed it for days together, I am able to recognize moods of SUN too! Like Sun in hurry, sun with a frown look, sun with tears (seems either me or sun are mad!), lazy sun, shy sun and many more. Sky becomes HIS companion in setting these ‘setting’ moods. It’s the time when I can directly look in HIS (sun) eyes, without blinking, without stressing them…
Apart from the setting Sun and me watching it carefully, there are several other events occurring. Day ends, Dark takes over, Moon takes the centre stage slowly along with millions of stars, plants and flowers start loosing their fresh mood, birds, animals call off the day and return towards their homes, nocturnal world begins with owls, rats, frogs (during rainy season), snakes starting their ‘day’ after a nice sleep. Watching birds flying back to their nests makes me aware of caring nature, aware of eagerness to be at ‘home’!
Light diminishes as I think about the next day’s sunrise… I get up and start ‘returning’ to my house, sun always leaves behind some rays to aid me find the ‘right route’. I turn around and start walking, thanking SUN without words…………

LIFE IN CONCRETE……


Looking through window, I saw some bird busy. Very busy, in fact! Holding something in its beak it relentlessly flew to and fro for countless number of times. There was ‘home’ emerging near my window. Oh… wow! I was going to have a neighbor in a few days of time. Bird was building a nest, which means he would lay eggs in it, and after hatching a NEW LIFE would Begin! A New Life… it made me so excited. Just then, an ant crawled over my hand in a busy mood too! I dint disturb her, may be her kids were hungry. A thought steered in my mind, LIFE IN CONCRETE…!!!! Inspite of our (Human) interference there was life prevalent in cities, where less trees dance along the breeze. The thought had both sides, the good one said LIFE never looses but the second banged in saying WHO GAVE U RIGHTS TO ESTABLISH THE CONCRETE EMPIRE?????? I was left clueless, but then with a positive perspective I started looking @ the LIFE IN CONCRETE!!! Only now, I am able to see the busy birds, crawling insects, colorful butterflies, even the cute kittens, youthful squirrels, running dogs, webby spiders and scary lizards too! Well that’s life.. The way we look at it is more important…
(ALL SNAPS CLICKED BY SOHAM (AUTHOR) - CAMERA Canon S3iS)

आमचं छान चाललय !

