आधार या आधारहीन

हर भारतीय को एक विशिष्ट पहचान देने के मक़सद से चलाए गए ‘आधार’ कार्यक्रम को शुरू हुए कलएक साल पूरा हो गया.सरकार के मुताबिक 'आधार' की मदद से वो लोग भी मदद के हक़दार हो पाएंगे जो पहचान पत्रों के मोहताज हैं.लेकिन कई लोगों का कहना है कि उनके पास पहले से कई और पहचान पत्र होने के बावजूद सरकारी योजनाओं के फायदे उन्हें नहीं मिलते.

भारत सरकार की महत्वाकाँक्षी 'आधार' योजना के तहत एक साल में दस करोड़ लोगों के नामांकन का दावा किया गया है हालाँकि उनमें से कई को अब भी इस योजना के बारे में स्पष्ट जानकारी नहीं है.

इस परियोजना में निजता के हनन, पारदर्शिता की कमी और इसके व्यावसायीकरण की संभावना, नागरिकों को कोई नंबर देना और उनके फिंगरप्रिंट लेना दासता का प्रतीक है !


ये योजना लागू कर रहे ‘यूआईडीएआई’ के अध्यक्ष नंदन निलेकनी का कहना था कि इस महत्त्वाकाँक्षी योजना का मक़सद उन लोगों को पहचान प्रदान करना होगा, जिनके पास ये साबित करने के लिए कोई प्रमाण नहीं है.जिन दस करोड़ लोगों के नामांकन का दावा किया गया है उनमें से चंद लोगों से जब पूछा गया कि उन्हें इस योजना के बारे में जानकारी है या नहीं, तो जवाब कुछ यूँ मिले.

“मेरे ख़्याल से इस कार्ड के होने से मेरे बैंक खाते में मुझे हज़ार रुपए प्रति महीना मिलेंगे. बाकी राशन पानी का पता नहीं.”

एक बस्ती में कई सालों से रह रहे लोगों को करीब 6 महीने पहले ही एक पहचान पत्र, राशन कार्ड मिला लेकिन बस्ती में रहने वाले अजय कहते हैं कि, "पिछले 6 महीने में हमें सिर्फ एक बार राशन मिला है और मिट्टी का तेल तो मिला ही नहीं." बस्तीवालों के मुताबिक अपनी अर्ज़ी लेकर वो कई अधिकारियों के पास जा चुके हैं, लेकिन हर महीने राशन मिलने का सपना तो सपना ही रह गया, और राशन की दुकान पर अक्सर ताला ही मिलता हैग़ौरतलब है कि यूआईडी को क़ानूनी मान्यता देने की प्रक्रिया अभी जारी है और इससे जुड़ा विधेयक स्थाई समिति में लंबित है. जिन लोगों के लिए ये योजना मुख्य रूप से लाई गई है उस आम जनता को इन सब फ़ायदों के बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं है.

एक अन्य व्यक्ति ने बताया, “मेरा आधार कार्ड तो बन गया है, लेकिन उसके फ़ायदों के बारे में मुझे कोई जानकारी नहीं है. चूंकि ये कार्ड सरकार बनवा रही है, तो हमें बनवाना ही पड़ा.” 

सरकार परेशानी की जड़ को नहीं समझना चाहती, इसलिए इलाज भी गलत दिशा में कर रही है.लोगों के बीच कम जानकारी के अलावा आधार कार्ड को लोगों तक समय पर पहुँचाना भी 'यूआईडीएआई' के लिए एक चुनौती साबित हो रहा हैएक और पहचान पत्र से कितना फायदा होगा? जब तक सरकारी तंत्र दुरुस्त नहीं होगा, सरकारी दफ्तरों में बाबू काम नहीं करेंगे, भ्रष्टाचार पर सख्त कार्रवाई नहीं की जाएगी, तब तक सरकारी योजनाएं लागू नहीं होंगी.

Shri Bankey Bihari

                                                                                                      
Vrindavan, just 15 km from Mathura, is a major place of pilgrimage . It is noted for its numerous temples - both old and modern. The name Vrindavan evokes the playfulness and lovable characteristics of Shri Krishna. This is the wood where he frolicked with the gopis and tenderly wooed Radha.


The Banke-Bihari Temple is the most popular shrine at Vrindavan.This temple was constructed in 1864 with the contribution of Goswamis. After constructing of temple, Goswamis transferred the idol to the temple.Banke means “bent in three places” and bihari means “supreme enjoyer.” Lord Krishna will be standing in the Tribhanga posture.


