Monday 20 October 2014

धराने चटपटे

यो घटना म यस्तै ५-६ कक्षामा  पढ्दाको हो।  हामी धनकुटाबाट जाडोको लामो बिदा मनाउन धरान झर्ने गर्थौं। धरानमा सान्दिदी र मलाई भने सधैं ठुलोबुवाको घरमा बस्न मज्जा लाग्थ्यो जहाँ सुनिता दिदी, सविता, विनायक र संजिताको साथ् पाइन्थ्यो - रमाइलो गर्नका लागी। घरको मस्ती त छँदै थियो, त्यसमाथि निस्फिक्री भएर टोलीमा धरान बजार घुम्नु, सिनिमा हल् चहारी चहारी सिनिमा हेर्नु र होटलमा पसेर समोसा, लाल मोहन र रसबरी खानुले छुट्टी मनाउनुको अर्थ अझ बढी खुल्थ्यो।

त्यो दिन यस्तै मस्ती मजाकको एक दिन थियो। सान्दिदी, म, सविता र विनायक लाई कुनै भिन्न कुरा गर्न मन लाग्यो। त्यतिबेला संजिता हाम्रो साथमा थिई कि थिईन मलाई सम्झना छैन तर सुनिता दिदीले भने हाम्रो ग्रुपमा सामेल हुन प्रष्ट रूपमा इन्कार गर्नु भएको थियो।

यदाकदा बाटातिर निस्किएर चटपटे खाने गरेको भए पनि त्यो दिन हामीलाई घरमै चटपटेवाला बोलाएर सानसंगले चटपटे खान मन लाग्यो। हाम्रो त्यही निर्णय मुताबिक सविताले छतबाट "ए भाइ यहाँ आऊ त," भनेर बाटामा हिंडिरहेको चटपटेवालालाई बोलाई। हामी सबै आ-आफ्ना पैसा च्यापेर तलतिर कुद्यौं।

आँगनको बीचमा चटपटेवालाले आफ्नु स्टल थाप्यो। ऊ पनि "आज भने राम्रो आम्दानी हुने भयो," भनेर भित्रभित्रै मख्ख परिरहेको हुँदो हो। हामी चारजना उसको  वरिपरी झुम्मियौं। उसले पहिलो अर्डर लिएर चटपटे बनाउने सुरसार मात्र के गरेको थियो "ए भाइ पख् पख् ," भनेको सुनियो। यसो पछाडी हेर्दा ठुलोबुवा बाटाबाट घरतिर आउंदै गर्नुभएको देखियो।

"ए केटा केटी हो, हेर, हेर त्यसका हात कस्ता छन्? त्यसका भाँडा कस्ता छन् ?" उहाँले हाम्रा छेउमा उभिएर ओजपूर्ण स्वरमा सोध्नुभयो। ठुलोबुवासंग सवाल जवाफ गर्ने आँट कसको पो थियो र ! हामीले खाली पराजयी भावमा एक अर्कासंग आँखा जुधायौं र चुपचाप त्यहीं उभियौं। "ए भाइ, जा," ठुलोबुवाले अधिकारपूर्वक निर्देशन दिनुभयो। त्यो चटपटेवालाले "अब यी भुराहरुको केहि दम चल्नेवाला छैन," भन्ने कुरा बुझेर थपक्क आफ्ना माल टाउकामा राख्यो र हामीतिर हेर्दै नहेरी  टुंई  टुंई  हिंड्यो।

आफ्नु काम सकेर ठुलोबुवा त घरतिर लागिहाल्नु भयो। हामी भने "बेक्कारमा ठुलोबुवा कुसमयमा आएर हाम्रो मज्जा मात्र किरकिरा गरिदिनुभयो," भन्ने कुरा गर्दै धेरै बेर बाहिरै बसेर गनगनाई रह्यौं।

{The pictures on this blog are posted here with permission from their owners or have been gathered from various sources on the Internet. If you are the copyright-holder to any of the photographs herein do not hesitate to contact me. They will be swiftly removed if desired so.] 


Wednesday 15 October 2014

Why big fuss?

