Manufacturing India: Expectation from NaMo

It is good that finally NaMo is the prime ministerial candidate of the main opposition group of the country. Many in the country wish him to bring a victory for the NDA, the alliance group. If the major minority community doesn’t become partisan and vote in the interest of the country, NaMo may get an opportunity for changing the course of this country and may get a chance to bring back the past glory of the country and more so the growth.

Many have expressed their varying views and counter views about the possibility of getting NaMo on the national stage.

Some are critical too, as I could see in a debate on NDTV channel. But I only wish the leaders of the major minority community change their mind and appreciate that India is also the homeland of a large number of other minority community too and learn from them.

I feel pity for some political outfits and their leader, particularly Nitish Kumar. His opposition of Modi rather his every statement after the breakup with BJP is just opportunistic and so shallow. How does he justify the expenses from the taxpayers money on his advisor, Pawan Kumar Verma to just attend the debates and discussions on TV channels? How is Bihar getting benefitted out of that?

What I wish from this change is the total overhaul of the new government priority about taking the country in the manufacturing in big way and that too in every areas from high-end to low-end of technologies.

India must produce, compete and export everything that the people all over the world need. And more importantly, it stops importing items that are not essential copying what the so called developed countries has done. It must stop exporting its raw materials such as cotton, iron ores or anything where a larger value additions is possible before export. However, it must export in time rather than allowing rotting of the food produces, be it grains, vegetables, milk or fruits.

The country must put good education from primary to post Ph.D levels and right skilling of all the working population as its top priority. It must work for the conservation of the resources, for improving the productivity, and for effective interaction between the industry and academics.

Whatever I wish may be utopian, but how can the present way of running the government machinery be justified. Why should not India be the best place for doing business? Why should not there be a numerical target instead of allocation of certain amount of money for different projects? Why should there be no accountability built in the system?

Why can’t India be comparable to the other developed countries in five years time frame or in a decade in at least few basic things? Why can’t India build some global brands? Why can’t some 10 Indian universities be in the list of globally best ones?

Will NaMo present a dream to the people of the country that makes him different?

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Manufacturing India: CAD

The Indian economists and many columnists in past few weeks have been discussing CAD (Current Account Deficit) so much that today even a commoner knows the reason of worries of the government. CAD most simply is the difference between the revenue from the export and the expenditure on the import. In a simpler language, if a country goes on importing more than it exports, it finally gets into a serious crisis for its economy. India is in that crisis.

Unfortunately, with the rise in growth of revenue for few years the present UPA government became complacent and allowed almost free import that should and would have been controlled. With an economist in the prime minister chair, the country would not have gone in this pathetic situation. For example in my own auto sector, unlike the earlier effort of phased in-house and indigenous manufacturing that expected support from the government as well as the main OEMs, OEMs and even main ancillary component manufacturers started importing freely a large percentage that constitute its final products. Today many in the manufacturing business of various products in different sectors too are resorting to as much cheap import as possible. The government didn’t encourage local manufacture nor the industrial policy ambience created entrepreneurs in manufacturing sectors.

In low end high volume low tech household items too, the country has gone for a huge import instead of encouraging the local manufacturing.

Jayanti Ghosh, an economist and columnist very aptly writes in her article in Frontline, ” Many commodities that were previously produced in India have simply disappeared from markets to be replaced with imports coming not just from China but many other parts of the world. It is well known that toys, decorations and similar things increasingly come from China, and electronic goods from various parts of Asia. Shopping malls sell garments made in Guatemala and Morocco even though similar garments are made in India; builders use marble from Italy rather than the stuff sold by small processors in Rajasthan and elsewhere; imports have replaced domestic production in the urban markets for many fairly standard goods that are very much part of mass consumption such as pens, soaps, household goods, and so on.”

One can see it easily during the festival seasons. All the fancy lightings and even the statues of Lakshmi and Ganesha for worshipping in Diwali and all the colour sprayers in Holi are from China. It means only a huge drain of the country’s wealth. With such a huge population to consume the household goods, its manufacturing must be domestic to provide employment. India certainly does not lack the talent and the human resources to manufacture those items. It’s the government policy that has not encouraged instead discouraged the people to go for its manufacturing.

