Aniket S. Sharma's Blog

O Dear Ocean! deep and Blue 

Waves dance on you with morning dew 

You are home to million lives 

They flourish in you and strive 

Since ages, you gave us air and food 

It’s the time, we follow our duty for larger good 

Protect you, keep you clean 

Your great heart should always gleam 

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Dark nights come with fear 

Lonely, O!  I just hear 

Twinkling stars smile from far

Hoping to find solace

Reflecting through the memories 

Happy and dear

O you sparking star! They shout 

What you think, what you fear

Look at us, smile and reflect

Like you the welkin is bereft 

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Early 1940s, India was still in the clutches of British imperialism. There were magnitude of revolts happening across the land courageously fighting against the universal power that believed never sees sunset. At one hand, Gandhiji’s non-violent approach was uniting countless citizens and the other side Subhash Babu’s call for “Dilli Chalo” had pumped millions hearts to lay their lives for their motherland. Amid the calls for freedom, when young-old, man-woman,

united against the single power, without caring for their personal lives, a young boy in his 20s with vision of doing something great for his village reached the land of Sangam. 

With few pennies in his pocket but countless dreams for future, he entered the gate of “Allahabad University”. 

“Lal mani”, he wrote his name in the admission form in Devanagari, and “BA” under the opted course. But, that wasn’t only the start of his new life in new city, but also the start of separation from his family, especially his new bride, with whom he couldn’t spend much time. 

Lal Mani initiated his days in university. The new subjects in the curriculum added interests in his life, but his heart couldn’t live the longing of parting from his wife. Few days passed, and he received a postcard from his village, posted by his father, asking for his health and status of studies. He was extremely excited to read the letter from his father, but deep in the corner of his heart, he wanted to know about his wife. But how to ask in the open letter. There was nothing called private letters, and above that he couldn’t afford to send separate postcards to his father and his wife, 1/2 Anna per card was too much for young Lal Mani to spend. 

Whatever the world can try, but it can never stop the emotions of love to fly. And young Lal Mani was no different. He found the way out and the series of letters started. 

Lal Mani was the only boy in the village who could read and write in Urdu. But the God in heaven made his match when he met Chanda… Chanda as the name says was the most beautiful girl, Lal Mani had ever seen. Little did he know, that the girl whose beauty he admired was also learnt in Urdu. The idea floated, the express of letter exchange started. 1/2 Anna per month, 1 block in the post card, in Urdu to share the stories and emotions. 

60 years of married life, but first 5 years of separation was treasured for entire life. In 2002, when Chanda died, Lal Mani’s isolated life had the company of those few letters which they exchanged 60 years back. 

2003, Lal Mani couldn’t bear the brunt, and his soul departed too. The two lives departed, but those letters became immortal. 

When the family opened the treasure box of Lal Mani, they found those postcards neatly wrapped in a piece of silk cloth. Unfortunately, nobody in family could decipher the secret messages they exchanged decades ago. 

The post Chitthi – Those Letters appeared first on αníkєt s shαrmα.

When they threw me into darkness 

When they closed all the windows 

When they shackled my dreams 

When they crushed my desires 

When my tears turned dry 

And they left me to cry 

I woke up… 

I woke up to hit the sky 

I walked to make my path 

I climbed…  I peddled 

I played with emotions 

My strength.. my courage

My dreams.. my hopes 

I own my world 

the dream I crafted  

O world! Did you Hear my roar 

mighty mountains moved 

Sky too bowed 

What more you need 

When you told “disability”

I smiled, “I call this ability” 

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In March 2021, Vishnu Tiwari, a 43y old man, walked on the streets of his village after 20 long years of seclusion. Not because he was working in some flamboyant land and has returned to his Swadesh, but he was framed under a gruesome charge of false rape case added with SC/ST act. A case that never got proved in the higher court; led him to live in hell for 20 years. And his only fault was that no rules in the Indian constitution show light to the freedom of men even if they are falsely accused. Unfortunately, Vishnu’s case is not an aberration. As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, about 74% of cases under Section 376 of IPC are false and filed to frame men on false accusations. 

Gender inequality is at the spur, and, for ages, the debate on control and authorization continued without knowing why to seek empowerment when it is a default affiliate of everyone living in a society. 

The brief from the Ancient Times 

When people learned to live in a society, and the relationship between men and women expanded to create a family, intelligence assigned them separate jobs. When going out to hunt food, required a lot of physical strength, and staying at home to sustain the family, required mental balance–males became the family’s beacon to acquire food and give protection, while women became the artisans of domestic necessities. Nature’s laws required women to regulate family demands and care for saplings of their affection. Men reconnoitered territories in the pursuit of a better life, while women cared for every penny earned to balance the two lives.

Inventions and gained knowledge were required to be transferred to the next generations to ensure the liberation and growth of the family. Albeit, the men were the bread earners and doors of skills learning opened for them first, the civilisation balanced the knowledge among the dwellers. The women of yore had partnered with their male counterparts in knowledge and skills. When Adi Shankaracharya had a debate on critical philosophies with his friend Mandan Misra, Mandan’s wife Ubhaya Bharti judged their debate. When the religious movements were at their epitome, several female poets, like Akka Mahadevi, sang odes to their beloved deities. 

The growing necessities necessitated leaving parent territories in search of better living conditions and sources of increased income. This responsibility came to men. They started leaving their families and voyaged across different parts of the world searching for a better life and wealth. This quest for upgrading and fighting for survival soon became the greed of beings to continue exploring the untouched lands. The greed continued propelling men to move farther. As one group of these men invaded other lands, a different set of men invaded their lands—sometimes for vengeance, sometimes to govern. Whatever remained the cause, the sufferers were the group left unattended—mostly women and children. The invaders continued their spree of plundering, leaving behind a large group of marauded, raided, and molested people—once again most sufferers were women. 

