ಕೊಂಡಿ ಇಲ್ಲದ ಜೇನು ಹುಳುಗಳ ಕತೆ

ಕೊಂಡಿ ಇಲ್ಲದ ಜೇನು ಹುಳುಗಳ ಕತೆ

ಅದೊಂದು ಏಳುಸುತ್ತಿನ ಕೋಟೆ. ಕೋಟೆಯೊಳಗೊಂದು ಭವ್ಯ ಅರಮನೆ. ಅದರೊಳಗೊಂದು ಮಹಾರಾಣಿ. ಅವಳ ಸುತ್ತ ನೂರಾರು, ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಸೇವಕರು, ಕೆಲಸಗಾರರು. ರಾಣಿ ಗತ್ತಿನಿಂದ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಜೋಳದ ರಾಶಿಯ ಹಾಗೆ ಇದ್ದು ಒಂದಕ್ಕೊಂದು ಅಂಟಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ಆ ಕಣಗಳನ್ನು[ಸೆಲ್ಸ್] ಪರೀಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ! ನಂತರ ಕೆಲಸಗಾರರಿಗೆ ಆದೇಶ ನೀಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ. ರಾಣಿಯ ಆದೇಶದಂತೆ ಅವು ಜೋಳದ ಕಣಗಳಿಗೆ ಆಹಾರವನ್ನು ಅದರ ಅರ್ಧದಷ್ಟು ತುಂಬುತ್ತಿವೆ. ಮರುಕ್ಷಣವೇ ರಾಣಿ ತನ್ನ ಸುಂದರ ನೀಳದೇಹವನ್ನು ಬಿಲ್ಲಿನಂತೆ ಬಗ್ಗಿಸಿ ಅದರೊಳಗೆ ಮೊಟ್ಟೆ ಇಡುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ನಂತರ ಅವಳು ವೈಯ್ಯಾರದಿಂದ ಮುಂದೆ ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೆ ಕೆಲಸಗಾರರು ಆ ಕಣಗಳನ್ನು ಸಮರೋಪಾದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಚ್ಚುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಣಿ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಕಣವನ್ನು ಆಯ್ಕೆಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಮೊಟ್ಟೆಯಿಡುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಅದರ ಹಿಂದೆಯೇ ಕೆಲಸಗಾರರ ಆಹಾರ ತುಂಬುವ ಕೆಲಸ. ಇದು ಪ್ರತಿನಿಮಿಷ, ಪ್ರತಿಗಂಟೆ, ಪ್ರತೀದಿನ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಾ ದಿನದ ೨೪ ಗಂಟೆಗಳೂ ನಿರಂತರವಾಗಿ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿದೆ! ರಾಣಿಯ ಆಜ್ಞಾಪಾಲನೆಯನ್ನು ಕೆಲಸಗಾರರು ಶಿರಸಾವಹಿಸಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಚುರುಕಾಗಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆಂದರೆ ನಾನು ನನ್ನ ಮ್ಯಾಕ್ರೋ ಲೆನ್ಸ್ ಮೂಲಕ ನೋಡುತ್ತಾ ಬೆರಗಾಗಿ ಅವುಗಳ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ಕಿಸುವುದನ್ನೇ ಮರೆತುಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೆ. ಮನುಷ್ಯನ ಇಂದಿನ ಗುಣಗಳಾದ ಸ್ವಾರ್ಥ, ಒಬ್ಬಂಟಿ ಜೀವನ, ತನಗೇ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಬೇಕು ಎನ್ನುವ ಹುಂಬತನಗಳಿಗೆ ಇವುಗಳ ನಿಸ್ವಾರ್ಥ, ಒಗ್ಗಟ್ಟು, ದಣಿವರಿಯದ ದುಡಿಮೆ ಮೊದಲಾದವುಗಳು ನನಗೆ ಆಚ್ಚರಿಯೆನಿಸಿತ್ತು.


ಇಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೂ ಈಗ ನಾನು ಬಾಲಮಿತ್ರ, ಚಂದಮಾಮದ ಮಾಯಾಲೋಕದ ಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ ಅಂದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಡಿ. ಇದು ನಾನೇ ಕಣ್ಣಾರೆ ಕಂಡು ಫೋಟೊಗಳನ್ನು ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ಕಿಸಿದ ಕೊಂಡಿಯಿಲ್ಲದ ಜೇನು ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಕತೆ.

ಮೊಟ್ಟೆಕಣಗಳು[cells]

ಜೇನುಕುಲಗಳಲ್ಲೇ ಮೊದಲ ತಳಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಆದಿ ಕಾಲದ ಜೇನು ಪ್ರಭೇದವಾದ ರಾಳ ಜೇನಿನ ಕತೆ. ಇವಕ್ಕೆ ಮುಜಂಟಿ ಜೇನು, ತುಡವೆ ಜೇನು, ಮಿಶ್ರ ಜೇನು, ನಸುರು ಜೇನು, ಸೊಳ್ಳೆ ಜೇನು ಎನ್ನುವ ಹೆಸರುಗಳು ಇವೆ. ಇತರೆ ಜೇನು ಪ್ರಭೇದಗಳಿಗಿಂತ ತೀರ ಚಿಕ್ಕದಾಗಿದ್ದು ಹೆಜ್ಜೇನಿಗಿಂತ ೧/೫ ಭಾಗದಷ್ಟು ಚಿಕ್ಕವು. ಇವು ಉಳಿದ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಬಗೆಯ ಜೇನು ಹುಳುಗಳಂತೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಹಾಗೂ ವೈರಿಗಳಿಂದ ರಕ್ಷಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು, ಆಕ್ರಮಣ ಮಾಡಿ ಚುಚ್ಚಲು ಮುಳ್ಳಿನ ಕೊಂಡಿಗಳಿಲ್ಲ. ಬಾಯಿಂದಲೇ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಕಚ್ಚುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಹಾಗೂ ತಮ್ಮ ರಕ್ಷಣೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತವೆ. ಇವು ಅಪ್ರಿಕಾ, ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಅಮೇರಿಕಾ, ಏಷ್ಯಾ, ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯ, ನ್ಯೂಗಿನಿಯ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಲೋಮನ್ ದ್ವೀಪಗಳು, ಭಾರತದ ಉಷ್ಣವಲಯ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡುಬರುತ್ತವೆ.

ಏಳುಸುತ್ತಿನ ಕೋಟೆಯಂತಿರುವ ಕೊಂಡಿಯಿಲ್ಲದ ಜೇನು ಹುಳುವಿನ ಕಾಲೋನಿ.

ಇವು ಗೂಡುಗಳನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟುವ ಪರಿಯೇ ಬೇರೆ ಜೇನುಗಳಿಗಿಂತ ವಿಭಿನ್ನ. ಅದೊಂತರ ಏಳು ಸುತ್ತಿನ ಕೋಟೆಯೇ ಸರಿ.[ಚಿತ್ರ ನೋಡಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಪಿಲ್ಲರುಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಗೂಡುಗಳನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡಿವೆ] ತಮ್ಮ ಗೂಡುಗಳನ್ನು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಗೋಪ್ಯ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಾದ ಮಣ್ಣಿನ ಗೋಡೆ, ಕಲ್ಲಿನ ಸೇತುವೆ ಸಂದುಗಳು, ಮರದ ಪೊಟರೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಕಲ್ಲು ಬಂಡೆಗಳ ಸಂದುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಟ್ಟುತ್ತವೆ. ಎರಿಗಳ ರಚನೆಗೆ ಮೇಣ ಮತ್ತು ಮಣ್ಣಿನ ಮಿಶ್ರಣದಿಂದ ತಯಾರಾದ ಕಪ್ಪಾದ ಅಂಟು ಪದಾರ್ಥ[ಸೆರುಮನ್]ವನ್ನು ಬಳಸುತ್ತವೆ. ತಮ್ಮ ಕುಟುಂಬದ ರಕ್ಷಣೆಗಾಗಿ ಸುಮಾರು ೫-೬ ಮಿ.ಮೀ. ಅಗಲದ ಮತ್ತು ೧೦-೧೫ ಸೆಂ.ಮೀ. ಉದ್ದದ ಕೊಳವೆಯಾಕಾರದ ಪ್ರವೇಶದ್ವಾರವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವುದನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ನನಗಂತೂ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಕೊಳವೆಯ ಹೊರತುದಿ ಅಂಟಿನಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿದ್ದು ಇರುವೆ ಮುಂತಾದ ಶತ್ರುಕೀಟಗಳಿಂದ ರಕ್ಷಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಅನುಕೂಲವಾಗಿವೆ. ಇವು ಕಡಲೆಕಾಳು ಗಾತ್ರದ [ಪಾಟ್ಸ್]ಕಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಾಗ ಮತ್ತು ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸಿದರೆ, ಜೋಳದ ಕಾಳಿನ ಗಾತ್ರದ [ಸೆಲ್ಸ್]ಕಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮೊಟ್ಟೆ ಮತ್ತು ಮರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಬೆಳೆಸುತ್ತವೆ. ಇವುಗಳ ಜೇನು ಸಂಗ್ರಹಣ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಕಡಿಮೆಯಿದ್ದು ವರ್ಷಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರತಿಕುಟುಂಬದಿಂದ ಕೇವಲ ೩೦೦ ಗ್ರ್‍ಆಂನಿಂದ ೭೦೦ ಗ್ರ್‍ಆಂ ಮಾತ್ರ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಕೆಲಸಗಾರ ಜೇನುಹುಳುಗಳು ಸುಮಾರು ಅರ್ಧ ಕಿ.ಮೀ. ಸುತ್ತ ಸುತ್ತಾಡಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಕುಟುಂಬಕ್ಕೆ ಬೇಕಾದ ಪರಾಗ, ಜೇನು ಹಾಗು ಮರಗಳಿಂದ ಅಂಟನ್ನು ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಬರುತ್ತವೆ.

ಲಾರ್ವೆ[Larve]

ಮೊಟ್ಟೆ ಮತ್ತು ಇತರೇ ಮೊಟ್ಟೆಯ ಕಣಗಳು.

ಪ್ಯೂಪ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ಯೂಪದಿಂದ ಆಗತಾನೆ ಹೊರಬಂದ ಜೇನುಹುಳು.

