Inspirational and Motivational short stories #3

This is a collection of inspiring and motivational short stories which I have posted on my Facebook page. Every story gives a distinctly positive message. Enjoy reading the volume #3 of this collection.

1.

According to a survey conducted recently by a leading recruitment agency, the starting salary of an Electrician is more than the starting salary of an Engineer. Moreover, because of similar increments in their respective salary structures, an Electrician earns much more than an Engineer after say 5 or 8 years of service.

Following could be the probable reasons for this anomaly.

• There have been abnormal increase in the number of private Engineering Colleges all over India in the last two three decades, which increased the supply much more than the demand.
• The quality of education has steadily dropped over the years. Now only the premium institutes provide quality education, while others just provide degrees.
• There is an unnoticed increasing scarcity for trade technicians like Electricians, Plumbers, and Fitters etc. Naturally, their demand rises and so do their salaries.
• An average Technician is more hard working than an average Engineer.

My sincere apologies, if any Engineer is hurt by these findings. I am an Engineer myself…! 

2.

Every time an Indian excels in any field outside India, it is a moment of pride for all Indians. Our country has celebrated many such moments all through the history, with many names being added to this illustrious list in the last two-three decades. 

Recently, one more name was added to this list – Antara Haldar. She is the FIRST non-European lecturer of Law at the University of Cambridge. With this, not only has she won laurels for herself, but also for the country.

Looks like India is now poised for a significant contribution on various fronts in the global arena …!

3.

How often do we find well-educated people occupying senior positions in the government spending time for social work without any remuneration? Well, rarely. Because it requires a strong will and courage of conviction to serve our society. And when someone does it, he or she instantly stands out among the crowd.

There is no better example than Aradhana Patnaik, the HRD secretary in Jharkhand government, to prove this point. She is an IAS officer who is also an Engineer. During her regular inspection duty in various government schools, she observed that the students faced various difficulties including lack of teachers, lack of proper guidance etc. She found that with a little effort from her side, she could make some difference.

Therefore, to overcome these challenges to some extent, she started taking classes every time she went for any inspection. She is happy to see that these random classes are actually helping the children to understand basic concepts of Mathematics. She is now urging all retired government officials and academicians to come forward voluntarily for this noble cause.

After all, ‘Vidya-Daan’ ranks very high among all types of Daan.

4.

In a rare gesture of courage and altruism, Akash, Sayali and Jui, the three children of late Hemant Karkare and Kavita Karkare have shown to the world, how one can be useful to the society even after death.

Hemant Karkare laid down his life while protecting the lives of citizens of Mumbai on 26 November 2008, when terrorists had gone on a rampage, causing one of the biggest mayhems in the history of Mumbai.

Recently, Kavita Karkare died due to a brain hemorrhage. And she too, like her husband, saved the life of some unknown people while dying.

In an exemplary behavior, her three children decided to donate her vital organs to the needy patients. Accordingly, her one Kidney was donated to a 48-year-old person, who was on Dialysis for last 10 years. Her second Kidney was donated to a 59-year-old patient, who was waiting for a Kidney for last 7 years. Her Liver was donated to a 49-year-old person who was battling for his life for a Liver transplant for last 2 years.

The entire Karkare family is worthy of sincere appreciation and respect from everyone.

5.

Recently, in one of the interviews, Akshay Kumar mentioned that he no longer visits the Vaishno Devi temple, though he continues to be a staunch bhakt of Mata Vaishno Devi, and had visited the temple many times before.

The reason he cites for this decision is that, his travel cost including lodging and boarding, along with his bodyguards for the entire journey comes to around Rs. 2.5 Lakhs.

So, whenever he thinks of visiting Vaishno Devi temple now, he just closes his eyes, thinks about the deity and then donates this amount to a charitable trust. He says that this way, the money is utilized in a better way than actually spending it for the journey.

Is he right in doing so? Would he still get the same blessings from Mata Vaishno Devi? Or more, or less?

Well, this is a very personal matter pertaining to religious faith, and opinions are very likely to differ from person to person.  

6.

We often see the celebrities basking in glory after their success, but we know little about the sacrifices they make on the way to that success.

Recently, Sardara Singh led the Indian Hockey team to a stunning victory in the finals of the Asian Games, winning a Gold medal in Hockey for India after 16 years. Incidentally, he was also the flag bearer for the Indian contingent in the opening ceremony held on 19^th September, proudly carrying the Indian flag across the stadium.

What many of us do not know is that his grandfather had passed away just 4 days before the opening ceremony. His family did not reveal the news to him, as he was highly attached to his grandfather, who always motivated and encouraged him to perform better with every tournament. They did not want this news to affect his performance in the game.

Another such celebrity who made big sacrifice was Shekhar Suman. In early 90s, he shot into fame with the hugely popular TV serial ‘Dekh Bhai Dekh’ on Doordarshan. At that time, his young son was suffering from Cancer and was hospitalized for many weeks before his untimely death. In those days, Shekhar Suman was caught in a dilemma, whether to further his career by hectic shooting schedules or spend time with his ailing son. And he regrets even today that he did not give enough time for his son.

Sachin Tendulkar also mentioned on his retirement day that because of his cricket tours for 24 years, he missed out on several special moments like his children’s birthdays, their school functions, appreciating their small achievements etc. These moments shall never come back ever.  

No wonder, sometimes being just a common man is a big blessing…which often we do not realize!

7.

Success is never permanent and failure is never fatal.