The continual expeditions and power thirst opened the doors to several unknown calamities. The cacophony of greed and power began to drown out the cries, howls, and melancholy of the weak. Hopelessness began to prevail among the victims, ushering in the era of gloom. Before it could learn to balance itself, society went on a voyage of imbalance and ignorance. 

The wealthy and powerful make use of existing knowledge. Bards, poets, and novelists were commissioned to compose and sing their praises. The writing brimmed with eulogies and depictions of manliness. This maleness was widely and repeatedly associated with aggression, competitiveness, rage, strength, perseverance, analytical reasoning, confidence, and intelligence. In contrast, femininity got associated with emotions, complaints, weakness, and submissiveness. When kings murdered tigers to save the life of a beautiful princess, bards created thousands of stories. The protagonists of such stories remained men, and the females danced to the tune of their male heroes. 

Consecutively, the picture of maleness transpired from eulogies to the literature, and future writers started taking references from the writings of yore. Their literature continued to extol the charming and suave protagonist that holds all freedom to enchant any girl of the kingdom. The rage of the hero of the story began to raise the egos of commoners. Contrarily, the objectified female leads remained in the stories as mistresses with common archetypes such as virginity as a sign of purity, remaining submissive even to violent men, being emotionally stuck in bourgeois society, and striving to be beautiful. 

The denizens saw the reflections of these larger-than-life characters in their smaller mirrors but were unable to differentiate the wrong from the right. This portrayal of males as sole breadwinners, dream fulfillers, achievers, and authoritative and domineering imposed pressure on men and barred them from expressing a wide range of emotions. These stronger emotions were passed on from generation to generation, causing the younger generation to lose empathy for the pain of others. Getting emotional and crying became a hallmark of femininity, whereas exacting retribution became manly.

The brief from the Contemporary Times 

The emotional void continued to grow, resulting in gender disparity. Weaker succumbed to the whims of the dominant, while the oppressed remained deprived of necessities. Nobody noticed that the acquiescence was cementing the grooves and separating the people from civil rights. Survival became difficult, and a few prominent men began to see masculinity as patriarchy. Autocracy defined societal policies, attitudes, and values. The caretakers of society regulated majority beliefs while suppressing opposing viewpoints. The societal equilibrium was unbalanced, and the flow of power channeled towards the group having more physical strength and skills – often cunningness started decaying the intelligence.

A woman with the power to control the axis of life started believing in subordination to patriarchy. She, as a mother, demanded her sons to be manly and pivotal of patriarchy, while she, as a daughter, became the victim of the same. 

It took centuries to realize the mistake and wrongs done by the policymakers. They influenced people living in the same land for their benefit to remain in power. It took several years for the new dawn to break when half population of the world unitedly demanded gender equality and parity laws. The civilization realized the need for change and hunted for opportunities. People became vociferous about equality, and the policymakers revised the constitution, to include special provisions for women’s rights.

The judiciary and policy owners realized that women have equal rights in thinking, competing, participating, and leading. The constitution amended and added several articles to ensure the upliftment of women. The corporate houses joined the wagon, ensuring the equal participation of all genders in all positions. It has resulted in women reaching higher positions and surpassing their male counterparts at several levels. 

To combat the crimes against women, numerous sections in the Indian Penal Code were added, allowing women to come forward and speak about wrongs done to them. Medical counselors and associations collaborated with government programs aimed at improving women’s health. For women’s health, old taboos have become the norm. The education awareness programs for young girls prevented early school dropouts. Much is being done, and much more is required, to guarantee that these policies and programs are properly implemented for a brighter and balanced tomorrow.

Who is the victim now

Change comes with the threat of transfer of power. And history has witnessed how the lust for power destroyed several civilisations. At present, when a large group is beholding the progression and walking on the road to success, another larger group has started observing the heat of misuse of powers. Comparatively, it is just the start of power equilibrium, but the number of false allegations and forceful incarcerations has increased multi-folds in recent times. To judge the authenticity of the hypothesis, this article has covered the responses from men working in different domains and capacities, and the later part of this article will have a few citations. 

The powerful Laws in IPC to protect the rights of women have increased the threat of false accusations. The laws aren’t gender neutral, and most of the time, the course of action moves towards women. These unclear definitions set the tone against men. The unwanted media trials and social media attention make the case for men weaker even before the actual courtroom trial starts. Police meant to act neutral in these cases tend to follow the sentiments of the general masses. 

The historical wrongs done by the advocates of patriarchy and their emotional negligence sprouted the default anger towards the males. This default definition is so deeply engraved in the roots of current society that, in the blink of an eye, people pass the verdict against males. The grave intentions behind the allegations, even false, are never judged—nobody pays attention to them. An engineer working in Bangalore finds it fears consequences as there is no support from society. He says that men mostly fear speaking against the wrongs that happened to them as they lack the support of their peers. “There is always a soft corner of females because people judge men from the historical wrongs. Even judiciary and lawmakers have biased opinions,” adds a social activist from Delhi. 

Our society is a giant pool of judgemental people that behold others through biased lenses. An officer in Indian Air Force jokes, “This mess is our own. A man runs to wipe the tears of a woman till she isn’t his wife. And woman feels every other man is monster till he isn’t her brother or father.” This thought of witnessing people critically is seconded by a famous architect working in Chandigarh when he observes that the men are treated irrationally. “Irrespective of the position they hold, they easily get tagged as perpetrators,” he remarks. “But haven’t men only begotten this situation?” questions an Indian Army Major, “Men always have been at the helm of affairs, and for ages, they have molded the society as they desired, so why this finger pointing now?” However, this question loses its relevance when a large portion of men start becoming victims of false allegations. 

