Power has always changed its form, but rarely its underlying character. From Kings who controlled territories to industrialists who controlled resources, influence has followed those who could command capital, institutions and production. Yet history repeatedly shows that no empire remains absolute. The more interesting question, therefore, is not who controls the world, but what those who acquire power choose to build with it.

It is widely said, much like a legend in modern history, that the Rockefeller Empire was probably the one power behind major geopolitical changes of that era, including the end of British Colonialism. The question is, did John D Rockefeller begin it with the exact intention of growing it so big, and, as it is widely said, to control the world? JDR probably started his journey with the primary ambition to be rich, and later found his way to climb the ladder up. This is probably similar with every business empire that had influence over one or more governments.

The urge to control the world often does not accomplish, because the world doesn’t work that way. These urges are rather childish, and fade when met with reality. Of course, those already in the race may want to replace each other, but each of them has a fair share of their own influence. Powers like Rockefeller are always subject to circumstances they evolve from, and are usually hidden when they actually hold the cards. Even then, absolute power is a myth. Challenges are universal and decline is destined.

The critics of Ambani-Adani in India often forget that the reality of the world is heavily commerce and business driven after the Industrial Revolution. Ambani-Adani, a term for Indian business tycoons that hold a fair share of influence over India’s resources, politics and Center-State governments, is basically a firewall against someone else trying to enter and steal our resources. Is that a justification of encroaching over resources by these business tycoons? Absolutely not. But would you rather be controlled by someone who’s sitting in westerland, having no regards for your well-being but only the wealth to be generated from you, or someone who generated wealth while generating employment and strengthening the economy? Idealism, specifically the likes of Communist, do not at all work in real life. There’s a saying in Marathi – बाप दाखव नाहीतर श्राद्ध घाल – meaning you either show that you have a father or mourn that you don’t. You can’t claim what you can’t own. The tycoons born and brought up in India, paying taxes and employment in India and contributing towards economic development are rather the means by which we keep the next East India Company away from colonising us. I’m not presuming innocence or good faith of Indian tycoons, and that’s why I also support a system that has enough guts to hunt down the biggest player when he’s harming the economy. India is partially enough, needs to develop and is developing in that direction.

A historical assessment of such parallels is the way Kings behaved. Occupying territories, invading, indulging in wars etc. The centralisation of resources allowed them to be the absolute power before the 17th century. The era of science, technology and industry shaped the course of history in such a way that today’s power dynamics are not about who wins the elections, it’s about who decides. Changing this will probably require another century or two.

The philosophies of Hinduism are pragmatic towards the King. The Vedanta core is so potent that Chanakya Niti is just a fragment. Whoever decides in India should have this ideological jist that he’s there to serve. He’ll be replaced. The position will never be occupied by someone eternally. Choose your Dharma, which is a sacred duty, and take the baton forward. Rashtrakutas, when they dethroned Chalukyas, did not stop the culture of developing monuments, but they rather built the Kailasa Temple of Ellora and outshined every other ruler. When the Rashtrakutas were defeated by Cholas, the Cholan architecture, navy and literature shined across the Bay of Bengal and throughout South India. Indian tycoons should think of creating something that lasts.

Perhaps the true measure of an empire is not the extent to which it can control others, but what remains after its power inevitably passes. Rockefeller, Kings, industrialists and modern tycoons are all temporary custodians of extraordinary influence. The baton moves forward; the circumstances change; the names disappear. What lasts is what they leave behind.

The post From Rockefeller to Ambani-Adani appeared first on Words Of DPM.

गणेशोत्सव सुरू झाला. याहीवेळी उकडीचे विरुद्ध तळणीचे मोदक, घाटी विरुद्ध कोकणी असे विनोदी वाद सोशल मीडियावर पेटले. याहीवर्षी कोकणात जाणाऱ्या चाकरमान्यांच्या ढीगभर पोस्टी, पुण्या-मुंबईच्या उत्सवांची क्रेझ, DJ चा वाद वगैरे गोष्टी देखील झाल्याच.
एक गोष्ट नेहमी निदर्शनास येते. “एका रात्रीत मुंबई रिकामी करण्याची ताकद फक्त कोकणवासीयात आहे” असं म्हणतात मुंबईत स्थलांतरित कोकणी चाकरमान्यांच्या गणेशोत्सवात निघण्याबद्दल. त्यांच्या रेल्वेची तिकिटे न मिळण्याच्या कौतुकापासून ते त्यांच्याच साठी अवघ्या महाराष्ट्रभरातील एसटी आगारातून उचलून नेलेल्या बसेस पर्यंत सर्व कोकणी गणेशोत्सवाचे कौतुक सोहळे बघायला मिळतात. अर्थात, आनंदाचीच गोष्ट आहे ही. महाराष्ट्राच्या किनारपट्टीच्या स्वर्गात संस्कृती जपणारे लोक राहतात हे पाहून अभिमानच वाटतो. पण मग पुण्यात राहणारे मराठवाडा – विदर्भ वासी गणेशोत्सवात आणि दिवाळीत घरी गेल्यानंतर “गेली बाहेरची घाण”, “आता राहिले ते खरे पुणेकर” किंवा “बाहेरचे नसल्यावर पुणे किती मोकळं दिसतं” वगैरे कमेंट्स येतात. मुद्दा हा आहे की कोकणाने आपली संस्कृती महाराष्ट्राच्या सार्वजनिक अवकाशात ठामपणे मांडली; मराठवाड्याने मात्र स्वतःची संस्कृती स्वतःच मागे ठेवली. प्रत्येक वेळी गणेशोत्सवात प्रकर्षाने जाणवणारी गोष्ट ही की पश्चिम महाराष्ट्र व कोकण यांचा सांस्कृतिक दबदबा, विशेषतः कोकणाचा. पण यात मराठवाडा आणि विदर्भ कुठे? खानदेश कुठे? ज्या सणाला मोठ्या कौतुकाने “गौरी गणपतीचा सण” म्हणतो की जिथे लेकी माहेरी येतात, अहो पण मराठवाड्यात तर लक्ष्मी येते ना त्या तीन दिवसात! हा आमच्यासाठी सुनांचा सण असतो. ज्येष्ठा कनिष्ठा महालक्ष्मी बसते आमच्याकडे हे अनेकांना माहित नसतं.

