Author is not an alien

Author is not an alien
I write because we had deleted enough

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

अखिल भारतीय हिंदी OR कथा समारोह

बिहार में पहले अखिल भारतीय हिंदी कथा समारोह का आयोजन हुआ इससे पहले कि आप यह टोके कि हिंदी और कथा के बीच मैंने OR क्यूँ लगाया है तो मेरा यह मानना है कि यह OR आ गया है हिंदी और साहित्य के बीच. इस समारोह में समाज के हर हिस्से को छूती कहानियां पढ़ी गयीं ,गाँव की पगडंडियों ,कस्बों से निकलकर अपार्टमेंट के बेडरूम तक पहुँच गयी कहानियां ,छोटे स्केच में बड़ी तस्वीर दिखाती यह कहानियां आज जब पुराना होने का सीधा अर्थ है आउटडेटिड हो जाना तब भी हिंदी कहानी की कोई बात “'तेरी कुड़माई हो गई?' (उसने कहा था , चंद्रधर शर्मा गुलेरी )के बिना पूरी नहीं होती. कथा समारोह शुरू हुआ सरस्वती सम्मान से पुरस्कृत गोविन्द मिश्र की कहानी “फांस” से ,कहानी बुन्देलखंडी के तड़के लगी दो चोरों की कहानी थी जिनको शहर की हवा लग कर भी नहीं लगी थी ,गाँव एक फांस की तरह आज भी उनके ह्रदय में था ,जो फंसा भी था और चुभता भी ,यह फांस उन लोगों के शहरातु और घाघ बनने के बीच में अड़ा था. जब पलट कर पीछे दर्शक दीर्घा को देखा तो एक फांस मुझ में भी रह गयी जो इस ब्लॉग का शक्ल अख्तियार कर रही

 रविन्द्र कालिया, ममता कालिया ,नासिरा शर्मा ,प्रो. असगर वजाहत ,अखिलेश जैसे दिग्गज कहानीकार और उनकी समीक्षा करते आलोचक हर कोई दिखा यहाँ ,और दर्शक दीर्घा में बैठे थे साहित्य के विद्यार्थी और साहित्य के प्रार्थी.सिर्फ चंद साहित्य के विद्यार्थी और साहित्यकार बनने को इच्छुक लोग .आज हिंदी or कथा, हिंदी or कविता , हिंदी or उपन्यास , हिंदी or बेस्टसेलर ...............एक बहुत बड़ा OR” आ गया है हिंदी और उसके साहित्य के बीच में .यहाँ प्रश्न उदासीनता का नहीं है ,प्रश्न ना जानने का है और इसी ना जानने की वजह से  हिंदी के उस विरासत से वंचित होने की है जिस पर समय की गर्त पड़ गयी है। सचमुच, आज हमारे समाज में साहित्य कुल मिलाकर हाशिये पर ही है और साहित्यकार, कुल मिलाकर अपनी ही रची एक छोटी-सी दुनिया में सिमटते लग रहे हैं ,विडम्बना यह भी है कि यह स्थिति किसी को चिंतित नहीं कर रही।

इसी कथा समारोह में एक सज्जन से बात हुई ,एक युवा आईएस अधिकारी को उनकी साहित्यिक समझ और “फांस” कहानी पर की गयी समीक्षा से खासा प्रभावित यह डॉक्टर साहेब कहते हैं “सर्वेश्वर दयाल सक्सेना से पारिवारिक सम्बन्ध थे हमारे ,यूँ तो मेरी शिक्षा दीक्षा हिंदी मध्यम में हुई ,और लिखता मैं भी हूँ पर हिंदी में comfortable नहीं हूँ ,अच्छा लगा देखकर की यंग लोग भी हिंदी को पढ़ते और जानते हैं”.मैं भाषायी डिबेट में नहीं पड़ना चाहती पर यह comfortable शब्द बहुत खुबसूरत ढंग से हिंदी भाषा को लेकर हमारे अवचेतन में मौजूद हीनता को ढक देता है।

इंग्लैंड के महान रचनाकार चार्ल्स डिकेन्स की जन्मस्थली है रोचेस्टर। दो सौ साल हो चुके डिकेन्स को दिवंगत हुए। पर आज भी इस शहर के लोग अपने महान रचनाकार के प्रति कृतज्ञता-ज्ञापन के लिए हर साल उनके जन्मदिन पर तीन दिन का जश्न मनाते हैं। तीन दिन का जश्न !!! और हम एक विराट साहित्यिक सम्पदा को बस यूँ ही जाने दे देते हैं और हर साहित्यिक समारोह जो कि एक उत्सव होना चाहिए था “just another literary meet” बनकर रह जाता है


