ज़िन्दगी महज़ चंद मुलाकातें हैं, छुप छुप के कुछ धीमी धीमी बातें हैं। दिन तो तेज़ रफ्तार से गुज़र गए, अब तो चुप चुप ठहरी ठहरी सी रातें हैं।
चाहने और पाने में कितनी दूरी है, कदम बढ़ के थम गए न जाने क्या मजबूरी है, दर्द छुपाकर बहुत घूमते हैं इस दुनिया में, हमें देखिए जिन्हें जीने के लिए दर्द ज़रूरी है।
सब कुछ गया पर उनका खयाल नहीं गया, ज़िन्दगी का वो सोया हुआ सवाल नहीं गया, क्यूं मिले थे उनसे जब मिलना ना था मुकद्दर में? सांस रुकी है पर धड़कनों का उछाल नहीं गया।
क्यूं फिर से प्यार की राह अनजान लगती है? क्यूं वो हैं भी पर दुनिया वीरान लगती है? क्या होना था, अभी तो कुछ हुआ ही नहीं, क्यूं चौराहे पर खड़ी ज़िन्दगी हैरान लगती है?
समझ आए तो हो सके हमें भी खबर करना, कुछ लम्हे संग बिताए हुए लम्हों की नज़र करना, शाम ए तन्हाई गर खत्म ना भी हो, रवि, धुंधले उजाले में ही ज़िन्दगी की सहर करना।
Keeping record of all your hurts and slights, Is really the most fruitless task on earth. You willfully cut out those lovely delights, That are rife with wistfulness and mirth.
What exactly are you thinking of achieving, By keeping in your heart that useless stuff? If it is a garland of memories you’re weaving, How would it help for you to be forever gruff?
(image courtesy: blogs.psychcentral.com)
Throw away that junk, make yourself free, Trust me it doesn’t do good at any rate. It’d keep you from being calm and happy, As if you carry a great avoidable weight.
He has His record-keeper, He doesn’t need, Any of us maintaining unnecessary records. Just have faith that God’s system, indeed, Will have its own demerits and rewards.
It’s not possible to store even a nanosecond, Time is ephemeral and it is gone forever. There is something that we can later beckon, It’s available to us whenever and wherever. It is rare something we can later recall, Months and years later it’d still enthrall.
Try it, you’ll find Happiness can be stored, You can keep it and access it at a later date; Say, when with your life you are bored, Or you happen to be in a depressed state. God has given us these miraculous powers, Even in the deserts we can grow flowers.
There is another magical quality it possesses: When you share it, it grows and multiplies. Everybody’s sadness and sorrows it addresses, When least expected it can swing a surprise. You can carry it practically everywhere you go, Share it with all and let them see the rainbow.
Lastly, no matter how old, it feels like new, I haven’t heard of anyone bemoaning its age. What a great gift God gave to me and you, Happiness can be recalled at any given stage. With this little poem I am sending you some, Keep it and store it for all times to come.
One who treats all negatives and positives alike….
Good morning friends,
Have you ever been lonely and sad? Do you remember how it made you feel? Most often it would have made you glad, That in this condition you learnt a great deal. Happiness is a result, Sadness is a learning; In both you can exult, If you’re discerning.
Nobody ever lives life with a constant emotion, We should, indeed, thank God for that. Sometimes it is quiet, at others there is commotion, Life keeps changing its style or format. It has ups and downs, It has twists and turns. There are varied sounds, Thus experience one earns.
Both sorrow and joy have their uses, Just as it is with failure and success. Great is a person who gets them and refuses, To view them with undue elation or stress. Everything is god sent, Everything has value, Try to gauge His intent, Yes, it is meant for you.
We often want to know life’s aim. Without solving this simple clue. Why is the worth of sorrows and joys the same? Why clay and gold have the same value? The person who can find, Merges with His God, He doesn’t let His mind, By either be overawed.
There is no situation really so bad, That worrying won’t make worse; It does nothing to make you glad, But acts, more or less, like a curse. Hence, your leaving worrying to God, Is a decision that is never flawed.
He gives you the requisite tools, To deal with any given situation; Worrying is something for the fools, It only helps to add to frustration. Hence, your leaving worrying to God, Is a decision that is never flawed.
Have faith and you will soon find, He would Himself show you the way; To your situation He can never be blind, All that you have to do is to pray. Hence, your leaving worrying to God, Is a decision that is never flawed.
