Childhood Dream

As a youngster I remember that most of my friends wanted to be doctors, engineers or cricketers. I had a different wish inside me. Ever since I was in my primary school I wanted to join the Indian Army. I don't remember how I got that dream all of a sudden inside me. Perhaps it was Sunny Deol's 'Border' where he played the role of Major Chyanpuri that motivated me towards Army. I was determined to join the defence. My parents and family was astonished at this wish since no male member of our clan had ever been in any service. I am born in a business blood clan. I got family support.

I was always a fatso kid. Good food and laziness were the best words to define. Things changed a little after high school. I wasn't the same lazy bum as always. I was all focused into National Defence Academy (NDA). Those days I used to sleep less, around four and half hours every night. I woke up exactly at 5 AM and started to run in the Kamakhya temple hills with Kunal. Kunal was focused to lose some pounds from his belly as an act to mark his health consciousness. The first few days of running in the hills was really tiresome. I would stop on the view point that was on the hill top at Bhubansehwari and ask myself,

Is it really necessary?

I thought for alternatives but the zeal inside me wouldn't allow me to do so. I kept running every morning and gym every evening. I lost around 17 Kilos in around 45 days. I wasn't even happy at that. At that moment the only thing that probably could bring me happiness was the selection news from NDA. I wanted to stay awake and guard the frontiers when the entire nation would be asleep. I wanted to fight the enemies and die with the glory of the Tricolour on my corpse.

I wrote the exam. The results disappointed me. I was a loser. My dad acted as the best support then. His words were really supporting and has motivated me to another dream that is not much different from the broken dream. I still remember what he said me (although his words to me were in the vernacular, I would try my best to translate).

Dad - "I believe your desire to join the Army is just because you want to contribute to the society and bring some glory for your motherland? If this is what you desire than being in the Army isn't mandatory at all. You can do everything for your motherland even if you aren't in the army.  Do anything and everything for the society. Live for the society and lend your hand to every person who you believe needs your help. Work hard and earn a lot so that you can help contribute towards philanthropy. Even if you won't be able to guard the frontiers you would be doing something for the nation."

Whatever dad said me that day wasn't wrong at all. I believe that whatever I have been doing today doesn't drive me apart from that childhood dream. I am determined and shall walk on the path of philanthropy until every fellow Indian gets his honor of bread, shelter and cloth.

Am I rich enough??

Am I rich enough??

I am rich but I yearn for more.

The richness parameter of my life is being defined by my ability to let others live. The interpretation of the word 'Rich' for me is that I want to buy a bread to everyone who is famished and  not to treat myself with cozy buffets; to get a blanket for everyone who is sleeping on the street and not to enjoy a holiday in Switzerland; to gift freedom to every prisoner who is debarred from his freedom just because he couldn't afford the petty amount of fine; to nurture those child who are exempted from parental love. My richness parameter is well defined by my ability to be Salman Khan, my idol.

The richness parameter of my life is also being defined by victory. The feeling of richness is also by accomplishments. I felt rich the day I cracked 98 percentile in the MBA entrance.

I feel rich the moment when I am sitting sad and my best friend silently sits beside me because that's the best I have ever earned. 

I feel rich the moment when she appreciated my writings and said, "Your writing's define me."

I feel rich every time I realize that I am the reason behind my parent's happiness.


Submitted for Indispire.

Victory

Victory I do yearn,

 but pain I hate,

I choose to fight,

cry in another heart.

The Girl Child

In India a parent would save money to spend on his daughter's wedding rather than spending it for her education, where the girl child is taught to obey and serve man under their dominion, where she is expected to sacrifice everything for the family's sake and where she is expected to confine to homely chores.

With this mentality at the back of our brain and then we worship at least a dozen of Lady Goddess. Isn't it ironical??

We are drawing the gender difference line right from the childhood and are upbringing the girl child with an inferiority complex. After such a flaw-filled mentality, we wonder why is the crime against women increasing??

The answer to all questions relating to crime against women has the root result as our mentality. 

As the girl child is in the womb she has to fight foeticide, as she is growing up she has to fight infanticide, as she is in the adolescence stage she has to fight the eve teasers look and manage to stay bold and as she gets married she is expected to meet the In-Laws expectations. The change in such a mentality is an urgent need.

What should be done to bring the change??

• We mustn't set limits for the girl child. We must let the girl child be independent.
• We must eliminate dowry.
• We must stop blaming women's clothing as the reason for eve-teasing and rape. The only reason for rape is a psychic mentality.
• The shouldn't be any alternative to rape other than capital punishment.
• No separate Juvenile laws for rape. In Dec 16 Nirbhaya Rape Case the key accused being a juvenile escapes. He escapes after three years and he will rape again He should have been given the capital punishment the very next day his involvement was proved.
• We as boys and men, must know how to respect women. If anybody is found humiliating a women's self respect we must stand and fight. Fighting against such social evils isn't a crime at all.

I would like to share an incident which clearly tells what an Woman's esteem is and how we should really act when the hour is there to stand up for an Woman's right.

Bishnu Shrestha, who had just retired from the Indian army where he served as a Gorkha soldier, held off a horde of robbers that tried to rob a train in India. From the article on Republica: 

“The band of about 40 robbers, some of whom were travelling as passengers, stopped the train in the Chittaranjan jungles in West Bengal around midnight." Shrestha– who had boarded the train at Ranchi in Jharkhand, the place of his posting–was in seat no. 47 in coach AC3. 