Domestic violence, the violation of consent, stalking, and adultery, are, by default, considered unlawful crimes committed by males. By large, the sufferers of these heinous acts are women. But no provision in the judiciary observes these crimes otherwise. Therefore, police and lawyers also get perplexed when the victims in these cases are men. “Try saying ‘Man’ is subjected to domestic violence. Watch how many will believe! They will mock you. It is the bitter truth!” remarks a campaigner for men’s rights in Bengaluru.

Most issues develop when protective laws are used to gain an advantage. Not everything is binary. “A few women taking advantage of laws, particularly Section 498A, is common and growing more widespread,” a lawyer adds. The remark is cemented when a disgruntled male victim of a similar instance from Delhi says, “Men’s rights are a myth. When even the female family members of a trapped man are not spared, these rules become draconian.” Ironically, the laws intended to protect women sometimes kill other women. 

A senior executive from Hyderabad points having no clarity on men’s rights obscures the existence of the fundamental system of co-existence. “I embrace women coming forward and working together, but not at the cost of staking my dignity,” he adds with conviction. The government and corporate programs on women upliftment bring imbalance when recruitment becomes gender centric. An interviewer in an IT giant mentions that they are always extra vigilant while shortlisting candidates. Often, the recommendation comes to select candidates from specific gender which makes selection difficult, and the real talent suffers. “Not only hiring, but it also impacts promotions and appraisals. I fully support equality but bringing nepotism and bosses showing extra support for few employees, create the differences,” adds a marketing Guru from Bengaluru. 

Gender inequality needs debate. Gender bias must be eradicated. The perception that “men don’t cry” should be challenged. Men’s tears matter too. Feminism, in the past, did the mistake considering each man as an equally powerful patriarch and got themselves trapped in the social dogmas. At present, the count of women with similar thoughts hasn’t decreased. Women shouldn’t use the laws for their vendetta. The false allegations about one man destroy the entire generation. It can’t be women’s empowerment when empowered women always give a different definition of empowerment. 

The article hopes to kindle few questions and help finding answers soon

Are men facing brutal laws because of their deeds in the past where they never paid heed to women’s rights? Is this another political gimmick or left-right-wing agenda? Who is feeding these incorrigible views in the brains of influential women that these dynamic women start thinking radically in most cases? Were men only responsible for the wrongs done against women in the past? Are historic wrongs against women acting against men now resulting in more biased laws?Aren’t men being abused, in the name of responsibilities, and everyone thinks that is normal? 

#MeToo is important, and so is #MenToo 

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The oxford dictionary meaning of the word empowerment is the act of giving somebody more control over their own life or the situation they are in. The world has always been in the momentum of empowering individuals and sometimes groups in different eras in different capacities. However, the definition of empowered people varies, and the different perspectives have been the driving force for leaders and enablers to ensure the fitment of oppressed or not too empowered groups and bring them in streamline.

In the pace of building an empowered world and in the dream of inviting people to be the citizens of that future world, the definition of feeling empowered should be accepted by the individuals aspiring to live in the future world.

The oxford dictionary meaning of the word empower is to give somebody the power or authority to do something. There is fundamentally something missing in the definition where someone creates a scope of “give and take”. Why does someone need to give someone else that space or power to act something when constitutionally, everyone is free to follow their wishes? Another aspect that is not considered in the definition: Is the individual’s choice considered before giving the authority to do something? and there is absolutely no space for the definition of that something. 

In the context of empowering someone, the oxford dictionary says to give somebody more control over their own life or the situation they are into. Albeit this definition of empowering someone brings more freedom to people, the fundamental debate remains the same: who is giving freedom to whom? And on the first reference under which circumstances do the need arise to let someone know they are free to achieve what they want? Isn’t it should be mutually understood?

From the days of yore to the present era, the fight for empowerment has always been the decisive factor in power shift and revolutionising thoughts. Empowerment is verily the fourth basic necessity of every citizen after food, cloth, and shelter. The undying desire for control over self-decisions is the factor that created hundreds of revolutions, and it will undoubtedly remain the deciding factor for numerous changes in the future.

Women empowerment or empowered women has become the topic of debate since women decided to take charge of their lives and individual decisions. Several stories from epics, sagas, and historical events highlight the active participation of women in varied fields – from domestic to international affairs, from intellectual to physical supremacy. The women have marked their presence in every domain and super-powered their counter participants. But due to various socio-political, geological, and religious differences, women felt many people neglected their opinions. There were many events in history when different radical elements suppressed a voice because it originated from a person belonging to specific gender or identity.

The times have changed, and in this ever-progressing world, when women have decided to break the confinement of walls and drop the veils of superstitious beliefs, the question of a new definition of “empowered women” arose again.

This article was inspired by a simple survey done with a few women from various age groups belonging to different fields to understand the definition of empowered women from their perspectives.

Explorer – A woman who explores her roles in various stages of life and decides her life purpose is empowered. “A woman should know that feminism doesn’t mean the race with masculinity but should be capable of taking decisions for self,” says a young poetess from Noida. She believes a woman should know the true meaning of her roles and act accordingly instead of getting biased based on fake narratives. 

Freedom – Two young executives working in Silicon Valley of India believe that women can be considered empowered when they get the freedom to make decisions in their lives. They vote for freeing women from all patriarchal biases. There should be trust that women are fit to perform in any field. “A woman who has the freedom and ability to choose is empowered,” believes a designer working in Delhi. 

