WHY HOPE?

There is the story of a doctor having told a patient that he had tried everything to save the patient and had finally come to the conclusion that nothing would work at that hopeless stage. “Is there anything that you would want to do before you die?” the doctor asked. Even though the patient was feeble and despondent, his response was prompt, “Yes, I would like to see another doctor.” Truly, life exists for us as long as hope exists. Robert Browning, the great poet of hope and optimism, in his poignant poem titled ‘Evelyn Hope’, had this to say at her death:

“So hush, I’ll give you this leaf to keep,
See, I put it in the cold white hand.
Now there is our secret that goes to sleep;
You will wake up and remember and understand!”

We may not be aware but a considerable part of our day is taken up with hopes. These are routine hopes. Small or big but they keep us going. Here are a few examples:

• We hope that the number that we have dialed, especially if it is that of Railway or Airport Enquiry would not be engaged.
• We hope that the milkman or the maidservant won’t be sick the next morning.
• We hope that Indian and especially Mumbai roads would improve.
• We hope that there won’t be a wedding party in the club next door so that children could study.
• We hope that finally after finishing the work around the house when we step into the bathroom the water won’t play truant.
• We hope that no one would ring the doorbell when we watch our favourite TV programme.
  We hope that the boss in office won’t think of another new and bright idea.
• We hope that when finally we get our turn, the doctor won’t be called for “something important”.
• We hope that sanity would somehow return to Pakistan.
• We hope that finally we would be able to repay the house loan so that we can start calling it ‘Apna Ghar’.
• We hope that the next Hindi movie that we watch would have a different story.
• We hope that one day the duration of TV programmes would be more than that of the advertisements.
• We hope that our politicians, bureaucrats, and police personnel would understand the true meaning of the term 'public servant'.
• We hope that the noise during the forthcoming festival season would be restricted and public places such as roads would be free for the use for which they are made.

There is no end to it. We hope and hope and hope. Sometimes, some of our hopes come true directly or indirectly and make us happy. However, always it is worth hoping for. Our son, for example, is a die-hard Indian cricket team fan. They can be 143 for 6, requiring another two hundred runs to win but he still hopes that they would win. Once he was proved right, the night when even Kaif’s parents went to see ‘Devdas’ rather than be witness to sure ignominy. Since then, it is not he but we who hope. We hope that there won’t be another ODI during the exams!

Hope is like sunshine through the clouds. It is like raindrops on parched land. Hope is a lighthouse by which we steer our ship in troubled waters. However, hopes transcend the boundaries of mere wants and desires when we do so selflessly. Supposing all people on earth would hope that poverty, hunger and violence would be wiped out forever; do you think they would stay? Supposing some of us would hope to see the smile on the face of a child who lost his parents in bomb blasts, do you think it would never come back? How wonderful the world would be if each of us would hope for something for others at least once in a month!

The other day I was reading about Mata Amritanandamayyi. Why would everyone, from famous to rich, from poor to hungry, from strong to helpless come to see her or be hugged by her? She hopes for others and provides them with a ray of hope.

Yes, it is alright to hope for promotion, for a better house, for a gift or reward, for a holiday and more pay. It is even okay to hope for “zara si lift kara de.” However, once in a while one must hope something for others.

"Lead kindly light,
Keep thou my feet.
I don’t want to see
The distant scene;
One step enough for me."

In a small village called Ayikuddy near Tirunelvelli, my wife and I went to see a polio rehabilitation centre called ‘Amar Seva Sangam’ and discovered the very embodiment of Hope. The President and all staff of the centre are invalid. The President, Mr Ramakrishnan, is so paralytic that he requires help to even turn in bed. His condition became so when he had an accident many years ago at the time when he was about to join the Navy as a commissioned officer. Yet when we saw him he had the most beatific smile on his face. He runs a centre that provides succour to other polio stricken children. In his hopeless situation he provides hope to hundreds of young boys and girls! After that whenever our own situation is unfavourable, our faces light up when we think of him.

Hope never dies. Next only to Life, it is the second greatest gift of God to us. Why hope? Hope, so as to live better and make others live better. Some four letter words are not bad at all!