माधव आपटे - एक सामान्य माणूस. बॅंकेत चांगल्या पदावर नोकरी, बायको, दोन मुलं, संसार सुखाने करावा, अशी इच्छा मनात, पण तत्त्वं सांभाळताना त्याची कसरत व्हायची... असत्य, लाचलुचपत, रोजच्या जीवनात घडीघडी होणारी फसवणूक या सगळ्याला त्याचा विरोध! .......एक दिवस छोट्याशा कारणावरून त्याच्या भावनांचा उद्रेक होतो अन्‌ "माधव आपटे' जग बदलायला निघतो - संतापतोही! "डोंबिवली फास्ट' पाहताना वाटत होतं आपणही उठावं, जावं, तोडफोड करत फिरावं- सिनेमा संपला आणि लाज वाटली मला. सगळीकडे कौतुक झालं त्या कथानकाचं, अभिनयाचं, त्यात दाखवलेल्या सत्य परिस्थितीतचं - तरीही लाज वाटली, की या विषयावर सिनेमा काढतो आपण. असे विषय सिनेमातून मांडावे लागतायेत, आपल्याच समाजाला नागवं करतोय सर्वांसमोर आणि त्याचंच कौतुक करतोय. यावर कृती सोडाच, विचारही होत नाही, हे त्याहून खेदजनक!तत्त्वे बाळगणारा मूर्ख ठरतो. समाजच त्याला मूर्ख ठरवतो, "लोक' त्याला वेडा ठरवतात, म्हणून ती बाळगायची नाहीत! का? त्याचा लोकांना त्रास होतो. सगळं काही लोकांसाठी! याच लोकांच्यात मिसळायचं. त्यांचं म्हणे ऐकायचं, लोकांशी चांगलं वागायचं, कोणाला दुखवायचं नाही. आयुष्यात याच लोकांपेक्षा "वेगळं' काहीतरी करायचं आणि त्याच वेळी इतर लोकांसारखं वागायचं - लोकांत शोभून दिसेल असं!याच लोकांचा त्रास आपण सहन करायचा, गर्दीत त्यांच्याकडून चेंगरून घ्यायचं, श्‍वास घुसमटला तरी ओरडायचं नाही, तक्रारसुद्धा करायची नाही! याच्या बदल्यात खूप काही मिळतं, मग गर्दीतली घुसमट, पाकीट मारणारे हात, भ्रष्ट पोलिसांचे संरक्षण, आया-बहिणींकडे पाहणारी वखवखती नजर आणि तोंडातून "ब्र' काढताच जिवे मारण्याची धमकी!"दाम' भक्त झाले सगळे! मिळेल तेवढा आणि मिळेल त्या मार्गाने पैसा कमवायचा... लाचारासारखं पुढेपुढे करायचं. सांडलेल्या साखरेपाशी जशी मुंग्यांची रांग लागते, तसे सगळे पैशांमागे धावतात. सारं काही कमावता, पण काय गमावलंय ते लक्षात येत नाही.सगळं पाहतोय पण करता काही येत नाही. मी एकटाच नाही सगळेच पाहताहेत. त्याने घुसमट वाढतीय मनातली. समाज बदलला पाहिजे. आजकाल वाईट दिवस आलेत फार, भविष्य धोक्‍यात आहे या देशाचं, हे विषय गप्पा मारायचे झालेत. एकत्र जमले की दारू ढोसत समाजकल्याणाच्या गोष्टी करायच्या, तावातावात बोलायचं. नशा उतरली, की समाजसेवेची नशाही आपोआपच उतरते. रोजच्या व्यवहारात कोणाशी या विषयावर बोलाल, तर "सोडना रे! कशाला डोकं चालवतो, पैसा कमवायचा! बाकी दुनिया गेली तेल लावत,' असं उत्तर मिळतं. सामान्य माणसांनी या सगळ्यांची इतकी सवय करून घेतली आहे, की हे चक्र नको त्या दिशेने फिरतंय याची त्याला जाणीवच होत नाही! त्यांनी पटवलंय मनाला, की हे जीवन असंच आहे, असंच जगायचंय आता... समाज समाजच राहणार आणि आपण सामान्य मागमूसच! "डोंबिवली फास्ट' सारखा चित्रपट आपण किती "फास्ट' विसरलो! असे अनेक चित्रपट येतील, कौतुक होईल, पुरस्कार मिळतील आणि इतिहासजमा होतील... कोणाला वेळ आहे हे "असलं' लक्षात ठेवायला? एकच सांगावं वाटतंय, मानेवर तलवार ठेवून जगतोय आपण, मान हलवली तर कापली जाईल, हलवली नाही तर अवघडेल - मरेपर्यंत! कापली जाण्यापेक्षा अवघडून मेलेलं पसंत करतायेत सारे... दुसरं का?
- सोहम सबनीस

We are graduates now!

We are focusing at vertical development. Which means the gap between poor and rich people is increasing at a fast pace. Instead we should help to reduce it. For this to happen horizontal development is vital. This will lead to overall development of the society. A very disheartening thing is that very few people think in this way.
What does education mean to people living in cities? May be a Masters degree or something more than that! It is looked upon as a powerful tool to earn money and nothing else. In villages there are schools which lack minimum infrastructure, there are schools having a single teacher, many children have to travel 6-8 km daily for schooling without any mode of transport ( i.e walking!!). The very important learning atmosphere is missing completely!
Recently I went to a village named ‘Khireshwar’ (foot village of Harishchandra fort). I saw the school there. A very simple school..hardly 7-8 classrooms. I do not know much about the staff there nor about the school atmosphere as I went there at night, I left the village on Sunday. But the entire night I thought about education facilities in villages like the one I was staying in! It seemed that we GRADUATES from the CITIES are very selfish! Constantly my mind compared the school I went and the schools in village. There was a huge gap, which is very difficult to span, and with our negligence, the task is going to be more difficult. What is the solution? I am unable to find a very strong solution to this. However, I think if all young graduates, postgraduates come together and visit different villages to help our brothers and sisters in their education; it would be a remarkable thing. I know that for this problem to be solved, a very strong government support is required, but why should we wait for our lethargic government to act on this? Even if we work on Saturday-Sundays, it would be a great achievement. So lets begin the ‘GRAM SHIKSKHA ABHIYAN’.

