As we - the Indians - ceremonially worry about AIDS and HIV along with the rest of the world on this day (December 1st), another killer disease has been sweeping away thousands of lives in this country to their graves every day. This is a silent killer called Tuberculosis (TB). One person dies every minute from TB in my country. More than 5,00,000 people die of this disease every year In India. More than 1.8 million people are getting infected with the disease in my country every year and India accounts for more than 30% of people infected worldwide.
Compare this with figures available for AIDS. Nobody is certain about the number of people affected by AIDS or HIV in India. All figures available are actually estimates. It was estimated in 2005 that there were 5.2 million HIV positive people in India. This was highly exaggerated. By 2007, National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)of India came out with new estimates which said about 2.8 million people were affected. By March this year, NACO came out with another estimate saying 1.8 to 2.9 million people are HIV positive in India. Estimates again say about 72,000 people were affected by this disease in 2006-2007. The number of fresh cases of HIV/AIDS are coming down and recent estimates show that 20,000 people in India are likely to get infected by this disease every year.
Nearer home, about 7000 people are likely to get infected with TB in Assam alone every year. And the number of HIV positive people in Assam? Less than 1000 till today. One reason why TB is not getting much attention is because TB is curable but AIDS is not. But look at the death figures! TB affects poor people with a weak immune system. It needs expensive and continuous treatment for at least six months. It is virtually incurable for them.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
All over Book Fairs
I belong to a generation for whom entertainment meant Doordarshan, a few movies with parental control and a lot of books. I couldn't develop likings for Doordarshan, but books have always been a weakness for me. I can even kill (not only beg, borrow and steal)for books(pardon me for the exaggeration). More than two decade ago, when the first ever Book Fair was held (1984)in Guwahati, Assam, it was an euphoria. A never-before experience which can only be paralleled to the first-ever adolescence innocent kiss. I had not much money then; so buying was a secondary consideration, the primary being to take in a lung full of the smell of thousands of books along with the ambiance.
Initially, there was only one book fair held annually in Guwahati under the aegis of Publication Board of Assam - a government body. Later, book sellers and publishers decided to hold another book fair (Northeast Book Fair) annually mainly because of revenue sharing disagreement with the government organizers. It was a double treat for us. As long as the gain was in our favour, we had nothing to bother about the tussles going on.
Over the years, both the book fairs gradually lost their grandeur as the number of participants and their sales steadily came down. However, revenue to the organisers did not decrease considerably as book stalls were replaced by fast-food and coffee stalls. The venue also kept on changing to accommodate government dictates and other fairs that has outnumbered book fairs.
This years, for more than last four weeks, a seemingly simple issue like deciding on the venue of the Northeast Book Fair (the younger of the siblings), hyped up beyond proportion, has been gobbling up media space in Assam. While the government wanted the book fair to be held in a new state-of-the-art fair venue called Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, slightly outside the heart of the city for security reasons (?), the organisers had somewhat made it a prestige issue not to shift the planned venue of Sonaram field. The governments contention was that Maniram Dewan Trade Centre had been constructed spending a lot of money to specifically hold fairs so that the traffic congestion, security issues and pollution in the city can be reduced and shifted to outskirt of the city. On the other hand, the organisers argued that the trade centre is way outside the city and people will have difficulty reaching it. They also argued that if all other types of fairs can be permitted to be held inside the city why not the book fair? A lot of people including editors of newspapers staged protest demonstration and the media lapped up all of it. Finally the government gave up with a subtle snub in the form of the decision to hold the government-sponsored book fair (Guwahati Book Fair) at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre. Now it has been decided to hold the Northeast Book Fair at Chandmari. However, a new twist to the tale had been added by the book sellers and publishers association (which also take part in Guwahati Book Fair) to boycott even the Guwahati Book Fair if it is held at the trade centre. Why such an adamant position against Maniram Dewan Trade Centre?