The other day one of my nieces told me that ‘plagiarism’ is rampant these days even in newspaper articles; let’s not count the school, college or university assignments. She also shared an incident with me that how a girl published an article in a renowned English daily by lifting the content from two different sources. As soon as this was identified, the poor writer got blacklisted by the newspaper. How pathetic!

As we know that we, the ordinary people, find all sorts of information that we need in this world, they do not appear in our mind just from nowhere. We see something, read something or hear something which triggers us, “Ah…ha…,” and helps us generate ideas to create something completely new. Not only this, some people’s ideas, thoughts or opinions attract us so much that we want to include them in our write ups using one way or the other. This is not a crime. People are doing that in a way which is acceptable. Remember there is nothing new under the sun but how you present the topic is important.

However, if you imitate others’ work and proudly use it under your name it is a serious crime. What you have to do is to simply acknowledge the person whose words you are citing. If you are careful to take this little action you become an ‘intellectual,’ who is aware of what other people are doing and how you are utilising their work. In contrast, if you just copy and paste others’ materials without bothering to mention them, then you are a ‘plagiarist’ who clearly deserves to be punished like the girl mentioned above.

You may argue, for example, ‘Oh, well, I like to use the complete article of so and so, what can I do except for lifting the text and write my name as a writer?’ Never think of doing that blunder again! There is a better solution. In that case, you can paraphrase the text and explain why the given content is important to you or what are the aspects that you agree/disagree with the original writer and why. See, this way you can become a scholar.

Believe me, you do not need to accept my words blindly, do your own experiment and find out the truth yourself. Collect some articles written by the famous writers. Then read them closely how they develop and justify their arguments skilfully playing around other people’s ideas, but with acknowledgements. Of course this is not ‘plagiarism’ but informed research.


So, there is a very thin line between a ‘plagiarist’ and an ‘intellectual.’ It is just a matter of your choice what you want to be. Without creating any fuss you can use other people’s work. For that, you merely need to follow some conscious procedures. I do not think it is a big deal. What do you think? By the way, how do you proceed next time if you are tempted to use other writers’ work? Well, this is entirely up to you because you are the ‘writer’ and you choose your content.

{The pictures on this blog are posted here with permission from their owners or have been gathered from various sources on the Internet. If you are the copyright-holder to any of the photographs herein do not hesitate to contact me. They will be swiftly removed if desired so.] 



Friday 3 October 2014

Higher Purpose

I always remember an interview with Dalai Lama, a renowned spiritual leader, where the interviewer asked him whether he does not have sexual desire at all. Dalai Lama answered this question honestly. He said that being a human he of course sometimes has sexual desire, but he does not give any importance to such desires. At such vulnerable moments he thinks about the welfare of the universe, such as how to eradicate the world poverty or how to maintain the world peace. Against these higher purposes of life the petty personal sex desire melts away within no time.

In another instance, Radhanath Swami explains that how his parents decided not to get divorced for the sake of their children. He recounts an incident when he was eight years old. He was observing his mother applying mascara on her eye-lashes one morning. Then his mother turned to him and said, "Everyone loves me and your father but unfortunately we don't love each other." The little boy was devastated when he heard this. He did not say anything but rushed outside and disappeared for the whole day. For his satisfaction, in the same evening his parents put aside all their personal problems and disputes and got united to serve their purpose to look after their children together.

We can see in our surroundings that families are getting split, children are getting abused or old people are getting abandoned. If we think deeply, we find out that mainly these happenings are the consequences of people's selfishness. They think about themselves or their comfort only. They are
not ready to make any adjustments in their lifestyle to accommodate others' needs as well. Their world is basically surrounded by I, My and Me.

If one gets more open and thinks about his/her higher purpose instead of limiting themselves within personal affairs all the time they could contribute tremendously to themselves, to their families, to their communities and ultimately to the entire universe. When we all think this way and act accordingly the world will definitely be a better place.    
{The pictures on this blog are posted here with permission from their owners or have been gathered from various sources on the Internet. If you are the copyright-holder to any of the photographs herein do not hesitate to contact me. They will be swiftly removed if desired so.]