SM Krishna reads Portuguese minister's speech at UN - The Times of India

SM Krishna reads Portuguese minister's speech at UN - The Times of India

MP Tourism Ajab Hai TV Commercial

Why and What is Lohanasonline.com

Recently, we launched a website http://lohanasonline.com called Forum for Lohana Community. Many of the friends ask the aim of the site. Well, here I am briefing how and why the idea of the site came.

Being a teacher I feel off and on that the level of thinking in the youth is far lower than it should be. On many issues, most of the time, they do not have their opinion because they do not know the issues properly. Even if they know the issues, they do not wish to opine.  This is one of the major reasons why many of them lag behind. Besides, our present education system make (or force!!) them to be bookish only. It is more than sufficient for a student set a goal to get distinction -- and the irony is that they get it without knowing their subject. 

I have always wondered why do they not learn "how to learn". In the real life, at each and every stage, we need to learn new things. Not all could be taught in the school/college. Somehow we tend to force student prepare for the exam rather than learning how to learn. 

Even the cream students are unidirectional. Should an IT professional know the basic about History/politics/culture/movie/country...... When I ask my M.Sc. students from Junagadh who Ranakdevi was, I do not get the answer. Many of them are duped by me to believe that in a particular year Diwali would be in the month of Fagan. Many of them have read the novel of Narsinh Mehta!!!

All this have always provoked me to do something to make the youth think, to churn the thoughts in the deep of their brains. But for whom should I do? and how?

The natural choices for me are (1) my students (2) my caste fellows (3) youth of India. 

I chose the first to begin with. Then I extended my thought to the second. For the third there are many to take the leadership, it is better to contribute to support their efforts.  

To attract (drag!!!) lohana youth to discussion and inspiring (or instigating!!) I started with Lohana Community on Orkut. It prospered for some time but then quantity won over the quality (as it happens only in India!!!). So we were toying with the Idea of a forum for discussion (where one can discuss on every legitimate topic), which in turn will make the youth more participative in real issues, real problems and will grow the number of think-banks.  

Hence the present forum.

I hope this throws some light on your query.  If you appreciate the idea behind this, why not to join hands with many others who have already started sharing the their thinking/ideas/information and thereby generating knowledge? I should be glad to see you in action motivating other friends to express themselves on whatever thought they like. 

Love,

Dinesh Karia

A Real Hindu Stand?

I got the following message in a mail... Read my views following it

*********** Mailed Message Copy Pasted ******

ll Sree ll

Rethink New Year celebration on 31 st Dec, Celebrate it on Gudi Padwa! 

Nowadays, the young or the elderly all wish each other a 'Happy New Year' or send greetings on the night of 31st December. But as per our Hindu culture Gudi Padwa is the New Year. Hindus consider this as a prestigious event. There is no scientific or any other reason for celebrating New year on 1st January, but there are many reasons for doing so on Gudi Padwa.

Dear Hindus, do you accept your conversion for one day by celebrating  31 st Dec? 

Read more details here http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/festivals/gudhipadwa/newyear.php

 What you can do on this day ?

On this day one can take note of the 'do's' and don'ts' given below -

1. Do not wish a fellow Hindu 'Happy New Year' either on 31st December or 1st January.
2. If a fellow Hindu greets you that way, take time to explain to him how this is wrong and impress upon him that Gudi Padwa is actually our new year.
3. Instead of sending New Year greetings to relatives and friends for 1st January, do it on Gudi Padwa.
4. Ensure that you pass on this valuable information to your near and dear ones, thus preventing them from sinning by celebrating New Year on a day other than our real new year.

5. Remember that ushering in the New Year on Gudi Padwa will help you develop pride in your religion, nation and language. 

HJS is now on New TV channel 'Sree Shankara'

Know details here http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/5997.html

*********** My Views  ******

What an idea Sirji!!!

But one of my friends is Jain, one is Swaminarayan, one is Buddhist,  one is Sikh, I believe in Ramdeoji (Ranuja, Dist Pokhran, Rajasthan), my sister's family believe in Dariya Lal (if you remember the song "Ho Lal Meri Pat Rakhiyo Bhala Zule Lal, Sindhdi Da.... Sufi Saabash Kalandar, Dama dum Mast Kalandar). 

