Has Anna Hazare Lost the Battle?: (English); Anna's Fight Against Corruption;

Has Anna Hazare Lost The Battle?: (English)

Anna's Fight Against Corruption

I was in anguish when I saw the face of Anna Hazare on TV during his fast in Mumbai. He was adamant to carry out his fast despite running high temperature and he tried his best to keep his promise to the nation.. This frail old man of 74 has personally nothing to gain out of this struggle but wants to see Rama Rajya established in Bharat. I have purposely used the words 'Rama Rajya' and 'Bharat' because they are drawn from our ancient culture and not imported. However, let me make it clear that I have not been advised by any party or social group to use these words. Nor has Anna Hazare been advised by any party or social group to undertake a crusade against corruption. Had it been so, the Shiv Sena supremo would not have expressed his dislike for him.
Mumbaiites failed this selfless soul for reasons best known to them. Reasons can be many. One, Mumbai people are time conscious and do not have time to spend for political rallies since time has a cost for them and they attend the rallies of Politicians only because they are paid for the same. Two, proper logistics was not planned by IAC to ensure proper attendance coupled with State Government sabotaging it by creating transportation hurdles. Three, people found no reason why Anna should undertake fast when the bill was being tabled in the Lok Sabha. Whatever reason may have weighed heavily on the minds of the people, fact remains we failed this sincere crusader against corruption. I refrain to call Anna a Mahatma or a Second Gandhi because such tags raise the expectations of the people from the mortal human beings.
During the past several months the Government used many a method to bring down the image of Anna and his team. Initially they questioned their integrity and their past record. I do not know how much truth is there in such allegations but question arises as to why did the Government not take action against them at proper time and preferred to undertake a smear campaign now. Fortunately,this adverse publicity did not find favour with the public. I would like to add here that no body in this world is perfect and there is a possibility of some mistake having been committed by any one of them. What has to be seen is whether the act committed was with an intention to amass wealth and become rich or was it a mere act of oversight? I would advise all the members of IAC to declare their assets and let any one conduct scrutiny as they please.
When the Government failed to smear the good name of  IAC activists, it resorted to communalising the whole issue through their hounds who day in and day out publicized that the movement had the backing of RSS. For the sake of discussion, let us presume that the movement has a backing of RSS, what then? Is fighting against corruption an anti-Muslim act or anti-Christian act? Does rooting out corruption adversely affect the rights of Scheduled castes, Scheduled tribes and Other backward Classes? Muslims are known to have least representation in Government jobs. Would anti-corruption measures not reduce nepotism, communalism and money power in recruitment and ensure that all deserving Muslims get their due? Would machinations of high-caste babus not be exposed if Lokpal bill was in place? Would we not get a society which believed in equality of opportunity? If RSS backs a movement which benefits all the citizens of the country should we oppose it just because a Hindu body supports it. I feel we should welcome any step taken by anybody if it is for the welfare of the entire society and not for a few. In fact it is today I wish that Muslims and Dalits had sincere and selfless leaders like Maulana Abulkalam Azad and Baba Saheb Ambedkar who would have shown them the right path.
An objection was raised whether a nominated body could take to task the Prime Minister or the elected representatives of the people who indulge in corruption? The answer is make the Lokpal also an elected body. Let the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elect the members of Lokpal. Even by selecting the members of Lokpal through PM, Vice President, Speaker,Chief Justce and an eminent Jurist , he becomes indirectly elected as majority of the selectors are elected representatives of the people. The only thing an independent Lokpal ensures is that it will focus on eradicating corruption from the country and would expedite such cases.
And then the big questions that Prime Minister will be belittled if he comes under the purview of Lokpal. May I ask a counter question as to why should a Prime Minister do an act which calls attention of a Lokpal?  If he is upright , every citizen of India including the Lokpal will bow before him and he will write his name in golden letters in the history of India.
Last but not the least , I feel that there is still time for the Parliamentarians to rise above party politics and petty personal gains and give to the people of India a Lokpal which is truly an independent body so that the generations to come will remember them the way they remember B R Ambedkar and the constitution makers.

