The Road

That road and that path are so etched in the memory, that turn and that curve I could walk in my dream, that slope I could climb blindfolded till the end of time...that corner where we friends gossiped and those blocks where the kids played and that forbidden lane too...my home, oh my home...clear in my thoughts, crystal clear always it will be!

Book Review: Animal Farm

Featured in BBC's list of must-reads George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is one book which escaped my attention all this while until a friend recommended it to me recently. Animal Farm is the very familiar setting of any society, a race, or a creed who after being oppressed for long enough decide to fight against the odds. A leader or a group of leaders, visionaries come to the rescue and the common man believe in these new set of leaders and a mass movement takes place. So happened in Animal Farm where inspired by Old Major, Snowball and Napoleon rise to the occasion and spend time, effort, energy and thought and revolt against Jones ultimately chasing him away! The new breed are full of hope, hope for the future and with their enthusiasm are capable of turning dreams into reality. They succeed initially and with a bit of beginner's luck and support of the masses are actually able to make progress.

But power corrupts and has corrupted generations and Animal Farm was no exception. Napoleon in his arrogance, pride and some bit of insecurity plots a story against Snowball, eliminates his political rival very cleverly and spreads all sorts of rumors and lies. The followers are left in a state of confusion, fear and not able to decide right from wrong. Sometimes they trust blindly and sometimes in a state of helplessness. This goes on and on and hardly does anybody realize that the original values have been compromised for, the trust has been misplaced and self interest has taken a priority over everything else. So Napoleon of our Animal Farm has not only managed to dismiss Snowball from the followers' memories but in his arrogance has taken the role of a dictator. He enters into partnership with his original rivals, for this game of politics and power is such that one becomes his/her own slave, distinguishing between what one is, to what one was and what is right is clouded. Benfits take precedence and values take a back seat. 

Flatterers are favored, hard work is ignored and those little struggles are banished. Honest opinion and sincerity are not respected, not appreciated and the honest die their natural death.No care was taken when the hard worker Boxer was sick and he actually gets killed. And the watchers watch in silence!

But nothing lasts forever and in the battle for power, no one wins and at the end one can't just distinguish between who was what!

As put by my friend, timeless!