Fearless – A powerful young executive working in an IT giant in India believes that women should be fearless in pointing out their opinions. True empowerment would happen only when women are not afraid of making decisions in their lives – be it emotional, financial, small, or big. “A woman should be confident in conveying her points and be strong to back her own decisions,” says an assistant professor at a fashion institute. “A woman would be empowered if she goes against all odds and opines about the social norms without any prejudices,” adds a senior professional from Mumbai. 

Inspirational – Empowerment doesn’t always mean that a woman should achieve what she dreams of but also set a path for other women to get inspired and motivated to create their own path of success. A senior professional, working in Delhi believes an empowered woman can be an inspiration to many irrespective of gender and identity. 

A better version of self – A young engineer working in a technology company says, “For me, empowerment is nothing but being a better version of myself every day personally, professionally, and emotionally.” Under any circumstances, if a woman improvises and keeps moving, she could break any obstacles. 

Acceptance of Views – A couple of senior executives and successful homemakers believe empowerment shouldn’t be calculated only on the freedom of working or exploring the world. In general, it is the acceptance of varied views and especially counters. An intuitive response to empowerment is freedom, but they should know it is the starting point of a long journey. Empowerment brings a lot of responsibilities, not only professionally but in personal lives too. 

On the Common Ground – Believing in self and not compromising the identity under any circumstances is the true meaning of feeling empowered. Maintaining after earning and not losing the fundamental characteristics of empowerment in any course makes empowerment powerful. “A competition should be on the common ground without any prejudiced and biased opinions,” believes a senior executive in Bengaluru, while another woman says, “A woman should be self-dependent both financially and emotionally.” 

The absolute idea of woman empowerment can be successful only when a woman knows the balance between personal and professional lives. 

“A woman is truly empowered when she knows her rights and duties; she understands the importance of education, and when she never fears raising her voice against wrongfulness. An empowered woman never believes in favoritism and never looks for any reservations to prove her success,” opines a powerful and young poetess from Kanpur. 

An empowered woman can change the world and is the change for the world is waiting. She is the essence of success and the creator of wisdom everyone will learn from in the future. 

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I Walked Alone

I have a very faded memory of my birth—my mother and my father. They say I opened my eyes on the stairs of a temple—Ardhnarishwar temple, abode of Shiva and Parvati. My first cries were answered by Swamiji, the chief priest of the temple, and since then I became his son—an adopted son. But I prefer to be called as his disciple—a truly devoted disciple, who could die on the commands of his Guru.  I looked up to him like Arjun to Drona. I followed him like Aruni to Dhaumya. I trusted him like Chandragupta to Chanakya. He was everything to me—my mother, my father, my mentor, and my protector.

            The seasons were changing with the rolling wheel of time but unlike other disciples in gurukul, my experiences with the world were unusual. My likings were different from those of other students. I was delicate. I felt fragile. I participated in the weapon learnings but didn’t have keen interest. I was more interested in music and loved singing the bhajans in the temple. My body had strange features. When my friends were developing stubble on their faces, I had no sign of hair on my body. I tried to change and behave like the world expected but couldn’t. There was something not right—just difficult to tell. Aloof. Isolated. I devoted myself in the bhakti of lord of the temple – the Ardhnarishwar. The only image I could relate to.

            That was the time when Dilli had recently seen the power shift. Sultan Jalaluddin was killed by his own nephew Alauddin who took over the throne. The dynamics of power was changing gears. The power tussle was demonstrated by new Sultan with fast expansion of dominion while in a secluded temple I was struggling with my own life.

            Sultan’s lust for power brought him to the realm of Gurjars, the place where I was trying to find my identity.

            The commanders of Sultan reached our land. Brick by brick, stone by stone, they showed the hounding views of devastation. They plundered wealth, they looted the dignity, and soon the entire village turned into the landfill of flesh and bones. Their army wasn’t far from the temple and Swamiji wasn’t ready to leave the place. The abode of the lord had been his home for entire life, and he didn’t want to run away to save his life. He decided to stay… stay and fight. And so, did I.

            Hundreds of men, sloganeering, to kill and loot, to destroy and plunder on the name of their supreme power, shrouded the temple, blocking every possible route to escape. They were in hundreds, armed, vicious, and fatal. I shouted for help, but the cries surrendered before the demonic laughter and neighing of hundreds of horses. I prayed, I cried, but pleadings were ridiculed, and my presence mocked. The fourteen-year-old me stood there exposed, and gullible.

~ ~

Days later, I opened my eyes, only to realize that I was not dead, but entered the hell. I was lying in a dungeon, chained, and in pain. “How many days?”, I muttered. “Fifteen…” came the reply. I didn’t know whose voice it was, but the sneering tone continued, “You are now ready to brighten the harem of Sultan…”

            “Wait… ready for what…” I asked in crumbling tone. Guffawingly, he went away. Soon you will know, I heard his last words before I realized the pain struck my lower body. I heaved heavily, mustered strength to unchain myself but the destiny had planned many dark nights for me.

            I was standing before the most powerful man of the land in his inner apartment lit with hundreds of lamps. A pungent smell of soured grapes mixed with smoke of powerful incense was penetrating through my nostrils. Feast was being served when he signalled me to lift the tumbler full of wine and fill his silver pitcher. His crown decked with precious gems was shining bright in the reflection of hundreds of lamps. Tens of young girls were sitting around, few singing, few playing instruments and remaining serving food in a gigantic plate kept in front of him.

            I walked closer to him with my trembling fingers holding the tumbler. “Pour…” he roared. I shrunk. Seemed the earth below me slipped. He gulped the red liquid in one breath and asked to fill his pitcher again. I stood there and continued following his commands numbly.

