SOUTH SUDAN

One by one, almost all Islamic Afro-Arabian countries are undergoing civil wars. After Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt and Syria, it is now the turn of the baby african country South Sudan. It became separate and free from Sudan in 2011 and only within two years of independence, it is in throes of an unprecedented political chaos. By now over one lakh people of this small country have been uprooted from their home and hearth. The administration is yet not very clear about the exact number of casualties.
This political uncertainty has two angles. Firstly, it is due to political ambition of President Salva Kiir and his Vice President Riek Machar. In July, 2013 The President accused his deputy of launching a failed coup after which he was sacked. The VP since then has been secretly organising his followers to take revenge upon Kiir. Secondly, the flare has assumed a tribal tinge. The President belongs to the Dinko tribe whereas Machar hails from the Nuer tribe. In support of their respective leaders, both the tribes are bent upon decimating each other.The United Nations Security Council had sent 7000 strong peace-keeping force to South Sudan. When the peace could not be restored, another contingent of 12,000 soldiers and 7,000 policemen were despatched to the disturbed areas in Dec 2013. In this politico-tribal violent disturbances, the peaceful common people are suffering badly.
South Sudan is very rich in respect of petrol. It was believed that with this oil, the country could earn a lot of foreign exchanges to make the life of its people happy because in the undivided Sudan, this southern part of the country was utterly neglected. However the ensuing civil war has put water on the people's optimism. According to the newspapers, on Dec 27, the oil producing countries of Africa held an emergent meeting to handle the situation. They appealed to both sides to join hands in restoring peace. The President was urged to release the Machar supporters incarcerated in connection with the revolt to dethrone Kiir regime. According to available information, both sides are ready to abide by this peace move. Let us hope that normalcy will return to this baby country and the people will be free to build their nation.

SATYAMEV JAYATE

                                               

On Dec 26, when the Gujarat High Court dismissed the appeal of Zakia Jafri, challenging the finding of the SIT, constituted by the Supreme Court giving a clean chit to Narendra Modi, the gang of Modi bashing took a nose-dive. They lost a handy grist to thrash him left and right. Even Samajvadi Party, which has the highest number of riots in UP and has not been able to curb the Muzaffarnagar communal flare-ups after several months, does not forget the Gujarat riots of 2002. The worst communal anti- Sikh communal riots of 1984 in the country is brushed under the carpet and post-Godhra riots are recalled to decry Modi. Modi is rightly taking the credit of checking the incidents faster than anywhere else so much so that the state, defamed for communal riots during the Congress dispensation, has not confronted any fresh in last 13 years.

When an issue is sub judice, politicians avoid to comment on it. But that did not happen with regard to Modi. The SC constituted SIT to enquire into the entire incident of that riot. Even then Lalu yadav, the then Railway Minister deputed Justice (retd) UC Banerjee to conduct an enquiry which was wrong. While this inquiry was going on, no non-BJP political leaders eschewed criticizing Modi. They never said that it was sub-judice. When the SIT submitted its report finding no involvement of Modi, these elements, respecting the SC should have kept mum. They never wanted this issue to cool off as they could prove themselves as secular by abusing Modi day in and day out as communal. They have made the complainant ready for further appeal to a higher court so that their anti-Modi shop remained open.  Six crores of Gujaratis are fools who elected him continuously for third term as the CM and Nitish Kumar, Shakeel Ahmad, Rajiv Ranjan and several spokesmen of other parties are wise enough to protect the minorities from a concocted fear of Modi. The growing popularity of Modi has brought sleepless nights for the Congress and similar other parties. So in a planned way they are targeting the BJP prime ministerial candidate.

On being absolved of fantastic communal charges, Modi has taken a sigh of relief after 13 years. His blog of the date is an example of his highly sentimental views. His brief message is ‘satyamev jayate’. Have others heard it ?

VIDYAPATI JAYANTI

                                               

 I was out of Delhi for five days when I had gone to Allahabad to attend the Vidyapati Jayanti, organized by the Mithila Sanskritik Sangam, Prayag on Dec 22, 120013. The forenoon session, with Justice  Dharnidhar Jha in the Chair, was based on the theme, “Pravasi Maithilak sanskritik ksharan aaor sanrakshan”. I had the privilege of being its chief guest.

Over half a dozen of scholars, in their intellectually refined speeches tried to trace the reasons of Maithils, residing in different parts of the country, being lukewarm to their culture.They were of the view that there was no opposition to get their wards educated in English but that does not permit the leniency to ignore Maithili in the family as well. Over and above that, when we know that the man before me is a Maithil, why I should interact with him in any foreign or other Indian language. Similarly, we should strictly observe every minute detail of our ‘karmkand’ while observing festivals and social functions like marriage, sacred threat ceremony or even the post- obituary rituals. The learned speakers also lamented the sorry state of affairs in respect of publications and urged upon all to buy Maithili books and patronize the writers and poets.

A colourful cultural programme was organized in the evening which was presided over once again by Justice Jha with Dr Bindeahwar Pathak, founder, Sulabh Sanitation Movement as the guest in honour. In this session, the organizers honoured Dr Pathak with paag, shawl and garlands. Dr Pathak, responding to the organizers announced to donate Rs 10 lakh for making a building at the Sangam where Maithil pilgrims could stay with proper bed and food. For last couple of years, the organizers have been rewarding (Rs 1,100/- each) to some Maithil  students having performed well in the UP Board examination. Dr Pathak, like a true Bhama Shah announced to give Rs 5,000/- each to 50 brilliant Maithil students performers from next year. Giving a touch of his creativity, Dr Pathak also sang some Maithili traditional songs, in accompaniment of the Sulabh Sangeet Section. The famous Maithili singer, Amod Jha, with his troupe entertained the jampacked house with several famous Vidyapati compositions. Justice Jha, in his concluding remarks emphasized the need of unity and commitment to our cultural heritages, tangible or intangible. He assured of his full cooperation in any such great public causes.       

                            SOMETHING  BLACK  IN  ARMY  LENTIL

When the former  Army Chief Genl V K Singh had problems about his date of birth, it also transpired that he had some misunderstanding with Genl Bikram Singh who was already slated to succeed him. Since the MOD was not happy with Genl Singh, the latter's unwillingness could not create any stumblingblock for the new incumbent.  The impression was in the air that Genl Bikram Singh was innocent.However, the recent development has shown that he is not that simple and disciplined.

Genl Bikram Singh had been on official visit to USA from Dec 2-5, 2013 where he came to notice for transgressing his brief. There he was awarded the  Legion of Merit which is the sixth highest military award of that country. This programme was not on the agenda and he did not show the courtesy of informing his ministry.

