MY VIEWS IN ECONOMIC TIMES ON CASH TRANSFER & ON MONETARY POLICY

Economic Times Story on 30.10.12: How Congress may use cash transfers as the main weapon in the 2014 elections

Comments of MILAN K SINHA (PATNA) 
30 Oct, 2012 12:03 PM

It is always welcome to make & effect an action plan to help mitigate the economic hardships of the disadvantaged section of society, but if it is aimed only to project one political party or the other as the messiah of the poor masses by spending thousands of crore of tax payers money, may be in the name of direct cash transfer through Aadhaar route will not be going to strengthen the AADHAAR (Base) of the doer. The problem in this country is: the political masters think and believe too, that the Mango Masses(Aam Aadmi) can be taken for granted and so for a ride too as and when they so wish, but they fail to read the writing on the wall and acknowledge the fact that the complexion of electoral college is fast changing with growing inclusion of educated youths as new voters, who will not take the things as it is. Moreover, the Kejriwals and Hazares are there to make genuine protests against all such ill motivated moves attracting attention of many in the country.

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Economic Times Story on 30.10.12: RBI Q2 monetary policy review: Subbarao's accountability is to people of India, not just his masters

Comments of Milan K Sinha (Patna, India) 
30 Oct, 2012 06:15 PM

When a senior functionary of the central government like RBI governor says that his accountability is to the people of India and their welfare, and not just to his masters.., it reflects the high level of commitment of a man who is otherwise too, duty bound to act only for the good of the country, come what may. Unfortunately, even though there are still many upright and efficient officers in all government departments, yet they are not showing the minimum courage of saying a spade a spade for any and many reasons, personal, professional or otherwise. Undoubtedly, the flow of investment is not marred by the reported high interest rate regime alone. It is mainly because of the polluted political environment in the country which has deteriorated fast in recent past with so many bigger scams coming to light involving important political persons. Corporates who make hue and cry often disproportionately, in the media on rate related issues must first follow the principle of corporate governance, if not in letter & spirit but at least on a reasonable level because they too have an accountability towards their fellow countrymen.

                                        Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

MY VIEWS IN ECONOMIC TIMES ON POWER PROBLEM & ON RAIL MINISTRY

Economic Times Story on 29.10.12: Jyotiraditya Scindia takes charge of Power Ministry; calls it daunting challenge

Comments of MILAN K SINHA (PATNA) 
29 Oct, 2012 03:05 PM

It is good that a young and relatively performing and non-controversial minister took over the reigns of power ministry at the centre at a time when power has been regarded as a major area of concern - not only for ensuring faster economic growth but also for social development of the country. In our country, interestingly but unfortunately, as the political power is in the hands of the privileged few, so is the electric power being enjoyed by a limited section of society. Lacs of villages are still without electricity, though promises have been made by all political parties in their election manifestos time and again. As things stand today, there is a great mis-match between the demand & supply in this sector and no body can ensure huge generation of power in short span of time. So, the present problem can be addressed by putting in place a system whereby the distribution issues are taken care off properly in consultation with state governments, the power theft at all levels be stopped forth with, the requirements of cities are looked into afresh to make available some power to the villagers, encourage use of alternative sources of energy wherever feasible and try to increase the generation gradually. All these can be done provided the new team takes a SANKALP to do this within a set time frame. Let us hope for a better power management by a more powerful minister.

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Economic Times Story on 29.10.12: New Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal hints at fare hike

Comments of Milan K Sinha (Patna, India) 
29 Oct, 2012 08:45 PM

Is the minister so intelligent and analytical to make out within 24 hours of his getting the Rail Ministry that only by increasing the passenger fare, the health can be improved. Mr. Minister must first spend some time, understand the whole mechanism of functioning of railways , try his best to find solutions within the resources available and then come out with his prescriptions explaining the real compulsions of increasing the fares. As we all know, many things are not well in railways and there are many areas where things can be improved perceptibly through administrative measures alone.