ರಾಳ ಜೇನು ಕುಟುಂಬ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಬೆಳಕು ಮತ್ತು ಗಾಳಿಯನ್ನು ಇಷ್ಟಪಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ರಾಣಿಜೇನು ತನ್ನ ಮೇಲೆ ಬೆಳಕು, ಗಾಳಿ ಸೋಕಿದರೆ ತಕ್ಷಣ ಗೂಡಿನ ಒಳಗೆ ಹೋಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಸದಾ ಬಿಡುವಿಲ್ಲದ ಕಾಯಕದಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿರುವ ಕೆಲಸಗಾರ ಜೇನುಹುಳುಗಳು ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಹಾರಿಬಂದು ಸುತ್ತಮುತ್ತ ತಮಗೆ, ತಮ್ಮ ಕುಟುಂಬಕ್ಕೆ, ಗೂಡಿಗೆ ಏನಾದರೂ ತೊಂದರೆ ಇದೆಯೆ ಎಂದು ಸತತವಾಗಿ ಪರೀಕ್ಷಿಸುವ ರೀತಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಪೋಲೀಸ್ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ಮಾದರಿಯಾಗಬಹುದು. ಇವುಗಳನ್ನು ನಾನು ಕಣ್ಣಾರೆ ನೋಡುತ್ತಾ ಬೆರಗಾಗಿದ್ದೆ. ಕೆಲಸಗಾರ ಜೇನುಹುಳು ತನ್ನ ಮೂರನೇ ಕಾಲಿನಿಂದ ಅಂಟನ್ನು ಹಾಗೂ ಪರಾಗವನ್ನು[ಪೋಲನ್]ಹಾಗೆ ಬಾಯಿಂದ ಜೇನನ್ನು ತರುತ್ತವೆ.

ಜೇನು ಹುಳುಗಳ ಕಾಲೋನಿ.

ತನ್ನ ದೇಹದಿಂದಲೇ ಉತ್ಪತಿಯಾಗುವ ಮೇಣ ಹಾಗೂ ಹೊರಗಿನಿಂದ ತಂದ ಅಂಟಿನಿಂದ ಅತ್ಯದ್ಭುತವೆನಿಸುವ ವಾಸ್ತು ಹಾಗೂ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದಿಂದ ಕಟ್ಟುವ ಎರಿಗಳ ಕಣಗಳು, ಮೊಟ್ಟೆಯಾಕಾರದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು[ಒವೆಲ್] ನಮ್ಮ ಗಣಿತ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಜ್ಞರು ಮತ್ತು ವಾಸ್ತುಶಿಲ್ಪ ತಜ್ಞರು ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ಬಳಸುವ ತಾಂತ್ರಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಬಹಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ಈ ಜೇನುನೊಣಗಳು ಕಲಿತಿರುವುದು ಸೋಜಿಗವೆನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಗುಂಪಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಡ್ರೋನ್ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಸರಿನ ಗಂಡು ಜೇನು ಹುಳು ಕೇವಲ ಸಂತಾನೋತ್ಪತಿ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಮೀಸಲು. ಕೆಲಸಗಾರ ಜೇನುಹುಳು ತಮ್ಮ ದೈನಂದಿನ ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಣಗಳನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟುವುದು, ಮರಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ರಾಣಿಯ ಪೋಷಣೆ, ಗೂಡಿನ ರಕ್ಷಣೆ, ಜೇನು ಮತ್ತು ಪರಾಗ ತರುವುದು, ಆಹಾರದ ಗುಣಮಟ್ಟ, ಅದು ಸಿಗುವ ದೂರ ದಿಕ್ಕು ಅರಿಯುವುದು ಮುಂತಾದವುಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತವೆ.

ಪೋಲನ್[ಪರಾಗ]ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸುವ ಕಡಲೇ ಕಾಳಿನ ಗಾತ್ರದ ಹಳದಿ ಮಿಶ್ರಿತ ಕಂದು ಬಣ್ಣದ ಕಣಗಳು

ಜೇನು ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸುವ ಕಡಲೇಕಾಳು ಗಾತ್ರದ ಕಂದು ಬಣ್ಣದ ಕಣ[cells]ಗಳು

ಮಹಾರಾಣಿ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಕಾಲೇಜಿನಲ್ಲಿ[ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು]ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸಕಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದು ಈ ರಾಳಜೇನಿನ ಜೀವನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅಧ್ಯಯನ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ವಿಜಯಾ ಅವರು ಹೇಳುವಂತೆ "ರಾಣಿಜೇನು ರಾತ್ರಿ ವೇಳೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ಮೊಟ್ಟೆಯಿಡುತ್ತವೆ. ಇದರ ಮೊಟ್ಟೆಗಳು ಕಂದು ಬಿಳಿಬಣ್ಣದಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿದ್ದು ಆಕಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಉದ್ದವಾಗಿರುತ್ತವೆ. ಇವು ಬರಿಕಣ್ಣಿಗೆ ಸುಲಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಕೇವಲ ಮೈಕ್ರೋಸ್ಕೋಪ್‍ನಿಂದ ನೋಡಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯ ಅನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ.

ರಾಣಿ ಜೇನು ಮೊಟ್ಟೆಯಿಟ್ಟ ನಂತರ ಕೆಲಸಗಾರ ಜೇನುಗಳು ಜೋಳದ ಕಾಳಿನ ಗಾತ್ರದ ಕಣ[cells]ಗಳಿಗೆ ಅಹಾರವನ್ನು ತುಂಬುತ್ತಿರುವುದು.

ಮೊಟ್ಟೆಯನ್ನು ಕಣದೊಳಗೆ ಇಟ್ಟ ರಾಣಿಜೇನು ನಂತರ ತನ್ನ ಕೆಲಸಗಾರರಿಗೆ ಕಣದ ಮೇಲ್ಬಾಗವನ್ನು ಮುಚ್ಚಲು ಆದೇಶಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ರಾಣಿಯ ಆಜ್ಞೆಯನ್ನು ಅವು ಚಾಚು ತಪ್ಪದೆ ಪಾಲಿಸುತ್ತವೆ. ಅಮೇಲೆ ಅದು ಭ್ರೂಣವಾಗಿ ಪರಿವರ್ತನೆಯಾಗಿ ಬಳಿಕ ಲಾರ್ವ, ಕೋಶಾವಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ಬದಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ನಂತರ ವಯಸ್ಕ ಜೇನು ಪ್ಯೂಪದಿಂದ ಹೊರಬರುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದು ಕೆಲವಿಚಾರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿಟ್ಟೆಯ ಜೀವ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಯನ್ನೇ ಹೋಲುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ೫೦೦ ಪ್ರಭೇದಗಳಿದ್ದು ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಉತ್ತರ ಅಮೇರಿಕ, ಬ್ರೆಜಿಲ್, ಮೆಕ್ಸಿಕೊದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡುಬರುತ್ತವೆ. ಇದರ ಜೇನನ್ನು ಕೇರಳ ಮತ್ತು ನಮ್ಮ ಮಲೆನಾಡಿನ ಕಡೆ ಆಯುರ್ವೇದ ಔಷದಿಯನ್ನು ತಯಾರಿಸಲು ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಇದು ಇತರೆಲ್ಲಾ ಜೇನಿಗಿಂತ ತುಂಬಾ ದುಬಾರಿ" ಎನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ ಡಾ. ವಿಜಯ.

ಕೆಲಸಗಾರ ಜೇನು ನೆಲದ ಮೇಲೆ ಕುಳಿತಿದ್ದಾಗ

Macro Lens ಮೂಲಕ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ಕಿಸಿದ ರಾಣಿ ಜೇನು ಮತ್ತು ಕೆಲಸ ಗಾರ ಜೇನು

ಈ ಪ್ರಭೇದದಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಣಿಜೇನಿನ ಆಯಸ್ಸು ೫-೬ ವರ್ಷಗಳು. ಆದ್ರೆ ಕೆಲಸಗಾರ ಜೇನುಹುಳುಗಳ ಆಯಸ್ಸು ಕೇವಲ ೪೦-೬೦ ದಿನಗಳು ಮಾತ್ರ. ಇಷ್ಟು ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಆಯಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಲು ಬಳಸುವ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ, ಕಣಗಳಿಗೆ[ಬೋರ್ಡ್ ಸೆಲ್ಸ್] ಮುಚ್ಚಳ ಹಾಕುವುದು, ದ್ವಾರಪಾಲನೆ, ಮರಿಗಳ ಮತ್ತು ರಾಣಿಯ ಪೋಷಣೆ, ಪರಾಗ ಹಾಗೂ ಮಕರಂದಗಳ ಶೇಕರಣೆ. ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಅರೋಗ್ಯ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಗಳನ್ನು ಅವುಗಳಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಒಗ್ಗಟ್ಟು ತನ್ನ ಜೀವನವೆಲ್ಲಾ ತನ್ನ ಗುಂಪಿಗಾಗಿ ಮೀಸಲು ಎಂದು ದುಡಿಯುವುದು, ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕವಾಗಿ ಏನನ್ನು ಬಯಸದೆ ಇರುವುದು ಮುಂತಾದವು ಮನುಷ್ಯರಾದ ನಾವು ನಮ್ಮ ಜೀವಿತಾವಧಿ ಸರಾಸರಿ ೧೦೦ ವರ್ಷಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಏನು ಸಾಧಿಸದೆ ಸೋಮಾರಿತನದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು ಸ್ವಾರ್ಥಗಳಾಗಿದ್ದು ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ತನಗೆ ಬೇಕು ಎಂದುಕೊಂಡು ಕದ್ದುಮುಚ್ಚಿ ಕೂಡಿಡುವುದು ಇಂಥವೆಲ್ಲಾ ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಈ ಜೇನುನೊಣಗಳ ಜೀವನ ನಿಜಕ್ಕೂ ಮಾದರಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಅನುಕರಣಿಯ ಎನ್ನುವುದಂತೂ ಸತ್ಯ.

ಚಿತ್ರಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಲೇಖನ.
ಶಿವು.ಕೆ.

Posted by shivu at 8:55 PM

ಅದೊಮ್ಮೆ ಉಗಿಯೋವರ್ಗೂ ತಡಕೊಳ್ರೀ.....

ಅದೊಮ್ಮೆ ಉಗಿಯೋವರ್ಗೂ ತಡಕೊಳ್ರೀ.....

"ಹೇಮ ಗೀಸರಿನಿಂದ ತಣ್ಣೀರು ಬರುತ್ತಿದೆ, ಬಿಸಿನೀರು ಬರುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ"..ಗೀಸರ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ತಿರುಗಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಕೇಳಿದೆ.

"ಎಷ್ಟು ದಿನಾನ್ರೀ ನಿಮಗೆ ಹೇಳಿಕೋಡೋದು. ಇನ್ನು ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲವಲ್ರಿ ನಿಮಗೆ" ಅಂತ ಆಡಿಗೆ ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಗೊಣಗುತ್ತಾ ಬಂದಳು. ನಾನು ತಿರುಗಿಸಿದ್ದ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಪಕ್ಕದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಗೀಸರ್ ನಲ್ಲಿಯನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿದಳು. ಅವೆರಡಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ನಲ್ಲಿ[ಅದು ಟಾಯ್ಲೆಟ್ ನೀರಿಗಾಗಿ ಇದ್ದಂತದ್ದು]ತಿರುಗಿಸಿದಳು. ಅದರಿಂದ ನೀರು ನಿದಾನವಾಗಿ ಬರತೊಡಗಿತು. ಆರೆರೆ.....ಇದೇನು ನಾನು ಬಿಸಿನೀರಿಗಾಗಿ ಗೀಸರ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿದರೆ ಇವಳು ಅದನ್ನು ಬಂದ್ ಮಾಡಿ ಟಾಯ್ಲೆಟ್ ನಲ್ಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರು ಬರುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾಳಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ ನನಗೆ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯವಾಗಿತ್ತು.