Therefore, whenever we see someone successful, we should draw inspiration from that, and appreciate the efforts gone into that success. Because, success usually comes with lot of hard work, proper planning and a bit of luck.

There was a period of almost 5 years in 1990s, when Kumar Shanu won all the male playback singer awards in all the Bollywood award functions, making all other singers irrelevant. Later, he had requested the judges not to nominate him, so that other singers too can get a chance to win awards and recognition.

There was a period in the last decade, when the Australian Cricket team won all the matches in all the tournaments, making all other countries’ teams of that period irrelevant.

Now we are witnessing a period, when Narendra Modi is singularly winning all the elections, making all other political parties irrelevant. The number of casualties because of his juggernaut is rising by the day. The prominent names in this illustrious list are Nitish Kumar, Uddhav Thakre, Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar. 

We all know that this phenomenon too will have an end date, sooner or later.

But then, so long as it lasts, one should rise above the party ideologies and enjoy it…! We may not get another opportunity of seeing such stellar performance from another political leader in near future.

8.

For any employee working in a company, ‘recognition’ by the employer is the most precious gift. What could be a better way to show the recognition, which is based on loyalty, and which results in the company doling out Rs. 500 crores worth of gifts as Bonus to its staff for this Diwali?

Yes, it sounds unbelievable, but it is true.

Savjibhai Dholakiya, a Diamond exporter based in Surat has recently presented his loyal employees with Cars, homes and jewelry as Diwali Bonus.

The human resource is the most precious asset any company can have, and if the management is able to utilize this potentially limitless resource efficiently, then it can achieve great heights in its field. Unfortunately, not many companies understand this logic and in order to save a few pennies, they often forego pounds. In the bargain, not only the employee loses, but the company too loses to tap the employee’s enthusiasm, creativity and belongingness, which has the power to boost the work efficiency tremendously.

Dholakiya has undoubtedly set new benchmarks in the industry, in terms of rewarding the loyal employees.

His employees are surely going to have a very Happy Diwali…!

9.

In his autobiography to be released next week, Tendulkar mentions about the lean patch of his career, when as a captain, he was not successful for a prolonged period. During those days, he felt that he was already giving his 100% to the game and there was nothing extra that he could do to improve the situation. He even thought of QUITTING the game altogether…

This tells us five important points:

Even great and successful celebrities face momentary setbacks. Yet, they don’t lose their heart and continue to put in their best.

There is nothing wrong in failing. What is wrong is, not pulling ourselves up after every fall.

Many times, big victories await us after the toughest phases. One needs to manage these hard days.

In spite of our best efforts, results are never guaranteed. There is a bit of luck needed in every success.

Our true character is not seen by how we celebrate success. It is reflected in how we behave in failures.

10.

What is the similarity between SRK, Indra Nooyi, Indira Gandhi, Narendra Modi and Mahatma Gandhi?

Well … they all sleep for less than 4 hours a day.

It says many things about them.

All these personalities are/were highly successful in their respective fields. For them, work is worship. They worked for extra hours regularly to accomplish their goals.

Usually, many of us say that ‘we do not have sufficient time’ to do certain things. But these abovementioned people show us that by reducing our sleep, we can increase our productivity by at least 15 – 20% per day, by way of increased ‘available working hours’.

Time is the only resource, which is available in equal measure to all living beings. No one has less and no one has more. Not even a single minute.

Time is also something that can never be recovered, however rich or powerful we are. Once it is gone, it is gone.

Therefore, as we are witnessing the future convert itself into past, every second, right in front of us, let us strive to make use of the present very well. That takes care of everything else.

***

Coming soon … Volume #4

Inspirational and Motivational Short stories Volume #2

This is a collection of inspiring and motivational short stories which I have posted on my Facebook page. Every story gives a distinctly positive message. Enjoy reading the volume #2 of this collection.

1.

The last two league matches of IPL this season have been very special. The team batting second has achieved the sizeable targets in remarkably less number of overs, to attain a desired place in the playoffs. The valiant way, in which Mumbai Indians, after losing their first 5 consecutive matches, scripted a near-unbelievable comeback in the playoffs, shows how a team could remain focused and motivated in the face of severe adversity. 

Achievement of such unimaginable targets highlights the fact that when faced with tough situations, people give in their best performance. Such heroism would not have been possible if the targets were more relaxed.

In life too, many times we see such situations around us. People tend to give their best performance only when faced with some kind of adversity. So, is adversity necessary for achieving big results in any field? Most of the successful personalities say that they had experienced some kind of failure in their lives earlier.

It is true … success spoils a person in hundred ways but a failure teaches him thousand lessons.

2.

History is full of ordinary people who achieved extra-ordinary accomplishments with a strong determination.

One such case is that of Gyan Singh, 40, from Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh. In his village, the people had to walk a long route of around 7 km for fetching water and taking the ailing patients for medical treatment to the nearest village on the other side of a mountain adjoining the village. Seeing this, in 2011, he started carving a 5 feet road in the mountain. He took three years to complete a 2.5 km road cutting through the mountains singlehandedly.

He has not only shown to the world that everything is possible with determination, patience and hard work, but also has got bountiful precious blessings of all the villagers.

Gyan Singh is a real hero… we salute his self-belief and courage.

3.

Recently, Kundan Lal from Dehradun topped the LLM exam conducted by the Uttarakhand Open University. He scored 185 / 200 marks.

So, what is so great about it apart from the fact that he must have really studied hard for the exams and prepared well? Well, it would come as a surprise to many to know that he is 73 years old.