It is not the fact that he is the first recipient of this honour. As a matter of fact this award is given to both the local and military dignataries of USA and foreign countries. Already Field Marshal Kariappa had been honored with this prestigious award and Genl Bikram singh was the fifth Indian Army officer to get this honour.

What is more surprising is the lack of any official Indian go ahead in this regard. As a matter of fact, Genl Singh did not deem it proper to inform the authorities here. Consequently, the Defence Minister has not taken it softly. He may serve a show cause notice on Genl Singh. He may give something in reply which may or may not be convincing. But what about the status of disciline which is plinth of any unifirmed force?

INDIAN LANGUAGES IN JEOPARDY

Do you know that the position of Hindi is going down for some strange reasons.  An unending agitation has been going on in post-Independence India by different communities for getting their languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Whenever a language/dialect is elevated to this position, the number of its speakers is deducted from the total of Hindi speakers. This, obviously dilutes the position of Hindi among the major languages in the world. The Chinese language, continues to enjoy the top position in this regard. On the other hand, Hindi has been losing ground. It requires to be taken up at appropriate levels to ensure that our national language, deserving recognition in the UNO, continues to retain its proper standing.

It appears that we have not been very much concerned over other languages/dialects of our country. According to a survey by the Language Research and Publication Centre, Vadodra it has been recorded that in the last half a century, 220 languages have disappeared due to this callous attitude. It has pointed out that in the similar survey of 1961, there were 1,100 languages out of which only 880 are alive. One of the reasons for this collapse was the faulty yardstick of not recognizing any language if it was not being spoken by at least 10,000 people. Secondly, there are certain communities known for their profession of indulging in criminal activities. In order to avoid this blot, the concerned communities, deliberately stopped speaking their dialect.

Recently I was in Jharkhand for about a week to attend a conference. There I learnt that there are 32 tribes still existing in that state. By and large they speak their own languages. Nothing significant is being done at the state government level for their progress. Several languages of small communites have already died out and if the same neglect continues, many more of the existing ones may also disappear. We are so proud of our rich heritages. Can one gauge the amount of loss on this cultural front if even in free India, we keep on losing age-old languages, of which any country would feel proud? 

TIT FOR TAT

                                               

Some days back, in this blog, we had discussed how China imposed a binding on foreign flights over an island in the East China Sea. Even though, the island is under the administrative control of Japan, China did not hesitate to show off her arm twisting policy obviously like a big brother. The policy disturbed not only the littoral countries but the super powers as well. Pressure was put on China by the US to see the dangerous implications of this step and reconsider its decision. China known for its obstinate approaches, accordingly declined to retress its move. This has forced the affected countries to go for similar arrangements in their regions to teach a lesson to the dragon.

In this connection, the dea of  Dr Subramanian Swamy, an expert on the Chinese affairs, given on Dec 9, 2013 in an academic lecture in Chennai, appears to be a good reply. He has suggested that If a good port was constructed near Malacca Strait in the Indian Ocean, it would pay China in its own coin. According to Dr Swamy, for this solid step, India will have to take Indonesia in confidence. Both the countries should build this port in between the southern tip of our Andaman & Nicobar Island and Sumatra of Indonesia. It is the vital sea route via which 90% of the Chinese maritime trade passes. Then both the countries may require the ships and planes to declare their freight, flight plan and take necessary prior permission to use the sea and air routes of the region. Once this vital maritime Chinese trade is subject to restriction and adversely affected, she would realize the folly of its East China Sea misadventure.

This bold measure is bound to have more benefits in the international arena for both India and Indochina. Mutual friendship between both the countries will be further strengthened. In case of any pin-pricks from China both  can  face together. Other countries like Japan, Taiwan, and vietnam will also realize the possibility and benefits of such counter measures. On the other hand China will be forced to understand that no country, big or small will keep mum when its territorial integrity is jeopardized. It is hightime for India and Indinesia to think seriously about the feasibility of such a project.

TALK TOILET

So long society is reluctant to give the importance that toilet deserves in our public life, we shall keep on talking about it. How many people are aware that Nov 19 is observed every year as the World Toilet Day. Many may be knowing the date as Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s b-day. Sponsored by Sulabh, the day was observed in the FICCI Auditorium when a 250- kg toilet shaped cake was cut. Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, on this occasion opined that it might look funny to many but as a matter of fact, this symbolic gesture carried a deep meaning.

To mark the day, the major newspapers brought out the World Bank report revealing some shocking facts and figures. It surprised us when it informed that about 2.5 billion people in the world are not having access to clean toilets. In India alone, around 600 m people or 53% of the population resort to open defecation. In India, 1,310 lakh households lack inhouse toilets. Though there are 80 lakh public conviences, many more are required forthwith.  Since toilet is a civilisational norm, open defecation and culture cannot coexist. Jaehyang So, Manager, World Bank expressed that “open defecation is at the root of many development challenges”.

On Nov 19 itself, while in a train to Ranchi, in a Hindi newspaper, I came across a stunning news that in the matters of open defecation, Jharkhand is occupying the top slot in the world. In its rural areas, 92.4% houses have no toilets. In 2010, the UNDP released its human development report according to which in the African countries like Niger and Chad, 91% houses were not having toilets. Burkina Faso and Ethopia with 89% were on the third position. The figure quoted above about Jharkhand are based on the population figures of 2011 which by far surpasses others. However, the Jharkhand state Govt has challenged these figures. They put it between 35 to 42%.

Without going into the intricacies of figures, we can straightway say that open defecation by even a single individual is a shame. Despite all the missile and satellite programmes, India cannot command respect in the comity of nations till the complete eradication of the bane of easing out al fresco.

HINDI FILM SONGS AND LITERATURE

For quite sometime, it has been exercising my mind as to why the Hindi lyricists of Bollywood are not finding an honorable place in Hindi literature. On the other hand, the Urdu song writers of our filmland have very well enjoyed acceptance in their literature. Why this dichotomy?

Shahir Ludhiyanvi, Kaifi Azmi and some others are not only nationally reputed lyricists but also acknowledged poets of Urdu literature. Their ghazals, shers and najms are finding place in academic textbooks and mention in the history of their language. Are we giving the same recognition to Hindi song composers of Mumbai films. Are they inferior enough, deserving outright ignorance, which by far is nothing short of humiliation. Please recall some prominent Hindi lyricists like Pradeep, Neeraj, Pt Bharat Vyas, Shailendra and Rabindra Jain and tell me if their several immortal compositions have been incorporated in any Hindi literary authentic books?  

