Russian Revolution

I have started reading Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago based on Russian Revolution. I haven's read much on Russian Revolution except for my MA part 2 exam. I had a whole question for 25 marks on second world war and Russian Revolution but just like all other students I read it from the notes only. No extra reading.

But that reading also I found very interesting and I still remember that I wrote more than 15 full scape pages on it. (Yo !)

But this is the time to learn it from real sources. I had read Ayn Rand's We The Living long back. The book is also based on communists takeover in Russia. The story narrated in the novel is between 1922 to 1925 but it is against Communist regime.

Her theory of individualism became very popular in America and her other books like The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged promotes the same. But wait she cannot claim the whole credit for that. Much before her, Karl Marx came with the theory of alienation (in terms of workers).

Marx's Theory of Alienation says that it is the impact of capatalism. It occures because each one (workers) contribute to the common work but they do not get individual satisfaction out it. The reason he gave was that of the production system was privately owned and workers were mere instruments.

So back on Zhivago, I think instead of going for hardcore informative books, I should start with novel like Doctor Zhivago.

My colleague has also given me DVD of Doctor Zhivago but I want to finish the book first.

शोध धाडसी मराठी लेखिकेचा

पुस्तकांचं कपाट साफ करताना अनेक पुस्तकं बाहेर पडली. त्यातली काही वाचलेली आणि काही न वाचलेली. मग पुन्हा मनात प्लॅन तयार केला की एवढ्या दिवसांत एवढी पुस्तकं वाचायची आणि मगच नवीन पुस्तक घ्यायचं. बघुया १,१११व्यांदा केलेला हा प्लॅन पूर्ण होतो का ते...

या पुस्तकांमध्ये रक्षंदा जलालने संकलित केलेलं Neither Night Nor Day हे पुस्तक सापडलं. पाकिस्तानी लेखिकांनी लिहिलेल्या खूप सुंदर कथा यामध्ये आहेत. त्यात सर्वात मला आवडलेली कथा होती The Tounge निखत हसनची.

या कथेमध्ये एका राज्यातील लोकांची जीभ छाटून टाकण्याची प्रथा आहे. जिभेमुळे (म्हणजे विनाकारण बडबड करून ) कोणे एके काळी म्हणे या राज्यावर संकट आलं. दुष्काळ पसरला, गावंच्या गावं ओस पडू लागली म्हणून मग तिथल्या एका धर्मगुरूने आदेश काढला याला कारणीभूत जीभ आहे आणि तिला छाटून टाका.

तेव्हापासून फक्त राज्याचा राजा सोडला तर सगळ्यांच्या जीभा कापून टाकण्यात येतात आणि त्यानंतर काय आश्चर्य तर राज्याचा कारभार सुरळीत सुरू होतो. राज्याची भरभराट होते कारण लोक एकमेकांशी बोलूच शकत नाहीत आणि फक्त मान मोडून काम करतात. त्यांचा बडबडण्याचा वेळ सत्कारणी लावला जातो.

पण एक दिवस राजाच्या लक्षात येतं की इथल्या एका मुलीला जीभ नसूनही ती खूप बडबड केल्यासारखा आवाज काढते आहे. तिच्या जवळ गेल्यावर लक्षात येतं की तिची जीभ लहानपणीच छाटली असली तरी जिभेचं मूळ मात्र हळूहळू उगवतयं. मग संपूर्ण राज्याची पाहणी केल्यावर त्याच्या हेच दृश्य पाहून तो हादरून जातो.

थोडक्यात सर्वसामान्यांची मुस्कटदाबी सहज होऊ शकत नाही. त्याला वाचा ही फुटतेच.

कसला जबरदस्त अर्थ या कथेत लपला आहे. काल पुस्तक हाती आल्यावर मी कथा दोनदा वाचून काढली आणि वाचता वाचता खूप एजाँयही केली.

असाच आनंद मला इस्मत चुगतईच्या कथाही भरपूर देतात. चुगतई हिची 'लिफाह' कथाही माझी आवडती आहे. ज्याकाळामध्ये लैंगिक विषयावर बोलणं हेच पाप होतं त्या काळामध्ये दोन स्त्रियांमधील लैंगिक संबंधांवर (लेस्बियन रिलेशन) प्रकाश टाकणारी ही गोष्ट आहे. सगळ्यात महत्त्वाचं म्हणजे खूपच मजेशीर पद्धतीने ती लिहिली आहे की त्यात कुठेही अश्लीलतेचा अंशही नाही. ही कथा मी दोन्ही वेळा इंग्रजीमध्येच वाचली. एकदा मनुश्रीच्या अंकात आणि Lifting The Veil या अनुवादीत संग्रहात. पण मला ही कथा मूळ ऊर्दू किंवा हिंदीतून वाचायची आहे.

