Idyllic Thoughts

“ What is the feeling when you're driving away from people, and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? It's the too huge world vaulting us, and it's goodbye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.” -- Jack Kerouac (American Poet and Novelist) From what I have seen and admired in humans, they are eternal optimists. Goodbyes seem to break us, but we straighten up and walk, holding our head high, blinking away our tears. And as regards the specks of people dispersing, when something moves away, something else comes near. Guess that's how laws of nature move. If a time comes when nothing else comes near, it's when we will become really alone; alone to live and love life without any reason, taking the next step forward.

Through this post, I wish to thank all my friends for congratulating me on winning an award and for being happy for me. I have never met many of you, but I am surprised at the wishes that showered on me by strangers. Many people wished me on Facebook, many elderly people phoned me to my office and wished me (even now many are calling up), even those who came to office on other works, called me and expressed their happiness. They were all utter strangers. That is what surprises me. Thank you once again.

Religion existed to control society, to monitor those without the capacity to think things through for themselves, to provide promises and shimmering images in the sky, so that the urges of the masses could be calmed and regulated.  - The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri. It may be true that this was the original purpose of religion. But, what is happening now is just the opposite. Religion is making even those with the capacity to think, lose their intellect. It is making them lose their hope. It is creating waves of urges in the masses which, instead of calming them, is igniting them to frenzy. It is making them believe in the fake - look at the scene at Nityananda Ashram on Guru Poornima day. What is causing such madness? It is a disgrace to religion. Whatever Kundalini power may have meant, it surely was not that.

ಪಾಸು-ಫೇಲು   ಶಾಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಫಲಿತಾಂಶ ಹೊರಬಿತ್ತು.  ಮೇಷ್ಟ್ರು  ಹೇಳಿದರು ‘‘ನೀನು ಪಾಸು’’  ಹುಡುಗ  ಕುಣಿಯುತ್ತಾ ಶಾಲೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರ ಬಿದ್ದ.  ದಾರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ  ಹೀಗೆ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುವಾಗ ಒಂದು ಮರ ಕೇಳಿತು... ‘‘ನನ್ನನ್ನು ನೀನು ಹತ್ತ ಬಲ್ಲೆಯಾ?’’  ಹುಡುಗ  ‘‘ಇಲ್ಲ’’ ಎಂದ.  ತಲೆ  ಕುಣಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಹೂವಿನ ಗಿಡ ಕೇಳಿತು ‘‘ಈ ಹೂವಿನ ಹೆಸರು ಬಲ್ಲೆಯಾ?’’   ಹುಡುಗ ‘‘ಇಲ್ಲ’’ ಎಂದ.  ಅಲ್ಲೇ  ಬಿದ್ದಿದ್ದ ಸೈಕಲ್ ಕೇಳಿತು ‘‘ನನ್ನನ್ನು ನೀನು ತುಳಿಯ ಬಲ್ಲೆಯ?’’ ಹುಡುಗ  ‘‘ಇಲ್ಲ’’ ಎಂದ.  ಮುಂದೆ  ನದಿಯೊಂದು ಎದುರಾಯಿತು. ಕೇಳಿತು ‘‘ನನ್ನನ್ನು ನೀನು ಈಜಬಲ್ಲೆಯಾ?’’ ಹುಡುಗ  ‘‘ಇಲ್ಲ’’ ಎಂದ.  ತೂಗಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದ  ಮಾವಿನ ಗೊಂಚಲು ಕೇಳಿತು ‘‘ನನ್ನನ್ನು ನೀನು ಉದುರಿಸಬಲ್ಲೆಯ?’’ ಹುಡುಗ  ‘‘ಇಲ್ಲ’’ ಎಂದ. ಎದುರಾದ  ಬೆಟ್ಟ ಕೇಳಿತು ‘‘ನನ್ನನ್ನು ನೀನು ಏರ ಬಲ್ಲೆಯ?’’  ಹುಡುಗ  ‘‘ಇಲ್ಲ’’ ಎಂದ.  ಬದುಕು  ಹೇಳಿತು ‘‘ಹಾಗಾದರೆ ನೀನು ಫೇಲು’’   ಇದನ್ನು ನಾನು ಓದಿದ್ದು ಬರಹಗಾರ ಬಶೀರ್ ಅವರ ಬ್ಲಾಗ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ (ಗುಜರಿ ಅಂಗಡಿ). ಅಮ್ಮಂಗೆ ಓದಿ ಹೇಳಿದಾಗ ಅವಳು ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಛೇಡಿಸೋಕೆ, ನೀನೂ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಫೇಲ್ ಅಂದಳು. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ನಾನಂದೆ, ನಾನು ಫೇಲ್ ಆಗೋಕೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯಾನೇ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಯಾಕೆಂದರೆ ನಾನು ಬೆಳಗ್ಗೆ ಸಿಹಿನಿದ್ರೆಯಿಂದ ಕಷ್ಟಪಟ್ಟು ಏಳೋದನ್ನು, ಬಿಸಿ ಬಿಸಿ ಸ್ನಾನವನ್ನು, ಹಸಿದಾಗ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ ತುಂಬ ತಿನ್ನೋದನ್ನು, ಬೆಳಗಿನ ತಣ್ಣನೆ ವಾತಾವರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಸ್

I miss the complexity of the book and am tired of the predictability of people. Reading each page of a book takes you to a different realm, and often surprises you with its observations. I agree books are written by people, but why do people remain predictable in life and unpredictable in fiction? 

Received journalism award, was congratulated by hundreds of people, talked on Akashavani... All these are good encouragement to anybody, especially youngsters. But I feel after all this, the one thing that matters at the end is answering the question if what we write as journos bring any change not just in the minds of the people but also practical result? I know it is our duty to write about the wrongs done, but who will set them right after we write? I don't know. It is frustrating to see that we can't do anything. I wish there was a task force which enquired all investigative reports that appeared in the Press and tried to solve them and provide justice.