Could you please kindly suggest the new year days for each of them!!!! May I also expect the full list of subdivisions of Hindus!!!!!

I am sure, you are not celebrating the birthday of your brothers as they are not YOUR BIRTHDAY.

I am proud to say that I am Hindu because Hinduism encompasses all the other religions, that is why it is called the Sanatan Dharma too. Let us not be narrow minded and become a frog of a well. 

Let me be clear here that I do not tolerate the dadagiri of Muslims or Christian missionaries. I am against their unholy practices. As and when I get opportunity, I bring out my concern and do condemn their activity. But I will not follow any unholy path. If I do, there is no difference between followers of those religions and me.

I hope an open minded reading of this mail will bring you back to the right path of Sanatan Hindu Dharma.

Dinesh Karia

Respond to the writing on that website.....

I am Hindu and I liked most of the arguments made on this site. However, I could not answer the contradictions some people show in the writing. (1) the poster... British Left Bharat in 1947,..(still we are under) their influence, do not celebrate 1st January.... What should be my answer if my friends point out that "British also left English, the language of this site....?" (2) When a person converts.....we too are like converts to Christianity! If my friends parents adopt me, then I will respect them and will join their family celebrations. Does this mean that if I join a certain family in their celebration, I am adopted by the elders of that family?

Could we just assess the steps by ATS Chief!!!!

From the day one, there were various theories/reports about how the three top-level officers were executed. I was anxious to know the reality. Finally I found the story on web told by the nearest eyewitness of the event when ATS Chief Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar succumbed to death. Read below and also visit http://www.indianexpress.com/news/witness-account-of-karkare-kamte-and-salaskars-death/392181/1 and http://www.indianexpress.com/news/witness-account-of-karkare-kamte-and-salaskars-death/392181/2 for the detailed story.

Here is the copied pasted writeup from the same site.

Witness account of Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar's death

A constable, who was in the hijacked Mumbai police vehicle, survived the Wednesday night mayhem to recount the horror of how ATS chief Hemant Karkare and two other top officers of Mumbai police were gunned down inside the Toyota Qualis by a terrorist duo fleeing from CST.

Injured Constable Arun Jadhav was in the vehicle whose tyre burst when the desperadoes had commandeered it in their attempt to flee from police chase.

Karkare, encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte, who were all travelling in the same vehicle, were shot dead along with three constables by the terrorists.

The top officers were on way to Cama Hospital, just a 10-minute drive from CST station, to check on another injured officer Sadanand Date. [My views: Can any defence agency approve this action as a wise action!!! The answer is NO. Then what made these three top ranked officials to rush in this way ?]

"When we were informed that Sadanand Date has been injured at the firing in Cama Hospital Karkare, Kamte, Salaskar and four constables left from CST to the spot.

"Five minutes later, two persons carrying AK-47 rifles emerged from behind a tree and started firing at out vehicle," said Jadhav, who was hit by two bullets in his right arm and is recuperating in the Bombay Hospital.

Sitting on his bed on the 14th floor of the hospital, Jadhav, who has been in the police service for the past 12 years, said the exact number of shots fired at the police car was not known, but the three top officers and as many constables were killed on the spot. Jadhav was the only person in the vehicle who survived.

"I have been working with Salaskar my entire police career but I could not do anything to save his life," he said with tears rolling down his eyes.

While Salaskar was at the wheel, Kamte was in the front seat and Karkare in the second row with the four Constables, including Jadhav, at the back seat.

"The two terrorists then came up to our vehicle and pulled out Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar's bodies out and threw them on the road. Thinking that we (Constables) are also dead, the terrorists then got into the car and started driving towards Metro junction," Jadhav said.

They fired three rounds at journalists and police vans standing at Metro junction and then sped away towards Vidhan Bhawan in south Mumbai, where again they fired some rounds.