The venue proposed is not exactly outskirt, considering the fact that a lot of high and mighty people with bundles of money in their pocket are hankering over each other to buy piece of land nearby the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre or even within three-kilometre radius of it. Take with it the fact that the Interstate Bus Terminal, a bank, two schools (one of them is DPS), government offices, lots of industries, a temple (fast becoming a tourist spot)and a private eduactional institute are operating nearby the trade centre, without anyone raising any voice against inaccessibility of these or anyone shunning them altogether. So, inaccessibility is ostensibly not an issue.
The concocted logic that other fairs are being allowed to be held inside the city is again one that needs closer scrutiny. If fairs pollutes the city, creates nightmarish traffic snarl and pose security threat, we must oppose it. But, not only when our own fair is being denied a chance. The so called conscious citizens and the media should show the same earnestness to build up a movement against such holding of fairs inside the city - including the book fairs. Such movements should have been built up even before the book fair was denied permission to be hold inside city, and should continue to be built up even now when the book fair has been permitted to be held inside the city.
The media campaign in favour of holding the book fair inside the city (or was it against holding it at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre?) was so intense that my wife was totally convinced. She said, how can one take their children to the government-proposed venue if they do not have their own conveyance unlike us. She had totally forgotten about the hundreds of people who do not have their vehicles but go to work in the nearby factories, Interstate bus terminal, shops, government offices; people who go for transactions in the banks; hundreds of students who go to nearby schools everyday and how she herself traveled to work everyday for almost two years on the road bypassing the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre not by her own vehicle but by public transport. So why Maniram Dewan Trade Centre is not suitable for holding book fairs?
A fair is a large public event where goods are sold often accompanied by entertainments. Over the years, entertainment have shadowed books in the city book fairs. Barring a small minority, people go to book fairs just like they go to any other fairs. The business in the book fair is good, only that books sale is not enough. A venue, where people will have to exercise their will power to reach, is not exactly a place where one can do business. I do not think anybody will disagree with me that book lovers will definitely turn up at the fair venue even if it is held at Sonapur. Only that the number of such species is fast declining and I cannot vouch for people who go to book fairs to have chowmein and coffee.
Kolkata book fair, for example, had been shifted outside the city. But, that was another story where judiciary had stepped in and a spineless, appeasing and partisan government was not at play. There had been a lot of resistance in West Bengal too. It is true that in the first time, when it was held in the new venue, number of people visiting Kolkata Book Fair decreased. But, now as the area has attained improved accessibility and the venue has got acceptability, the Kolkata book fair has started attracting people. It is true with any new idea, people needs time to subscribe and pick it up. Maniram Dewan Trade Centre needs to be given a chance. We, who love books, are people who like new ideas. That's what books are all about, isn't it? If we do not be the first people to give Maniram Dewan Trade Centre a chance, who else will.
Ultimately, it is pure economics that is making the "businessmen" so adamant against Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, not what they want us to believe. For us, the book lovers, they should once - just for once - forget business and hold the fair at the trade centre. If they can not be so magnanimous, they can hold theirs inside the city and let government hold its at the trade centre. But, it is plain blackmail to threaten to boycott it. The government, on its part should arrange all that is lacking (proper, efficient public transport) for the trade centre and hold it there. Not only book fair, but all fairs.
Initially, there was only one book fair held annually in Guwahati under the aegis of Publication Board of Assam - a government body. Later, book sellers and publishers decided to hold another book fair (Northeast Book Fair) annually mainly because of revenue sharing disagreement with the government organizers. It was a double treat for us. As long as the gain was in our favour, we had nothing to bother about the tussles going on.
Over the years, both the book fairs gradually lost their grandeur as the number of participants and their sales steadily came down. However, revenue to the organisers did not decrease considerably as book stalls were replaced by fast-food and coffee stalls. The venue also kept on changing to accommodate government dictates and other fairs that has outnumbered book fairs.
