I wrote this poem on Hindi Diwas. The idea behind it is that "Hindi" is a person narrating the change he has experienced in his lifetime.



Baat hai uss samay ki jab charam par mera darja tha,
Nikala karta tha jo mai ghar se,
Raub gazab hi hota tha.
Vaid fakeer kya ameer gareeb,
Sab ki zubaan pr mera charcha tha,
Baat hai uss samay ki jab charam par mera darja tha..

Yaad hai muje woh din purane,
Jab istemaal mera khub hota tha.
Filmo ke gaano mei jab buna muje jaata
toh sunke unn shabdo ko pyar sunne wale ko ho jaata tha,
Chote bache ka jab phela shabd "maa" hua krta tha
toh seena khushi se mera aur fool jaata tha.

Fir aae woh angrez hind mei aastitv mera mitane ko,
Lekin ladd ke unse bhi, maine khud lehraya apne maan ka parcha tha,
Baat hai uss samay ki jab charam par mera darja tha..

Bhaga ke unko desh se mere, maine sukoon paya tha,
Lekin badal sankat ka muhj pr fir se laut aaya tha.
Dehka mere hind mei hi muje thukraya ja raha hai,
Gaano mei pyar ki jagah love you love you gaaya jaa raha hai.
Hua jo bacha bada thoda umeed khushi ki jaagi hai,
Lekin suna jo mom uske muhh se toh laga saas nahi ab baaki hai.

Karu kya shikayat aam logo ki ab,
Yaha toh kaanoon bhi sab angrezi mei hota hai.
Ho jo koi faisla bhi agar mere paksh mei toh woh bhi angrezi mei hi hota hai.
Haalaat ho gye hai aise ab ke neend bhi nahi aani hai,
Vaid fakeer kya ameer gareeb,
Sab ki angrezi hi ab zubani hai.

Umeed hai aaj bhi ke ghar se bahar fir mai nikaluga,
Seena hoga garvit mera, sabki aawaz mei chehkuga.
Nahi koi dushmani meri angrezi se, maat fir isse mai de dunga,
Hai kya auda hind mei mera, bta ek din sabko dunga.
Bs yehi zara dard tha mera, jiska hua na kabhi charcha tha,
Baat hai uss samay ki jab charam par mera darja tha....

Politics and I

When I watched the politicians speaking on the stage and addressing the people, I was happy to hear the promises they did. I thought that now the women would be safe to walk on the streets anytime they want. I was happy that there will be no thefts or nuisance in my area. I was delighted knowing that there would no longer be tension in my house over paying my fees as I have heard that they would lower the fees in private institutions. My grandfather’s pension use to come late every month. And even for that he waited for long hours in those Government offices. I’m glad he would now get it on time. My maid takes her child with her when she goes for work. The child is very fond of studying but cannot study because of poverty. I have also heard the promises that every poor child would now get free education. I was pleased to know that there would be plentiful job opportunities for all those who seek for a job. The corruption in the system will no longer exist. I was ecstatic to know that I would enjoy a better life in terms of education, freedom, lifestyle and income.

Finally, came the day of voting. But I did not go to vote. I didn't vote for any party. And after sometime I came to know that the party I was keen on has won the elections and will now form the Government. I was on cloud nine as to all what I have heard will now come true. Months passed by, but I didn't found any change. The women safety instead of getting better got worse. Crime rate multiplied rapidly. The corruption which was to be erased, hit the highest point. The poor child, who desired to study, died of hunger instead. In spite of new job opportunities the people lost their existing jobs.

I kept quiet for long but then it was high time. There was no way I would have now stopped what was happening around me but all I could do is stand against it. Fight for what was right and make others do it too. I stood for Nirbhaya, and got myself arrested for brawling on the streets of the capital but still fought for her justice. I stood against the corrupted Government. I fueled the anti corruption movement, whether on the grounds of Ramleela Maidan or on Facebook, Twitter, etc. I struggled for the money which was looted and the frauds done to me. In between all these protests I always blamed myself. If I would have given my vote then maybe all this through which I’m going now, might not have taken place. But from now, I pledge to become the change I want to see in my nation. I will not sit and watch the drama; I will be the part of it. I pledge to vote this time. After all I’m the part of the ‘youngest democracy of the world’.

I’m the youth of India.

