Vision of Life; by Sanjay: Freedom to Act!

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.”… Maya Angelou.

Maya Angelou was an American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. However we the easterner criticize west(read USA) this country has given many people to the modern world which has enriched our culture not by just their thought but the courage they displayed while sharing their thoughts & Maya Angelou is one such! And on the very same scale of courage ours once rich country on this front now performs badly, is a fact. No wonder on such back ground when a Supreme Court Justice & who is very much in service shows courage to point out the flaws in our so called Freedom, it’s worth appreciation & before that I will say sharing! Of-late we have witnessed many high profile bureaucrats (read IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS cadre) writing down their views via biography about the society as well govt (read as rulers) in very dare devil way but only after their retirement or when they are sure now they won’t get any new post or responsibility as perk of their service which was mostly to some individual politically powerful figure or some political party! Keeping due respect to many respected officers which don’t follow this track yet even when they take on social media or from their speeches as guest speakers from public dais, of course post retirement, suddenly they realize lacunas in the system which we call as govt & criticize the same with full guns firing! It may be some Director General of Police who comments on Police Force improvements needed or some Secretary to State which shares his tips about improving revenue dept & curbing corruption or some Army General which lashes govt for ill treatment it gives to the defense men & many such but one thing is common & that’s is there is “Rtd. i.e. Retired” before all such names! Well, when I read about such criticism, the only question comes to my mind is, “boss, what were you doing when you were in power or say post & could have tried some change by yourself, which now you are suggesting”!

And then one more question remains & that is, how many of such Rtd. Bureaucrats or Rtd. Govt Servants really mean the so called improvement or betterment of the society which they preach from their public speeches or social media posts! Because most of the time such post retirement advises or comments about the betterment of society come from either frustration or some hidden motive for personal gain & common man is no more a fool not to understand such “Post Retirement Wisdom” of these people!

On all such background recently I came across two news which didn’t make much of headlines in newspapers, one was about Supreme Court Justice Mr. Chandrachud speaking on the occasion of Freedom about Art & Our Attitude, & one was about an IAS officer Gopinathan resigning from the service with a public note about how he is fade up with the system (read as govt) for “Lack of Freedom” & he thinks he can’t do anything even as an IAS officer so better to resign! Though Gopinathan did get much footage on social media but Mr. Chandachud’s speech wasn’t that discussed, may be people are real afraid of Supreme Courts might so even to make any positive comment also they avoid! In past also there has been incidences of people from services resigning over their distrust in the system they only have chose to work with, Shah Faesal is one such hyped name, a topper in IAS from Kashmir cadre who resigned in the start of year 2019 over the killings in Kashmir valley & finally joined politics! Well, its individuals choice how to improve system i.e. by being part of the system or keeping out of the system, till you have a goal of making this society a better place, the way doesn’t matters is what I think! But all such cases do indicates that how difficult it is to be at some high post in govt & yet retain our own freedom of expressing our views or emotions! Oh yes, there was two more news, one Nidhi Chaudhari (again IAS) got transferred for a twit she posted regarding Mahatama Gandhi & I have read that twit, it was an eye opener for masses actually! Another IAS officer got transferred as he was wearing glares while greeting Hon Prime Minister at air-port, well avoiding eye contact, must be the reason that Top Bosses got offended!

And with all such legacy for Babu's, when you are a Supreme Court Judge then things become too hard. because the chair which gives you maximum power it has got thorns too & these thorns are ruthless, they doesn’t know intentions of the person sitting that chair, one wrong move & your skin gets pierced, is a bitter fact! Yet one thing is true, with all such scenario around if at all there is some belief about the system (read as govt) has left in the mind of common man then its only because of some personalities who has courage to take pains by body piercing which the thorns of the chair they are holding gives & one such name is Supreme Court Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud! Needless to say with the legacy of a father who was a Supreme Court Chief Justice, one should not be amazed when the son follows fearless track of the father yet in this world we have stopped believing in even miracles especially when they are for good cause! But it’s because people like Chandrachud’s who even being part of the system named govt doesn’t allow their mind get buckled under the pressure due the things like media, popularity, publicity or ruler’s moods & keep doing their duty towards the society! Time & again Mr. Chandrachud has shown his wits & will to make this society a better place from his numerous judgments; but then those words are written from “The Chair” which has protection from everything. It’s very difficult to show courage (not foolishness) when you speak from public dais about Freedom in a country which yet hasn’t understood what that word really mean, yet Mr. Chandrachud does his duty towards the society which is to make the society know its duty’s & responsibilities which comes along freedom! This is why it’s very special i.e. such words of wisdom & said with the authority, is what we need & even after that if we ignore them then, well, we deserve to be what we are!Occasion was a public speech regarding Freedom & Art & Mr. Chandrachud made his point to keep Art free of anything rather use Art to become a better world together! We need more Chandrachuds’ in high places as its such men who has courage & a wise brain to handle that courage for proper use & yes patience also to change the system instead leaving it, these men are our hope, rather only hope! After listening to that I felt like writing to him which eventually I did & sharing my words here…I think we all need to take courage from Mr. Chandrachud as well wisdom also & display it whatever role we are playing in our profession, then only we deserve such words!