गणपतीच्याच बाबतीत बोलायचं असेल तर मराठवाडा काही कमी समृद्ध नाही. हिंगोलीचा नवसाला पावणारा चिंतामणी, जालना जिल्ह्यातील राजुरचा महागणपती, बीड जिल्ह्यातील नवगण राजुरीचा गणपती, माजलगावचा टेंभे गणपती, लातूरचे अष्टविनायक मंदिर, नांदेड जिल्ह्यातील पुरातन त्रिकुट गणपती आणि अशी आणखी अनेक मंदिरं….मराठवाड्याच्या रक्तात तुळजा भवानी, येडेश्वरी, रेणुका देवी, योगेश्वरी यांच्या रूपाने ही शाक्त परंपरा सर्वाधिक असताना सुद्धा गणपतीवरील श्रद्धा तितकीच मोठी आहे. गणेशोत्सव मराठवाड्यात जल्लोषातच साजरा होतो, सार्वजनिक असो किंवा खाजगी, आणि गणेशोत्सवातील मानबिंदू म्हणजे महालक्ष्मी आगमन, पूजन आणि विसर्जन. षष्ठीच्या दिवशी आगमन, सप्तमीला पूजन आणि अष्टमीला विसर्जन. पूजनाच्या दिवशी सोळा भाज्या, सोळा चटण्या, पुरणपोळी, कढी, आमटी, करंजी, बेसन लाडू, अनारसे, खीर आणि साखरभात असा भरगच्च नैवेद्य असतो. महालक्ष्मीचे पूजन असल्याने घरच्या सर्व सुनांनी एकत्र यावे लागते. कोकण व पश्चिम महाराष्ट्राच्या तुलनेत मराठवाड्याची ही फार वेगळी पद्धत आहे. या महालक्ष्मी पूजनामागचे रहस्य हे की श्रावण महिन्यात ज्येष्ठादेवीची प्रतिष्ठापना आणि पूजा सुरू होते आणि त्या ज्येष्ठाला भेटायला कनिष्ठा येते अशी ती मान्यता आहे. यांना लक्ष्मी यासाठी मानतात कारण याच काळात खरिपाची पिके चांगली बहरलेली असतात आणि एकप्रकारे धान्य, समृद्धी ही लक्ष्मीची रूपं मानून लक्ष्मी देवी प्रति कृतज्ञता व्यक्त केली जाते. घरच्या सुनांबद्दल देखील अशाच प्रकारे कृतज्ञता आणि सन्मान व्यक्त करण्याचा हा सोहळा मानला जातो. अगदी वर्ष वर्ष सासू सासऱ्यांपासून दूर राहणाऱ्या सुना देखील याच सणाला एकत्र येतात.

मराठवाड्याची इमेज ही केवळ दुष्काळ, मागासलेपण, जातीवाद एवढ्यापुरती मर्यादित होऊन राहिलीय. काही पुणेरी महाभाग तर मराठवाड्याला चक्क वाळवंट म्हणतात. अहो येऊन बघा मराठवाडा एकदा. मराठी भाषेने इथे जन्म घेतलाय, आद्यकवी इथे नांदले. इथे हेमाडपंथी मंदिरं बांधली गेली. इथं भारुडं रचली गेली. इथंच सह्याद्रीचा लहान भाऊ बालाघाट आहे. इथच नांदेड जिल्ह्यात पैनगंगा अभयारण्य आहे. इथेच महाराष्ट्राची कुलस्वामिनी वसते, तीन ज्योतिर्लिंग आणि कोकणस्थांची कुलदेवता सुद्धा इथेच. गवळणी इथल्याच, देवीचा गोंधळ आणि कवनं इथलीच आणि आद्य संत ज्ञानेश्वर महाराजांपासून छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांपर्यंत थोर महापुरुषांची मुळं सुद्धा इथलीच.
मराठवाडा नेहमीच संस्कृती ठासून सांगण्यात कमी पडलाय तो काही विशिष्ट कारणांमुळे. सांस्कृतिक समृद्धी आर्थिक समृद्धीसोबतच चालते त्यामुळे मराठवाड्याचं मागासलेपण कारणीभूत आहेच, पण त्याहून महत्त्वाचं म्हणजे आपल्या लोकांची मानसिकता. मराठवाड्यातील जवळपास प्रत्येक मध्यमवर्गीय घराची कथाच आज ही आहे की तरुण पोरं शिक्षण किंवा नोकरी निमित्त पुण्याला स्थलांतरित झाली आणि मराठवाड्यातील जी काही संस्कृती आहे तिच्यावर या पश्चिम महाराष्ट्रीय किंवा पुणेरी संस्कृतीचा संकर होत जातोय. शिवाय, सर्वार्थाने पश्चिम महाराष्ट्र अधिक समृद्ध असल्याने मराठवाड्याच्या पोरांना आपल्या संस्कृतीत काही चांगलं आहे का याचा एकतर विसर पडलेला असतो किंवा मुळात आपल्या संस्कृतीचे गाभारे किती खोल आहे हे माहित सुद्धा नसते. काही सन्माननीय अपवाद सोडले, की जे सोशल मीडियावर मराठवाड्याच्या इतिहास, भूगोल आणि संस्कृतीचा जागर करतात, तर बाकी बहुतांश लोकांमध्ये ही सांस्कृतिक अरसिकता ठासून भरलेली दिसते. मराठवाड्यातील सण उत्सवांमध्ये वरकरणी सगळं काही झगमगाटात दिसत असताना हरवत चाललेला अस्सलपणा आज कुणाच्या लक्षात येत नाहीये पण लवकरच तो नामशेष झालेला असेल. पुण्याच्या तोडीस तोड लातुरात ढोल ताशे दिसतील पण हलगीच्या तालावर लेझीम नाचणं मात्र दिसत नाहीये. उकडीच्या मोदकाचं गुणगाण होतच राहो पण गव्हाचे तळलेले मोदक मात्र घराघरातून कमी होत जातायत. मराठवाड्याहून कठीण परिस्थिती असताना सुद्धा राजस्थानची लोकपरंपरा किती जपून आहे याचा आपण विचार करायला हवा. आपल्या संस्कृतीचा आपल्याला अभिमान असेल तरच इतरांच्या नजरेत आपला मान असेल. अन्यथा वाटचाल ऱ्हासाकडेच.
संस्कृतीचा ऱ्हास होणं हे परकीय संस्कृतीला आयतं कोलित असतं. यादव साम्राज्य बुडाल्यानंतर तोवर समृद्ध असणारा मराठवाडा नंतर अनेक परकीय सत्तांच्या हातून जाताना आपली ओळख कधीही विसरला नाही, अगदी हैदराबाद मुक्तिसंग्रामाच्या रक्ताच्या होळीत न्हाऊन निघून देखील ही ओळख मिटली नव्हतीच; परंतु विकासाचा असमतोल, निसर्गाची अवकृपा, वाढती स्थलांतरं, बदलती लोकसंख्या आणि काही प्रमाणात लोकांच्या बदलत जाणाऱ्या प्राथमिकता या सुरू असणाऱ्या ऱ्हासाला सरळसरळ कारणीभूत आहेत.