भाषा सिर्फ अभिव्यक्ति का माध्यम नहीं है ,यह हमारी अस्मिता का प्रश्न भी है ऐसा नहीं है कि पढ़ा नहीं जा रहा है ,लिटरेचर फेस्टिवल्स में पैर रखने की जगह नहीं होती ,फ्लिप्कार्ट और अमेज़न मल्टी बिलियन डॉलर की लागत से किताबें बेच रहे हैं तो फिर हिंदी को ही एक अदद बेस्ट सेलर क्यूँ नहीं मिल रहा ? हिंदी को भी यह समझना होगा कि बाज़ार अब नियम लिख रहा है और इन्टरनेट है सबसे बड़ी साहित्यिक पत्रिका भूमंडलीकरण की ट्रेन जब निकली तो हिंदी भाषा की गाड़ी छूट गयी ,बहुत देर से हिंदी को यह समझ में आया कि अब चर्चाएं कॉफ़ी हाउस में नहीं होती ,अब पत्रिकाएँ आपको नेशनल हीरो नहीं बनाती और अगर संचार क्रांति को नहीं थामा तो इस कड़ी को टूटते देर नहीं लगेगी

समारोह के समापन के दिन रविन्द्र कालिया जी और ममता जी को दिल्ली निकलना था, उनसे मिलने को उत्सुक मैं भागती दौड़ती वहां पहुंची ,मैंने आयोजकों में से एक जो तीन दिन से विभाग की ओर से पूरे कार्यक्रम की कमान संभाले हुए थे ,उनसे पूछा “ममता जी एअरपोर्ट के लिया निकल गयी हैं क्या ?”

जवाब आया “ कौन ममता जी? “

मैं- ” ममता कालिया और रविन्द्र कालिया

जवाब आया – “ यहाँ तो बहुत सारी मैडम लोग आई हैं ,सॉरी हम नहीं पहचानते”



बस यही स्थिति हिंदी साहित्य की नहीं होनी चाहिए . ज़रूरी है जीवन में साहित्य के संस्कारों के लिए जगह बने। यह जगह हमें बनानी पड़ेगी।क्यूंकि हिंदी सिर्फ हमारे राष्ट्र की भाषा नहीं है ,वह एक बेमिसाल साहित्यिक सम्पदा की धनी भाषा है ,हमारे ऐतिहासिक विरासत की अनुगूंज का स्वर है और सबसे ज़रूरी यह नाम ,जाति,वर्ण,वर्ग और क्षेत्र के कहीं ऊपर हमारी पहचान है 

ममता  कालिया ,रविन्द्र कालिया ,सत्यदेव त्रिपाठी और अखिलेश  जी के साथ 

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Dil Waali Diwali …….

It was 2013,diwali celebrations around and I was missing home , The reason being with the exams around the corner I was in Delhi ,busy studying but badly missing home .

A call from some friends who were all away from home and we came out with a plan ,plan to celebrate diwali at an old age home . So we contributed money, bought sweets, blankets ,got some food for around 200 people and on the morning of diwali we went to a help home for the mentally retarded, old people who have been disowned from their families.

The sight was heartbreaking ,same old stories ,away from home ,their sons and daughters abandoned them ,some were suffering from Alzheimers and could not remember their address and the saddest part was some pretended to not remember because ythey knew they were unwelcome at home ,a burden who would be an extra espenditure in this age where prices are reaching sky limits.

We sat ,heard them ,just listened to them and they spoke ,spoke about their youthful days ,their partners who were long dead not even for a second cursing their children –That’s what a Father and mother is ,we could realize only if we be one.

We played games ,ate together ,distributed blankets and took their blessings. One of the best diwali I had because I gave an ear to men and women who were failed by their own loved ones ,I gave an ear to their dil ki baat.

Go do something like this on any of your special day ,you won’t realize how great it feels ,how satisfying the whole feeling of listening to someone’s dil ki baat ,it makes you a better human being and isn’t it the most important thing after all.


Some dil ki baat about parents by Ann Tran
When you feel like breaking down or crashing in,
Who do you turn to, to forgive your sin?
When you cried your lonely tears,
Who will be there to fight your fears?
And when it feels like no one would understand,
Who was there to hold your hand?

There are people whom you can't replace,
They're the ones who gave you your face.
They'll love you through thick and thin,
They show you the light from deep within.
And if by chance, you happen to die,
They'll be the ones who will really cry.

You see, my friend, there's no one who can love you more,
Than your very own parents, that's for sure.
Always remember that this is true,
That wherever you go, your parents will be there for you.
I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdealactivity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal.”

