An Artist In Making

Today, on 24 Feb 2014, a great thing happened to me. An incident which gave me a memory of a lifetime. Excited? You need a hint?

This incident reminded me of a quote by Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother, which is, 

"Great things are not necessarily the things which you do, they'll also be the things which happen to you."

Got it? No? Well, read on.

Today's incident was one of such "Great" things which happened to me.
 

My friends & I, went to see off our old friend to the Bus Stand on Shivajinagar In Pune. It was very quiet out there at the time. Well it was supposed to be as it was freaking 12 am in the morning. When we entered into the bus station we came across a group of people sleeping on the floor. Many homeless people and those who had buses late at night, had decided to lay on the floors for a while. For all those, who are familiar with bus/railway stations in India, this is not new. When we entered into the bus stand it was the first thing we all noticed. I felt bad; many people don't have a home to go to & many don't have anywhere to travel to either. Homeless people choose to live/rest on the streets, or the bus stands or the railway stations. But this is not why I'm writing…


I'm writing because I spotted a guy with a red shirt, sitting right inside one of the groups of people sleeping on the floor. Many great painters (artists) - artists like Leonardo Da Vinci - found an inspiration in women, beauty etc. But our artist in the red shirt found an inspiration on the bus stand. Do you know what he was doing? Yes, you guessed it right. He was drawing people sleeping on the floor! 

My first reaction was, what's he doing?

What caught my attention was that he was good; great actually. I couldn't help but click some pics of our artist in red shirt without his permission from a distance. He was so engrossed in his drawing that he hardly cared for what people might think. He didn't lose his focus. He was very careful with every stroke of his pencil. The way his strokes ran in his drawing book made me even more curious. I had to know whether he knew what he was doing. Now I had to go over & see for myself what he was drawing. I went close to him & had a peak. I was facing his back so he couldn't see me peeking in. (I always preferred to approach strangers stealthily. Especially women; because that way they won't get any chance to run away as soon as they see me.) 

I had to take a look at his work. I was starting to wonder whether he was another homeless mad fellow

When I saw what he did, I was speechless. 

I have seen many artists draw, but this guy had something; something which told me that he could be the next Leonardo or Picasso; something which told me that you can't achieve anything in life without determination & hard work. Many people of his age might do something unproductive at 12 am in the morning but our artist was different. He decided to spend his time wisely doing something he loves.

Now that I have seen his beautiful sketch, I had to talk to him. (Yes I'm creepy! I do that a lot; especially with girls. No, I'm definitely not creepy.) I had so many questions for him. I had to ask who he was & what he was doing & why he choose this place for his passion. I went to talk to him; barrage him with questions like - What's your name? What do you study? What he was doing on a bus stand in the middle of a night? 

He told me that his name was Viky (name changed) and that he was a student of **** college from Pune. (I acted as if I know that college which was followed by a surprising expression of his face. I reckoned that he figured that I'm not from around here because as it turns out, there is no such college with that name anywhere in Pune. Now, I'm convinced his name was fake too) He told me, that he choose this place & time because it was peaceful at night on the bus stand. I asked his permission to click some pictures of his work. He was very shy & introvert. (Or ashamed of something he was doing?) After taking a few pictures of his drawing book, he left. He left in a jiffy. I figured, he was probably getting late (for something or someone?). He was out my sight in a few seconds but I felt like I could see him leave in a slow motion. 

First Sketch

Second Sketch

Even though he had left, I couldn't focus on anything else but him. I tried but couldn't; may be because I thinking about how even though our country has so many great artists, they don't choose their passion as a career. Instead they go for something which their family wants them to do. Could he be one of those who'll go on to become an engineer just because he is a boy? Or perhaps a doctor? I wondered whether there are only these two professions left in the entire world. But let's hope he's different; his parents are different. Let's hope he gets really good with his drawing & holds an exhibition somewhere; somewhere in this huge world. Keep looking for him people, he might be our next Picasso or Leonardo or just another engineer or a BPO employee. I'm hopeful that one day he'll be a great artist.

"But it's not what we want "them" to do, but it's what they "love" to do…"

Written by Rishikesh G. Pande

Originally written on 24 Feb, 2014

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The name's 'Pande' not 'Pandey'

Recently a student named Nido Tania (19 years old) from Arunachal Pradesh died in the heart & soul of India, at Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi. And why? - because he had different hair colour than everybody else did. And I'm just getting started.

Nido Tania, 19

It's shame that India and its citizens, even after 65 years of independence, have not accepted Northeastern people as a part of this country. Those same Northeasterners who have fought the mighty China & Pakistan shrugging shoulders along with the rest of the Indians. It's a shame that India and its citizens call Northeasterners a 'Chinese'. Let me make it clear here that there is nothing wrong with being a 'Chinese'. But calling our very own people 'Chinese' -- meaning not Indians, hurts. It hurts to all those who live in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh & other Northeastern states. And it hurts me. I know I'm not Northeasterner & I can't possibly imagine what it must feel like being discriminated against.

But wait a minute -- I do know how does it feels to be discriminated against in your own country.