"ಇದೇನೇ ಇದು ಗ್ಯಾಸ್ ಗೀಸರ್ ಆನ್ ಆಗದೆ ಬಿಸಿನೀರು ಬರ್ತಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂದರೆ, ನೀನು ಬಕೆಟ್ಟು ಇಟ್ಟು ಆ ನಲ್ಲಿ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿದ್ದಿಯಲ್ಲ...ಏನು ತಣ್ಣೀರು ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಬೇಕಾ" ಅಂದೆ.

"ರೀ....ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ತಡಕೊಳ್ರಿ"...ಅಂತ ನೇರ ಆಡಿಗೆ ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋದಳು. ಅವಳ ಉದ್ದೇಶವೇನೆಂದು ನನಗೆ ಅರ್ಥವಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ.

"ನೀವು ಹೊರಗೆ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಜನರ ಬಳಿ ನಯ ನಾಜೂಕಾಗಿ ವ್ಯವಹರಿಸಬಹುದು, ಪ್ರಾಣಿ ಪಕ್ಷಿಗಳು, ಮನುಷ್ಯರು ಹೀಗೆ ಜೀವವಿರುವಂತ ಎಲ್ಲರನ್ನು ಏಮಾರಿಸಿ ಫೋಟೋ ತೆಗೆಯಬಹುದು, ಆದ್ರೆ ನಿರ್ಜೀವವಿರುವ ಈ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳು ಹೇಗೆ ವರ್ತಿಸುತ್ತವೆ ಅಂತ ತಿಳಿದು ಅವುಗಳ ಜೊತೆ ವ್ಯವಹಾರ ಮಾಡೋಕೆ ಕಲಿತುಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿಲ್ಲ ನೀವು, ಕೊನೆ ಪಕ್ಷ ಅವುಗಳ ನಡುವಳಿಕೆ ಏನು ಅಂತ ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿಕ್ಕೆ ಹಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲವಲ್ರೀ"....ನಯವಾಗಿ ಕುಟುಕಿದಳು.

ಆವಳ ಮಾತು ಸತ್ಯವೆನಿಸಿತ್ತು. ಈ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದಾಗಿನಿಂದ ನಮ್ಮ ಆಡಿಗೆ ಮನೆಯ ಮೂರು ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳು, ಮತ್ತು ಬಚ್ಚಲು ಮನೆಯ ಮೂರು ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳು ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಆಟವಾಡಿಸುತ್ತಿವೆ. ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ನಾನು ಇವತ್ತಿನವರೆಗೂ ಅರಿತುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಆಗುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾನು ಏನು ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೊ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ತದ್ವಿರುದ್ಧವಾಗಿ ನಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಅವುಗಳ ಜನ್ಮಸಿದ್ಧ ಹಕ್ಕು ಎಂದುಕೊಂಡು ಬಿಟ್ಟಿವೆಯೇನೋ...ಆಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದ ಬಕೆಟ್ಟಿನ ತುಂಬಾ ನೀರು ತುಂಬಿತ್ತು.

"ಹೇಮಾ ಬಕೆಟ್ಟು ತುಂಬಿತು. ಹೀಗೇನು ಮಾಡಲಿ"

"ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಬಕೆಟ್ಟು ಇಡಿ"

ನನಗೆ ಇವತ್ತು ತಣ್ಣೀರೆ ಗತಿ ಎಂದುಕೊಂಡು "ಅಲ್ಲಾ ಕಣೇ ನಾನು ಕೇಳಿದ್ದು ಬಿಸಿನೀರು, ಗೀಸರಿನಿಂದ ಬರುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಹೋಗ್ಲಿ ಆಡಿಗೆ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಪಾತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಯಿಸಿಕೊಡು, ನಾನು ತಣ್ಣೀರು ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿದರೆ ನೆಗಡಿ ಗ್ಯಾರಂಟಿ"

"ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ತಡಕೊಳ್ರೀ....ಅದ್ಯಾಕೆ ಆತುರ ಪಡುತ್ತೀರಿ, ಆ ಕೊಳಯಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಜೋರಾಗಿ ಉಗಿಯಲಿ"

ಆಹಾಂ! ಕೊಳಾಯಿ ಉಗಿಯಬೇಕಾ? ವಿಚಾರವೇ ಹೊಸತಲ್ಲ. ಮನುಷ್ಯರಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಉಗಿದು ಉಪ್ಪು ಹಾಕುವುದು ಗೊತ್ತು ಆದ್ರೆ ಈ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳು ಉಗಿಯೋದು ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಏನು? ನಾನು ಚಿಂತೆಗೆ ಬಿದ್ದೆ. ಆಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ,

"ರೀ ನೋಡ್ರೀ...ಉಗಿಯಿತು ನೋಡ್ರೀ....ಇನ್ನು ಒಂದೆರಡು ಬಾರಿ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಉಗಿಯಲಿ ನಂತರ ನಿಮಗೆ ಬೇಕಾದ ಬಿಸಿನೀರು ಸಿಗುತ್ತೆ" ಅಂದಳು.

ನಾನು ನಲ್ಲಿ ಕಡೆ ನೋಡಿದೆ. ಒಂದುವರೆ ಬಕೆಟ್ ತುಂಬಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ನಲ್ಲಿಯಿಂದ ನೀರು ಜೋರಾಗಿ ಬರುತ್ತಿದೆ! ನಿದಾನವಾಗಿ ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ನೀರು ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ಬರುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಮೊದಲು ಕೆಲವು ಜೋರಾದ ಶಬ್ದಮಾಡಿ ಒಳಗಿನ ಗಾಳಿಯನ್ನು ಹೊರಹಾಕುವಾಗ ಕ್ಯಾ....ಶೂ....ಟಪ್...ಗರರ್.ಡ್ರೂರ್......ಹುಷ್..........ಇನ್ನೂ ಏನೇನೋ ಶಬ್ದಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಹೇಮಾಶ್ರೀ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಅದು ಈಗ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಉಗಿಯುತ್ತಿದೆ! ಹೌದು! ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ನೀರು ಕ್ಯಾಕರಿಸಿ, ಕೆಮ್ಮಿ ಉಗಿದಂತೆ ನಲ್ಲಿಯಿಂದ ಜೋರಾಗಿ ಬರುತ್ತಿದೆಯಲ್ಲಾ ! ಮುಂದೇನು?

"ಈಗ ಹೋಗಿ ಅದನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ. ನಂತರ ಗ್ಯಾಸ್ ಗೀಸರ್ ನಲ್ಲಿಯನ್ನೂ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿ ಬಿಸಿನೀರು ತಕ್ಷಣ ಬರುತ್ತೆ" ಎಂದಳು. ಅವಳು ಹೇಳಿದಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿದೆ, ಹೌದು! ಈಗ ಖಂಡಿತ ಬಿಸಿನೀರು ಬರುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಖುಷಿಯಾಯ್ತು. ನೋಡ್ರೀ.. ಮೊದಲು ನೀರು ಪೋರ್ಸ್ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲವಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ಗೀಸರುನಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರು ಬರಲು ಪ್ರೆಶ್ಶರ್ ಸಾಕಾಗುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಪಕ್ಕದ ಆ ನಲ್ಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರು ಬಿಟ್ಟಾಗ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪಹೊತ್ತಿನ ನಂತರ ಪ್ರೆಶರ್ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಅದು ಹೀಗೆ ಕ್ಯಾಕರಿಸಿ ಉಗಿಯುತ್ತಾ, ಅನೇಕ ಶಬ್ದಮಾಡಿ ನೀರು ಜೋರಾಗಿ ನಮಗೆ ಪೋರ್ಸ್ ಸಿಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಗ ತಕ್ಷಣ ಅದನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ಗೀಸರ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿದರೆ ನಾಲ್ಕೇ ಸೆಕೆಂಡುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಸಿನೀರು ಬರುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದು ಎಂಟು ತಿಂಗಳಾದ್ರೂ ನಿಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲವಲ್ರೀ....ಹೋಗಿ ಸ್ನಾನಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ, ಅಂಗಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಮತ್ತೆ ಆಡುಗೆ ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋದಳು.

"ಆದ್ರೆ ಇದೇ ನಲ್ಲಿಯಲ್ಲೇ ಪೋರ್ಸ್ ಇದೆಯೋ ಇಲ್ಲವೋ ಅಂತ ನೀರು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳಬಹುದಲ್ವೇನೇ?

"ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಹೇಳೋದು ನಿಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗೊಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ. ನೇರವಾಗಿ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕಿನಿಂದ ನೀರು ಈ ನಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕಿನೊಳಗೆ ಏನೇನು ಆಗುತ್ತೆ ಅಂತ ಮೊದಲು ಈ ನಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ತಕ್ಕಂತೆ ಹೀಗೆ ವರ್ತಿಸಿ ನಮಗೆ ಸೂಚನೆ ಕೊಡುತ್ತೆ. ಇದು ಒಂಥರ ಟ್ರೈಯಲ್ ವರ್ಷನ್. ಅದನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ನಾವು ಹೀಗೆ ನೀರಿನ ವಿಚಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ತಣ್ಣೀರು ಮತ್ತು ಬಿಸಿನೀರನ್ನು ಅನಲೈಸ್ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು ಗೊತ್ತಾಯ್ತ" ಅಂದಳು.

ಎಲಾ! ನಲ್ಲಿಯೇ....ನಿನ್ನೊಳಗೆ ಏನೆಲ್ಲಾ ಆಟ ಉಂಟು! ಅಂದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮುಗಿಸಿದ್ದೆ.

"ಸ್ನಾನ ಆಯ್ತೇನ್ರೀ....ಆಗಿದ್ರೆ ಬನ್ನಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿ, ಆಡುಗೆ ಮನೆಯ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳ ವಿಚಾರ ತಿಳಿಸಿಕೊಡುತ್ತೇನೆ" ಅಂತ ಕರೆದಳು.

ಇಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೂ ಈ ವಿಚಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕತೆಯೇ ಇದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳೆಲ್ಲಾ ಬುಗುರಿಯಂತೆ ಗುಂಡಾದ ತಿರುಗಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿರುವಂತವು. ನನಗೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳಿಗೂ ಆಗಿಬರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಯಾಕಂದ್ರೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಯಾವಾಗ ಜೀವ ಬರುತ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಜೀವ ಹೋಗುತ್ತೆ ಅನ್ನುವುದು ಗೊತ್ತಾಗೋದೆ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಹೇಮಾಶ್ರೀ ನನ್ನೂರಿಗೆ ಅಥವ ಅವಳ ತವರು ಮನೆಗೋ ಮೂರ್ನಾಲ್ಕು ದಿನದ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಹೋದರೂ ಅವಳಿಗೆ ಈ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳು, ಗ್ಯಾಸ್ ಸಿಲಿಂಡರ್, ಮನೆಯ ದೀಪದ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ಚುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ, ಮತ್ತು ಇವೆಲ್ಲಕ್ಕೂ ಹೊಂದಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲಾಗದ ನನ್ನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಚಿಂತಿಸುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಈ ಮೂರು ವಸ್ತುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಗಮನ ಎಳ್ಳಷ್ಟು ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದು ಅವಳಿಗೆ ನೂರಕ್ಕೆ ನೂರರಷ್ಟು ಖಚಿತವಾಗಿ ಗೊತ್ತು.

