छोड़ो कल की बातें !

ऑस्ट्रेलिया और शायद सभी विकसित देशों में जिंदगी ने अपना सुर स्थापित कर लिया है. भारत और उसके जैसे विकासशील देश जो पूँजीवादिता की दौड में पीछे नहीं रहना चाहते, इन देशों का अनुसरण कर रहे है.

ऑस्ट्रेलिया में सूर्योदय से एक घंटे पहले दिनचर्या आरम्भ हो जाती है. ज्यादातर माँ-बाप दोनों जीविकोपार्जन के लिए काम करते हैं. इसलिए  दिनचर्या का चौखटा १० साल से कम उम्र के बच्चे तय करते हैं जिन्हें घर पर अकेला नहीं छोड़ा जा सकता.

सुबह सवेरे माँ-बाप अपने छोटे बच्चों ( तीन महीने से पांच साल ) को डे-केयर में छोड़ आते हैं. यह काम सुबह छ बजे से आठ बजे तक होता है. दिहाडी मजदूर, मिस्त्री, कारीगर अपने कार्यस्थल पर छ से सात बजे के अंदर आ जाते हैं जिससे कि उनका काम या काम करने की अवधि तीन बजते-बजते खत्म हो जाये. ऑफिस में काम करने वाले वाईट कालर्ड जन जैसे सॉफ्टवेयर इंजीनीयर, मैनेजर, डॉक्टर, इत्यादि अपने बच्चों को आठ बजे तक डे-केयर में सौंप कर अपने कार्यस्थल पर नौ बजे तक पहुँच जाते हैं. बच्चों को वापस लेकर घर लौटने का कार्यक्रम तीन बजे से छ बजे शाम तक होता है.

यहाँ के डे-केयर में व्यवासिकता के साथ-साथ समर्पित भावना का बहुत सुन्दर समिश्रण है. कोई भी अपना बच्चा यहाँ छोडना चाहेगा और कोई भी बच्चा यहाँ समय बिताना चाहेगा. जब आप बच्चे को वापिस लेने जायेंगे तो आपको एक डायरी में दस्तखत करना होता है जिसमे बच्चे के दिनभर के सारे क्रियाकलापों का ब्यौरा होता है जैसे के और कितना खाया, कितने बार हल्का किया, कितनी देर और कब सोया और क्या सीखा इत्यादि. आपका बच्चा अगर आराम से डे-केयर जाता है और लौटते वक्त अपने साथियों एवं खासकर अपनी टीचर को गुड बाई कहता है तो आपको भी उनके समर्पण और अपनेपन पर विश्वास होता है.

यहाँ सुबह के समय जोग्गर्स पार्क में बूढी औरतें सरपट चलती मिलेंगी. बूढ़े आदमी जोग्गिंग करते मिलेंगे. बूढ़े से मेरा मतलब ७० और उसके ऊपर के लोगों से है. अगर इससे कम उम्र के लोग एक्का-दुक्का मिलते भी हैं तो इसका मतलब है कि वे या तो छुट्टी पर हैं या छुट्टी बिताने आयें हैं.  जिनके पास पालतू कुत्ते होते हैं वे उन्हें पौटी कराने साथ ले आते है. कुत्ते की पौटी को फेंकने के लिए हरेक पार्क में बिन और पोलीथीन बैग की व्यवस्था है. सुबह और शाम की तफरीह् तब ज्यादा खुशदायक हो जाती है जब सभी गुजरने वाले आपको मुस्कुराकर विश करते हैं चाहे आप पहली बार एक-दूसरे को देख रहे हों.

ऑस्ट्रेलिया में सिविक-सेन्स और सिविक सुविधाएँ तारीफ और अनुसरण के काबिल है. प्रत्येक घर को हरे( बायोडिग्रेडेबल) और पीले (रिसायिकिलेब्ल) रंग का २०० लीटर वाला कचरे का डिब्बा मिला होता है जिसे खाली करने प्रत्येक सप्ताह म्युनिसिपालिटी की गाडी आती है. सड़क की सफाई के लिए मोबाइल स्वीपर इस्तेमाल किये जाते हैं.ऐसी ही सफाई पार्क की होती है जहाँ कचरे के डिब्बे के अलावा खोज-खोज कर कचरा इकठ्ठा किया जाता है. घास के प्रुनिग होती है. प्ले-स्टेशन का रख-रखाव व् ओइलिंग हरेक महीने होता है. अगर कोई घर बन रहा होता है तो उसके बाहर बजट टॉयलेट का इंतजाम क़ानूनन् है. 