                                             *********

The Effective Lokpal: Lokpal As I See It; (English)

The Effective Lokpal:

Lokpal As I See It: (English)

Having studied different points of view put forth by different groups regarding the Lok Pal, his appointment, jurisdiction and the organisational structure, I have come to the conclusion that all of us are not sincerely attempting to achieve the sole objective to root out corruption from this country. I have been witness to the functioning of bureaucracy in this country all my life and my feeling is that the bureaucrats behave more like Masters of the people rather than Public Servants. Needy people have to run from pillar to post to get even ordinary jobs done like driving licenses, passports, hard earned pensions /gratuity/ provident fund  and even withdrawing the money their deceased parents have deposited in Post offices not to speak of appointments, contracts, tenders and the rest. The environment has become so pessimistic and suffocating that there does not seem to be any escape route. Thanks Anna Hazare, the Crusader against corruption, that some light is now noticed at the end of the dark tunnel.

Lokpal vs 120 crores One question that has continuously been raised is how can single Lokpal attend to the grievances of the 120 crore people of India.(though this number does not take into consideration that most of the grievances arise from house-holds represented by the head of the familiy which brings down the effective number to only 20 crores). Hopefully children under the age of 18 do not need the help of Lokpal. Not only this, every one in India is not affected all the time by Central Government working and most of the corruption is noticed in the State government Departments for wihch seperate Lok Ayuktas have to be appointed with their own organisations assisting them. Moreover, with the help of computers and internet many things can be achieved in no time which were unthinkable in olden days.

CBI AND CVC Appointment of Lokpal  will render CVC almost redundant while the continued functioning of CBI under the government under the pretext of so called independence will leave it toothless. Strong IAS/IPS lobby will not like any change in both CVC and CBI where their career is assured but we have to swallow the bitter pill. All the government employees have to be brought under the net of one agency called Lokpal, otherwise cases where Officials of different cadres are involved will be tossed between these different agencies causing undue delay. In the event Gp C and Gp D posts are kept under CVC which remains under Government as hitherto before, the situation will remain unchanged since the percentage of Gp C and D employees form the bulk of Government Servants and their exclusion from Lokpal will defeat the very purpose for which Lokpal is sought to be made. Needless to mention that most of the corruption is indulged in and routed through GpC and Gp D who act as conduits for their bosses except in very large contract deals. The public in India are directly affected by the corrupt practices of theses Gp C and Gp D employees in their day to day dealings. It is therefore important that all employees are brought under the ambit of Lokpal and the Lokpal is provided with its own investigative agency or CBI is directly placed under it. The head of the CBI should be appointed by PM, Lokpal and Chief Justice of Supreme court. Similarly the CVC should either be disbanded completely or else brought under the ambit of Lokpal as its aministrative wing, as against investigative wing(CBI), and its responsibility will be to receive public grievances and their redressal besides Legal matters concerning Lokpal. Appointment of CVC will be the same way as in the case of Head of the CBI.

Citizen's Charter Citizen Charter  has to be prepared by the respective Ministeries, Departments and Government Offices. Lokpal is only required to effectively monitor its implementation which will not put any substantial burden on the Lokpal in any way.

Appointment Appointment of Lokpal should be for a fixed tenure of 5 years and his selection should be done on  a broader basis. Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and Chief Justice of India should form the selection panel which will ensure greater weightage to the elected representatives as against the Technical expertise.
Prosecution powers The Lokpal will only be effective in case it can take up complaints independently and investigate all the complaints received against any Government servant without any interference from any quarter and in case any of the allegations is prima face established, further prosecute the said Government servant. In absence of any such powers of prosecution and non-availability of organisation for such prosecution , Lokpal will be rendered into a white elephant and will dismay the public who have entrusted it with their dreams.                                                             I only wish good sense prevails upon all the political parties to see the virtue behind the bill which is expected to help the nation progress rather than cling on to their vested interests for I am sure today they may escape but future generations will not spare them.