ಮೂರು ತಿಂಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ಅವರ ಊರಿನ ಹಬ್ಬಕ್ಕೆ ನನಗೆ ಕೆಲಸದ ಒತ್ತಡದಿಂದಾಗಿ ಹೋಗಲಾಗದೆ ಹೇಮಾಶ್ರೀಯನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಕಳುಹಿಸಿದ್ದೆ. ಆಗ ಮಳೆ ಕಡಿಮೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಮಗೆ ದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ಆರೇಳು ಗಂಟೆ ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ ತೆಗೆದುಬಿಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಂಡತಿ ಇದ್ದಾಗ ಇಂಥವೆಲ್ಲಾ ನಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗೊಲ್ಲ. ಅವರು ಹೇಗೋ ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ನಮಗೆ ಸಮಯಕ್ಕೆ ಬೇಕಾದ ಹಾಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ತಯಾರು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಡುತ್ತಾರಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಆ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವತ್ತು ಬೆಳಗಿನ ದಿನಪತ್ರಿಕೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ಏಳು ಗಂಟೆಗೆ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದಾಗ ಕರೆಂಟು ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದ ಕೂಡಲೆ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಲೆಂದು ನಲ್ಲಿ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿದೆ. ನೀರು ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಸರಿ ಕರೆಂಟು ಬಂದ ಮೇಲೆ ನೋಡೋಣ ಅಂದುಕೊಂಡು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹೊತ್ತು ಕುಳಿತು ಪೇಪರ್ ಓದುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆ. ಆಗ ಶುರುವಾಯಿತಲ್ಲ ಮಲಮೂತ್ರ ವಿಷರ್ಜನೆಯ ಒತ್ತಡ. ಬಚ್ಚಲು ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋದೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ತೊಟ್ಟು ನೀರಿಲ್ಲ. ಆಡುಗೆ ಮನೆಯೊಳಗೆ ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಒಂದು ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಪಾತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂರು ಗ್ಲಾಸ್ ಆಗುವಷ್ಟು ನೀರು ಮಾತ್ರ ಇದೆ. ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರಿಲ್ಲ. ನೀರನ್ನು ಮೊದಲೇ ತುಂಬಿಸಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಳ್ಳಿ ಅಂತ ಹೇಮಾಶ್ರೀ ಕಿವಿಮಾತು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದರೂ ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸದ ಒತ್ತಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ ಮುಂದೆ ಕೂತು ಮೈಮರೆತು ನೀರು ತುಂಬಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಮರೆತುಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೆ. ಈಗ ಏನು ಮಾಡುವುದು ? ಕಾವೇರಿ ನೀರು ಬರುವ ಸಮಯ ಇದಲ್ಲ. ಮತ್ತೆ ಮನೆಯ ಬೋರ್‌ವೆಲ್ ನೀರನ್ನು ಟ್ಯಾಂಕಿಗೆ ತುಂಬಿಸಿ ನಂತರ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾದರೆ ಕರೆಂಟು ಬೇಕೇ ಬೇಕು. ಅದು ಬರುವವರೆಗೂ ಕಾಯಲೇಬೇಕು. ಎದುರುಗಡೆಯ ಓನರ್ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದೆರಡು ಬಿಂದಿಗೆ ನೀರು ಕೇಳೋಣವೆಂದರೆ ಒಂಥರ ನಾಚಿಕೆ! ಹೋಗಿ ಹೋಗಿ ನೀರು ಕೇಳುವುದಾ ಅಂತ. ಹೊರಗೆ ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಬೋರ್‌ವೆಲ್ ನೀರನ್ನು ತರೋಣವೆಂದು ಹೋದರೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಇದೇ ಕರೆಂಟು ತೊಂದರೆಯಿಂದಾಗಿ ನೀರೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ಕುಳಿತರೆ ಸರಿಹೋಗಲ್ಲ, ಹೊರಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಒಂದು ಸುತ್ತು ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು ಬಂದರೇ ಆ ಒತ್ತಡದ ಗಮನದಿಂದ ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಬೇರೆಡೆ ಸೆಳೆಯಬಹುದೆಂದುಕೊಂಡು ಅರ್ಧಗಂಟೆ ಸುತ್ತಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದರೆ ಆಗಲೂ ಕರೆಂಟು ಬಂದಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ವಿಧಿಯಿಲ್ಲದೇ ಇರುವ ವಿಚಾರವನ್ನು ಅವರಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿ ಎರಡು ಬಕೆಟ್ ನೀರು ಕೊಡಿ ಎಂದು ಓನರ ಮನೆಯವರನ್ನು ಕೇಳಬೇಕಾಯಿತು. ಅದಕ್ಕವರು ನಾವು ನೀರು ತುಂಬಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿರಲಿಲ್ಲವಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಮಗೂ ನೀರಿಲ್ಲ ತೊಗೊಳ್ಳಿ ಒಂದೇ ಬಕೆಟ್ ಇರೋದು ಅಂತ ಕೊಟ್ಟರು. ಇಷ್ಟಾದರೂ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿತಲ್ಲ ಅಂದುಕೊಂಡು ಮೊದಲು ಮಲಮತ್ತು ಜಲಭಾದೆಯನ್ನು ತೀರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಾಗ ಸ್ವರ್ಗಸುಖ! ಉಳಿದ ನೀರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ ತೊಳೆದ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಮಾಡಿ ಹೊರಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಹೋಟಲ್ಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ತಿಂಡಿ ತಿಂದು ಬರುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ೯ ಗಂಟೆ. ಇದೆಲ್ಲದ ನಡುವೆ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಆಚಾತುರ್ಯ ನಡೆದಿತ್ತು. ಮುಖ ತೊಳೆದ ನಂತರ ಟೀ ಕುಡಿಯಲೆಂದು ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಹಾಲಿಗೆ ಟೀ ಪುಡಿ, ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಹಾಕಿದ ಹಾಲಿನ ಪಾತ್ರೆಯನ್ನು ಗ್ಯಾಸ್ ಸ್ಟವ್ ಮೇಲಿಟ್ಟವನು ಯಾವುದೋ ಫೋನ್ ಬಂದ ನೆಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಗೆ ಮರೆತು ಹೋಟಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಬಂದು ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೆ. ಮನೆಗೆ ಬರುವ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ ಟೀ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಉಕ್ಕಿ ಪಾತ್ರೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರಬಿದ್ದು ಗ್ಯಾಸ್ ಸ್ವವ್ ಮೇಲೆಲ್ಲಾ ಹರಡಿ ಅದರ ಕೆಳಗಿನ ಕಪ್ಪು ಕಡಪ ಕಲ್ಲಂತೂ ಕಜ್ಜಿ ಬಂದು ಬಿಳಚಿಕೊಂಡಂತೆ ಬಿಳಿ ಬಣ್ಣಕ್ಕೆ ಬದಲಾಗಿಬಿಟ್ಟಿತ್ತು. ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಅಲ್ಲಾ ಅಂತ ಮಳೆಯಿಲ್ಲದ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲೂ ಕಡಪ ಕಲ್ಲನ್ನು ದಾಟಿ ಕೋಡಿಹರಿದಂತೆ ಆಗಿ ನೆಲವೆಲ್ಲಾ ಚಿತ್ತಾರವಾಗಿಬಿಟ್ಟಿತ್ತು.

ಒಹ್! ಎಂಥ ಪ್ರಮಾದವಾಗಿಬಿಡ್ತು, ಎಷ್ಟು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದ್ದ ಆಡುಗೆ ಮನೆಯನ್ನು ನಾನು ಮೈಮರೆತು ಎಂತ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ ತಂದುಬಿಟ್ಟೆ. ಇದನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಹೇಮಾಶ್ರೀ ನನಗೊಂದು ಗತಿ ಕಾಣಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ ಅಂದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾ ಅದನ್ನೆಲ್ಲಾ ತೊಳೆಯಲು ಸಿದ್ದನಾಗಿ ನೀರಿನ ಪಾತ್ರೆಗೆ ಕೈಹಾಕಿದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ ನೀರು? ಕರೆಂಟು ಇನ್ನೂ ಬಂದಿಲ್ಲವಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ನೀರು ಇಲ್ಲ. ಆಗ ಏನು ಮಾಡಲಿಕ್ಕಾಗದೇ ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಕುಳಿತುಬಿಟ್ಟೆ. ಆಗ ನನ್ನ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಂತೂ ಅದೋಗತಿಯಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಅವತ್ತು ಹತ್ತು ಗಂಟೆಯಾದರೂ ಕರೆಂಟು ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲವಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ಮದ್ಯಾಹ್ನದ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಂದು ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳೋಣವೆಂದು ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರಬಿದ್ದಿದ್ದೆ. ಮದ್ಯಾಹ್ನ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದು ನೋಡುತ್ತೇನೆ! ಓನರ್ ನನಗಾಗಿ ಕಾಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

"ಏನ್ರೀ ಶಿವು, ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳನ್ನು ತಿರುಗಿಸಿಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೀರಲ್ಲ....ಕರೆಂಟು ಬಂದು ನಾವು ಮೋಟರ್ ಹಾಕಿ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರು ತುಂಬಿಸಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಆ ನೀರೆಲ್ಲಾ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂಲಕ ಹರಿದು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದೆ, ಅದನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸೋಣವೆಂದರೆ ನೀವು ಮನೆಯನ್ನು ಲಾಕ್ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೀರಿ. ಎಷ್ಟು ನೀರು ಪೋಲಾಗಿಹೋಯ್ತು. ಬೇಗ ಬಾಗಿಲು ತೆಗೆದು ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸ್ರೀ" ಅಂದಾಗ ನನ್ನ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಹೇಗಾಗಿತ್ತು ಅಂದರೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ವರ್ಣಿಸಲಾರೆ!

