They say it!

 The GenZ Movement! Incidentally, GenZ refers to those born in the 1997 to 2012 period, while Abhijeet Dipke was born on September 29, 1995. In other words, the founder -- surely you cannot accord/grant the paternity to the great judge, it better suits Dipke-ji, right? Now, please, in the right urgent spirit of the protesters, do not ask me who is the mother, okay!?! -- is himself NOT a GenZ! 

That interesting the movement is! Yet I must say that I absolutely adore it for one major reason. Well, it has introduced me to simply superb Youtubers. To be very honest, I am not a lot in to the typical social media obsessions. I am not on insta. I visit my fb account once a while. I often use YouTube videos, too, as a source of information and/or appreciation/understanding of arts, both of the plastic and performing varieties.

Hence such a find was a wonder. In Marathi, we have Dr. Uday Nirgudkar, Sachin Patil, Shrikant Umrikar, Sushil Kulkarni, Prabhakar Suryavanshi, Anay Joglekar, and Bhau Torsekar. Let us not get in to the debates by the obviously pro/anti types such as Sharad Ponkshe, Raju Parulekar, Niranjan Takle, and others of their ilk as their discussions reflect much too much of the sound and fury partisanship. 

Actually, it was the wealth of Hindi Youtubers that was truly the most pleasant surprise. Abhishek Tiwary, Karan Verma, Sushant Sinha, Neeraj Atri, and regular platforms such as the Jaipur dialogues, for instance! There are women contributors such as Gayatri Devi, Mamata Painuli, and many others! 

What l appreciate about all such socio-cultural-economic-political commentators is their commitment, their passion, and their sincerity. They are exceptionally close to ground realities which they understand and unravel in utmost complexity. 

Their communication is worth a listen n learn, too. It is direct, forthright, genuine, yet never ever vulgar. They call a spade a spade. They use very simple language which seems to win them lakhs of subscribers and views by tons. Equally good is their enunciation. 

In brief, getting to meet these marvels online was a wholesome way of getting to know the Jantar Mantar events in a multifarious way, and I am absolutely thankful for the feel. Hence our title which is a word play on the legend of the great R.K.Laxman cartoons. 

Pratima@ When it comes to more scholarly analyses with academic type of strength, you literally have a wealth of content. Beginning with J.Sai Deepak, Dr. Ranganathan, the list is ever expanding indeed. The time spent listening to/watching such youtube videos is absolutely enriching.                                                          Thought provoking are the feeds by Shashi Tharoor. Extremely interesting are certain anchors and journalists from the mainstream media, especially English and Hindi.  Much to learn indirectly about content creation from such Dronacharya's!!! 

Quote of the day:                                                             "Create (content) because it's fun. Create because it helps people. Create like nobody's watching." Yes, Matt D'Avella! 

Word, rather, term of the day: content creation                                                                         Content creation is the process of gathering information/ideas, making digital media, and consistently sharing it to educate, entertain, or connect with an audience, prefarably niche. 

Soupçon III.vii

                              Soupçon III                                                        In Memoriam Series.                                                      III.vii

The Fourth and final book of "Gulliver's Travels" is the most famous. So trenchant is the satire in this part of the book that Swift has been criticised as a misanthrope. Here we are in the country of the Houyhnhnms. Unique are the Yahoos, a 'strange sort of animal' according to Swift. 

Soupçon, III.vi

                           Soupçon III                                                        In Memoriam Series.                                                           III.vi

The Third Book of "Gulliver's Travels" has eleven chapters. This voyage takes him to very many places such as Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubrib, , and even Japan. Though this part of the novel is not as famous as the Lilliput adventure, the satire here is truly trenchant. 

Geet Sunharen

"Anand kabhi marte nahin" is one of the most favourite n famous one-liners from Hindi films. Ironically, however, the lyricist of that tear-jerker, who was a favourite of the likes of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee, died unsung, without many (t)ears mourning his loss. 

Yes, Yogesh Gaur, mostly known as Yogesh, is one of the finest lyricists, especially of the turbulent seventies, when the romance n gentleness of the Rajesh Khanna type of character was giving way to the 'angry young man' of the Amitabh Bachchan persona. 

After a tough struggle, Yogesh's career as a lyricist flourished in times when movie songs were getting the folksy feel of the "yaari hai iman mera" or "khay ke pan Banaras wala". Yet he penned beauties such as " kahin dur jab din dhal Jaye" or "zindagi kaise hai paheli." Such songs from "Anand" (1971) were followed by  "Rajanigandha" (1974), "Mili"(1975) and "Choti si baat" (1977), for instance.

Oh, yes, whether it is pouring or whether it is the summer at its sunniest, you have to just listen to " rim zim kare sawan", and that very second, the monsoon mood sets in. Such is the magic of his lyrics.

His sensitive lines capture in simple words deep feelings. Lucky he was to get masterful music directors and superb singers as well as brilliant actors who lip-synced his verses on the screen. No wonder, even in the post GenZ jamana, his lyrics allure one n all. Yet, very few remember the lyricist. Well, such are the riddles, tough to unravel, that life tosses at one n all. 

Yet in the world today, where attention span is at its lowest, when a new sensation emerges every sixty seconds, when there is a breaking news every half hour, on the air float the 'hai tum yaad muzhe/gane lagi har dhadkan' or 'rajni gandha phool tumhare' and the ambiance is as fragrant as a bouquet of tuberoses. Indeed no "choti choti si baat"!

Pratima@Forgetting, especially those who are excellent but silent, is the way of the world. Some proof would be the Kargil Day getting lost to that entire shenanigans, quite often tomfoolery, if the 'celebration' is any proof, called the GenZ protest, politically highjacked finally! 