It is a different matter as to what he would do with this qualification at this age. What is more important is that he has shown the passion to achieve a goal. And with hard work, he achieved it.

Many times in life, we come across situations when we think for a moment, ‘I am too old for doing this…’

People like Kundan Lal inspire us to realize that it is never late. One may modify his dreams as per the changing circumstances and growing age, but one must have dreams and pursue them with all sincerity.

4.

How many people can remain spirited and enthusiastic after difficult circumstances force them to drop out from the school after 8th grade? Not many…

But Maya Devi from Rohtak, Haryana is an exception. Born in a poor farmer’s family, she struggled throughout her life only to see that her children studied well.

And last week, when the UPSC results were declared, her dream of lifetime was realized. Her son Lok bandhu and daughter Pooja had cleared the IAS exams. Her elder daughter Kranti is already an IAS officer, working as Dy. Commissioner in Income Tax department in Mumbai.

This shows that even a semi-literate woman deprived of the basic necessities in life, can significantly and positively change the lives of her children, through sheer determination and hard work.

She is indeed an inspiration to all the mothers of India… who strive hard to see a better future for their children.

5.

Recently, a Pizza was delivered by air, by a drone in Mumbai.

A Robot is now developed in Japan, which can understand human emotions and behave / react accordingly.

Google has developed a driverless car.

People are increasingly turning to Facebook and WhatsApp for sharing their feelings, instead of meeting / calling their neighborhood.

…

At this rate, the machines would increasingly fill our lives in all spheres, reducing the human interface.

The day is not far when a need arises to develop a machine which will help a human interact with another human… live. It looks like, in the pursuit of technological advancements, we are forgetting the basic needs of humans, which are a heart-to-heart talk, a warm handshake, a pat on the back, a caring embrace, a heartfelt laughter together etc.

These ‘human acts’ cannot be ever substituted by any scientific / technological innovations.

6.

At a time, when the honor killings are rampant in most parts of India, the families of Azaan (Muslim) and Arti (Hindu) from Uttar Pradesh have set a new benchmark for peace and harmony.

Azaan and Arti fell in love with each other and decided to get married against the wishes of their families. They ran away from their homes and went to a Sai temple in Etah to get married. However, their families, who were frantically looking for them, tracked then down just in time.

After initial resistance, a compromise was finally reached and they all agreed for the marriage. A Kazi was called to solemnize the marriage inside the Sai temple.

It is quite likely that Sai must have got emotional and moved at this rare display of matured and rational behavior of these two families in these troubled times…!   

7.

Does God really bless a person, if he participates in the religious procession with utmost devotion, but he also ignores a person in extreme distress lying injured on his procession route?

Yesterday, on the auspicious day of Dnyaneshwar Palkhi in Pune, 59 year old Nandkishor Radhesham Sharma went to see the Palkhi procession on Bajirao road and was hit by a car, which sped away lying him injured on the road.

However, the people around him, including those who were taking part in the procession, just lifted him from the middle of the road and kept him on the pavement so that the procession can continue. After he gained consciousness, he feebly tried calling his family on his mobile, who came from Katraj and took him to a hospital. Unfortunately, after fighting for his life for few hours, he succumbed to his injuries.

So, who is responsible for his death? Was it the person in car who hit him? Or the passersby who did not call for ambulance immediately?

Is it the time that these annual historic processions, started over three hundred years ago, in which over four lakh people cover a distance of around 400 km, be routed through outskirts of the cities to avoid any inconvenience to the ordinary people for those few hours? If not, can the RTA make a proper plan of emergency exits at all junctions to cater to such emergencies?

God has never asked people to worship him ignoring others around him, who need help. Helping such people is indeed the highest form of worship…!

8.

The admissions to Delhi University have finally started after resolving the course duration issue. What came as an expected surprise was the high cut-off percentage for admissions to various courses in different colleges.

Apparently, for the science stream the cut-off was 100% while for other streams, the cut-off was around 97% plus.

This raises some very important questions.

What happens to the students who scored below 97% marks? Are they not good?

Is it right for the education system to put such excessive pressure on students and their parents to score such high marks? 

Were all the students, who got admissions in these colleges in previous years, successful in their future careers as well?

Is it only a craze to get admission into such colleges? Are other colleges useless?

Have other colleges not produced any successful people?

I do not have answers to all these questions… I hope someone does.

9.

According to a recently published report, the city-state of Monaco in Western Europe has the maximum density of millionaires. Apparently, one out of every three persons is a millionaire over there.

That makes one wonder, how the life of these people would be? Are they all really happy with all the money they have? Or do they compare their wealth with one another and feel unhappy to see someone who has more wealth than them?

What would be the ambitions of these people? Would their children be truly putting their best efforts in their schools / colleges?

Ironically, every person runs behind more and more money throughout his life … and when a few of them earn enough of it, they seek other pursuits like philosophy and philanthropy. 

10.

Recently, ‘e-mail’ completed 32 years of its existence. Not many would be aware that 32 years ago, an Indian, V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai had invented the e-mail in US.

During these 32 years, there were some distinct phases on the usage of emails.

In early nineties, people were learning about how to operate computers. So, communicating through emails was out of question.

By late 90s, people were regularly going to cyber cafes to check their emails. So, sending and receiving emails was a one-time activity performed once or twice a day.

By the beginning of first decade of this century, many people had computers in their homes and the mails were seen several times a day. It was no more a luxury.