"The terrorists then started driving from Vidhan Bhawan when the car's tyre burst. They then got off the car and ran towards another vehicle," he said.

Jadhav then got in touch with the police control and informed them about the death of Karkare, Kamte, Salaskar and the three Constables.

"Additional Commissioner of Police (ATS) Parambir Singh and other police officers then rushed to the spot and took the bodies to St George hospital," Jadhav said.

War Against our Cowardise.

After my anger has started a definite shape and after making my mind calm, composed but keeping the terrorist attack a permanent resident of my brain, I am on to my blog sharing my views with people. Here you are welcome to comment and helping the discussion evolve to keep us determined to face the terrorists, (may be I will love to be a part of one on one fight with the terror) and discussing our prime duties towards our motherland. 

My partly settled views hint upon what as a common man I should do. Since, I am teaching postgraduate students, some points are applicable more to my profession.  However, one can take this input, may modify the actions to tailor make it according to one's occupation. 

1. I will keep the memories of 26/11 in my mind not allow to mending wounds in my heart. Though I am and always will be ready even to take one on one fight with the whatever kind of direct or indirect terror,  as a  mature citizen I will not react like an extremist. 
2. I will keep reminding my daughters and my students about the need of the time to get set go in the war against terror.
3. I will not criticise any politician unduly but I will also not be affraid of giving my bold views openly about what is expected from the leaders and which of their actions have harmed the Nation.
4. I believe that the majority of the  extremists are claiming to be Islamic, but I will never think the other way that Islam induces terror or Muslims are terrorists. I know of scores of my Muslim friends loving India and the very soil they share with us. At the same time, very politely and clearly I will state to my Muslim friends and to the fellow citizens in general, that certain verses in Qumran are intentionally misinterpreted by Muslim extremists so take hold of the Muslim uneducated mass. The so called Ulemas, Maulanas, and Qazies are taking disadvantage of this double meaning verses to keep the hatredness towards other religions, especially Hindus and Christians, in the heart of the laymen Muslim community. I will openly bring this to the notice of my friends without adding any bias. I will explain my educated Muslim friends that Muslim community needs the real education. 
5. I will propagate the message of peace to as many youngsters as I can reach at my level. 
6. I will tell them what the real patriotism means.
7. I will keep on analysing here the actions of politicians, the human right activists (the most dangerous animals on the earth), the traders of various religions, the teachers (the most inactive organ of the Indian society); and in doing so, I will keep myself as impartial and true to my belief as is expected from a teacher. Not all my posts here will be directly related to fight only the terrorism but to evolve a nation full of disciplined citizens.

With all the above (and may be some more points to be added later) in the centre of my discussion, I start with the sharing my thoughts at various levels of the 26/11 attack.

On 28/11 I shared my heart with my friends as follows: [What I add today are bracketed sentences]

26/11 is the worst ever attack by the militants. At the time of this post, still the operation is going on. Taj is evacuated [which turned out to be the false report by the media] but the Oberoi and Nariman House are still occupied by the Terrorists. There is no doubt about how well trained the group is and how the things were rehearsed. [this is one of the major evidences to assert that behind the terror there is a defense agency or personals of some defense agencies. I believe firmly that today it is proved by even FBI etc that these agencies are in Pakistan. What our government needs is to take bold action but not in any haste] As Ratan Tata pointed out [a news channel]  and is clear by now, the terrorists knew the whole geography of the Taj not only by maps but the way they roamed here and there shows that they must have visited Taj earlier. [Later some news agencies reported, without confirmation that there was one terrorist on his internship in TAJ fore about 10 months] So, should be the case for their counter part in Oberoi, Trident. The minute planning and its algorithmic execution by scores of terrorists confirms the training by a military agency. [What surprises me is that the official (and perhaps incorrect) number of terrorists is ten only!!!] Surely, it is backed by some foreign agency. On the other hand, the approach of the Indian task force deserves the salute and the tears in our eyes for Mr. Karkare, Vijay, Amte and scores of Jawans laying down their lives for us. [Later in my another post to my friends, I could share with them that the action was perhaps a hasty one]

At the same time, this is the occasion of shame for our politicians. Shame on you all who had inputs from the intelligence agencies, from the Gujarat Government but they did not care to verify even a single details excepts the claim that the government followed a close radio intervention on the coast. [The information was then reported chronologically by news agencies on TV.]