                                                Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

MY VIEWS IN NEWSPAPER ON RIGHT TO EDUCATION & ON FALL IN PROFIT OF BANKS

Economic Times Story on 27.10.12:  RTE: Time for government to create an environment for private schools to thrive

Comments of Milan K Sinha (Patna) 
27 Oct, 2012 03:30 PM

RTE is definitely the basic human right. But, if we see the education scenario in the country, we find to our dismay and anguish that Govt. has not taken up this issue on priority so far thereby letting as many as one fourth of its population remaining still illiterate. There are many ifs and buts even for ensuring 100% primary school education. Most of these one lac plus private schools were allowed to exploit the guardians as these schools charge hefty fees etc. but do not guarantee better and value based education to the students even in their formative age. Instead of letting the private schools mushroom further and be money minting organisations, as it has happened during last few years, Govt. must first regulate the basic fee structure and the basic curriculum vis-a-vis the basic infrastructure such as library, laboratory, playing space etc. and simultaneously try its best to upgrade the standard of more than a million Govt. run schools in all respect on highest priority. To say, basic school education must maintain the basic quality benchmark and more importantly is made affordable to all sections of society.

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Comments of Milan K Sinha (PATNA) in 
The Times Of India dt. 27.10.12

Dear Reader,
Your comment on the article ''Indian Overseas Bank’s (IOB) net falls 24%'' is now displayed on timesofindia.com.

''Banking experts and industry watchers will not be surprised by this development in IOB as NPA has been proving to be an uncontrollable demon in India's Banking space. And the reasons are not unknown to the well known people who are at the helms of managing the Banking system. Actually, more or less all the banks are facing the NPA music as quality of credit has been a matter of concern and discussion in the inner banking circle. Rules, regulations, guidelines and above all prudence in sanctioning, disbursing and ensuring compliance of sanction terms & conditions are not taken seriously atleast on practical ground particularly in bigger loans. More over, various aspects of credit monitoring system, though in place on paper, are not adhered to strictly in practice. So, we will have more banks in this queue to declare higher gross NPA and lower profits in coming days. RBI, in consultation with CEOs of Banks, must act decisively to arrest this trend without further delay.''

                                          Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

कविता : कारों में भीड़ नहीं

                                                                                               -मिलन सिन्हा

        लहूलुहान सड़कें 

             कारों में भीड़ नहीं,

          कारों की भीड़ है

          पक्षी सब सहमे से

          सहमे से नीड़ हैं

          सूखते उजड़ते पेड़ हैं

          लहूलुहान सड़कें हैं

          सूख रही धरती है

          फटी फटी परती है

          सूखे नदी ताल हैं

          घर घर अस्पताल है

          गाँव नगर सोये से

          जागता श्मशान है I

                     Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

HEART ALWAYS MATTERS, ISN'T IT?

                                                                                     - By MILAN K SINHA

            Its a common knowledge & experience too, that in human body, the Head is positioned higher than the Heart. But, why then constant conflict goes on between the two. To discuss  the interesting  issue  let  us  first go through  the  dictionary  meaning  of Head and Heart:

Head :  It is the uppermost or forwardmost part of the body of a vertebrate, containing the brain and the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and jaws. It also has other meaning as seat of the faculty of reason, intelligence, intellect or mind. 

Heart:The chambered muscular organ in vertebrates that pumps blood received from the veins into the arteries, thereby maintaining the flow of blood through the entire circulatory system.The other meaning goes as repository of one's deepest and sincerest feelings and beliefs,the seat of imagination...

            So, as the physical position is,  the head always tries to behave like a head which carry its ego bag always  on its head. On the other hand, the Heart-our innocent, child like, 24x7  enthusiastic worker, not only pumps blood in the body but also differentiates us from an animal as an entity who has emotions, feelings, expression, compassion etc. तभी तो किसी ने सही कहा है, 'दिल तो बच्चा है जी, ज्यादा सच्चा है जी, पर थोड़ा कच्चा है जी।  It seems  Robert Bulwer-Lytton vindicates this point by saying, "A good heart is better than all the heads in the world."

          Now, if it is so, I am really tempted to put the question which the Hindi film singer asks all of us in a beautiful song from a Hindi film, 'Tanu Weds Manu':

 कितने दफे दिल ने कहा,

                           दिल की सुनी कितने दफे ...!                       