India’s high tech manufacturing continued mainly with PSUs almost as in China. But unlike the Chinese counterparts, these Indian firms, such as BHEL, BMEL, HMT hardly did significant enough to compete with international manufacturers and export and survived mainly under the government’s protection. As example, BMEL couldn’t indigenise the parts for the Tatra Vehicles for the Indian Army it manufactured, and went on importing them.

Unfortunately, most of the big business houses even in private sector hived off the manufacturing companies they had. Even the company such as Tata Motors couldn’t make a significant contribution in exporting its locally manufactured products because it hardly innovated the way its competitors did in developed countries.

Is it not surprising that the country is interested in counting on exporting of iron ores and cotton rather than competing and becoming one of the biggest manufacturers and exporters of steel and its products and clothes and apparels? Where is the rationality for worrying CAD?

CAD can’t remain a headache if the manufacturing of the country becomes globally competitive.

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India’s State of Economy

Does it help India if its prime minister says, days after days, months after months, years after years, India is not the only country hit but all emerging markets have been hit or for that matter, the present situation is due to external factors or as one country took a policy decision in its interest.

Few days back, the finance minister P Chidambaram came out with ten point prescription to cure the economy: 1&2. controlling fiscal deficit and current account fiscal deficit, 3.Adding to the reserves, 4. Reviving the investment cycle, 5. Quicken the capex programme of PSUs, 6. Capitalise the public sector banks, 7. Capitalise the public sector banks,8. Encourage manufacturing, 9. Encourage exports, 10. Resolve impasse in coal, iron sector.

Chidambaram speaks well. His speech is impressive. Listeners are attentive. And interestingly, Manmohan Singh was there throughout, but neither Sonia nor Rahul. For them, the passing of Food Security Bill was the priority and not the state of the Indian economy. Neither they are interested in that nor they know much about it.

But what is so new about it? Why has it taken almost 10 years to pronounce this for this government? Who stopped the government to have taken the actions mentioned in the Chidambaram list?

Chidambaram vowed to contain fiscal deficit at 4.8% of GDP and CAD at $70 billion this year. But how many persons who matter believe it in this pre-election year?

And then after the tremendous pressure from parliamentarians, the prime minister made a statement in the Rajya Sabha with no concrete plans to meet the deteriorating economy indicators coming almost on daily basis, and blamed the main opposition party for the present situation on a day when the government provided a fresh data that India’s economy grew at the slowest quarterly rate since the global financial crisis in the three months through June, lower than expected and hurt by a contraction in mining and manufacturing.

The prime minister may discard the opinion of the opposition leaders for political reasons but why should he overlook the views of so many on live TV channels and in print media. Why should not he hear to the sane voices from the industry or his own former advisors or working members? Why should the people of the country not believe the retiring governor of RBI?

“RBI governor’s parting remarks It was “inaccurate, unfair and misleading” to attribute the moderation in India’s economic growth — which tumbled to 5 per cent in the year ended March 31 from 6.5 per cent in 2011-12 — to the RBI’s tight monetary policy. “Growth had slowed because of a “host of supply-side constraints and governance issues” which were clearly beyond the purview of the RBI.”

Manmohan Singh singlehandedly got two policy decisions changed in his tenure, the first was on Nuclear Deal, and the second to bring in FDI in multi brand retails. As the media reported, he staked his prime ministership even for the first one. Sonia yielded. Why couldn’t he convince the ill effect of food security bill and got it postponed for right time? Why can’t the government eliminate the leaks of the PDS if the bill is so much necessary? Is he not aware of the corruption in transportation? As some opined, ‘to rush through the food Bill nationally without putting any checks-and-balances systems in place is criminal’.

