ग़ज़ल

vaqt kaise gujar raha hoga
jane manjar shazar ka kya hoga

unghati hui hawa ke kanon me
phool ne fir se kuch kaha hoga

kale badal agar nahi honge
kitna tanha ye asman hoga

bah rahi hogi nadi vaise hi
aur vaise hi pul khada hoga

dil me yaden sulag rahi hongi
uska chehara dhuan dhuan hoga

raat bhar intezar me jal kar
rafta rafta diya bujha hoga

ek talashi ho uske khwabon ki
uska kissa tabhi bayan hoga.

Cruelty to our own child.

Yesterday a very disturbing sight met my eyes when a three year child was getting canned in the open at a construction sight by his father who was obviously a contractual labourer on the sight.The bitter cries of the child almost forced one to intervene. But 'conscious considerations of class' perhaps pulled one back.However,the incident was difficult to shake off.It led to a stream of thoughts.What possibly a three year child could have done to ask for such punishment?

Rights of children keeps finding place in general discourse very often.However,insensitive and coercive treatment of children in their own homes mostly goes unnoticed.In fact,if we desire of laying a sound foundation to social and human order of our future,the issue of the maltreatment of the child has to take precedence over all social concerns,be they women empowerment,removing caste bias or bridging inequalities.The nature of this child abuse by the parents or the near ones is particularly intricate because in most of the cases this takes place in the name of providing them mentor ship.Needs and emotions of a defenceless child are hardly ever understood and disciplinary regime which at times includes threats and even thrashing or stifling selfish love is imposed upon a creature who is unable to protest. How unjust?It is true that this mad race which life has come to stand for in the new socio-economic perspective leaves little moisture inside us but venting the accumulated frustrations on a poor toddler is something we must desist from.

Tamasha-e-IPL dekhate hain

Today whatever is happening in ipl in terms of the removal of Lalit modi is just an eyewash.Ipl in fact has become a pool of muck. The biggest money spinner as it has evolved recently,it is hardly surprising that the largest beneficiaries of the free market based economy,viz.politicians,business class and the celebrities are pressing hard to grab the larger pie.Be it Tharoor or Modi,they are only the spilt beans.So they have been made scapegoats.The clamour that we have been hearing in the media and parliament is nothing but the voices of those of the same class who have been left out.Once they get their share the din will die down and the hapless people will once again be hooked to the masala which is presented in form of cricket.IPL,come what may,will remain unharmed because IPL in recent times is the most concerted effort by ruling class to institutionalize loot through mock-cricket,financial irregularities,tax evasion,sleaze,vulgar marketing and match-fixing.

CHAAK

Mitti hi raha hoga kahin.
Khoda hoga kisi lohe ne.
Kisi nadi ka paani milakar
guntha gaya hoga.
Kumhar to raha hoga koi aur hi.
Chaak banin tum.
Dhuri pe ghoom ghoom
Gadh diya anagadh ko.