Build your career, build nation

Spurt of statues and parks, majorly dedicated to puny alive politicians, and using government to satiate lust of power of a fistful of politicians left Uttar Pradesh on the brink of being called as a doomed state. Past more than a decade has put the state’s progress graph far down in the negative zone than one can imagine. In the name of development, government did go miles ahead when it accounted for raining money on statues and parks but forgot to understand the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Much stress was given on the beautification of state’s capital to the extent that few parts of the city would outclass some of the cities around the world known for their classy aesthetic architectural beauty, but the basic needs of the population went in oblivion. I was reading an article somewhere that government of India had released a fund of Rs.24, 000 Crore to Uttar Pradesh for building highways and roads, which I am sure was well utilized to strengthen the elephants carrying flag of Sarvajan Samaj. This was quite evident during my last visit to the state when I took a road journey from Varanasi to Lucknow. Such was the condition of road that I had to send my car service station immediately after reaching Lucknow, then learnt that the road hadn’t seen any maintenance work in the last 5 years. If highways are like overturned plate of spaghetti then you can guess the infrastructural situation in rest of the state.

Then came elections and Samajwadi Party posted a rumbling victory. It started being considered that this would bring some relief from Mayawati’s insane useless extravagant expenditures. Expectations grew to a new scale when young Akhilesh Yadav was declared as the youngest ever Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. People started talking high about him and his promises about criminal and corruption Free State. This fairy dream did not last long when more than 25 with criminal background found berth in a flock of close to 50 ministers in Akhilesh’s council. Commanding this shady lot is Raghuraj Pratap Singh (“Raja Bhaiya”) who has been given jail ministry. Probably this selection makes a sense to many that, who else could be a better candidate for this ministry than someone being frequent visitor to jail and booked under POTA once. A common man had started associating his dream of a progressing state when a young educated blood took command of the state but the dream took a nosedive at the very onset of the highly anticipated journey.

People started looking Akhilesh Yadav as a future beacon of developing India, but the thought of his long innings would cut short if doesn’t fix growing dissatisfaction early. It hasn’t been a month since the inception of this new government; the signs of discontent are obvious. We can only hope that things would start getting better from this point and new government would start cleaning the dirt of several decades. Government must try to understand that their thumping victory is not a matter of mere celebration and jubilation, it is a responsibility given by the people and trust shown by them. For longer innings, Akhilesh Yadav must understand that for next time he will have to win the trust. For mentally battered people in the state, it would be unwise to expect utopia out of the governance but what least can be done is to convert short term greed into long term greed. Eat little along with nurturing the state each time when you come to power than trying to finish everything in one go and then losing trust and next chance to return.

Build you career Akhilesh else like you rose, you will dissipate just as fast.

Darsh’s Mundan

24^th Feb 2012 was Darsh’s tonsuring (Mundan ceremony). We travelled to Vindhyachal, a very famous Hindu deity temple in the region situated 70 kilometers away from Varanasi. Vindhyachal, one of the ancient Shaktipeeths, is situated on the banks of river Ganga and surrounded by magnificence of nature.  Vindhyachal is a renowned religious city dedicated to goddess Vindhyavasini. The temple is a center of pilgrimage in the vicinity of Varanasi and MIrzapur. Almost everybody in our family for generations has been visiting the temple to mark important and auspicious events.

As per Hindu tradition, a child receives his/her first Mundan either the first year or third year of age. Being Darsh’s third year, his hairs had grown to a substantial length, making him look healthier than he actually was then. It was really a painful sight of his long hairs going away.

I will be honest to say that I have fairly no idea about this ritual that why is it considered so important. I probably may have to google to understand the rationale behind this custom. To me, more than a Mundan ceremony, it was like a family gathering. My parents and sister with her 2 years old kid came down to Varanasi at my uncle’s place. We were visiting Varanasi after 5 long years and happened to meet lot of relatives. Also this trip marked my first visit to my ancestor’s village after my wedding and this time with entire family. It was a real fun to spend great time with cousins after a long time.

After few weeks have passed since Darsh’s Mundan, we are now used to see him without hair, but hoping to see him with long hairs soon.