We, the people of India, feel the shame of having such a poor political will power of ALL the parties and bow down to each and every Jawan for their crucifixion in the Operation Black Tornado.

 

I am surely joined by all of you to pray for all the wellness of the country, May God save us from the worst politicians ever we have as our contemporary.

 

With heavy heart and tears,

 

Dinesh Karia

My mail to my friends on December 2, 2008

The following is an article in khaleejtimes written by Aijaz Zaka Syed, a reader from Dubai. The article could be found here 

It really describe the embarrassment

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

Watching the terror nightmare unfold in Mumbai over the past three days with me on television, my kids have repeatedly asked me: "Who are these terrorists and why are they doing this?" And every time I wished I could offer them a convincing answer.

What could I tell them? For one, I was equally clueless why these guys had taken over India's financial and cultural capital and were targeting people who had nothing to do with them and had done nothing to harm them.  

For two, I was too ashamed to tell them these guys were ostensibly Muslims and came from a country that was created in the name of Islam.  

At work, while my colleagues went about covering the madness in Mumbai and laying out special pages with the images of the incredibly beautiful hotel, Taj, with its Islamic arches and domes, go up in smoke, I find it hard to look my colleagues in the eye. 

And this happens all the time. Every time innocents are targeted in the name of Islam around the world, one can't face one's non-Muslim friends and colleagues.  I feel like burying myself in the ground.  Growing up in a religious family, one never thought one would see the day when being a Muslim could be a source of shame. [Remember this written by a Muslim]

A distraught friend who has devoted her life to speaking and fighting on behalf of Arabs and Muslims wrote in yesterday saying "I've had it with the Arabs and Muslims and Islamic militancy. Forgive me but I am throwing in the towel."

I couldn't write back to her but understood her pain.  She grew up in Mumbai and is understandably upset. 

My friend went on to say: "The Muslims and Islam have a problem and only they can solve it.  If they do not, the whole world will turn against them."

If this is how our most loyal friends feel, imagine the sentiments and reactions of the rest of the world.  Can you blame the world if it's turning against Muslims? What do you expect when not a single day passes without the name of our faith being dragged through the mud by fellow believers around the world? [Again recall that this is a part of an article by a Muslim living in a Muslim country.]

How many innocents have to die in the name of Islam before Muslim leaders and countries take effective action to deal with the nuts, who are out to destroy us all with their nihilistic cult?

I know that the Muslim leaders including those in the highest echelons of power have lately started speaking out against the extremists. 

Darul Uloom Deoband in India, one of the oldest and most respected centres of learning in the Muslim world, issued a fatwa against terrorism at a large gathering of Islamic scholars and leaders in June.  Last month, nearly 5,000 scholars backed the edict at a huge congregation in Hyderabad. 

The OIC, the organisation of Muslim states, and Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Arab-Islamic world, have of late been equally vehement in condemning these repulsive acts of violence targeting innocents. 

Eminent Muslim intellectuals and journalists like Tariq Ramadan, a grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hasan Al Banna, and India's MJ Akbar and numerous others too have repeatedly protested this distortion of Islamic teachings and spirit.  

[This reminds me of the following 1984 composition of Boney M. 

Somewhere in the
world there is peace of mind. Somewhere in the
world that's what I must find. Somewhere in the
world there's a place for me in this world. I
cannot believe it, everywhere I see lonely faces.
Why have we no answers, just some more empty places? ]

These calls of conscience on behalf of mainstream Islam have however proved voices in the wilderness.  Clearly, we need to do more to be heard by the world and to stop this shameful victimisation of innocent people in the name of religion.