स्त्री लेखिकांचा विषयच निघालाय म्हणून आणखी काही उल्लेख करावेसे वाटतात. त्यात तेहनीमा दुर्रानीला मी टाळूच शकत नाही. तिच्या लेखनाच्या शैलीपेक्षा तिने आयुष्यात घेतलेले अनुभव खूपच भारी आहेत. My Feudal Loard आणि Blasphemy ही पुस्तकं अंगावर काटा आणतात. विशेषतः दुसरं पुस्तकं ढोंगी संत-मौलवी परंपरेवर ताशेरे ओढतं.

पाकिस्तानातल्या रूढीवादी समाजावर खूपच बोल्ड लिखाण तहनीमाच्या दोन्ही पुस्तकात वाचायला मिळतं.
आणखीन खूप साऱ्यांबद्दल लिहावंसं वाटतंय पण यादी खूप मोठ्ठी आहे न संपणारी.

मात्र मराठीत अशा कथा मात्र बऱ्याच दिवसांत वाचायला मिळालेल्या नाहीत याची खंत वाटते. कोणी मराठीतल्या अशा धाडसी लेखिका मला सुचवेल का?

Representation to be given or not to be....

Finally, after terror attacks in Mumbai, I Am back to my mission. I was busy and very much disturbed after attacks that could not concentrate on reading. I was just reading new theories floated by newspapers about terror attacks.

I had started reading Timeri Muarri's Taj Mahal-A Story of Mughal India. But it was too slow and I hardly finish 100 pages. Finally I dumped it.

On the backdrop of attacks I saw a book 13 December: A Reader The Strange Case of The Attack On The Indian Parliament, which I had borrowed from my brother. I was lying in book stand from months.

I just picked up and started reading. First few pages of the book gave me a feeling that how Muslim community in our country has very less representation or sometimes no representation at all.

The main accused of the case Afzal Guru did not get any chance to properly represent himself before the Court. He himself fought his case and sometimes cross-questioned the opponents.

But when Hindus were arrested in connection with Malegaon blast, Shiv Sena and other Hindu right wing parties declared legal aid to them.

When Afzal asked for legal help these same Hindu right wing parties cried that how can a terrorist get a legal help.

Now the issue has again come for discussion as Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, a terrorists caught alive after terror attacks in Mumbai, has been denied any legal help by Mumbai Bar Association.
They say "It is unconstitutional to refuse to lend legal aid to any accused. But crime was too horrendous to deserve any sympathy."

The case of Afzal and Kasab is denitely different. The police could not prove Afzal's direct involvement in attack on Parliament and here Kasab was seen in photos and CCTV footage, attacking people.

But our Constitution talks about a fundamental right to defend entitled to even a foreign national. Now atleast he (Kasab) would know what fundamental right means!

But question is still unanswered representation to be given to him or not to be?

Second Hand Book Shop

Last week I had been to a famous second hand book shop near Metro with a friend. I had always seen the shop but never purchased anything. I had a real good deal for three books. One I got Timeri Murari's Taj, A Story of Mughal India for Rs 130. Another was Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy for Rs 100 only. This was recommended by the friend. He said it one of the novels based on French Revolution, so I picked it. I got a nice and rare book for my friend Arthur Koestaler's hanged by the neck for just Rs 40. So he is happy over the visit.

And the total comes even less than Rs 200 can you imagine! I am planning to go there one more time. Hunting for more rare books.

My first book...

I don't know about which book I should write first. A Marathi book or an English or Hindi would do? Should I talk about Khalid Housenni's 'The Kite Runner' or 'A Thousands Splendid Sons ' which I liked more.

I cannot forget my other favorite author Mohasin Hamid with his master piece 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist'. But 'Moth Smoke' is more close to my heart. How about the 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J D Salinger. No this is one of the recent books and then I would be doing injustice with my rearlier read books. May be 'The Bluest Eye' by Toni Morrison the most recent one I read.

But why English only? I can definitely write about my most favorite Sadaat Hasan Manto. His 'Thanda Goshta' is the best story I ever read. Even Amruta Pritam's autobiography 'Rasadi Ticket' can be discussed.

No I think I would start with Marathi. The last Marathi a book I read was Uttam Bandu Tupe's 'Jhulawa'. Vilas Sarang's 'Dahashatwad' was also a good one. Bhau Padhye's 'Sargical Ward No 7' was also among the recent books I read. May be Anil Barve's 'Thack You Mr Glad' or 'Dongar Mhatara Jhala'. One more I forgot India Goswami's autobiography 'Ardhi Murdhi'.

I think the confusion is increasing and I need to actually start writing about it.... Here I start....