“Apraadh ek mental disease hai aur koi bhi iske saath janam nahi leta.” Aisa hi kuch kehna hai 40 saal ke Laxman Ghole ka, jinhone crime ki duniya ko chod kar gaandhi-waadi soch ko apnaya hai. Laxman ka maan’na hai ki “bhale hi humara mahaul hume ek apraadhi banata hai, lekin humari khud ki soch hi humare andar badlaav laane ka kaam karti hai.” Laxman ghole ki young age toh crime karte hi guzar gayi, lekin kam se kam unhe apni galti ka guilt hai aur aaj woh isse sudhaarne ke liye kayi tarah ke kaam karte hai.
Laxman iss maamle me sahi the ki mahaul hi insaan ko apraadhi banata hai. Kyunki Laxman khud Mumbai ke Kurla ki ek aisi basti me bare huye, jaha vasooli, gang-war, maar-peet, gundagardi jaise tamaam crime, logon ke liye aam baat thi. Iss basti me jyadatar criminals hi rehte the, jiska influence 15 saal ke Laxman Ghole pe bhi pada. Halanki Laxman ka crime ki yor badha pehla kadam bilkul bhi intentional nahi tha. Asal me 15 saal ki umar me ek baar Laxman apne school se ghar waapas aa rahe the, tabhi Laxman ki nazar ek ladki pe padi, jise gali ka hi ek gunda verbally aur physically assault kar raha tha. Ladki chilaa rahi thi, lekin waha pe khade aas-paas ke log har baar ki tarah sirf tamaasha dekh rahe the. Laxman ke mutaabik woh ladki madad ke liye ro rahi thi, aur bheed se sawaal kar rahi ki ‘kya woh tab bhi aise hi tamasha dekhte agar unke pariwaar ke kisi sadasya ke saath aisa ho raha hota?’ Ladki ke iss sawaal pe Laxman ne apna temper kho diya aur paas ke ek saloon se blade lekar gunde ka gala kaat diya.
Yeh wahi daur tha jiske baad Laxman ne peeche mood kar kabhi nahi dekha. Aur aane waale 2 decade tak unhone sirf crime ko apna jeevan chuna. Dekhte hi dekhte Laxman real-life Munna Bhai ban gaye. Woh itna crime toh jarur hi karte the, jisse woh apna rent aur baaki need ko pura kar lete the. Mumbai ke iss gunde ki pakar Don se hone lagi aur jald hi Laxman khud bhi ek Don ban gaye. Apne dwara har tarah ke crime ko anjaam dene ki wajah se Laxman ko police dwara arrest kar, unhe Nashik ki jail me kaidi bana liya gaya. Issi dauran Laxman Ghole ke haath Mahatma Gandhi ki autobiography “Satya ke saath mere Prayog” lagi. Yeh book Laxman ki zindagi ke liye game changer saabit huyi. Issi book ko padhne ke baad Laxman crime ki duniya se hat kar life ki reality ko samjhne lag gaye. Laxman ke abtak kiye gaye “Hinsa ke saath prayog” “Satya ke saath prayog” me badal gaye. Laxman issi ke saath Jail ke 88 kaidion ke saath milkar upwaas(hunger strike) pe baithe. Inn kaidiyon ko MPDA(Maharastra Prevention of Dangerous Activities) Act ke tehat galat tarike se kaid kiya gaya tha aur jail ke isolation ward me rakha gaya tha.
Iske baad Laxman ko court ke judge ke saamne khada kiya gaya, jaha pe unhone apne saare gunaah kabool kar liye. Judge ne kaha ki “Tumhe pata hai na, tumhare iss confession ke badle tumhe 7 saal ki saja hogi?” Laxman ne judge ki baaton me haami bhari aur saza bhugatne ko taiyaar ho gaye. Lekin iss baat se judge impress ho gaye aur unhone Laxman ki saza ghata kar saadhe 3 saal kar di.(3 years 6 months) Uss dauran Laxman Maharashtra ke kayi dusre jail me gaye, jiske baad finally unhe 2007 me jail se riha kar diya gaya. Aaj Laxman dusre Gandhian supporters ke saath milkar, Maharashtra ke Gadchiroli (गडचिरोली) me “Sarvajanik Natikta Pariksha” (public Morality exam), unn naxals ke liye chalate hai, jo apne crime ko maan kar surrender kar lete hai. Kaha jaata hai Gadchiroli me Naxalite ka kaafi khauf hai, lekin unme se kayi log khud ko surrender kar apna jurm maan lete hai.