This years, for more than last four weeks, a seemingly simple issue like deciding on the venue of the Northeast Book Fair (the younger of the siblings), hyped up beyond proportion, has been gobbling up media space in Assam. While the government wanted the book fair to be held in a new state-of-the-art fair venue called Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, slightly outside the heart of the city for security reasons (?), the organisers had somewhat made it a prestige issue not to shift the planned venue of Sonaram field. The governments contention was that Maniram Dewan Trade Centre had been constructed spending a lot of money to specifically hold fairs so that the traffic congestion, security issues and pollution in the city can be reduced and shifted to outskirt of the city. On the other hand, the organisers argued that the trade centre is way outside the city and people will have difficulty reaching it. They also argued that if all other types of fairs can be permitted to be held inside the city why not the book fair? A lot of people including editors of newspapers staged protest demonstration and the media lapped up all of it. Finally the government gave up with a subtle snub in the form of the decision to hold the government-sponsored book fair (Guwahati Book Fair) at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre. Now it has been decided to hold the Northeast Book Fair at Chandmari. However, a new twist to the tale had been added by the book sellers and publishers association (which also take part in Guwahati Book Fair) to boycott even the Guwahati Book Fair if it is held at the trade centre. Why such an adamant position against Maniram Dewan Trade Centre?
The venue proposed is not exactly outskirt, considering the fact that a lot of high and mighty people with bundles of money in their pocket are hankering over each other to buy piece of land nearby the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre or even within three-kilometre radius of it. Take with it the fact that the Interstate Bus Terminal, a bank, two schools (one of them is DPS), government offices, lots of industries, a temple (fast becoming a tourist spot)and a private eduactional institute are operating nearby the trade centre, without anyone raising any voice against inaccessibility of these or anyone shunning them altogether. So, inaccessibility is ostensibly not an issue.
The concocted logic that other fairs are being allowed to be held inside the city is again one that needs closer scrutiny. If fairs pollutes the city, creates nightmarish traffic snarl and pose security threat, we must oppose it. But, not only when our own fair is being denied a chance. The so called conscious citizens and the media should show the same earnestness to build up a movement against such holding of fairs inside the city - including the book fairs. Such movements should have been built up even before the book fair was denied permission to be hold inside city, and should continue to be built up even now when the book fair has been permitted to be held inside the city.
The media campaign in favour of holding the book fair inside the city (or was it against holding it at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre?) was so intense that my wife was totally convinced. She said, how can one take their children to the government-proposed venue if they do not have their own conveyance unlike us. She had totally forgotten about the hundreds of people who do not have their vehicles but go to work in the nearby factories, Interstate bus terminal, shops, government offices; people who go for transactions in the banks; hundreds of students who go to nearby schools everyday and how she herself traveled to work everyday for almost two years on the road bypassing the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre not by her own vehicle but by public transport. So why Maniram Dewan Trade Centre is not suitable for holding book fairs?
A fair is a large public event where goods are sold often accompanied by entertainments. Over the years, entertainment have shadowed books in the city book fairs. Barring a small minority, people go to book fairs just like they go to any other fairs. The business in the book fair is good, only that books sale is not enough. A venue, where people will have to exercise their will power to reach, is not exactly a place where one can do business. I do not think anybody will disagree with me that book lovers will definitely turn up at the fair venue even if it is held at Sonapur. Only that the number of such species is fast declining and I cannot vouch for people who go to book fairs to have chowmein and coffee.
Kolkata book fair, for example, had been shifted outside the city. But, that was another story where judiciary had stepped in and a spineless, appeasing and partisan government was not at play. There had been a lot of resistance in West Bengal too. It is true that in the first time, when it was held in the new venue, number of people visiting Kolkata Book Fair decreased. But, now as the area has attained improved accessibility and the venue has got acceptability, the Kolkata book fair has started attracting people. It is true with any new idea, people needs time to subscribe and pick it up. Maniram Dewan Trade Centre needs to be given a chance. We, who love books, are people who like new ideas. That's what books are all about, isn't it? If we do not be the first people to give Maniram Dewan Trade Centre a chance, who else will.
