The Forbidden Fruit

(Humour)

The Forbidden Fruit

Nothing attracts like sex and all Adam’s sons are the natural victims of enticing Eves

By Mukesh Sharma 

T

he Paradise was lost the day Adam and Eve descended in Eden Garden. The story was very well couched in immortal words (blank verse) by a celebrated 17^th century English poet John Milton through his epic poem Paradise Lost’ and its first version was said to be brought out way back in 1667.

Courtsey: gettyimages.in  

Forbidden Fruit  

The poet’s observations are the deep reflections of man’s psyche:

“What hath right to do with sleep?” “Better to reign in hell, than to serve in heaven.” “Solitude sometimes the best society.” “Long is the way and hard, that out of the hell leads up to light.” “ Awake, arise or be for ever fall in.”

-John Milton, Paradise Lost

But to the utter surprise of common man, the ‘paradise’ appears to have been lost once again very recently since the day of John Milton after such a long time when a ‘promising’ actress leveled wild allegations of sexual harassment against the member of her own fraternity that too not in any Court of Law but on a TV channel where the popularity is grown.

Shuttling between USP (Unique Selling Point) and TRP (Television Rating Point), the ever hungry TV channels started vying for the most coveted opportunity to pass themselves off as a custodian of moral values, and of course, the oppressed women folk.

  As usual, the ‘sexy’ news, made even years old entombed ghost, #ME TOO, to wake up from slumber,  take twists and turns in grave, and come out with a grunt - #metoo, #metoo. . . 

The sussy story doesn’t end here. Some self styled puritans - judges, actors, ministers, journos  and so on, also jumped on the bandwagon, perhaps, just to ingratiate themselves. The great proponent of TRUTH, Acharya Rajneesh, popularly known as Osho in one of his discourses quips:

“If you are doing something wrong against the established practice or law, do visit a religious place of your choice regularly. If you are exposed at any point of time, there would be at least sizable number of ignorant fools who would willingly vouchsafe for you, and stand witness for you for being a gentleman.”

Always in full swing, ever ready Rahul Gandhi tweets:

“It is about time everyone learns to treat women with respect and dignity. I am glad the space for those who don’t, is closing. The truth needs to be told to bring about change.”

Replying to Rahul Gandhi’s moral sermon, @Ra-Bries, a twitterite sarcastically tweets:

“Yes sir, I completely agree with you. History is a witness of your claims and commitment of treating world women with dignity. That is why you never let the women reservation bill get through and created all possible hurdles in the Triple Talaque bill. Also do you know who was Sukanya?”

Needless to say, the sex-war is eternal. It is beyond the intervention of Oracles of Law and United Nations. It is purely regulated by the Law of Nature. It is well said:

“Opportunity gives rise to thoughts; thoughts give rise to desires, and desires give rise to action.”

  It takes two to make a ‘marriage’. No moral standard of any religion can restrain this (sex war). It is not just libido but the lust also. In Lady Holland Memoir, by Sydney Smith writes:

“How can a bishop marry? How can I flirt? The most he can say is, ‘I will see you in the vestry after service’.”

Says a devout Muslim with a sheepish grin, “Frankly speaking, all the Hindu want to be Muslim in youth, and all the Muslim, want to be Hindu in old age.”

The lure of Forbidden Fruit is pristine and proverbial. Men would be men, women would be women. Ram and Sita live in the Ramcharita manas of Tulsi Das only. But Ravana  is out. Though his effigy is burnt every year on the eve of Dussehra, he is immortal, imperishable, immutable and indestructible. He is everywhere -  in small villages, big cities, high public offices and allegedly, in the Parliament too. 

Of ‘Gandhi’ Tree

(Humour)

Of ‘Gandhi’ Tree

The clamorous claim on the ‘tree’ has become a nonsensical ‘national’ dispute between Name Changer Gandhis and Game Changer Modi

By Mukesh Sharma

Our learned forefathers had discovered the medicinal and religious importance of plants and trees ages ago. Charak Samhita by rishi Charak, a worldwide acclaimed ancient treatise is authenticated even by modern pathologists and physicians. Among the vast variety of vegetation, the most revered are: tulsi (holy basil), a household name in India; neem’s medicinal properties are known to the world; peepal (sacred fig) has deep cultural significance in India; banyan is worshipped by the Hindu for their strong religious belief, and it is said Mahatma Buddha attained enlightenment under this tree only.

