यह मेरी मातृभूमि है- प्रेमचंद

aj poore 60 varsh ke bad mujhe matribhoomi - pyari matribhoomi ke darshan prapt hue haian. jis samay maian apane pyare desh se vida hua tha aur bhagy mujhe pashchim ki or le chala tha us samay maian poorn yuva tha. meri nasoan mean navin rakt sancharit ho raha tha. hriday umangoan aur b di-b di ashaoan se bhara hua tha. mujhe apane pyare bharatavarsh se kisi atyachari ke atyachar ya nyay ke balavan hathoan ne nahian juda kiya tha. atyachari ke atyachar aur qanoon ki kathorataean mujhase jo chahe so kara sakati haian magar meri pyari matribhoomi mujhase nahian chhu da sakatian. ve meri uchch abhilashaean aur b de-b de ooanche vichar hi the jinhoanne mujhe desh-nikala diya tha.

maianne amerika ja kar vahaan khoob vyapar kiya aur vyapar se dhan bhi khoob paida kiya tatha dhan se anand bhi khoob manamane loote. saubhagy se patni bhi aisi mili jo sauandary mean apana sani ap hi thi. usaki lavanyata aur sundarata ki khyati tamam amerika mean phaili. usake hriday mean aise vichar ki guanjaish bhi n thi jisaka sambandh mujhase n ho maian us par tan-man se asakt tha aur vah meri sarvasv thi. mere paanch putr the jo sundar hrisht-pusht aur eemanadar the. unhoanne vyapar ko aur bhi chamaka diya tha. mere bhole-bhale nanhe-nanhe pautr god mean baithe hue the, jab ki maianne pyari matribhoomi ke aantim darshan karane ko apane pair uthaye. maianne anant dhan priyatama patni sapoot bete aur pyare-pyare jigar ke tuk de nanhe-nanhe bachche adi amooly padarth keval isilie parityag kar diya ki maian pyari bharat-janani ka aantim darshan kar looan. maian bahut boodha ho gaya hooan, das varsh ke bad poore sau varsh ka ho jaooanga. ab mere hriday mean keval ek hi abhilasha baki hai ki maian apani matribhoomi ka rajakan banooan.

yah abhilasha kuchh aj hi mere man mean utpann nahian huee balki us samay bhi thi jab meri pyari patni apani madhur batoan aur komal katakshoan se mere hriday ko praphullit kiya karati thi. aur jab ki mere yuva putr pratahkal a kar apane vriddh pita ko sabhakti pranam karate us samay bhi mere hriday mean ek kaanta-sa khatakhata rahata tha ki maian apani matribhoomi se alag hooan. yah desh mera desh nahian hai aur maian is desh ka nahian hooan.

mere pas dhan tha, patni thi, l dake the aur jayadad thi, magar n maloom kyoan mujhe rah-rah kar matribhoomi ke toote jhoanp de char-chhai bigha mauroosi zamin aur balapan ke langotiya yaroan ki yad aksar sata jaya karati. prayah apar prasannata aur anandotsavoan ke avasar par bhi yah vichar hriday mean chutaki liya karata tha ki yadi maian apane desh mean hota.

jis samay maian bambee mean jahaz se utara maianne pahile kale kot-pataloon pahane tooti-phooti aangreji bolate hue mallah dekhe. phir aangreji dukan tram aur motaraga diyaan dikh p dian. isake bad rabaratayaravali ga diyoan ki or muanh mean churat dabe hue adamiyoan se muthabhe d huee. phir rel ka viktoriya tarminas steshan dekha. bad mean maian rel mean savar hokar hari-bhari paha diyoan ke madhy mean sthit apane gaanv ko chal diya. us samay meri aankhoan mean aansoo bhar aye aur maian khoob roya kyoanki yah mera desh n tha. yah vah desh n tha jisake darshanoan ki ichchha sada mere hriday mean laharaya karati thi. yah to koee aur desh tha. yah amerika ya ianglaiand tha magar pyara bharat nahian tha.