Dil ki baat while saying alvida ….

College –a place where we enter as boy and girls and leave as men and women. A journey of five year in which we all were companions ,where we form groups ,where we learn together ,where we create friendships ,where we fall in love and yes where we raise misunderstandings. Exactly the same happened with us , we had been together for years ,best buddies in first year ,misunderstandings crept in second year ,it was carried on till 2 more years . we stared empty glances ,avoiding each other and also hooting sometimes .

It was the last day of our college ,I was feeling uncomfortable , a feeling of emptiness started sinking in ,our juniors had arranged a grand goodbye for us ,slam books were filled ,they were big cards amid the noise of dhol and nagada .We the dance crazy ones started dancing on dhol together ,the whole batch and suddenly it crept in that we won’t be able to say each other again . All the fights, all the misunderstandings ,the enemity seemed meaningless ,the boundaries of groups started blurted out. I knew this was it ,I won’t get a second chance to say my “Dil Ki baat”.

I went to my ex-best friend ,ex because once we used to swear by each other’s friendship and today we could not stand an eye to eye to each other. I went to him and said “ I don’t know who was wrong and who was right ,I just know that I had some great memories with you . for all the crazy and fun filled times we spent ,I am sorry and from here on let’s say goodbye as friends”

We hugged ,hugged and cried ,cried for a long time wiping away all the time we were acting as foes .Looking around we saw many crying faces ,people saying sorry , apologies exchanged and tears of joy ,tears of the feeling that why we could not say a little sorry , a small” dil ki baat” and why we waited for our farewell day for mending up things . 

Better late than never ,25th nov 2009 will be one of the most memorable days of my life because that day I saw a whole batch of doctors ,100 of them sharing their dil ki baat and making the day etched as a day to remember.

For my friends:
You helped me laugh 
you dried my tears 
because of you I have no fears
Together we live 
together we grow
teaching each other what we must know
You came in my life and I was blessed 
I love you friend 
you are the best
Release my hand and say good-bye 
please my friend don't you cry
I promise you this it's not the end 
'cause like I said you're my friend


I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdealactivity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal.”



A group photograph...............Saved and Treasured

Monday, March 30, 2015

#HerChoice vs #HisChoice...............REALLY?


Ok Deepika , I love you,I really do ,
I adored you  when you stood against a filthy useless piece of news , you completely took us by surprise when you talked about depression and then two days back I loved the Homi Adjania documentary you featured in .

I am a new age woman ,I hurled choicest of abuses against that lawyer teaching us morality in “India’s Daughter” ,I look for a society where we are equals ………….Yes EQUALS and what worries me is the overdose of feminism .Feminism is more of a style statement these days rather than addressing some core issues .Having worked in rural pockets of India ,I know that the woman who do not advocate feminism are the ones who need an equal society ,
Its your life ,its your choices  but can we introspect a little? Saying damn you ,its my choice ,its my life ,its my day and its my night. aren’t we striking off the whole idea of equality  ,no one superior means no one should be inferior too. Equal means Equal.
 The new age men ,majority of them have no issues with their better halves working ,have no issues with the sindoor ,bindi on her forehead,chudi on her hand stuff ,they understand that ladies work and it’s their choice to sport them or not. In this whole tug of war between a man vs a woman ,we forget that the bigger issues are still unaddressed from rape to khaps ,from some sick bastards molesting you to a child marriage still prevalent somewhere.
We  as an empowered few are free to make our choices or even his but there are still millions who don’t . For a privileged few our fingerprints make our universe but in this same universe of our choices ,a research paper says
In a six-bed women’s ward in New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital lies a frail 15-year-old girl. Her face and head are bandaged, leaving visible only a bruised blue-black eye and swollen lips. Burn marks and scabs extend down her neck to her whole body, and a disfigured ear clings on to her face like a piece of mangled flesh. A strange stench surrounds her. The nurse who comes to check on her explains the smell: A wound on the girl’s skull is rotting and has filled with maggots.
The girl tries to speak. In a muffled voice, she says: “My employer would beat me every day with a broom and a stool. Many times she would put a hot pan on my body and burn my skin. That’s how the skin on my skull started peeling out as she repeatedly burned the same spot.”
Somehow the horrific brutality inflicted on this teenager is not an isolated case. Thousands of girls are trafficked every year from remote villages to large cities and sold as domestic workers. Many are abused or sexually exploited.
Extreme poverty, lack of education and employment, and poor implementation of the government’s minimum wage system in rural India make girls more vulnerable to being trafficked. The 2013 Global Slavery Index, published by the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation, an organization that works to end modern slavery, found that almost half of the 30 million “modern slaves” in the world are from India

We are all equal in the fact that we are all different ,different in sex, different in emotions. We are all the same in the fact that we will never be the same. We are united by the reality that men ,women,straight ,gay ,lesbian ,transgenders ,married or live in we all are distinct & individual. We are harmonious in the reality that we are all held to this earth by the same gravity. We don't share blood, but we share the air that keeps us alive. I will not blind myself and say that he is not different from me. I will not blind myself and say that my choices mean denying his . But while advocating my choices ,my life ,my idea of love ,my definition of lust ,I don’t forget he as much he as I am She.