 Haridas Swami originally worshipped this Deity under the name of Kunji-bihari. The image of Banke-Bihari was discovered in Nidhi Vana by Swami Haridas, the great Krishna devotee, belonging to the Nimbarka sect.Initially the deity was installed in a temple close to the first appearance in Nidhivan. A new temple befitting the glory of Bihariji was constructed in 1862 AD. Goswamis themselves mobilized resources for the construction. The temple is an architectural beauty in itself and follows the contemporary Rajasthani style.


The sewa of the Bihariji is unique in its own way. It is performed in three parts every day ie Shringar, Rajbhog and Shayan. While shringar (which includes bath, dressing and adornment with jewellery like crown and necklaces) and Rajbhog(feast) is offered in the forenoon, Shayan Sewa (shayan means sleep) is offered in the evening. The temple doesn’t have a tradition of Mangala (early morning) sewa. The curtain before the Deities is not left open like at other temples. Every few minutes the curtain is pulled shut and then opened again. It is said that the brilliant eyes of Banke Bihari will make you unconscious if seen for too long a stretch. Swami Haridas did not favour Mangla Sewa as he wanted his child like Lord to take complete rest and did not want to disturb him out of deep slumber so early in the morning. It is the only temple where loud temple bells are not used to wake Krishna in the morning.

नवरात्रि...

                                                     
Navratri or Naurata is the first day for festivities after a fifteen days ritual for forefathers popularly known as pitra paksh or shraadh .Navratri is celebrated in a large number of Indian communities. The mother goddess is said to appear in 9 forms, and each one is worshipped for a day. Hindu's all over celebrate it with fasting dancing and other rituals.festival of Navratri begins on the first day of Ashwina of the bright fortnight.Navratri was linked with the fertility of Earth which fed us as her youngsters.


 Seeds are sown, sprouting is watched, the planets are consecrated.This period is a time for self-referral and getting back to the Source. During this time of transformation, nature sheds the old and gets rejuvenated; animals hibernate and life emerges back afresh in the spring.a pot is installed (ghatasthapana) at a sanctified place at home. A lamp is kept lit in the pot for nine days. The pot symbolizes the universe. The uninterrupted lit lamp is the medium through which we worship the effulgent Adishakti.

Kali is the most horrific manifestation of Nature. Nature symbolizes beauty, yet it has a horrific form. Acknowledging the duality brings a total acceptance in the mind and puts the mind at ease.

Though Navratri is celebrated as the victory of good over evil

Kids and older people gown up in new vivid-coloured attire for the evening performances. In some communities, men and women undergo rigorous fasts throughout this period that for the nine days of Navratri. The festival ends on Maha Navami. On this day the Kanya Puja is executed.



Garba,where all the families join to play dandiya and Garba Rass.  women adorn themselves with jhumkas, necklaces, bindi, bajubandh, chudas and kangans, kamarbandh, payal, and mojiris. Boys and men wear kafni pyjamas with a kediyu - a short round kurta - above the knees and pagadi on the head with bandhini dupatta, kada, and mojiris.The dance symbolizes that God, represented in feminine form in this case, is the only thing that remains unchanging in a constantly changing universe.


Navratri is all about celebrations and happiness for everyone .

In search of his roots

In my hospitality work I come to meet different type of people and today ,from nowhere I came to meet a tourist who was right from England with two of his female friends he came with my uncle who is by virtue of his laid down attitude,is a travel escort.

David ;the tourist hopped from Mumbai and was on his way to Jodhpur, was in search of his roots .According to our small conversation I came to know that his grandfather was an engineer and used to work for a company which laid down some bridges for the Indian railways way back in early 19th century this company is still based in India but had changed ownership twice.David's grandparents and his two aunts were last heard to be in India according to her mother .While David's father was also in India and from here he went and participated in the second world war and never came back.

David also had another lead for his aunt who was seen by her mother at an England hotel with an Indian royal prince who was said to be there to trade for some horses for Polo and his name was Hanuwant Singh who was associated with Jodhpur royal family.

Sipping his lemon tea David told about him that he was a tax lawyer back there in his country.He loved India and Indian people as they were very helpful and understanding .He was being told  about Hanuwant Singh Ji being a womanizer and a movie "Zubaida "made on them and other facts about him .And also assisted him to a person close to the royals of the Jodhpur .

David only want to get to know where his grandparents were buried and want to pay tribute to them for that he is ready to come again and again and he knows its a very tough job.Still the urge of finding one's root is too great .I hope he get success in knowing his family roots .

Giving a second chance

How many chances should we give to anyone !Forgiving once should be a habit but shall we

 give anyone a second chance in this world knowing their shabby desires to ruin ourselves.

Is life an adventure or a meaningless exercise shall we take responsibility or blame others ?

Shall we access or ignore inner healing potentials ?Shall we find ways to express our emotions 

or hold back and give up ? by answering these we either find hope or despair .