relaga di jangaloan, paha doan, nadiyoan aur maidanoan ko par karati huee mere pyare gaanv ke nikat pahuanchi jo kisi samay mean phool, pattoan aur phaloan ki bahutayat tatha nadi-naloan ki adhikata se svarg ki ho d kar raha tha. maian us ga di se utara to mera hriday baansoan uchhal raha tha - ab apana pyara ghar dekhooanga - apane balapan ke pyare sathiyoan se milooanga. maian is samay bilakul bhool gaya tha ki maian 90 varsh ka boodha hooan. jyoan-jyoan maian gaanv ke nikat ata tha, mere pag shighr-shighr uthate the aur hriday mean akathaniy anand ka shrot um d raha tha. pratyek vastu par aankhean pha d-pha d kar drishti dalata. aha ! yah vahi nala hai jisamean ham roj gho de nahalate the aur svayan bhi dubakiyaan lagate the kiantu ab usake donoan or kaantedar tar lage hue the. samane ek bangala tha jisamean do aangrej bandookean liye idhar-udhar tak rahe the. nale mean nahane ki sakht manahi thi.

gaanv mean gaya aur nigahean balapan ke sathiyoan ko khojane lagian kintu shok! ve sab ke sab mrityu ke gras ho chuke the. mera ghar-mera toota-phoota jhoanp da - jisaki god mean maian barasoan khela tha, jahaan bachapan aur bephikri ke anand loote the aur jisaka chitr abhi tak meri aankhoan mean phir raha tha, vahi mera pyara ghar ab mitti ka dher ho gaya tha.

yah sthan gair-abad n tha. saik doan adami chalate-chalate drishti ate the jo adalat-kachahari aur thana-pulis ki batean kar rahe the unake mukhoan se chianta nirjivata aur udasi pradarshit hoti thi aur ve ab saansarik chiantaoan se vyathit maloom hote the. mere sathiyoan ke saman hrisht-pusht balavan lal chehare vale navayuvak kahian n dekh p date the. us akha de ke sthan par jisaki j d mere hathoan ne dali thi ab ek toota-phoota skool tha. usamean durbal tatha kaantihin rogiyoan ki-si sooratavale balak phate kap de pahine baithe ooangh rahe the. unako dekh kar sahasa mere mukh se nikal p da ki nahian-nahian yah mera pyara desh nahian hai. yah desh dekhane maian itani door se nahian aya hooan - yah mera pyara bharatavarsh nahian hai.

baragad ke pe d ki or maian dau da jisaki suhavani chhaya mean maianne bachapan ke anand u daye the, jo hamare chhutapan ka kri dasthal aur yuvavastha ka sukhaprad vasasthan tha. ah ! is pyare baragad ko dekhate hi hriday par ek b da aghat pahuancha aur dil mean mahanh shok utpann hua. use dekh kar aisi-aisi duahkhadayak tatha hriday-vidarak smritiyaan taji ho gayian ki ghantoan prithvi par baithe-baithe maian aansoo bahata raha. haan! yahi baragad hai jisaki daloan par chadh kar maian phunagiyoan tak pahuanchata tha, jisaki jataean hamara jhoola thian aur jisake phal hamean sare sansar ki mithaiyoan se adhik svadisht maloom hote the. mere gale mean baanhean dal kar khelane vale langotiya yar jo kabhi roothate the, kabhi manate the, kahaan gaye, hay! bina gharabar ka musaphir ab kya akela hi hooan? kya mera koee bhi sathi nahian? is baragad ke nikat ab thana tha aur baragad ke niche koee lal safa baandhe baitha tha. usake as-pas das-bis lal pag di vale karabaddh kh de the! vahaan phate-purane kap de pahane durbhikshagrast purush jis par abhi chabukoan ki bauchhar huee thi, p da sisak raha tha. mujhe dhyan aya ki yah mera pyara desh nahian hai, koee aur desh hai. yah yorop hai, amerika hai, magar meri pyari matribhoomi nahian hai - kadapi nahian hai.