Aao bachchon tumhe dikhyen jhanki Hindustan ki, Jahan dal-dal par sone ki chiriya karti hai basera, man tarpat hari darshan ko aaj, Bharat ki lalnaon ke dukhre jab tak honge sab churn nahin, sajan re jhooth mat bolo, tora man darpan kahlaye and several others, having been on the lips of the public uplifted the concerned films as blockbusters have failed to impart a literary place for their composers. If there is a rich poetry in any song and it has moved the cinegoers, why it should be untouchable in literary works?

We are aware of the priceless contribution of Bollywood films in popularizing Hindi worldwide. So by ignoring the Hindi filmi songs  a place in books of poetries, the iteratati are doing a great disservice to the overall cause of Hindi.    

LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

                                               

A pugilist, cricket and art lover, sultan of anti-apartheid movement, a true Gandhian and an indomitable freedom fighter Nelson Mandela breathed his last on Dec 5, 2013 at the ripe age of 95, leaving the people over the world to mourn his sad demise. He was a real harbinger of freedom in African subcontinent in particular and the world in general. Born in a small village of South Africa, he rose to the presidentship of his motherland and becoming a Nobel Laureate were some of his extraordinary achievements which are rarely achieved by a man in his life-time.

He held high the anti-apartheid flag and never surrendered to the cruel colonial rulers till he was alive. For this lofty cause, he had to undergo untold trials and tribulations. To pass 27 years of his priceless youth in little cell is a sacrifice for which, the generations of coming freedom lovers will not forget him. He was closeted in a prison cell of the Robben Island for as long as 18 years. When finally he was released in 1990, the world took a sigh of relief. The grateful countrymen chose him as the first President. Mahatma Gandhi was the first person on the South African land who launched a serious movement against the outrages of the colonial rulers. As such, Mandela’s success brought a special cause for happiness in India. Accordingly, later on, India awarded the Desh Ratna, which is the highest civil award of the country and the first to a foreigner.

In one more sense, South Africa, under his leadership imbibed a lesson from India. Mahatma Gandhi, Pt Nehru, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did not permit their countrymen to be revengeful towards the Englishmen, who had subjected the people to extremely inhuman treatments. All the institutions, laid down by them were allowed to run as usual. As a result, India kept on modernizing herself through education and technology. South Africans also adopted the same tolerance towards the rulers who practiced apartheid. This pragmatic approach paved the way for the development of this new democratic country. Education continued to improve the public thinking. Mandela encouraged the South Africans to adopt everything good, introduced by the colonial regime.

We may recall how the politicians in London used to Humiliate Mahatma Gandhi by naming him as a half-naked ‘faqir’. They refused to talk to an uncivilized man in loin cloth. Winston Churchill had said about Gandhi, “ He has all the virtues that I dislike and all vices I admire”. Gandhi never bowed down to their supercilious whims and stuck to his own guns. Nobody should wonder over this typical racial temperament. They have not produced a greater man like Gandhi and still managed to deny him the Nobel Prize. However some other greatmen like Martin Luther King II, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama oblisingly admitted to have been inspired by Gandhi, but all of them are black. Among the white, only Einstein had said that Gandhi was so great that hundred years hence, people will not believe that a man of bones and flesh like him ever walked on this earth. Mandela had this realization. May his soul rest in peace!        

TWO WORRYING REPORTS

                                  

If a country claims to be almost developed and a super power, it is necessary that she should score well on different internationally acknowledged parameters to justify its stand. Every year some journals and institutions, after their close monitoring of facts, publish their findings regarding the status of a country on peace, price, cleanliness, industry friendliness, corruption etc. In this connection, two recent reports have taken us aback.

The first report gives its finding about the level of corruption in different countries. Denmark and New Zealand have been found on the top as they have zero level corruption. India on the other hand is much below, on the 98^th position. Several other developing countries are better placed than us. It is acknowledged that the red tape and the demand of illegal gratification in govt offices are impeding our overall development. Prevalence of rampant corruption also damages our image as a respectable country. Some US based organizatio have taken adverse notice of crime against women in India. Does it cause any concern in the people at the helm of affairs?

The second list, released by the US based Forbes, pertains to industrial atmosphere of different countries. It has covered 145 countries and placed India on 95^th position. New Zealand, occupying the first position last year, has been pushed to second slot. One of the leading developing countries,Brazil at 80^th point is much better than us. They had chosen internal peace, tax regime, governmental interferences, infrastructure, invester-friendly environment, availability of raw materials and labour position to decide the issue. Surprisingly enough, even the Forbes had taken notice of growing crime against the fair sex in India.

The scenario being so, we feel that even when we are going strong in technological field and space programmes, the government in power will have to rededicate to basic requirements like peace, infrastructure, crime control and economic liberalization to attract much needed foreign investments.    

MORE MISCHIEF FROM CHINA

Ever since the Chinese economy started looking up as a result of liberalization, the country has started over-stretching its territorial boundaries and coastal limits, causing anxieties for its neighbours including India. The things did not stop only after annexing Tibet and forcing an uncalled for border skirmishes on India in 1962. We know that it got back and rightly so Hongkong from Great Britain. It has been locking horns with the US to get back Taiwan but so far has not succeeded. It is known to all that there are three islands under Japanese control which China has been claiming and the resultant dispute persists. Recently when India started exploring petrol for Vietnam within its coastal waters, china threatened india to keep off. China has been patronizing North Korea in its mission to embarrass its southern counterpart. China does not hold any fruitful talk with the Dalai Lama so that the Tibetan refugees of 1959 in India could go back to their motherland.

Of late, to be precise, in November last, China suddenly declared a ban on flights without informing it in East China Sea. In East China Sea, there is an island named Diaoyu in Chinese and Sankaku in Japanese. It is a disputed place between both these countries. Presently the island, though not inhabited, is under the administrative control of Japan. China delared it as ‘Air Defence Identification Zone’ (ADIZ). By doing so, China decreed that any aircraft intering into this zone should provide a flight plan, maintain  two-way radio communications and clearly identify their nationality. It loudly declared that any violation would be subject to ‘defensive emergency measures’.

In Japanese estimation, it is a disturbing development. It has directed its Nippon flights to just ignore the zone. Most of the countries of the area, known for their pro-US stand have alleged that China is resorting to provocative measures to antagonize japan in main.The US sent two B-52 bombers to fly over the zone. South Korea and Taiwan have also sent their aeroplanes over the zone to test the water. China, though feeling humiliated, has eschewed from reprising. Still it is feeling crestfallen and the newly elected Chinese president may resort to some misadventure to assert his leadership. The world peace is in danger.     