        Before moving further on this emotive issue, let us enjoy some truly heartfelt quotes from renowned personalities:

• It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come. -Dalai Lama 
• Wherever you go, go with all your heart.-Confucius
• The human heart feels things the eyes cannot see, and knows what the mind cannot understand.-- Robert Valett
• Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions,then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart. - Unknown
• Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. -Eleanor Roosevelt 
• The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.--Benjamin Franklin
• There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue those.--Michael Nolan
• One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter.-James Earl Jones
• The heart has reasons, which the reason cannot understand.--Blaise Pascal
• Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none had ever happened.--Libbie Fudim
• In life when you get into trouble, don't get nervous, just close your eyes and listen to your heart; because, the heart may be on the left, but it is always right. - Unknown 

       The authors of "Be the Change" Ed and Deb Shapiro  writes, "..  your heart is so much more than a vessel for romance. It has been described as the king, with the mind as the king's adviser. When faced with a decision, the king may ask his advisers for advice, may even send him out into the world to gather information, but ultimately it is the king that makes the final decision. Even though the advisers do not always agree with the king's decision, the king is invariably right, because the king's view not only sees the bigger picture but is also aware of the needs of others. In the same way, when faced with a decision or conflict, your mind may come up with numerous, different and quite logical reasons why you should act as it advises, but if you listen to and trust your heart—however illogical or irrational it may seem—it is usually right and you are happier as a result".

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition". --Steve Jobs 

                                          Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

हास्य व्यंग्य कविताएं : संकट, योजना

                                                                                                  - मिलन सिन्हा
संकट

नेताजी से जब 

एक पत्रकार ने पूछा ,

महाशय, तेल  संकट  पर 

क्या हैं आपके विचार ?

तो कहा  नेताजी ने हँसते हुए ,

 कहाँ  तेल संकट

जो करें सोच विचार .

अरे , हमारे  घर  तो  रोज 

हजारों  लोग आते हैं 

और हमें लगाने के लिए 

भर-भर टीन तेल 

साथ लाते हैं !

योजना 

मंत्री जी ने कहा,

अगले पंच वर्षीय  योजना में 

गावों  से 

गरीबी  हटायेंगे .

ऐसा लगता है 

जैसे कि  वे उसे (गरीबी को)

शहर में ले जायेंगे !

                                   Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

FAILING TO PLAN IS NOTHING BUT PLANNING TO FAIL

                                                                             - By MILAN K SINHA
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail"- Benjamin Franklin

Absolutely true. Planning has been at the  core of all projects, big and small, particularly in our professional world, where everyone is  beset with plethora of assignments to be completed within a time limit and as per the quality specifications. Even in our domestic matters, planning plays an important & comforting role. We also know and appreciate, where there is inadequacy of resources, be it time, money, energy, goods, minerals, machines or whatever, vis-a-vis its requirement - management of resources comes into play and with management, planning runs parallel as an integral component. 

Thomas Alva Edison emphasized this in these words very clearly,"Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing".

For stressing the point further, we may see what some other famous personalities have to say:

• “Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” --Warren Buffett
• “Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” -- Gloria Steinem
• "Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort". -- Paul J. Meyer 
• “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”-- Alan Lakein 
• "Goals are dreams we convert to plans and take action to fulfill". -- Zig Ziglar
• "Have a plan. Follow the plan, and you'll be surprised how successful you can be. Most people don't have a plan. That's why it's easy to beat most folks".-- Paul "Bear" Bryant, football coach.
• Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true. - Lester Robert Bittel

Yes, planning in itself is a unique and thoughtful task which requires lots of inputs  as it is regarded as one of the important time and event/task management technique. In fact, it prepares the road map with requisite details for reaching to the desired goal. The planning process incorporates various strategies such as organising, deputising, supervising, recognising, rewarding etc. with necessary check & balances to be reviewed periodically in totality. Moreover, every planning process  does have cushion for effecting last minute changes, if at all warranted. It also keeps alternatives ready in case some course correction becomes imperative, because we know absolutely well that  every time everything does not go strictly as per the planning due to its dependence on both controllable as well as non-controllable variables. 

To say, perfect planning takes care of unforeseen and unplanned as well, in such a  fashion that for onlookers it looks like a very smooth and  planned activity. Undoubtedly, planning is basically a proactive & dynamic process full of suspense and certainties, which we all experience and enjoy in our life in varying degrees.

          Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

THINK & ACT DIFFERENTLY TO SCALE NEWER HEIGHTS

                                                                                             - Milan K Sinha

     We are all born different. As we grow in life, we grow as different individual with different thinking and taste.  We act  and react differently in different situations . We are in ourselves an example of unity in diversity. We know and appreciate that each day is different from the other and that makes that day a new day with different prospects and possibilities for different persons. Please enjoy what these quotes have to suggest:

• Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. --Albert Einstein 
• A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets. --Steve Jobs 
• Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary. --Cecil Beaton 
• You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle. --Paulo Coelho 
• In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different. --Coco Chanel 
• If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.--- Henry David Thoreau
• At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time. --- Friedrich Nietzsche
• When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.--Charles Evans Hughes
• The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.--Dale Carnegie 

     I would request you to stand before the mirror and ask yourself how  and  in what manner you are different from your closest friends. You will  get answers of many of  your questions. All the great persons, from Gautam Buddha to  Einstein to Mahatma Gandhi to Steve Jobs to Barak Obama to Azim Premji,  to name a few,  who lived with us  and who are still with us,  have achieved those seemingly impossible feats by attempting differently their task. Why to go far away, you just see around your own domain and you would find that  the winner among you have been living his life differently.  Please remember, you are a human being and not a machine. You are having your own laboratory  inside you to experiment, create, innovate, improvise and in the process discover your true potential and enjoy life.

     Before signing off tonight, the last quote  by an unknown author:

"We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch, the country of our birth, or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing. We do not, most of us, choose to die; nor do we choose the time and conditions of our death. But within this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we live". - unknown

                                                 will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

हास्य व्यंग्य कविता : आरोप और आयोग

                                                                                            -- मिलन सिन्हा

 आरोप और आयोग 

हमारे महान देश में 

जब जब घोटाला होता है 

और
हमारे  मंत्रियों , नेताओं  आदि पर
गंभीर आरोप लगाया जाता है,
तब तब सरकार  द्वारा
पहले तो इसे बकवास
बताया जाता है.
लेकिन,
 ज्यादा हो-हल्ला होने पर
एक जांच आयोग
बैठा दिया जाता है.
आयोग का कार्यकाल
महीनों, सालों का होता है.
आयोग में
ऐसे-ऐसे  लोग रक्खे जाते हैं
जो जल्दबाजी में
 विश्वास नहीं करते हैं
और
 गोल-मोल अनुशंसा करने में
बहुत दक्ष माने जाते हैं.
वे जानते हैं,
 सरकारी व्यवस्थाओं की भांति
लोगों की यादाश्त भी
काफी कमजोर होती है .
सो, कुछ ही दिनों के बाद
 सारी बातें
आई गई  हो जाती हैं
और फिर
आयोग का जो भी रपट
जब भी आता है
 उसका कुल योग
यह होता है  कि
उनके सुझाओं को
सरकार  कैसे लागू करे
इसके लिए
एक नया आयोग
 फिर गठित  होता है .
इस  तरह
इस महान देश में
घोटाले होते रहते हैं
विवाद उठते रहते हैं
और
आयोग बैठते रहते हैं !

 Enjoy your Sunday. will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

तीन लघु कविताएं : नजरिया, बाहरी आदमी, चिंता

                                                                                         - मिलन सिन्हा

 नजरिया

मैं जो था 

कमोबेश वही हूँ 

समय के साथ 

अगर 

कहीं कुछ  बदला है 

तो वह है 

मेरे प्रति 

लोगों का नजरिया !

बाहरी  आदमी

मैं 

परेशान हो उठता हूँ 

जब खुद को 

बाहरी आदमी बनकर 

देखने लगता हूँ !

 चिंता 
मेरे 
इस दुनिया में रहने 
या न रहने से 
उनका 
कुछ नहीं बिगड़ता है .
उन्हें तो 
केवल चिंता है 
चारों तरफ हवा में तैरते 
मेरे नाम की !

                           will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

LOHIA AND LOKNAYAK : TWO GREAT LEADERS OF INDIA

                                                                                         -  MILAN K SINHA

The millions of common man of this country is highly agitated on issues like  unprecedented rise in price rise of all essential commodities  and issues related to rampant corruption mainly due to fast deteriorating standard of Indian politics. Politics of power has almost overtaken politics of service for the toiling masses of the country. High standards of morality and high principles have very little place in Indian politics now. Corruption, caste ism  favoritism  nepotism, regionalism together with money power, muscle power and manipulative power are recognized as basic requirements for a person wishing to go up the political ladder. No means are too debased, no methods too degrading and no tricks too mean. Actually, the end justifies the means today. Obviously, common people are astonished to see all these changes. Their hardships have been mounting and mushrooming over the years. The impact of this worsening political situation is noticeable in every sphere of our public life.  
         