Social Media- you are terrific ,when you came out with this video ,yes its my life and i accept it ,this one is good 


Sunday, March 29, 2015

Listen to me ...................

Listen to me 
When my wounds scream 
Listen to me 
When heart sings a melancholy 
Listen to me 
When the reds turn into "the blues "
Listen to me 
Without trial and tribulations 
Listen to me 
When I wander in the desert of detachment 
Listen to me 
When I feel paltry, petty &purportless 
Listen to me 
Coz the hollowness seems too big to fill 
Don't audit 
Don't apprehend 
Don't monitor 
Don't harken 
Just listen to me 
Just listen....................Sehar

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

मेरी हवा , मेरा ताजमहल

यह शुरू करने से पहले मैं  बता देना चाहती हूँ कि यह कविता नुमा पोस्ट मैंने लिखा क्यूँ. अबू धाबी की यात्रा के दौरान एक वर्ल्ड क्लास शहर देख कर मैं आश्चर्यचकित थी.विकास सरपट दौड़ रहा था उस रेगिस्तान में ,पर फिर मैंने देखा कि प्रोग्रेसिव होते हुए भी महिलाओं के परिवेश को लेकर वह आज भी वही पुराना शहर है.


"करीने से सजे रास्तों के बीच 
मैने देखा ताजमहल जैसा कुछ 
ताजमहल जैसा पर ताजमहल नहीं 
सीना ताने, गर्व से उनमुक्त 
ना धूल थी, ना था कोई शोर 
ना वहां कोई मिनी ताजमहल बेच रहा था
ना कोई दीवारों पर "राजीव heart emoticon सुनीता "लिख रहा था
जब लगा कि बस यही है वह कल
जिसे अपने देश के हर बीते आज में देखा था
तभी पीछे से किसी ने टोका, बार बार टोका
"सर पर से दुपट्टा गिरना नहीं है
बालों को हवा में उड़ना नहीं है "
वो कल हँस रहा था मेरे आज पर
दुपट्टा संभाले, बालों को ढकते देखा मैंने
ना वह ताजमहल जैसा दिखता था
ना ही वह ताजमहल था"



Monday, March 9, 2015

Best Travel destinations for the species called "Cricket Crazy "


Travel is a way of life , We travel to unleash ,to energize ,to feel alive and to pursue our passions. Travel can be a medium to explore, a medium to get your own “me “ time , to think about what went by ,to meet yourself and of course to live your dreams .if you belong to the latter category where you eat cricket ,drink cricket ,sleep over cricket ,have relationships over cricket interests and yeah break ups over a match missed ,I would take you all to some of the best cricket travel destinations of the world, stadiums that breathe cricket ,countries that scream cricket .Go find your partners in passion over there where every one has one religion – Cricket and mind it they are quite radical about this religion .


    A)  UNITED KINGDOM
  The traveler’s delight and where cricket got its name – A      gentleman’s game ,Visit England for the oldest cricketing   history and some of the best grounds and sunny weather.

      1)   THE LORDS ,LONDON
As the name itself suggests, it is the lord of all the cricket destinations. A must must see for all sports travelers ,The Lords boasts itself of the richest history in class and cricket since it was established in 1814. It was established by Thomas Lord back in 1814 and the ground has the name from its founder, It has been the venue for some of the greatest matches in cricket history.
Image source- Gautam4You.com


World Cup Finals: (1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999)
The Lords cricket ground is home to the Marylebone Cricket Club, and also the county team Middlesex of London who play their home matches at the Lords.

    2)   The Oval, Kensington ,London
The oval holds the distinction of holding first test match of England as well as Football world cup final. Oval is the best looking stadium in the world and over the years have been host to manny thrilling Ashes test matches in the past.