            He was done drinking and asked to dim the lights. A lot of lamps were doused, and smoke filled the room. He asked me to sit next to him. I sat. He put his hand on my shoulder and started rubbing my back gently. Affrighted, I had no clue how to react. Like a lamb, I was cowed in the paws of a giant tiger, and he continue scratching my back layer by layer.

            He yanked the ties on my gown, revealing my skin in front of him. He looked at me, his stare piercing each pore of my open skin as he ran his fingers over it. His rough fingers grasped my body, penetrating it like a dagger. He moved his hands all over—all over my destroyed boyhood—as he got closer to my waist. My eyes roused and melted the agony I had been experiencing for days. He drew me in, unfastened his dress, and pressed his body against my small frame. I sobbed in agony, and he relished every moment of it. He licked my tears and nipped my cheeks with his tongue poking into my face. I couldn’t do anything but bear the brutality silently.

I never felt so weak before. I begged for mercy, but he had no ears. He continued his act of fulfilling his carnal desires and I was his prey for the night. I don’t remember for how long the struggle lasted before I surrendered to his lasciviousness.

I woke up naked next to a naked man. I saw his sword lying next to him. I felt like killing the demon who had destroyed my life. I lifted my body and careered to grasp the sword. But before I could reach the sharp metal, he turned and kicked me away. I rolled on the floor gasping for air. In a blink of an eye, he roused lifted the sword and kept it on my neck. A snip and my head would have been rolling on the floor. Wasting no second, I shouted, “Sultan… I am your slave. Mercy… please don’t kill me.”

He guffawed. The whole apartment was filled with his demonic laughter. He walked two steps back, keeping his sword in the leather sheath and spoke mildly, “Kafur… O my dear Kafur…. It needs a lot of courage to hold that sword. You wouldn’t have been lying next to me if you’d known……”

I joined my hands with my head still down. “Kafur….” I mumbled. So that was my new name. I never knew when they decided to convert me. before they robbed my dignity, they robbed me of my faith. I had nothing left. The life seemed burdened, but I remembered the words of Swamiji, “He who refuses to rule is liable to be ruled by one who is worse than himself.”

And I decided to live.

~ ~

Time wheel started rolling once again. I started learning swords handling, arrow fighting, and other war strategies. During day, I was fighting to become soldier. And during night, I was a puppet in the hands of Sultan. Soon, his nightly affair with me started turning his dependency on me. He never wanted me to be away from his sight. I was involved in all his secret meetings and then the day came when he decided to take me to Chittor expedition. The stories of beauty of Rani of Chittor had stolen his sleep and he was adamant to take her away without realizing the strengths of Rajput men and especially Rawal Ratan Singh.

            I still remember the day when Rawal Ratan was about to take Sultan’s life but before he could act, I killed Rawal. Sultan was indebted and he rewarded me by making the commander of his army.

            Kafur… became Malik Kafur… the commander of the most powerful army of Bharat.

            I started my expeditions. After winning Devagiri, when Sultan aspired to win Telangana, I took the charge and made the ruler of Telangana to bow before me. I brought the brightest diamond from the temple of Telangana which glittered the eyes of every courtier sitting in the fort of Dilli. [That diamond was later called as Koh-I-Noor, in Hindu scriptures it is called as Syamantaka Mani]

            I didn’t stop there and opened the gate for Sultan’s dream of winning southern land by breaching Dwarasamudra and reached Ma’bar. I was ruthless, my wrath had no limits. I plundered, I looted, and I destroyed, and I spat over whoever came in my way—my way of reaching the most powerful throne.

            Step by step, I became the closest and trusted ally of Sultan. Trusted enough that I was confident to hold the reins of Sultan. I was ready to pull the strings in my direction. The perseverance of over a decade was paying and he made me responsible for taking key decisions of his kingdom. The treasury was overflowing, there was enough stock of grains for years, there was no voice who could stand against me, and I was floating over the clouds of my dreams.

~ ~

When one desires, the universe conspires. And I designed my stars to follow the path I set for them. After 2 decades of wait, the right time came, the right time to pull the strings. And I made him send his son behind the prison. I killed all his trusted allies and one fine day I stood before him with the same dagger he put on my neck and forced me to surrender.

            Now was his time to cry for help but I was no ears. He shouted, “Spare me on the name of God… that supreme power who blessed you with all this power.”

            “God… whose God? Yours or mine. Because here in this room, I am your God. I walked on through the wind. I walked through the rain. My dreams tossed. My life shattered. But each day I collected my broken soul to live again. I knew the storm would end, I knew the darkness will die and I was waiting for that spark all my life. Today, this sword in my hand is the same spark. I can snip off your head in one nick. Look where you are now, the great Sultan who thundered this earth, whose mere presence shivered the spine of living souls, is now kneeling before me. so, tell me who is the LORD.”

            “Every single day, with hope in my heart, I walked on… I walked alone…”

I turned towards the exit with blood-soaked sword cusped in my hand.

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Who am I?

I am a speck in this cosmos

I am a soft ray of morning sun

I am lost sweetness in that bitter coffee

I am missing salt on that tasteless dish

I am a drop of dew melting down those leaves

I am nectar hiding in that beehive

Who am I?

I am a speck in this cosmos

I am a tiny smile on their face

I am a beat skipped from your heart

I am a tiny drop glittered in his eye

I am a hand holding her tiny fingers

I am a promise to live the life

Who am I?

I am a speck in this cosmos

I am a hope to bring down the stars

I am a belief to land on the moon

I am a faith to win the world

I am a raging tide in the ocean

I am a vessel to save the dying emotion

Who am I?

I am a speck in this cosmos

I am a friend to share the shoulder

I am a shield to guard the border

I am a victory in that losing game

I am a name lost in your long name

I am a fame lost in your fame

Who am I?

