The Cobra Effect

The cobra effect
There were too many cobras in Delhi during colonial India. A cash bounty was offered for every cobra  skin.  It started cobra farming to claim the bounty. When it was withdrawn, cobra farmers set their snakes free.
As Mark Twain said, "the best way to increase wolves in America, rabbits in Australia and snakes in India is to pay a bounty on their scalps "

The least number of FIRs in a Thana area were rewarded for improved law and order situation. So the policemen refused to register the FIRs  and thus claimed the reward.

Management wanted to improve productivity and introduced free breakfast so that workers would come on time. They did come on time but productivity declined.

Free lunch improved attendances in schools but the staff turned into babysitters. Nearby residents in jhuggi clusters sent their children. It served them well, free lunch and free babysitting.

People are smarter than the policy makers think.

Time to say goodbye

This kid of four asks his grandpa - stop worrying that old people were not always old. 

Geandpa- I was not akways old. I used to be young just like you and someday you too will become old man like me. 

Geandson -good, we can share clothes then. 

As a child it never came to our mind that someday we will also become old and die like people around us. 

Point is at what age do we realise that someday we will also become old and die. 
Prince Siddharth realised it at the age of 25 or so by which time he had  wife and a son named Rahul. 

Many took to Sanyasa at very young age. Many  took to renunciation very late in life. A great majority do not think on this line till their retirement from  active life. A few are ever too young  and never think that they are old and shall die one day, not at least in the open. They keep a brave face till the end.
The 
Our scriptures have divided life in four
Ashramas-  Brahmcharya (syudent), Grihastha (householder),  Vanprastha(retired)and Sanyasa ( renunciation)  from birth to 25 years, 26 to 50 years, 51 to 75 years and after 75 years respectively. That was then. Considering time needed for employable education, late marriages, late children and late freedom from family obligations, suitable amendments may be in order. That will leave less or no years for Sanyasa but can't be helped.

When is time to say goodbye to childhood (some people never grow),  goodbye to adulthood (some get old too early in life because of responsibilitues), goodbye to old age (which is also called - return of childhood and as Gulzar says -take my childhood but not my childishness) and goodbye to life which in any case is not in our hands?????

Religiously Yours

Religiously yours 

It is rare that I attend any religious gathering that goes by the name of Satsang. And I will tell you why. It is not to do with the huge crowd or the distance between me and the  Godman. It is not to do with the chadhawa (donation) they expect. 

I have my fair share of Satsang at home or in the homes of friends and relatives when Santhi Path or Satyanarayan Katha is organised. We still invite the Pujariji though there is the option   of playing a CD. 

Here is how it goes. The Pujari keeps himself busy performing the rituals and chanting slokas from the scriptures that are badly pronounced. Then he goes with the ritual of  narrating stories. All this time while I  keep mumbling with him or trying to be attentive, but my mind keeps wavering to and fro like the pending work to be attended, calls to be made, who is doing what and so on. I try to justify this wavering by convincing myself that there is nothing new, same stories that get repeated on every such occasion. The worse is when we are told if we do not do this or that we will be punished.

After the Puja is over, the eagerness to fill the food plates before others do it, the meaningless  words of praise of each others' presence, complimenting each other on the fine clothing and accessories, jewllerie, and finally saying good bye not forgetting to appreciate Pujariji in person for his wonderful recitation of slokas and conducting puja. 

The large gathering are more complicated. Preparations have to be made to reach in time, occupy seats close  to the Dias. Then the rush to grab the prasadam. Lots of distractions. And not forgetting the hassle of returning home. All this and the wavering mind makes it an exercise into futility. I would still take the risk but I know I  will not put into practice what was preached. No one will. Not even the preacher. What is the use if we have to behave the way we are. 

My doubts are further get strong by the fact that nothing much has changed because of and in spite of the past and present preachers. On the contrary, human values have gone down. 

This has been confirmed by the heads of Gita Press at Gorakhpur, home of UP CM Yogi,  publishing religious books for the last 90 years, that includes multilingual Kalyan Magazine.
  

Man descended from monkeys

All men descended from monkeys.

I am not saying it. It was told by Charles Darwin(1809-1882) long long back in his "On the Origin of Species". To be honest I have not read it. Any bulky book except Ramayana and Mahabharata scares me.

I am sure he must have mentioned somewhere in the book that though intellegent,  monkeys are  imitative. Remember the story of handing over shaving razor to the monkey? Imitating  is aping and monkeys are apes for good.

During the process of evolution, men learnt a lot including  walking on two feet with straight back but somehow remained embedded in aping that is imitating.

If we look around us, we find this nature of our imitative culture everywhere. Our way of living, way of thinking and even the way we want to die-all are influenced by what others do, not what is good for us. Since we are litter better off than our ancestors, we do it on larger scale - Larger bungalows, larger cars, larger wedding pandals, larger gatherings. You know what I am saying.