असो, गणेशोत्सवाच्या आणि 79 व्या हैदराबाद/मराठवाडा मुक्तिसंग्राम दिनाच्या शुभेच्छा!

The post गणेशोत्सव: मुंबई-पुणे -कोकणापलीकडे appeared first on Words Of DPM.

The restaurant culture in India has become rather peculiar. Today, we often visit a restaurant already knowing what to order. Reels, food vloggers and online reviews have done the homework for us. Before we even step inside, we have preconceived notions of what the “must-try” dish is. And if we don’t feel like stepping out, food delivery apps bring almost any cuisine, from almost any restaurant, to our doorstep within an hour.

Convenience has become abundant. Discovery has become scarce.

Somewhere along the way, we abandoned the innocent joy of simply eating out.

I belong to a generation that found happiness in much smaller things. The snacks of the Aathavadi Baazar, the samosas from the neighbourhood halwai, the pani puri stall outside the school ground, the roadside bhel and ragda patties, the familiar flavours of old Udupi restaurants, and that one food item every bus stand or railway station was famous for. These places never needed social media validation. They earned their reputation one satisfied customer at a time.

Among all those memories, one meal stands above everything else in my mind—the humble Maharashtrian Rice Plate.

For those unfamiliar with it, a rice plate is much more than a thali. It is a complete meal served with chapatis, seasonal vegetables, varan or dal, rice, koshimbir or raita, papad, pickle, curd and, if you’re lucky, a sweet dish. There is nothing exotic about it. No imported vegetables, no fancy sauces, no elaborate plating. Yet it delivers a satisfaction that countless paneer gravies, baby corn preparations and avocado toasts can seldom match. It fills not just the stomach, but the soul.

In rural Maharashtra, the rice plate wasn’t merely food. It was a culture.

Perhaps that is why the recent concerns over adulterated “analogue” cheese and paneer struck such a chord. For years, our restaurant culture has slowly become synonymous with paneer. Every menu looks the same, every celebration demands another rich gravy, and somewhere the simple meals quietly stepped aside. Rice plates, built around fresh vegetables, dal and everyday ingredients, never promised extravagance. They promised honesty.

My first-ever restaurant meal was a rice plate at Kamat Restaurant, Tuljapur. I must have been five or six years old. We had just finished the darshan of Tulja Bhavani Temple and my parents took me there for lunch.

I still remember how the restaurant felt—cozy, yet enormous through the eyes of a child. The bustling dining hall, the waiters moving swiftly with gleaming steel thalis, the aroma of freshly prepared food, and the excitement of eating in a restaurant for what felt like the first time made it all seem magical. Then arrived the rice plate. To my little self, it looked nothing short of a royal feast. Chapatis, vegetables, dal, rice, papad, accompaniments—everything neatly arranged in a shining steel thali. And at the end came a bowl of basundi.

I have eaten countless desserts since then, in cities far bigger and restaurants far more celebrated. Yet that first spoonful of basundi at Kamat Restaurant still lingers on my tongue. Perhaps it wasn’t merely the sweetness of the dessert. It was the sweetness of the moment—having the blessings of Tulja Bhavani Mata, sitting beside my parents, and discovering that a simple rice plate could feel like the grandest meal in the world.

Growing up in Kaij in Beed district, rice plates became an occasional indulgence until I was about sixteen. We tried them at different restaurants, but one place effortlessly stood apart.

Anil Bhojanalay.

Situated beside the Kaij bus stand, it looked exactly like what one imagines an old Maharashtrian bhojanalay to be. It wasn’t designed to impress. It was designed to feed. Travellers, bus conductors, farmers, shopkeepers and families all found their way there. Its rice plate was beautifully uncomplicated—soft polis, a spicy bhaji, varan, steaming rice, koshimbir, curd and a crisp papad. Every item balanced the next. There were no unnecessary frills, only the quiet confidence of food prepared with care.

Years later, the family opened a larger restaurant on the highway outside Kaij. The menu expanded, but thankfully the philosophy did not. The owner, originally from Solapur, brought along flavours that deserve far greater recognition. Their Shenga Poli—a soft wheat poli stuffed with roasted groundnut powder and sugar—is unlike anything I have eaten elsewhere. Their Dhapate is equally extraordinary, carrying the rustic warmth of traditional Maharashtrian kitchens. And what amazes me even today is that their excellence isn’t confined to these specialities. Their entire main course menu is consistently exceptional. Despite having dined at far grander establishments over the years, Anil Bhojanalay continues to outperform many of them in my memory. Anil Restaurant has now many branches across nearby towns like Ambajogai, Dharur and my current hometown Latur etc.

