Beta maine Paan Khaya he...Kaha thuke?

“Jogeshwari?”

I took rickshaw from my clients office to home. Very rarely rickshawalas ready to come without any question or disguised face.

He didn’t ask and said "baitho…"

It was just few seconds, he ‘delivered’ a great spit of Pan on road…

It was enough big to cover substantial radius…

I said... (as I usual) “kyu raste pe thukte ho uncle…kyu rasta ganda karte ho…”

He didn’t respond…neither looked back…so rude!

Surprisingly after few minutes he did it again…

Without linking to previous one and taking on my ego…I asked him

same question…”Uncle aise raste pet thunkna acchi bat he kya?”

Now he turned back…generally people make ugly face to convey sorry…

I was expecting either same or an arrogant answer…

He asked interesting question… “beta maine pan khya he ..kaha thunku…?”

Question was rational!…obvious question came into my mind..phir pan kyu

khate ho…? I didn’t want to attack on Article 21 of Constitution…

So I asked..”pan khao..lekin kone me thuko...aise road kyu gande karte ho…”

He turned back and said…”waise aap ka kahna sahi he….!!! This was height…!

No rickshawala take me so seriously… (feel good)..lekin kya he na beta aadat

pad gayi he…

I realised this is one in blue moon…its really a great experience to talk

to rickshawalas during your journey…they are practical guys…they don’t live

on white colored philosophies and apparent show offs of cultures…

They live actual life…I could sense a great listening experience for next

30 minutes…its necessary, because if I want to do something for people, I

ought to listen grass root thoughts of these real people…

I thanked for being seated in this rickshaw…

“waise aapka kehna sahi he..lekin aadat pad gayi he…raste pe thukna apne

aap ho jata he…”

“Aapki jo generation he na beta..wo agar sudhar leti he to agle 10-15 salome

jo he ….. (he also had to see front..he was driving)…log pan khana band

kar denge..aur phir raste pe nahi thukenge…lekin hamari jo pidhi he na

use badalna muskil he…sadiyose kuch cheej karte ate he..wo badalna

mushkil he…”

He made a well point.

“Abhi aapne kaha …hame sahi laga…apni galti lagi..do teen din jo he hum

galti nahi karenge…lekin uske bad fires raste pe thukenge…”

Confession!They are real people with no show off…they speak what is real…

I chose not to comment. Every thing need not be opposed.

“Ab hamare gao me he na beta…pan khana accha mana jata he…”

I guessed his gaon…” daru pina ashuddh mana jata he…to log daru

nahi pite….lekin pan khate he…ab ye aadat lag gayi he…to yaha aake bhi

chalu he…”

I said after letting him completing sentence…” lekin aap hi bolo uncle…aapke

gao me daru pina accha nahi samjha jata…ab jaise kisi samaj me daru pina

bura nahi he…lekin agar koi aadmi daru pike rastepe leta rahe to accha he

kya?... he though and said…”aapki bat sahi he…”

It was an acceptance without any counter statement…

“jo karma he aapke ghar me karo na…raste me kyu?...”

Rickshaw took highway and he came on point...

“ye sirf ek hi karan band ho sakta he…agar …….. me raste pe thuku aur char

log mujhe dekhe…aur unke saamne mujhe thukne ko sharam ati he..mera

man bolta he nahi inke samne nahi thukna he…jaise aapke liye mujhe laga…

(he actually didn’t spit thereafter..though he had great liquid treasure in

his mouth…I appreciate it!) tohi…ye adapt badal sakti he…

This is a great theory…really…and I shall keep in mind…

So true…I don’t commit any wrong, if I fear to do it in front of those whom

I respect…and think..wo kya sochenge…!!!”

We should create culture where people will start respecting each other

and scaring to commit any wrong thinking, if they feel what will they think

for me….!

“lekin ye Mumbai me nahi hota….” Yaha pe sabhi aisa karte he…koi kisi ko

kuch nahi bolta…” he was damn right.We people have assumed many things

and stop complaining…everyone knows what wrong he is doing but doesn’t feel

so because he knows its not regarded as wrong by others.

“gaon me sandas nahi hote…log dur jate he..kyu? kyonki wo darte he..gaon

ke kisine dekh liya to?.... Mumbai me aap mujhe jaha chahe bolo…me

peshab karunga…yaha bolo waha bolo…kyunki koi kuch nahi bolta…”

He pointed right solution…

Saint Dnyaneshwar while describing ideal society in pasaydan says…

Ishwarnishthanchi mandiyali betatu bhuta||

Chala kalptarunche arav | chetana chintamaninche gav | bolate je

arnav piyushanche.||

There should be groups of wise people be roaming on earth…and they

should meet people…not single wise person but groups of wise people…

We really need to build groups of wise and gentle people in society…to

whom people will respect and scare of doing any wrong thing…to whom

people will regard their behavior responsible to…who would keep check

on behavior of society.