ಆಗ ಅನ್ನಿಸಿದ್ದು ಈ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳಿಗೇ ಯಾವಾಗ ಜೀವ ಬರುತ್ತೋ ಆ ದೇವರಿಗೇ ಗೊತ್ತು. ಅವು ಬುಗುರಿಯಾಕಾರವಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿ ಟೈಟ್ ಮಾಡಿದಾಗ ಟೈಟ್ ಆದಂತೆ ವರ್ತಿಸಿದರೂ ಇದ್ದಕ್ಕಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಯಾವಾಗಲೋ ಲೂಸ್ ಆಗಿ ನೀರನ್ನು ಕ್ಯಾಕರಿಸಿ ಕೆಮ್ಮಿ, ಕಕ್ಕುತ್ತಾ, ಉಗಿಯುತ್ತಾ, ನಮ್ಮ ತಲೆಯೆಲ್ಲಾ ತಿರುಗುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿಬಿಡುತ್ತವೆ!

ಈ ಸಮುದ್ರದ ಮರಳ ಮೇಲಿನ ನಲ್ಲಿ[ಏಡಿ]ಗಳಿಗೂ ಬಚ್ಚಲು ಮನೆಯ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳಿಗೂ ಏನಾದರೂ ಸಂಭಂದವಿದೆಯಾ, ಇಲ್ಲಾ ಹೋಲಿಕೆಯಿದೆಯಾ ಅಂತ ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಸಂಭಂದವಿರದಿದ್ದರೂ ಹೋಲಿಕೆಯಂತೂ ಖಂಡಿತ ಇದೆ. ನಾವು ಸಮುದ್ರದ ಮರಳಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುವ ಮೊದಲು ಆ ನಲ್ಲಿ[ಏಡಿ]ಗಳು ಆರಾಮವಾಗಿ ಓಡಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿರುತ್ತವೆ. ಯಾವಾಗ ನಮ್ಮ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಸದ್ದುಗಳು ಕೇಳಿಸುತ್ತವೋ ಪುಳಕ್ಕನೇ ಆ ಮರಳಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಯವಾಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತವೆ. ಮತ್ತೆ ಅವು ಹೊರಗೆ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಯಾರು ಇಲ್ಲದಾಗಲೇ. ಅದೇ ರೀತಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬಚ್ಚಲು ಮನೆಯ ನಲ್ಲಿಗಳು ನಾವು ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು ನೀರು ಬೇಕೆಂದು ತಿರುಗಣೆ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿದಾಗ ನೀರನ್ನು ಕಕ್ಕುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಆದ್ರೆ ನಮಗೆ ಬೇಡದ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಡಿದವರಂತೆ ಶಬ್ದ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾ ನೀರನ್ನು ಕ್ಯಾಕರಿಸಿ ಉಗಿಯುತ್ತವೆಯಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ಇವೆರಡರ ನಡಾವಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಲಿಕೆಯಂತೂ ಇದ್ದೇ ಇದೆ.

ಒಂದೆರಡು ದಿನ ಕಳೆಯಿತು. ಊರಿನಿಂದ ಫೋನ್ ಮಾಡಿದಳು.

"ರೀ.......ಏನ್ಸಮಚಾರ......ನಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ್ದೀರಾ? ಗ್ಯಾಸ್ ಆಪ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೀರಾ? ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಲೈಟುಗಳ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಆಪ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೀರಾ?"

"ಏನೇ ಇದು ನನ್ನನ್ನು ವಿಚಾರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಮೊದಲು ನಲ್ಲಿ, ಲೈಟು, ಗ್ಯಾಸ್ ಅಂತ ಕೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯಾ?"

"ಹೌದ್ರೀ....ಅವಕ್ಕೆಲ್ಲಾ ಏನು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಕಮ್ಮಿಯಾಗದಿದ್ದರೇ ನೀವು ಖಂಡಿತ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿರುತ್ತೀರಿ ಅಂತ ನನಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತು"

ಅವಳು ನನ್ನನ್ನು ವಿಚಾರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಪರಿ ಈ ರೀತಿಯದಾಗಿತ್ತು.

ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಈಗ ಅವಳು ಊರಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಫೋನ್ ಮಾಡಿದಾಗಲೆಲ್ಲಾ ನನ್ನಿಂದ ಬೇರೆ ರೀತಿ ಉತ್ತರವನ್ನು ಕೊಡುವ ಅಬ್ಯಾಸ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡುಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೆ.

ಈ ಬಾರಿಯ ಗೌರಿಹಬ್ಬಕ್ಕೆ ಊರಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದಳಲ್ಲ...ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಫೋನ್ ಮಾಡಿದಳು.

"ರೀ....ಹೇಗಿದ್ದೀರಿ....ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ತಿಂಡಿ ಏನು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡ್ರಿ?

"ಹೇಮ ನಾನು ಗ್ಯಾಸ್ ಸ್ಟವ್ ಹಚ್ಚಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಮತ್ತೆ ಹೋಟಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ದೋಸೆ ತಿಂದೆ."

"ಮತ್ತೆ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿದ್ರಾ?"

"ಸ್ನಾನಾನು ಮಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಕೊಳಾಯಿಯ ಸಹವಾಸಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. ನೀನು ಊರಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುವಾಗ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಡ್ರಮ್ಮಿನಲ್ಲಿ ತುಂಬಿಸಿದ ತಣ್ಣಿರಲ್ಲೇ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿದೆ."

"ಅಯ್ಯೋ ತಣ್ಣೀರಾ...ನಿಮಗೆ ನೆಗಡಿಯಾಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತೇ"

"ಆದ್ರೂ ಪರ್ವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸಹವಾಸಕ್ಕಿಂತ ನೆಗಡೀನೇ ಬೆಟರ್ರೂ.....

"ಮತ್ತೆ ಲೈಟ್ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಆಪ್ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀರಿ ತಾನೆ?

"ಇಲ್ಲಾ ಕಣೇ"

"ಮತ್ತೆ ಹಾಗೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಹೋಗುತಿದ್ರಾ?" ಅವಳ ಮಾತಿನ ದ್ವನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗಾಬರಿಯಿತ್ತು.

"ನಾನು ಲೈಟ್ ಬೆಳಕನ್ನೇ ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲವಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ಸ್ವಚ್ಚನ್ನು ಮುಟ್ಟುವ ಪ್ರಮೇಯವೇ ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲವಲ್ಲಾ"

"ಮತ್ತೆ ಕತ್ತಲಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಇದ್ರೀ...."

"ಮೇಣದ ಬತ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಹೊತ್ತಿಸಿ ಅದರ ಬೆಳಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಆದಿವಾಸಿಯಂತೆ ಕಾಲ ಕಳೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆ"

ಇಷ್ಟೆಲ್ಲಾ ಮಾತಾಡುವ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ ನಾನು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದೆಲ್ಲಾ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಅಂತ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಿ ಇನ್ನೇನಾದ್ರು ಕೇಳಿದ್ರೆ ಇವರು ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ಸಿನಿಮಾ ಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೇಳುವುದು ಗ್ಯಾರಂಟಿ ಅಂತ ಸುಮ್ಮನಾಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು.

ಇನ್ನೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ಮೋಟರ್ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಮತ್ತು ಪೈಪುಗಳ ಕತೆಯೇ ಬೇರೊಂದು ತೆರನಾದ್ದು. ಕರೆಂಟು ಬಂತಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಹಾಕಿಬಿಟ್ಟರೆ ನೀರು ನೇರವಾಗಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕಿಗೆ ತುಂಬುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಮಾಲೀಕರ ಮನೆಯ ಓವರ್ ಹೆಡ್ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕ್ ತುಂಬಿ ಹರಿದಿರುತ್ತದೆ[ನಮ್ಮ ಬಿಲ್ಡಿಂಗಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂರು ಓವರ್‌ಹೆಡ್ ವಾಟರ್ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕುಗಳಿವೆ ಅವಕ್ಕೆಲ್ಲಾ ಒಂದೇ ಮೋಟರ್ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ಚಿದೆ]. ಅಥವ ನಮ್ಮ ಪಕ್ಕದ ಮನೆಯ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕು ಉಕ್ಕಿಹರಿದು ಕೋಡಿ ಬಿದ್ದಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದನ್ನೆಲ್ಲಾ ತಪ್ಪಿಸಲು ನಮ್ಮ ಹದಿಮೂರು ಮನೆಯ ಬಿಲ್ಡಿಂಗಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಚಕ್ರವ್ಯೂಹದಂತ ನೀರಿನ ಪೈಪುಗಳ ಲಿಂಕುಗಳಿವೆ. ಮೋಟರ್ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಹಾಕುವ ಮೊದಲು ಯಾವುದೋ ಪೈಪಿನ ವಾಲ್ ಮೇಲಕ್ಕೆ ಎತ್ತಬೇಕು. ಎದುರಿಗಿರುವ ಪೈಪಿನ ವಾಲನ್ನು ಕೆಳಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಮತ್ಯಾವುದೋ ತಿರುಪಣೆಯನ್ನು ಬಲಕ್ಕೆ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿ ಟೈಟ್ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಇಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಬಲವೋ ಎಡವೊ ಗೊಂದಲವುಂಟಾಗಿ ನೀರು ಯಾವುದೋ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕಿಗೆ ಹರಿದು ಒಂದು ಕಡೆ ಅತೀವೃಷ್ಟಿ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಕಡೆ ಆನಾವೃಷ್ಟಿಯಾಗಿಬಿಟ್ಟಿರುತ್ತದೆ.

ಇಂಥ ಚಕ್ರವ್ಯೂಹವನ್ನೆಲ್ಲಾ ಅಧ್ಯಾಯನ ಮಾಡಿ ಅದರೊಳಗೆ ನುಗ್ಗಿ ಜಯಿಸಲು ನಾನೇನು ಅಭಿಮನ್ಯುವೇ? ಇದರ ಸಹವಾಸವೇ ಬೇಡವೆಂದು ಸುಮ್ಮನಾಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತುಂಬಿಸಿಟ್ಟ ನೀರನ್ನೇ ರೇಷನ್ ತರಹ ಬಿಂದಿಗೆಯಷ್ಟು ನೀರಿನ ಅವಶ್ಯಕತೆಯಿರುವಾಗ ಚೆಂಬಿನಷ್ಟು ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸುತ್ತಾ, ಚೆಂಬಿನಷ್ಟು ಅವಶ್ಯಕತೆಯಿರುವಾಗ ಲೋಟದಷ್ಟೇ ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸುತ್ತಾ...ನನ್ನ ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ ಬರುವವರೆಗೂ ಕಾಲಹಾಕುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಇನ್ನೂ ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ಚುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬರೆದರೇ ನಿಮಗೆ ಅದೊಂದು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕತೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆಂಬ ಭಯದಿಂದ ಇಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ಚಿತ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ಲೇಖನ.
ಶಿವು.ಕೆ

