An Old Photograph

A photograph of army men, when my father was in service during British rule. There is no chance of anyone among these patriots living now. Though I have seen him a few times I have kept this photo with me in memory of him. I don’t know much about my father, except a little information I got from my grandmother. My parents’ ‘1942 A Love Story’ had a tragic end after my birth. They were separated when I was just a one year old and he passed away when I was 9. Had he been in good relationship with my mother, I would have got a clear view of British rule and partition. Since he was a true patriot, he might have had thorough knowledge of the country. Jaswant Singh’s book has created much controversy. Unfortunately, I missed out the opportunity to know whether Jaswant Singh’s statements are right or wrong.

16-09-2009—Jinnah, the destroyer

After Jaswant Singh it is union minister, Jairam Ramesh to elevate Jinnah. He compared Jinnah to Lord Shiva. He said Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah as Hindu trinity, Brahma (creator), Vishnu (provider) and Shiva (destroyer) respectively. Was Jinnah really the incarnation of Lord Shiva? Who knows?

Jinnah’s jinni still seems to be roaming around in India, his birth place, not in Pakistan and looking for politicians, who have names similar to his—starting with J. Jinnah, Jaswant, Jairam (JJJ). They must be trinity. Jinni wants to convince people that Jinnah was not a bad man but the Muslim haters were bad.

I don’t know anything about Jinnah except I had learned from history in school. My father might have seen him when he was in army camp in Gujarat (Baroda) most of the time. Jinnah’s only daughter is still living. Why doesn’t she say whether her father was responsible or not for the partition?

My son is Krishna

RUSH FOR BABIES ON JANMASHTAMI

Kolkata: Operation theaters in Kolkata turned into assembly lines for the Janmashtami baby boom on Thursday. Doctors worked overtime as hospitals recorded an average of 50% more Caesarian deliveries to coincide with Lord Krishna’s birthday.
OTs had been booked months in advance by expectant mothers, including an NRI from the US. Those who had the ‘the foresight’ a little late were shattered. Lawyer Hena Pathak, an advocate at Barrackpore court, was heartbroken when told that her baby would have to wait a day beyond Janmashtami. The doctor apparently felt so pressured that he could not handle another patient on Thursday. “Almost all clinics had to accept at least 50% more cases of elective deliveries. I performed four C-sections when on a normal day I don’t go beyond one.” Gynecologist Ranjit Chakraborty said.
The belief is that a baby born on Janmashtami is a reincarnation of Krishna. “But if it turned out to be a girl, the parents’ faces turned gloomy.” Said gynecologist Gauri Kumra, unable to hide her indignation. Once the baby has reached the 38th week, it is mature and the mother can opt for a date for the C-section.” She explained—this is a TOI report—Aug-14-Friday.

Is there a belief worse than this one? How can people be so ignorant? I don’t think even Lord Krishna could accept such ignorance. No two persons’ finger prints are the same, so is their nature. Even twins born on the same day could be different in nature. For example I narrate this—my maternal uncle’s life. My uncle and a man in the neighbourhood in our village were born on the same day. My uncle had a good brain, so he was educated and became an engineer. The man in the neighbourhood happened to be an autistic and became a loafer. As a family friend his mother, who in the same age group of my grandmother, would often visit our home. Whenever she comes, the anguish about her son would come out from her heart. She would say to my grandmother, “Your son is in a good position and has a better life. See my son, what sin have I done to get a son like him?” Though autistic and good for nothing he had a better life than an engineer's, I think. He lived on what he get from his farm and would roam around in the village, whereas, my uncle had a hectic life as an engineer. To complete education, to get a job and hold on to it is not an easy task. Trouble-free life is important, not your achievement. A mendicant’s life would be better than of a millionaire.

Some couples seek astrologers’ advice to get their babies delivered on an auspicious day. Astrologers who break the rules of Nature are not really astrologers. Ravana's son, Meghnad had been given birth seeking an auspicious day only to have an early violent death.

When Computer failed to recognize Indian Icon

Shahrukh Khan’s detention in the Newark airport was the main news of this week. What happened to him is unfortunate, but not unusual. If Khan thinks he should be treated like a king everywhere, the result will be disappointment. He should understand time will not be favourble for him always. If he thinks it is an ordeal, it came from above. Since he is under Saturn’s transit such problems could arise wherever he goes. This year is not favourble for him.

Salman Khan’s statement was absolutely correct. Though his acting in real life goes wrong sometimes, he talks wisely always. Because of a handful of notorious Muslims other Muslims have to suffer. All Muslims are not terrorists but terrorists are Muslims.