However, with the advent of smart phones a few years ago, seeing mails in computers has become an old thing. Now people know instantly when a mail arrives in their inbox, through their smartphone. Moreover, because of the several faster and cheaper means of communication like messengers, WhatsApp, and even voice calls, the emails have not remained a favorite mode of personal communication anymore.

Today, children learn to send / receive an e-mail before they learn how to write letters. In fact, this generation may have probably never experienced the pleasure of writing letters to our loved ones at far off places.  The emotions actually pour out on the paper when one writes a personal letter with a pen. Similarly, the sheer joy and thrill in receiving a letter from our friends and relatives is to be experienced to be believed. The postman had a special place in people’s lives in those days and in some cases, he was considered a part of the family.

Today, we have a much faster and several means of communication, but none of these can create the same ‘magical effect’ as before.

…

Coming soon … Volume #3

Inspiring and Motivational short stories Volume #1

This is a collection of inspiring and motivational short stories which I have posted on my Facebook page. Every story gives a distinctly positive message. Enjoy reading the volume #1 of this collection.

1.

How many people can remain unchanged with an additional wealth of Rs. 100 Crores in their bank account? Not many. But David Ashcroft from Liverpool, UK is an exception. He won a lottery of Rs. 100 Crores in 1997 when he was 30 years old. Today, 16 years later, he continues to work in his furniture assembly shop and stays in same house as before. He does most of household work himself.

Come to think of it, a rich person cannot eat more than three meals a day, or sleep for more than 8 hours a day. Nor can he carry with him anything when he departs. However, when some zeroes get added in the bank balance figures, many people tend to change their behavior. And that is ironical…!

2.

Pancham Singh, 90, has visited 400 jails in 18 states in the last few years to reform convicts and advise them to follow good path. He believes that prisoners can be reformed and deserve a better after-jail-life. Noble act indeed…

What is ironical, however, is that he was a dacoit from Chambal Valley during 60s and 70s. He was sentenced to death by the court for killing over 100 people. However, the then President had pardoned him and released in 1977.

So, does the sanctity of his advice lose its sheen, once we know his history? Does a former criminal have moral right to give guidance on righteousness to others? What if we did not know his past? Would he be considered a saint in such a situation? Is there a saint trapped in every criminal and a criminal hidden inside every saint?

The opinion is bound to differ from person to person…!

3.

Yesterday was a big day in the history of Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh as the residents of this place were gifted with a rail network. That means after over Six decades of Independence, the people of this city had the basic train facility. The people born in seventies and before in other parts of India would recall how they were thrilled to see train at railway crossings or while speeding away on tracks near agricultural fields outside their villages.

This brings out a very important but not-much-discussed aspect of the Indian growth story. The entire North East region has been grossly neglected all these years even though it has bountiful natural resources and excellent scenic natural locales. Recently, the people of this region were in news because of the almost racist behavior of people of Delhi resulting in the death of one youngster.

Our politicians do not seem to realize that India cannot progress unless it’s all regions, religions, castes and whatsoever parameter we take, progress TOGETHER. There can be no growth of just one part of India … it has to be TOTAL India.

All these years, India has been progressing in spite-of-politicians and not because-of-them… we hope to continue this journey in future too… for there is no end point on road to success and development.

Jai ho.

4.

Recently, a Robot has been developed in China which can cook the desired food. Apparently, it has been programmed to cook several delicious dishes. Fine, that is definitely technological advancement…

In ‘English Vinglish’, Sridevi mentions that if a woman cooks good food, it is considered her duty while if a man cooks good food, it is treated as an art.

Some of us would remember that around two generations ago, there used to be some people who did not eat food cooked by others. They believed that the character and attitude of person cooking the food influences the thought processes of the people eating the food cooked by him. So, in order to maintain their sanctity, these old people never ate outside food or the food cooked by others.

Now, with this modern invention, which thoughts would come in the mind of people eating the food cooked by the Robot? Do Robots think at all?

Gradually, the people are losing the personal touch in their day to day activities involving others. Earlier, people used to write letters by hand, which carried the emotions of people with it. The reader could actually feel the emotions. Now a days, with the numerous instant messaging services across the world, the communication happens much faster, but the emotions are getting lost somewhere in the process…

So, the moot question is:  Is the technology creating more and more human Robots?

5.

Any person completing MBA dreams of getting a high salaried job in good company. However, this year, 4 MBA graduates though otherwise. They thought that doing a job was too ordinary. They wanted to do something different. So, the 4 guys, Sandeep Jain, Vikas Khanna, Amit Aggarwal and Ankit Saragwi from Raipur, Chhattisgarh rejected the job packages worth lakhs of rupees and … opened up a shop of Sugarcane Juice.

They dream of opening a chain of such shops called ‘Ganna Wala’ across India in next few months. They feel that this could be a very profitable business if all the logistics are properly planned.

Every dream starts with a little step but with great determination and firm belief. Many such ideas are ridiculed and mocked at in the beginning. But they go on to make history in due course of time.

True, success often comes from treading unexplored path….!

6.

Recently the Director General of Dubai Municipality honored its 726 workers by giving them cash prizes and unveiling a huge billboard ‘Our Workers’ in its main building in the presence of entire senior management. The Dubai Municipality has been organizing this event for last 6 years aimed at giving opportunities to workers to excel in different fields such as Arts and Sports.

How many organizations understand that such simple acts of the management go a long way in motivating its staff? The simple Municipality worker is also a human being who has feelings and emotions like everyone else. He also needs appreciation and recognition for the good work done by him.