Incredible India's barely credible politics

Well, this is the first time I’m writing something on politics. Last night I was watching news on TV, and all the news channels had political stories on them. I have recently developed a taste about politics (p.s. that doesn’t mean I like politics) as I find it interesting and hilarious at times. The best thing about Indian politics is that it is open for all. Regardless of your age, sex and caste (I suppose), you can be a politician. The most startling thing was when I googled “What is the retirement age of politicians in India?”, and Google said there is still a debate going on for that. One of the young congressmen, Sachin Pilot said the trend everywhere is catch them young. Why exclude politicians?  If there had been any slogan for Indian politics in particular, then what would it be? Any guesses? Well yes, “OLD IS GOLD”.

In fact now a day the tickets for fighting an election are given to whoever asks for it. Lately, Raju Srivastava (Comedian) joined the Bhartiya Janta Party after leaving the Samajwadi Party, who gave him the ticket of Kanpur seat. Veteran actor Shatrughun Sinha is also contesting from his native Patna Saheb and actress Kirron Kher also got a ticket to fight from Chandigarh (I guess she is tired of judging India’s talent, so she is planning to judge Chandigarh’s talent in particular). The irony is Bollywood actors are turning into politicians, politicians are watching porn and porn stars are becoming Bollywood actors. Fhew..! No offense but Jai Hind! 

Blissful Manali

Going out with friends for long trips was always what I wanted to do. But sadly I never got a chance to go for long trips in my school times. Well all I waited for was college to go on such jaunts. So, this was my first trip with my college friends. We went to a heavenly place on earth- Manali.

After several no’s from the students and many rejections from the college, finally an educational excursion was planned. In the process of deciding the place for the trip, we went all the way from Jammu to Rajasthan to Kerala to Shillong on the map and at last all agreed for a hill station in Himanchal Pradesh. We decided to go to Manali and the places nearby like Manikaran, Kullu, etc. My journey began on 19^th February. It was an overnight journey from Delhi to Manali. Two buses and a mini bus were booked for the students. All of my friends and I took over the mini bus.

Day 1

I packed my bags and was all set to go for Manali. I’m a loyal viewer of the travel shows on Discovery, etc. So as it was my first expedition, I was imagining myself as one those hosts’ on the television. With a delay of an hour, our voyage began by 3 in the afternoon. It was an overnight journey Manali, and the ride was one of the best rides of my life. In the day time, we passed from outer Haryana. There was not much for the views but lush green farms and buffaloes. The drive in the night was a wonderful experience. It was dark; from the front seat only thing I could see in the headlights was the narrow road with pits and pot holes, blind curves, steep gradients, no street lights in most of the forest area. We reached Manali early in the morning. As soon as I came out of the bus, I stepped in the pure white snow. It was the first time I was in the snow.

After a exhausting journey I slept for an hour. After getting up we all were set to go the Hidimba Devi Temple. The 500 year old temple is built with wood and has a wooden pagoda with three tapering roofs. The doors and the outer walls are carved very beautifully and intricately. The Hidimba Devi image is in a massive rock cave. The temple is one of the five sites waiting to be added to UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. There is a rope hanging near the rock. The legend says that, those days’ hands of sinners would be tied to this rope and sinners would be pushed hard swinging against the rock!

Hidimba Devi has a short role in the great Hindu epic Mahabharata. She was one of the wives of Bhimasena, the second brother of Pandavas, and mother of Ghatotkacha. She belonged to Kirataka tribe (forest dwellers) from Nepal. She and her brother Rakshasa Hidimbasura wanted to eat Pandavas. Bhima killed Hidimbasura and married Hidimba Devi instead. There are many animal antlers along with the head of the animal mounted on the walls.

A short walk towards the west is the tree temple of Ghatotkacha, the only son of Hidimba Devi and Bhima. There were many embellishments on the tree trunk much different from that of temples in the south. It was a nice experience to visit an ancient temple of rakshasi, built of wood. After visiting the temple, we went to a Buddhist monastery. The monastery is near the main market of Manali. The main market is a nice place to buy shawls and woolen caps, etc. There are also these small stalls which sell customized key chains. There is also a traditional Tibetan market near the monastery which sells traditional Tibetan stuff.

After long walks we came back to our hotel and did nothing but eat and talk all the time. Our next day was planned for adventure sports in Solang valley.

Day 2

The day started with a great view of snow outside our hotel window. It was beautiful white snow outside the hotel which rejuvenated my mood and all my laziness went. I was again ready to explore more of Manali.

