There is no gainsaying that our beloved land (Indian subcontinent) has seen better days. We have warriors like Bharat and Prithviraj Chauhan, scholars like the authors of Vedas and Puranas, poets like Veda Vyasa and Kalidasa, and a mathematician like Aryabhata. But the question is if we don’t live up to the proud tradition of the classical age, what physical or spiritual gain would be materialized if we kept harping about the past glory?
by Dipanker, 2/11/2019
A STALE DIET OF PAST GLORY Mr Jhimkaslo Jhimkona was taking air with his friend Jhantu Singh. As they rounded a bend, they accosted their old friend Bantu Singh. Bantu Singh was a character. After receiving a bachelor’s degree from a third-class college of the third-rated University of a poverty-porn state of the third world, he joined a private company. He was just a page boy over there. He, however, never cared for his poor performance in the game of life, for he believed that if one’s family members or immediate predecessors maintain high profiles, it is immaterial what he himself does or does not. He compensated his own failure by talking about his family member’s vainglorious achievements. It was, however, not known for sure how much those big talks of his kith and kin were true, but he liked to talk about them much. That day was also no exception. As soon as Jhantu Singh met Bantu Singh and Jhimkaslo Jhimkona, he launched on his favourite topic of boasting about his family members. He boasted about his IAS uncle, IPS grand uncle, Doctor aunt, Engineer grandfather, poet great-grandfather, and Jamindar (baron) great, great-grandfather. He did it for the next half an hour without any inhibition that he himself was a failure. Finally, after half an hour, when he left, Jhantu Singh heaved a deep breath of relaxation. ‘What a relaxation—what a riddance. Jeez!’ he exclaimed, mopping his forehead with a handkerchief.’ ‘Why..why…why…what happened…what he did wrong?’ Mr Jhimkona was utterly surprised at his friend’s unprecedented irritation. ‘Are you a fool or what?’ Jhantu Singh flared up, ‘That idiot kept plucking our beards for half an hour and you are saying what happened? You yourself are a character.’ Mr Jhimkaslo still looked smug and unruffled. He said, ‘He was just enlightening us with the achievements of his immediate predecessor.’ ‘Do you know what he himself is—just a page boy?’ Jhantu Singh thundered. ‘What does it matter whether his grandfather and great-grandfather were successful or not, when he himself a backbencher?’ Jhimkaslo Jhimkona smiled enigmatically and said quietly, ‘Now you understand what I feel when you Indians talk about the so-called achievements of the people 80 or 90 generations back whom no one of this generation can intemerately trace back his lineage to them! Your friend was just talking about the people of one or two generations back and you became so het up. It is not fair.’ Mr Jhimkaslo Jhimkona was the citizen of the universe and very strictly an agonist.
by Dipanker, 2/11/2019