TALK TOILET

So long society is reluctant to give the importance that toilet deserves in our public life, we shall keep on talking about it. How many people are aware that Nov 19 is observed every year as the World Toilet Day. Many may be knowing the date as Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s b-day. Sponsored by Sulabh, the day was observed in the FICCI Auditorium when a 250- kg toilet shaped cake was cut. Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, on this occasion opined that it might look funny to many but as a matter of fact, this symbolic gesture carried a deep meaning.

To mark the day, the major newspapers brought out the World Bank report revealing some shocking facts and figures. It surprised us when it informed that about 2.5 billion people in the world are not having access to clean toilets. In India alone, around 600 m people or 53% of the population resort to open defecation. In India, 1,310 lakh households lack inhouse toilets. Though there are 80 lakh public conviences, many more are required forthwith.  Since toilet is a civilisational norm, open defecation and culture cannot coexist. Jaehyang So, Manager, World Bank expressed that “open defecation is at the root of many development challenges”.

On Nov 19 itself, while in a train to Ranchi, in a Hindi newspaper, I came across a stunning news that in the matters of open defecation, Jharkhand is occupying the top slot in the world. In its rural areas, 92.4% houses have no toilets. In 2010, the UNDP released its human development report according to which in the African countries like Niger and Chad, 91% houses were not having toilets. Burkina Faso and Ethopia with 89% were on the third position. The figure quoted above about Jharkhand are based on the population figures of 2011 which by far surpasses others. However, the Jharkhand state Govt has challenged these figures. They put it between 35 to 42%.

Without going into the intricacies of figures, we can straightway say that open defecation by even a single individual is a shame. Despite all the missile and satellite programmes, India cannot command respect in the comity of nations till the complete eradication of the bane of easing out al fresco.

ARMY PLAYS TRUANT WITH PAK DEMOCRACY

India and Pakistan became free from foreign rule together in 1947. Since then India has remained under democratically elected governments. However, Pakistan’s tryst with democratic practices has experienced intermittent army interventions. It begins with Ayub Khan, followed by Yahya Khan, Ziaul Haue and Parwez Musharraf. The tiger, which tastes human blood once, becomes more ferocious. So even a democratically elected prime minister in Pakistan is always afraid of his army. More so when he is Nawaz Sharif, who has the bitter experience of biting the dust at the hands of his army chiefs thrice.

Earlier in 1993,Genl Waheed Kakar had forced him to resign. On the heels of this misfortune, Genl Parwez Musharraf effected a coup and he was forced to pass time abroad in banishment. So immediately after he assumed the power this time, he was very careful to get rid of the ambitious Ashfaq Parwez Kayani who used to call the shots during the presidentship of Asif Ali Zardari. To Sharif’s good luck, Kayani, after managing an extension was in the sixth year of his tenure and due to retire on Nov 29, 2013. One thing was clear that the people at large were tired of military dictatorship and hence Kayani had no mood of trying any further misadventure. This gave Sharif sufficient leeway to make a patient search for a loyal army chief. 

Accordingly he selected Lt Genl Raheel Sharif, aged 57 years to take charge from Kayani today (Nov 2013). The points in favour of Genl Rasheel was that he is reported to be related with the Prime Minister. Secondly, in the army circle he has an impression of being moderate. Thirdly, in his view, India is not the main enemy, but the internal chaotic environment needed a better handling. Lastly, prior to this new assignment, he was the Inspector General of Training in course of which, he gave emphasis on curbing militant jehadis. With these plus points, the Prime Minister is optimistic about a smooth sail. However, the selection has touched off a face off. The seniormost officer in line to succeed Kayani was Lt Genl Haroon Aslam who felt humiliated on being relegated to the third position in the hierarchy. Accordingly, he resigned forthwith.

The scenario being so, the ruling party is still suspicious about possible pinpricks from the armed forces. They are aware that Kayani, having ambition for power may try to destabilize Nawaz Sharif. To make the situation worse, even Haroon Aslam, feeling crestfallen may also try for some nefarious measures as a revenge. We in India, tasting the benefits of democracy, strongly wish Pakistan to emerge as a viable democracy.

FINE ARTS AND POLITICS

                                               

Normally the people having expertise in fine arts are treated to be elite. It is believed that they are men of chaste tastes and can do anything in a better fashion. However, we know that many scholars and celebrities have opined that they are worth  nothing as far as politics and governance are concerned.

Aristotle had expressed that the philosophers are the best material for assuming the mantle of kingship. Fortunately, India had a practical experience of a philosopher king. Dr Sarvapally Radhakrishnan was our vice president for complete one decade and on the demise of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, became the President of the republic of India. He was a globally acclaimed philosopher scholar. His persuasive oratory was so famous that he could influence even Stalin while in Russia as the Indian ambassador. His birthday, 5^th of Sept. is observed as Teacher’s Day in the country. Besides that, what else you remember about his tenure of 15 years to justify that philosophers are ideal kings?

Similarly, Plato said that the poets are sentimental and slightly mentally imbalanced and hence they are never fit for rulership of a country. If you see the history books, you will find the names of some kings who were poets, but we will have to check up if they were successful. We know that Bahadurshah Zafar was a poet but then he made a very week emperor. On the other hand, In India, we had a poet as the prime minster, who is rated as one of the best. Yes, I am talking about Atal Behari Vajpayee. Both the examples cause nothing but confusions.

Even music has not been spared, rather badly condemned. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was so unkind to the fine arts including music that he prescribed them to be drowned so deep into the ocean that its tunes were not audible to anybody. We know that while Rome was burning, its emperor Nero was playing on flute. Despite this old adage, Nero had done several good things for the betterment of his subject. On the other hand, due to his aggressive and orthodox policies, Aurangzeb was decried by the people and the real downfall of his empire ensued during the last phase of his rule.

In the above backdrop, is it not quite challenging to take a side?

HINDI HAS MADE INDIA PROUD

If Sardar Patel tamed the Princely states to establish Indian sovereignty, over the years, more than any other thing, Hindi has kept the country united. We know that the stiffest opposition to Hindi was in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The Bengali Bhadralok were highly critical of Hindi films under the plea that it would contaminate their native culture. Still we know that the Bengalis in general preferred to see Bollywood films so enthusiastically that Talliwood film industry was pushed to its nadir.

More violent was the anti-Hindi movement in Tamil Nadu where some committed self-immolation to register their protest. Despite that, not only the Cennai cinema halls regularly run houseful shows of Hindi films but many Tamil heroes and heroines have been catapulted to international heights after shifting to Bollywood. More than that, blockbusters in both Hindi and Tamil have been dubbed in swapped versions. Chennai Express, Chennai Café and similar other films have shown the popularity of Tamil themes. If you search the net, you will be surprised to see innumerable institutions, committed to popularize Hindi in Tamil Nadu with reputable publications to their credit.