Next time when we look at the Dubai roads, and find them to be much cleaner compared to other cities, we know one of the probable reasons behind this.

By paying salary, a company can buy the routine muscular movements from its staff for 8 hours in a day. However, such small acts of appreciation and recognition can bring out the true worth of an employee as he puts his heart and soul in his job.

The human potential in unlimited … it just needs to be unleashed.

7.

Yesterday Pravin Tambe, the spin bowler of Rajasthan Royals claimed the first hat-trick of IPL season 2014. What is noteworthy is that he is 42 years old, and was not in much news all through his career, at least not in the recent years.

This brings an important point to the fore. At an age when many players including legends like Sachin Tendulkar had to retire, how could he achieve this feat?

Well, it has to do with the positive mind frame and an encouraging environment which makes all the difference. Rajasthan Royals has been long acclaimed as the best possible training ground for youngsters as it displayed an excellent team spirit, fantastic coaching and wonderful atmosphere.

Incidentally, in the other extravaganza that has captured the imagination of the nation these days, the national elections, there are two important personalities in the same age group as Pravin Tambe, who have been easily outsmarted by a sixty plus personality through similar positive mind frame and an untiring and confidant blitzkrieg across the length and breadth of the country.

Age certainly matters… but what matters more is a positive mind frame and a can-do approach.  

8.

Recently, a campus interview wasl held with a difference…

There were 33 companies including big names like Vedanta group and IDEIM India Pvt. Ltd.

There were 66 candidates selected from among hundreds.

The highest salary of Rs. 35,000/- was paid by Taj Mahal group to to Raju Parasnath. He was recruited as Assistant Business Development Manager.

So, where is the difference?

The difference is that this campus is in Tihar jail. The jail authorities conduct campus interviews every year for the inmates with good behavior who are on verge of being released.

All the stakeholders here deserve sincere appreciation… the candidates for their good behavior, the jail authorities for showing a new ray of hope in the life of these prisoners; and last but not the least, the recruiting companies in believing that the people can indeed be reformed…!

They have indeed altered the destiny of these prisoners.

9.

A good work done for the benefit of others, without expecting anything in return, rarely goes unnoticed. And if the volume and magnitude of the work is very high, then it earns rich accolades as well.

Martha Dodray, 40, working in a primary health centre in Bihar’s Darbhanga district walked several miles daily to reach the remotest villages to administer polio vaccination to children, mostly belonging to the poorest of families.

Martha has ensured that no child suffers from Polio in these villages. Polio eradication is a worldwide movement, and it is people like her who make it successful in true sense.

No wonder, she has been already honored with the United Nations Foundation award and is now being selected for the United Florence Nightingale award 2014.

It is very humbling to know that several hundred children can walk and run freely today because someone, absolutely unrelated to them, has tirelessly walked miles for them…

We salute Martha Dodray… a real life hero.

10.

In 1947, India got independence from the Britishers. It was a hard earned battle fought over several years. The people had shown their patriotism by fighting against the British rule and even by laying down their lives.

Today, India is on the verge of another freedom. The freedom from insensitive and non-functional government.

The countrymen have displayed exceptional collective enlightenment by registering highest ever voting percentage of 66.38%. It today’s times, the patriotism is shown by …just exercising your franchise to vote.

It is a wakeup call for all the politicians of all parties … they cannot take the people for granted anymore. People have now learnt to judiciously exercise their democratic power to select and elect right people to govern them.

In that aspect, this historic moment can be considered as India’s second independence… the independence from corrupt and ineffective governments at the centre as well as all states.

Bravo India… Bravo Indians…! Keep marching. Good days are ahead.

...

Coming soon Volume #2

The ‘Narova Kunjarova’ moment of Arvind Kejriwal

Most of us know that historic moment of the epic battle of Mahabharata when Yudhishthira had to speak a half-lie. Let us quickly refresh the incident to appreciate its modern day context.

The Kauravas were going strong under the leadership of Dronacharya. They were decimating the Pandava army, which led to a panic in the Pandava camp. There was a serious brainstorming session in Pandava camp during which it was decided that if they were somehow able to demoralize Dronacharya, even momentarily, they could regain their control over the war. But then, how to weaken Dronacharya even for a moment? That was a challenge. Then it dawned upon them that Dronacharya loved his son Ashwatthama very much. If they could spread a rumor that Ashwatthama was dead, Dronacharya would be dejected and morally down.

Accordingly, the Pandava camp named an elephant as Ashwatthama. Then Bheema killed Ashwatthama, the elephant. Immediately, the Pandava camp spread the news in battlefield that ‘Bheema killed Ashwatthama’. Dronacharya, who heard this news, did not believe it initially. He happened to be near Yudhishthira, so he approached him and asked his whether the news was true. The impeccable reputation of Yudhishthira, that he always spoke the truth, can be gauged from the fact that the commander of enemy’s army chose to ask him to verify a news related to his son.

It was one of the defining moments in the war. Yudhishthira knew the truth. Yet, he could not divulge the truth, as he wanted to win the war. At the same time, he could not tell a lie, as his reputation of several years would be washed away. He was in a dilemma.

He chose the middle path. He spoke the half-truth.

He said, “Ashwatthama Hata iti, Narova, Kunjarova’. Which meant, ‘Ashwatthama is dead. I do not know whether man or elephant’. He intentionally uttered the last two words, ‘Narova Kunjarova’ in a low voice, so that they could be suppressed in the trumpets blowing all around. On hearing this confirmation from Yudhishthira, Dronacharya instantly dropped his bow and arrow and sat down on the floor, overwhelmed with the grief of losing his beloved son. That gave the Pandava camp the much-needed opportunity and they swung the battle in their favor.