The only restaurant that rivals it in my mind is Poona Boarding House, Sadashiv Peth, Pune

Nearly a century old, Poona Boarding House is far more than a restaurant—it is a living chapter of Pune’s culinary and cultural history. As the city transformed through the final decades of British rule, Independence, industrialisation and into the modern metropolis it is today, this quiet institution stood witness to history unfolding outside its doors. One cannot help but imagine the countless students, professors, lawyers, writers, civil servants, freedom-era thinkers and public figures who must have shared meals within its walls. It has, in all likelihood, served many of the personalities who shaped Pune and, in their own ways, shaped modern India. Much like Anil Bhojanalay in Kaij, its greatness lies not in spectacle but in consistency. It proves that when food is prepared with honesty and tradition, a simple rice plate can outlive trends, fashions and even generations.

Perhaps that is what we have gradually lost.

We have become experts at chasing the newest cafés, the latest fusion dishes and the most viral recommendations. We discuss ambience more than aroma, plating more than flavour, and ratings more than memories. Somewhere in this pursuit, the humble rice plate was left behind.

Maybe it is time to rediscover it.

Walk into an old bhojanalay without checking its Instagram page. Order the rice plate without asking what the “speciality” is. Tear a piece of hot poli, mix varan with rice, crush the papad over it, finish with a spoonful of curd, and allow the meal to speak for itself.

Some foods impress you.

Some foods satisfy you.

But a rice plate does something far rarer—it embraces you.

Long before “comfort food” became a fashionable phrase, the rice plate had already perfected the art.

And years later, when someone asks you about your favourite restaurant, your answer may not be the trendiest café in the city. It may simply be a cozy restaurant after a temple visit, a modest bhojanalay beside a bus stand, or a century-old boarding house tucked away in Sadashiv Peth.

Because those places never merely served food.

They served memories on a steel thali.

The post Rice Plates: Meals Before the Reels – Maharashtra’s Forgotten Delicacy appeared first on Words Of DPM.

The wedding season is almost done and dusted for this year. With barely any Muhurtas after Diwali, it is safe to say that the 2026 wedding season has officially concluded. I too had the fortune of being part of this mass matchmaking season, with my own marriage and those of almost all my friends and cousins taking place this year. Amidst all the celebrations, however, there was one disturbing pattern that was impossible to ignore. No, this is not about customs, dowry, or people spending beyond their means. It is about something far more normalised and far less criticised.
Professionalism is a joke in large parts of India’s unorganised service sector. Every wedding I attended, including my own, had one thing in common: people demanding money from the groom or his family for absolutely no legitimate reason. This is not a new phenomenon, but it has increasingly crossed the line from custom into outright extortion. Whether it is the band, caterers, decorators, or even the non-cooking kitchen staff, someone invariably blocks the proceedings and refuses to move until money is handed over.
The tradition of Bakshish is supposed to be voluntary. Bakshish given willingly is a gesture of appreciation; Bakshish extracted through pressure is nothing but harassment. Worse, it disrupts some of the most important moments in a groom’s life. These banjo groups, caterers, decorators, and other workers often earn well through their contracted fees and generous tips received during the Baraat itself. Yet they repeatedly stop the groom for more money—during the Baraat, after the Varmala, during the wedding feast, at Bidai, and sometimes even before the newly married couple enters their own home. At what point does appreciation become greed?
Ironically, if one wishes to invoke tradition, forced Bakshish is itself considered inauspicious. Wealth obtained through coercion is often described as Alakshmi—prosperity that brings misfortune rather than blessings. But clearly, very few are interested in customs when easy money is involved. The moment someone appears economically weaker, any criticism of such behaviour is dismissed as insensitivity, even though extortion remains extortion regardless of who commits it.
The obvious question is: why is this even necessary? Every service provider is already paid for the work they were hired to perform. During the Baraat, many families voluntarily shower cash on the band as a celebration. Yet, once the procession reaches the venue, the same people block the groom again. Even the sacred moment of the bride’s homecoming is interrupted because someone decides the couple cannot enter their own house without another payment. That is absurd. Weddings are emotionally significant occasions, not toll booths. If professionalism is the goal, banjo groups and other vendors should themselves ensure that no member of their staff solicits money outside the agreed fee. Charge a higher package upfront if necessary, but stop institutionalising this culture of coercion.
An equally troubling issue is the organised extortion by groups of transgenders, commonly referred to as hijras. In many places, they stop wedding processions and demand anywhere between ₹10,000 and ₹50,000. During one of my cousin’s weddings, we deliberately avoided putting wedding posters on the bus or decorating the car carrying the bride and groom on the return journey solely to avoid attracting such groups. That level of fear speaks for itself. They often enter wedding halls uninvited, demand money, and refusal is met with public humiliation, abusive language, or disruption of the ceremony. Their blessings (dua) or curses (baddua) should never become instruments of financial coercion. If money is to be given, it should be because someone genuinely wishes to give it—not because they are intimidated into doing so.
At the same time, it is equally true that transgender persons continue to face severe discrimination in India. Greater access to education, dignified employment, and social acceptance would naturally reduce dependence on such practices over time. But discrimination cannot become a licence for intimidation. Every community has experienced hardship in one form or another; justice cannot be achieved by transferring suffering onto others. Transgender persons deserve dignity, respect, and equal opportunities—but like everyone else, they are equally bound by the law and by the basic standards of civil conduct.
Customs deserve respect only when they are rooted in consent. The moment a tradition survives by coercion instead of goodwill, it ceases to be culture and becomes nothing more than extortion disguised as tradition.

The post Extortion in wedding functions! appeared first on Words Of DPM.