                                                                  **************                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Mamnou Raasta,ممنوع راستہ : (Urdu/English); Afsancha; افسانچہ ; Ministory

  Mamnou Raasta  : ممنوع راستہ 

 Afsancha; افسانچہ ; Ministory 

Mamnou Raasta

Ghar se daftar jaane ke liye sirf do hi raaste the. Aik daamar bichi sadak ka raasta---lamba aur ukta dene wala.Us par hamesha bahut traffic rehta tha. Aur doosra---Government Silk factory ke beechon beech jata hua, jis ke aaghaz aur ikhtitaam par do aahani gate the. Yeh gate Subh aath baje se shaam saat baje tak factory ke mazdooron ke liye khule rehte the.Gate par aik  barhi takhti latki rehti thi.

"Yeh shahrae aam nahi hai. Khilafwarzi karne walon par qanooni chara joi ki jaaaye gi."

Main har roz isi raaste se office jaata tha. Gate par latka hua notice board dekhta, parhta aur usse nazar andaz karke aage barh jaata.

Notice board aaj tak apni jagah par latak raha hai.

*******************

(mamnou raasta-forbidden road,damar- coaltar, ukta-boring,aaghaz/ikhtetam-beginning and end,aahani-iron, shaarae aam-Thoroughfare, nazarandaz-overlook)

 

Harjeet & Mazdoor Rickshaw, ہار جیت اور مزدور رکشہ : (Urdu/English); Afsanche; افسانچے :Ministories

 Harjeet & Mazdoor Rickshaw:

 ہار جیت اور مزدور رکشہ  

  Afsanche; افسانچے ; Mini-Stories  

Haar Jeet

Devyani aik aik karke zeene uttar rahi thi aur man hi man mein soch rahi thi,"Saala sochta hoga koi bahut barha ma'arika tai kar liya. Aik aurat ko teen hazar ke ewaz raat bhar ke liye khareed liya." Us ne condom ke wrapper ko bag se nikal kar door koode daan mein, jis par 'use me' likha hua tha, phaink diya."Apni biwi do char sau bhi maang le to saale ko blood pressure charhta hoga."
"Bahut nakhre dikha rahi thi saali. Keh rahi thi paanch hazar se aik payi bhi kum na loongi aur woh bhi do ghante ke liye. Ab dekho mainne usse poori raat apne paas rakha aur woh bhi sirf teen hazar mein." Paresh Nath khirki se bahar us par nazar rakhe hue tha.
Donon apni apni jagah khush the. Idhar Devyani ka beta hospital mein parha maan ka intezar kar raha tha ki kab woh aaye aur us ka operation ho.Udhar Paresh Nath ki biwi aik Gigolo ke sahare apni piyas mita rahi thi aur chahati thi ki us ka pati jaldi ghar na aa sake.

*********

(zeene-steps,ma'arika-mission)

                                                   

Mazdoor Rickshaw

Mussorie ke Maal road par main ne pehli baar mazdoor ko rickshaw khainchte hue dekha. Phati purani qameez aur pyjama pehne woh ghode ki tarah rickshe ke saath juta hua tha. Dil mein barhi koft hui. Is liye us ke bulane par bhi main ne usse nazar andaz kar liya.

Phir daroon ne ehtijaj kiya,"Tum ne us ki rozi roti cheen li. Berozgari ke aalam mein us ke paas aur bhi to koi chara nahi hai. Hul chalane wala kissan bhi sooraj ki tamazat se bekhabar tumhare liye anaj paida karta hai. Us ka badan bhi paseene se tarbatar rehta hai. Woh bhi is mazdoor ki tarah maflookulhaal hota hai.Agar tum uski haalat dekho ge to kya tum khana peena chod do ge."

Main wapas murha , mazdoor rickshe wale par bharpoor nazar daudayi aur phir rickshe par baith gaya. Mazdoor rickshe ko mamool ki tarah haankne laga.

