THE 'MONETARY' MESSAGE

During national celebrations and on important festivals our leaders promptly and pompously issue stock messages greeting the people of the country.Any occasion or event without a message from a bigwig is considered incomplete.But most of these messages are routine,stereotyped and worn-out cliches  which are not only insipid but also uninspiring. We are so accustomed to such banalities that we altogether dismiss them without giving them a second thought . Presumably, they are the creations of some secretaries who don't even understand the solemnity of the occasions.

The other day,I got an unusual message which proved to be a refreshing change. It was a different sort of message on three counts.Firstly, it was anonymous. Secondly,it was obviously written with a good intention rather than garnering cheap publicity.Thirdly,it was written on a 'TEN RUPEE CURRENCY NOTE'.On the front side of the currency (on the white space) were the words,"FIGHT FOR PEACE". On the reverse I found the cryptic remark,'HUMANITY IS RELIGION'.

As a rule I abhor the practice of  defacing currency notes as it reduces the life-span of the money. It is also indecent and an act of callousness. But that particular 'monetary message' appeared to be relevant, altruistic and well-meant that,I had to shed my initial resentment and all my reservations.

We fight many a battle in life, the main motive invariably being that of self-aggrandizement. But the idea of 'Fighting for peace' (what a lovely paradox!) in these troubled times can emanate only from an enlightened soul. In this world we live as Hindus, Christians, Muslims,Buddhists etc.-forgetting the basic fact that we are all human beings.Our religious faith has failed to evoke humanitarian sentiments in our stony hearts. But, is it not the core of all religious tenets?.The writer,by his observation,'Humanity is religion' subtly pinpoints our folly and exhorts us to have a humane approach.

Flooded with these thoughts I lost myself in a reverie.
Suddenly,I remembered William Wordsworth"s immortal  lines:
"And then my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils"

The profoundity of the message ,like Wordsworth's daffodils,made my heart dance with ecstasy.

Life is a fairy tale

Flights of imagination carry young children to their exclusive world of fun,frolic and fantasy.

It is the fairy tales which lend colourful wings to their imagination.There,in the fairy-land,children come across mischievous elves,treasure-guarding gnomes,diminutive dwarfs and awe-inspiring ogres.With bated breath they witness daring princes and dainty princesses atop flying horses and weird witches casting evil spells on hapless victims.

Whenever I see acollection of fairy tales my memory races back to the good old days.When I was a small kid my father got me a big volume of fairy tales from calcutta(kolkatta).I still remember vividly all the minute details of the book.It had a fine glossy green cover with pictures of winged fairies hovering over tall flowers and lazy elves leaning upon huge mushrooms Clear bold letters and catchy line drawing illustrations made the stories more attractive.

The first story was "Jack and the bean stalk".Every time I went through it,I was afraid that the giant might catch hold of Jack before he could climb down the bean stalk. I felt greatly relieved when Jack chopped it down with agility while the giant was on his way down from very great height. I could still hear the 'THUD" of the giant's downfall.I felt like warning the innocent Snow white against the guile of her step-mother queen and the naughty Goldilocks against sleeping on the cosy cot of the "little bear". The emperor's new clothes greatly amused me and the "three little pigs' taught me a moral.

As I reached the high school level,I had an interesting encounter with a fairy when my eyes fell upon "La Belle Dame Sans Merci",the lovely lyric by John Keats.In it Keats talks about a "faery's child" who enslaves a"  knight at arms". She takes him to her "elfin grot" (cave of an elf) and lulls him to sleep. Finally she vanishes leaving him "alone and palely loitering". All this wonderful descriptions took me to an altogether new world.

There are many who might think that these fairy tales are merely":sweet nonsense", not deserving any attention or interest. Cold logic stuffed deep into them has displaced all the subtle sensibilities and sublime feelings.It requires the innocent fancy of a child or the ecstatic insight of a poet to discover the true worth of these treasures of joy.Hans Christian Andersen,the giver of great many fairy tales,rightly observes,"Every man's life is a fairy tale,written by God's fingers".    

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