In the mild heat of March 2024, a 26-and-a-half-year-old young lad walked into the familiar government office atmosphere of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation.

He had spent half his twenties trying to prove his worth—to himself, to the world, and perhaps most importantly, to his parents. After years of failing CA, getting selected as a Government Auditor felt like the payoff he had been waiting for.

Minutes later, he was handed a letter informing him that his candidature had been rejected.

At a stage where only the formality of medical fitness remained, after clearing the written exam, screening, document verification and interview, he was declared ineligible because his CA Articleship experience was not considered valid. The very same experience had been disclosed while filling the application form, scrutinised during document verification, and discussed in the interview that he had successfully cleared. Yet, it became the reason for rejection.

That day, the lad decided to let go of the dream of cracking a government examination. Not because he was depressed, but because he realised there was much more to life than this. It was the same realisation he had arrived at one and a half years earlier when he accepted that there was much more to life than becoming a CA, especially when failures had become a pattern.

Fast forward two years. He’s settled into a different profession. He’s far from having figured everything out, but he’s hopeful about life and considerably more confident than he was then.

The lad is me.

The obsession with government jobs in India is incredible. Even today, people suggest that I should continue preparing because I had once come so close. I respect that opinion, but I cannot ignore the biggest lesson that rejection taught me: investing years into something where, beyond a point, the outcome depends on factors outside your control—and where there is often no meaningful relative reward if you narrowly miss the finish line—isn’t a trade-off I wish to make.

It’s not that I transformed my life overnight or utilised every second productively. I didn’t. But I can confidently say I’m a better version of myself today than I was two years ago.

Competitive exam fanaticism runs deep in India, particularly across Tier 2, Tier 3 and rural regions. Somewhere in Sangamner, Maharashtra, a young man has built a successful farsan and bhel brand and probably earns more from the reels he posts than from the business itself. Someone who accepted an entry-level private job five years ago is now an experienced professional earning a six-figure salary, quietly going about life without ever showing it off. Somewhere else, a person who once worked as a construction labourer now employs others as a contractor.

That, to me, is life.

Life isn’t a 100-metre sprint where one finish line determines your worth. It’s a journey where you choose your own road.

I want my road to be an ordinary highway—with unexpected turns, mountain passes, scenic viewpoints, irritating traffic, rivers, beaches, villages and jungles. I want to experience all of it and keep moving.

I choose life over a predefined mark of success.

My success is personal. It exists every single day I keep showing up despite the challenges. It lies in becoming a slightly better version of myself than I was yesterday.

Competitive examinations are not for everyone, and society’s definitions of success aren’t rules that everyone must live by.

The post Highway over race-track appeared first on Words Of DPM.

Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, met Prime Minister Modi and, before the media, remarked that “if anything happens to India, we’ll take care of it as long as Modi is the PM.”
Many in Indian media may present this as some grand diplomatic endorsement. But there is something deeply unsettling about such a statement, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the last 12–18 months.
Geopolitics is not driven by friendship. Nations pursue interests, economic leverage and strategic advantage. Trump’s policies themselves reflect an America anxious about relative decline. Debt has ballooned, China is advancing faster than many expected, and one reality stands above all others: China’s near-monopoly over manufacturing and rare earth minerals. Even the G7’s own agenda revolves around reducing dependence on a country controlling over 60% of rare earth supplies. Curiously, everyone knows who that country is, yet nobody dares to name China with the same enthusiasm with which they invoke Russia. They speak loudly about sanctions against Moscow and solidarity with Ukraine, but tiptoe around Beijing. That alone says a lot.
Rare earths are central to AI, and AI will define economic power in this century. Washington knows that if China achieves decisive superiority, the balance of global power shifts irreversibly. The United States understands China’s game, but increasingly finds itself reacting rather than dictating.
During his first term, Trump viewed India as a counterweight to China. But American strategists also recognise that China itself rose partly because the US once used it as a counterbalance to the Soviet Union. They do not want to repeat what they consider a strategic mistake.
What many in Washington fail to appreciate is that China rose because the Chinese shaped that rise. India too is rising because Indians are shaping that rise. Neither civilisation is a Trojan horse waiting to be used by another power. One is a dragon already in flight; the other is a lion preparing to hunt.
Which is why Trump’s remark sounded less like a compliment and more like a reminder of hierarchy. Sovereign nations are not “taken care of” by others.
That raises uncomfortable questions. Is the Modi government genuinely pursuing Atmanirbhar Bharat, or are we gradually slipping into economic vassalage? We halted Operation Sindoor. We ignored Trump’s repeated mediation claims. We have remained silent even after three Indian nationals were killed by US forces without explanation.
Perhaps we are merely waiting for the right moment. Or perhaps we have already surrendered more strategic space than we realise.
Time will tell

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मुड़ी जो गाड़ी स्टेशन की ओर
ढूंढ रहे हम भाई एक छोर
की हमारी खुशियों का बचा निवाला
मिटाए भूख किसीकी जब तक हो भोर

दिन था सुहाना खुशियों से भरा
पीली हल्दी लगी पहनाया चूड़ा भी हरा
वीरे की हल्दी में सौ लोग आए
दुआएं दिए, खुश होकर, खाना भी खाए
अपनी जिंदगी अपने अरमानों और अपनों के बीच के चंद पल
तरस जाए इन्हीं लम्हों को बाकी तो है माया छल

भाई बहन सब बड़े, आधों के बने जीवनसाथी
एक जो अब बंधने जा रहा था वो हमारा महारथी
खूब सराहा खूब नवाजा दूल्हा हमारा खिल उठा
और बच्चों की किलकारियों से गोकुल ये झिलमिल उठा

शाम हुई खाना खाया और निकल पड़े सोने
वात्सल्य जाग उठा और कुछ यूं बोली मां बहने
जाओ बच्चों ये खाना जरूरतमंद को दे देना
अन्नपूर्णा प्रसन्न होंगी कुछ आशीर्वाद ले आना