 Naturally, at this critical stage the name of two great leaders of India, Ram Manohar Lohia and Loknayak  Jai Prakash Narayan comes to our mind. Today is JP's Birth Anniversary and tomorrow is Lohia's Death Anniversary.

  Both of them always laid emphasis on moral values in all our affairs, private as well as public, on means and on ends,also on democratic institutions and individual freedom. They left memorable impression on the Indian political scene because of their fighting spirit, moral stature, rugged personal integrity, tremendous sacrifices and their remarkable honesty. They were  great revolutionary both in thought as well as  action who worked tirelessly for the country without any lust for power or fame.

 During the course of Total Revolution Movement  JP said, " Since Independence there has been a steady decline in political, public and business morality. If we take social and economic development, the picture is frightful. Population growth goes racing forward. Poverty is also growing: more than 40 per cent of the people are below the poverty line. The barest necessities such as drinking water, man-worthy and not cattle-worthy housing, medical care, apart from food and clothing, are not available. Schools are few and the teaching is bad. The papers say today that Bihar is the richest State in the country in minerals. Bihar also has good land and perennial rivers. Why then is Bihar the poorest State in India? Well, one could go on adding to that list..."

 Indeed  both JP and Lohia were persons who during their life time continuously and indefatigably fought for the well being of the poorest of the poor.  They gave a clarion call  to the people to rise in protest against all sorts of tyranny and dictatorship.Time and again they  voiced the demands of the poor to make the rulers realize their duties towards the nation. 

  In this context, speaking on a resolution in Lok Sabha on 4th August,1967 Lohia said," Today if we do not share the hardships of the people arising out of scarcity of essential commodities in the country whether it is due to drought or flood or famine or to any other cause, then how can we ask the people to build and make the country strong. Those who are rulers and in whom people reposed confidence of building the country, live in comfort and luxury, then it is beyond their moral capacity to ask the people to sacrifice their life for the nation." Continuing his speech he furnished the details of the expenditure incurred on privileges and facilities MPs, Ministers and  the President were enjoying , he said ," My pay is only Rs. 500/= per month but if the cost  involved in providing me all the privileges and facilities be taken into consideration then it will come to Rs.2500/- per month. Using the same yardstick in the case of ministers, it comes to  about Rs. 8 lacs annually. And to say the least, this figure for the Prime Minister and President goes up to Rs.100 lacs per year. Therefore, I say that first search out the sources of expenditure and then devise the methods to stop all the unnecessary expenditure."

   Before signing off,one small request to all. Please evaluate our present leaders  who claim & proclaim themselves to be the true  disciples &  followers  of Lohia and Loknayak, on the basis of  what they have done and are actually doing for the millions of poor and disadvantaged people vis-a-vis the principles & philosophy of these two great leaders of India.  

                       will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

KNOW WELL WHAT LEADS YOU FORWARD

                                                                            - By Milan K Sinha

           Day in and day out , we  are in a rivalry race trying to out smart others to achieve success in life, may be, at times without knowing what that success means to us in terms of a sense of fulfillment or a feeling of happiness. Competition has been the buzz word these days wherever you go. Many a times, it is so cut throat that you find it very difficult to cope up with the situation. In our eagerness and compulsion to succeed by hook or by crook, we fail to understand  and appreciate that each individual has his own weaknesses and strengths, potential and capacity to perform. When no two persons are biologically similar, how can they be same & similar in delivering the same result, particularly when he is going through some test or other  in his daily life. Every individual is an unique entity having diverse levels of knowledge and skills. There are thousands of examples of great and successful personalities from different fields of activities, who proved by their own making that self improvement is a sure way to achieve both success & happiness in life. Pl. enjoy and emulate what great thinkers are to suggest herein below:    

• There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. -  Famous Proverb.
• Everyday ask yourself, "what would I do today if I were a better person?"- Robert Brault
• Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back and choose the path that leads to wisdom. - Buddha
• The finest thing in the world is knowing how to belong to oneself. - Michel de Montaigne
• Your competition is self , compete against yourself, become better and always win.- Unknown.