I was in Mumbai or so called the 'city of dreams' for a while. And let me be honest, it was best time & the worst time of my life. Best because I was enjoying the freedom that was bestowed upon me by this great city. And worst because at every step, I felt discriminated. Now you must be wondering why? Read the title again. Yes, I think you got it. At every step, I was being asked whether I was 'Pandey' as in 'Chulbul Pandey' and whether i'm from Bihar or UP. Every time I replied with these questions -- why? Why does it matter if it's Pandey or Pande? What's going to happen to me if I say 'Yes', I'm from Bihar or UP? What's going to happen if I say 'No'? How does my being Pandey or Pande change our relationship? Am I going to get any special treatment if I am from Bihar or UP?

Hate crimes, xenophobia or racism - you can give any name to it you want, but the basic fact is people are being discriminated against only because they belong from different part of the country. But the real question is why?

There are many reasons for people being discriminated against because of their - looks, gender, origin, language, but the basic reason behind it is -- fear of 'Unknown'. By 'Unknown' I mean -- lack of knowledge of something or someone. People are discriminated against  just because society does not know them or simply not aware about them. May be because many people migrate from other parts of the country we never have been to. Now here, it's important to understand why people migrate in the first place.

People migrate for two reasons. Firstly, they may wish to get away from the things that they do not like. These are called push factors and include:-

• not enough and poorly paid jobs
• old and poor quality houses
• natural disasters - earthquakes, volcanoes, wars
• few opportunities - shopping centers, cinema, food, schools, hospitals
• poor transport

Secondly, people are attracted to the things that they do like. These are called pull factors and include:-

• more and better paid jobs
• new and good quality houses
• better education - more opportunities
• improved medical care
• better transport

Now here, it's important to note that in the constitution of India, India is referred to as 'Union of states' rather than 'federation of states'. This is because Indian constitution is a mixture of both -- Federal and Unitary government. The reason why I'm mentioning this is that the Indian constitution follows the principle of 'Single citizenship'. It means India doesn't have a separate constitution for center and state governments. In other words, It means our constitution is supreme and every Indian has a right to move around the entire country without any problem.

Now the same benign migration, which by the way is nothing new, but you know that by now, has been given a heinous turn. Over the past few years, some politicians including -- the one who was too cool to stay in 'Sena' & went on to form his own 'Sena' -- have been vocally against such migration. It's such a shame that a fellow Indian has turned against another fellow Indian because of such politicians. Remember when we were all kids and we used to pledge something like this,

“India is my country. All Indians are my brothers and sisters. I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage. I shall strive to be worthy of it. I shall respect my parents, teachers and all elders and treat everyone with courtesy. To my country and all my people, I pledge my devotion. In their well being and prosperity alone lies my happiness.”

Remember we used to call our fellow Indians as 'brothers' and 'sisters' and not 'Bhaiya'?
Look at us. What happened? What's changed?

What happened was some politicians turned us against our very own just because they were 'different' for their own purposes. It's such a shame that we couldn't even realize when it happened. It's such a shame that not a single person walked out on these demagogues & greedy politicians. Not a single person stood for what was the right thing to do. And because of what we didn't do we have lost a young boy,Nindo, who could have done a great service to our country. As I always say,

"We are responsible for happening or not happening of something and everything."

Just because we failed to understand these 'Unknown' people, today, we have lost Nido. And it's such a shame that a bright student had to die to make us realize our mistake. What mistake you ask? Let’s look it up in our Constitution.

In our constitution, we have a preamble, 448 articles in 25 parts and 12 schedules. Our preamble contains brief summary of our entire written constitution. Preamble reads,

"WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:JUSTICE, social, economic and political;LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;and to promote among them allFRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION."

 

See? Our very own preamble clearly says that 'We' have a right to equality of opportunity (articles 14-18). It says that we are supposed to treat each other as brothers & sisters & assure the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation. So what if Nindo went to Delhi for further education. So what if I went to Mumbai for employment opportunities. So what if 'Bhaiyas' of Bihar or UP came to Mumbai or Delhi for employment or education.  Where did I go wrong? Where did 'Bhaiyas' went wrong? And where did Nindo went wrong? What was Nido's fault that he had to be beaten up so bad that he died?

It's times like these that we have to step back & see what we have given to our society. It's times like these that we have to look in the mirror & identify the 'devil'. It's times like these that we end the fear of 'Unknown' by simply educating the masses about our culture. It's times like these we should arrange cross-cultural programs throughout the country on a larger scale. It’s times like these we have to come to terms that India’s political and constitutional structure is pluralistic. Its citizens must internalise the idea that we are a nation of diverse groups of people who need not necessarily resemble one another. Come on, we can do this. It's India we are talking about. The Same country which was supposed to fail because of religious and cultural diversity. But we didn't fail. We succeeded. We succeeded against Polio which killed my 15 year old sister. And we can do it one more time. We can end Racism if we want to. But it's true what they say,

"First step in solving any problem, is recognizing there is one."

Let's accept that we have a problem and start working on solving it. We can & we will end Racism.