                                            ***********

(koft-pain,daroon-inside/heart,tamazat-scorching heat,maflookulhaal-poor/in bad condition

                           
           
     

Baba Such Bolo Tum Aaj بابا سچ بولو تم آج : (Urdu); Shayri;شاعری ; Poem

  Baba Such Bolo Tum Aaj:

بابا سچ بولو تم آج 

 Shayri; شاعری ; Poem

 

Woh Kahani Bhool Ja وہ کہانی بھول جا : (Urdu/English); Shayri; ; Poetryشاعری

Woh Kahani Bhool Ja:وہ کہانی بھول جا 

 Shayri; شاعری ; Poetry

وہ کہانی بھول جا 

وہ جوانی تھی سہانی ، وہ کہانی بھول جا 

لگ رہی تھی جاودانی وہ کہانی بھول جا

زیست کا ہر ایک دریا ان دنوں تھا موجزن 

 تھی کبھی اس میں روانی،وہ کہانی بھول جا 

پورنما کا چاند اوپر ، تھی کھڑی وہ بام پر 

اف !مہکتی رات رانی ، وہ کہانی بھول جا 

پڑ رہی تھی ماہ نو کی ہلکی ہلکی چاندنی 

ہو رہی تھی گلفشانی ، وہ کہانی بھول جا 

مے بھی تھی،مینا بھی تھی،ساقی بھی تھا،ساغربھی تھا 

موجزن تھی زندگانی ، وہ کہانی بھول جا 

جب کبھی بھی  مسکراتی ، پھول برساتی تھی وہ

اور پھر وہ بدگمانی، وہ کہانی بھول جا 

وہ جھجھکنا ، وہ چمٹنا ، وہ لپٹنا یار کا 

اب تو لگتی ہے کہانی ، وہ کہانی بھول جا 

راہ وہ بھی تک رہی تھی،تھا ہمیں بھی انتظار 

فرقت شب کی گرانی، وہ کہانی بھول جا 

ہوں خزاں کا شجر میں ، گل نہیں پتے نہیں 

آہ بلاے ناگہانی ، وو کہانی بھول جا   

Woh Kahani Bhool Ja

Woh   jawani   thi   suhani  ,  woh   kahani   bhool  ja 

Lag rahi thi javidani,woh kahani bhool ja.
Zeest ka har   aik  darya  un   dinon  tha   maujzan 

Thi kabhi us mein ravani,woh kahani bhool ja.
Purnima  ka  chand  upar , thi  khadi  woh  baam  par 

Uf ! Mehkti  raat  raani,woh kahani bhool ja.
Parh  rahi  thi  mah-e -nau  ki  halki   halki chandni 

Ho rahi  thi gulfashani, woh kahani bhool ja.
Mai bhi thi,meena bhi thi, Saqi bhi tha,Sagar bhi tha  

Maujzan thi zindgani ,woh kahani bhool ja.
Jab kabhi  bhi  muskarati, phool  barsati  thi woh   

Aur phir woh badghumani,woh kahani bhool ja.
Woh jhijhkna, woh chimatna, woh  liptna yaar ka  

Ab to  lagti  hai  kahani ,woh kahani bhool ja.
Rah woh  bhi  tak  rahi  thi, tha  hamein bhi  intezar   

Furqat-e-shab ki girani, woh kahani bhool ja.
Hoon khizan ka shajr main, gul nahin patte nahi   

Ah bala-e-naghani, woh kahani bhool ja.

