O' my Vegan Diet

Oh My Vegan Diet !

Different people eat different foods,
Some like meat, some fish, while some eggs,
They can't relish their meals fully,
Without the image of these in their heads.

But I always like vegan fare,
Its pain free, blood free and shock free
It doesn't sit heavily on your mind
And prick your conscience after eating spree.

Non-veg food is full of sinful acts,
First you have to start breeding the animals.
They think you are like an angel divine,
But your designs are totally diverse.

You count the days when they will mature,
And then take them off to market,
There sell them to highest bidder
And transfer their future to fate.

The new owner then sells them to butchers
Who slaughter them in utterly cold and cruel way.
Not allowing them to move and breath freely,
And chopping them quickly while 'death' still 'way'.

The 'meat' which eaters say its tasty
In reality it isn't true at all,
The 'taste' is lent by the spices
With which the 'raw' is cooked by all.

Compare the quality of veg and non-veg food
Keep the'flesh' in the open for two days,
It will turn bad and emit rotten smell
But not the veg, which remain fresh always!

There are certain restaurants 'cross Britain
Which compel diner to sign an undertaking
Waiving 'legal action' against food poisoning
Before serving then 'medium rate' dishes.

Ask any doctor, he will tell your verily
Meat causes many a dreadful disease,
High-blood pressure, diabetes, ulcers and cancer
While 'green foods' cause no such maladies.

Further, have a look at the 'meat' shop
You will see bloody carcasses hanging from the hooks.
Now turn your gaze to 'greens' shop
You will see fresh, healthy colourful gifts from Nature's nooks.

O! How wonderful my vegan diet is
So less costly, so healthy, so tasty,
Never will I switch it for flesh a bit
I'm quite happy and satisfied with it.

Jresht Nagrik

Dwellings

Dwellings

Eons ago, the primitive man
Lived a very rough , tough and tense life
His foremost need was food and water
Plus protection from elements and wide beasts.

Later he accidentally discovered 'fire'
The sight, heat and color of which thrilled him,
He found he could use it for defence
And lo! Equally for offence as well!

After watching Nature's phenomena
He learnt fishing, hunting and farming
And gradually led a little better life
Changing from migrant to settled life.

Thus with sedentary life style
Arose the need for dwellings
Simple huts, mud and brick structures
Using leaves, stone, timber fillings

Several centuries later
Dwellings grew in size and features
From ordinary houses to flats,
To Towers, Parks, Plazas and Palaces.

Today's trend is to go for high-rises
Because of paucity of land,
You have amazng sky-scrapers
Dotting all over the world.

So this is the story of civilization
Om Man's upward evolution,
Passing through various turing-points,
From 'tailless monkey' to 'Homo Sapien'.

Note: What is so special about this poem?
Ans: It is the journey down the ages throught the dark, dusty, cobweb-covered corridors of 'Time' which is the most remarkable aspect. It tells us how the rudimentary, lowly shelter underwent gradual changes, culsinating in construction of the posh, ultra-modern, fabulous residences of today.

Life Without Women Date - 18/9/2003

I am a Senior Citizen - Date - 1/1/2005

Are Skyscrapers ideal solution? - Date - 7/11/2007

Are Skyscrapers ideal solution?

It is a popular concept that to overcome paucity of land in big cities, you should go vertical – i.e. build multi-storied buildings called ‘skyscrapers’. But this is hardly a right solution. Why? Because suppose you build a 100-storeyed Tower. Who will be the occupants? Obviously, the wealthy and super-rich (in our Mumbai, you can site the example of ‘NCPA apartments’ at Nariman Point which are the most expensive residences in the city). And because they will be living in a mini-city within a city, their mindset, attitude and behaviour will be vastly different from other common people. They will be cut of from Nature, mother earth, sounds and smells, and street food. They will be snobbish and self-centered and will shun mixing-n-mingling with ordinary people. (I quote the words of an American tourist in support of the above tendency. Said he “Look my boy, In Boston, no one will talk to anyone unless he is from Boston!”

2. Thus the city’s residences will be compartmentalized in to posh, middle class and pauper zones (slums). The finer virtues of good neighbourliness, responding to call for help and feelings for the down-trodden will not be there. The cumulative effect will be disturbing – vertical buildings will destroy the social fabric of a city.

There should be more ‘greener areas’ to oxygenize the city, more tree cover , more playgrounds, cleaner lakes & rivers/sea and more open spaces (maidans) to serve as lungs of the city. We should make sure that we don’t lose the community spirit and diversity that is the soul of the city.

3. In Mexico city, the buildings are built without any plan with the result that they do not connect to the society or the people and are very unaesthetic. Architecturally, they are ‘lines of houses’ without any facility. You see luxury apartment blocks right next to slums – triggering class-conflicts due to close proximity, resulting in law and order problem.

4. In contrast, horizontal buildings are better. They have a traditional look, are more likely to withstand earthquake impact and offer more escape routes to occupants in case of sudden disaster, like fire, gas-leak, terrorism, etc.

5. Summing up: The ideal plan for a city is not to have super-wealthy and ultra-poor sectors but to have a modest middle-class as they are more likely to spend their money in the city, thereby keeping the city govt’s exchequer in the black (plus side). (Unlike the rich who prefer to fly to other big metros/foreign countries for their shopping spree and spend their money, thereby enriching the local economies, much to the disadvantage of their own city’s kitty.

7. Nov. 2007