However, the mainline ‘gangs’ so called national political parties have come out in open to stake claim on this miracle ‘Gandhi’ tree. It has become a more serious property dispute than Ram mandir temple at Ayodhya. Of course, the dispute is beyond petition. Even overactive Oracles of law would not dare to step in. On 2^nd October, the day of the birth of the said tree, the poor populace watched the drama of netas at Sevagram Ashram (where Mahatma Gandhi is said to have spent 11 years of his life).

Though the tree in question is 150 years old which was planted by the respected Gujarati couple一Karamchand Gandhi (father) and Putlibai Gandhi (mother) at Porbander, a coastal town in Kathiawar, Gujarat, the property ‘hawk’ have set their eyes on it (tree) to grab and usurp.

The much talked ‘Gandhis’ stake their claim on the basis of their ‘surname’. But documentary evidences indicate that their claim is not beyond doubt. What is noteworthy, the real ‘Gandhis’ are silent on the issue. In fact the history of Gandhi surname can be traced in Gujrat and Punjab一there are so many renowned Gandhis一Rustom K.S. Gandhi (1924-2014, an Indian Navy Admiral), Sorab K Gandhi (Prof Emeritus at Ranssellaer Polytechnic Institute), Devang  Gandhi (an Indian cricketer) and so on.

Interestingly, the real Gandhis are not the party to this dispute. It is the doubtful ‘Gandhis’ who are the  First Party.

The doubt get credence by the oft-told interesting story and that goes like that:

Thousands of moon ago, a devout Muslim from Junagadhi area of Gujarat, named Faredoon Jehangir marries a Parsi woman after converting her to Islam. In old times, surname used to be the window to day-to-day life of a person. So all the grocers selling grocery, oil, ghee etc would suffix their name with ‘Ghandy’’ derived from Sanskrit  word gandh (smell). So the full name of that Muslim was Faredoon Jehangir Ghandy.  Influenced by the fierce freedom struggle of then Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (now Mahatma Gandhi), young and handsome son of aforesaid muslim Firoz Jehangir Ghandy changes the spelling of his surname from ‘Ghandy’ to ‘Gandhi’. Now historically known as Firoz Gandhi. He marries the daughter of then political star Jawahrlal Nehru, Priyadarshini Nehru. After the marriage, she also changes her maiden name to Indira Gandhi. Out of the wedlock, two baby boys are born - Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi. In his youth, the former falls in love with an Italian chic, named Edvige Antonia Albina Maino. K.M. Rao, an author of An Indian Dynasty  alleges: “ the strong crush makes Rajiv Gandhi to change his religion and he embraces Christianity (Catholic) to marry Maino. He becomes Roberto and the marriage is solemnized in church as per Christian custom. The love-birds are blessed with  two kids 一Raul (sonl) and Bianca (daughter). And later for the reasons best known to the family, Raul becomes Rahul Gandhi, Bianca, Priyanka Gandhi, and their respected mother becomes Sonia Gandhi.”

Now the latest news is that overgrown ‘boy’ has become Janaudhari pandit and also a devotee of lord Shiva that too overnight.

Even the chameleon would shy to see the way the netas change their ‘colours’.

Irrespective of vehement claim, made by ‘Gandhis’, the First Party, the common people contend that they are not lawful and rightful claimant to ‘Gandhi Tree’.

 At this juncture, another ‘party’ joins this so called ‘national dispute’ as a Second Party. And they claim that Mahatma Gandhi is Father of Nation, and India is their Bharat Mata. So they are the only legal heir and legitimate claimant to the tree. Taking the wind out of the sail and stealing the march, the Second Party has decided to celebrate 150 years of birth anniversary of the tree in a big way and the celebrations would continue till 2 October, 2020. 

Axiomatically, if the ‘First Party’ is Name Changer, the Second Party’ is Game Changer! The dispute has become a clamorous claim and nonsensical national dispute between Gandhis (the First Party)  and Modi’s BJP (the Second  Party)

However, the common people believe, true to their self, the selfish netas seldom uphold the virtuous values the grand old ‘Gandhi’ Tree stands for. They eye up its national importance based on the reverence and trust of teeming millions in India and across the world.