Dear Dhananjay Sir,

“Kings may be judges of the earth, but wise men are the judges of kings”… Solomon Ibn Gabirol

Solomon ibn Gabirol was an 11th-century Andalusian poet and Jewish philosopher with a Neo-Platonic bent. He published over a hundred poems, as well as works of biblical exegesis, philosophy, ethics and satire. Sorry to address you by first name & without a tag of “Hon Justice” but very frankly whatever I have heard about you, from our common good friend, I think you are more a human than a SC Justice & that’s why dared to be casual, forgive me for that! At the same time I understand about sharing of your email id’s as I am big fan of Cartoon & Super Hero movies & Spider Man’s quote, “With great powers comes along great responsibilities” is my favorite & when its position like yours I will add it as, “With great Powers comes along great Responsibilities & with great Responsibilities comes great Sacrifices”!And sure at your position you must be knowing it what “Sacrifice” means, as service to the nation is not just taking a bullet in chest on border but not being allowed to live a normal life because of the duty you have accepted, is also a great service, which in a way is sacrifice only & I understand it as well respect it!

I came across analysis of your speech in Loksatta & would have been more happy if could have my hands (read as ears) to that speech but sometimes even the trailer of movie is enough to make you know what lays in next three hours ,well few are exceptions indeed but sure not yours! First of all let me congratulate you for speaking or taking up the subject, “Freedom & Art” which in itself is like Joel Garner’s bouncer for Gundappa Vishwanth type heighted batsman, which most of our countrymen are, when the ball if Freedom & its meaning & on top of it when its related to Art, lesser we say is better! It’s unfortunate for a country which gave “64 Kala aani 8 Vidya” i.e. 64 types of Arts & 8 types of Skills may be the right word, now has lost the Art of conserving all of 72 fields, in combine & yet considers it-self a free country! And when a Justice or Judge for common man of SC which is supposedly there to protect or decode or say establish the very Constitution of this so called free country comments on such subject then it’s not just a speech but commentary of society’s present which held our future actually!

In a country where the ignorance (read as fear) about the judicial system is such that right from childhood we have been taught (not in school) that “Shahanyane Courtachi Payari Chadhu Naye” i.e. “a wise man should never go to the court, for any reason”, which in itself is loss of trust or belief in judicial system in away! In such country, you a sitting SC judge, commenting on subject of Freedom & Art, is an eye opener for many other fellow men which enjoys the perks of the position they hold but forgets (or prefers to forget) to take some clear stand on any so called controversial subject. But then one needs self-conscience to take clear stand on any subject & self-conscience comes by virtue of character, morals, values one has & I don’t think we can find many men with above qualifications! And then of-late all we witness is men taking some stand for some reason which surely is not generated from self-conscience & the moment that reason changes, so as changes the stand by these men making common man lose belief further more in the system we know as Government or Justice or Freedom in nut shell!

Sad part is even the artists have not been free from this taking stand for some reason which is not moral or self esteem generated & then the poetry or scripts of the dramas of even the movies which are face of the society starts singing the tune which rulers wants to & no political party or regime of any individual isn’t exception to this Law of Art rather no more it’s an Art but becomes a Circus, which is what happening around! And that’s why once again not some Sanjay or some other name speaking about this harsh facts from public dais but you speaking makes the difference as in Marathi again there is splendid fraze, “Sonaranech Kaan Tochawe Lagtat”, sorry cant translate this one & it’s not needed also as you too are a Marathi person! And I don’t blame our rulers (read politicians) as they are nothing but our reflection only, after all are we not a country, “of the people, by the people & for the people”! It’s high time someone (read as many) should show the society our real face as under the mask so called patriotism we all are extreme selfish & divided on many fronts not one, such as Caste, Religion, Gender, State, Language, Politics & Wealth! We have forgot that Art is learnt to free our self from all above & many such barriers which are self created but we made Art also one of the barriers, to divide ourselves! And here is where you pointing out the mistake which we as a society doing makes difference as all this, a guy is telling whose shoulders (read as brain) has responsibility to decode our Constitution, means to make us understand, how we should behave as a Free Society!

Dhananjay da, this very State has witnessed not so long back, a Judge named Ramshastri Prabhune who had guts to slap back his King saying, “If you can’t give justice to the crown on your head, retire & come with me to Kashi”, wow, that’s how one builds a character! And if every generation needs some good King (read as ruler) then every generation needs a Ramshastri also to teach that King respecting the crown & his duty towards that crown! I wish my generation is lucky with people like you in place & when I read such speeches from that place, I feel still there is some hope & all is not lost for this country! Thanks a ton for giving my genre that hope as that’s what makes us keep going, isn’t it?

All good wishes & thanks for reading all this & forgive me if I have crossed the line in the sentimental mood of sharing but then that’s all because of your speech narration, so you know who is main culprit, LoL! Thanks a lot for being kind enough to read my words, which I hope will reach to you…

Sanjay Deshpande

smd156812@gamil.com/ 09822037109

Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

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http://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2018/08/pune-city-no-1.html