The other day I was tuned to  a FM radio channel, in which Ram Yadav, a famous radio announcer was telling about the state of Hindi in Germany, where he has been living for last thirty years. He said that till some years back, Hindi was being taught in 22 universities whereas today the number has slumped to 7 only. However, since the Bollywood started making ground in Europe, the youth has suddenly become fans of Hindi films. The Hindi dances and songs of these films are so popular that even in small towns there are arrangements to teach the Bollywood dance steps and music tunes. He added that even in some local functions, Hindi film songs are played on loudspeakers and the youth dance to those tunes on the stage. They are the fans of Mumbai actors including Shahrukh Khan. Hindi, thus is once again the craze of the youth. Let us acknowledge that no power can stop the ascendant Hindi in India. Even the Diwan-e- Ghalib reached several times more hands when published in Devanagari script.

AN INTRODUCTION OF JAT COMMUNITY

In the democratic India, pressure groups and to be still clear, vote banks are more dependable elements for winning an election and forming a  government. This vote bank may be carved out on the basis of religion, caste, business, culture regional affinity etc. In this backdrop, the preponderance of the Jat community in Western UP, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan has assumed a great importance as all political parties go out of way to woo them. Who are these Jats?

 In the Indian mythology, according to the Deva Samhita and some Puranas, Jats originated from the mat (Jataa) of Lord Shiva. When his consort Sati committed immolation in her father’s yajna in which her husband Shiva had not been invited, the lord became angry. He unknotted his matted locks from which two shining men appeared who demolished the venue of Yaksha’s  sacrifice. The people, later born in this clan became known as Jats.

On the other hand, a Persian and Greek account believe them being Scythians as well as the most ancient settlers in Sindh. The Persian account of 1026 AD held the Jats to be the descendants of Ham, the son of Noah. Several other references indicate their existence in 6^th and 8^th centuries in Sindh. They were  basically a pastoral community which later became tillers in Northern India and modern Pakistan. By and by they started moving towards Punjab, Delhi, Eastern Rajputana and the Gangetic plains of Western UP. It is reported in a Persian source  that in 1024 AD, when Mamud was returning to Ghazni after plundering Somnath, they attacked the aggressors and destroyed their several regiments. As a revenge, Mamud returned in 1026 to punish the main Jat regions between the Indus and Sutlej.

When they came to Punjab in the later middle age, Islam had established its hold.The Jats yearned after their place in the caste system hierarchy. During the period between their stay in Sindh and eastward migration, they had no specific caste and religious identity. When one said Jat, it simply meant a herder or tiller. By that time Sikhism had also been founded. So the Jats of Western Punjab became Muslims, Estern Punjab Sikhs and of Delhi and Agra assumed Hinduism. The Hindu Jats of Western UP, Delhi and Agra continued to challenge the Mughal prowess. They took up arms against the Mughal empire during the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries. The Hindu Jat kingdom reached its zenith under Raja Surajmal (1707-1763) of Bharatpur. By the 20^th century, the land-owning Jats became an influential group in several parts of Northern India. Over the years, after exposure to other powerful pressure groups, many of them abandoned agriculture in favour of urban jobs. They used their affluence to claim reasonable slices among the ruling gentry.

Thus like some other ancient communities, the Jats have also covered a long distance to carve out a niche in the national politics.  

LIVING NEAR INTERNATIONAL BORDERS

                               

We, living in the plains of the country have never realized the agonies of our own countrymen, living near the international borders. Just imagine the plight of the undivided North-Western India which had been facing attacks from foreign countries since Alexander came. It is a historical truth that they faced killings and loot from the Huns, Arabs, Persians, Mongols, Turks, Muslims etc. These marauders plundered the areas upto Delhi. The local population has been suffering since then. The situation has not changed even after the Independence.

The Sikhs, who came to J@K from Pakistan in 1947/48, have yet not been given the state subject status. The villagers in Jammu region located adjacent to the LOC in particular, not only lose their near and dear but even their animal wealth in cross-firing from Pakistan. The entire Hindu population was displaced. The people on both sides badly miss their kith and kin due to strained relation between both the countries. Worse is the condition of people who are living in hundreds of small islands on Indo-Bangladesh borders. Unfortunately, even their citizenship remains undecided. The areas like J@k where terrorists get infiltrated, the innocent citizens undergo untold miseries. Even their womenfolk are not safe.

In this backdrop, a story from Arunachal Pradesh will prove interesting.One Claude Arpi, an expert on Tibetan affairs, is doing some research work on the controversial McMahon Line. In course of this project, he visited a famous village of Arunachal Pradesh named Menchuka which is only 50 km inside the LAC. There are several people who even today remember how in 1962, the Chinese armymen would tell them to be friends of China as their nose, eyes, skin texture etc are like the Chinese. Still they are happy to be in India. He met the village headman who is aged 101.  When Arpi enquired about his wishes, the headman wanted his message to be conveyed to the Prime Minister. His twin wishes are opening of the border so that he could meet his relatives and permission to import Tibetan yaks as the original breed is disappearing in his state. Is he asking for the moon?    

ILLEGAL CBI

                                                               

In Mithilanchal area of North Bihar, if one is under the influence of ghosts, some native experts use mustard seeds while reciting ‘mantras’ to chase away the disturbing invisible souls. In this context there is a sying that if the mustard seeds themselves are having ghostly elements, then how the suffering man will be saved. The same story has been repeated by the Gauhati High Court in case of the CBI. Whenever there is a heinous crime, criminal or otherwise involving celebrities, there is a demand for free and fair enquiry by the CBI. On Nov 8,2013 the Gauhati High Court gave a decision, maintaining that this premier investgating outfit is illegal. It has surprised the whole country.

The High Court did not do anything new or unbelievable. During the Janata Party rule, there was countrywide strike by the policemen of all nomenclatures for different demands. Even the Intelligence Bureau had to face this music as its direct recruits refused to be rated as police officers as they had not been appointed under any police law. Several of them surrendered their Indian Police Medal and President’s Police Medal. It is under this plea that even today, the IB has no power of arrest, raids and interrogations despite the outfit being more than one hundred years old. Exactly under the same circumstances, the CBI was formed for a specific issue in 1963 without any Cabinet decision and signature of the President of India. So the High Court rightly observed that it had no power of search, investigation and  interrogation and that  it was an illegal body. The SC itself, only a few months back had felt dismayed over the blatant malleable attitude of the CBI in the Coal Scam and rated it as a parrot of the Govt. Manish Tiwari, present Information and Broadcasting Minister had himself expressed doubts over the legality of this investigational agency.