The lively example is found in political rallies. The loud echo  of Jindabad! or Murdabad! we here on the streets is the fine example of our imitative nature. The slogan mongers do not even know what it means or why it is being done. They have been asked to imitate the voice of the leaders. I asked one such fellow and his answer was 'who cares' ?. True, who cares.

पेट से दिल तक

सदियों पुरानी कहावत - पेट से दिल तक

पुरानी कहावत है कि मर्द के दिल तक जाने का रास्ता उसके पेट से होकर जाता है। मर्द के ही क्यों ? किसी के भी दिल तक जाने का रास्ता उसके पेट से ही होकर जाता है। ज़रूरत है खाना भरपेट हो और स्वादिष्ट हो तो क्या कहने। आदमी को पालतू बनने मे कितनी देर लगती है। अगर इससे भी काम न बने तो डर पैदा करो।

सबसे सामान्य पालतू जानवर कुत्ता है। पहले जंगलों मे रहता था । पेट भरने के लिये शिकार करना पड़ता या फिर जूठनसे काम चलाना पड़ता। मेहनत रास नही आई तो बस्तियों मे डोलने लगा। आदमी को तो ग़ुलाम बनाने का शौक़ था ही। समझता था कि, हड्डी डाल दो, ग़ुलाम बन जायेगा। फिर चाहे कुछ भी करवा लो। इशारों पर नाचने लगेगा। डाँटने पर पूँछ हिलायेगा। अजनबियों पर गुर्रायेगा, भौंकेगा । घर का काम भी कर देगा । गेट पर जाकर पेपर ले आयेगा । बच्चों का मन बहला देगा, बेबी सेटिंग कर देगा। घर की चौकीदारी करेगा। मन, कर्म और बचन से आपका होकर रह जायेगा। बस मालिक दो वक़्त का खाना दे दो और बीच बीच मे थोड़ा सा पुचकार दो। न हो तो डरा दो।

अब घोड़े को ले लो। क्या कमी थी जंगल मे? मस्त ज़िंदगी, भरपूर घास । पर बहकावे मे आ गया । पहले कुछ ना नुकर की पर फिर मान गया। चनों का स्वाद जो ज़ुबान पर लग गया। ग़ुलाम बन कर रह गया। गाड़ी खींचता है, बोझा ढोता है। रेस मे मालिक को जिताता है । लड़ाई के मैदान मे करतब दिखाता है । सज धज कर मालिक की सवारी बनता है। कभी कभी बड़े बड़े साहब लोगों की शान भी बनता है। बस मालिक वही स्वादिष्ट चने डाल दो और थोड़ा सा सहला दो। न हो तो चाबुक तो है ही।

इसी तरह के बहुत सारे पालतू जानदार हैं। यहाँ तक कि शेर और हाथी भी। सब मे एक बात समान है। उनसे बफादारी की उम्मीद तभी की जा सकती है जब तक उनके पेट की ज़िम्मेदारी आपकी है। दूसरे माने मे उनके दिल तक जाने का रास्ता उनके पेट से होकर जाता है । एक बार पकड़ मे आ गये तो डंडा ही काफ़ी है। उपरोक्त कहावत यही साबित करती है।

इंसान भी पहले जंगलों मे ही रहता था। शिकार करके अपना और परिवार का पेट पालता। फिर खेती करना सीखा। पर दाँव कुछ ऐसा पड़ा कि किसान से बँधवा मज़दूर या  मिल मज़दूर बन गया। और एक दिन वह भी आया जब मज़दूर भी नही रहा, बेकार हो गया। ज़मीन तो पहले ही जा चुकी थी, अब चाकरी भी गई। जो चालाक थे मालिक बन गये बाकी मजबूर होकर उनके आश्रित हो गये। मलिकों को जानवरों को पालतू बनाने का अनुभव तो था ही। आदमी को पालतू बनाना कोई मुश्किल काम नही था। उनके सामने चारा डालता रहा और तालियाँ बजवाता रहा। बीच बीच मे डर तो है ही। पेट और डर के सामने किस की चलती है। इतना ध्यान ज़रूर रखा कि भरपेट खाना कभी मत दो, वरना अधिकार समझने लगेगा। आधा पेट आदमी ज़्यादा डरता है।

यह परंपरा चली आ रही है और चलती रहेगी। मालिक वादे तो बहुत करता है पर होता कुछ नही। बीच बीच मे स्वाद बदलने के लिये मीठे के रूप मे बीपीएल, मनरेगा, मुफ़्त का गैस का चूल्हा, टी वी, जैसी आइसक्रीम खिला देता है। आदमी सोचता है बस अच्छेदिन आने ही वाले हैं। दिल ही तो है, पसीज जाता है। मालिक के गुणगान करने लगता है। डरता है कुछ कहा तो यह भी नही मिलेगा।

सदियों की गुलामी आदत बन जाती है। पहले राजा रजवाड़ों के ग़ुलाम रहे, फिर मुग़लों के, फिर अंग्रेज़ों के और अब अपनो के। अपने इस लिये कि हमने ही उनको राजा चुना है। और चारा भी क्या था।