Now fast-forward to the current times.

Arvind Kejriwal went to attend the much hyped and publicized event of Nitish Kumar’s oath taking ceremony. As he entered on the stage, he found Laloo Prasad Yadav, who warmly embraced him and raised his hand together with Arvind Kejriwal’s hand, in a show of unity and togetherness.

Later, Arvind had to clarify to his supporters and critics that it was Laloo, who forcibly hugged him and caught his hand to raise it, in a show of solidarity between the two leaders. How far his clarification is likely to be accepted is anybody’s guess.

However, we ask five pertinent questions at this stage.

When he went so enthusiastically to the oath taking ceremony, did he not know that he would encounter Laloo Prasad’s dominating presence in the event? How did he plan to react / respond when such a situation, which was logically anticipated?

Does Arvind Kejriwal support the Bihar government, which has major presence of Laloo Prasad Yadav? He had mentioned Laloo Prasad Yadav as a corrupt politician, just a few months ago.

Does Arvind Kejriwal support Laloo Prasad Yadav’s son’s becoming the Dy. CM and a minister in the government? How can he then criticize or comment on Smriti Irani’s qualifications?

Arvind Kejriwal had gone in a chartered plane to Patna to attend this event. How does he differentiate between himself and Narendra Modi, whom he had accused of using chartered planes?

The video clip did not display any expressions of embarrassment or hesitation on Arvind Kejriwal’s face, when Laloo Prasad Yadav hugged him on the stage. 

So, was he really embarrassed at all?

The country today is so deeply divided among various political affiliations that the merits of opponents and demerits of their own leaders have become almost invisible. Obviously, the AAP supporters would find nothing objectionable or wrong in what their supreme and the holier-than-thou leader has done in full public display. They would pass it off as basic courtesy, social obligation and political etiquette.

However, history has recorded this hug. Moreover, future will reveal whether this was the ‘Narova Kunjarova’ moment in Arvind Kejriwal’s political career. The reason why we consider this moment as ‘Narova Kunjarova’ moment is also very simple. Arvind Kejriwal has been the fulcrum of the anti-corruption movement spearheaded by Anna Hazare. He has fought elections on anti-corruption plank. His ‘unknown, low-profile’ candidates have won the elections because of his faith and belief in eradicating corruption from Indian politics. He has challenged all the high and mighty from across the party lines on issue of corruption. He had almost created a halo of ‘most clean’ politician on Indian soil today.

However, his national ambition had overtaken his other interests. He wanted to hog the limelight on national scene rubbing shoulders with the third front politicians to emerge as a possible consensus prime ministerial candidate during the 2019 general elections. This ambition momentarily blinded him and (mis)led him to share the stage with Laloo Prasad Yadav. If he did not huh Laloo Prasad Yadav, his national interests would be in jeopardy. If he hugged Laloo, then his clean image would take a hit.

It was indeed a difficult moment. He had to take a decision. He took. Now this moment shall re-define his destiny in Indian politics.   

It is said that till the time Yudhishthira did not speak that half-lie, his chariot always rode two inches above the ground. Once he uttered that half-truth, his chariot too, like all other chariots, rested on the ground.

It would be interesting to see what impact it would have on Arvind Kejriwal.  

Why Congress is the ONLY TRUE WINNER of Bihar elections?

The Bihar election results have brought the Modi rath to a standstill. The Delhi elections had already dented the aura around the Modi – Amit Shah Combination. Now, the Bihar elections have punctured their vehicle badly. They urgently need to replace a Tyre or two, if they have to run at the same speed again.

The debate and analysis about the colossal failure and the charismatic victory shall go for a long time to come. This was one election, where every forecast and predication was proved wrong, including those made by the responsible media houses. Nitish Kumar has now created a divine halo around himself as an invincible CM of Bihar and he shall undoubtedly be the front runner as the PM candidate of the opposition parties in 2019 general elections.

The most stunning element of this election had been the phoenix like rising of Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was almost written off by all and sundry. His campaign style shall be under close scrutiny to find out the winning mantra, which he had adopted to script such a spectacular victory against all odds. He has actually given a fresh lease of life to all his family members, who were fast fading into oblivion. He has rekindled strong hopes in their mind about occupying positions of power in Bihar politics. His stupendous victory, nevertheless, makes one wonder about the audacity of the Bihar voters who did not mind voting for the party of a person, who lost his membership of Parliament due to proven corruption charges, and who is disqualified for contesting any elections by none other than the Supreme Court of India.

In this scenario, the one party, which washed its hands in the strong currents of flowing Ganga River, is the Congress. It has improved its tally from 4 to 27, which is an incredible 575 percent jump. This victory is very sweet for Congress, as it has been a long time since it has tested some success. The party cadre of Congress is suddenly rejuvenated and energized. That inspired the party leadership too. The party leadership was the first one to make a public appearance as if it was the single largest party in the elections.

Going forward, it is a difficult road ahead for all the stakeholders except the Congress. Here is the analysis:

JD(U) will soon realize that it is extremely difficult to provide good governance having Lalu’s inexperienced sons at the helm of affairs and many important portfolios grabbed by Lalu’s ‘seasoned’ leaders. It would be anything but easy to fulfil the promise of development and social justice. However, he would have to eat the humble pie and accept his fate. He would have not imagined in his wildest dreams about such a superlative performance from Lalu, pushing even himself to a second position. It will be a most sympathetic exhibition of a tightrope walk by Nitish for the next five years, or till this government lasts, whichever comes first. Nitish’s MLAs are going to develop strong animosity towards  the RJD MLAs in no time, though it may take some time before it comes out in open.