I may be a speck in this cosmos

But remember

I am the cosmos in your speck of life

I am a mother, sister, friend, or wife

I am a wing spread to soar

I am the sky, I am the earth

I am the creator of all lore

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Republic Day Parade

Republic Day of India – History and Significance

26th January marks the day of Indian Republic Day. A day when India celebrates her constitution, and citizens of India celebrate the honour and rights given to them. This day reminds every denizen the atrocities of British rule and the hardships India had gone through to step out from the clutches of slavery. India attained freedom from the British rule on 15th August 1947, after the struggle of 200 years. Thousands of Indians laid their lives to witness the dawn of freedom. The stories of those real heroes of India are embedded in the minds of every inhabitant of this land.

On August 15, 1947, Britishers declared India’s independence. But it didn’t come with the authority for Indians to select their government. Then congress leadership declared Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister of Free India but still the country was governed by monarchy of King George VI. After 2 years and 6 months of continuous efforts, the constituent assembly submitted the constitution of India and 26th January 1950 became the landmark day in history when constitution came into effect.

Why Date 26 is important?

26th January wasn’t randomly selected day to mark republic day, but there is an associated history. It was the day in 1930, when first time India passed the resolution of Purna Swaraj – total independence after the breakdown of negotiations on dominion status of India. On 31 October 1929, Lord Irwin, then viceroy of British-India passed a statement on the dominion status of India. But there was no mention of any timeline to facilitate the dominion status. After this failed negotiation, in the next meeting held on 19 December 1929 at Lahore, a resolution was passed for Purna Swaraj. A public decalaration of Purna Swaraj was made on 26th January 1930, when denizens of India were urged to celebrate Independence Day on 26th January.  

…. We therefore hereby solemnly resolve to carry out the Congress instructions issued from time to time for the purpose of establishing Purna Swaraj. [passage 8 of Public declaration]

Republics of Ancient India

The concept of “Republic” in India didn’t appear only after freedom from British rule. The ancient India has multiple records where the common citizens have rights to share their thoughts in the government. “Though monarchy was usual in ancient India, tribal states were also existed, which were governed by oligarchies.”, points out A.L. Basham in his book “The wonder that was India”. These oligarchies are often referred as republic, as these ganas or sanghas or tribes were represented by group of people, though not electorally selected. However, few references from Buddhist Bhikshu Sangha reveal that Sanghas knew and observed all the Parliamentary rules known to modern times.

The ancient India, especially the northern region was divided into sixteen mahajanapadas viz. Kashi, Kosala, Anga, Magadha, Vrijji, Malla, Chedi, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchal, Matsya, Shurasena, Ashmaka, Avanti, Gandhara, and Kamboj, in present times can be compared with states. These sixteen states were either monarchial or non-monarchial. The monarchial states were ruled by Kings and mostly the son of the king became successor of the throne till he was challenged by outside power or removed by internal conflicts. The rise and fall of Nanda and Maurya empire depict the stories of such dynasties which were formed by removing the existing king of the state.

The non-monarchial states widely were referred as ganas and can be considered as republics, as the group of people who participated in the decision making of these tribes used to represent large group of citizens. The mention of gana comes in Rigveda, Mahabharata (Shanti Parva), Jain text (Ayaramga-Sutta) and in Buddhist text (Avadaana Shataka).

As per Shanti Parva, dialogue between Yudhishthra and Bhisma, when Yudhishthira visited Bhishma after becoming king of Hastinapur, and said, “O the most enlightened one, I wish to hear the course of conduct of ganas” (Shanti Parva, section 107) [गणानाम् वृत्तिमिच्छामि श्रोतुम् मतिमताम् वर।].

As per Avadaana Shataka), when few merchants travelled from central India to Deccan region and asked about the form of government in their region, they replied, “some provinces are under kings while others are ruled by ganas.” [केचिद्देशा गणाधीना केचिदराजाधीना इति।]

One of such ganas was Shakya clan, Vrijji confederacy with Vaishali as capital, to which prince Siddhartha was born, who later founded Buddhism and we know him as Lord Buddha. The other non-monarchial states were Kosala and Kashi, which as per Puranic mentions were initially ruled by monarchs.

Upinder Singh in her book, A History of ancient and early medieval India, points that the ganas had greater vestiges of tribal organization than the monarchies. Some may have simply been more complex political forms of older tribal formations. Others may have been created through the subversion of the monarchial rule. Whatever be the case, but these tribes played major roles in defending the boundaries of vast land from the foreign invasions at varied times. During the campaign of Alexander towards India, there are enough evidence proving the tough combat between the vast army of Alexander and the army of these tribes. Another example comes from the time of Gupta Empire, when Panjab, Rajputana, Malwa, etc. were in the possession of the tribes living under republican or oligarchical institutions. These tribes were part of the vast Gupta empire.

Many examples of varied tribes can be cited during the Muslim invasions in 7th and 8th century. These tribes under the leadership of their chieftains gave tough combat to the early Muslim invasions and blocked their campaign towards the mainland. Therefore, it can be derived that the republican tribes weren’t only the representation of citizens but also the extension of cavalry of great empires of Ancient India.

First Draft Committee and Ambedkar

15th August 1947, India was freed from the supremacy of British but the work towards the formation of constitution of free India initiated few months before the actual independence. On one hand when freedom fighters were negotiating the freedom of India with British rulers, another group of people were busy crafting the dream constitution of India.