Friendship of Srinath and Dada Poper

Friendship of Srinath and Dada Poper

Srinath and Dada Poper became best of the friends during their college years. They understood eachother's personality and character very well and bonded. After college, Poper became an "Estate Agent" in the islands of Malaya and started earning thousands of Rupees. Srinath remained in Mysore and became a clerk, earning forty Rupees per month. Eight years later, Poper returned to Mysore for a visit. The friends had kept in touch via letters, and both were keen to see one another. On Sunday morning at 8 o'clock, Srinath decided to call on his friend and Poper decided to call on Srinath. They both knew that time of the week was perfect. They were both excited about the occasion. Even though he might be a friend, "it might not be appropriate for me to visit him in my torn clothes" -- Srinath thought and begged and borrowed to appear nice and respectable. He even hired a tonga. Poper thought --"Srinath is not well off. If I go to his house in my expensive clothing, he might be humiliated", and bought a pair of inexpensive mill cotton clothes. At the chowk marg (intersection), they ran into each other and heartily shook hands. "If this guy lives this lifestyle in forty bucks, how will he ever come out of poverty?" -- Poper thought. "No wonder this stingy man accumulated so much wealth" --Srinath pondered. They had understood eachother's personality and chracter really well! __________ As told by G.P. Rajarathnam in "Hanigalu", 1973. Comments (1) http://www.kamat.org/network/blogs/?bno=110

Pandu Bal Mohan Krishna

Pandu Bal Mohan Krishna

Bal Prabhu was a grocer in my village. His dad Pandu had established the business. Because Bal was such a common name, and all the Prabhus were merchants, it came common to refer to Bal as Pandu Bal. Then Bal's son Mohan took over the shop. Naturally, the townspeople referred to him as "Pandu Bal Mohan's Grocery Shop" The last time I visited my town, I wanted to meet Mohan's son Murali with whom I used to play Cricket. "Oh you mean you want to see Pandu Bal Mohan Murali?" -- they asked me, traversing his name four generations back. "What have you named your son?" I asked Murali. "We call him Krishna, but townspeople call..." "Pandu Bal Mohan Murali Krishna" -- we both said at the same time. Comments (0) http://www.kamat.org/network/blogs

Joy of Rolling in Fishmarket Filth

Joy of Rolling in Fishmarket Filth

Venkatesh Mahale is a famous connoisseur of my village -- the kind Goruru Ramaswamy Iyengar or R.K. Narayan would immortalize in their books. The fish-market is possibly the dirtiest part of our town, because there is no sewage and they clean the fish right there. Anyway, Mahale's daughter got married and went to USA to live with the husband. During the birth of her child, Venkatesh Mahale and his wife traveled to America to help the new couple. But there was no Bangade fish, no Iswan fish, no beedi, no paan and no Madevi (Mahale's mistress) in New Jersey and Mr. Mahale was miserable. Upon his return, he resumed his ritual of buying fresh fish every morning at the Bunder (harbor). A mischief-monger who was aware of Mahale's boredom in America teased him -- "Did you enjoy America Venkateshmam?" Mahale pointed to the filth beneath his Walmart Crocs. "I say that there is more joy in rolling in this fish waste than in America!" he declared. Since then "rolling in fishmarket waste" has become a slang and a unit of measurement of happiness in the neighboring villages. Comments (0) http://www.kamat.org/network/blogs

Reciting Mathematical Tables

Reciting Mathematical Tables

I went to the Brahmin's shop -- you know the stuff he sells for pooja rituals -- to get some sacred thread. From inside of the shop, I heard a couple of kids loudly reciting mathematical tables. I was very happy that the brahmin was mentoring neighborhood kids and educating them in his spare time. "You will have to soon start them with multiplication tables" -- I told the shop-keeper, noticing that the kids were stopping abruptly, and re-starting their recitation. "Oh, these slum kids, they don't know how to count. I doubt they even go to school. I have these kids engaged in cleaning of Godambi (plump cashew nuts). But I don't want them to eat the cashews, so I have them recite the tables non-stop. If they eat the cashews, I know immediately" -- said the Brahmin. __________ As told by Shanta Nagaraj, 2003 http://www.kamat.org/network/blogs/?bno=110&BlogID=3270

How to Eat Sesame-seeds

How to Eat Sesame-seeds

Subba the oilman who owned a bullock powered grinder hired a man without arms to guard the sesame seeds as they were being dried in the sun. Subba had deliberately chosen the man so that the worker would not be able to steal the seeds and eat them as he guarded. Chandamama Even then after an hour or so later, Subba came to checkup on the employee. "The volume of the seeds looks depleted, have you eaten any?" -- he demanded an answer. "No Sir! I haven't eaten. How can I eat sesame-seeds without another person's assistance?" the worker defended. "Well, you might have dipped your fore-arms in water and then used it to pick-up the seeds and eaten them" The poor worker said he was telling the truth, by swearing on the honor of his mother, his wife, and his kids. Subbu was satisfied. But the worker now learnt a way to eat sesame-seeds! Instead of water, he used his own saliva. He kept the job for many years. Subba never came to know of it. _______________ As appeared in Chandamama Monthly, June 1979 Comments (0) http://www.kamat.org/network/blogs

Why Kitti Buys So Many Jackfruits

Why Kitti Buys So Many Jackfruits

Kitti surely was a child prodigy. He took to music and flute like fish takes to water. All family members who heard him play the flute called him "boy Krishna" and made Kitti's parents proud. But as Kitti grew up, the Bharatanatyam girls to whom Kitti used to provide accompaniment during performances for a fee -- preferred other flutists. Kitti just couldn't live up to his own expectations and started suffering from a complex. Then something happened. Kitti started playing the flute in the Bazar on the mold by Ramesh's Tea Stall. At first the townspeople ignored him, but the cows from all over the neighborhoods started gathering in the Bazar, causing congestion and chaos. It was just like the cows had followed Lord Krishna as he played his flute! The words around and it brought much joy and publicity to Kitty's family, and much jealousy to the other flutists of the town. Then one night Raju and Nagesh on their way back from second show in Jyoti Cinema found Kitti stashing some heavy bags behind Ramesh's cafe. They appeared to contain jack fruits. _______________ Hot tip to Rajesh Ramaswamy. http://www.kamat.org/network/blogs Comments (0)

Living with the Poor

Living with the Poor

Plassey, Bengal
April 30, 1970

Dear Jyotsna,

If one has to see the real poverty in our country, it has to be in Bengal. In other states, the poor may not have shelter or two meals a day; the poor here don't even have clothes. It's terrible to see women being not able to afford enough clothing to cover their womanhood.

"...He may not be an educated man; a righteous one nonetheless."

The refugees who come from East Bengal (present day Bangladesh) the tribals of Santhal, Rajwad, and Buno communities wear clothing as big as handkerchief. That too is thin and worn out. In Uttara Kannada district, we have seen members of the Halakki tribe not wearing a blouse, yet they are nicely covered in beads and other decorations, and always wear a sari (a.k.a. Saree -- Indian drape).

The sugar factory has appointed a lot of these women to cut and bring infected sugar canes from the field. They have to get up early in the morning, walk to the distant fields, identify the deceased canes, cut them, and carry them to my laboratory, which is about eight to ten kilometers away. You won't believe that they get paid just one rupee for it. However they get a small bonus depending on how infected the canes are. I cannot increase the numbers so they can get paid more, because that would indicate that our insect control procedures are ineffective. That is why I have made arrangements to pay a bonus to women who bring less infected loads through our expense budget.

When I see twenty or thirty women laborers walk into the lab with cane loads on their heads, I feel like they are engaging in some kind of religious activity. They unload themselves in the yard in front of the lab, and collect the insects in the dishes we supply; they get busy chatting or singing softly. It is obvious that they do not have enough to feed. One of them has become old in her youth. When she told me that she had not eaten since yesterday and only after she received today's wage, she would have to buy rice to eat porridge, I felt sick in the stomach. Our country is one in which the prime minister's hairdresser gets thousands of Rupees, and the hardworking women laborers get just one. Another woman, a new mother, had left her infant with her mother-in-law. I felt so bad that the baby was not fortunate enough to suckle the God-given milk. Her sari was wet with overflowing milk.

So many times I wriggle my hands out of my helplessness for these fellow human beings. Not the laborers! They have spread word that this insect boss (Poka Babu) is a good man. I often distribute bananas grown in my yard. I am also the small loan lender for them. All they need is one buck or two. After they finish their work, they surround me to call out their names and watch me type their names on the typewriter so they can get paid. Then they tell me, "We will see you tomorrow Babu," and run to the cashier like school children.

Please do not think that all my sympathy is only for women. The other evening my laundry man (Dhobi) asked "Today there was no income, Babu. Can you loan me two Rupees?" I was raised not to get into money lending with acquaintances, but I could not deny his small request. You should have seen his face bloom like a flower out of gratitude. "I knew that you would not deny me, Babu. You will have the Punya (divine credits) of feeding four children and my wife and my old mother today." He even tried to smile.

One day, my assistant Hussain's wife was busy with a naming ceremony for their child and he did not bring his lunch box. I told him not to ride bicycle for 20 kilometers in the hot sun just to have lunch and instead brought him to my home. (They don't build restaurants in a condemned place like Plassey.) There was not much food at home, but we shared whatever I had. In addition I gave him a banana and a glass of milk. I do not know if his stomach was full, but I had the joy of sharing a meal with a colleague; it is my philosophy that instead of throwing a dinner party in a restaurant, it is better to provide a simple meal when it is needed most.

Yesterday, in Hussain's village, there was a fire and forty houses got burnt. He told me that if he could have fifty Rupees he could help two of his relatives fix the roofs before the rainy season. There was a remote chance that it would ever be returned, but I thought it was the best way I could spend those 50 Rupees, and gave him. The poor dhobi proved to me that not everybody wanted to borrow money to blow away; as he returned eight pairs of clothes, he said "Babu, your two rupees are now adjusted. You don't have to pay since I owe you two rupees" to my welled eyes. He may not be an educated man; a righteous one nonetheless.

