தானம்!!!

பழுப்பும் கருப்பும் கலந்த நிறத்தில் வேட்டி,
ஒரு கை கிழிந்தும் இன்னொரு கை தோல் பட்டை வரை மடித்தும் விடபட்ட சட்டை,

லேசாய் வளைந்த ஒரு தடி,
டீ சிந்தி சிந்தி அழுக்கான தாடி, அதில்
இரண்டு நாட்களுக்கு முன் குடித்த 
சாம்பாரில் இருந்து ஒட்டிக் கொண்ட பருப்பு, அதை 
அரைகுறையாய் துடைத்த அழுக்கு கைகளுமாய் 

ஓர் முதியவர்.

புறப்படும் முன் அலறிய ட்ரெய்ன்ல், அடித்து பிடித்து ஏறி
அழு குரலில் நடு நடுங்கி
அனா கேட்டார்,

சட்டை பையை இரகசியமாய் தடவினேன்.

பசி பட்டினி என்று புலம்பினார்,
சட்டை பைக்குள் சலனமின்றி கையை விட்டேன்.

சட்டென்று காலில் விழுந்தார்,

விரலிடையில் சிக்கிய 5 ரூபாய் நாணயத்தை பின் தள்ளி,
பதற்றமின்றி தேடி எடுத்த ஒரு ரூபாயை, 
அவர் கையில் விரல் படாமல் பக்குவாய் கொடுத்தேன்.

உழைக்க சக்தி இல்லா 
ஓர் ஏழை முதியவருக்கு உதவிய பெருமிதத்துடன்
ஊராரின் சுயநல போக்கை தொடர்ந்து சாடினேன்.

Lyrics: என்னோடு நீ இருந்தால்... I (2014) - Kabilan | A R Rahman | Sid Sriram | Sunitha Sarathy

காற்றைத் தரும் காடுகளே வேண்டாம்
ஓ, தண்ணீர் தரும் கடல்கள் வேண்டாம்
நான் உண்ண, உறங்கவே பூமி வேண்டாம்
தேவை எதுவும் தேவை இல்லை
தேவை எல்லாம் தேவதையே...

என்னோடு நீ இருந்தால்
உயிரோடு நான் இருப்பேன்
என்னோடு நீ இருந்தால்
உயிரோடு நான் இருப்பேன்

என்னோடு நீ இருந்தால்
உயிரோடு நான் இருப்பேன்
என்னோடு நீ இருந்தால்
உயிரோடு நான் இருப்பேன்

என்னை நான் யார் என்று சொன்னாலும் புரியாதே
என் காதல் நீ என்று யாருக்கும் தெரியாதே
நீ கேட்டால் உலகத்தை நான் வாங்கி தருவேனே
நீ இல்லா உலகத்தில் நான் வாழ மாட்டேனே
என்னோடு நீ இருந்தால்.

உண்மைக் காதல் யாதென்றால்
உன்னை என்னை சொல்வேனே
நீயும் நானும் பொய் என்றால்
காதலைத் தேடிக் கொல்வேனே
கூந்தல் மீசை ஒன்றாக
ஊசி நூலில் தைப்பேனே
தேங்காய்க்குள்ளே நீர் போல
நெஞ்சில் கேக்கி வைப்பேனே
வத்திக்குச்சி காம்பில் ரோஜா பூக்குமா,
பூணைத் தேனைக் கேட்டால் பூக்கள் ஏற்க்குமா?
முதலை குலத்தில் மலராய் மலர்ந்தேன்
குழந்தை அருகே குரங்காய் பயந்தேன்

என்னோடு நீ இருந்தால்
உயிரோடு நான் இருப்பேன்
என்னோடு நீ இருந்தால்
உயிரோடு நான் இருப்பேன்

என்னோடு நீ இருப்பேன்
உயிரோடு நான் இருப்பேன்
என்னோடு நீ இருந்தால்
உயிரோடு நான் இருப்பேன்

So, Vote!

Disclaimer:
  • For the record, I voted and I have my own reasons for choosing to vote and I did not (and would not) vote in fear of someone pointing a finger at me.
  • Find something faulty? Tell! Try not to yell!
  • Not meant to target a community / religion / sector / gender / faith. If you find anything against your religion or faith it would solely be because of your own thoughts being faulty and I shall not in the least be held responsible for that.
  • Against your ideas? let's hear you out! offended?(though there's nothing to be offended by) talk only if you're sure you have the patience to listen back!