देर रात होने लगी और निकले दूल्हे के भाई
बीसो रोटियां, दाल सब्जी के संग कुछ मिठाई
रेलवे स्टेशन पर भीड़ थी, चढ़ने उतरने वालों की
कुछ दिखे मगर जवानी में लिए झुर्रियां गालों की
बच्चे, बूढ़े औरतें, शायद ये एक परिवार था
प्लेटफॉर्म के बाहर बैठा शायद सुबह की ट्रेन का सवार था

बैठे थे शांत, बिना शिकायत किए, न मांग रहे थे किसीसे
मजदूरी कर लौट रहे थे टिकट के सिवा न थे शायद पैसे
पूछने पर बोले हां भूखे है लेंगे जो भी है
लेने के लिए हाथों के अलावा थे कुछ पतीले

हैरत हुई देखकर के लेते हुए उन्होंने,
न पूछा ताजा है न दिए कोई बहाने
शब्दों के शायद बेहद परे आंखों से राहत दिखी
धन्यवाद कर सके उतनी भी नहीं थी मन:शक्ति बाकी

उस रोज जाना के मै सच में हूं अमीर
भूखा रहना नहीं देखा, हररोज खाई मीठी खीर
जाना ये भी के मेरी क्या है शिकायतें
जो भी है लेकिन रात को सूखी नहीं है आंतें

हां पैसा कम ज्यादा होगा लेकिन ये मंजर तो नहीं
टिकट ले या खाना खाए, ऐसा कोई डर तो नहीं
कुछ सीखा उन लोगों से मैने उस दिन जरूर
जिंदगी से शिकायतें करने का उतर गया सुरूर

अबके हर निवाला जैसे प्रसाद लगने लगा है
अबके खाना खा पाना राजसी ठाठ लगने लगा है
भगवान करे ये मेरी दुआ उनको लग जाए
मुझे इतना सिखाने वालों के भाग्य अब जग जाए
भगवान उन्हें कम से कम खाना मिलता रहे
और मेरे अहंकार का सूरज इसी खूबसूरती से ढलता रहे

The post अमीरी appeared first on Words Of DPM.

चित्रपटाची समीक्षा चित्रपट या एकाच दृष्टीकोनातून हवी. त्यातील कथानकाची वेगळी होऊ शकते. म्हणूनच पुरोगामी, प्रतिगामी, आस्तिक, नास्तिक, भाजप, हिंदुत्व, काँग्रेस, सेक्युलरवादाला वेशीवर टांगून देउळ बंद 2 वर प्रेक्षक म्हणून टाकलेला हा प्रकाश

सर्वप्रथम तर देउळ बंद 1 चं थोडक्यात अवलोकन करूया. एका वैज्ञानिकाचा नास्तिक ते आस्तिक प्रवास इतकंच ते मर्यादित नाहीये. कथानकात काही महत्त्वाच्या त्रुटी आहेतच मात्र कथाकथन अर्थातच storytelling, इतकं लाजवाब आहे की याच जोरावर सिनेमा जिंकला. क्लायमॅक्स सीन आजही मनात घर करून आहे. शिवाय गाणी, सिनेमॅटोग्राफी, गश्मीर महाजनी आणि मोहन जोशींचा अभिनय या तगड्या जमून आलेल्या बाबी होत्या. सिनेमा मनोरंजक तर होताच, परंतु एक निश्चितशी छाप सोडणारा होता. आता याचा सिक्वेल म्हटल्यास अपेक्षा तितक्या जास्त असणारच.

पण या अपेक्षा भंग पावल्या. शेतकरी आत्महत्या, हुंडाबळी, शेतकऱ्यांचे शोषण, नास्तिकता, कर्मसिध्दांत आणि अशा अनेक अगणित विषयांचा डोलारा सांभाळता सांभाळता चित्रपट कैक वेळा घसरतो. सुरुवातीला नायिकेच्या पतीची झालेली आत्महत्या आणि त्या गोष्टीचा उलगडा दाखवताना केलेला अतिरंजकपणा नंतर पूर्ण उघडा पडलाय. जंगल, नदी, डोंगर तुडवत चाळीस किमी पायी जाव्या लागणाऱ्या गावात नंतर सहजपणे बोलेरो पिकप पासून ते पार मर्सिडीज ऑडी पर्यंत गाड्या कशा येतात? दारात बुलेट उभारलेली असताना शेतकरी कर्जबाजारी होऊन आत्महत्या काय करतोय, भोर सारख्या अतिशय सधन शेती असणाऱ्या तालुक्यात अक्षरशः दररोज एक शेतकरी आत्महत्या करतोच काय….सगळीच अनागोंदी. देउळ बंद 1 मध्ये स्वामी शेवटी स्वामीच आहेत आणि ते का देव आहेत याचं समर्पक उत्तर मिळतं. या भागात स्वामींना मात्र एक साधारण protagonist बनवलंय. पहिल्या भागातील नास्तिक राघव शास्त्री जवळपास शेवटपर्यंत नास्तिकच होता आणि म्हणूनच क्लायमॅक्स चा सीन प्रचंड भिडला. सर्व खेळच स्वामींनी या राघवचा अहंकार मोडण्यासाठी रचला होता हे अक्षरशः पटतं. नुसतं पटत नाही तर ते relate सुद्धा होतं. शिवाय पहिल्या भागाला दत्त परिक्रमेची एक छान आखणी होती. दत्त परिक्रमेत झालेला तो साक्षात्कार मध्यंतरानंतर सुरू होतो म्हणूनच क्लायमॅक्सला रंग आला. या भागामध्ये अगदी सुरुवातीलाच तसेच कॅरेक्टर पुन्हा दिसायला लागतात. बुद्धी असणाऱ्या कुणालाही साई बाबा, शंकर महाराज यांचं रहस्य सहज कळू शकतं इतकं obvious केलं आहे हे. दरवेळी एकच ट्रिक वापरायची नसते हे कुणी प्रवीण तरडेना सांगा. आणि मुळात आत्महत्या केलेल्या नवऱ्याचे शव तसेच लटकत ठेवून पन्नास किमी दूर कुठेतरी स्मशानातल्या वारुळासमोर जाब विचारायला कुठली नास्तिक महिला येईल हे कशाही प्रकारे मनाला पटू शकतच नाही. आणि मुळात कुठलाही नास्तिक इतक्या दुःखाच्या प्रसंगी देवाच्या दिसण्याबद्दल इतका आग्रही का असेल? एक ना अनेक प्रश्न आहेत. स्वामींना आठ दिवस आत्महत्या न होऊ देण्याचा “टास्क” दिला, त्यासाठी मानवी देह धारण करायला लावला.चमत्कार करण्यास सक्त पाबंदी आणली. हे सर्व स्वामी सहन करतील असं वाटत नाही. कुठल्या नास्तिकाला आपलं अस्तित्व सिद्ध करून देण्यासाठी स्वामी कुठले insecure teenager नाहीत.