Sincerely yours,
Krishnanand

Understanding the Illiterates

Understanding the Illiterates Context: A couple of days ago I wondered how the people in India who cannot read or write, compute and conduct business. Many years ago, Saver Fernandes was an employee (we called him a servant then, but that's another story) in my family's cloth shop in rural India. One day Saver showed me the label of a garment and asked me to read the brand name, which I did and asked him why he had asked me to read. He smiled and told me that he didn't know how to read! It blew my mind. Saver had been with us many many years and constantly had to deal with brand names, product names, sizes, and reading of packaging (without opening them). There's no way he could do his job without being able to read. But amazingly, he was able to cope up with the job without anyone ever suspecting! I then asked him how he distinguished a Bombay Dyeing suit from a Raymonds Suit (or size 8 from size 6 for that matter). He told me that it was all intuition and experience. At that time I thought that he was kidding me and had asked him to read numerous printed matter in the shop (brand names mostly), which he could, but could not read the newspaper except for the name of the newspaper. Few days after this incident, we received a large consignment of undergarments from Erode in Tamil Nadu (topics), all of them packaged with instructions (product names, sizes) in Tamil language. What was the supplier thinking? No one can read Tamil in the town of Honavar! But see, for an illiterate, Tamil language is same as English or any other language! Saver had no problems whatsoever in dealing with the different product names or sizes. It was only then I believed that he couldn't read. BTW, in the later years Saver did banking errands (he used a thumb-print instead of a signature) for the shop. He also could measure (length of the cloth) and compute (how much it will cost for 70 centimeters -- the cloth required for a typical blouse worn by Indian women -- of cloth that sells for 16.50 a meter etc.), without being able to read or write. Education and intelligence are two different, unrelated entities. See also: The Bengali Dhobi -- Righteousness and education are two different, unrelated entities. http://www.kamat.com/vikas/blog.php?BlogID=173 Comments (0) First Written: Wednesday, December 19, 2001 Last Modified: 11/27/2003 Tags: desitale, honavar

Suicides in India

Suicides in India - Some Notes Mahesh Shantaram, a blogger from India writes about his rules for euthanasia. I am leaning towards a stance for death with dignity (politically correct name for assisted suicide), but I find that someone else making up the rules of death (like tape recording the procedure ?!) very repulsive. Isn't self-determination the crux of this debate? India perhaps has the longest history of assisted suicides. Described as Ichha-Marana or desired death, it is mentioned in ancient Indian epics such as Mahabharata. We have the cases of both men (Bhishma) and women (Madri) undergo desired deaths. The Sallekhana, Sati, and Johar systems were essentially suicide mechanisms in ancient (and not so ancient) India. The Sallekhana was practiced by devout Jains by fasting and meditation, and the participants starving to death. The most famous person to undergo Sallekhana was the queen mother Machikabbe. The Sati (a.k.a. Suttee) was the system in which a window committed suicide on the funeral pyre of her husband, believing in (or forced into) an eternal marriage. The Johar occured when the women of a town preferred death to dishonor and committed suicide in large numbers after a war. Attempt to Commit Suicide Indian buses tend to be extremely crowded, and it is common to overload the buses. Once I was going to school like that and was arrested by the police (that's India for you; instead of improving the public transportation system, the government harasses the citizens.) I asked on what grounds the police were arresting us as we had been issued valid tickets by the government operated bus service. The inspector told us that we were being arrested for "Attempt to Commit Suicide"!! It was then that I learnt that attempt to commit suicide was a crime in India. (For record, I wasn't attempting anything, except going to school. We were let go with a warning and a demand of a bribe, but that's not the point...) Since the days of Gandhi, Fast-unto-death protests have become common in India, where the activist in an non-violent protest goes on an hunger strike till his/her demands are met. I wonder if those qualify as attempts to commit suicide. http://www.kamat.com/vikas/blog.php?BlogID=185 Indian Suicide Links • The Sati (Suttee) System of Suicide • Death by Demand in Indian Culture • Sati or Not? --a thought proving (and perhaps disturbing) article by S.S. Kshatriy on Sulekha.com Comments (0) First Written: Saturday, January 05, 2002 Last Modified: 1/24/2003 Tags: desitale

I Pretend Beating, You Pretend Crying

I Pretend Beating, You Pretend Crying There was a poor family in my village in India, who was always under debt and financial hardships. They owed money to every merchant in the village. Every time a creditor went to their house for collection, he would find the couple in a fierce, family fight with husband trying to beat up the wife, and the wife crying for protection from the abusive husband. Turns out that it was a clever ploy by the couple not to face the creditors. Afraid of being dragged into the family feud, the collectors would go away. The strategy worked every time! The emerging feud between Sharon and Bush reminds me of this strategy. "Let us pretend a fight between Israel and USA for now, so the Arab nations can support the alliance." http://www.kamat.com/vikas/blog.php?BlogID=110 Comments (0) First Written: Saturday, October 06, 2001 Last Modified: 1/29/2003 Tags: desitale

Memories of Mrs. Indira Gandhi

Speaking of Indira Gandhi The other day, I blogged about Indira Gandhi, and it brought to my mind a montage of childhood memories. It was summer of 1976, and I was barely nine years old. Indira Gandhi had suspended the constitution of India and had assumed dictatorial powers. She had banned the RSS, and saying anything against the Government or Indira Gandhi landed people in jail without trial. One day some of us boys got up early in the wee hours and wandered the dark streets of the town writing anti-Indira graffiti. "Down with the Dictator" we wrote, and "Damn the Bitch". I was careful not to deface people's homes, but apparently some others weren't so diligent. After vandalizing the entire town, we went to wash our charcoal soaked hands in a waterfall just outside of town. By the time we returned, it was school time and everybody everywhere was reading our propaganda. It was great. I felt like the heroes of India I had idolized, who had fought to banish the British. But when I went home, there was a big "Indira Gandhi is a Whore" written on our wall! My uncles were very angry and upset. I was told to wash the sign with soap before my uncles and I got arrested. I just remember that the darn thing won't come off! Subsequent to this incident, many people in my town were arrested. I personally know of two people who were kept in prison for a whole year without trial, because they opposed the programs of Indira Gandhi. I believe the year was 1977. By now Indira was the self-proclaimed Amma (motherly figure) of India, and she came to our town of Honavar for campaigning for the election. The whole of Honavar and neighboring towns showed up. It was no small event. We waited like hours and hours for the helicopter to land. It was my first time seeing an aircraft, and I believe so was for the other 30,000 who had gathered. Indira Gandhi was taken to an open stage that had been erected for the occasion where she spoke for a few minutes. But the crowd did not move from the helipad, all of them had come to see the helicopter! As she left, some in the audience started shouting the slogans "Indira Hatao, Indri Bachao" (Avoid Indira and save your genitals!). See, in the name of family planning, Indira and her evil son Sanjay Gandhi had forced many poor people to undergo vasectomies, under their 20+5 Point Programme. A Piece of History In a stunning display of resiliency of Indian democracy, Indira and her son Sanjay were defeated in that election, by candidates who were still in prison. Indira's Congress Party lost power, and a new political force, the Janata Party, emerged. But the weakening of opposition Indira Gandhi had engineered was to have a far damaging impact on the nation, resulting in successive governments that were weak and unstable. http://www.kamat.com/vikas/blog.php?BlogID=203 Comments (0) First Written: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 Last Modified: 11/27/2003 Tags: desitale, honavar

Brahmin Boy and Village Pimp

Friendship of Brahmin Boy and the Pimp Yesterday I wrote about how Indira Gandhi kept the members of the opposition in jail without trial during the dark days of Emergency in India. One such leader, a family friend, was kept in the police-station/jail of our town. The food that was provided by the jail-contractor was horrible and my family talked the officials into us providing meals to this political detainee. For eight months in 1976-77 I hand-carried lunch and dinner for this gentleman. Here's a picture of me of that period, so you can imagine. I do not think visiting jail everyday at such a young age has had any negative impact on me. On the contrary, I developed a broad sense of the legal system and its abuse. Even today, I am more guided by what is right and wrong, rather than what is legal. "Men make legal systems. But there are higher powers that rule the destiny of men and nations" -- Bal Gangadhar Tilak Anyway, back to the story. During my daily visits, I became friends with the food-contractor Mr. Bhatta* who seemed like a religious man with his fresh namas and a soft personality. Everyday, he would ask -"What's for dinner today?" and reply -"No change in my menu!" We would greet each other even when we met outside of the police-station. Sometime after this, one day (after Indira Gandhi lost power, and after her own arrest), some boys and girls wanted to play games in a spacious yard with lots of mango trees, that we had never played before. I knocked the door of the house to ask, and Bhatta answered. He gladly allowed us to play. We played to our hearts content, till it became dark. There was a furor in the town the next day. Apparently Bhatta was the town pimp, and everybody was shocked that brahmin children -- some of them teenaged girls, would play in the proximity of ill repute. Hey, we didn't know!! * Name altered to protect identity Comments (0) First Written: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 Last Modified: 11/27/2003 Tags: honavar, desitale

Footwear Story

Footwear Story

Like I said, my family bought us footwear, but we never wore them, except on special occasions. On one such occasion, my cousin Pradeep wore his chappals (Indian footwear) to a relative's house for the annual death anniversary of an ancestor. While returning (you leave the footwear outside the home while visiting), he forgot that he had worn shoes to the function!

One year passed, and the occasion came again.
We were instructed to put on good clothes and footwear. But Pradeep couldn't find his chappals! -- He had lost them one year ago!

Essence of the story -- For a whole year, Pradeep didn't need his footwear.

FYI: Even today, a lot of people India walk barefoot (pictures)

A barefooted Brahmin offers alms to a beggar

A Barefooted Mother Waiting for Children

The Cable Woman
Barefooted Woman in Saree Digs to Wire India

and few more....

http://www.kamat.com/vikas/blog.php?BlogID=206

Points to Ponder

Points to Ponder

It's all started in Christ’s lifetime. The great preacher and miracle worker drew great crowds. He looked a winner. It was fashionable to be seen with him. Then, the tide turned. His preaching demanded faith in him as Son of God who could give himself under the form of bread, That was hard to take. Many could not or would not acceot it and left him. He even wondered would his closest friends desert him.

It is a story that has been repeated again and again since Christ’s time. The Church has enjoyed periods of popularity and prestige. It was the side to be on. At times, the tide turned. Persecution or suffering meant that is was only those close to Christ who remained faithful.

Our own time is one of challenge and cross-currents especially for the young. Church practice is not as fashionable as it used to be. Christ’s teaching demands justice for all, care for the deprived, generosity and fidelity in relationship, faith in Jesus as Lord of all aspects of life. Some find the message and practice too hard and walk me more with him. As he says to Peter in today’s gospel, he says to each one of us: “Will you also go away?”

We can try to be like one of Peter’s reply: ‘To whom shall we go Lord? You have the words of eternal life.’

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Resistance - August 23, 2009

Resistance - August 23, 2009

Today's Gospel story is well summed up in Darryl Ducote's lyric:

Look beyond the bread you eat: see your savior and your Lord,

Look beyond the cup you drink; see his love poured out as blood.
This man speaks harshly; Who can listen to his word?
We shall no longer follow him….
You my disciples will you also leave? Lord to whom can we go?"

There is a great tendency to resist the call of Jesus to be with him and to follow him: to be like him as bread; to be called, blessed, broken and given for others. It is so easy to opt out of the race or to settle for a halfway house along the way.

In his recent book FURTHER ALONG THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED, Dr. M. Scott Peck describes four stages of spiritual growth. I would paraphrase him by calling the stages 1) the self-centered, 2) the religious, 3) the searcher and 4) the spiritual.

According to him about 20% of the population are in Stage 1. These people have no sense of the spiritual, are focused only on themselves. They can pretend to be loving but all of their relationships are self-serving and manipulative. These people are antisocial; society exists only for what they can get out of it. Being unprincipled they can also be chaotic and deceitful. They can be creative in getting out of the problems they are ever getting themselves into. Some of them can actually be quite disciplined when it suits them, and even work in the apparent service of others. They may rise to positions of power and prestige. They may even become presidents or preachers! If these people come in touch with the emptiness inside themselves they may find life too painful to live and end it, or they may cover their pain by drugs or some other means or they may progress quite dramatically to Stage 2.