The great irony of the Mumbai attacks is the killing of Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare and his colleagues.  Karkare, a brave and decorated officer investigating the Malegaon blasts and other recent terror attacks that he established to be the handiwork of Hindu extremists, not Muslim groups like SIMI, was killed by the terrorists outside Cama hospital Wednesday night.   Obviously, Muslims do not know who their real friends and enemies are. And, pray, why is India increasingly being singled out for this savagery?  What do they think this country is? A Hindu country or an anti-Muslim nation? 

Do the ignorant dummies repeatedly being sent out on the so-called jihad know that this great country is home to the world's largest Muslim population? Almost twice the size of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan!  India's greatest superstar is a Muslim, not to mention the countless achievers in other fields. 

Why are our friends across the border bent on destroying the whole world with themselves? Is this what Islam and the noble Prophet teach and stand for?

It's all very well for us to say Islam has nothing to do with extremism and terrorism.  We can go on deluding ourselves these psychopaths do not represent us. 

However, the world finds it hard to accept this line of argument because it sees the extremists increasingly assert themselves and take the centre-stage while the mainstream Islam remains silent.   

The great religion that preaches and celebrates universal brotherhood, equality of men and peace and justice for all has been hijacked by a demented, miniscule minority. And, as my friend says, only Muslims can solve this problem.  Only Muslims can confront these anarchists in their midst. 

Only they can get their faith freed from the clutches of extremism. This is no time to hide. It's time to stand up and speak out. For the terrorists will continue to speak on our behalf, until we do not speak up.  This is no time for silence.  Enough is enough!

*************** his article ends here ***************

More Later.

વિચારોની ઉત્ક્રાંતિ

વિચારોને પણ ઉત્ક્રાંતિ હોય !!!!!

આજની ગોખણપટ્ટી આધારીત શિક્ષણ પદ્ધતિ મૂડીવાદને માફક આવી શકે ખરી? શિક્ષક બાળકને એકડો ઘુંટાવે તે જ ઉંમરે ધર્મ એને માળા કે તસ્બી ફેરવતાં શીખવે છે. શિક્ષક જાણે છે કે એકડો ઘુંટવો એ પ્રેક્ટીસ પુરતું મર્યાદિત છે અને તે જ શિક્ષક બાળકને એકડો લખતાં આવડી જાય ત્યારે “ઘુંટવાની” માયાજાળમાંથી તેને મૂક્ત કરાવે છે. જે ધર્મગુરુ માળા કે તસ્બી ફેરવતાં શીખવે તેને ખબર નથી કે આ પ્રક્રિયા એકધ્યાન થઇને સ્વપ્રગતિ કરવાનુ પ્રથમ સોપાન માત્ર છે. જે બાળક એક જ વર્ષમાં “ઘુંટવાની” માયા છોડી દે છે તે આખી જીંદગી ઇશ્વરના “રટણ”, માળા, તસ્બી અને એવાં તો કાંઇક વળગણ મૃત્યુપર્યંત વફાદારીથી નીભાવે છે. મારી સામે બેસીને દરરોજ કોઇ 108 x 11 વખત મારું નામ બોલે ને મારી પાસે એવી અપેક્ષા રાખે કે આમ કરવા માત્રથી હું તેને મદદ કરું તો મારી હાલત શું થાય ? પહેલી વાત તો એ કે આવી પ્રક્રિયા મને અકળાવી નાંખે, મારામાં એટલી ધીરજ નથી કે દરરોજ મને એક સ્થળે બેસાડીને પછી મારી સામે બેસીને કોઇ મારા નામનો જપ કર્યે રાખે અને મને ગુસ્સો ન આવે. 25 વર્ષનો “માનો બાળક” રોજ માના ખોળામાં સુવાની ટેવ ભૂલ્યો ન હોય તો તે બાળકથી માને કંટાળો ન આવે ? આપણે દરરોજ નિયમસર ક્રિયાકાંડ કરીએ છીએ ત્યારે ઇશ્વર કેટલો અકળાતો હશે ? મને તો લાગે છે કે ઇશ્વર સર્વત્ર છે ખરો પણ જ્યારે તેના નામના જાપ કોઇ કરવા બેસે ત્યારે તો ખાત્રીપૂર્વક તે ત્યાંથી ભાગી છુટતો હશે !!!!!