चित्रपटाची सर्वात कमकुवत बाजू म्हणजे उपदेश. जिथे तिथे शेतकऱ्यांनी काय करावं हा सल्ला देण्याचा प्रयत्न केलाय. ते चुकीचं नाही, पण ते या कथानकाच्या विपरीत आहे. शिवाय प्रवीण तरडेंनी अनेक मुलाखतींमध्ये हेच सल्ले दिले आहेत. म्हणजे हा चित्रपट मुळशी पॅटर्न आणि देउळ बंद च खरकटं एकत्र करून बनवलाय की काय असच वाटतं.

सर्वात कहर म्हणजे याचे अकरा भाग आणायचे आहेत असं स्वतः प्रवीण तरडेंनी सांगितल आहे. पूर्ण हिंदी आणि त्यामुळेच मराठी चित्रपट सृष्टीला एक खोड आहे, फॉर्म्युल्यावर चित्रपट बनवण्याची. देउळ बंद चालला तर आता त्याचं पारायणच सुरू करा. प्रेक्षकांना गृहीत धरणं चूक आहे आणि प्रेक्षक त्याचं फलित तुमचे चित्रपट फ्लॉप करून देतातच.

चित्रपटाच्या निवडक जमलेल्या बाजूंमध्ये स्नेहल तरडे, मोहन जोशी, संस्कृती बालगुडे, सविता मालपेकर यांचा अभिनय. प्रवीण तरडे त्याच मुळशी पॅटर्नच्या नन्या भाईच्या भूमिकेत आहेत, फक्त नाव बदललं आहे. त्यांना असा रोल करण्यास मजा येते की हे सोडून दुसरं काही जमतच नाही असा प्रश्न पडतो. थोड्याच सीन पुरता, पण ओम भुतकर भाव खाऊन जातो. थिएटरच्या बाहेर पडताना पश्चाताप कमी झाला तो पोस्ट क्रेडिट सीन मध्ये गश्मीर महाजनीला बघून. त्या एका सीनमध्ये असं वाटलं की बाबांनो हे तुम्हाला तिसऱ्या भागात करायचं होतं तर हा दुसरा भाग आणला तरी कशासाठी? तसंही गश्मीरला मराठी इंडस्ट्रीने अक्षरशः वाया घालवलाय. चांगला दिसणारा, उंचापुरा, बॉडी बिडी असणारा आणि विशेष म्हणजे उत्तम अभिनय जमणारा इतका तगडा अभिनेता घेऊन मराठी चित्रपट किमान राष्ट्रीय पातळीवर आणता आला असता, पण दुर्दैव.

असो. प्रवीण तरडे आणि मित्र परिवार यांना रोजगार मिळवून देणाऱ्या या प्रकल्पाला पाचपैकी दीड स्टार.

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Since #NeetPaperLeak has shaken the country and its masterminds are getting nabbed by CBI, let us delve into the reality of Educational Crony Capitalism cutely described as #EdTech

I hail from the town Latur, very famous for being a “factory” of Engineering and Medical entrants, often described as “Mini Kota.” When it all began in the 1990s as an experiment to bring better results by Rajarshi Shahu College (11th and 12th), the “Latur Pattern” flourished, as dedicated, focused and strategic study methods helped many students crack the Medical and Engineering entrance exams. Milking on the waves of students wanting to enter the Shahu College, followed by Dayanand College, coaching classes flourished as well.

One of the main accused, Mr Shivraj Motegaonkar is the most famous name for Chemistry. Back in my days, there were more names as well, like Dhote-Shirsath, Reddy Ma’am, PV Physics classes etc. Somehow Motegaonkar risen above all in the last decade and he aptly used the technological upgrade, established his brand name across Maharashtra, so much that the Pune’s city buses started flexing his name instead of Pune’s grand maesters of MPSC. That’s how grately he captured the market. Reportedly, his annual turnover is over 100 crores and has very close ties with local leaders.

There remains a thin line between an educator and a businessman and almost every famous tutor in India crosses this line. Motegaonkar did nothing different, just a bit more nasty. He had a crazy possessiveness for getting as many national rankers as possible so that his students keep increasing, and his profits skyrocket. It is this hunger that might have compelled him to engage in this paper leak scam. He’s anyways a member of big national syndicate so it is amateur to put it all on him, but it is likes of these people why students’ dreams shatter.

To be fair, Motegaonkar is widely regarded as an effective teacher and many students genuinely benefited from his coaching. That is precisely what makes the allegations more disturbing. Trust is highest in education, and betrayal there cuts deepest.

EdTech was meant to simplify learning, improve accessibility, and make quality education affordable. Khan Sir from Patna, at least so far, exemplifies how scale and affordability can coexist in a win-win model. Motegaonkar, too, possessed the influence and capacity to build something transformative, universities, affordable institutions, or a broader educational ecosystem. Instead, what was once a cluster of pulse mills in Latur is today widely known as “Tuition Area,” a significant portion of which is reportedly owned by him.