So, Vote!
 Image courtesy: mynameisnotmatt.com
Courtesy: mynameisnotmatt.com


‘You must vote (wisely) to choose the righteous men who could cleanse the society, my good boy’, said Anil Kishore spitting the crimson red mix that he spent 15 minutes to prepare in his mouth laboratory by tirelessly trained chewing of the velvet green Beetel leaves, with such style while gaping at the women, married, divorced or otherwise and his daughter’s aged girls alike as they passed by, as an attempt to create his own master piece of an art work on the nearest wall he managed to find as he sat at the railway station, at last to empty his mouth, though not entirely but allowing enough room for his lips to part as he speaks without spilling the hard mix on his own sweet self, just to give Munna, who was 19 years and was as thrilled to vote the first time as he had been when he had smoked secretly his father’s ‘beedi’ for the first time 8 years ago, a piece of advice to help him realize that voting is his duty and responsibility to make sure that they live in a society as clean as they have always desired, by choosing the righteous.

‘… To vote is to choose people who could understand a common man’s problems and help the public lead an untroubled life. It-is-for-the-selfless-social-cause-that-you-must-vote’, rushed the Professor of Humanities and social sciences his last sentence to completion as the lights turned to red from orange and he was grateful that he was smart enough to speed up at the last second to triumphantly escape waiting behind the line in his air conditioned cab and lose 15 precious minutes which he had intended instead to part some wisdom in his college going son to help him grow selflessly as he has, paying no heed to the honking from half a dozen assorted vehicles which have waited for their lights to turn green, which finally did but yet couldn’t go through as our Professor’s cab has not truly cleared the road but was still waiting on a queue which moves an inch every 10 seconds and lets none pass through until it clears off completely. Let’s safely assume that the son would learn about social cause though the words of his well-learned father instead of his act of ‘selflessness’.

‘Enhanced Infrastructure and enriched public facilities are the needs of the hour in this country to face the global challenges the rich countries pose and for that we ought to choose uncorrupted, well planning and aptly skilled minds with our votes so they could use the public fund efficiently to achieve all these’ declared Mr. Ramanand, serving his thirty second year and is known for his efficacy in handling finances, to his only daughter. A week back she told him of her salary hike and he was experienced enough to advise her to write her own rental receipts according to the revised HRA allowance saving her from paying up more tax towards the public fund. So wisely he had helped her to plan her annual income and minimize taxes, which he believed, claimed, and wanted her to understand, never reached the public but the elected and those trusted by the majority, the corrupted white collared politico. He did not have to tell her that at least he felt it that way, no, she’s grown enough to understand that through the revealing of scandals time to time. She has imbibed in her mind with thanks to her father that her hard earned money should never reach a corrupted individual’s pocket and has ensured that by opting for lawful or unlawful (well, she knows how to play it safe) options.

‘Tolerance towards the diversity of population and treating everyone without discrimination is the fundamental quality of a good leader. We ought to choose someone who’s secular and free from prejudicing’ preached Mr. Joshi, tossing the seventh photograph he had rejected that day for a bride for his son, quoting without giving it a moment of a second thought that they belong to a different caste and he has informed the matchmaker to find a bride in his own community, rejecting the other communities already. ‘Only a girl of our own society knows the tradition and acts understandingly. We can’t have a girl from a different group with ridiculous habits, living under our roof’, he added, remembering the ladies he had seen the other day with their sarees worn different from the women in his household.

‘I would prefer a leader who could patiently examine a problem and work out peaceful measures to handle any situation without rushing to get it over and be done with it’ observed Mr.lost-my-bachelorhood-two-years-ago for the astonishment of his wife and mother who exchanged looks of bewilderment, both thinking of how he had, while they both were busy with a sound argument in the process of deciding what to do with his father’s policy returns, yelled at them both, fortunately without taking any sides, to end the matter abruptly with no decision made and settled the matter peacefully (according to him) by silencing them, using their fears against them.

Now, why did you vote? Why do you vote? Why will you vote?

If by voting you mean to choose someone who’s rightful, loyal, uncorrupted, selfless, secular, non-prejudicial, thoughtful, patient, witty, tactful, non-arrogant, savvy and a kind leader and crow that you’ve played your part sincerely as a dutiful citizen of this country, I would, like many others, envy the blissful happiness you enjoy through doubtless ignorance.

