Today I would tell you about one story that appeared in the kids’ section of the Sunday supplement of Navabharat Times and which has made the biggest impact on my lifestyle and brought the biggest change in me. Continue reading
Photo source: huffingtonpost.in
This story had appeared in Navabharat Times and is among the shortest pieces of fiction I have read. This story showed how intense emotion can be generated even with very few words, so that elaborate melodrama is absolutely not required. Now, in the beginning itself, let me raise the alert that the philosophy of the story is debatable. I myself couldn’t convince myself to the thinking of this story. This is a complex world, circumstances do not follow any computer algorithm; people are not logical creatures — it is not necessary that any person would act the same way in all possible circumstances and would deal with everybody in absolutely same fashion irrespective of the state of mind or circumstances. Anyway, let me narrate the story. Continue reading
I had gone to Delhi for some exam and was now returning to Rishikesh by evening bus. It is a usual practice among students to make the 6-hour night journey to take various competitive exams. Buses were efficient and comfortable. Bus journeys also allow us to come across different people from different backgrounds and help us see the different shades of this colourful world. Continue reading
This story had appeared in children’s magazine Lotpot. A young boy was very fond of Indian fast food, or rather street food — chaat, samosa, tikki and so on. Every other day he would demand his father to take him to the stalls offering such spicy delicacies. His father resisted a lot, but had to surrender. His mother would teach him how eating street food was not healthy, and even went to the extent of offering to make some of those snacks at home itself. But the boy didn’t listen. He did not find the same flavour in home made snacks as found in street food. In fact, he was completely addicted to the street food. His parents were very worried, but could not figure out how to deal with the problem. Continue reading
A question is generally asked — Does literature have any social responsibility or is it yet another means of aesthetic pleasure? In fact, this question is asked not just about literature, instead about all arts. However, in this post I would not go into the debate on this issue. Continue reading
Over the last few months we came across several news items one after another related to what could be called as ‘parallel’ religion. The enormity of the issues was such great and the coverage in media was so exhaustive that not much is left for me to add. In addition to reporting the developments in the cases, there have also been thorough analyses and commentaries on various aspects of the issue. Continue reading
यदि किसी से “जो गरजते हैं वो बरसते नहीं” का अर्थ उदाहरण देकर समझाने के लिए कहा जाए, तो मेरे विचार से अधिकांश लोग वेंकटेश प्रसाद और आमिर सुहेल के द्वन्द्व का वर्णन करेंगे । घटना है बीस साल पहले 15 मार्च 1996 की । कितनी आश्चर्यजनक बात है न, कि सभी ऐतिहासिक घटनाएँ हमारी स्मृति के रसातल से 20 साल बाद ही सतह पर आती हैं । ओ हेनरी की इसी शीर्षक की एक कहानी है, और विश्वजीत-अभिनीत एक हिन्दी फिल्म भी है । बहरहाल, हम बात कर रहे हैं 1996 की । Continue reading
photo credit: Anne Worner Introspection via photopin (license)
Today I would narrate the story of my first and only Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in 2003. This festival is not celebrated in the part of the country where I live. In our customs, we celebrate the Ganesh Chaturthi that falls in the Kartik month. So it was out of added curiosity and interest that I accepted the lady’s kind invitation for a community prayer and celebration of the festival. It was indeed a very colourful event as the devotees and participants came from different parts of the country who communicated with each other in Hindi, English and C. I found that the basic essentials of this festival were the same as the one we celebrate in Kartik month, except the immersion part. That means, there was the same story telling, same prayers, and same aarti. Continue reading
Photo source: The Times of India
— यदि आप हमसे पूछें तो रसखान जैसा कवि हिन्दी साहित्य में दूसरा कोई नहीं है । – कहकर उसने अपनी गर्दन को कबूतर के जैसे एक ओर घुमाया और सडक पर थूका, फिर अपने विचारों का सारांश बताया –
— लोगों को तो सूर, तुलसी, कबीर और आजकल निराला, दिनकर से आगे कुछ दिखता ही नहीं है । वरना रसखान को तो समझो बस रस की खान । – कहकर उसने फिर से थूका । Continue reading
Pradyot 