Ultimately, it is pure economics that is making the "businessmen" so adamant against Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, not what they want us to believe. For us, the book lovers, they should once - just for once - forget business and hold the fair at the trade centre. If they can not be so magnanimous, they can hold theirs inside the city and let government hold its at the trade centre. But, it is plain blackmail to threaten to boycott it. The government, on its part should arrange all that is lacking (proper, efficient public transport) for the trade centre and hold it there. Not only book fair, but all fairs.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Midlife crisis
Writing for Brunch, the Hindustan Time's Sunday magazine on November 1, Seema Goswami propounded an interesting theory on Midlife Crisis.
"It is not so much panic engendered by the thought of what you haven't achieved (and are now unlikely to) half-way through your life. It's actually angst, kicked off by envy about all that your peers have managed to accomplish in the same period."
While I was still reading the piece, an woman friend of mine pooped up a question, "Why it is always the middle-aged man who develop huge crush on women much younger to them?"
I think, I have a take on both of these issues. Hope it will be interesting reading considering the fact that I am also a middle-aged man sometimes having crush on younger women. Wait till I find my Muse.
Read Earlier post on the topic.
"It is not so much panic engendered by the thought of what you haven't achieved (and are now unlikely to) half-way through your life. It's actually angst, kicked off by envy about all that your peers have managed to accomplish in the same period."
While I was still reading the piece, an woman friend of mine pooped up a question, "Why it is always the middle-aged man who develop huge crush on women much younger to them?"
I think, I have a take on both of these issues. Hope it will be interesting reading considering the fact that I am also a middle-aged man sometimes having crush on younger women. Wait till I find my Muse.
Read Earlier post on the topic.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
A full kiss: So essential
Next time your wife (or girlfriend) is ready to conceive a child, make sure to kiss her. A full mouth-to-mouth kiss, I mean. I may sound too practical and unromantic. But, in a report published last week, The Daily Telegraph has, somewhat taken the romance away from the heavenly lip lock.
Researcher Colin Hendrie from the University of Leeds, writing in the journal Medical Hypotheses, said the gesture transmits a germ called Cytomegalovirus from a man to a woman triggering her immune system to develop protection against it. This virus is found in saliva and normally causes no problems. But, it can be extremely dangerous if it becomes active during pregnancy and can kill unborn babies or cause birth defects.
So, kissing women mouth-to-mouth is actually ensuring protection to her and her unborn baby. How unromantic!
Colin is even more hard hitting. He wrote, “Female inoculation with a specific male’s Cytomegalovirus is most efficiently achieved through mouth-to-mouth contact and saliva exchange, particularly where the flow of saliva is from the male to the typically shorter female.” He says, kissing the same person for about six months provides the best protection. As the relationship progresses and kisses become more passionate, the woman’s immunity builds up reducing possibility of her falling ill, The Daily Telegraph wrote. By the time she becomes pregnant, the odds of her unborn baby becoming infected are much lower.
Researcher Colin Hendrie from the University of Leeds, writing in the journal Medical Hypotheses, said the gesture transmits a germ called Cytomegalovirus from a man to a woman triggering her immune system to develop protection against it. This virus is found in saliva and normally causes no problems. But, it can be extremely dangerous if it becomes active during pregnancy and can kill unborn babies or cause birth defects.
So, kissing women mouth-to-mouth is actually ensuring protection to her and her unborn baby. How unromantic!