Quote of the day:                                                              Says Robert Frost, "Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words".

Word of the day: Shenanigans                                    The word means either silly, high-spirited behavior or harmless pranks, and dishonest trickery. 

Nary a narrative!

 Once upon a time, there was a beautiful pond. Peaceful it was, too. Most all frogs lived there rather comfortably. Not that there were not any problems. In fact, there were many. Yet solutions were arrived at, often much debated, too. All loved such spirit of democracy.

The Frog Chief was much admired, despite the detractors and their grudges. That, too, was the feel of democracy. The Opposition demurred, as was its wont. Despite all sorts of trials and tribulations, accusations and adulations, life was what it could be, given the times. 

Suddenly, there was much turbulence, deep n wide, in the pond. A group of frogs, who called themselves the "Scuttling Society", created a huge uproar. The moss in one corner was not cleaned properly, they croaked.

'But it was,' many pointed out. In fact, 'twice it was cleared, and much much more efficiently the second time,' some said. A furore erupted. The SS Frogs, no, no, Dear Child, do not fear. No reference here to Hitler, Dear. SS simply means the 'Scuttling Society', okay, Baby?

So the SS said, 'Clean it up right NOW, and as we want it.' The Frog Chief ignored the 'grau-grau.' Now, who said, 'growl, growl'? Nope, I did not! The SS enjoyed all sorts of support, from many a corner of the moss, from here n there, from ponds near n far.

The SS loved the sudden solace of attention. They revelled in the sound and the fury of the admiring bog. Signified it everything to them. '"Clean up, right away or we jump out. If we lose our lives thus, remember, all would label you a dictator." 

The Frog Chief did ignore, but not for long. Thus began the clean-up. Heads rolled, snakes surrounding the pond revelled in this ready-made n fast food. When all seemed cleaned up n quiet on all the fronts, loudly echoed from the cleared corner, 'Hey, Chief, next it is your turn'!

Pratima@ The moral of the story is rather plain. Now do not complain because the tale carries a disclaimer which reads as "if this story reminds you of certain current events, it is your imagination." Well, I was just re-telling Aesop's famous fable!

Quote of the day:                                                                    "The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end," mused Leon Trotsky. 

The word if the day: Fable                                                Fables are short stories using animals, plants, or objects with human traits. They always end with a clear moral or life lesson.

The Pandharpur Puja

 Shesh-shayani Ashadhi Ekadashi is a day, a date revered by most Maharashtrians. The formal government puja of the arch deity of Maharashtra, Vithoba, is performed by the Chief Minister very early, in fact, in the very wee hours of  this morning. It is a beautiful, devotional and devoted ritual. 

To me, too, this puja matters a lot. Let me explain why. Aai was from Pandharpur. Naturally, Vithoba was very close to her heart. She studied, moreover, most sincerely and in great detail  Sant Dnyaneshwar's and Sant Tukaram's oeuvres. In fact, like her Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta course, these studies, too, fetched her laurels. 

In Marathi, there is a proverb which can be loosely translated as "when the cart moves, along with it rotates the axle of the wheel." That was me. Getting her books from the college library, listening to her analysis, arranging her discussions with her classmates, I garnered some star dust.

One of the rituals she loved about the wari was watching its televised coverage. From Day One in Alandi to all the "ringan"s, she watched each and every event. As the high point of the wari is Viththal Darshan, we used to watch the Ashadhi Ekadashi Mahapuja which would start at 2.30 a.m. 

I used to wake her up, and then till almost 4 a.m., she would be physically in Pune, but her mind would be in the Viththal Mandir in Pandharpur. Even after her sad demise, I have continued the practise as a tribute to her and her genuine devotion!

Pratima@ Now would begin the Chaturmas which both my parents observed, and in their footsteps, i follow it as a tribute to them.

Quote of the day:                                                            The following two quotes capture the essence of going on a pilgrimage. "We do not go on a pilgrimage to arrive. We go to be changed by the going," asserts Macrina Wiederkehr, while Phil Cousineau states, "Pilgrimage is the human need to put the body where the heart wants to go." 

Word of the day: devotion                                            Devotion means fervour, great love and piety, a state of mind shared by lakhs of warkaris, and for the last eight centuries.

Caring for One's Own Self

 Often a guilt trip is what many ride. Why is it so? That is because life long they are blamed for not caring enough for others, and instead prioritising self care.

Sure you should not ignore the welfare of others, especially those absolutely dependent on you, be it kid or the parent(s). It is the primal duty, to be performed most pleasantly, and with love.

Equally important it is to care for your own self. Such self care is not selfishness. If and only if you respect yourself truly, you can care for others, right?

Self care consists of a healthy body, a sensible mind full of sensitivity, an intelligent brain, a heart full of kindness, and a soul charged with imagination, integrity and contentment 

Currently, there are very many avenues available so as to acquire such a balanced selfhood. Mindfulness, with some sense of discipline and control over self, is the best route to follow during such a search for peaq\ce and contentment. 

Sure, currently, mindfulness is weaponised in to a billion-building bullying business which one follows to avoid mind games. Yet, we better remember, it is only when our mind is happy, fulfilled and quiet that we enter in to meaningful relationship with others, with the world, and with the self. Hence self help is indeed the best help!

Pratima@ In this self help week, time it is to initiate some hobby. Equally important it is to be financially absolutely independent. Oh, yes, better to remember that Satan prefers an idle mind!

Quote of the day:                                                            "Self-care is how you take your power back." Says Lalah Delia. 

Word of the day: Self-care                                                Self-care means taking active steps to protect your physical health, mental well-being, and emotional balance which arrives through physical rest, healthy eating, and setting clear personal boundaries.