Manto on Partition: (English); Translated from Urdu

  Manto on Partition: (English)

(Translated from Urdu)

14th August was celebrated when I was in Bombay. Both Pakistan and India had been declared independent. People were immensely happy yet killings and arson did not stop. Cries of Pakistan Zindabad(Long live Pakistan) along side of Hindustan zindabad (Long live India) rent the air. One could see the Congress Tricolour as also the Islamic flag hoisted side by side. People shouted slogans in favour of both Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and Qaid Azam Mohd Ali Jinnah in bazars as well as on roads. A person was at a loss to understand whether he belonged to India or Pakistan and whose blood was it that was continuously flowing on the streets? Where would those carcasses be buried or cremated whose sacred religious flesh had been eaten away by the carnivorous beasts? Now that we were free who would be our slaves? When we were slaves we used to think about freedom, now that we are free it would be unimaginable to think what slavery looks like. Yet the question arises whether we are really free or not? Both  Hindus and Muslims are being killed mercilessly in large numbers. How and Why...? These questions have different answers - the Indian answer, the Pakistani answer, and the English answer. Every one has an answer but fact remains if one tried to find out the real truth no answer could satisfy. Some one says you can find an answer in the ruins of Indian Mutiny. Another person does not agree and says that you can find an answer in the rule of East India Company. A third person moves further backwards in History and seeks an answer in the Mughal rule. Every one is going back into the past while only Criminals and Vandals are moving  ahead rapidly to write a bloody history of iron and blood which will be matchless in the entire history of mankind.

India has attained freedom. Pakistan too has come into existence immediately after being declared free. Still, however, the man in both these countries remains a slave...slave of prejudice....slave of religious fundamentalism....slave of bestiality and barbarianism.

Muthi Bhar Ret & Sawaalمٹھی بھر ریت اور سوال : (Urdu/English); Afsancha; افسانچہ ; Ministory

Muthi Bhar Ret & Sawaal:    مٹھی بھر ریت اور سوال 

Afsancha; افسانچہ ; Ministory

اور 

                        

Muthi Bhar Ret

Kal mujhe na jaane kya soojhi ki samander ke saahil par tahalte tahlte achanak ruk gaya. Joote Utare aur wahin par baith gaya.
Nikhat ki bahut yaad aa rahi thi. Umar bhar saath nibhane ka waada karke woh na jaane kahan kho gayi. Palat kar bhi nahi dekha. Aur ab main hoon aur meri tanhai.
Tafreehan main ne kai baar apne hath mein ret uthai aur usse mehfooz karne ke liye muthi band kar li. Lekin ret thi ki ungliyon ke beech mein se phisalti chali gayi aur bar bar meri muthi khali hoti gayi.
Mere peeche chand ghairmulki sayah apne uryan jasmon mein sooraj ki tawanayi qaid karne ki koshish kar rahe the jab ki saamne chote chote bache football khelne mein mashgool the. Samander ki maujen musalsal sahil ke sath sar patak rahi thein.
Itne mein aik choti si masoom ladki bheek mangne ki khatir mere samne khadi ho gayi aur apne hath phailane lagi. Main jhallahat mein us par baras padha," Jao yahan se, tum aur koi kam kyun nahi karti. Tum logon ko bheek mangne ke siwa aur kuch nahi aata hai."
Dafa'atan mujhe yaad aya ki company mein chhatai ki wajah se guzashta do saal se main khud bhi berozgar hoon. Postgraduate hone ke bawajood koi kaam nahi milta. Nikhat bhi isi wajah se mujhe chor kar chali gayi thi.
Mujhe aisa laga jaise woh ladki keh rahi ho, "Kaam nahi milta hai na mile, bheek to maang sakte ho."

                                                ******
(Tafreehan;Just for leisure, mehfooz; secure, ghairmulki sayah; foreign tourists,Uryan ;naked, tawanayi;energy,mashgool; busy,jhallaht; annoyance, dafa'atan;Suddenly)

                                                                         

                                

Sawaal

Train mein safar ke dauran aik musaafir doosre musaafir ko yeh samjha raha tha ki nafarmani ke sabab Adam ko bahisht se nikala gaya tha.
Apni dharti se ukhdi hui, diabetes se murjhayi hui, aik Kashmiri Panditani, jo apni umar se kahin zyada boodhi lag rahi thi, apne pati Naath ji se bar bar aik hi sawaal pooch rahi thi,
"Mana Adam se Gunah sarzad hua tha lekin hum kis gunah ki paadash mein apni jannat se mehroom kar diye gaye."