However, the prime minister did neither enumerate some short term specific action plans nor talked of the way he will boost up the implementation mechanism. He preferred to give his prescription-“The easy reforms of the past have been done. We have the more difficult reforms to do such as the reduction of subsidy, the insurance and pension sector reform, eliminating bureaucratic red tape and implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST).”

Who stopped him to go for building consensus on some, or a special session for the other or to come out with some more bills to eliminate the bureaucratic red tape? Is he not afraid of communicating with opposition leaders because of his Madame Boss?

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Food Bill Through, India Not

So finally, Rs.1.35 trillion Sonia’s game changer Food Security Bill has crossed the barrier of the approval from Lok Sabha members. All the political parties collaborated, some to show their concern for the so-called poor but not the country, some because they never wished show them against poor.

It has given one more right to 67 percent of 1.2 billions citizens to go to the court if they don’t get their entitlements provided in the bill? I wonder how many will go to the court, even after they might have slept empty stomach for not only some but for many nights.

I am saying this as I have not read any story till date about the same people with the right of good education or for that matter that of the employment of a minimum 100 days per year going to court to complain against their rights that the same politicians have provided through the bills.

Sonia single-handedly pursued the food bill as her first priority over the other bills or policy decisions that were vital to save the nation from deteriorating economic health: “There are people who ask whether we have the means to implement this scheme. I would like to say that we have to figure out the means. The question is not whether we can do it or not. We have to do it,” she said, directly addressing the criticism of the impact of the Rs. 1.30 crore expensive scheme on government’s meagre finances even against the advices of a large number of economists including the governor of RBI and reputed citizens of the country.

As many opine, food security bill if marketed well in the 2014 general election may bring back the UPA in its third incarnation, as the loan waivers and MNREGA did in 2009. It is to be seen if the voters overlook all the mis-governance, corruptions, scams and the dwindling economy with falling rupee, increasing CAD with higher inflation and lack of employment potential.

Without showing any concern to the opposing economists (but for the Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen), the government and opposition wrestled to walk away with maximum brownie points. I don’t know if who was the clear winner.

Politicians won, the country lost. Market reacted with Sensex sinking and Rupee falling to Rs 66 with respect to a Dollar.

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नयी जगह, नया गीत

नयी जगह नया गीत

एक और रात गयी
डरने की बात गई
नया प्रात
नयी बात
नयी आश
पाइन और मैपल के
पत्तों के ठोरों पर
लटके ये ओसकण
मोती से ।
रास्ते पर कंही कंही
बृक्षों के पुष्प गुच्छों से
झरते गुलाबी, सफेद
छोटे छोटे हजारों फ़ुल ।

कंही कंही
कभी कभी
स्कूली बच्चों
का मजमा
खिलाता मन ।
साफ धूप
है अनूप
सुंदर सजे
गली शहर
चारो तरफ ।

और बरामदे के बाहर
वह छोटी
सुन्‍दर गौरया सी
पानी पीती चिड़िया
आकर्षक, अनदेखी, रंगीन ।
फिर वे दो उछलते
सामने के जंगल से आते
खरगोस और उनका
टमाटर प्रेम ।
और पड़ोसी के पच्छी
पूरा घर चिड़िया खाना
चारो तरफ बिखरीं
कबिताएं हैं
और मेरी बटोरते रहने की
इमानदार कोशिश ।

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‘Sonia’nomics hurting India

In Noida, on every Saturday, I find a number of young men coming inside the residential complexes from the villages of Noida and ask for alms for Shani God. Will they not be part of the Food Security Bill and should they be? I feel the government must not take the responsibility of those healthy persons who go for such professions without making any effort to get themselves engaged. And how would have I reacted when I was told during one of my visit to Bihar that many dealt with the providers of NREGA on 50-50 sharing basis without working for even a minute? Why couldn’t India dig or repair thousands of ponds and water bodies for irrigation in draught prone areas with such a large expenditure on the scheme?

