Marital Rape: A right or a crime?

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शायद वो आज भी मेरे साथ होती.....

उसकी हर मुस्कराहट के पीछे एक राज़ था, 

उसकी हर अदा का एक अलग अंदाज़ था !

खनकती पायल जैसी उसकी आवाज़ थी, 

लहराते फूल जैसी उसकी काया थी !

हर दोस्त को खुद से बढ़कर चाहती थी , 

पर अपना दर्द किसी को न बताती थी !

उसकी हंसी में गम की झलक मिला करती थी, 

पर वो मुख से कुछ न कहा करती थी !

सुबह - शाम हंसती खिलखिलाती थी, 

पर रात के अँधेरे में खुद को भी ना ढूँढ पाती थी !

एक दिन अचानक क्या बात हुई,

कहने लगी , " मैं अब कभी वापस ना आउंगी "

उसके इन शब्दों ने मानो मुझे व्यामोह में दाल दिया था, 

इस अनपेक्षित संयोग को बूझना मेरी प्रज्ञा से परे था!

काश मैंने उस वक्त पूछा होता कि उसकी व्यथा क्या थी,

काश मैंने उसे रोकने की एक भी कोशिश की होती!

तब शायद आज हमारी दोस्ती की भी कोई कथा होती,

तब शायद वो आज भी मेरे साथ होती ! 

Our perpetual intolerance!

The Gujarat government has banned a book, Great Soul; Mahatma Gandhi and His struggle with India written by Joseph Lelyveld, a Pulitzer prize winning author and a former editor of New York Times. Veerappa Moily, the Union Law Minister said that the book should be banned but changed his opinion later. The Maharashtra government is contemplating the ban. The Congress leaves the decision to the government.  

The controversy is with regards to the sexual preferences of Gandhi mentioned in the book. The author has also been accused of calling Gandhi a racist. The author denies the use of the word "bisexual" for Gandhi, and says that the word racist was used in a limited context relating to a single phrase and not to Gandhi's whole set of attitudes or history in South Africa. 

In another and very familiar case of irrational intolerance, the book hasn't been read by the people who have banned it. The same happened earlier with Jaswant Singh, a senior BJP politician wrote Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence.

Two things are quite evident here. First that we cannot accept a view that deviates from the standard larger than life image of Gandhi. Second that bisexuality seemed offensive is a reflection of our narrow-mindedness. In the wake of recognising the LGBT communities, this war cry over a mention of his German-Jewish bodybuilder lover, Hermann Kallenbach in the book seems simply hypocritical.  

Narendra Modi, CM of Gujarat, said Lelyveld should apologize publicly for "hurting the sentiments of millions of people."

This attitude shows the obsession we have as a nation to narrow social mindsets, even when we claim to be modernized and developed. The release of a book brings with it complications that may even throw an entire nation off-track.  Why portray these typical human characteristics? If the book hurts sentiments, don’t read it. The author’s freedom of expression is being thwarted. This right seems to be losing its value, as those who write or say something which is against the thinking of people in power; it is immediately destined to be banned. 

Joseph Lelyveld has said that “In a country (India) that calls itself a democracy, it is shameful to ban a book that no one has read.”

The newspapers also reported that the word "bisexual" has been used for Gandhi. Now, why would the media also rely on hearsay?

We live in a country that is run by some dogmatic individuals, where the media, at times, acts quite impulsively. It’s nice to be in the limelight by creating controversy but let’s not damage the very essence of writing a book.

( Published on www.simcnow.simcug.edu.in )  

शाख से टूटे पत्ते की तरह .......

शाख से  टूटे  पत्ते  की  तरह 

                                         मुझे अपनी  ज़िन्दगी  का  इल्म  ना रहा  !

आज भी  उस  ही  रहा पे  खड़े  तेरा  इंतज़ार  करते  हैं 

                                         जहाँ  तूने ये  हाथ छोड़ा  था  !

कभी ज़िन्दगी हमसे रुसवा हुआ करती थी,

                        आज हम ज़िन्दगी से रुसवा होकर मौत क होने को तयार हैं !!