We discussed then on difference between UP and Bihari…Biharis destroyed

the culture he said…”wo sab ganda karte he…” lekin log kahte he

“ Bhaiyane ganda kiya…”

“hum pandit he…hamare gav me hum panditi karte he…mere pardada

kahte he…….Jab koyle ka engine tha tab hum gadi se utarte the to log

hamare pav padte the…Pundit aya… diesel ka engine aaya to logone dekhna

band kiya…ab electric engine aya to kehte he “Sala bhaiya aaya…!” (he used

three types of engines to denote changes in time…)

Logonki galti nahi he…unke liye sab ek jaisehi dikhte he…lekin dekho to

bolneki tone me farak he…

35 minutes of conversation…I think was more important for me, that I felt

to reduce in writing and share it with you …sometimes I feel myself fortunate

to be somewhere, I experience something very unique never before and

which lasts with me or make my thinking process…

That conversation was such…

When I gave him money we both pranam each other…milke accha laga!!!

He really gave me a new way of solution to work upon the old problem.

-Harshad Mane

Attitude….

We, are looking forward for becoming Superpower by 2020. We are looking for financial and economic strength that the world should recognize this nation as the power house.

When we speak of superpower, it doesn't mean only economic strength but also political and international recognition.

This is not just the battle of growth rates and wealth creation, but who can project it as boss to the world and world will feel respectful fear for the country.

Now the question if we think for becoming superpower, are we considering ourselves as superpower? If we want the world to consider us as the strongest nation, do we are considering ourselves as strong? If we want the world to recognize us, we should recognize our self first.

“If you want world to consider as king, you first should start behaving like king.”

This is a well known and accepted phenomenon. Unless we start behaving and showing the world that we are the boss, the world will never recognize. This is the matter of attitude. Attitude doesn't mean overconfidence. I am not talking of showing off your abilities. But there is a fine line of what you have and what you can project. If you can’t tell the world that you have something, your finest ability might be underestimated. Or people might not recognize you as the best, even though they are aware about your strengths. This is not showing off your ego, but yes believing on yourself and that belief reflects in you behavior. You should therefore first start behaving like a king; the world eventually accepts your superiority.

The question of our attitude came forward in few instances.

It was when Michael Jackson came in India. We got crazy. It has been really point of research that what exactly we are crazy about them. Its fine about their excellence, but don’t we sometime have blind faith? Do we still get away with white skin? This has been always the case, even today, there are people, who blindly believe what white people do is right. They are carried away by their words, even sometimes their presence. I have seen it in Corporates, in dramas where I have been in contact with such people and could see the reactions of other Indians. We still get hypnotized though, thankfully, the proportion has been lowered.

People went crazy; I remember there was one dinner organized by some organizer. People had to pay 1Lakh to have dinner with MJ. I heard that he just came had one spoon and went away…this is the attitude they have about us. And we still feeling blessed when they smile at us! We are still leaving in psychological slavery.

The recent instance was Mr. and Mrs. Obama visit. The visit was good. It carries importance. But it was really shocking the weight age that Indian media gave to every move of Mr. Obama. He came, he sat in car, now he left for Taj…It was a important event and you should give it due prominence. But why so undue importance?

Actually the purpose of visit of Mr. Obama was begging. He knows how strategically and economically important is India. He knows India has ability to lend helping hand and that’s for he was here. He has meeting with businessmen; meeting with Mr. PM. This is what he was for. But look at the attitude with which he was living in India. It was attitude of being first person of superpower of the world. Today even though US is living in all time of Economic crisis, with lowering growth rate and increasing unemployment. Even people of US are not satisfied with working of Obama. But we are mad for him. He had a chat with youngsters in Mumbai. It was definitely an attempt of creating soft corner for him. I liked the attitude with which these young people asked questions. You might be anyone, but there are certain questions we have about your and your nation’s behavior. We are the citizens of tomorrow’s superpower. And what was India’s current politicians. He was speaking with such a confidence. Our PM was looked lacking of it. We somewhere were down on knee before him. We should have behaved with him in a way that please forget all your US ego…and treat India on equity. We are of your status and please don’t forget you came here because it was your need. While he went with 50,000 employment and million $ agreements, its really a question what India gained out of it.

Now, we are becoming stronger financially day by day. We should understand our own strengths and the attitude now should reflect in our behavior. We should now start putting our demand more aggressively. Now the world knows that India is becoming superpower. We have big market with us. This is no longer our liability which others will exploit like east India Company. We are not a poor nation like in 17^th Century. Now, world knows we should treat India with utmost respect.

But we should look ourselves beyond what world is looking. We should gain the position of US. It’s not only financially strong but it has tremendous say in International politics, World Bank, UN. US attacked Afghanistan in the name of fighting against terrorism and world could say nothing even understanding the dadagiri of US. What if India today attacks Pakistan? We tomorrow have to reach the position where, world had to lift their head up to see India. And if we want to create such a respect in the mind of world, we should have recognition of our powers and behave with attitude…!!!

- Harshad Mane