Colin is even more hard hitting. He wrote, “Female inoculation with a specific male’s Cytomegalovirus is most efficiently achieved through mouth-to-mouth contact and saliva exchange, particularly where the flow of saliva is from the male to the typically shorter female.” He says, kissing the same person for about six months provides the best protection. As the relationship progresses and kisses become more passionate, the woman’s immunity builds up reducing possibility of her falling ill, The Daily Telegraph wrote. By the time she becomes pregnant, the odds of her unborn baby becoming infected are much lower.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Cell phones
I have two cell phones. One of them is with me for the last seven years. It was provided to me by the organization I work for. When the organization decided to migrate from one service provided to another three years ago, it became necessary to change the number. I decided to keep the old one transferring it to my account from the account of the organization because of mainly two reasons. First, my number has already been known to a lot of my acquaintances and it was impossible for me to inform each of them about the change of number. Secondly, I had doubts about the new service provider my organization was subscribing to.
So, the new number become my official number and the old number was there primarily to receive calls from friends and acquaintances - in case someone who does not have my new number needs me.
Yesterday I received a call in my old number from someone I do not know. As he spoke, I came to know that he was a train passenger waiting to board a train, but he could not do so as there was no general second class coach attached to that train, except for the one reserved for army personnel, and he was holding a general second class ticket.
He was obviously very much agitated at that moment. as soon as I picked up the phone he asked me whether it was a railway inquiry number or not. Though I said that it was not a railway inquiry number, he continued with his complaint as to why the authorities issue general second class ticket when the train has no general second class compartment. He did not even bother for a second to find out whose number he has called or whom was he talking to.
Now, it was an issue which was not under my jurisdiction or control. People who know railway operations will appreciate that the entire process of running the organization is highly departmentalized. While Operating department handles the composition and running of the trains, it was the commercial department which issues ticket.
So, I told him to get in touch with the station manager and lodge a written complaint with him because that was the procedure. If someone has committed a mistake by issuing tickets for a particular class of travel without ensuring that alt least a coach is available for the class of travel for which tickets were being issued, there was absolutely no way to rectify that fault instantaneously at that moment.
Once he has completed talking, I asked him where did he get my number, as it was no more listed in the directory of my organization. He said, it was given to him by a local satellite television news channel. It was obvious that the passenger, once agitated over the prospect of not finding a place in the train, immediately contacted the television news channel to complain. Someone in the news channel, who once was probably my professional acquaintance, had given him my old number.
While it was very sensible on part of the news channel not to go immediately into air and instead provide the number of the PRO, this seemingly innocuous incident has the sound of three very important warning bells. One, people are increasingly turning to media with their grievances as the common perception about media is that of a huge might striving to set everything wrong in correct order, a giant that can ably punish any wrong doer. Second, people hardly bother about etiquette of talking over cell phones making it a big nuisance. And the third, most of us are hardly ever educated about the grievance readdress mechanism built into any organization.
So, the new number become my official number and the old number was there primarily to receive calls from friends and acquaintances - in case someone who does not have my new number needs me.
Yesterday I received a call in my old number from someone I do not know. As he spoke, I came to know that he was a train passenger waiting to board a train, but he could not do so as there was no general second class coach attached to that train, except for the one reserved for army personnel, and he was holding a general second class ticket.
He was obviously very much agitated at that moment. as soon as I picked up the phone he asked me whether it was a railway inquiry number or not. Though I said that it was not a railway inquiry number, he continued with his complaint as to why the authorities issue general second class ticket when the train has no general second class compartment. He did not even bother for a second to find out whose number he has called or whom was he talking to.
Now, it was an issue which was not under my jurisdiction or control. People who know railway operations will appreciate that the entire process of running the organization is highly departmentalized. While Operating department handles the composition and running of the trains, it was the commercial department which issues ticket.
So, I told him to get in touch with the station manager and lodge a written complaint with him because that was the procedure. If someone has committed a mistake by issuing tickets for a particular class of travel without ensuring that alt least a coach is available for the class of travel for which tickets were being issued, there was absolutely no way to rectify that fault instantaneously at that moment.