As against those Shani exploiters, Hari and many like him in Noida wash clothes, clean cars, supply newspapers or flowers, deliver grocery items to earn their living. A large number of women work as household maids on part time basis and earn or supplement household earnings. The food security bill must take care of these persons. Any system must encourage persons to work harder to live a better life. Unfortunately, I have found that most of such persons don’t get ration through PDS because the system of getting ration cards is cumbersome and requires bribing.

There must be a clear difference between destitute or physically disabled and those who are able bodied but don’t want to work. The nation must take care of the destitute but must not do anything that encourages its citizens to get enrolled in that BPL group because of a corrupt system. The country has already a large numbers of scheme that can take care of the destitute and those who are working for their living but earning petty amount.

How can the number of such poor persons in the country be two third of the whole population for getting food security, when the same government talks of great development work done to bring down the poverty level in millions every year over the decades?

Can India afford to spend lakhs of crores on welfare schemes? Has not Sonia Gandhi’s welfare economics hurt the Indian economy enough with little result?

Before going for this new food security bill, the government must work on making all the existing welfare schemes effective so that there is no leaks before the existing entitlements reach the beneficiaries. I suggest five years holiday for getting any new scheme introduced.Whichsoever scheme hadn’t be implemented efficiently, must be discarded.

Unfortunately, all the social welfare schemes introduced by Sonia Gandhi bearing one or the other name of her family members are hardly effective, For example, MNREGA has hardly helped those for whom it was meant. It will be clear from figures of the percentage of the families that got the work and the average number of days in a year that they got it.

Why does Sonia Gandhi think that she is the only who can think about what is good for the nation? Is she or her sycophant advisors the most intelligent in this country of billion plus? According to Kiran Saw Mazumdar, India can’t afford Food Security Bill in present economic scenario. Arun Shourie advises to stop the food security bill. Even Yashwant Sinha calls the bill rediculous under the present economic condition of the country, even against the policy of his party.Sonia would have heard at least to what RBI opines.

Unfortunately, I do not expect Sonia Gandhi to rethink over pressing the bill, not because it, like the other schemes will bring an immediate relief for all Indians who need it, but sheerly because she thinks it may win her 2014 election. Should not the voters stop Sonia from killing the goose for getting the golden egg?

Let Sonia support and encourage all the states, at least the Congress ruled states to emulate Amma Canteen in Chennai started by Tamil Nadu government or the food security solution of Chhatisgarh.

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Falling Rupee vs. Sonia’s Food Bill

For Sonia Gandhi, Food Security Bill is important as a means to win the forthcoming general election even after all scams of her government and not the unprecedented falling rupee deteriorating the image of India in the domestic market and that abroad.

And the brilliant leaders of opposition doesn’t budge from their demand that the PM should come and talk on missing files of Coalgate, when they would have demanded PM to come and make a statement on his plans for facing the serious financial crisis or resign or call election. How can the Indian politicians be so immune to the crisis? India is no where today in the game plans of the foreign investors with deep pockets.

Since July 15, when the government appeared to wake up and started taking measures, the Indian Rupee currency has depreciated 5.40 per cent, falling from Rs.59.89 to Rs.63.13 to the dollar. Is it not a crisis? And even this depreciation of Rupee has not meant a sustainable boost to exports.

The current account deficit (CAD) is not so much to do with monetary policy as with prolonged neglect of the real sector of the economy such one by failed to create a conducive environment for investment in manufacturing.

Domestic manufacturing and agriculture are the only activities that can sustain the growth of the country with so huge a population to consume.

How can the revenue collected from the tax payers be wasted in unproductive way in name of redistribution through doles? How can those making and running the policy formulations keep themselves happy in a country that they have created with sixty six percent poor class requiring a support such as food bill after sixty seven years of independence ?

Why should our exports not exceed imports? Except for crude oil, India can be self-sufficient in production of coal, if mines are managed well, and farmers are technically supported and encouraged for producing the vegetable oils and pulses. Why the government is failing to do that. What can be the logics of exporting cotton and iron ores or importing of apples and exotic fruits and vegetables or toys and electronics? Why should all nonessential items, for examples, Lakshmi and Ganesh and fancy decorative lightings be freely allowed to be imported from China and other countries? Why can’t the government machinery be proactive rather than reactionary? How depressing it is to hear of the man-made poor state of affairs of Indian economy for any nationalist?