RJD is having a field day. It is almost as if they have found a Kalpavriksha.  Ask anything and you will get it. This new found boon is going to make all of them going berserk and celebrate every day with a new vigor till they actually break every rule of the law. Already Lalu is saying that he shall travel around the country building an opinion against the ruling party. So, what Kejriwal could not do, Lalu is attempting to do. What an irony. The best thing in favor of Lalu is that he does not have any responsibility of governance. That is entrusted with hapless Nitish. So, they indulge in all fun and frolic with a very comfortable feeling that Nitish is the scapegoat for everything that would go wrong in the next five years in Bihar.

The allies of BJP in the NDA are the worst sufferers of this election and they deserve their fate. They conveniently assumed that once they ally with Modi, they do not need to make any efforts to win the election. How sadly mistaken they were. They lost their value in the present central government as well because of such disastrous performance.  They would need to make sustained efforts to regain the lost ground.

In this charged atmosphere, Owaisi appeared like a comedian who appears on stage for a while, gets slapped by the hero and returns to his fold. He would definitely re-think before contesting elections in other states outside Telangana. He would seriously wonder whether his small victory in Maharashtra was a fluke.

That leaves us with the oldest party of India, the Congress. It has increased its tally handsomely. It has no burden of performance on its shoulders. It does not worry about which ministry it will get, because it knows very well, what a cat can expect when sitting with two tigers. It will use this victory to target Modi for a long time to come. It has nothing to lose and only gain.

It is the ONLY TRUE WINNER of these elections. 

Reader's Reviews of 'Return Journey of a Stranger'.

I am thankful to every reader who has communicated his/her feedback about my third book 'Return Journey of a Stranger'. This feedback has given me an insight into how my work has been received by the audience. All positive comments have made me satisfied with my efforts, while constructive criticism helps me to improve my writing skills further. I thank all the readers for taking time to have given their review about the book. 

Reader #1 - DS

My dear Suhas, I could not control myself after reading your third book ‘Return Journey of a Stranger’ and my heart has opened up automatically. The words below are a sequence of that phenomenon. 
• I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. In fact, I finished it just in two days’ time. I read every word, every sentence, every para and every page – I could not skip and jump as I normally do while reading other books. Unfortunately, this is what I have been doing right from my childhood days. It was grasping and kept the interest flowing.
• The book is very well worded, intriguing and makes the reader ‘mad’. Each word is scientifically placed in the right place and can’t be replaced by another. 
• The plot in the story flows down like a river – originating in mountains and hills, flowing through various terrains and finally meeting the sea and in the process carrying everyone and everything with it. 

• Chandu – the hero of the story is really very lucky that he met all good people in his journey except Kundan and his father Mukundilal who advised him to run away from the scene of murder. That was also a good thing. Normally, in our lives we come across many characters – black marketers, politicians, jailbirds, terrorists, pimps, wrong friends and all types of unsocial elements who trap us and lead us into wrong tracks. What happened in this book is a rare occurrence. To make the story natural I think there should have been one or two such characters and then Chandu rising up in his life fighting all the evils –this would have been more natural. 
• It is also a little unnatural that no ‘girl’ has played any role except of course his ‘painter’ girlfriend who has a very minor role 
• If I had enough money I would have made a Hindi / Marathi movie with the title “Chandu”.  
• This book has presented a new ‘ SUHAS’ to the world who is not only devoted to his work and family but 
is also very much aware of the legal aspects, court scenes, social structures and child psychology. 
• Let almighty give SUHAS a long peaceful and trouble free life so that he could write many more such inspiring books. 

Reader #2 - SI

Completed reading 'The return journey of a stranger'...a solid storyline told at a reasonable pace keeping the users interest intact.it is also laces with couple of thrilling moments which come as surprise to the users. The main motto of 'enthusiasm' is not lost anywhere and that is what the specialty is.
However, some of the situations seem to be highly positive which may not be the case in this cruel world.
An excellent piece from an equally excellent person...

Reader #3 - KB

The best part of all the stories is its simplicity, in language, in content and in emotions. All the characters are driven by emotions, we encounter in regular life. It also gives an insight to your simple observations of regular life and the ability of drawing deductions at times practical and at times ideal. More than any suspense its a ...wish which blossoms in reader and that captivates the reader binding him to go on reading in order to reach the outcome. Personally, it connects me to various moments of my personal past/ present life... 
I can term all your books till date as "Trilogy of Life".... I look forward to have many more pages written from heart with so much youth. Great Success for future...

Reader #4 -  VS

Dear Suhas, I finished reading the book quickly, and i loved it a lot. This is definitely the best one so far.

I urged my sons to read it because it is so positive, motivational and simple.

I loved the whole thought process... it’s so Indian and something we are losing with each passing day.

Values, grit, determination, respect.

Fantastic book.

Chandu is the next maryada purhsotam after bhagwan Ram.

Best wishes and look forward to your next jewel of wisdom.

Reader #5 - SI

Like the last time, I couldn't put the book down, and finished it in 4 hours today afternoon :)

Amazing book :) A very interesting narration of a well-kept suspense.

The best suspense was in Mathur's knowing Chandu's background and still appointing him as the office boy!