Without worrying your mind is clear, To tackle your situation much better; Song on your lips replaces your fear, And suddenly you become a go-getter. Hence, your leaving worrying to God, Is a decision that is never flawed.
Will you make someone smile today? Will you be able to wipe someone’s tears? Will you stop a friend from going astray? Will your presence allay someone’s fears? If not, you would have wasted the day, Please do something about it right away.
However miserable you think you are, There are others more miserable than you. At least you have, of resources, a reservoir, They, even for meals, stand in a queue. God made you their messenger of hope, So that with their destiny they can cope.
Most often you are not to share anything, Other than empathy, a smile, a pat or a hug. Of course there is great joy in freely giving, And not to dismiss their needs with a shrug. Give and earn a coveted place next to Him, Give and bring cheers when things are grim.
In any case all that you have is actually His, He only wants you to be His chosen man. Don’t think about what was, will be and is, Have faith in and rejoice in God’s plan. “God, thank you that you chose me to share, I can now be answer to someone’s prayer.”
….if you haven’t brought a smile to someone’s face.
हाय क्यों कर बैठे जेहाद, पूरा मुल्क ही हो गया बर्बाद, बस चीन ही बचा है ऐसा देश, जो सुनता है हमारी फरयाद। झूठ हमारी आदत बनी है, चाहे कितने आएं एबोटाबाद।
हाय क्यों कर बैठे जेहाद, पूरा मुल्क ही हो गया बर्बाद, १९४७ में हिंदुस्तान और पाकिस्तान, दो मुल्क हुए थे आजाद। हम फिरते हैं मारे मारे, और वह फिरते हैं होके आबाद।
हाय क्यों कर बैठे जेहाद, पूरा मुल्क ही हो गया बर्बाद, उनकी जीडीपी उछाले मारती, यहां देहशत है हमारी जायदाद। उनकी ख्वाहिश चांद को छूना, कशमीर उजाड़ना है हमारी मुराद।
हाय क्यों कर बैठे जेहाद, पूरा मुल्क ही हो गया बर्बाद, वह करते हैं इंसानियत की पूजा, खून खराबे का हमें है स्वाद। फिर भी मद मस्ती में घूम रहे हैं। शायद होश आए तबाही के बाद।
When I look around I see people wealthier than me, Also, there is no doubt that some are healthier than me. Many are more intelligent, cleverer and smarter, Many have reached places whilst I’ve been a non-starter. And yet, I know, God has given me better than the rest. The overall blessing of Him to me has been by far the best.
God makes each one of us with specific purpose or aim, And hence He can’t be giving to everyone abilities same. It is for us to quickly discover what we’re meant to be, And then to accept the matching abilities proudly. We should be content with what we’ve been given, And make the best of it, like a man who’s driven.
God, thank you for giving me the best in your store, With it, honestly, I can never ask for more. Just make me worthy of your gifts to me, From jealousy and envy always keep me free. Let me not find grass greener on the other side, Let me take everything good or bad in my stride.
Thank you for making me happy and content. Rather than living my life in useless lament. The others have been equipped with what they need, I too have been given, in my task, to succeed. I don’t ever rue what they have or possess, I thank you for your blessings and kindness.
“War is a terrible business” said Herman Wouk in his celebrated work ‘The Caine Mutiny’, “In which people get killed and you’re damn glad you ain’t one of them.”
(Pic courtesy: Hindustan Times)
Listening to the Indian public debate after the incidents in the aftermath of Pulwama attacks, it would appear that despite our jingoism and consequent lion-hearted pronouncements, we’re damn glad we ain’t one of those who have to take action and decisions and risk their lives to protect the sovereignty and security of India, that is, Bharat.
Pakistan, having lost all wars against India, discovered that there is one tool that it has that not just brings India to its knees but successfully deters India from the military option to protect its interests. That tool is the tool of terrorism.
Lets first understand as to what do we require armed forces for. In the modern world, the primary task of the armed forces is to deter war by putting the fear of consequences in the enemy’s psyche. In our case we spend about two percent of our GDP every year to keep one of the largest armed forces in the world to drive this fear in the hearts and minds of the Pakistanis and the Chinese. Why do we require this deterrence? Simple, because its failure would interfere with our economic growth that would ensure planned good and secure life for our people.