We were to go to Solang Valley for our adventure sports. Solang Valley is popularly known as Snow Point, is 13 km northwest of Manali.  It is a picturesque spot and offers splendid views of glaciers and the snow-capped mountains. Solang valley also offers attractions like paragliding, snorkeling etc. Before going to the valley, we needed to rent ski-suits because the temperature on the top was very freezing. We rented the suits for Rs. 250 and headed our way to Solang valley. From the place where we were dropped, we had to walk the distance of 2 kms. to the valley or there was another way; shortcut. (Tip:  If you love adventures, then always go for the shortcut in snow. You would definitely love it.)

There were many sports up there like Zorbing, Tube Sliding, Skiing, Motor Bike ride but it was time for some adrenaline rush! Yeah! Paragliding down. The view of the valley from top was gripping. I envy the birds! I wish they understood the gift of God! Fhew ... I felt so light while flying. And after paying for it my pocket felt equally light too. I almost did all the sports there. I was having the best time in the Solang valley. After doing the sports my stomach felt empty. Among all the stalls, one dish was common- Maggie. We had Maggie and were ready to play in the snow. The view of Solang Valley was very scenic. There was a carpet of clean white snow all over and the sky was full with tourists’ paragliding. After spending a great time at Solang valley, we headed towards Old Manali.

 When I heard “Old Manali”, the first picture which came to my mind was a village with old pahadi people doing farming and living there. But I was wrong. At a distance of 3 km northwest of Manali is Old Manali, famous for its orchards and old guesthouses. Calm and serene surroundings coupled with the sound of Beas river is a very peaceful experience.

Old Manali is one of the best places to hang out in the evening. It has a great collection of restaurants/bars and shops. It is also not crowded like the Mall Road, with the crowd consisting mostly of foreigners. You can get a nibble of Yak's cheese in the restaurant's here. Some of the hangout places in Old Manali-

The Lazy Dog has an extensive multi-cuisine menu, featuring an assortment from Korean, Japanese, Thai, Italian, Vietnamese, Continental and Indian Cuisine. The food is excellent and the ambiance is great.

Sher e Punjab serves good butter chicken with butter naan. You can also get a beer which is not mentioned in the menu, if you ask for.

Bob Dylan's Cafe (also known as Roasted and Toasted) is in the heart of Old Manali. It serves the most delicious cookies and sandwiches. With its extremely good menu and pocket friendly price, it remains one of the most popular destinations after a day's sightseeing. Also, at no extra cost you have a very comfortable movie theater where you can choose among some 100 movie titles and watch as you munch on those delicious cookies. And yes, they do play Bob Dylan's songs. Must visit.

Cafe m 1947 is the 1st Music Cafe in Old Manali (near the Bridge), located on the banks of the River Manalsu. Cuisines from all around the globe and known for its dishes like the "Burger of Bodom", "UFO", and "The Terminator". Travelers can also pacify themselves by playing instruments in rhythm with the Voice of the River. Also, there are Unplugged Concerts and parties held time and again.

It was evening by the time we left back for our hotel. The whole day was very tiring but fun. It was the first time I did the adventure sports in snow. Our next and last day was scheduled for one final sport- White river water rafting and also for visiting the Gurudwara in Manikaran.

Day 3

It was our last day in Manali. The day started early. We got up at 6.30 and were asked to get ready by 8. After packing our bags we headed for Manikaran. Before reaching Manikaran, we were to do rafting. (Tip: If you are afraid of water, then you should definitely go for rafting. It will scare the hell out of you.  If you are not then also go for it as the temperature of water will chill your bones.)

Rafting is done in a group. We quickly formed a group of six and went for the rafting. It was a 45 minute raft in the Vyas River. The flow of the river was quite fast and a bit terrifying (it is a bit terrifying only if you are not afraid of water otherwise it’s scary). The sport of rafting is called White water Rafting as the flowing water of the river give the impression to be white in color. The ride was enjoyable and also scary at times. But the water was extremely cold at that point of time. It was so chilled that after coming out from the rafting, we all were wet and due to cold water our legs and hands became paralyzed for some time. We were unable to feel our body parts for a while. After changing our wet clothes, we moved for Manikaran.

Manikaran is situated under high snowy peaks of Parvati Mountains. It is famous for its sulphurous hot water springs. The water is known for its healing qualities. The water there is so hot that one can even cook rice in that water. After paying a visit in the Gurudwara and eating the Langar we sat back in our buses to go back to our homes.

The visit to this small and neat Himalayan village was memorable. The snowy views from the hotel room, the adventure sports, time spent with friends and many such things will be kept treasured to me.