For a person of my background and many like me, it is really worrying. We thought the money from the sale of the inherited properties and our savings from the forty years of good enough professional career after the IIT qualification would be sufficient to gift some for the higher education of our grandchildren.But perhaps with the highly inflationary economy and weak Rupee, it will just be a dream. I still remember that in 1966, when I went to UK first time, I took 500 dollars from an American friend of mine who was working with me and paid him Rs 2500 at the rate of Rs five for a dollar. Today, it is around Rs. 64 a dollar.

It is interesting that with top class brains of Manmohan Singh, Montek Singh, P Chidambaram, the economy of the country has gone to this level. Are their stakes no higher in it than that of Sonia Gandhi? How long the country will have to bear with a third grade mind in the most powerful position of the country, just because she is wife of a grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru?

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How can PM excel with FMs failing?

I am fortunately in US, otherwise I would have been highly depressed. With grandchildren at hand, I can bear all the worst that I come to read from Indian media sites that I can access from here about the great fall of Indian Rupee and Sensex.

I got a shock of life after reading the prime minister’s speech on Independence Day that I would have also in India. I failed as I could be on internet at right time. I do’t find any use of watching it after reading the speech for a person with zero oratory skill and impression-less face.

Why should a prime minister keep on comparing some few performance data of his time period with that of Atal Bihari Bajpai who was the first only person of opposition party to rule the country? For example, “In 2004, only 7 percent of the people had telephone connections. Today, 73 percent enjoy this facility. In rural areas, this figure has gone up from 2 to 40.” Would not the prime minister give an inspiring speech that can keep the hope alive with more details on ways and means to revive back the economy? And if at all Manmohan is concerned about the present condition, why didn’t he take the proactive steps to avoid today’s situation? How can the present finance minister blame indirectly the previous finance minister for the failure caused by some policies enunciated by the subject finance minister?

Will Manmohan give back to the new government likely to be of other party a good strong economy that he got from the NDA which his the then finance minister confessed publicly? If Manmohan has belatedly taken certain steps to correct the track why can’t some implementation be expedited as required for say a national financial emergency? Many economists are pronouncing that India is fast moving to an economic misery of 90s. Why can’t a special session of parliament discuss the issues related to dismally slowing economy and what measures the government has taken to build a consensus with opposition on this national crisis-in-making? How can the nation keep on believing that the economist prime minister can save it from the crisis or only his finance ministers are responsible for the misery?

Has the prime minister forgotten all the lessons of economy because his boss will neither replace or sack him? How can a country afford to have prime minister that does not act and don’t rightly advise his ministers?

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Manufacturing India: An Unique Achievement

In last few days at least two events reported in media tell some thing great about Indian manufacturing.

The Indian navy launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier on Aug 12 at Kochi, making the country only the fifth in the world with capability to build such vessels.

Only the US, Russia, Britain and France have capacity to design and build aircraft carriers of 40,000 tonnes and heavier. It has been designed by Indian Navy’s design organisation and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). The construction has used high-strength steel developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Steel Authority of India Ltd.

Dimensionally, it is about 260 metre in length and 60 m in breadth and capable of attaining speeds over 28 knots (56 km per hour). The carrier will be able to accommodate about 25 aircrafts with a crew of about 1,450, and power generation capacity of 24 MW.

Interestingly, on the indigenisation levels, the aircraft carrier is 80 to 90 percent in the float category (fabrication) and 50 to 60 percent in the move category (propulsion and related machinery). The carrier’s production commenced in 2006 and its keel was laid in 2009.

Bhilai Steel Plant and other plants of the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) — at Rourkela, Durgapur and Bokaro — have manufactured 26,000 tonnes of high-grade “warship steel”.