TRIP TO SHAHDOL AND JABALPUR IN MADHYA PRADESH

Photo essay of my visit to Shahdol (Suhagpur) and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh where my company, Reliance, has Coal Bed Methane gas-wells over an area of 1000 sq km. Hence, I had to visit remote villages, forests and fields.

Two boys washing their bicycle in a pond. Easy availability of water during the monsoons has led to greenery everywhere (Photo taken from train near Annupur, 30 mins short of Shadol

A view of National Highway 78. It must look good on the map! This was a good stretch; you should see the bad stretches. PM Rajiv Gandhi once said only 23 paise out of one rupee actually reaches the roads; rest gets pocketed. The present estimate is less than 23 paise.

As compared to Punjab, Haryana, HP, wayside dhabas are rare. Indeed, from Shahdol to Jabalpur there are hardly any eating joints.

Large tracts of fertile land with no cultivation. The cattle feed on wild grass and bushes

Wilderness!


We actually drove through this pond!


A security post in the middle of nowhere!


Most villages we saw had water, electricity, SBI and BSNL connection


A Mahua Tree. Its fruit is intoxicating and is used for making local brew by the same name. The left dry side of the tree is where lightening fell just a day prior to my visit killing four cows on the spot.

Closer look at the verdant Mahua tree.


We went through some really thick vegetation. It was scary due to palpable fear of Naxalites but the DC and SP of the area told me later that the area is "relatively safe"


Ballu Yadav, my driver, all of twenty, started driving at the age of 17 years. He could handle this Bolero with skill even in the tough terrain and I felt totally safe with him.


Sone river in full spate because of incessant rains. This part of MP has plenty of water.



With all the progress it is still bare minimum amenities in the villages. Ballu told me that a girl child gets a lot of incentives through 'Laadli Lakshmi' scheme and even the Adivasis get monetary remuneration on filing complaints against harrassment.

Highway? No place for another vehicle to cross. It must look good as a thick line on a map! Anyway, this is the heart of coal mines, illegal smuggling of coal etc. I met one such Don who was attired as a Swami but rolls in money and power due to coal smuggling.


Are we not lucky we have highways (!) running through the length and breadth of our country?

At some places in East Suhagpur the highway was in good state.



Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna also seems to have made huge difference.


At many places under the Yojana concretisation of roads has been done.

Viraat temple in Shahdol; built in the year 1759. A few years later, due to earthquake one portion of the temple sank into the earth. What stands now is leaning like the tower in Pisa. It is a Shiva temple; people refer to it as Teda Mandir

A view of the Bhedaghat waterfall near Jabalpur. The Narmada river falls with such velocity that it makes water vapour to rise. Hence, it is named Dhuandaar at this stage

A breathtaking view of the Dhuandaar.

A cable car is a great attraction for the tourists and goes over the falls.

The river is lined by marble rocks on both sides. These are looking dirty due to the rains, but, at other times I am told that the marble is so white that it shines enchantingly in moonlight

Downstream, the river settles into a more placid one allowing boating to take place except during monsoons.

f For Freedom

She was a model
A model of haute couture.
So high that it was designed directly by God.
Pot-bellied men and voluptuous women
Sat awaiting the next item.
And then, she walked along the catwalk
Not flaunting but apologetic
Of her near nudity.
Tattered clothes barely covering her.
A young body, all of fifteeen years.
A small child
In the crook of her left arm,
Held as a prize, a memento for
The depravity and avarice of men
A wonderful fashion statement!

She looked straight ahead
At the pole bearing the tri-colour,
A remarkable symbol of
Sixty-three years of independence.
A sign of our freedom.
Freedom from what?
Well, never mind, freedom,
F-R-E-E-D-O-M and Independence.

She walked right up to the tiranga
And tugged at the rope
And brought down the flag
And wrapped it around her and the child.

And then for the final denouement
She brought out a bowl
And held it out
From beneath the Ashoka Chakra
To the guardians of fashion;
"f”, she said, “Always stood for food”.

footnote: Lets not forget it when we celebrate our Independence Day yet again.