Casual and serious thoughts / ಹಗುರ ಹಾಗು ಗಂಭೀರ ಆಲೋಚನೆಗಳು

Photo credit:  Doodlebug  Now, that the polling is over and the electorate of India or Bharath as some would want to say, has spoken, is that in a loud voice? I guess it is, and as loud as it can get in this super hot summer and the parched throats can shout. More that 50% of the population have spoken and that is loud enough for me. The Election commission has to be commended and so too the law and order enforcement agencies who had to keep the “Future Law makers” from “not breaking the law”. Passions whipped up, complaints galore. This was by no means an easy exercise and full marks to these agencies for doing this massive job with elan and poise. While, it would have been better to have done this within a shorter period of time, we should understand when the circus has to move from one place to another, it takes time. This long period definitely helped to keep the Media (Specifically the TV media) super busy and many motor mouths to “Express” themselves in the “Debates”...

Like many in my friend’s circle, I too turned 60 a few years back. So, the children born in sixties, are turning sixty.  When    young (still think    I am) and had entered into professional life in MICO (now Bosch India), we organised and attended “Retirement parties” for our seniors. The retirement age being 58. I used to think that “they” were old and perhaps many of them thought the same.  Not many of them took up an active role and would be happy with a consulting role, if it came across or accept    a more domesticated role as go-getters, getting milk, vegetables, helping in the kitchen, hang out with friends, go to temple, turn more philosophical and sometimes ritualistic.   I am now in this specific group and haven’t retired. Also having seen many of my friends leading an “active life”, set me thinking whether the 'old age' definition has changed? Do the current generations have a “longer life” as the life expectancy has gone up?...

ಚಿತ್ರ ಕೃಪೆ ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀನಿಧಿ Click here for audio recitation ಶುಭ್ರ ನೀಲಿ ನಭಕೆ ದೃಷ್ಠಿ ಬೊಟ್ಟಿಟ್ಟಂತೆ ಮುಂಗಾರಿನ ಮುಂಗುರುಳುಗಳು ಕಪ್ಪು ಕಾರ್ಮೋಡಗಳು। ಕಾದ ಭುವಿಗೆ ಮೇಘ ಸಂದೇಶ, ಕಾದು ಬಾಯ್ತೆರೆದ ಚಾತಕದ ಆಶಾ ಮುಂಗಾರಿನ ಮುನ್ನ ಮಳೆ॥ ಬಾಯಾರಿದಗೆ ಬಾಯ್ತೆರೆದು ಬಯಸುತ್ತ ಬಳಲಿ ಬೆಂದವಗೆ, ತುಂಬಿದಾ ಬಿಂದಿಗೆಯು। ಹೊರಗೋಡುವಾಸೆ, ಮಿಂದು ತೊಯುವಾಸೆ। ಮೊದಮೊದಲ ಉಗುಳು, ಮಳೆಯ ತುಂತುರುಗಳು ಮುತ್ತಿನ ಮಳೆ, ಸಿಹಿ ಸಿರಿಯ ಸಿಂಚನ ಮುಂಗಾರಿನ ಮುನ್ನ ಮಳೆ॥ ಮೊದಲ ಮಳೆಯ ಮಣ್ಣಿನ ಪರಿಮಳ ಆಹಾ ಧೀರ್ಗಾಗ್ರಹಣ, ನಾಸಿಕಗೆ ಔತಣ। ಒಣಿಗದಾ ನಲ, ಪವಾಡಗಳಿಗೆ ಸುಗ್ಗಿ ಎಲ್ಲಿದ್ದವೋ ಹಿರಣ್ಯಗರ್ಭದೊಳು ಅಡಗಿ ಜೀವತಾಳಿದವು, ಚಿಗುರೊಡೆದು ಜೀವರಾಶಿ ಮುಂಗಾರಿನ ಮುನ್ನ ಮಳೆ॥ ಅದೇನಾರ್ಭಟ, ಬಾಣ ಬಿರುಸಿನ ನೋಟ। ಮಳೆರಾಯನ ಬರುವಿಕೆಗೆ ಬಹುಪರಾಕುಗಳು। ದುಂಧುಬಿ, ನಗಾರಿಗಳ ಗಡುಗಿನ ಮದ್ದಾಳೆ। ನೆಲ ಗುಡಿಸಿ, ಕಸವ ತೆಗೆವ ಬಿರುಗಾಳಿಯ ಸಾಹಸ ಎಂತಹ ಸಂಭ್ರಮ ಜಾಣ ಮುಂಗಾರಿನ ಮುನ್ನಾನಂದ ಮುಂಗಾರಿನ ಮುನ್ನ ಮಳೆ॥ - ನಾ ಶ್ರೀ ಮ

Scene 1 I was on my way to Delhi on a business visit and we had a group of first time travellers from a couple villages near channapattana (Near Mysuru). All were elderly people perhaps in their 50s - 70s. For sure, they were excited as kids getting into the plane and those who got the window seats were super thrilled. One elderly gentleman, to whom everybody was addressing with respect and were calling him “ Gowdre”  was seated just behind me and I could not help but to overhear the conversation that took place literally behind my back (pun intended).  This group were on their way to Delhi and to visit Kashi, Ayodhya, Amritsar and various other places.  They were mentioning that it was an eleven days trip. So, they were obviously missing to vote in this election.  I thought of turning around and asking them as to why did they plan to go on this journey when the election was on and decided not to, as they were all in a happy mood. There was nothing that they would do...

  Lok sabha elections have been announced.  There are these usual song and dance sequences of Indian Democracy.  The so called political leaders are throwing up the dry grass to assess the direction of wind. The weather cocks are aligning or trying to align themselves.  New alliances are being made or announced, old are either being reaffirmed or broken. Political conveniences, alignment on religious, linguistic, regional, caste or in many cases sheer and blatant opportunistic strange bed mates being seen. A minority is the political leanings of being a rightist, leftist, right of centre, left of centre, socialist and many of such a kind. Opportunism looks to be the rule of this game.  These can be discussed and debated as a natural phenomenon in a vibrant democracy, where the people and the parties vying to “Rule” seek the “Blessings” of the electorate. These electorate being very diverse, grouped, are also discrete in their identities.  Hence all these ha...