Within hours of this decision,the  accused in cases launched by CBI including A. Raja and Sajjan Kumar moved the court to trash the charges against them. The implication of the decision was so alarming that the Centre immediately decided to  move the Supreme Court to stay the Gauhati decision. The Attorney General Vahanvati appealed to the SC and the case was heard by the Chief Justice at his residence on Nov 9 afternoon. In view of the dangerous and wide-ranging implications of the subject, the SC took only 15 minutes to gauge the fact in issue and stay the Gauhati HC decision. The next hearing is scheduled for Dec 6,2013. The CBI as well as the Govt has taken a sigh of relief. Yet the Govt and the SC will have to thrash out a solution imparting legality to the prestigious CBI. Everybody laughs today that half- a- century old famous national police agency, employing 6,000 personnel continues to run on an executive order.

GOODLUCK PEANUTS

                                               

In NASA, when a space mission is successful, the involved scientists distribute peanuts among themselves an wish ‘Goodluck Peanuts’ to each other. Similarly, the ISRO had the fortune of wishing ‘Mangal-Mangal’ on last Tuesday (Nov 5) when its maiden Mars Orbiter Mission was successfully launched at 2.38 PM. Thus it was a red- letter day for India associated with this red planet.

So far there have been 51 missions to Mars by different countries out of which only 21 proved successful. If the Indin mission is fruitful, it would be 52 nd. Japan tried its luck in 2003 which prematurely plunged into the ocean before entering into  the earth orbit. Similarly even China lost the race in 2012. So far only NASA (USA), ESA (European Space Agency) and ROSCOSMOS (Russia) have sent their spacecrafts to this red planet and if the Mars Orbiter Mission achieves its objective, India will be the fourth member to join this exclusive club.

There are two deficiencies in the Orbiter project. The GSLV rocket launcher is more powerful to catapult the spacecraft straight to its destination. However, due to some technical reasons in GSLV, the ISRO scientists had to try PSLV rocket launcher. Moreover, due to the same limitation, the orbiter has carried a lighter payload of research machineries weighing only about 15 KG. The question arises, why this haste if the said limitations were there. If India failed to take this opportunity, it would have to wait for another three year when there will be an equally suitable planetary condition. For covering a distance of 35 crore KM, it will take some 300 days of journey. Over and above that, it is only between Sept and Nov that the Mars is nearest to the earth. The orbiter, therefore, will be orbiting earth till Nov end and leave for the Mars on Dec1 so that it could enter into Martian orbit on next Sept 24.

There has been a mixed reaction on this mission. By and large the people have hailed it as mission bringing glory to Indian scientific acumen. Some have decried it telling that a country which is not giving food and water to a large chunk of population, should not have gone for such unproductive extravaganza. These are the people who had criticized Rajiv Gandhi for paving way for unemployment through computerization. Some decry that the amount of 450 crore is huge which could have been invested in developmental programmes. Do they know the amount squandered on ‘Dalit Prerna Sthal’ by Mayavwati, defalcation of public funds in fodder scam by Lalu, CWG scam of Kalmadi, 2G Spectrum by Raja, Coalgate by still bigger individuals, rail scam by P.K. Bansal so on and so forth? In comparison with these, the ISRO amount is just a peanut.

We wish that India is recognized for its interplanetary travel capability. The world is already mesmerized. God willing, on Sept 24,2014, the ISRO scientists will also wish ‘Lucky Peanuts’ to their Mars Orbit Mission colleagues.  

OPINION POLL

                               

Till today, it is accepted by all that democracy is the best form of government. A free and fair election is the pre-requisite of any democratic government. Different societies have been adopting different methods and framing laws to ensure flawless elections. Similarly, election campaigns, over the years have also become quite imaginative and colourful so much so that the electioneering period assumes the form of a festive occasion. With the advanced technologies in communications, media also jumped into the field to make it more interesting to attract the attention of the electorate.

In the above backdrop, opinion poll has also emerged as an interesting facet of the electoral propaganda. Through information, electronic media make the programme entertaining as well. In course of TV debate on this topic in several news channels on Nov 5, 2013,  it was informed that opinion poll was tried some 200 years ago. However, both opinion and exit polls were introduced in India on TV by Pronoy Roy in 1980s. It caught the imagination of the voters so much that the psephologists of the country adopted it as a lucrative profession because even the political parties engage them to know the trend. As a result, out of around fifty news channels, some half a dozen of them get conducted ambitious opinion polls and relay for their esteemed viewers. The voters, on the eve of every election – assembly or parliamentary, eagerly wait for opinion polls.

If these voters suddenly learn that the opinion poll has been banned, they are bound to be anguished. In 2004, there was a consensus among the political parties to ban these exercises as they influenced the voters. However, the then Attorney General Soli Sorabji, opined it militating against the freedom of speech/expression and the Bajpayee Govt turned cold-feet. Once again, some months back, the Election Commission requested all political parties to spell out their stand  on this issue. On Oct 21, K.C. Tyagi of the Congress submitted the reply of his party demanding a ban on this pre-poll exercise which often were inaccurate and tendentious. This stirred the hornest’s nest. By now, the BSP, SP and JD/U have also joined this chorus. The BJP and the Left hold it as a frustration of the Congress and an attempt to silence the differing voices.

Now, the question arises, during the last assembly elections, when the opinion polls predicted victory for the Congress in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka etc, the party simply enjoyed the forecast. Now in the Modi wave, when the opinion polls are indicating a bleak future for the Congress, BSP,SP and JD/U, they have joined hands to ban opinion polls. This method prescribes chopping off the head to remove headache. Their logic of such forecasts often misfiring is also not tenable as the commitments in the election manifestoes of political parties are also not 100% accomplished. What about the accuracy of a successful political party which assured to restrain prices within 100 days. Moreover, if opinion polls are objectionable, we should also ban the speeches by politicians who make tall claims to the public and just ignore their fulfillment after the electoral victory. The debate is still hot and the voters should not shirk strongly highlighting their views.     

TALIBAN HIT BUT NOT ROUTED

In the agenda for the recent bilateral talks between President Obama and Nawaz Sharif, some points remained almost untouched due to the unbending attitude of the either side. One of such unresolved issues was stoppage of Drone attacks on Pakistan by the US and bringing Hafiz Sayeed to book by Pakistan. Neither Obama accepted to stop Drone attacks nor Sharif was ready to press Hafiz to face law. Thus Drone operation is going on unabated and Hafiz is also involved in organising anti-India terrorist activities as usual.