                                                ******
(bahisht;paradise, nafarmaani;disobedience, mehroom; thrown out of)

Jago, جاگو (Urdu); افسانہ ; Afsana; Short Story

 Jago:  جاگو 

 Afsana;افسانہ ; Short Story

Jurm جرم, : (Urdu/English); Afsancha ; افسانچہ ; Ministory.

 Jurm; جرم  

Afsancha; افسانچہ ; Ministory.

Jurm

Park ke bench par baitha aik Padri ghair Isai ko duniya ke zahoor ki kahani samjhate hue keh raha tha ki Adam ke do bete paida hue the. Habel aur Qabel. Charwaha Habel barha hi aabid aur ita'at pasand tha jabki dehqaan Qabel badtainat aur jaraim pasand tha. Chinachi Ishwar ne Habel ki qurbani pasand ki, is liye Qabel ne gusse mein aakar Habel ko maar dala. Magar is ke baad woh logon ke jazba-e-inteqam se khauf zada ho gaya aur Ishwar se prarthana karne laga ki usko ma'af karde. Ishwar ne us ki jaan baksh di.

"Is ka yeh matlab nikla ki hum sab us jarayim pesha Qabel ki aulad hain." Samaeh pooch baitha.

Paas hi doosre bench par baitha hua aik dehariya man hi man main soch raha tha ki Ishwar bhi ajeeb shai hai. Bechare nihate Habel ke qatl ke samay mahz tamashayi bana raha aur phir jab mujrim se badla lene ki baari aa gayi to us ko apni hikmat-e-amli se saaf bacha liya.

                                                    ***

(Habel-Abel,Qabel-Cain,Aabid aur ita'at pasand-faithful,dehqan-farmer,badtainat-vicious,jazbaeinteqam-wrath,samaeh-listener,dehariya-atheist,shai-thing,hikmateamli-policy)

سچ کی تلاش اور نیکی Such Ki Talash & Neki: (Urdu/English); Afsancha; Ministory

Such Ki Talash & Neki:سچ کی تلاش اور نیکی 

 Afsancha; افسانچہ ; Ministory

Such ki Talash

Tum samajhte ho ki tumhare hath mein jo saheefa hai woh aakhri such hai.
Main samajhta hun ki mere mushif se barha such aur koi nahi.
Tumhare such aur mere such ke darmiyan kitna tazaad hai.

                                                ***
(saheefa/mushif-Holy scripture; Tazaad-difference)

  Neki

Neki kar darya mein daal.
Neki do qism ki hoti hai.
Adh mare zahreele saanp ko doodh pila kar phir se tandrust-o- tawaana bana de. Woh kabhi na kabhi is ka ajar zaroor dega.Bhale ki umeed mat rakhna kyunki yeh uski khislat mein shamil hai hi nahi.  Albata bahut mumkin hai ki woh mustaqbil mein tumhare baal bachon ko zaroor dus lega.
Doosre qism ki neki bhi hoti hai. Saanp ko kuchal kar apne baal bachon ko bacha le.

                                                *****

(tawaana-strong; Ajar-repay,reward; khislat-nature;mustaqbil-future)

         

   

The Nest: (English); Short Story; (Click on the Link below-Deepak Budki's Writings)

Deepak Budki's Writings-The Nest

The Informer: (English); Short Story (Click on the Link below- Deepak Budki's Writings)

Deepak Budki's Writings-The Informer

The Nest: (English); Short Story; Afsana; Kahani

The Nest: (English)

 Short Story; Afsana; Kahani

The Nest

Due to the sudden eruption of militancy in the valley, I shifted my office to Jammu since it was not possible for the office to function there, and being the headquarter of the entire circle all other offices were getting affected. The orders to this effect had been received from Delhi. However, the problem was where to accommodate the office. Ultimately it was decided to accommodate everybody in a departmental building located on the railway station where some spare accommodation was available though not sufficient enough so as to comfortably accommodate as many as eighty officials.