             There is no denying the fact that every improvement starts with 'I' and to ensure that to happen, the first step to embark up on  is to undertake an objective  self SWOT analysis. Here, as you  might know, 'S' stands for STRENGTH, 'W' for Weakness, 'O' for OPPORTUNITY  and 'T' for THREAT. One must  jot down on a piece of paper his or her position in respect of all the four parameters. Then, make reasonable assessment of his or her capacity to perform to the optimum level for consolidating and then improving the positives and  for diminishing the negatives with a well formulated  strategy & action plan to move towards the  goal of life. Learing for improving one's on performance should be a continuous process, that is to say, competing  on regular basis with your own old self for definite value addition. As Kabir says," Just throw away all thoughts of imaginary things, and stand firm in that which you are.' 

                                                        Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

* Do visit my site : http://www.milanksinha.com/

लघु कविताएं : प्रतिफल, नयी फसल, बदलाव

                                                                                               - मिलन सिन्हा  

प्रतिफल 

एक बार 

अंधेरे में 

रात खो गई 

रोने लगी 

रोती रही ,

पर 

कोई रास्ता

 दिखानेवाला 

नहीं मिला।

नयी फसल 
उसके दिल में 
बिजली चमकी 
आखों से 
पानी बरसने लगा 
दिमाग की जमीन
 ठीक से सींच गई 
और अब 
नयी फसल के आसार 
अच्छे लगने लगे। 

बदलाव 
अंधेरा 
आदमी में 
खो गया 
और आदमी 
सूरज बनकर 
चमकने लगा। 

       will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

LET GO OF EGO TO WELCOME WELLNESS

                                                                                   - By Milan K Sinha

The national as well as international events of public importance keep on providing us the chance to have glimpses of ‘Ego’ tussle among renowned public figures on some issue or the other which is followed by accusation and counter accusation from parties in position and opposition.

We also know, due to this simple looking three letter word EGO, many wars have been fought, many countries disintegrated, many negotiations failed, many friends fell apart, many homes turned into houses of disharmony, numerous divorce took place, many sleepless nights spent, many talents spoiled and what not.

The famous author Adrian Cooper writes, "The ego is responsible for many negative human traits, including but certainly not limited to being critical and judgemental of others, being rigid and inflexible, being manipulative, need to feel superior, feeling anxious and fearful, mood swings, taking everything too personally, taking everything too seriously, constant need for approval and praise, feeling hurried and driven to do things, competing rather than cooperating, feeling resentful and guilty, unable to live in the present moment, addictions to alcohol, tobacco and other Mind altering substances, overly concerned with personal appearance, overly concerned with success, feeling insecure, constant worry over trivialities, clinging to the past, feelings of despair and hopelessness, feeling life is meaningless, and the need for power over others. All of these are seriously negative human traits and ones that can easily make a person’s life a misery".

The list is endless, yet we continue to be the slave of this most unique virtue (?) of mankind which, of course, Sigmund Freud says in these words, "Where id was, there shall ego be." Interestingly, however, the conflict between 'ego' and 'our true self' too goes on ceaselessly till the end of our last breath in this world.

Before dwelling further on this deliberation, let us enjoy the following three quotes of these well-known personalities on the subject:

• Whenever I climb, I am followed by a dog called, Ego. - Friedrich Nietzsche
• The foundation of Buddha's teachings lies in compassion and the reason for practicing the teachings is to wipe out the persistence of Ego, the number one enemy of compassion. -- Tenzin Gyatso.
• Ego has a voracious appetite, the more you feed it, the hungrier it gets. -- Nathaniel Bronner Jr.

It is very interesting as well as intriguing that despite knowing fully well that Ego is the number one enemy of mankind, we fail to shed what is unwarranted. Yes, it continues to happen because we are obsessed with the famous, 'I' Thought which Sri Ramana Maharshi described when inquired about the nature of our mind, as:

"The mind is nothing other than the 'I' thought. The mind and the ego are one and the same. 'I' (that is the 'I'-thought) am doing this, 'I' am thinking this; 'I' am feeling happy, etc. Thus, the 'I' thought is the all-important thought, since each idea or thought arises only as someone's thought and it is not known to exist independently of the ego. From where does this 'I' arise? Seek for it within; it then vanishes. This is the pursuit of wisdom. When the mind unceasingly investigates its own nature, it transpires that there is no such thing as a mind. Get rid of the 'I' thought. When 'I' ceases to exist, there is no grief and there is peace". So, he suggested that yoga and self-enquiry are two methods of controlling the mind, which he compared to an agitated bull. Yoga attempts to drive the bull with a stick, while self-enquiry coaxes it with green grass".