એક બાળક મોટો થઇને પોતાનો સંસાર સ્થાપે, એટલે કે, લગ્ન કરે ત્યારે તેની મા હરખઘેલી ન થાય તો નવાઇ ! ઇશ્વરરુપી જગત્પિતા (કે માતા !!) આપણે સ્વતંત્ર વિચારો સાથે પગભર થઇએ ત્યારે કેટલા ખુશ થતા હશે તે કલ્પનાથી આનંદ ન પામે તેવા, ગમે તેટલી ઉંમરના માણસને, હું જુની પેઢીનો ગણવાનું આપણે શીખવું પડશે. આપણા જગત્પિતાને ખુશ કરવાનું મુર્હુત દિવાળીના શુભ મુર્હુતોમાં પંચાંગો કેમ સામેલ નથી કરતાં ?

સ્કુટર, બાઇક, કાર અને કમ્પ્યુટરથી માંડીને સ્ક્રુના નવાં મોડેલ (પહેલાં સ્ક્રુ સીધા ખાંચાવાળો આવતો, કમ્પ્યુટરવાળાઓએ તેને ચોકડીવાળો કર્યો અને હવે ચાઇનીઝ લોકોએ તેને ત્રિકોણ ખાંચાવાળો કર્યો, ખબર નથી આનાથી ફાયદો શું થાય પણ કાંઇક નવું તો ખરું !! ) વગર જે માનવીને ચાલતું નથી તેને વિચારોના નવાં મોડેલ સાથે કેટલો બધો વાંધો હોય છે? આમ કેમ? એકની એક વિચાર શૈલી, એકની એક શિક્ષણ શૈલી, એકની એક જીવન શૈલી, પેઢી દર પેઢી ચાલ્યા કરે તો તેમાં પણ ખાટા અથાણાંની જેમ ફુગાઇ જવાની આગવી લાક્ષણિકતા હોય છે તેનીં નોંધ લેવી ઘટે. નવી પેઢી સાથે નવી વિચાર શૈલી ન આવે તો સમાજને સડી જવાની સો ટકાની ખાત્રી મારા તરફથી આ દિવાળીની ભેટ. આપણી સંસ્કૃતિ શાશ્વત નથી, રામ અને કૃષ્ણ બંન્નેની સંસ્કૃતિ જુદી જુદી છે. શાશ્વત હોય તેને સંસ્કૃતિ નહીં પણ સનાતન મૂલ્ય કહેવાય એ આપણા ધર્મગંથો અને વેદો પોતાને દેશ લઇ જઇને અભ્યાસ કરવાવાળા પશ્ચિમના વિચારકો આવીને આપણને સમજાવશે ત્યારે આપણે ધન્યતાના અનુભવ સાથે તે સ્વીકારીશું. એક આડવાત – સનાતન મૂલ્ય અને સમયની સાથે બદલાતું મૂલ્ય બંને જુદાં છે. આજે એક ગામડું પોતાને સ્વનિર્ભર બનાવવા તમામ જરૂરી ચીજ વસ્તુઓનું ઉત્પાદન પોતાનાં ગામમાં ન કરી શકે, આજે ગાંધીજીએ આપેલું તે સ્વનિર્ભરતાનું સ્વપ્ન તેની પ્રસ્તુતિ ગુમાવતું જાય છે. આજે મારા પોશાક માટેની ખાદી હું બનાવવા જાઉં તો મારા ઘરનો રોટલો ભીખ માંગીને લાવવો પડે !! આજે સમયની કિંમત બદલાઇ છે.