Has this deterrence worked? It has worked largely with China. One of the reasons is that China itself has the desire to deter war for its own growth. Additionally, as far as conventional war is concerned, it has worked with Pakistan too. But, then, Pakistan, tasted success in bringing a superpower (Russia) to its heels in Afghanistan through war by other means (Please read the book: ‘Afghanistan the Bear Trap: The Defeat of a Superpower’ by Mohammad Yousaf and Mark Adkin. Mohammad Yousaf was the Pakistani Brigadier General who masterminded the equipping and training of the Afghan mujahideen in their struggle against the Soviets in the 1980s. Mark Adkin was a Major in the British Army who polished the writing (memoirs) of the Pak Brigadier General. At that time, the United States, Britain and other allies were on the side of the mujahideen (terrorists engaged in proxy war). Incidentally, a free download of this book is available on the net.
The Mujahideen War in Afghanistan lasted from Dec 1979 to Feb 1989 with covert and not so covert support by the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
As soon as its Western border was secured through the success of its proxy war, Pakistan turned to its Eastern neighbour India to apply the same formula to it. And that’s the beginning of the proxy war in Kashmir that we have faced for the last thirty years. The Western powers largely were unconcerned about the cross-border terrorism that India faced from Pakistan until the genie that they had helped unleash in Afghanistan turned to them (somewhat similar to how Indira Gandhi provided tacit support to splinter groups to weaken the Akalis in Punjab and they turned against her only and eventually killed her). After twelve years of Indians facing the brunt of proxy war alone, on 11th Sep 2001, the Americans themselves became the target of proxy war emanating from Al Qaeda (at that time in Afghanistan).
The United States had tough time telling its ex students in Afghanistan and Pakistan that the lessons of Bear Trap were not to be applied to the teacher itself. That was the beginning of the GWOT or the Global War on Terror. As was to be expected from the events (that I have given you a brief on) Pakistan became the hub of Global Terrorism. Terrorists became its strategic assets to bring the next superpower, India, to its heels by the honed and successful policy of “bleed by a thousand cuts.”
This means that as far as Indian security forces are concerned they have been fighting this war for the last thirty years. Then how is this that our people are largely unconcerned about it that their country has been in a state of war for three decades? It is simply because for most Indians, War is not something that affects them unless there are flagrant manifestations of it in, say, Parliament Attack, Mumbai Blasts, Pathankot, and Pulwama. This unconcern is so complete that many among our intelligentsia speak the same language as that of the terrorists, want the powers of the armed forces curtailed (eg AFSPA), and professional business as usual with Pakistan with the exchange of cultural programmes and sporting (especially cricket) events.
The present government tried to change the equation by attempting to increase the costs for Pakistan for waging the proxy war, by such punitive actions as Surgical Strikes and Air Strikes on Terror Camps (Please read: ‘Cross – LOC Surgical Counter – Terrorism Strikes, A New Indian Psyche And Resolve‘). However, our national debates (particularly on the electronic media) have invariably played into the hands of the Pakistanis. One day after the success of our air strikes, as soon as Pak retaliated, our public debate has veered to “dialogue”, “deescalation” and other such conciliatory moves.
When the deterrence of our massive armed forces hasn’t worked against Pakistan in the last thirty years of its waging a proxy war against us, our readiness to increase its costs for it should be seen as a very high priority by our countrymen. How can we play into the hands of the enemy that our recent action has resulted in escalation? Escalation is what Pakistan has done since 1989, not us. We only want to take punitive action against it so that it would stop this escalation, exactly what the armed forces are meant for.
On a debate in the electronic media, yesterday, it was suggested that if we don’t deescalate now countries that are supporting us now would withdraw support. I haven’t heard of anything more ludicrous. We do not take decisions in the interest of other countries and the enemy; we take decisions in the interest of India.
For this, we require, not just the armed forces but also the will of our people who are not deterred by small setbacks like MiG 21 having been brought down by Pakis, or by the sacrifices that they themselves have to make to bring an enemy to its senses.
We need to show this resolve and not prevaricate every now and then. The PM has given a “free-hand to the armed forces” to protect national interests (simply because other options such as dialogue haven’t worked with Pakistan). Let’s trust them since they have been trained to tackle such situations. They have never failed India in the past.
We are fighting a war. We need to defeat the enemy within before defeating the enemy across the border.
Let’s today list some rare things on earth, One of these is surely a ‘normal human being’, There is around us an almost total dearth, Even on the definition of it we keep disagreeing. What does, in effect, this teach us? That for something this basic there isn’t a consensus.