पार्क  और जोग्गिंग ट्रैक ऐसे हैं कि बीमार और बूढ़े भी टहलने और दौड़ने लगे. हरी कारपेट घास, और तरह-तरह के पेड़ जिसकी सिचाईं के लिए सामान दूरी पर स्वचालित स्प्रिकलर लगे होते हैं,
ट्रांसपोर्ट  का इंतजाम अति सुन्दर है. एक अपाहिज भी अपनी बग्गी पर सवार रहते बस या ट्रेन में आराम से चढ सकता है जहाँ उसके लिए जगह सुरक्षित रहती है. यहाँ  बाईसाईकिल और मोटर बाईक लोग शौकिया चलाते हैं. सड़क पर ९९% कार दिखेगी. शहर और हाई वे की बात तो छोडिये, दूर-दराज गांव और बस्तियों की सड़कें भी शानदार और मेन्टेन्ड हैं. पैदल और साईकिल के लिए सामानांतर लेन, पार्किंग के लिए जगह-जगह लाल रंग की बाईलेन और पार्किंग स्पेस कहीं भी कोई उलझन की गुन्जायिश नहीं रहने देती हैं.

ऑस्ट्रेलिया में सड़कों पर त्यौहार या जश्न मनाने की आदत ना के बराबर है. क्रिसमस और ईस्टर जैसे त्यौहार भी घर पर, चर्च में या होटल में मनाये जाते है. हाँ वीकेंड में पार्कों में मिलन होता है बार-बी-क्यू और बीयर के साथ जिसके लिए वहाँ शासन की तरफ से शेडेड टेबल, बेंच, बार-बी-क्यू, बिजली, पानी, टॉयलेट, कचरे के डिब्बे इत्यादि की सुविधा दी जाती है. और अगर किसी दिन पड़ोस के घर में गेट-टूगेदर है तो आपका पडोसी बहुत पहले आकर आपको कुछ हल्ला होने के अंदेशा की सूचना अवश्य देगा.
यहाँ  की सबसे अच्छी बात है के किसी काम को छोटा नहीं समझा जाता. मजेदार बात यह है कि एक सॉफ्टवेयर विशेषज्ञ से ज्यादा डालर राज मिस्त्री और उससे भी ज्यादा खान में काम करने वाले कमाते हैं. रहन-सहन और ठाठ-बाट में रत्ती भर भी फर्क नजर नहीं आएगा. यह दूसरी बात है कि एक पांचवी पास , एक स्कूल पास, एक स्नातक और एक स्कालर की शख्शियत तो मालूम पड़ ही जाती है. 

ऑस्ट्रेलिया विदेशियों को बसने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करता है. इसके पास अपार निर्जन जमीन है जिसे विकसित किया जा सकता है. अच्छी तादाद में लोग आ भी रहे है. नयी बस्तियां और नगरों का विकास व निर्माण हो रहा है. पर गौर करने लायक बात यह है कि कहीं भी पेड़ काटे नहीं जाते, उनके चारों तरफ पार्क बना दिए जाते हैं. बालडाईविस पर्थ से ४० किलोमीटर दक्षिण है, जहाँ हमारा घर है. घर से फर्लांग भर के दायरे में चार पार्क हैं. एक पार्क जो बालडाईविस रोड के साथ साथ है उसकी लम्बाई तकरीबन एक किलोमीटर होगी जिसमे तीन सरोवर, तीन प्ले स्टेशन, दो बार-बी-क्यू प्लेस और एक टेनिस कोर्ट है. 
 

 

Hot Wind

If you wish to know the mind of a man, listen to his words.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In India, when a Pak President comes to spend a holiday, it is time for celebration. Mr. Musharraf was in India in 2005 and was visiting Ajmer Sharif. I was in Pune. Girish, fiancé  of my younger daughter was with me. The young generation was puzzled with the stance taken by the Pak President. I told them that that during pre-independence period, people of both the countries were living together  like a family. If any of them wished to have a looksee of those good days, he must see the National Award recipient Hindi feature film named “Garm Hawa”  . They all agreed.

I went out with Girish  to the market place to get a compact disc on the above film.  The shop owner was a middle aged Marathi Manus. We asked him for a disc on the Hindi feature film “Garm Hawa”.

It took almost one Venus minute for him to speak up. For those long moments, he was staring at me and my future son-in-law. And when he spoke, it was with contempt , “ I do not keep hot films.” It took us another Mercury minute or two to make him understand that the film was not a hot stuff but was a story on partition of 1947.

We returned empty handed. While returning , Girish asked me as to why he was so full of contempt. I  had to answer.

The shopkeeper might have visitors asking for porn films but never a father and son together.