 
Image courtesy -cricketweb.net

3)   The Old Trafford , Manchester ,UK
The old Trafford ,Manchester has also important history behind it. it was established in 1854. Here the first test match was played between Australia and England in1884. And as the name old suggests . England's second-oldest test ground has hosted plenty of memorable moments on the pitch including the "ball of the century " from Australia's Shane Warne in 1993 and Jim Laker's astonishing match figures of 19 for 90

Image- telegraph.co.uk


 4)   Headingley ,Leeds ,UK

Who can forget the two triple centuries from the Don? Or Yorkshire's very own Geoffrey Boycott scoring his 100th century here. And, of course,that performance from Ian Botham in 1981?

5)   Trent Bridge , Nottingham ,England
A ground that witnessed England’s 2005 and 2013 Ashes victory is a locals favourite for watching county cricket.


B)  AUSTRALIA 
The home to few of the largest and  the most beautiful cricket stadiums in the world . Visit Australia for its picturesque beaches ,landscapes that are a photographer’s paradise and the world class stadiums that truly complement the country’s beautiful locales .

1)   MCG ,Melbourne , Australia
Melbourne cricket ground has great importance in the history of cricket because it has hosted the first ever International Test Matches which was played in between Australian and England and the first ever ODI matches in 1971 and against between these two teams. But the interesting thing is that Aussies defeated English in both the events.160 years of action has produced a slide show of best cricketing memories.. Perhaps the most memorable, for all the wrong reasons, was the "underarm delivery" from Trevor Chappell.
Picture source- John Hargest


2)   SCG ,Sydney ,Australia
Sydney cricket ground is beautiful and do plan a visit to this Architecture’s marvel , Sydney was a witness to the monkeygate incident between Harbhajan singh and Andrew Symonds .Don Bradman’s iconic inning of 452 not out and Rickey Ponting’s maximum three figure scores were made here at Sydney.
Image - Johnyjet.com


3)   WACA ,Perth ,Australia
Famous for being one of the fastest wickets in the world, the WACA has long been a pace bowler's paradise. Glenn McGrath registered his best ever figures of eight for 24 here against Pakistan. Brett lee has added many feathers in his cap at this same ground .

Source- sportal.com

4)   Adelaide , Australia
The infamous Bodyline series of 1932-33 reached its peak at this ground when mounted police were required to keep the crowd under control. England fans won't have fond memories of their side's collapse in 2006.
Image- abc.net


                      C)   INDIA  
Indians don’t bleed red ,they bleed blue such is the craziness for cricket is there in this country . It hosts some of the best cricketing stadiums in the world
1)   Eden Gardens , Kolkata ,India
Eden Gardens is considered the difficult passage for any team playing against India with thousands of fans screaming . Riots, World Cup finals, stampedes, hat-tricks, the greatest turn over matches of all time and even more riots. What more could you possibly want? 
Image- sportskeeda.com


   2)   Wankhede . Mumbai , Maharashtra, India
Who could forget the astounding win of India in the last world cup finals here at the Wankhede with the ecstatic crowd radiating the frenzy to the whole country . It observed Ravi Shastri's six sixes and Sunil Gavaskar's 205 against the West Indies,but we the Indians would always remember it's most poignant moment when Sachin Tendulkar walked off the field for the very last time in November 2013.

Image- Indiatvnews.in

   3)   HPCA , Dharamshala
Including this beautiful ,stunning stadium for being the highest cricketing ground. Where else you will find breathtaking view of Himalayas in the background while the game is on.
Image- Hindustantimes.com


         D)  South Africa
 The land of gems both in stones and in players .

      1)  The Wanderers ,Johannesberg
The 2003 world cup final of India vs Australia must be etched in memory of millions of cricket fans played at the wanderers. The ground is nicknamed "The Bullring" by locals due to the circular shape and intimidating atmosphere generated by a partisan home support. Opened in the mid 20th century, the stadium has played host to many memorable moments including Michael Atherton's marathon innings and the highest score ever.

Image- cricruns.com


     2)  Cape Town ,South Africa
The spectacular surroundings make for a buzzing atmosphere, particularly in international cricket. Host to many broken records and some classy cricket since many decades.
Image- thesoftcollission.com


E)   Some stadiums that are not to be missed if you are a cricket crazy wanderer.
1. New Road, Worcester, UK
2. Bellerive Oval, Tasmania, Australia
3. Queenstown Events Centre, Queenstown, New Zealand
   4. Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan
5. Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh
6. Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica
7. Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia
8. Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, Sri Lanka
9. Karachi Stadium ,Karachi ,Pakistan
10. SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff, UK
 11. Galle Stadium , Srilanka

Go visit these cricket mecca and madinas for experiencing the adrenaline rush ,the cheer factor ,the hooting and the first hand experience of a game which is a way of life for many of us cricket fans 

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