In one of such pin-pointed Drone attacks on Nov 1, 2013 at a target in North-West Waziristan tribal region, six Talibans including its chief Hakimullah Mahsood were killed. It was a great loss to the Pakistani Taliban. But being a hardcore outfit, it did not get demoralized and tried to show the world that they were unfazed even after this shocking anti-Taliban operaration of the USA. They declared that the attack would be adequately revenged.

Without any loss of time, a secret meeting of the the Tehriq-e-Taliban Pakistan Council was organized locally and Khan Syed Mahsood @ Sajna was elected the new chief.There were also some other aspirants including the Swat Taliban chief Faizulla, but ultimately Sajna won the race. His election, in the backdrop of his highly violent track record, has rightly caused a great concern in the mind of the peaceloving people. 36 yr old Sajna was involved in an attack on a naval base. He is also accused of the jail-break in Bannoo town of North-West in which 400 prisoners escaped. People know that even though he lacks formal education, but has some practical knowledge of warfare based on experiences acquired in Afghanistan disturbances.

The Talibani leaders accuse that even Pakistan Govt is in collusion with the US in this Drone attack. They claim to know their enemies and have threatened to go for an unprecedented retaliation in due course. Even Obama administration has taken this threat seriously and definitely will keep the developments under a close observation.

HAIO RABBA NAIO LAGDA DIL

                               

Though it is the festival of light (DiwalI) in India today (Nov 3) and the Hindus, all over the world are celebrating it with gusto, the day has made the music world poorer as the internationally famous folk singer, Reshma breathed her last in the wee hours of Nov 3 at Lahore. She was suffering from throat cancer and was bed-ridden in a hospital since April, 2013. She was about 66 years of age. Though she is said to have been born in 1947, a few months before the Independence, the exact date is not known.

She was born in a Banjara family of  Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. Her father, Haji Md. Mushtaq  was a trader of horses and camels. Once Reshma herself disclosed that her father used to take horses and camels to other parts of the country and brought sheep and goats from there to sell them locally for maintaining the family. When the country underwent division, the Mushtaq family moved to Karachi region of Pakistan. She did not have any formal training in music but her god- gifted melodious voice took her to the top of the music world. Since the age of 12, she used to go to the ‘majars’ of ‘pirs’ and sing nats, qauwalis etc. It is in course of such a spiritual singing that a connoisseur of music, suddenly passing from there, heard and was moved. He made her agree to sing for the Pakistan Radio and thus it was a much needed breakthrough. After that she never looked back.

There was such an attraction in her voice that the music lovers of India and Pakistan yearned to listen to he melodious renderings. Lal meri pat rakhio, haio rabb, akhiyon ko rahne de ankhiyon ke naal-naal and several others proved blockbusters in the sub-continent. She gave a highly acclaimed programme in London as well where her two daughters also accompanied her. By the way, her younger sister, in her own capacity is famous for soulful songs in Pakistan. On her India visit, once Reshma visited her ancestral village in Bikaner. Raj Kapoor, Subhash Ghai and some others in Bollywood used her music. In 2006, when the inaugural Lahore-Amritsar friendly bus service started, she was among the first passengers with half a dozen of her family members. We in India deeply mourn her sad demise and pray for peace to the departed soul. 

WHY AM I TELLING THESE THINGS

Some 50 years ago, when I was a college student, my father urged upon me to learn sitar playing and study the Bhagvat Puran. Accordingly, for some limitations, instead of sitar, I picked up basic knowledge of tabla - playing in Teen Taal and was accompanying him while singing bhajans. However, his second wish could not be fulfilled till he breathed his last at the age of 90 plus in 2010. I started studying the Atharva Ved, Mrichchhkatikam and Valmikiya Ramayan which completed in 2011. In 2012, when I went to the Gaya Kshetra to offer PIND to my forefathers, I silently admitted my failure to the soul of my father and assured to accomplish it. In last one year, as per my promise, I started reading the great epic viz Bhagvat and feel overjoyed after going through it word-by-word of over a thousand pages. Personally I feel to have completed the real ‘shraddha’ of my father and ‘pind-dan’ to  my ancestors.

While finishing the book, a doubt arose in my mind about ‘Niti’ and ‘Truth’. Since I am talking about this magnum opus of Vyasji, it would be in the fitness of things if I quote any golden page from there throwing adequate light on my confusion. It is about the time when Lord Vishnu went to the demon king Bali in the disguise of a dwarf (Vaman) Brahmin to ask for the charity of three steps of land. The king laughed over this meager demand and requested the Vaman to make it bigger. The Vaman stuck to his stand under the plea that a Brahman should not be greedy and ask for only that much which met his immediate needs. The king agreed and was in the process of making the donation, when his preceptor, Shukracharya tried to stop him. The Guru could realize the trick of the Lord and so he warned Bali to be cautious to avoid a charity which could cause his ruination.

The king said that once commited, he would not retrace his steps. Shukra ( in the 43^rd shloka of 19^th chapter of viii Skandh) pointed out some ‘nitis’. He said that nothing is condemnable if done in self-defence, protection of cows and Brahmanas, evasion of any imminent violence etc. Bali refused to budge and with all the humility and respect at his command for the Guru, he declared that for him the greatest sin was falsehood. No wealth or other achievement was worth if acquired by falsehood. Shukra became extremely angry over the disobedience and cursed the king that he would lose his royalty.The queen brought a pitcher of Ganga water and the king formally made the donation and as known, met his end.

Niti and satya are two great qualities. While niti has some tinges of diplomacy which stops men to resort to it to tide over odds, the truth is merciless and requires sacrifice if one is ready to abide by it. The Bhagvat, thus has taught me that truth is sacrosanct and requires no substitute, no euphemism.

Thanks to my father once again. But I still fail to understand, what compelled me to share such a purely personal and sentimental facet of life with my blog-page viewers and FB friends?         

IRON MAN AND IRON LADY

                                               

Oct 31 is a  doubly important day for the birth of one politician and the death of another. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on this day while Smt Indira Gandhi was assassinated on this day of 1984. While the Sardar became famous as the Iron Man, she also is known as the Iron Lady. Both of them earned this laudable epithet for their bold decisions.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Oct 31,1875 – Dec 5, 1950), a kisan and lawyer by profession, joined the freedom  movement under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership. In the shadow of Gandhi, though known for his commitments, he did not shine as he rose to eminence in free India. He was junior to Gandhi by six years and senior to Pt Nehru by 14 years. So he often worked as a balancing force between the indigenous Gandhi and westernized Nehru. Despite deserving to be the premier, Gandhi preferred Nehru and Sardar amicably conceded. He could not prevail on Nehru who favoured partition of the country. Similarly, his strong stand on J&K also did not find favour and the matter was internationalized. However, his most astounding achievement was the taming of 562 princely states and keep the country united. For these reasons, when the truth has started unraveling, Sardar is commanding more and more respect after his death.