The most notable thing was the cooperation received from the Staff. I, on my part, gave them a pep talk and convinced them that at such a juncture we were expected to adapt to the circumstances and work with utmost dedication and sacrifice. They can not expect the same facilities as they were used to before migration. With future uncertain and faces crestfallen they readily agreed.

 We lost no time to reorganize our office. Everyone accepted smaller tables and even occupied the corridors in absence of sufficient space. I too chose a small room for myself facing the railway track. I personally supervised the interior decoration of the room.  Opposite the entrance door on the far end, a writing table and a revolving chair were placed while a sofa set shifted from the valley along with office record was adjusted against the wall to the left of the table. Two more chairs were kept on the other side of the table for the guests. A large-sized photograph of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, was hung on the wall opposite the window facing the railway platform. The window was overlooking a large tract of fallow land beyond the railway track with bristly cacti everywhere, stray cattle bracing the scorching sun and searching for food, dogs scavenging the garbage and human excreta. Early in the morning, one could see a number of urchins defecating here and there. 

This was a scenery which we were not accustomed to in the valley. Across the Pir Panchal mountains there was greenery everywhere, the windows overlooked beautiful gardens with majestic chinars, upright poplars, and fragrant magnolia trees. Roses, tulips, dahlias, pansies, sweet williams, lilies, wallflowers, antirrhinums and petunias greeted you as you entered the office in spring while chrysanthemums, zinnias and marigolds adorned the office garden during the autumn. On the contrary, there was no cool breeze to greet you in the mornings, no cold freshwater piped directly from Chashma Shahi, the eternal royal spring, to the office taps, and no cool shades under the majestic Chinars to rest underneath. It was a different world altogether.

 A few glass panes of the windows had been broken and nobody had time enough to attend to them as there were many more urgent jobs to attend to.  Hot and dusty winds blew through them and sometimes produced a burning sensation on my cheeks.

 A few glass-panes of the window had been broken and nobody attended to them because there were other important things to do. Often hot and dusty winds would blow through them and produce a burning sensation on my cheeks.

One day while I was sitting in my chair I spotted a sparrow darting down from the blue expanse outside with a dry twig in its beak. It sat on the window-sill for a while and then flitted across the room to deposit the twig behind the Gandhiji's photograph. Following the little creature came another sparrow with yet another piece of straw in its mouth and followed suit. I guessed that it was he and she sparrow. God alone knows when they had decided to live together and make a nest for themselves behind this photograph of Gandhiji. A nest where they would spend an entire season together, mate during the forthcoming rainy season, lay eggs, hatch them to see young ones popping out their tiny beaks and feed them till they could take to their wings by themselves. They flew time and again in search of the building material for their nest besides food for themselves. On their return, they deposited these tiny pieces of straw and soft grass, downs, wool and cotton behind the photograph unmindful of my presence. At times I watched these harmless weavers closely and intensely and appreciated their skill and patience.

It looked like the sparrows had migrated from some far off place may be in search of a more secure environment or where plenty of food would be available.

The sparrows too seemed to have migrated from some far off uncongenial place and were eager to cohabit since the monsoon was fast approaching. While watching them I felt that building a nest was as instinctive as eating, breathing, or drinking for the whole animal world.

Day in and day out I saw these two sparrows building their nest straw by straw. They collected dry twigs, pieces of bark and straw, cotton wool, fallen dry leaves, and feathers from places far and near and brought them into the room with a sense of elation and anticipation. Many a time they sat on the window-ledge and looked towards the nest with eagerness and urgency. In the process, more often than not, they forgot their own food. The very idea of a comfortable nest with their offspring protruding their tiny beaks evaporated whatever tiredness they had felt and this made them redouble their efforts. As a result, it dawned upon me that it was not only the human beings who dreamt of a sweet home but birds too enjoyed the idea of a nice home of their own.