For a couple relations, If You’re married, I would always suggest trying to make it work no matter

 what, but if you are not married, especially with no children between the two of you, then it’s up 

to you whether or not YOU are willing to accept the situation and go forward with your ex in 

working through your differences from there.When we break up, we break up for a reason. 

Unless the reason no longer exists, you will find yourself revisiting the very issues that caused 

you to break up once the cosy, rosy glow has worn off.

Now whatever those reasons are, when you consider whether you should give them another 

chance, he needs to understand what the issues were and what caused the pain in your relationship.If someone doesn’t understand what they contributed to the pain, what is to stop them from repeating the same actions and putting you in the front line of pain again?Once you’ve already broken up, if you get back together for the wrong reasons, you can then end up being scared about questioning or discussing things, or creating ‘conflict’ for fear of breaking up again.

The Minority Files

I am neither a Muslim nor a Dalit.I am not a women . I dont even belong to the northeast of India . The closest I felt like a minority was when I used to work in a hotel at Hyderabad .Still that was minor the discrimination between north and south !

Any attempt to give any advice to minority is audacious thing to do, none of us majority members are fully qualified to comment on there status.However decades pass and the minority remains as oppressed as ever.Of all the minorities Muslim citizens are wooed the most.Also as a community they are face significant oppression.Appeal to an injustice and one can bring them together to get a nice block of vote.

Indian Muslims were traditionally Congress voters until the mid-1970s.However, they got a rude shock during the Emergency. In Delhi, near Turkman gate, bulldozers demolished Muslim houses under the direct supervision of Sanjay Gandhi, and people, including children, were crushed to death.

Muslims then shifted their loyalty to the Janata Party — which included the Jan Sangh — which took an oath of secularism and Gandhian socialism.But the Babri blow was huge .But since Muslim party heads had mishandled the Babri Masjid issue, Muslims lost faith in their leaders who,after the demolition, lost much of their influence. The Muslims saw in Lalu Prasad Yadav a new Messiah, as he prevented riots in Bihar for 15 years. In UP, they reposed faith in Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati.

But they lost faith in Mayawati when she joined hands with the BJP. Lalu Prasad hardly delivered on the economic front and hence in the last assembly elections Muslims supported Nitish Kumar. They were equally disappointed with Mulayam Singh anddefeated him in the last 2007 elections.

Well however,my dear minority brothers and sisters ,you have been had enough time has shown they will only take you for granted .One should keep their vote floating and in the end vote for the better party.India will have to be open minded if they want to bring a change and make the nation great.

The conversion politics and Hindu

Indians were referred to as "Hindus" in ancient times and the two terms were fairly synonymous. However, large parts of the country passed under Islamic rule and under Portuguese, French, Dutch and British rule. Millions of Hindus were converted to Islam and Christianity, by 1947 approximately 25% and 1.5% of the population of the Indian Subcontinent had converted to Islam and Christianity respectively. While Hindus converted to other religions, they themselves refused to accept any converts. Thus, most indigenous Muslims and Christians are descended from Hindu and Buddhist Indian ancestors.


The social structure of the Hindu society put some communities/castes at a severe disadvantage in all matters. Islam and Christianity offered these communities social equality and so several Low Caste Hindus and tribals left their ancestral beliefs.The invading Muslims also offered a choice between Islam and death to the inhabitants of Hindu areas. The stories of cruelty and barbarianism of Islamic rulers are folklore among the Hindu masses of India. Similarly, in the Portuguese ruled part of Goa, Catholicism was often forced upon the Hindus and Muslims there. It is estimated that the 8 century long Islamic rule witnessed the massacre of 80 million Hindus. This is the root cause of the on-going Hindu-Muslim fued in South Asia.


 Hindus were not allowed to marry Muslim women unless they converted to Islam while Muslims could easily marry Hindu women. Emperor Jehangir(1605-1628 C.E.) ordered approx. 400 Hindu families of Northwest Punjab to convert to Islam since their men had married Muslim women.Those Hindus, who interacted with Muslims or Christians, were often excommunicated. For instance, the court musicians of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah ‘Rangila’, who were Brahmins, faced great ostracism from Hindus and were forced to convert to Islam. Their descendants are the famous Dhrupad singers- Dagar brothers. Similary, an entire community of Hindus were declared outcastes by neighbouring Hindus in Vasai (Thane district of Maharasthra) after they accidently drank water from wells that had been polluted by pieces of bread that had been thrown into them intentionally by the Portuguese. Hindus also stopped admitting non-Hindus into Hinduism and even to this day many Hindus oppose the idea of converting non-Hindus to Hinduism. Thus, conversion was a one way traffic from Hinduism to other faiths.