In Pursuit Of Happiness..

Get admission in a good college, for that you have study hard… so that our parents, friends and YOU feel good; everyone praise you for being brilliant throughout! In the college be obedient, studious and helpful so that you are famous … when with friends; during any kind of debate, or chatting make sure that you don’t remain unnoticed. Wear stylish clothes, accessories so that when u walk around u get noticed!
College days fade off and soon u realize that you failed to make a mark as per your wish. U realize that there are more areas u should be working on so that u make ur mark! And then in search of job u improvise on ur communication skills, ur personality, ur fitness.. one fine day there is an offer letter in your hand , those salary figures live upto ur expectations and now u r the happiest creature on the earth! Ur cell phone rings, a happy voice screams in your ears.. he is ur friend informing u about the job he got, 1.5 times ur salary!!!! And now u become as helpless as never before! for that moment u forget that he is ur friend, you tend to faint (mentally)… yet again have u failed to MAKE A MARK???
U work hard , earn lots of money.. spend it to get noticed! You want to be a gud son, a nice husband, an adorable father and a lovely grandfather! Each time in every role, u make ur mark! Is that volatile? Does anyone really remember THAT mark u have tried to make? Does these things really satisfy u? when ur death bell rings, are u completely satisfied ? do you have regrets, expectations, jealousy????? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You aren’t satisfied at all… in the race of MAKING A MARK u r the biggest looser. What mark have you made? No answer…. Have you contributed substantially to this world…not in terms of money but in terms of moral values? No answer… have u enjoyed ur hobbies? Have you lived a single day as per your wish? Have you ever slept peacefully not because your body was tired but ur mind was relaxed???? No answer….
You never made a point to think about these questions!!!! U developed a skill of being positive throughout ur life but at the end you get all negative answers! Then was that a skill really developed ? U have saved huge amount in the banks but still ur ‘satisfaction pool’ is empty! Then where is ur mark???? It has vanished…rather it wasn’t there at all.. THAT MARK sucked ur energy throughout the race and didn’t fetch u a single penny!!!
You might think I am trying to MAKE A MARK as a writer, so that someone should recognize it, should pat my back..and say “You are gud at penning your views” though I don’t want to make a mark, still that may happen…

ITS REALITY

I went to a corporation school recently, and was helping 5th std students to understand mathematics. Everyone tried hard to get the answer to a very simple problem. Swapnil wasn’t scribbling anything in his notebook, I went and asked his problem..he didn’t have a pencil! i checked in my bag..Even i did not have it. This incident made me think wider...Swapnil had a problem knew the solution but i failed to solve his problem. in my cupboard there are dozens of pencils but what’s the use of those? i failed to solve his problem though i addressed it.. This exactly is the scene around us! We are aware of the loopholes yet we aren’t able to seal them, instead we are widening them ferociously.
When i shared this problem with my friends their instant reply was-"it is for government to look into it!!!After all the elected members are there to do these jobs! Its not our job at all!"..I was shocked and worried at the same time! i remembered our GD sessions in which everyone was talking, debating on issues country is facing like poverty, child labour, illiteracy and many more. each person there spoke with a vision, with a passion and with a virtual motto of 'charity begins at home'...well, that was all for scoring high marks! it was all false care...false care for brothers and sisters who are suffering! it was a selfish act, completely selfish! my brain went numb for few minutes before i concluded that this is the REALITY! not a single person debating was interested in changing the present situation. Why i should do it? whats the big deal as long as i am getting handsome salary? Were the 2QUESTIONS continuously growing in their BRILLIANT MINDS!
i am not writing this to get your brains washed, neither i am going to advise you to do anything. Its your decision to act upon..If u r willing to act! some may think throwing money would simplify this problem, but mind u it will make it more worse. its not ONLY money which is needed , efforts from each of one us, winning hearts of poor people, making them feel comfortable when we work with them, is required the most. Its upon you all how to lead your life and how to help others to lead their lives!!!!!!!!!!!!