Crony Capitalism is exactly this, progressing business at the cost of the very purpose why it was started. Be it Latur, Kota, Pune, Mukharjee Nagar (Delhi), Hyderabad…..these educational capitalists are worsening things for nothing. The order needs restoration, hopefully now it happens!

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1908 मध्ये इराणमध्ये तेलाचा शोध लागला. सुरुवातीचे अनेक वर्ष त्यावर ब्रिटीशांचाच ताबा राहिला. 1951 मध्ये मोहम्मद मोसादेघच्या नेतृत्वातील सरकारने तेलाचे राष्ट्रीयकरण केले. परिणाम? CIA ने इराणमध्ये अंतर्गत संघर्ष घडवून हे सरकार पाडले आणि पुढची 28 वर्षे मोहम्मद रझा शाह पहलवी या अमेरिकाधार्जीन्या नेत्याच्या हातात इराणची कमान राहिली. केवळ ब्रिटिश आणि अमेरिकन नव्हे, तर सोविएत संघाने सुद्धा एकदा ऐन दुसऱ्या महायुद्धात 1941 मध्ये इराणवर ब्रिटिशांसोबत आक्रमण करून उत्तरीय इराणवर कब्जा केलेला. दुसऱ्या महायुद्धानंतर ब्रिटिशांनी इराणमधलं सैन्य काढलं मात्र स्टालिन सोविएत सैन्य काढण्यास तयार नव्हता. संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघाने ठराव संमत करून स्टालिनवर दबाव आणला आणि सैन्य काढण्यास प्रवृत्त केलं.
साधारण 1979 पर्यंत या पहलवीचं सरकार होतं. 1979 मध्ये झालेल्या इस्लामिक क्रांतीमध्ये आयातुल्ला खोमेनीचं जी एकहाती सत्ता आली ती आजतागायत सुरूच आहे. हे सरकार कटाक्षाने अमेरिका विरोधी आहे आणि त्यामुळेच अमेरिकेचा भारतावर सातत्याने इराणकडून तेल खरेदी न करण्याबद्दल दबाव राहिला. आधीच्या अनेक भारतीय सरकारांनी हा दबाव झुगारला मात्र 2018 पासून भारताने इराणकडून होणारी तेल खरेदी कमी केली. यावर अमेरिकेने कितीही उर बडवला की भारत आमच्या दबावात आला, तरी भारताने इराणचे तेल कमी करून रशिया कडून खरेदी वाढवली हे तथ्य पुरेसे आहे भारत दबावात नाही आला हे सिद्ध करण्यासाठी.
इराणचं अस्तित्व प्रामुख्याने अमेरिका व इस्राएलच्या डोळ्यात खुपतं. जिथं योम कीप्पुर युद्धामध्ये सहा दिवसांत सहा अरबी देशांना धूळ चारणारा इस्राएल ग्रेटर इस्रायलचे स्वप्न साकार करत होता, जिथं अमेरिका संपूर्ण पश्चिम आशियावर ताबा ठेवून होता, तिथं एकमेव इराण होता जो या महत्वाकांक्षेला अडसर बनून राहिला होता. इराणदेखील काही धुतल्या तांदळातला नाही. गाझा पट्टीमध्ये हमास दहशतवाद्यांना उभं करून इस्रायलच्या महिलांवर अत्याचार करण्याचं पाप इराणच्या माथी आहेच. भारताला याच्याशी देणंघेणं नाही. जो देश भारताच्या हिताचा नाही तो भारताचा शत्रू हे साधं सूत्र आहे. इस्राएल कडून आधुनिक शस्त्रांचं तंत्रज्ञान मिळतं म्हणून तोही मित्र, इराणकडून तेल मिळतं म्हणून तोही मित्र. बाजू घेण्याची भूमिका भारताची कधीच राहिली नाही.
आज सुरू असलेलं इराण वि. अमेरिका आणि इस्राएल युद्ध गेल्या महिनाभरापासून अमेरिकेला जड जातंय. मुळात दुसऱ्या देशाच्या भूमीवर जाऊन मात्रागमन करण्याचे प्रकार अमेरिकेचे नवीन नाहीत मात्र यावेळी अमेरिका इराणच्या नव्हे, तर चीन आणि रशियाच्या जाळ्यात अडकला आहे. चीन व रशियाने सावधपणे इराणला प्याद्यासारखं उभं केलंय. हवी ती सगळी मदत इराणला याच दोन देशांकडून होतेय हे स्पष्ट आहे. इकडे अमेरिकी लष्कराची जास्तीत जास्त ताकद मात्र विनाकारण खर्ची पडतेय. काही लाखात बनवलेले इराणी ड्रोन शेकडो कोटींची अमेरिकी शस्त्रास्त्रे निकामी करतोय. उद्या अमेरिका इराणच्या जमिनीवर सैन्य उतरवेल पण असच सैन्य व्हिएतनाम आणि अफगाणिस्तानात सुद्धा उतरवलं होतच की अमेरिकेने. सर्वार्थाने अमेरिकेची सर्व शक्ती अशा एका देशाला संपवण्यात खर्च होतेय जो खरं पाहता अमेरिकेच्या शक्तीपुढे फारसा टिकू शकत नाही, पण तो नुकसान मात्र पुरेपूर करतोय. रामायणाचा संदर्भ इथं आवर्जून द्यावा वाटेल. अमेरिका अहंकाराने माजलेला रावण आहे आणि इराण म्हणजे वानर राज बाली. बालीने आक्रमण करून आलेल्या रावणाला बगलेत धरून तिन्ही लोकी मिरवलं. शेवटी रावणाला बालीचं सामर्थ्य कळलं आणि त्याने हार मानली. इराणदेखील हरणार नाही, जिंकणार तर त्याहून नाही, पण अमेरिकेची अशीच नाचक्की करत राहणार.

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