Medical research did prove the fact that many brain and heart diseases are ego related. Stress has been the natural outcome of this ego driven thinking, be it your work place or your home. The human history testifies this fact that no good can ever be achieved by carrying it in your head. Then, why not keep the ego away and experience the beautiful change in our life?
      
# Published in Patna Daily.com
   

                                  Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

कविता : जवान और किसान*

                                                                                                               -मिलन  सिन्हा

हरा भरा खेत खलिहान 

फिर भी 

निर्धन क्यों हमारे किसान .

देश में नहीं 

पानी की कमी 

फिर भी 

क्यों रहती है  सूखी 

यहाँ - वहाँ की जमीं .

जिसे देखना है वो देखें 

किसान जो उपजाता है 

उसका वह क्या पता है ?

देश को खिलानेवाला 

खुद क्यों भूखा रह जाता है ?

कर्ज के बोझ तले 

क्यों खुदकुशी कर लेता है ? 

देश में लाखों नौजवान 

साहसी,शिक्षित और उर्जावान 

छोड़कर अपना घर-वार 

बनते हैं सीमा के पहरेदार 

गर्मी हो या सर्दी 

आंधी हो या हो तूफान 

करते हैं देश की सेवा 

देकर आपनी जान .

युद्ध हो या हो कोई आपदा 

रहते हैं तैयार 

हमारे जवान सदा सर्वदा 

पर क्या इन जवानों का भविष्य 

सुरक्षित रह पाता है?

देश इनको 

पूरा सम्मान दे पाता  है?

कहाँ हैं वे देश के लाल 

जो लाल बहादुर कहलाएं,

जय जवान, जय किसान का 

वह गौरव फिर से लौटाएं .

*(शास्त्रीजी के जन्म दिन के अवसर पर)   

                        will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

REMEMBERING MAHATMA GANDHI

                                                                                        - By Milan K Sinha                  Today is national holiday -2nd October, Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday; the celebration time basically for the haves of the country. Variety of events takes place in good numbers in many cities and in some villages.  The political class in general look for this day to deliver their hackneyed speech and to shed lots of crocodile tears- saved in their "Tear Bank" for such occasions. Ironically, the million of toiling masses sustaining their life on an income which according to planning commission qualify them to be in APL (Above Poverty Line) category will be destined to earn even today's bread & salt on this special occasion of birthday of their true leader of all times. Might be for them only,  these lines were written:

जिन आंसुओं का सीधा ताल्लुक  था पेट से 

उन आंसुओं  के साथ तेरा नाम जुड़ गया . 

या 

एक बूढ़ा आदमी है मुल्क में या यों कहो 

इस  अँधेरी कोठारी में एक रौशनदान है .  

                                                                              -- दुष्यन्त  कुमार 

 It is also inspiring to know what  the Nobel Prize Winner Great Physicist, Albert Einstein have said about Mahatma Gandhi:            

• Generations to come, it may be, will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth. 

 Amid plethora of acts of omission & commission by the affluent sections of society in the recent past and at a time when there is so much of protests  against of FDI entry in retail in the country, the relevance of Gandhi must be understood and his opinion, teachings & preachings must be revisited for the real good of the nation and its disadvantaged masses.
       

 It is well known that Mahatma Gandhi accepted,followed & preached the following ideals all through his life : 

                        TRUTH, AHIMSA, SATYAGRAHA & SWARAJ. 

   All these are not simple words, but the powerful weapons to solve all the problems of human race at large. Then, is not today (that too a holiday)  the opportune time for the educated & comparatively well off sections of our society to take a sincere look on what our beloved Bapu preached & practised and what the ruling political class & its machinery across the country have been actually doing so shamelessly and at times so boldly directly or indirectly.

  We shall take up briefly the concept of SWARAJ in the light of FDI controversy  & other issues of governance in the country to know the gap between Gandhiji's thinking and our actual doing: 

• In Gandhiji's concept of Swaraj, self-reliance, self-regulation & self -restraints are very important. He says," Real Swaraj will come not by the acquisition of authority by a few but the acquisition of the capacity by all to resist authority when it is abused.In other words, Swaraj is to be obtained by educating the masses to a sense of their capacity to regulate and control authority." He further says,"Swaraj means government by many. Where the many are immoral or selfish, their government can spell anarchy and nothing else."

 Gandhiji's life and thoughts have been & will continue to be very relevant & inspiring  for all generations and hence must be discussed & emulated accordingly.

              
          Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.