“They started snatching jewelry, cell phones, cash, laptops and other belongings from the passengers,” Shrestha recalled. The soldier had somehow remained a silent spectator amidst the melee, but not for long. He had had enough when the robbers stripped an 18-year-old girl sitting next to him and tried to rape her right in front of her parents. He then took out his khukuri and took on the robbers. 

“The girl cried for help, saying ´You are a soldier, please save a sister´,” Shrestha recalled. “I prevented her from being raped, thinking of her as my own sister,” he added. He took one of the robbers under control and then started to attack the others. He said the rest of the robbers fled after he killed three of them with his khukuri and injured eight others…“Fighting the enemy in battle is my duty as a soldier; taking on the dacoits in the train was my duty as a human being,” said the Indian army nayak.

5 places I wish to visit

I don't want to settle in any narrow corner of the world and get confined to any territory. I want to travel the entire world.

Before I step ahead and travel the entire world, I am much eager to explore the place from where I belong - North-East India.

I am born in midst of extreme natural beauty. Greenery, Wildlife, Snow and overflowing rivers are the sites that I have always wanted to dwell across ever since a child. Five places I would like to explore as an amateur traveler are -

1. Sivasagar

Sivasagar is town located in Upper Assam, 360 Kilometers from Guwahati. Sivasagar was previously the capital of Ahom Kingdom. It is the home to many ancient heritages.

Devidol is the temple of Hindu Goddess Durga that has been standing tall for three centuries. The architecture speaks all about the Golden days of Assam History.

Sivadol is one of the tallest Shiva temple of the world. It was built about three centuries back. The center of attraction there mainly is the gigantic architecture and religious values. It has three temples built on the bank of Sivasagar Tank. All the three were built by Queen Ambika, wife of King Shiva Singha.

Kareng Ghar is a four storied building and arranged in gradually receding towers of which only two can be seen.The top floor has a dome like roof with a chamber. The groud floor has three west facing halls with a front and rear chamber. The palace is well secured by digging canals around the place and then building fort like walls around it.

Ranghar is a double storied royal pavilion of Ahom Kings with unique architectural features. It ias an unique amphitheater built by the Ahom Kings, which symbolizes the pride of Ahom Kingdom. It resembles the Roman Colosseum in the fact that Ahom Kings used this as a platform of enjoying sports.  

2. Teesta & Rangit River

The nearest town to access there two rivers is Kalimpong. White Water rafting has been one of my childhood wishes. Rivers for ages have been the arteries of communication and culture, today can be explored for sports and recreation. The spells of swift, intense encounters with foaming, roaring waters are punctuated by many more longer periods of gentle floating with opportunities to observe natural wonders along continuously varying canvas of the river banks. 

3. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam is one of the biodiversity hot spot. The scenic beauty includes a range of forested hills, alluvial grasslands and tropical evergreen forests. The site provides critical and viable habitat for rare and endangered species including tiger, greater one-horned rhino, swamp deer, pygmy hog, and Bengal florican. Manas has exceptional importance with the Indian sub-continents protected areas, as one of the most significant remaining natural areas in the region, where size able populations of large number of threatened species continue to survive.

4. Hornbill Festival

Hornbill festival is celebrated every year in between 1st to 10th December in Naga Heritage Village, Kisama which is around 12 Kms from Kohima. The festival shows a melange of cultural display under one roof. All the tribes of Nagaland take part in this festival. The festival aims to protect the rich and varied culture of the state. The week long festival unites one and all in Nagaland and people enjoy the colorful performances, crafts, sports, food, games and ceremonies. Traditional arts include paintings, wood carvings and sculptures. Festival highlights include traditional Naga Morungs Exhibition and sale of arts and crafts, food stalls, Herbal Medicine stalls, flower shows and sales, Cultural Medley - songs and dances, fashion shows, Beauty Contest, Traditional Archery, Naga Wrestling, Indigenous games and musical concert.  

5. Mawlynnong Village

Mawlynnong Village in East Khasi Hills, also referred to as 'Gods Own Garden' , has won the acclaim of being the cleanest village in Asia in 2003. Mawlynnong is located 90 Kms from Shillong and 92 Kms from Cherapunjee. The onus to keep the village clean lies with every person residing in the village. Local cleaning the roads, picking up leaves and throwing garbage in the bin is a common sight. Bamboo garbage bins adorn every nook and corner of the village highlight the consciousness of cleanliness among the villagers. Cleanliness is an old tradition and a way of life for all villagers. The village gives an experience of walking on a live root bridge, 85 feet tall sky walk and a breath taking view of Bangladesh Border. Suprisingly the village has 100 percent literacy rate.

This is a post for Indispire Edition - 8 of Indiblogger. 

I submit this post today on the day of Assamese New Year.  

Road to Home

There’s this road, and it still goes,

No it’s not shortcut to home,

Every milestone that pass, and I see,

It’s less of a road but a sea,

Endless it seems the journey is gonna be,

And the journey goes, Endless is this road,

Obviously better than the cave that has no doors,

There’s this desire to be home soon,

But no shortcut that I’ve known.

A road takes you to the destination,

That’s a hoax or a paradox,

Cause this road doesn’t seem to end so soon.

Every milestone that we left behind,

Brings a step closer, as goes the belief.

But I have left a few thousands of them,

Yet I haven’t realized my destination.

Similar now its seems all directions,

I travelled too far all way,

Is my home so far away?

There’s this road, and it still goes,

No it’s not shortcut to home..

N.B :- The poem first submitted under my pen for the fourth issue of Guwahatian - An E Magazine from Guwahati.