Voting an individual or a party to power and expecting them to be of all that you believe to be the ideal virtues while you enjoy going back to being your normal self (though being selfish, arrogant, irresponsible, indifferent to others’ suffering, putting-oneself-first, prejudicial and complaining is not strictly considered to be normal, but in practical usage it is allowed to be termed so) appears not much as an act of a dutiful citizen, though you claim to have become one by just voting.

You’d have seen people becoming all patriotic watching India play against Pak. in a cricket match final and looking at those with accusing eyes, who do not find cheering up the players sitting in front of a television by shouting makes any sense at all, for first of all it’s just a game and then the television does not have a microphone that could take your cheers and curses to the players at any rate.

The very same people who cursed their own government for the ruined roads, poor traffic regulation, delayed public transportation, inefficient public offices management, timeless power shutdowns, delayed and denied justice in a well-known public affair, aimless administration, powerless policemen, pointless political dramas, hunger, corruption, unemployment, discrimination, partiality, political influence and such, all of a sudden become all patriotic when they were advocated ‘Voting is your Duty!’.

Not often (I would not say never, for basically it is not at all necessarily for someone to say, once in a while it does appear and instantly be dismissed in their minds) does anyone propagandise that ‘Being rightful is your duty! Being responsible is your duty! Being kind to those who suffer is your duty! Standing against social injustice is your duty! Standing against the corrupt is your duty! Helping the unable is your duty!’ so much as they brandish ‘Voting is your duty (within brackets in invisible text, ‘you could have been anything in the past and you could be anything in the future just temporarily pretend that you’re a dutiful citizen, for voting is the Jackpot duty that carries much weightage against all other stupidities such as being selfless and being responsible day in and day out’)’.

Thanks to the trending selfies, now voting has become more fashionable.

But, could a person who has neglected all his ‘duties’ towards another human being and has only voted to prove his sincerity be held at a higher position than someone who is totally aware of his responsibilities towards the community and tries his best not to falter consciously and chooses not to vote for he has lost his faith in voting because of his experiences of the past (or rather practical evidences)?

Is it not the same as tagging a person who could do all sins he desires and asks for forgiveness in front of God as Good and those who do not believe in fooling others and their own self in the name of God but be righteous towards the society to the best of his consciousness as infidel and evil?

You do not want to entrust a part of your funds which in the form of tax be handled by those whom you elect and silently admit your mistrust by meticulously planning your policies. You criticize their ideas for it was not familiar to you. You call them fools for not looking at something with your eyes. You look down at them with disgust when they’re accused with scandals though it might be proved to be true or not. You curse them for making you take diversion for they have to use the ‘common road’ all for themselves. You envy them for how they get to riches from rags. You hate them for deceiving your trust. You loathe those who voted and supported the one you didn't want to be on power for his ideas aren't alike your own.

But the general propaganda is, ‘Be it anything, just Vote!’

So, Vote, I advise!

இனிய நீயும் நானும்

மூக்கின் நுனி
முதலாம் கனி;

பூவின் மடல்
பூவை உடல்;

ஈர முகம்
தீரா சுகம்;

பட்டுத் துணி
ஈரிமைகள் இனி;

பெண்ணின் விழி
வெள்ளிப் பனி;

மடியில் நானும்
மனதில் நாணம்;

மோக முத்தம்
யாக வெப்பம்;

தென்றல் வீசும்
தோள்கள் பேசும்;

தேன் சுரக்கும்
நா மணக்கும்

ஊமை கழுத்து
உயிர்மெய் எழுத்து;

சங்கின் தன்மை
விழியின் வெண்மை;

பேசும் புருவம்
கூட்டும் கர்வம்;

நெற்றித் திலகம்
அழகின் கழகம்;

மேக மெய்கள்
சேரும் கைகள்;

முனகள் சத்தம்
மூச்சின் சந்தம்;

பற்கள் பதியும்
பாதம் அதிலும்;

முன்னும் பின்னும்
முறிந்திட சொல்லும்;

இதழ்கள் தவழும்
இடையும் துவளும்;

வார்த்தை போதும்
வார்த்தாய் யாதும்;

இனிய

நீயும் நானும்
வானின் கானம்.