Bachpan Ka Pyar
Main Santosh, ek chamar ghar ka ladka. Ghar ke chhote se aangan mein, jahan mummy ke haath ka garam khana aur papa ki dulaar bhari thapkiyan meri duniya thi, main apne maa-baap ka ladla beta tha. Chhota tha to zubaan bandh nahi rehti thi - gali ke kutton se lekar padosi chacha ke radio tak, har cheez ke bare mein baat karta. Har nayi cheez ko jaanne ki, samajhne ki jidd thi mujh mein. Mera parivar ek aam parivar tha - dal-roti se pet bhar jata, aur khushiyan chhoti-chhoti baaton mein milti, jaise mummy ke haath ka halwa ya papa ke saath kite udana.
Padhai mein main achha tha, lekin dil tha khelne-koodne ka deewana. Ghar ke aas-paas ki galiyon mein, jahan dhool udti thi aur ladkon ki hansi goonjti thi, main ghumta. Muhalle ke ladkon se dosti hui - kuch meri umar ke, kuch thode bade. Unke saath cricket, kanche, gilli-danda - har khel mein ek naya jadoo tha.
Nayi Duniya, Naye Khel
Jaise-jaise main kishor awastha mein kadam rakha, ghar ke paas ki galiyan chhoti lagne lagi. Bahar ke ladkon ke saath waqt bitana achha lagta. Woh bade ladke paison ke saath khelte, satta-jua khelte, lekin main ek sadharan ghar ka ladka tha, isliye in sab se door raha. Lekin sham ko, jab school ka basta kamar se utarta, dil khelne ko beqarar ho jata. Ek din muhalle ke ladkon ko dekha - koi mithai kha raha tha, koi puri-sabzi. Pucha, "Yeh sab kahan se?" Ek dost ne bataya, "Sham ko mandir mein puja hoti hai, wahan prasad milta hai."
Main bhi unke saath mandir jane laga. Mandir ke ghantiyon ki awaaz, agarbatti ki khushboo, aur prasad ki mithaas - sab dil ko chhoo jata. Fir pata chala paas ke gurudware mein bhi langar hota hai, jahan garam-garam kheer aur roti milti thi. Masjid mein bhi kabhi-kabhi khana milta - wahan ki sheermaal ki khushboo aaj bhi yaad hai. Yeh sab mujhe acha lagne laga - har din kuch naya khane ko, aur nayi jagah ghumne ka mauka.
Us waqt mujhe dharam ka fark nahi pata tha. Ghar pe pucha to mummy ne kaha, "Beta, sab ek hi hain, bas puja ka tareeka alag hai." Main apni chhoti si duniya mein khush tha, har jagah jata, sabse milta.
Nafrat Ka Beej
Ek sham muhalle mein hungama hua. Ek ladke ko doosre muhalle ke ladkon ne maara tha. Ek bada ladka, jiska chehra gusse se lal tha, chilla raha tha, "Wahan zyadatar Musalman rehte hain, unhone jhund banake hamare ladke ko maara!" Usne dharam ke naam par kadwi baatein kahi - "Yeh log aise hi hote hain, khatarnak!" Muhalle ke log uske saath haan mein haan milane lage. Main chup raha, lekin mere man mein ek darr baith gaya. Socha, jab sab yeh bol rahe hain, to galat to nahi honge?
Main masjid ke kisi bhi ayojan mein ab nahi jata tha. Muslim ladkon ko dekhkar dil mein gussa aur nafrat ubharne lagi. Log kehte, "Yeh log gande hote hain, inke paas mat jaya kar," to main bhi door rehne laga. Yeh nafrat sirf Muslim dharam tak nahi ruki. Samaj ke logon ne mere dil mein doosre dharamon ke liye bhi zeher bhar diya. Koi kehta, "Sardar ke 12 baj gaye, woh pagla jata hai," ya "Christian ladkiyon ke kapde dekho, kitne chhote!" Main unhi nazron se sabko dekhne laga, jo mujhe sikhaya gaya.