Ghole kehte hai “society ko sudhre gaye apraadhiyon ko swikaar karne me apna sahyog dena hoga. Laxman khud ko insensitive society aur kroor police ka ek victim maante hai, jinhone choti umar me Laxman ko apraadh ki duniya me daalne ka kaam kiya. 15 saal ki umar me gunde ka gala kaatne ke aarop me Laxman ko police ne arrest kar liya aur unki age 18 bata kar unhe Arthur road jail me daal diya. Asal me uss daur me bahut kam remand homes(juvenile reformatory center) hote the, jis wajah se jaan-bhuj kar police ne laxman ki age 15 se 18 kar di thi. Arthur road jail me jab Laxman kaidi bane toh waha pe unki pehchaan Amar naik jaise khatarnaak gang ke members se hui, jiske baad Laxman crime ki duniya me shaamil ho gaye. Agar uss wakt 15 saal ke Laxman ko khatarnaak apraadhiyon ke saath jail me band karne ke badle, unhe juvenile center bhej kar, unse bacche ki tarah pesh aa kar unke jurm ko sudhara jaata, toh shaayad Laxman ka future kuch aur hi hota aur woh apni zindagi ka sabse jaruri wakt galat kaam karne me nahi bitate.
Amar Naik ke gang members ne jab jaana ki 15 saal ke ladke ne khule-aam gunde ki hatya karne ki himmat dikhayi hai, toh unhe Laxman ke andar ek kattar apraadhi ke hone ka ehsaas hua. Issi kaaran woh sabhi log Laxman ko apni team me shaamil karne ke liye usse acche se pesh aane lage. Yeh wahi wakt tha jab Laxman crime ki duniya ki yor aage bas badhte hi chale gaye. Do saal baad jab Laxman jail se riha huye toh waapas apne ussi basti me laute, jaha woh pehle rehte the, lekin yaha pe logon ka behavior unko lekar bahut change ho chuka tha. Basti ke log apne bacchon ko Laxman se door karne lag gaye, jo kahi naa kahi Laxman ko yeh feel karwaya ki unme ab bachpana nahi raha. Issi ke baad Laxman ko phir ek baar jail hui. Asal me ek gang-war ko dekhne ke liye kisi gang member ne unhe bulaya tha. Bhale hi Laxman ne iss ladayi me bhaag naa li ho, tab bhi unhe police ne arrest kar liya, aur unhe 6 mahino ke liye jail me rehna pada. Yahi se Laxman ko “Kala topi” naam diya gaya, jiska matlab tha “baar-baar jail jaana.” Jail me reh kar Laxman ne kuch aur bhi naam sikhe jaise ki “Lal Topi” jiska matlab tha woh insaan jo baar-baar jail se bhaag jaata hai. “peeli topi” ka matlab hai woh apraadhi jise life imprisonment di jaati hai.
Do baar jail jaane ke baad Laxman ne paaya ki samaaj unke khilaaf ho gayi hai, jis wajah se unhe crime ki duniya me majbooran shaamil hona pada. Issi wajah se 1991 se lekar 2007 ke beech Laxman pe Vasooli, dhamki, hathiyaar rakhna jaise aarop lage aur unhone alag-alag jail me 6 saal se jyada samay bitaya. Laxman ne drug suppliers aur alcohol bar owners se vasooli karna shuru kar diya. Laxman jaante the ki ek “grilled chicken, alcohol aur 1000 rupay” police ko kaabu karne ke liye kaafi thi. Issi kaaran woh baar apraadhon ko anjaam dete gaye. Laxman ke mutaabik police ne unhe kabhi sudharne ka mauka nahi diya. Police humesha unke khilaaf galat aarop laga kar, unhe phansa deti thi, jisse unhe sudharne ka kabhi mauka nahi mil paa raha tha.
Aaj Laxman khud ko badal lene ke baad apna khud ka NGO “Saksham Foundation” chala rahe hai aur uske through gaandhiwaadi soch aur shaanti ko failaate hai. 8th standard tak padhe Ghole alag alag school aur colleges me jaakar, apni kahani logon ko batate hai. Unhone 10 hazaar se jyada kaidiyon ke liye “Gaandhiwaadi pariksha” organize karwayi hai. Aaj Laxman ke kayi students LLb bhi kar rahe hai toh kuch sudhare gaye kaidi doctor ki padhai puri kar rahe hai. Lakshmi Ted Talks me bhi shaamil ho chuke hai aur samaaj Seva kar rahe hai.
Toh yeh thi Laxman Ghole ki kahani, jo bilkul Kisi ka Bhai kisi ki jaan me Salman ke kirdaar jaisi hai. Film me Salman apne pyaar ke liye crime ki duniya ko peeche chod dete hai aur khud ko sudhaar lete hai.
The End