It is a pity that the computer at the customs red-flagged Khan’s name. US-created computers know only US icons and computers are familiar only with US names. Indian icons and Indian names may be malicious to the computers. But the computers know Khans coming from Pakistan, the land of terrorists. They have to introduce people of other countries to the computers.

As US officials say, India is blowing this incidents out of proportion, because Khan is an icon. If it was a common man they would have closed the eyes. All Indian people know Shahrukh Khan well but he may be a stranger to most of the people in US. Indian VIPs think why they have to go through the security check. It will hurt their ego. Why only VIP? Common man also wants to be treated well. There is reason to suspect even VIPs or VVIPs nowadays. Someone can impersonate celebrities. There are look-alikes of all celebrities. All countries are suffering from paranoia that triggered by terrorism, exceptionally the US, which is terrorists’ target. Instead of making US an enemy by doing a tit-for-tat, India should understand the situation.

Janmashtami Celebration

It is festival season. Festivals were celebrated in a religious way before. From 2-3 decades onwards everything has changed. The religious atmosphere has gone out of the festivals. Commercializing not only make festivals meaningless but also invite trouble. Religious festivals have turned into mere entertainment because of sponsorship and coverage of TV channels. If people really believe in God they should celebrate the festivals in a religious manner.

Every year the country celebrates Sri Krishna Janmashtami with great enthusiasm. Mumbaikars want to celebrate it in a sophisticated way. Money on dahi handi lures participants. If there were no cash prizes, no one would have participated in the game. It is like the fable ‘the fox and the grapes. If money hangs on like grapes on vine, fox-like greed to get it will normally arise in one’s mind. But fox is wise. It doesn’t want to die for what it cannot get. ”Breaking dahi handi means breaking bones. Despite the accidents it cause they don’t want to give up. Nothing can diminish Mumbaikar’s enthusiasm and adventure. Did Lord Krishna tell them to make pyramids in such a height and fall from them? Krishna in childhood might have done it only to eat a little butter and that too at the height of the low ceiling of the house. All naughty children will do it. Why do these big heavy children have to imitate it? There were no multi-storied concrete buildings then to hang dahi handi. If they make pyramids to please Lord Krishna, they should do it only for some merriment, not for money. People, who gather in the streets, would make pyramids without any preparation or rehearsals before. It was normal. By wearing uniforms and helmets now it looks more like a sports event. The participants have to practice to make it perfect. This year they have to add one more shield (masks) to protect from swine flu. So what? How can they give up the adventure? Wearing masks could cause more accidents as it block the view and concentration. And the mass gathering is dangerous. Where there is crowd there will be stampede too.

Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya?

When culture becomes vulture one has to fear for falling in love. There were reports about honour killing in villages. When the country allows gay marriage, love marriage is still forbidden in villages. A youth was lynched by villagers in one of the Haryana villages for marrying from the same gotra. They want to ostracize his family too. Some communities can marry within the family—distant relatives or cousins. Some cannot marry even from the neighboring villages if it in the same gotra. It is the height of pride and prejudice of village heads. When Panchayati Raj is still strong what is the point of having a government? The village heads have their own law and they rule according to their wish. Law should reach every nook and corner of the country. The law is too old and weak to reach the jungles or climb on to the mountains.

What kind of societal norms we keep? Honour killing, dowry deaths and female feticides all these are an example of misusing culture and tradition. If one find out a life partner of one’s own choice it is not a crime. If they kill for one’s bad moral it may make sense. Is it the end of Kaliyug? I wish a Yug, that make all human beings enlightened, had come. I ask God always when Kalki avatar will take place. I didn’t get the answer yet.

Frogs' arranged Marriage

“With no signs of rains, villagers of Padapalli village in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu turned to an age-old custom to invoke the rain Gods. They caught a male and female frog and got them married in a grand manner last Friday. After the marriage the frogs were released in the local tank”—this is an old news report from TOI.

Not only frog to frog marriage, they perform frog to human marriage too. Last year they got a frog married to a girl for rain and the frog had been left in a tank. The girl was seen crying in embarrassment in the picture which was in the TOI. When she comes to age, the frog may turn in to a prince and take her away. If frogs catch cold they would try to find a cure for it.

Marriage is for human beings who live by societal norms, not for animals who live by Nature’s rules. They know what to so when they get mature. I wonder if frogs get excited by marriage. Will the frog couple live together after marriage or they divorce? Monsoon is not the marriage season for humans, but it is for frogs and was marriage season for me too. My wedding was in monsoon, when it was raining pitter patter non-stop. We avoid marriage in monsoon simply because rain will cause inconvenience to all work.