However, it will undergo extensive trials till 2016 before being inducted into the Navy by 2018 end. Fighter aircraft–Mig-29K, Light Combat Aircraft and Kamov-31 helicopters–will deployed on board the carrier which will also carry an array of other weapons

This is certainly an example of great prowess of Indian manufacturing sector and skills of the workforce including engineers.

The second story relates to the miniaturisation of nuclear power plant for indigenously built nuclear submarine INS Arihant, that reached criticality, that is, became capable of fully powering the vessel. As reported, “India’s private sector helped out the $2.9-billion project in significant ways. The hull for the vessel was built by L&T’s Hazira shipbuilding facility, Tata Power built the control systems for the submarine, while the systems for the steam turbine integrated with the reactor are supplied by Walchandnagar Industries, reported DNA newspaper in 2009.”

Though the public sector units have achieved through the above two examples a huge mileage in manufacturing, but a lot is to be done to be as competitive as the advanced nations. India must develop, design and manufacture more of the high technologies products and sell them as a global player.

There are miles and miles to go, and for that big private companies must also join the R&D as well as manufacturing race of the country.

As we all know, the manufacturing in India still remains neglected and
in marked contrast to the great majority of emerging nations, the share of manufacturing in GDP has stagnated at around 15-17 per cent for decades in India. Perhaps, the PSUs in manufacturing such as BHEL, BMEL, BEL must be encouraged to go global, but on its own strength of R&D, and business practices.

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केरी प्रवास, कुछ अनुभव, कुछ बिचार

शनिवार,केरी(Cary), हारमनि(Harmony), अगस्त ३ ।हम आज के सबेरे का नाश्ता ले आये थे डनकिन डोनट्स से ।बरामदे में बैठ नाश्ता और इधर उधर की बातों में मग्न थे । अचानक नज़र घर के सामने खड़ी एक बुजुर्ग महिला पर गयी सलवार कुर्ता में । मुझे लगा वे बात करना चाहती हैं, मैंने यमुना को जा बात करने ओैर पूछने को कहा ।यमुना सकपका रहीं थीं, इस बीच मैं ही चला गया । पता चला, वे लाहौर की हैं और अपनी लड़की के पास आइ हैं।रोज़ अपने नवाजे, नाती को स्‍कूल छोड़ने आती हैं । आज छुट्टी थी, रमादान भी चल रहा है, सबेरे उठीं तो सोचीं थोड़ा घूम ही लें ।पर रास्ता पर चलते चलते दिशा भ्रम हो गया, घंटे भर से परेशान थीं, घर खोज नहीं पा रहीं थीं, किसी से पूछ भी नहीं सकती थीं भाषा न जानने के चलते, किसी हिन्दुस्तानी को खोज रहीं थीं ।मेरे पूछने पर पता चला, उन्हे अपने घर का नम्बर भी नहीं पता । सैनन को पता चला तो वह रेज़िडेंट एसोसीयेशन से सम्पर्क करने लगी । आनंद महिला को ले स्‍कूल तक गये । अचानक उन्हे दिशाज्ञान आ गया ओैर वे ख़ुशी से नाच उठीं, फिर भी हमने आंनद को साथ जाने को कहा । वे उन्हें घर तक पहुंचा आये । आश्चर्य तब हुआ,जब आनंद बताए कि कोइ घर के बाहर आ पूछा तक नहीं ।मुझे याद है यमुना के साथ भी यही हुआ था, उस समय आनंद प्लेज़ेन्टन, कैलिफोर्निया में रहते थे । यमुना को जब राश्ता भूलने का अहसास हुआ तो एक अमरीकी सज्‍जन से सहायता मांगी और बताया कि आनंद का घर स्वीमिंग पूल के सामने है । उस दिन हम भी काफी डर गये थे ।आज भारत, नेपाल, बंगलादेश, पाकिस्तान से अपने बच्चों के अमरीका में आ जाने के कारण सभी तबकों के लोग आते हैं तो ऐसी घटना हो ही सकती है । पर एक पाकिस्तानी महिला को थोड़ी सहायता कर बहुत अच्छा लगा ।