9th December 1946, the first meeting of constituent assembly held with more than 300 members and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as the chairman of the drafting committee. It took 2 years, 11 months and 17 days for the committee to draft the first constitution of Free India. The first draft submitted by the committee had 395 articles and 8 schedules which set the beginning of the democratic nation, called India. On 26th January 1950, India became truly independent with the sense that from that day, she had a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Dr. Ambedkar dreamt of the free democratic India and relentlessly worked with his team in drafting the constitution of India. He followed the principles and acts of freedom fighters but when he presented the draft before the parliament, he strictly opposed the methods of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and Satyagraha.

In November 1949, while presenting the constitution of India, he advocated following the constitutional methods of achieving social and economic objectives. He objectively mentioned not to lay the liberties at the feet of greatest man or allowing someone to subvert the power of an institution. He believed that Bhakti or hero-worship paves way for degradation in politics. He firmly believed that the democracy can only be exercised when equality, liberty and fraternity are balanced. And on 26th January 1950, as the constitution of India came into effect, the political equality was given to every citizen of India, with the principle – one man one vote, and one vote one value.

Nation, Nationality and Constitutional Rights

After the movement of British out of Indian territory in 1947, the mountainous task was to unite 554 states under one political homogeneity. Sardar Patel, the Iron man of India commenced this humongous effort and integrated these 554 states into fourteen administrative units. The task wasn’t to unite the states geographically as India was always geographically one unit. But to install the sense of nationhood and brotherhood among the citizens with different caste, color, creed, custom, and culture. Instilling the feeling of nationality was the task for the team of Sardar Patel, and also it was his accountability to ensure that there were no differences once all states were united under one national flag.

Nationality is a social feeling. And as Ambedkar pointed in his book Pakistan or Partition of India, it is a feeling of a corporate sentiment of oneness which makes those who are charged with it feel that they are kith and kin. It is a feeling of “consciousness of kind” which on one hand binds together those who have it, so strongly that it over-rides all differences arising out of economic conflicts or social gradations…. It is a longing not to belong to any other group.

Nation is an emotion which binds together the differences among millions of citizens in a thread of oneness. This feeling of oneness became firm when the constitution gave seven fundamental rights to every citizen –

Right to EqualityRight to FreedomRight Against ExploitationRight to Freedom of ReligionCultural and Educational RightsRight to PropertyRight to Constitutional Remedies

However, under 44th amendment in 1978, “Right to Property” was removed from the constitution. These fundamental rights empower every denizen to exercise their freedom and thus it became extremely important to ensure these rights don’t deluge the sense of responsibilities towards nation. Hence in 1976, ten fundamental duties were introduced, which were increased to eleven in 2002. The list of 11 fundamental duties is as below.

It shall be the duty of every citizen of India —

To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures;To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;To safeguard public property and to abjure violence;To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement;Who is a parent or guardian, to provide opportunities for education to his child, or as the case may be, ward between the age of six to fourteen years.

Republic – What it means for Indians?

The concept of republic is not new to Indians. We have been exercising democracy since ancient times. Mention of ganas in Rigveda, Mahabharata and other Buddhist and Jain texts is the proof that there was amalgamation of monarchy and republic states since ancient times. India became free from British control in 1947, but it wasn’t the first time when any foreign power invaded the sovereignty of India. The thought to ponder is that the freedom wasn’t lost because only of the invasion but because of the infidelity and treachery of some of internal people. When Alexander started his campaign towards India, Ambhikumar of Takshila not only surrendered before him but also supported for his further advancements. When Qasim first invaded, the commanders of King Dahar accepted bribes from agent of Qasim and revealed secrets. And in the first revolt of 1857 against Britishers, few countrymen stood as spectators.

The midnight of 15th August 1947 brought the emotion of freedom with it. But the same night brought the chaos in the lives of millions of people who had to leave everything because someone had drawn a line on a map without knowing the actual demographics of the nation. Since then, India had faced several wounds but as a nation we strived. Independence came with the sense of responsibilities with no option to blame anyone. We are responsible for our deeds as a group, as a nation.

Since the inception of being called republic, India has proved the strength of constitution and democracy. The democratically elected governments have enshrined the principles of democracy – of the people, by the people, for the people. But in this era of being the world’s largest democracy, it becomes our duty to preserve the faith of people in democracy and constitution of India. The social and economic inequalities need to be bridged like the way we installed the political equality. Let’s all celebrate the festival of equality and liberty with honour and respect.

This year 2021, India celebrates its 72nd Republic Day.

References

Vincent A. Smith: The Early History of IndiaR C Majumdar: Corporate Life in Ancient IndiaR S Sharma: India’s Ancient PastA L Basham: The Wonder that was IndiaB R Ambedkar: Pakistan or Partition of IndiaUpinder Singh: A History of Ancient and Early Medieval IndiaB R Ambedkar: Closing Speech of the first Constituent Assembly of India (New Delhi, November 1949)Public Declaration of Purna Swaraj: Indian National Congress 1930Statement of Irwin Declaration: 1929Constitution of India Full Text: https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/constitution-india/constitution-india-full-text

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Vidura reached Panchal with the message of King Dhritarashtra for Yudhishthira to return to Hastinapur with Draupadi. He shared the message in front of King Drupada and requested him to allow Yudhishthira to return with him. King of Panchal politely asked Yudhishthira to take decision. Yudhishthira accepted the message and decided to return to Hastinapur with Draupadi, Kunti and other Pandava brothers. Vidura stayed for few days in Panchal on request of king Drupada before their travel back to Hastinapur.          

Here in Hastinapur, Duryodhana was shocked to know about the wellness of Pandavas and he couldn’t accept that his plan of killing Pandavas in the wax palace failed. He was restless as he was affrighted of losing the position of Yuvaraja, which was given to him after the news of death of Pandavas spread. Bewildered, he met Shakuni and expressed his hopelessness. He was angry, he was sad and certainly frustrated. At that time, Shakuni also couldn’t convince Duryodhana. All the sugar-coated words of Shakuni were no less than keen shafts for Duryodhana. Finding no solution, Shakuni suggested to talk to Dhritarashtra. “A father must have thought something for his son.”, he remarked.