“ઉત્ક્રાંતિ એ શારિરીક ફેરફારોનો ઇજારો નથી, ઉત્ક્રાંતિને વિચારો સાથે ખૂબ જુની લેણાદેણી છે” આ સત્ય જે પેઢી સ્વીકારે તે પેઢીને તેની અનુગામી પેઢી સાથે પ્રેમથી રહેતાં અને વિચારસરણીના ફેરફારને સ્વીકારતાં શીખવવું ન પડે. અરે ! જડ પદાર્થમાં ઉત્ક્રાંતિની વાત કરવાવાળા શ્રી અરવિદ અને શ્રી માતાજી તેમની પાછળ તેમનો આ પ્રયોગ તેમના અંતેવાસીઓને સારી રીતે સમજાવીને ગયાં છે. એક વખત તેમની વાત સાંભળવી એ ખોટનો ધંધો નથી. ઉત્ક્રાંતિ એટલે ફેરફાર, બદલાવ, change, એટલે તો કહ્યું છે કે કશું શાશ્વત નથી, ફક્ત બદલાવ સિવાય (Only the change is permanent). બદલાવ પચાવવો અઘરો છે પણ અસ્વીકારવો શક્ય નથી. આવનારી પેઢી પોતે કરેલા બદલાવનો સ્વીકાર નાક દબાવીને દવા પીવડાવતી હોય તેમ તમારી પાસે કરાવે તેનાં કરતાં તેમની સાથે ભળી જઇને તેમના ભોમિયા બનવાનું ખૂબ આનંદદાયક છે. સવાલ છે માત્ર તૈયારીનો. આ વાત જ્યારે હું કરૂં છું ત્યારે મારી પાસે હજુ પણ એવા બદલાવનો થોકડો પડ્યો છે જે મેં સ્વીકાર્યો છે પણ પચાવવાનો બાકી છે. એટલે મારી વાતને મેં ૧૦૦ ટકા વર્તનમાં ઉતારી છે તેમ કહેવાનું ગાંડપણ મારામાં નથી, પણ પ્રમાણિકતાથી કહું તો મેં ઘણા બધા યોગ્ય બદલાવને અપનાવી લીધાં છે.

મનને ન ગમે છતાં મારે જેનો સ્વીકાર કરવો પડ્યો હોય તેવી એક વાત એટલે બે શબ્દોના સાચા અર્થનાં અસ્થિ. એક શબ્દ છે “સ્વાર્થ”. સ્વાર્થનો જુનો અર્થ જોઇએ તો જણાય કે સ્વાર્થી થવું એ ગૌરવપ્રદ ઘટના છે. વિદ્યાનો અર્થ સમજીને તેની પ્રાપ્તિની એષણા રાખવા વાળી વ્યક્તિ એટલે વિદ્યાર્થી. એમ “સ્વ” નો અર્થ સમજીને તેની પ્રાપ્તિની એષણા રાખવા વાળી વ્યક્તિ એટલે સ્વાર્થી. હવે વિચારો કે તમે આવા સ્વાર્થીને સારી વ્યક્તિ ગણો કે ખરાબ? સ્વાર્થ નો અર્થ મારા પણ જન્મ પહેલાં બદલાઇ ચુક્યો હતો. મને તો આનો અર્થ બહુ મોડેથી ખબર પડી.

આવો જ બીજો શબ્દ છે “સાક્ષર” મણીભાઇ નભુભાઇ દ્વિવેદી (નામ અજાણ્યું હોય તેવું લાગે છે ને? કાંઇ નહી આ રહ્યું બીજું નામ) ગોવર્ધનરામ ત્રિપાઠી (હવે ન કહેતાં કે આ વળી કોણ ? આ પણ અજાણ્યું લાગે તો છેલ્લો પ્રયત્ન) નર્મદ.... હા આ બધાં સાક્ષરોનાં નામ છે. પણ શ્રીમતી ઇંદિરા ગાંધીએ સાક્ષરતા અભિયાન ચલાવીને એક સુંદર શબ્દને પદ્ ભ્રષ્ટ કર્યો છે. તે અભિયાન પછી, જેને બસનું પાટિયું વાંચતા આવડે તેને સાક્ષર કહેવાનો “ફતવો” શ્રીમતી ઇંદિરા ગાંધીએ બહાર પાડ્યો હતો. આ છે મારા નાનપણની ઘટના જે અરસામાં લાલુપ્રસાદ યાદવને મિસા નામની દિકરી મળી હોવાનું કહેવાય છે.

લ. તા. આસો વદ ચૌદશ, 27 October 2008.