आनंद का घर नौर्थ केरोलिना के राज्य मार्ग ५५ पर थोड़ा हट कर हारमनि कॉम्प्लेक्स में है । बीच में यहाँ का टर्नर क्रिक एलाइमेन्ट्री स्‍कूल है ।नयी बस्‍ती है, और काफी भारतीय रहते हैं, केरी में करीब ६.५ प्रतिशत रिसर्च ट्रायंगल पार्क के चलते ।सभी प्रदेशों के लोग हैं पर दक्षिण भारत, खासकर आंध्र प्रदेश के ज़्यादा । दस बारह हमारे तरह के बुजुर्ग भी भारत से आते जाते रहते हैं ।इसबार तीन एेसे लोगों से परिचय हुआ, दो आंध्र के और एक पुणे के । उन तीनों की लड़कियाँ रहतीं हैं दामादों के साथ ।कुछ और लोग भी हैं जो रास्ते पर घूमते हुये दिख जाते हैं, पर सभी सम्पर्क नहीं बढ़ाने में रुचि रखते, भाषा का अंतर भी कारण होता है ।कुछ अन्य देशों के बुजुर्ग भी दिखते हैं, पर बात नहीं होती । भारतीय नयी पीढ़ी के यहां काम करनेवाले लोग बुजुर्गों से कतराते हैं । एक दूसरे के घर जाने का रिवाज नहीं के बराबर है ।इस बार लग रहा है काफी भारतीय महिलाएं भी काम करने लगीं हैं । उनका बड़ी बड़ी गाड़ियों को चलाते हुए आना जाना अच्छा लगता है ।हम अपने बरामदे में बैठे यह सब देखते रहते हैं ।

आनंद का घर हारमनि में प्रवेश करते दाहिने रोड पर बायें का पहला है । आनंद के पड़ोसी एक भारतीय युवती हैं जिन्होने एक अमरीकी युवक से शादी की हैं । यह दम्पति मिलना तो दूर कभी आते जाते भी नहीं दिखते ।घर के ठीक सामने एक अमरीकी परिबार का घर है, दम्पति और उनके दो बच्चे, बड़ा लड़का कॉलेज जाता,छोटी लड़की स्‍कूल में । वे तीन चार पक्षी पाल रखे हैं अफ्रीका एवं दक्षिण अमरीका के बिभिन्न देशों के ।एक तो तोता की तरह रंगीन है पर बहूत बड़ा ।कभी कभी किसी पक्षी को कंधे पर ले घर के बाहर भी घूमता दिखता है । काफी मिलनसार है हमारे यहाँ भी आता जरूरत पड़ने पर ।मुझसे वायदा किया है अपने पक्षियों को दिखाने का । उसके अनुसार एक पक्षी तो तीन भाषा बोल लेता है । वे टी भी प्रोग्रामों का लुत्फ भी लेते हैं और उनके प्रिय चैनल को बदलने पर मना भी ।

शाम को घूम कर आने पर अधिकाँशत: हम पीछवाड़े में बैठते है, वहीं एमा, जैक खेलते है, हम भी कभी कभी उनका मन बहलाने के लिये उसमें भाग लेते हैं । हारमनि का क्लब और स्वीमिंग पूल का नजारा भी देख मन बहलाते हैं । पर सबसे अच्छा होता है दूर बादलों के बीच सूर्यास्त का रंगीन दृश्य दिब्य, अनूठा ।

हां, इसबार यहाँ सभी छिड़काव के बावजूद भी मच्छरों का पर्कोप है, वे इतने छोटे हैं कि दिखते नहीं पर गहरा घाव करतें हैं, फुनसी से शुरू हो लाल छोटे घाव बन जाते हैं । और ख़ुजलाता जाता है, ख़ुजलाना अच्छा लगता है और यह तीन चार दिन चलता है ।
पर सबसे मज़ेदार अनुभव तो एमा एवं जैक के कारनामों के हैं जो संजीवनी बन जीने का आनंद प्र्दान कर रहे हैं ।

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