The two weavers kept weaving their nest meticulously with all finesse, intertwining the warp and the weft made of dry grass blades and straw. They used cotton wool and animal hair for cushioning the nest and to give it a soft touch. Simultaneously, they started to live in the nest though their efforts to embellish it still continued. I had become accustomed to their presence and with the passage of time had lost interest in these harmless creatures.

Nature rewarded them soon thereafter with bounteous monsoons. The atmosphere was filled with the songs of Koel and the croaking of frogs. There was romance everywhere. Young maidens riding on the swings welcomed the showers. Not to be left behind, the he-sparrow started petting and necking the she-sparrow with his small tiny beak, often expanded his wings as wide as possible to impress the sweetheart of his majestic presence and after assuring himself that the female partner was ready to receive him rode on her back while twitching his tail. For both of them, there could be no better moment of ecstasy than this one.

After some time I had to proceed on leave for about a week and could not keep a track of these two tiny lovers who had taken refuge in my room for making love. My room remained closed during the week. The two lovers had their heyday in my absence. No watchful human eyes pursued them any longer. There was no human interference whatsoever and apparently that they had a real good time. They had possibly thought that I had abandoned the room forever. They sat wherever they liked, on the blade of the fan, on the writing-table, or on the chairs. Twigs, straw and feathers had been strewn everywhere and the room had been littered with offensive smelling faces of these birds.

After having spent the week on leave I was eager to join my office, and therefore, reached my office early in the morning. Nobody had yet come to the office except the chowkidar and the sweeper. I asked the chowkidar to open my room. As I entered the room I was horrified to see its condition. There were pieces of straw, feathers and twigs strewn everywhere. Worse still, the two birds had defecated at many places and their excreta stuck to the upholstery of the sofa and the chairs beside the glass top of the table. I watched helplessly and did not know how to react. Slowly the anger welled up inside me and I was beside myself with rage. I immediately called the sweeper and ordered him to clean the room. As if that was not enough, I asked him to remove the nest from behind the photograph. Shortly thereafter the sweeper reported to me that the nest had a few eggs inside it and it would not be proper to throw them away. He was too religious to think of destroying a nest having eggs in it. I could notice from his face that he was reluctant to carry out my orders and therefore did not press for the same as it could hurt his religious sentiments. So I took it upon myself to remove the nest from behind the photograph and throw it out of the window. The tiny eggs broke open as soon as they fell on the ground and the fluid in them oozed and spread over the surface. The chowkidar and the sweeper kept looking helplessly. So did the Mahatma from behind the glass frame.

I left the room for the sweeper to clean it and mop the furniture and as soon as he reported completion, I returned and took my seat in the chair, and started disposing of the office files.

Almost after an hour the she-sparrow came flying from the heavens above with a grain of wheat in her mouth which she wanted to share with her mate in the exclusivity of her nest. She sat on the window-sill for a while with her eyes radiant with hope and promise. She flew straight towards the photograph but to her dismay could not find her nest there. She kept hovering around the place in utter disbelief and distress not knowing what had befallen her sweet home. All her dreams had been belied and plans shattered. In deep anguish and frustration, she flitted across the room unmindful of the rotating fan above. She had simply gone mad. In one of the rapid moves her body struck the fast-moving blades of the fan and within moments her wing was torn into pieces, the feathers scattered on the floor and she herself fell dead on the floor.

Then came the he-sparrow with mirth and joy writ large on his face and sat on the window-sill. As he peeped into the room all his happiness evaporated like ether and he became sullen at the sight of his companion. He too flew towards the photograph to find for himself what was in store for him. Shocked and bewildered he darted down to his partner and hovered over her dead body for a long time with the expectation that she may hear his call and wake up. But that was not to be. His mate was silent as a stone. He was now convinced that she would not hear his call nor would the destroyed nest be rebuilt. Dejected, he flew back and sat on the window-sill where he kept brooding for some time. He had lost his mate, his home and his offspring to my wanton desire. His life had become desolate and held no promise for the future. Quietly, he gathered his courage and flew away into the vast blue expanse towards the milky horizon never to return and I watched him in horrified silence.

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