Actually people don’t know when the rainy season is in this subcontinent. Since Chennai is familiar to me and according to my observation Tamil Nadu receives rainfall in autumn months. South-west monsoon is not so effective there. Farmers in every state should understand Nature and cultivate the lands only according to the rainfall the states receive. Even artificial irrigation will not help; the lands will dry up easily in the high temperature. Two term cultivation will not work out in all states. Instead of cursing Nature they should take blessing from Mother Nature. When we do everything artificially such problems arise and it gives frustration.

And there was this news about hiring infants for direct darshan of Lord Venkateshwara in Tirupati, the famous temple in India. The report says there are touts to hire out infants to devotees for Mahadwaram Darshan—meant for couples with children. If you want to have a quick darshan hire a child—a quick darshan for devotees and a quick buck for barkers! What is the meaning of visiting temples? Usually men cannot wear shirts in south Indian temples. But there is an option in one of the temples in Tamil Nadu. If you pay you can enter with the shirt on otherwise you have to remove it. Money can break all the rules. and there is a famous temple in Kerala, where women cannot enter wearing salwar kameez. If women go there without this knowledge they will make them wear a dhoti over salwar kameez. What is the use when salwar kameez is still there under the dhoti? Men should wear dhoti over the pants and remove shirts. Here, in Mumbai youngsters go to the temples wearing jeans and bermudas. Everything is going on in the name of religion and for money. Human beings are strange indeed. It is better we respect animals.

I believe in God but I don’t believe in meaningless rituals. I don’t do anything else than visiting a temple. I don’t even celebrate festivals. I don’t fast because I cannot stay long empty stomach. Ann hai purna Brahma, I believe. But my day starts with a prayer. I bow to the Mother Earth and Gods as I get up in the morning. I felt God’s presence in several occasions. I am God fearing; also fear devils, especially those walking around. When I was a school girl I would visit the nearest temple almost all days in the morning and I hadn’t written a single exam without visiting that temple in my village. That must be the reason if I never felt education a burden.

Rakhi’s Swayamvar was worse than frog’s wedding. I couldn’t make out whether it is in reel or real at first. Actually Swayamvar will be over when bride put on garland on bridegroom’s neck. Here it is swayamvar for engagement. The real swayamvar is unpredictable. No matter how long it lasts the couple seems ideal in every aspect.

Modern people go back to the 12the century from 21st and try to bring back age-old customs and perform making it modern. When old and modern customs mix the result is neutral.

Nothing New

New species of lizard found in Kolhapur—News headlines from TOI

Navi Mumbai: A team of scientists from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in association with the Villanova University, US, recently discovered a new species of lizard in Kolhapur district.

The new species, belonging to the genus Cnemaspis, has been named as Cnemaspis kolhapurensis after the place it was first spotted by BNHS scientists Varad B Giri and research fellow Kshma Gaikwad. They were assisited by Aaron M Bauer of Villanova University.

“The new species is ground-dwelling and can be found among dead leaves or under rocks. Its unique feature is the presence of shiny scales on the body,” Giri a curator with BNHS, said. During this survey, he was accompanied by the members of Greenguards, an NGO in Kolhapur.
Initially the lizard seemed like the common gecko found in that region, but close observations revealed iridescent sheen on its tail dorsum. Iridescence is found in a variety of burrowing reptiles like some snakes and skinks. However, this feature has not been previously reported in geckos. Apart from this, there were other taxonomic characters which were not found in other Indian species in this genus of lizards. The group’s research findings were recently published in the science journal, Zootaxa.
According to the recent findings, this species has been founding only one locality, which is close to human habitation. This and other species discovered earlier proves that the Western Ghats in Maharashtra have a diversity of amphibians and reptiles—I copied this report from the TOI--July-24-2009.

Why do they call it a new species of lizard? It is nothing new to me or in villages. It may be new for Mumbaikars. In this concrete jungle one can see only concrete buildings. From their description I guess it is a common ground lizard which I always see in our building compound. I used to see it crawling in the garden near the window of our flat. Now it is not seen because the building compound is laid with tiles. It would even climb on the window-grill. And it always crawls around our house in the village. In our village, they say it is highly poisonous and if bitten, instant death is possible.

PS: Sorry, I couldn’t get its picture.

This creature came again. I thought it has gone for ever. I spotted one lizard on the window-sill on 10th September mid-morning. It will not come into extinction when soil and greenery around there.