Pehle jo main kisi se bhi khulkar baat kar leta tha, ab doosre dharam ke logon se baat karne mein hichak hoti. Dimag mein ek filter sa ban gaya - kya bolna hai, kya nahi. Hindu tyoharon mein jab "Jai Shri Ram" ke naare lagte, main bhi josh mein aa jata. Ek din ghar pe pucha, "Ram ji kaun the?" Papa ne bataya, "Woh Kshatriya the." Maine pucha, "Hum kaun hain?" Unhone kaha, "Hum Chamar hain." Lekin yeh nahi bataya ki yeh samaj mein neech jaati maani jati hai.
Jaati Ka Dard
Jab maine bahar apni jaati batani shuru ki, logon ka vyavhar badalne laga. Mere hi dharam ke log sochte, "Chhee, yeh to neech jaati ka hai!" Kai log mujhe apne ghar ke andar bhi nahi aane dete, jabki mere dost aaram se unke ghar jate. Ek baar, muhalle ke ek bade ghar mein sab ladke khelne gaye. Main bhi gate par khada tha, lekin aunty ne mujhe dekhkar kaha, "Beta, tum yahin baitho, andar jagah nahi hai." Mere dost andar hasi-mazaak kar rahe the, aur main bahar akela khada raha. Dil toot gaya.
Mere saath ke ladke jo upper caste ke the, woh unke ghar ka khana bade shauk se kha lete, lekin mere dabbe ka khana koi haath bhi nahi lagata. Main chhota tha, lekin yeh sab samajh raha tha. Dhire-dhire maine apni jaati batana band kar diya. Darr lagta tha ki koi meri jaati jaan gaya to mere saath alag vyavhar karega, jaise main koi achhoot hoon.
Mera apne logon se bhi bolna-chalna kam ho gaya. Padhai, jisme main pehle achha tha, woh bhi bekar hone lagi. Mera khud par bharosa uthne laga. Main khud ko chhota samajhne laga, aur upper caste walon ko apne se bada, takatwar, aur gauravshali maanne laga.
Ek Nayi Soch
Ek din school mein mera dost Ravi, jo meri hi jaati ka tha, mujhse akela baitha dekhkar paas aaya. Ravi alag tha - woh hamesha khulkar bolta, chahe koi kuch bhi kahe. Usne mujhse kaha, "Santosh, tu itna kyun darta hai? Jaati-dharam ke chakkar mein kyun pada hai? Tu padhai mein achha tha, khel mein sabko hara deta tha. Tu kisi se kam nahi!" Usne apni kahani sunai - kaise uske papa ko ek baar kaam se nikaal diya gaya kyunki woh chamar the, lekin unhone haar nahi maani aur apna chhota sa kaam shuru kiya.
Ravi ki baat mere dil ko chhoo gayi. Main sochne laga - kya main sach mein apne aap ko chhota samajhkar galat kar raha hoon? Kya nafrat aur darr mein jeena sahi hai? Us din ke baad maine faisla kiya ki main khud ko badlunga. Padhai par dhyan diya, apne aap ko samajhne ki koshish ki. Ek teacher, Sharma sir, ne meri padhai mein madad ki. Woh kehte, "Santosh, dil saaf ho aur mehnat ho, to koi jaati ya dharam tumhe rok nahi sakta."
Yeh safar aasan nahi tha, lekin Ravi jaise doston ke saath aur apne parivar ke pyar ne mujhe himmat di. Main samajh gaya ki nafrat aur bhedbhav samaj ke diye hue bandhan hain, aur inhe todkar hi main apni asli pehchan bana sakta hoon.
Ab main har din ek nayi shuruaat karta hoon - na kisi dharam se nafrat, na apni jaati par sharam. Main Santosh hoon, aur meri kahani abhi jaari hai.