At one point of time in the book, I really wondered the reason behind the sympathy of Mathur toward Chandu, which got cleared eventually.

I am also curious about the amount of law you had to research for writing the court account, the death-declaration part. I could see K D Pathak in the defense lawyer.

On the whole, it was a wonderful reading experience :)

Cheers!

Reader #6 - KS

Congratulations on your 3rd book 'Return journey of a stranger'. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. 
What I appreciated most about the book was your firm conviction that the moral values taught by one's noble parents at a young impressionable age are a thousand times more powerful than any university education and can easily catapult a person to the highest pedestal irrespective of his humble origin.
More strength to your already powerful pen.
Keep going.

Reader #7 - PK

  

Suhas ji. At last got some time to read the Return Journey of a Stranger. Wonderful. If the speeches at the end by Mr Mathur, Mr Pawar could be cut short, I feel it can be turned into a blockbuster movie.

Reader #8 - MB 

I read the 'Return Journey of  a Stranger'. it is a quite interesting book, this is not a 'Stranger'  it is 'Return Journey of a Strongman'.  Super book you have written. I admire the characters like Chandrakant Shantaram Pawar, Tea stall owner Tau, Om Prakash Mathur and Ms. Nirmala Devi. I like the restaurant name 'Tai Ki Rasoi' , when I spell this name I feel I have eaten a Rasagulla Sweet. Chandu's farewell party speech and International Golden Peace award function speech is very interesting and useful for the entire society.             When you write the new book every time your writing skills is jumped to 100% compared to your previous book. May God bless you to become a one of the famous writer (Global) in the World. My best wishes for you.

Reader #9 - SS 

Hi, I read the book today. Your new book came in market and it is creating a history.

5 Lessons learnt from the #Lalitgate

Seeing the #Lalitgate explode day after day since last two weeks, one is reminded about a popular movie ‘Mohra’ released in 1994. In this film, Sunil Shetty meticulously eliminates one by one, the criminals from two gangs of Jibran and Tyson. In fact, in one scene, he instigates a full-blown fight between the two camps, while he himself is hidden behind the scene. That fight leaves many of them dead and injured.

Here are five lessons, which can be learnt from the snowballing #Lalitgate, which is threatening to swallow big names in the Indian politics across the spectrum.

1. Bad deeds will haunt … always

The phenomenal rise of Lalit Modi in the multi-billion Indian sports industry during the last decade is nothing short of a miracle. It talks about a suave and shrewd businessman who went about achieving his objective in a most professional manner. He wielded tremendous power in the corridors of political circles in Rajasthan and New Delhi and influenced the decision making body of Board of Control for Cricket in India, the cash-rich controversial sporting body, for his benefits. He gave birth to the glamorous (some call it immoral) version of Cricket called IPL, of which, no season has passed without some controversy or other.

Whoever allowed him the free run, have also indirectly aided him in his pursuits, for whatever gains. Their deeds of enabling him to dream are now causing them their biggest nightmares. They are scared to realize that Lalit Modi has kept a record of every document, big or small, which can implicate them in several ways under law.

2. High Profile games involve high risks

There is one similarity in the politics and underworld. The rewards in both these fields are very high … and so are the risks. The winners enjoy tremendous power and wealth, but the losers pay heavy price. In politics, a character assassination is almost similar to the loss of life in underworld. A disgraced politician lives a life much worse than a beggar does on the street.

Lalit Modi is playing this dangerous game by tweeting the names of high profile personalities on a daily basis, just as a magician takes out rabbits from his bag, much to the amusement of the spectators. What he does not seem to realize is that the politicians have a bad reputation of going to any extremes to safeguard their personal interests. With his revelations, he is not only making himself highly vulnerable but also closing all his already bleak chances of returning to India.

3. No one escapes the mud, while standing around a puddle

Whichever way the case moves from here, and going by the indications, a lot more is still to come out from his black box, there shall be mud thrown all around. People, who enjoy watching the slug fest by standing close and inciting the players, cannot escape some pieces of mud falling on their dress as well. Only the amount of mud shall vary based on the position one is standing. However, if anyone expects that he shall come out clean after this storm dies down, is sadly mistaken.  

4. Gang wars do not follow rule books.

The gang wars are not fought on rule books. They are fought only on one principle … seize the moment and attack. Every member of every gang looks for an opportunity to strike. There is no tomorrow in gang wars. Everyone playing the game knows that one may be eliminated at any point of time. The only objective is to ensure that one stays alert and causes as much damage to the members of other gang as possible.

5. Falling standards of media

The media has played a very immature role in this entire saga. There is one channel, which is non-stop showing the same news repeatedly for last two weeks, almost deciding the fate of people involved in this, in whichever manner. The channel has missed covering in detail several important news during these days, including the floods in Northern India and the terrorist attacks in three countries on Friday.    

The other channels also got a precious fodder to invite members of all parties and entangle them in acrimonious debates asking their opinions and reactions on the tweets emanating venomously from England.

…

The #Lalitgate is surely a turning point in the Indian Politics. At least for the Modi government, which boasted itself of a corruption-free governance since it came to power a year ago, this episode is causing a serious embarrassment.

On a very wild note, one should not be surprised to expect the biggest cover-up to protect the interests of all the high and mighty politicians involved. When Salman Khan and Jayalalithaa can walk free, it is quite possible that Lalit Modi is the prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 elections.

Politics, after all, is known to throw surprises at the gullible people from time to time.