कैसे कहुँ आज मैं, मेरा भारत महान

मेरा भारत महान ,
मेरा भारत महान ,
जो बोलते थकती नहीं ज़ुबान ,
क्या सच में हुआ उत्थान ,
या हुआ काग़जी काम ,
और कहते रह गए हम ,
मेरा भारत महान ,
मेरा भारत महान |

कैसे कहुँ आज मैं, मेरा भारत महान ,
हर चौराहें लुटा जहाँ, द्रौपदी का मान ,
हर कोई आज भी ,िहंदु या मुसलमान ,
ना मंिदरों का आदर , ना मस्िजदों की शान ,
हर गरीब के खून से बनते, बंगले आिलशान ,
राष्ट्रभाषी आज भी, कहलाता मूर्ख महान ,
धर्म, सत्य, अिहंसा, जहाँ सजातें िसर्फ िदवार ,
भगत, सुभाष भी पुजे जाते, साल में िसर्फ एक बार ,
सच्चाई जहाँ नत्मस्तक हो, लगाती िसर्फ गुहार ,
राम कैद पडे मंिदर में, रावण करते िवहार ,
कृष्ण वाणी सुननें को, कहाँ कर्मयोगी पार्थ ,
ना गुरू, ना िशष्य, बना िशक्षा एक व्यापार ,
कैसे कहुँ आज मैं, मेरा भारत महान ,
कैसे कहुँ आज मैं, मेरा भारत महान |

-- चेतन भादरीचा

LEAP BEYOND LEPROSY

My heart was still gripped in the thoughts of "Ashadhaan” when the “karmavataar” called me to see another face of reality. The destination this time was a Leprosy Hospital. More than the hospital, it was the location that was keeping me puzzled. The place was addressed, ‘Opposite to the back gate of VJTI’. I had spent four years of my life as an engineering student at VJTI. I knew every good restaurant and cinema house in its vicinity but was never aware of such a hospital until today. This thought pricked the innermost chord of my conscience which was castigating me trying to wake my humanity from its slumber.

Finally, I did manage to locate it and went in. It was in sharp contrast to the sophistications outside. It seemed like a small village contained in itself with all its serenity though there was an air of seriousness around having known that it was a Leprosy Hospital. As soon as I entered, I could see the “karmavataar” already there in his spotless white attire and a ‘forever’ young smile.

With everything ready, we started our journey to serve food to the 7 wards of the hospital with around 180 patients. As I was serving food, I noticed that almost all of the patients were elders discarded by their families. Every eye told me just one story. For them, more then the agony of dying is the fear of living. Though the want for food was always there, but the hunger for affection was far more. What they craved for was a gentle smile.

During my journey, I came across a person whose both legs had been consumed by the disease. I asked him, “Baba, for how long have you been here? Do you have no one?” With a crying voice he replied, “35 years”. He had not seen anything outside the confines of the hospital for the last 35 years, He had a family living in Nanded which visited him once a year. But the visit was always filled with complaints rather than affection. I could hear no more. He greeted me with a ‘crooked’ Namaskar as I bid adieu.

When everything was done, I could not help thinking the disparity in nature. For the first time, I started doubting the justice of “Law of Karma” (explained in Shrimad Bhagwad Gita). I tried a lot but was unable to forgive myself. I had always grumbled that I got too little for all the efforts that I had taken. For the first time, I realized how generous Lord had been to me. While these thoughts were still rolling, my eyes again fell on the “karmavataar”. Just then I remembered a small shloka(verse), I had read in a book by Sudha Murti,

“Shateshu Jayate shoor, sahastreshu panditaa,
Vaakta das sahastreshu, daata bhavati Va Na Va”
(A courageous person is one in a hundred, a scholar one in a thousand,
a good orator one in ten thousand, but a philanthropist may or may not be born.)

How true this ancient wisdom was in the current scenario. My thoughts started rolling again and I thought, ‘Just as we have broken our shackles from the so called “orthodoxy” in our lives, its time we do it once again and prove wrong the above 'shloka’

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Chetan Bhadricha

BORN ON PHOOL’S* DAY
(*PHOOL means a flower in many Indian Languages)

Or should I say “Reborn on phool’s day”. The wrinkles on his face are an outcome of the artistry fostered through an entire era of service. Every gray hair has been painted in the dye of experience. Short in height but insurmountable in stature, such is the appearance of a living legend called “Ramniklal Gosalia”, about whom a few but know. This Fool’s day he fooled destiny once more not through treachery but through service as he turned 80 years ‘young’.

April Fool’s day is a day to enjoy some practical joke on your friends and family and this young heart is no different. This ‘karmavataar’ has year after year fooled all his friends and near one’s shattering dreams of the lavish birthday parties, which have become synonymous with flirting and drinking and taken them for human service.

His destination for celebration is a bit different. It’s a small place called “Ashadhaan”, started by Mother Teresa. His birthday begins with a large family of more than 350 people encompassing everyone from abandoned and retarded children with innocent tears, withdrawn HIV patients to aged contemporaries who were once pillars of this strong building called ‘society’, but have now been deemed unfit to be there by its new custodians.

Fool’s day is the most awaited time of the year for these unfortunate ones, for its time to feast, its “Papaji’s” birthday. This day is no less than a Christmas or Diwali for these as he has been celebrating this way for decades. Even the gifts that he receives in return for his work are nothing less than priceless. The innocent smile on a child’s face with a mark of milk round his lips far surpasses the sophisticated laughter at the parties.

It was the day I realized the importance of good company. Tears rolled down my heart as a true hand of blessing touched my head. The sincerity of this blessing exceeded even those of from the greatest of sanyasis and yogis. It’s here that I realised what Shri Krishna meant when he said,

“Karmanye Vadhika raste, ma Phaleshu Kadachin” (Your duty is to do your work and not to worry of the outcome)

or what Jesus meant when he said,

“Not those who saith my name, Lord, Lord…. But those who worked to the will of my Father reacheth me.”

With a heavy heart, I left the most fabulous birthday party I had ever attended. Though there was a satisfaction for being part of a philanthropic cause, I was left thinking about it on my way home. I was thinking of the remaining 364 days at “Ashadhaan”. I thought don’t we have even 365 individuals in a city of lakhs, who would like to spend a day of their life with them. I have already found one, will try to be the second and I looking out for the remaining 363.

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Chetan Bhadricha