Those Jolly OZ's

My childhood realization of the world was full of sound and music. I was three when I was in the midst of jungles of Tata Nagar where every morning started with village folks (aboriginals) singing and passing by our street. Thereafter, farmers started their rendezvous to their farm lands singing and encouraging bullocks and oxen to march ahead . Then there were choirs from the street hawkers and vegetable vendors. Often, film promoters roamed the streets with blaring loud speakers during noon. There used to be lull in the afternoon. The evening earmarked themselves with children playing outdoor games with usual din and bustle. As soon as the Sun descended into the horizon, we used to hear howls of jackals followed by roars and growls of tigers, perhaps Royal Bengal Tigers. That was enough to put us into sleep.We grew up with noise and music. Almost all our festivals were creamed with devotional or film songs that too at a very high pitch so that it could reach our friends and adversaries residing some 1000 meter distant.  I myself with all the zeal started playing film songs at a very high decibel during my sister’s marriage in 1970. It was only when , my father chided me and allowed only soft music of classical instrumental at in-house volume that I understood the beauty of softness and delicacy of music.Another complex that adhered me was of avoiding elderly during my street exposure. I used to change route to avoid elderly gazes more so because I might have to pay respect and in return withstand volleys of questioning.
As soon as I retired from my active service, I left the campus of my employer, the Heavy Engineering Corporation. There was a reason. I used to find elderly retired people sitting on the roadside benches or culverts unnoticed. What puzzled and saddened me the most was that persons who were working hand to hand and shoulder to shoulder with them were also taking no notice of them. I hated HEC people for that.
After retirement, I blended in my habit to take long walks in the morning and in the evening to keep myself fit and fresh. There again, to my surprise, I found most people known to me not exchanging courtesy wishes as if that would break their rhythm. I thought that was perhaps the etiquettes of walking  and jogging.
My understanding of my world would have remained unchanged if I had not come out of my shell and visited Australia. I spent 6 months with my daughter at Baldivis which is around 40KM from Perth. My son-in-law who had been to Switzerland says that this place is more beautiful and scenic than S-land. I have no reasons to disagree.Here, everybody is unknown to me. However, when I take morning stroll or an afternoon walk or an evening roundabout, anyone who is crossing me or any jogger overtaking me never forgets to wish me as per the demand of the hours. Now, most of the time, I take initiative. Of late, children going to school have identified me as a regular walker and they also take pleasure in wishing me a good morning or simply a “Hello”. Their smiling virgin faces  make my day  beautiful.  One evening, our door was knocked. I found my next door neighbor waiting outside. He had come to inform us that during night hours, they would be having a barbeque(BBQ)  party and that that might be a bit noisy. He further said that if that was OK then they would go ahead as scheduled. I smiling replied that it was and wished  them a happy get- together. 

Swami Vivekaanand has said,"Mutual exchange of goodness is always value additive." I intend to blend these goodies with me and change my stance accordingly when I return to India. 

FBI

Since I joined FB 3 years back, I was always wondering regarding the name given to this social networking.With time,what I understood is this to be a FACEBOOK OF INTROSPECTION (FBI).Are we not carrying out detailed mental examination of our own feelings, thoughts, and motives by way of sharing news that interest us with our comments,sharing photos which flashback our memories,uploading latest pics showing our activities. Songs and scenes from films, great singers et.al. are some all time hits with people visiting FB.Most interestingly, each one of the above social networking activity reflects the mindset of the person in the helms. If he is happy then you shall find optimism in photos, videos and media news analysis. If one is sad then his outburst shall also put you in melancholy.The most dreary part is when the person is silent. He may be ill. He may be fully occupied.He may be in sour mood. He may be unhappy with outspoken impulses of the other.He may be angry with himself.You may also find well defined conceited person and some spoil-sports. Jealous or ego-stricken ? God forbid !
I like persons who keep updates with mobile.That is socializing to perfection.A simple 4 letter word "Like" is enough to make "on the counter" person happy. I feel that such expressions should be enriched with a valid comment to authenticate the seriousness of the stamp. I am yet to see a rejoinder like "unlike". That shows the extent of consideration for each other. This is perhaps the trump card of FB.

I had retired from my active service and I was 62 when I registered in the FB, I received a message from my eldest brother,"Write something" and " and keep yourself busy...." This was the shortest possible compliment to FB.That was 090907. I had just rejuvenated  from  99% on the other side.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World

 I was thirteen. I got admission in a college in Ranchi (India). That was 1961. Ranchi is famous in the world for its mental hospital.  It has a capacity to take care of hundred plus mentally challenged persons. I had seen one or two mentally challenged persons in my life but never a crowd. I with my colleagues planned a visit by bicycle to this 5Km distant place.
There was a huge closed metal grilled gate visible from a distance. Lots of people were seen to be occupying the long pathway leading to a huge building. When we came nearer, we found a lush garden on both the sides. Some people were cleaning or irrigating plants and shrubs. Some were sitting randomly. I saw a 40 year old person wearing a cap and standing with one leg perched on a stone. He seemed to be in deep thinking mode looking at the sky with fingers of his right hand placed on the chin. I had earlier seen a sculpture of Pallas Athena in such a stance in my course book. We dared to come very close to the gate to have a better visual. Suddenly a huge man with a bucket in his right hand clasped my hand resting on the gate grill with his left hand. From the grasp, I, at once knew that it was difficult to get my hand released.
That man in his fifties fixed his gaze. He smiled at me and whispered,” What are you doing inside? Come and see outside. It is great.”
To my relief, a person in khaki uniform came to my rescue. I immediately rushed back to my bicycle. During my return and thereafter for quite some time, I was an object of mockery among colleagues.
Today, when I am 63, I could comprehend slightly better, the meaning implicit of that advice.
The mentally handicapped man was by far very happy in the given environment. He wanted me to share his happiness. He found us to be still imprisoned in our environment and circumstances. He had a one undivided world. We are still looking for one world-one society-one religion.