idhar se nirash ho kar maian us chaupal ki or chala jahaan sham ke vakt pita ji gaanv ke any bujurgoan ke sath huqqa pite aur hansi-kahakahe u date the. ham bhi us tat ke bichhaune par kalabajiyaan khaya karate the. kabhi-kabhi vahaan panchayat bhi baithati thi, jisake sarapanch sada pita ji hi hua karate the. isi chaupal ke pas ek goshala thi, jahaan gaanv bhar ki gayean rakhi jati thian aur bachh doan ke sath ham yahian kilolean kiya karate the. shok! ki ab us chaupal ka pata tak n tha. vahaan ab gaanvoan mean tika lagane ki chauki aur dakakhana tha.

us samay isi chaupal se laga ek kolhava da tha, jahaan ja de ke dinoan mean eekh peri jati thi aur gu d ki sugandh se mastishk poorn ho jata tha. ham aur hamare sathi vahaan gandariyoan ke lie baithe rahate aur gandariyaan karane vale mazadooroan ke hastalaghav ko dekh kar ashchary kiya karate the. vahaan hajaroan bar maianne kachcha ras aur pakka doodh mila kar piya tha aur vahaan as-pas ke gharoan ki striyaan aur balak apane-apane gh de le kar ate the aur unamean ras bhar kar le jate the. shok hai ki ve kolhoo ab tak jyoan ke tyoan kh de the kintu kolhava de ki jagah par ab ek san lapetane vali mashin lagi thi aur usake samane ek tamboli aur sigaret vale ki dookan thi. in hriday-vidarak drishyoan ko dekhakar maianne dukhit hriday se ek adami se jo dekhane mean sabhy maloom hota tha poochha - mahashay, maian ek paradeshi yatri hooan. rat bhar let rahane ki mujhe ajna dijiega is adami ne mujhe sir se pair tak gahari drishti se dekha aur kahane laga ki age jao yahaan jagah nahian hai. maian age gaya aur vahaan se bhi yahi uttar mila- age jao. paanchavian bar ek sajjan se sthan maangane par unhoanne ek mutthi chane mere hath par rakh diye. chane mere hath se chhoot p de aur netroan se aviral ashru-dhara bahane lagi. mukh se sahasa nikal p da ki hay! yah mera desh nahian hai yah koee aur desh hai. yah hamara atithi-satkari pyara bharat nahian hai - kadapi nahian.

maianne ek sigaret ki dibiya kharidi aur ek sunasan jagah par baithakar sigaret pite hue poorv samay ki yad karane laga ki achanak mujhe dharmashala ka smaran ho aya jo mere videsh jate samay ban rahi thi maian us or lapaka ki rat kisi prakar vahian kat looan magar shok! shok!! mahanh shok!!! dharmashala jyoan ki tyoan kh di thi kiantu usamean garib yatriyoan ke tikane ke lie sthan n tha. madira durachar aur dyoot ne use apana ghar bana rakha tha. yah dasha dekh kar vivashatah mere hriday se ek sard ah nikal p di aur maian zor se chilla utha ki nahian, nahian, nahian aur hazar bar nahian hai - yah mera pyara bharat nahian hai. yah koee aur desh hai. yah yorop hai, amerika hai, magar bharat kadapi nahian hai.

aandheri rat thi. gid d aur kutte apane-apane karkash svar mean uchcharan kar rahe the. maian apana dukhit hriday le kar usi nale ke kinare ja kar baith gaya aur sochane laga - ab kya karooan! phir apane putroan ke pas laut jaooan aur apana yah sharir amerika ki mitti mean milaooan. ab tak meri matribhoomi thi. maian videsh mean zaroor tha kiantu mujhe apane pyare desh ki yad bani thi, par ab maian desh-vihin hooan. mera koee desh nahian hai. isi soch-vichar mean maian bahut der tak ghutanoan par sir rakhe maun raha. ratri netroan mean hi vyatit ki. ghante vale ne tin bajaye aur kisi ke gane ka shabd kanoan mean aya. hriday gadgad ho gaya ki yah to desh ka hi rag hai yah to matribhoomi ka hi svar hai. maian turant uth kh da hua aur kya dekhata hooan ki 15-20 vriddha striyaan saphed dhotiyaan pahine hathoan mean lote liye snan ko ja rahi haian aur gati jati haian:

hamare prabhu avagun chitt n dharo...

