The imagery line

Have you ever considered how difficult it is to express something that exists just because we map it and nothing more than that? It is difficult to explain the significance of any such thing. I also bumped into something like that as we, as group of people, were moving towards Sanchi from Bhopal. As we traveled some 45 minutes from the capital city, our route guide (aka driver) suddenly braked. Before even asking him why, we knew our answer. There was this board that was etched with ‘Tropic of Cancer’… ‘Wow!’ we all chorused. It was an amazing sight upfront, which we never expected. Since it was unexpected, the sight became even more enticing and exciting. It was hot of end May, yet all bumped out of the car in a flash like a child coming out to enjoy first rain out of his home. Then, it was fascinating photo-op that took over the arid landscape…. the signboard of the kark rekha, we, devastating heat and the bright sunshine.

Now that I am back in Delhi, leaving back that significant line that traverses through the small village of Dewanganj, that should be 20 kms away from Bhopal, I was enthused by the desire to know whether there are any specific big town or city that falls on this imagery line. Though, another fellow rider had told me during that trip that Jabalpur and Nagpur do fall on this line. As I Google-d, Ujjain also figures under this. While Jabalpur falls on it, Nagpur falls short of it; the city is located below the line. By the way, The Tropic of Cancer is best described as lying at 23° 26′ 22″ north of the Equator.

It is amazing to find a discovery of human specie, that did not required brains as such. Yet, a commendable act to find the right location where the line needs to be imagined. This very feeling enthralled all of us. At least, coming close to it, I was. I am also happy for no reasons, as I experienced something not to be seen to say the least. It is just an imagination after all.... The only help is that the point of imagination is well marked. Next spot of imagination… don’t mind to imagine somewhere where a step upward or downward will make me either tilt north or south, respectively, of Earth. I mean Equator.

Co-existing with the dead

Standing beneath the clear night sky takes me to a different realm of reality. When I see the stars twinkling in all sizes, and sometimes with different aura as well, it is difficult to come to terms that many of them actually not existing. If we go by the theory of astro-physics, the twinkling lights, well most, seen today are generated millions of light years ago and reaching earth today. Effectively then, we are surviving with some which are non-existent today. But, we still are with them that defy our mental logic and yet true. Very similar, around us, we are all living with many bodies, working perfectly, which are completely dead. They are all humans of different kinds and we should constantly discount this fact to live sanely. That said the only thing we can take from them are some flashes of brilliance, which we need to imbibe, as everyone possess something or the other, that may not let them sparkle, but at least twinkle. For rest, I can look up in the sky, when it is clear and twinkling, anyway.

Perfect Timepass

Mr Ankur Bhatia, a new entrant in my chat list, popped up a line in between which was a real good one. He said, "We all are at some point of time in our life…" The liner was not a mere philosophical one. I was quite surprised to get such a liner from a young chap so early in his working days. The consequence of that shock evoked me to query him further for that liner…

According to him, no matter whatever we do and feel happy or sad about at a given point of time, the situation is always ironical to us and cent percent true. It is that paradigm that never shifts. We were talking about being methodical in our approach and he came up with that liner. He felt, that we both are actually talking about different times, which eventually lead us to a result that is same. I added onto his by saying that that point is always the present; there's neither past to it nor future, to which he smilingly (courtesy a smiley) acknowledged. In our mind, our life is always messed up and there is always scope to make it simpler, he said. From one of his favourite films - Gulaal, he quoted: "Iss mulk ne har shaqs ko jo kaam tha saaunpa, har shaqs ne uss kaam ki maa…. chiss jala ke chhor dii.."

Then we went overboard... he said: maachis jalane ka scope bhi hamesha hota hai na... to which I replied, par maachis se mashaal tak ka safar adhura reh jata hai. He reverted by another wonderful liner which is a perfect metaphor for our current political scenario and the undying urge to change it. “haan raaste mein hi bujh jaati hai maachis,” he concluded, restricting our drifting minds to come back to the present… i.e. work. It was working hours still.

Companionship

I was taking an evening walk this weekend. While approaching my residence lane, from a distance, I noticed two figures almost “not” walking. As I started approaching them, the figures became apparent and I could see this lady holding her husband’s hand. Both of them were old, above 65 years of age, and the husband needed a help of a walker for support and draw strength to move. Further, he was taking baby steps to walk the blocks, which revealed to me about his ill health. Yet, seeing that the lady is holding his hand gave me a sense of achievement. Achievement? Yes, achievement, because my heart was filled with soft sensation and happiness to see a married couple sharing the pain. As I was about to cross them, the man stopped and just nodded in order to take a brief stoppage. I crossed and soon reached the turn of the road. I turned back. I saw that her hand is still intact on his’. They started to walk again. The lady seemed to me relentless, patient; that’s companionship. I had to take this turn. I took the turn. But my outlook towards a selfless companionship had turned making me realize what it truly means. That was true companionship.

A toast for our Democracy

A week back or so, Dr Manmohan Singh, our learned PM, opined that independent candidates actually cut down the chances of the rightful party (or candidate) to come in power by cutting into the vote share. According to him, even if such a candidate (independent) wins it doesn’t serve the purpose in the larger perspective to represent public opinion. This means that the winning independent candidate(s) will anyway be sitting on the opposition (without voice to be heard) lest he or she (or they) joins a coalition that forms the government. I feel, by commenting so, Dr Manmohan Singh has ashamed us all considering high profile position in the government and more so in our democracy. Now, my respect for him has suffered a dent. I hope I am right in understanding PM’s rhetoric in this subject, but I will leave room for Congress Party spokespersons to correct my understanding of Mr PM’s objective of saying so.

Yet, when I see people on the other side of the voting system for whom we vote say that we need to come into the system if we really want to better it, I find Mr PM’s opinion as a contradictory one. Now, if I need to enter the system I am asked to have a full time commitment and not fight election by taking sabbatical. Also, we need to join parties that are nationalist in approach (representation) and not just emerge as independents in the ocean of candidatures. So, whom shall I vote for? For a party (or a candidate) who rubbishes the idea of this very democratic process, which evokes a feeling to be counted amongst others ------ OR ------ the ones, who might win but would not be the voice they are meant to be in the crowd of 545?

The question remains… as after the musical chair of seat sharing in various states, I stand clueless which party represents whose ideology and whom I will be voting for as the next Prime Minister? Nothing compares to India’s Democracy and its crazy idiosyncrasies intertwined within to put our life into total… well, it’s anyone’s guess! After all, we are going to make a choice. Whether it turns out for India’s larger benefit or not, would be seen in the next four years; fifth year, obviously, going to be a better one than the previous four, to pave path for another four years, I reckon. I raise a toast to this entire process… will you join me?