The people in Stage 2 are labeled as "formal/institutional." They need an institution for their governance. For some this institution could be a prison. Dr. Peck mentions that in his psychiatric practice in prisons it was not unusual to have a prisoner who was a model and a leader inside. When paroled he was back to crime in a short time and then back again in prison. The military and big business can also give an ambiance that is structured and organized and many people feel comfortable working within the limits that are set by these institutions. The majority of churchgoers would fall into the Stage 2 category to a lesser or greater degree. Some use church and its structures as an optional extra, others take it very seriously - in a helpful or non helpful way. They can vary from those who get upset when some changes are made in rituals and liturgy to those who become fundamentalist and lock themselves into little boxes where, according to them, all truth is held.

One thing that characterizes Stage 2 people is that their vision of God is almost always a "God out there." They have very little understanding of the immanent God, the God whose temple each of us is and who is met in silence. Their image of God is often masculine and punitive. While God, at times, may be benevolent, he can quickly intervene and punish us even for offenses of which we may not be conscious.

The Stage 3 people are those who begin to question the box that the organization has put them into, or to which they themselves have clung for some kind of security. They become individualists who are searching for truth and not hemmed in by past structures. They can be very socially involved and committed to action for the poor rather that to mere do-good talk. If they seek deeply enough and widely enough they will find what they are looking for. As they get glimpses of the truth they will find that it strangely resembles the primitive myths and superstitions that their parents or grandparents in Stage 2 believed in. At this point they are beginning to convert to the 4th or spiritual stage.

People in this stage have a greater appreciation of mystery. They can see a kind of cohesion behind the surface of things; they are at ease with paradox and are not upset by truths that for others seem to be contradictory. Where people in Stage 2 need to have things cut-and-dry, they are not put off by open endings. Seeing the connection between things and people and a world beyond, mystics move towards unity and community.

Dr. Peck points out that these phenomena or stages can be found in all countries, cultures and religions. They can also be found inside ourselves. While we may be predominantly in one stage, we may temporarily advance or regress to another stage. The mature person will be aware of the potential criminal and the potential mystic that is within all of us at all times.

He explains these stages further as a kind of fixation at different levels of human development. During the first six years the child tends to be self centered and manipulative. It then moves on to a stage where it accepts a lot of institutionalization. It is filled up with the wisdom of elders and accepts the structures that they propose. Moving into adolescence young people will question the beliefs and the authority that has been imposed on them. Flexing their muscles as they move toward adulthood, adolescents will reject parental and church authority and begin to defy their parents and resist practices like going to church. If this stage is negotiated satisfactorily the person will move on from being an individualist to a new acceptance of society and responsibility.

I have taken time to summarize these theories because they make a lot of sense for me and help to explain some phenomena I have experienced in my own life and in the lives of those with whom I minister. The people with which I deal are mostly married people and professional religious people: priests, brothers and sisters. Amongst the married, the problem encountered is the difficulty of establishing real communication with one another and of holding a lasting exclusive relationship. The noticeable phenomenon amongst religious people is that where you have a group that has strict structures, an exclusive garb and an ordered way of life, many will be attracted to the group and many will persevere in it. But the groups that work to set the inner person free and do not impose strict dress and structure do not attract and keep their members.

I think that the problem has to do with negotiating Stage 3, the questioning /critical/ fighting-back adolescence stage. Unfortunately, in Philippine culture there is little understanding of what is happening here. To talk back to one's parents or to the authority figure is one of the gravest sins and is dealt with severely by most parents. Few have the insight and wisdom to look on with good humor at the normal development of their child. This means that the child is made to feel guilty about being normal. It is scolded and punished for being normal. He or she is not allowed to individuate; to become a person in his or her own right. It is only when one has established one's own identity that one is capable of choosing to love or not love parents or any body else. If parents either cling or coerce, the young person cannot become an individual, and therefore cannot be capable of responsible commitment and love. There will be no growth from stage 2 to stage 4.

Such a person may choose marriage to escape from the prison of the home but will inevitably bring prison-like structures into the marital relationship. Such a person may choose religious life because of the protective structure that it provides. If the process of formation challenges one to move to Stage 4 the person may be afraid to face that inner freedom and leave, or the person may discover that having found their inner selves they do not need the structured life any more and fly the nest!

This discussion of fixation in Stage 3 is relevant to the topic of meditation. About ten years ago I began to meditate twice daily and expected that it would bring me to greater peacefulness quickly. However, the contrary was my experience. As I continued to meditate I experience much turmoil in the area of sexuality and relationship for about two years. Looking back on it I think that this is what was happening. I spent my adolescent years in a seminary setting and there were certainly some aspects of that environment that were not conducive to working through adolescent conflicts. What was happening when I created the space in meditation was that I was catching up on that development and sorting out unresolved conflicts of years before.

Jesus asked the disciples "Will you also leave me?" The work of meditation can be painful and frustrating. There are two possible responses: abandon in anger or persevere in patience. In the latter is the secret of life, here and hereafter.

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Commentaries on the Gospel

Commentaries on the Gospel

In Jerusalem, the moneyed class and the most influential was the group of the priests. Alongside this powerful circle of priestly families was the lay aristocracy composed of land owners and big-time businessmen - especially those who engaged in the trade of wheat, wine, oil and timber. They were represented in the Sanhedrin (the judicial and administrative tribunal of Israel). Nicodemus, being a counsel to the Sanhedrin, belonged to this social class and his friends would naturally come from this group.

Jerusalem - as other capital cities - dictated the ways of the wealthy class all over the country. The rich men of Jerusalem loved anything luxurious in their homes, in their manner of dressing, in their food. Their banquets - and how these were organized - to the point of having them catered to impress their guests - were one of those occasions to flaunt the wealth of this privileged social class. They were very particular with the manner by which their guests were invited and their customs in this respect were rigorously followed: the sending of invitations through their messengers. In this episode, it was curiosity which motivated the wealthy friends of Nicodemus to invite Jesus, whom they were cautious of but from whom they anticipated something original, interesting and novel that would have compensated for the "sacrifice" they had made by going to his house.

The arrogant people in this episode, aside from being wealthy, were Pharisees. Not all Pharisees were rich people, but the leaders of this religious group belong to the upper class of society. They were accustomed to washing their hands before and after meals. Washing is not only a hygienic measure. The priests were originally obliged to observe it as a ritual symbol of their "sanctity." Later, the Pharisees had used it to show that they were God's chosen people, since they believed in their "holiness." Jesus and his group never had this scrupulous habit.

Basically, the conflict as seen in this episode is more of a clash of different religious perceptions in the face of ritual purity, which is common among the social classes. Many times, it has been desired that good manners be identified or associated with Christian virtue, though it has nothing to do with the one or the other. A person may be "foul-mouthed," but this is not considered a virtue nor a defect from the Christian point of view. It is simply a consequence of the environment where one has been brought up. Besides, we must bear in mind that the gospel emerged from among the simple folks. Jesus, who was part of this group, was certainly not particular about these social manners.

Jesus counteracts the false purity of the rich Pharisees, manifested only in the washing of the hands, with the purity of the mouth, which helps avoid making judgments about other people. Behind those whispers and gossip among the "elite" women of Jerusalem there is pride, spite for others, and false moralism. Above all, their purpose was to stress their difference from the rest, as the superior people. This is what Jesus tells them to their face. There is an interesting text in the Letter of James (James 3:1-18) regarding the offenses of the mouth - which, obviously, are not a patrimony of only the upper crust of society.

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Points to Ponder

Points to Ponder

It seems eminently reasonable that schools formerly used for white pupils in South Africa and now abandoned for years, should be available for colored children where it would improve their poor quality facilities immediately. However, to some extreme whites this is unacceptable. So they bomb these buildings before their less fortunate neighbors can used them.

This warped attitude is frightening. It is the result of generations of white people regarding themselves as superior to their colored neighbors and so entitled to all sorts of privileges. Over the decades, this cancerous selfishness grew more destructive.

It is easy for outsiders to condemn such harshness and even believe that we could never be so blind. But today's gospel is a stark reminder that the well-connected are always blind to the injustices that protect their privileges. Jesus directed the original reprimand to the hypocrites who rigorously imposed social and religious practices on the people while they ignored their responsibilities to God and to their fellow human beings.

The reprimand is as applicable today as then. As in any generation before us, the temptation is to rationalize our personal claim to a larger share of this world's goods while ignoring the plight of the homeless, the unemployed, the hungry, the handicapped, the refugee. Bombing is not the most virulent or the most subtle form of selfishness.

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Diversionary Tactics - August 30, 2009

Diversionary Tactics - August 30, 2009

There is a great story of male childishness and female rootlessness in the first book of Kings. Ahab the king covets the vineyard of Naboth and offers to buy it or give another in exchange for it. But Naboth - like many of the leaders of our cultural minorities in the Philippines today when confronted with those who want to take their land by fair or foul means - answered Ahab, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors."

At this Ahab became gloomy and out of temper, he went to bed and turned his face against the wall. On hearing of this his wife Jesabel wrote letters in Ahab's name, using his seal, to the elders and nobles where Nabaoth lived. In the letters she told them to have Nabaoth accused of cursing God and the king and to have him stoned to death. They followed out her instructions to the letter. When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead he went down to his vineyard and took possession of it.

But the word of the Lord came to the prophet Isaiah and told him to go to Ahab and say "You have committed murder: now you usurp as well. For this, in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick your blood too." Ahab said to Elijah "So you have found me out. O MY ENEMY."

It seems to be a deep human instinct to treat the one that faces us with our sinfulness, or who challenges our behavior, as our enemy and to divert attention from the real issue by imputing guilt and evil to the accuser. How often we meet people who justify their anger against the Church and it's teachings, by pointing to the misbehavior of some individual in the Church. In the Gospel we see Jesus constantly challenging the Jewish leaders because of the inconsistency between their words and their behavior. Today, in the Gospel, we find them making a big issue out of the fact that the disciples of Jesus eat without washing their hands according to the Jewish custom and making that a reason for not listening to the challenging teaching of Jesus. He loses his temper with their hypocrisy and lashes out in the words of Isaiah, "this people honors me only with lip-service, their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer is worthless, the doctrines they teach are only human regulations."

Jesus goes on to talk about the importance of the heart. What is important is not what goes into a person but what comes out of them - their behavior. Our behavior shows what is inside us. "It is from within, from peoples hearts, that evil intentions emerge; fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly."

The precise difference between Jesus and the Pharisees was that they looked at the external activity whereas Jesus looked at the heart, the source of activity. They looked to the fulfillment of law and tradition while he looked to love and commitment. They looked at the letter of the law while he looked at it's spirit.

We can also find the same tendency in our selves. If we are honest enough to look into our hearts we will discover elements of the childishness of Ahab and the rootlessness of his wife Jezebel as we subtly make events work out for our own benefit. We can find people who are very careful about their devotions and have no problem in treating their maids worse than their pets. Where are those who will travel hundreds of kilometers to see a dancing sun but who make very little effort to live the words of the gospels in their lives.

This kind of honest looking can only take place in silence. One of the most extraordinary things about meditation is that it is self cleansing. I think one begins to meditate as one begins most things, for very selfish reasons. However, as we meditate we become more aware of our selfish motivation and of our diversionary and other tactics to ward of the challenge to live as Jesus would have us live.

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