maian is git ko sun kar tanmay ho hi raha tha ki itane mean mujhe bahut se adamiyoan ki bolachal sun p di. unamean se kuchh log hathoan mean pital ke kamandal liye hue shiv-shiv, har-har gange-gange, narayan-narayan adi shabd bolate hue chale jate the. anandadayak aur prabhavotpadak rag se mere hriday par jo prabhav hua usaka varnan karana kathin hai.

maianne amerika ki chanchal se chanchal aur prasann se prasann chittavali lavanyavati striyoan ka alap suna tha. saharshoan bar unaki jihva se prem aur pyar ke shabd sune the. hridayakarshak vachanoan ka anand uthaya tha. maianne surile pakshiyoan ka chahachahana bhi suna tha, kiantu jo anand jo maza aur jo sukh mujhe is rag mean aya, vah mujhe jivan mean kabhi prapt nahian hua tha. maianne khud gunaguna kar gayaah

hamare prabhu avagun chit n dharo...

mere hriday mean phir utsah aya ki ye to mere pyare desh ki hi batean haian. anandatirek se mera hriday anandamay ho gaya. maian bhi in adamiyoan ke sath ho liya aur 6 mil tak paha di marg par karake usi nadi ke kinare pahuancha, jisaka nam patit-pavani hai, jisaki laharoan mean dubaki lagana aur jisaki god mean marana pratyek hiandoo apana param saubhagy samajhata hai. patit-pavani bhagirathi ganga mere pyare gaanv se chhai-sat mil par bahati thi. kisi samay mean gho de par chadh kar ganga mata ke darshanoan ki lalasa mere hriday mean sada rahati thi. yahaan maianne hajaroan manushyoan ko is thande pani mean dubaki lagate hue dekha. kuchh log baloo par baithe gayatri-mantr jap rahe the. kuchh log havan karane mean sanlagn the. kuchh mathe par tilak laga rahe the aur kuchh log sasvar vedamantr padh rahe the. mera hriday phir utsahit hua aur maian zor se kah utha- haan haan yahi mera pyara desh hai, yahi meri pavitr matribhoomi hai, yahi mera sarvashreshth bharat hai aur isi ke darshanoan ki meri utkat ichchha thi tatha isi ki pavitr dhooli ke kan banane ki meri prabal abhilasha hai.

maian vishesh anand mean magn tha. maianne apana purana kot aur pataloon utar kar pheank diya aur ganga mata ki god mean ja gira jaise koee bholabhala balak din bhar nirday logoan ke sath rahane ke bad sandhya ko apani pyari mata ki god mean dau d kar chala aye aur usaki chhati se chipat jay. haan ab maian apane desh mean hooan. yah meri pyari matribhoomi hai. ye log mere bhaee haian aur ganga meri mata hai.

maianne thik ganga ke kinare ek chhoti-si kuti banava li hai. ab mujhe siva ram-nam japane ke aur koee kam nahian hai. maian nity pratah-sayan ganga-snan karata hooan aur meri prabal ichchha hai ki isi sthan par mere pran nikalean aur meri asthiyaan ganga mata ki laharoan ki bheant hoan.

meri stri aur mere putr bar-bar bulate haian, magar ab maian yah ganga mata ka tat aur apana pyara desh chho d kar vahaan nahian ja sakata. apani mitti ganga ji ko hi sauanpooanga. ab sansar ki koee akaanksha mujhe is sthan se nahian hata sakati kyoanki yah mera pyara desh aur yahi pyari matribhoomi hai. bas meri utkat ichchha yahi hai ki maian apani pyari matribhoomi mean hi apane pran visarjan karooan.