Jai Hind
Jai Bharat

Written by Rishikesh Pande

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Why I don't attend functions held on 15 August & 26 January

15 August & 26 January have a very special place in the hearts of Indians (and Pakistanis). On 15 August 1947, India became independent. Before that, the British ruled our nation for over 150 years. I don't have to get into detailed account of how we won our freedom, but it's important to note that we did.

Now the point of discussion here is, why I don't attend functions held on the two most important days in India's history. Am I anti-nationalist? Am I any lesser patriotic than any other Indian if I don't attend them? I have simple answers for them, but before I tell you what they are, I have to discuss some issues associated with these important dates.

The first problem is, many Indians, after 66 years of independence, have forgotten what freedom means and to love one's motherland. Instead of celebrating independence with each & every day of our calendar year, we have started to celebrate it for two days. Many Indians, for some reason, believe that they are patriots & love their country if they celebrate independence for two days; it is nothing less than a delusion as love for their motherland is soon forgotten in a few days time. It is stupid to love your own country for merely two days instead of loving her for 365 days of the calendar year. I don't really blame them. When we all were in school, colleges or in similar educational institutions, we all did the same. Probably that's the reason we continue to do so in our adult life. But that is no excuse for this grave mistake. When we were kids, various functions were held for only two days not because they couldn't but because they didn't think it was necessary. Now in our adult life, if we choose not to love our independence throughout the the year, that is our fault and not school’s.

Before we continue, I want to point out that, there is nothing wrong in celebrating independence on these two dates. I'm not saying you shouldn't celebrate our independence. I'm saying the feeling you have when you celebrate independence day on two occasions, should be same throughout the calendar year. And NO, i'm not anti-nationalist either. I do love my country and I do celebrate independence day and republic day but I do so in a different way than you people.

Now secondly, many Indians have started to give independence day a glamorous look. By glamorous I mean, people dress up in Khadi or white clothes, go out & have fun. While I'm not against the glamorization of Indians, I am, however, against the fashion business industry which uses these important days for promotion of their company's clothes. I am also against people who think that they are more patriotic than the rest of the people just because they wore special clothes. It is wrong of people to send a message that, you are patriotic just because you own/bought/wore white clothes or Khadi & wore it for two days. If you really love your country, why don't you start wearing similar clothes throughout the year?

Thirdly, many Indians have started to look at these two important dates as 'Holidays'. I'm deeply hurt when people refer to these dates as a holidays instead of an anniversary of something remarkable. It is very shallow and stupid, to refer to these dates as 'Holidays'.

Fourthly, suddenly when these two dates are near, people, mostly children, start buying national flags. How idiotic that is. If you think you are patriotic by buying these flags, think again; they should be given respect and should be with you throughout the year & not only on two occasions. By buying national flags, and attending functions held, you are not going to be a patriot. Instead of paying respects to these flags that they deserve, they are later found in the garbage or on the streets. How pathetic is that.

India's flag and emblem

So far we have seen the problems related to these dates in short. Now I would like to tell you the reason for my absences from functions held on concerned dates. The reason is, for me, love for India or motherland is not bound by time or date. I love my India every day & my love for her never deteriorate like the rest of the Indians. I don't feel any less patriotic on any other day than I do on these days. I love my national flag & anthem (and song) on all days of a year. It is as simple as that. Secondly, no show off is needed. If you really love your country, you should not just talk about it, but you should act on it. In other words -

"action speaks louder than words."

Thirdly, the most important thing that I do is respect my constitution. We have, in our constitution, some fundamental rights & duties. Just as one knows and uses his/her own fundamental rights, one should also perform his/her fundamental duties. I not only use my fundamental rights prescribed in the constitution but also abide by fundamental duties prescribed in the same constitution. We forget the fact that we have some moral or ethical obligations towards our country.

And finally, My love for India is not a one night stand, it is a lifelong commitment to my motherland.

So this year, when you go out to buy white/Khadi clothes, remember that you are not supposed to. Remember to respect our national flag and national anthem - be careful with the national flags. Remember, it’s not a ‘Holiday’ but celebration of anniversary of something remarkable.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.

Written by Rishikesh Pande

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The Comet

Comets are flirty, they come into ur life for a short period of time. Its all great for a while. You're on cloud 9. And suddenly they leave keeping you stranded in blink of an eye.

This separation doesn't affect comets. They are same as before they met you. But you, on the other hand, are left with broken pieces of your heart.

Comet ISON

And then starts the unending recovery process. First you feel anger. You're very angry because the comet has left you. Then comes the part when you're really sad. Now you start to pick up pieces of your heart & try to fit them together to be 'whole' again. But you now realize, the pieces you picked up, are stranger to you. You can't even recognize 'em let alone fit them together.

In short, you can't be & will never be, 'whole' again. There will be heart in your body, but it would be foreign to you & vice versa.

And then you come across a quote, which will make you feel a little better for time being.
Quotes like :

"Every person has some reason to be there in your life. When that reason is over, they leave."

But get this, not these quotes, no person, nothing, can make you feel better or whole again.


You gotta live with a broken heart, a heart which is stranger to you & vice versa. And now you do something, one thing, which changes everything for you & the world you live in;

You start flirting with another comet…

Written by Rishikesh Pande
Originally written on 21 November 2013

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