Devastated Duryodhana visited his father Dhritarashtra and expressed his grief and worries. He said, “Father! Now as the Pandavas know the truth of Wax palace and they survived the plot of their destruction; it has become evident for us to finish them before they reach Hastinapur. With their union with the princess of Panchal, they have become stronger than before. This very thought of their return to Hastinapur worries me lot.” Dhritarashtra understood what his son wanted to convey as the jealousy of Duryodhana for Pandavas was never hidden. Dhritarashtra knew once Pandavas return to Hastinapur, all courtiers would look for Yudhishthira becoming Yuvaraja and eventually king of Hastinapur. Dhritarashtra then asked Duryodhana about his thoughts. “What you want O son?”, said Dhritarashtra seeing his worried son.

“Yudhishthira is favorite of Vidura and grandfather Bhishma. They will always want him to be the future king of Hastinapur. The citizens of Hastinapur had supported him before we sent Pandavas to Varnavarta. Now, when the citizens will come to know about the wellness of Pandavas, a strong wave will come out in their support. I am unable to think how to stop the increasing popularity of Yudhishthira. I don’t want to live under his blessings for my entire life. O Father! You are my only hope. Do whatever deem fit but don’t give up this throne to Yudhishthira.”, said Duryodhana with crumbling voice. He wanted to cry victim and get support of his father. He knew whatever be the decision of Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthira would never argue on that.

Dhritarashtra couldn’t think of any reasonable solution to Duryodhana’s obstinacy. He too didn’t want Yudhishthira to win over his son. He then called for Bhishma and Guru Drona and asked their opinions too. There was no doubt Bhishma wanted the throne to be given to Yudhishthira, but he sensed the unwillingness of Dhritarashtra. He then thought for a while and then gave toughest opinion of his life. He said, “Ideally, this throne belongs to Yudhishthira as he was crowned as heir-apparent before going to Varnavata. But I know this will not be acceptable to your son Duryodhana and above all to you too. After the episode of fire in palace of Varnavata, when it was assumed that Pandavas were died, the crown of Yuvraj was given to Duryodhana. I am not against anyone; all my grandsons are dear to me and hence I don’t want to take back the post which is given to Duryodhana. The only solution which I could find is to divide the kingdom in two halves. Give one portion to Pandavas and let the other half be with Duryodhana. Which part you want to give to whom, is your decision.”  Dhritarashtra was relieved finding solution to his problem. He made decision but didn’t reveal which part of the kingdom he wished to give to Pandavas and which he wanted to retain for his sons.

Few days later, Vidura returned with Pandavas. Krishna and Balarama too came with them. As they walked into the dominion of Hastinapur they were welcomed by ocean of jubilant citizens. The exuberant crowd thronged to catch a glimpse of their beloved princes and their wife Draupadi. They sang welcome songs, showered flowers and sprinkled fragrant water to express their happiness. The large group of happy denizens escorted the Pandavas till the entrance of the palace. Pandavas were then welcomed by Gandhari and Kauravas. Bhishma was very happy seeing the Pandavas, especially Arjuna. Bhishma blessed the daughter-in-law of his dynasty, Draupadi and gave her welcome gifts. Guru Drona and Guru Kripa then came forward and showered their blessings too. At last, Pandavas went to the courtroom of Hastinapur where they were welcomed by Dhritarashtra. All courtiers were excited and happy seeing Pandavas with Kunti and Draupadi, except Duryodhana. After all the meetings, Pandavas went to their apartments.

Next day, meeting was called in the courtroom of Hastinapur and Dhritarashtra was set to share his decision on the future king of Hastinapur. All Pandava and Kaurava brothers along with elders, Krishna, Balarama and other courtiers were present. Amid those dignitaries, Dhritarashtra addressed, “Yudhishthira! You are epitome of dharma and righteousness. Wherever you rule, the kingdom will prosper. Pandu has made Hastinapur prosperous and I know you will continue his legacy. My sons are wicked and arrogant. They don’t listen to my advices and thus I am left with no choice then to divide the dominion of Hastinapur in two halves. Having full faith in your potential, I give you Khadavaprastha.  Go to Khanadavaprastha and make it your capital. Our ancestors, Pururavas, Nahusha, Yayati and others ruled from that place. Let it be your new capital.”

Dhritarashtra’s decision was certainly coated with his blind love for his son and hence he wanted to send the sons of his brother Pandu to the land which was left by his ancestors long back. That place was left in ruins and there was no sign of habitation. It was clear partiality by Dhritarashtra, but Yudhishthira honored the decision of his uncle and decided to leave for Khandavaprastha with his brothers and mother. Yudhishthira was then coronated as king of Khandavaprastha.

Pandavas with Draupadi, Kunti, Krishna and Balarama went to the new land given to them. They performed the rituals in presence of sages and then for months worked hard to convert the ruined city into a land of their dreams. Forts and palaces were built, barren land was converted to agriculture fitting land, and with lots of efforts and hard work, Khandavaprastha was soon converted into a civilized land. They named their new capital as Indraprastha as it was no less than the abode of Indra. Krishna and Balarama stayed with them till they settle in Indraprastha. Soon the new city became the center of admiration and people started coming to settle in that new city. Brahmanas became the teachers, Kshatriyas joined the army of Indraprastha, many traders entered in hope of new businesses and people from other groups found Indraprastha as their new abode. And, Indraprastha grew in wealth and beauty under the leadership of Yudhishthira.

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