Like all other virtues and emotions that exist, Even this is subject to individual interpretation. When, for example, we find “a normal man” in our midst, Can he be used for the concept’s confirmation? We can, therefore, easily conclude, That even “Good” and “Bad” have no certitude.
We should thus cut out all pretensions, And don’t ascribe virtues in absolute; Every virtue and concept has myriads of dimensions, And therefore even basics lead to dispute. We don’t have universal definition of “wrong” and “right”, No one has displayed that kind of foresight.
“God, let me not knowingly do something wrong”, “Unknowingly, I don’t have the requisite control”, “I shall learn the difference as I go along”, “I have no way to see truth as a whole.” “Forgive me for my innate ignorance, When I err, give me another chance.”
….are not absolute but subject to interpretations.
God, with His people maintains a bond, To their prayers He’d always respond. They may not get the way they desire, For He knows best what they most require, Hence, He listens to prayers and goes beyond.
Have trust and let Him decide the way, How He would provide for what we pray. Many times to make us stronger, Our prayers, to realise, may take longer, You may not have it delivered the same day.
There is a difference between prayer and demand, He is a Master and not a servant at our command. We should bow our head in gratitude, And don’t erroneously conclude, That He has rejected our prayer out of hand.
Beware of the fury of a silent man,
Is something learnt recently by Imran.
Whilst facing the Indian spin,
He had often shuddered within,
And now he’s regretting how it all began.
Terror has been Pakistan’s biggest export,
His people have always loved this sport,
They extinguish innocent lives,
And then exchange high fives,
And eventually look for Chinese and Islamic support.
But suddenly the rules of the game changed,
For those who from their birth were deranged.
They should look for another pastime,
That’s sans violence and crime,
Before they are, in world community, totally estranged.
Guess what, Imran, it has just begun,
You’ve bowled too long with the bomb and the gun.
This is just our second boundary,
And you’re already in a quandary,
You thought your game no one had ever won.
Many of us tend to do something extreme, We ask of God to be part of our scheme. Our life, we forget, is already a gift from God, But, we expect our every effort He’d reward. We keep record of our every good and right, And demand that we should be made knight.
Our system, we feel, is best suited for Him, He shouldn’t follow His own fancy and whim. How dare He favour whom we know to be bad, Whilst the “righteous” are hungry and unclad? “Something is wrong with His system of recompense, Many a times His gifts are at someone’s expense.”
‘Let’s stop playing God’ is my humble suggestion, At every step of life, let’s not crib and question. Do we have, than Him, better inputs and sense? Isn’t that the most arrogant and egotist pretence? How do we know what He gave to whom and why? None of us can ever get over self, ego, I and my.
So, accept with humility whatever He has given, Whilst rewarding us many sins He has forgiven. “God, let me be worthy of whatever you give, Let me be grateful to you for as long as I live. Let me never question your judgment or plan, For you are my Master, I am just a small Man.”
Of all the methods God gave us to cope, The most promising is something called Hope. You don’t have to frown, When the chips are down, Or when you are actually walking a tightrope.
If it hadn’t been for Hope, we’d be dejected, When in our lives we feel sad and rejected. The silver lining on dark cloud, Doesn’t make us feel cowed; We look forward to be pepped up by the unexpected.
Hope gives the impossible too a chance, When we’re down and out it makes us dance. Like a promise of God, That we often applaud, Our chances of success appear to enhance.
So, don’t abandon hope in any situation, You and Hope are indeed a strong combination. In God always have trust, He never lets Hope catch rust, Hope should be next to Love in your calculation.
Pakistan, having lost all wars against India, discovered that there is one tool that it has that not just brings India to its knees but successfully deters India from the military option to protect its interests. That tool is the tool of terrorism.
Has this deterrence worked? It has worked largely with China. One of the reasons is that China itself has the desire to deter war for its own growth. Additionally, as far as conventional war is concerned, it has worked with Pakistan too. But, then, Pakistan, tasted success in bringing a superpower (Russia) to its heels in Afghanistan through war by other means (Please read the book: ‘Afghanistan the Bear Trap: The Defeat of a Superpower’ by Mohammad Yousaf and Mark Adkin. Mohammad Yousaf was the Pakistani Brigadier General who masterminded the equipping and training of the Afghan mujahideen in their struggle against the Soviets in the 1980s. Mark Adkin was a Major in the British Army who polished the writing (memoirs) of the Pak Brigadier General. At that time, the United States, Britain and other allies were on the side of the mujahideen (terrorists engaged in proxy war). Incidentally, a free download of this book is available on the net.