In recognition of his yeoman’s services, Gujarat Govt, under the leadership of Narendra Modi is going to install an 182 meter high iron statue at Sadhu Bet, a small island, three KM away from the Sardar sarowar Dam, which will be  the tallest in the world so far. Named as the Statue of Unity, it is twice the height of the US  Statue of Liberty. At the estimated cost of Rs 2,500 crore, it will be ready in three years when it will emerge as an important tourist destination in Gujarat.

Mrs Gandh became famous for some very bold decisions like liberating herself from party satraps, abolition of princely purses and nationalization of banks. The only and perhaps the biggest flaw in her personality was the promulgation of Emergency in 1975. Had she died before 1977, the blot could have remained with her name for good. But wisely by withdrawing the Emergency in 1977 and holding the general election, which she lost, she absolved herself from that slur.

THE CHINESE LOOKING GLASS

                                               

Sometimes in early 1970s, I had read a very famous book entitled ‘The Chinese Looking Glass’. Today I have only some faint ideas about the subject matter of the book. But the main thrust was to project the great cultural heritage of the country since the ancient time. It was known as the Middle Country as the emoerors believed that China was in the middle of the earth. They treated the rest of the world far far inferior to them. They had been defeated by Japan and even Tibet but still they treated themselves as invincible.

With this background, even the modern Chinese is a victim of this superciliousness. After the strained relation with India since 1959 and the unprovoked aggression of 1962, an average Chinese does not carry a good impression about this country. For them, I am quoting below a para from the speech of a great Chinese  scholar, diplomat and philosopher, named as Hu Shin. He was speaking on the occasion of the tercentenary celebration of the Harvard in 1936. Shin was addressing the conference on science and arts.

“India conquered and dominated Chinese culturally for two thousand years without ever having to send a single soldier across the border …Never before had China seen a religion so rich in  imagery, so beautiful and captivating in ritualism and so bold in cosmological and metaphysical speculations. Like a poor beggar suddenly halting before a magnificent storehouse of precious stones of dazzling brilliancy and splendour, China was overwhelmed, baffled and overjoyed. She begged and borrowed freely from this munificent giver …China’s indebtedness to India can never be fully told”.

The story is 77 years old but will remain relevant for ever. Things are bound to undergo a salubrious change, if the present Chinese leadership  preferred to steal a leaf from Shin’s book and acknowledge this debt.

USA REFUSES TO EAT PAK BAIT

                                               

Nawaz Sharif, the Pak Prime Minister, in course of his election campaign and on his victory repeatedly declared that he would work seriously for improving Indo-Pak relations. He laid so much stress on it that the people, particularly in India started entertaining expectations that he really meant business. The people on borders, who are the regular sufferers when ceasefire violations take place, took a sigh of relief. But quite contrarily, the things unfolded to surprise these people. Immediately after Sharif took the oath of office, the continuing ceasefire since 2003, was thrown into wind. Such violations were not only repeated but occasionally very brutal as well. Nobody understood this complete about-turn of the new Pak PM.

A perusal of the differences between his expressed views and reality on the ground has unravelled his well thought out secret diplomacy. Pakistan, earlier depended on the US not only for foodgrains but also arms and ammunitions and support on international fora.  However, since India improved its relations with the USA, which preferred to sidetrack Pakistan, the latter has started feelimg unnerved. America rightly decided that India emerging as a regional power was a force to reckon with and put Pakistan on the back-burner.To put the things back on the old track, in view of his upcoming official visit of USA, Nawaz Sharif changed his strategy.

He precipitated the border skirmishes to tell Obama that the things were going to worse and hence the US should interfere and arbitrate on Kashmir issue. Since both the parties are nuclear powers, before any devastating scene occurs, Obama should intervene by restraining India. Secondly, he charged that India was intentionally trying to portray Pakistan as a rogue state. Obama, like a clever politician, which he is, reiterated his country’s old stand of not internationalizing the  Kashmir issue and thrash out an amicable solution through bilateral dialogues. About the militancy issue as well, he flayed at Sharif for doing nothing in case of 26/11 Mumbai serial blasts perpetrators. He also wished that no country should allow its land to be used by any outfit to carry out trans-border militant activities. Thus, Sharif returned empty handed and dejected. The scenario being so, the ceasefire violations are bound to scale down automatically in due course.  

OVER ONION OUTRAGES

                                               

The onion is known for making one shed tears, who dresses it. But in the Indian context it has been proved that this vegetable bulb  also makes one weep, who musters courage of buying this pricy grocery item today. This ubiquitous bulb is friendly with all salty preparations for making them tastier and so when  it is either unavailable or costly, not only the common man weeps but also the centre of power starts shaking. Perhaps the BJP learnt this lesson hard way some 15 years ago.

Had it not touched the sky-rocketing price, many people including me could not have pronounced this ordinary word correctly. I remember, when this bulb had become very costly under the BJP rule in Delhi, the then Prime Minister had explained the reason behind that scarcity.  The renowned journalist, Sardar Khushwant Singh had pointed out that the PM, while using this word,  wrongly pronounced ‘o’ like in ‘over’ whereas the correct position is to pronounce ‘o’ as ‘a’.

I am reminded of yet another onion related story. It was in late 70s when it became highly costly in Kashmir, making it beyond the reach of general public. Perhaps it was due to prolonged road-block for which J&K is known. One shuddered to purchase even 250 g of onion. At that time a Bihari IPS officer invited his Kashmiri batch-mate on dinner. The Kashmiri enquired if non-veg would be a part of the menu. The Bihari boldly replied that not only mutton would be served, but  while cooking it, adequate onion would also be mixed.

Onion, perhaps is not kind to lady politicians, particularly in power. !5 years ago, it taught a bitter lesson to Sushma Swaraj, and this time it is determined to take the toll of Sheila Dikshit. Never before onion had touched century mark and rightly this unique credit goes to Sheilaji. The Delhiites, who were already feeling harassed due to water and power paucity, are at their wit’s end to find onion costlier than the best variety of apple. The question arises, “If onion dethroned Sushmaji, why it cannot once again show the exit gate to the present incumbent?”