आर्यभूमि

आज मुझे देर हो रही थी। कायदे से तो मैं समय से पंद्रह बीस मिनट पहले ही चल रहा था, मगर रिक्शे के गुज़र जाने का समय हो चुका था। सोमवार से शुक्रवार, बस एक नजर भर देखना मानो कोई पुरानी रिवायत जैसी थी, जिसे मन, बिना सवाल किए, रोज निभाने को दृढ़संकल्प था। मैं हड़बड़ाहट में घर से निकला, साइकिल उठाई और इस उम्मीद में कि वो रिक्शा भी लेट हो, चल पड़ा। थोड़ी दूर पर वो रिक्शा नजर आया और उसमें बैठी वो भी, जिसका नाम भी मुझे नहीं पता, मगर जो अनजान भी नहीं थी। सुकून से भरा मैं, अपने गंतव्य की ओर चल पड़ा।

India lives on farmers and middle-class runs it, thou no one gives a damn to both of them. Middle class values, often considered as gaucherie and mocked upon by haut monde , who consider themselves way above the rest. However, this middle class sends the maximum number of engineers, doctors and civil servants, who literally run the country. I come from the same fragile yet strong middle class. This is from the chapter of my life, which was full of struggles yet was pleasant. I am sure, many, with middle class small town roots, can relate to it.  Shivsagar, a newly built colony during the decade of 1990s, built over the dampened barren land, primarily occupied by water and water hyacinth, a plant with expansionist's mindset, which occupies every inch possible, once get itself rooted in a water body. The colony was built by explicitly filling up sands brought from outside. Situated in the northern part of Bihar, city named Darbhanga, the administration of which is located ...

Indian middle class can be inspiration for many developed countries on how to utilise the resources. They can also be inspiration for poor countries on how to find happiness in scarcity. You may be surprised to see the household stuffs if these middle class, who otherwise would have costed them an arm and a leg, but with patience and over a period of time they achieve their goal During one summer of 1990s, we went to another town to attend a grand Mithila wedding of our family. Which meant, our rented accomodation would remain vacant and locked for weeks. Our schools were closed and hence it was also a bonus summer camp for us, including all our cousins.  We enjoyed the month long stay and came back to our home, only to know our home had unwanted visitors in our absence. The thieves.  It was a shock for us. My parents must have had tough times. All our utensils, new set of clothes, winter clothes, toys, piggy banks and many goodies, that we have forgot by now,...