Once he has completed talking, I asked him where did he get my number, as it was no more listed in the directory of my organization. He said, it was given to him by a local satellite television news channel. It was obvious that the passenger, once agitated over the prospect of not finding a place in the train, immediately contacted the television news channel to complain. Someone in the news channel, who once was probably my professional acquaintance, had given him my old number.
While it was very sensible on part of the news channel not to go immediately into air and instead provide the number of the PRO, this seemingly innocuous incident has the sound of three very important warning bells. One, people are increasingly turning to media with their grievances as the common perception about media is that of a huge might striving to set everything wrong in correct order, a giant that can ably punish any wrong doer. Second, people hardly bother about etiquette of talking over cell phones making it a big nuisance. And the third, most of us are hardly ever educated about the grievance readdress mechanism built into any organization.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Gender awareness
I was reading "The Professional" by Subroto Bagchilast Monday(19th October, 2009). In part VI in his book, he was discussing about Inclusion and Gender. It was a highly rewarding reading as Bagchi subtly but surely opened my blurred vision on gender bias.
Incidentally, almost at the same time a journalist friend invited me for an interactive session on the topic 'Is there an undercurrent gender bias in all sphere of Assam', which unfortunately I had to decline because of prior engagements.
What Bagchi had written and what has been prevailing (not only) in Assam now, has much similarities. Bagchi was describing an incident when he went to a leading private sector bank along with his writer wife looking for a loan to build his home in 1998. There, seated in front of the manager, he explained that though he would be the borrower on records, the financial decisions would be taken by his wife who had been managing the finance in the family. His wife had some questions before deciding on the loan and once the manager was ready, she started her questions.
"For every question she asked, the manager would steadfastly ignore her and look at me while answering. It was clear that he did not consider her important enough and kept focusing on me", wrote Bagchi.
Mr. & Mrs. Bagchi then decided to settle for a loan from another bank despite the first bank's rate of interest being lower because of the simple practical reason that it would have been impossible for Mr. Bagchi to accompany his wife for all the meetings with the banker as she would be dealing with him on an ongoing basis. Like the banker, hundreds of us discriminate against women, possibly unknowingly, in our daily life - everywhere in this country. Same applies for Assam.
To stop discriminating against women, we need to have gender awareness. It is much more important to understand the difference between the genders then to simply look for equality. The genders are not equal - physically, emotionally, economically or socially. There is no point trying to make the genders equal - they can never be. That's why there has to be reserved seat for women in public transport, women should not be engaged in jobs requiring hard labour and so on. They are not equal to men. Situations where physical attributes are not vital, they are probably better.
So, what is gender discrimination? We are discriminating against women, when they are judged only on the basis of their physical, mental and emotional weaknesses - not on the basis of their strong points. Or not on the basis of their equal abilities. However, putting women in jobs which are best suited for men like dressing them in battle fatigue serves only the purpose of inflating the ego of those screaming hoarse for gender equality without understanding the gender difference.
Incidentally, almost at the same time a journalist friend invited me for an interactive session on the topic 'Is there an undercurrent gender bias in all sphere of Assam', which unfortunately I had to decline because of prior engagements.
What Bagchi had written and what has been prevailing (not only) in Assam now, has much similarities. Bagchi was describing an incident when he went to a leading private sector bank along with his writer wife looking for a loan to build his home in 1998. There, seated in front of the manager, he explained that though he would be the borrower on records, the financial decisions would be taken by his wife who had been managing the finance in the family. His wife had some questions before deciding on the loan and once the manager was ready, she started her questions.
"For every question she asked, the manager would steadfastly ignore her and look at me while answering. It was clear that he did not consider her important enough and kept focusing on me", wrote Bagchi.
Mr. & Mrs. Bagchi then decided to settle for a loan from another bank despite the first bank's rate of interest being lower because of the simple practical reason that it would have been impossible for Mr. Bagchi to accompany his wife for all the meetings with the banker as she would be dealing with him on an ongoing basis. Like the banker, hundreds of us discriminate against women, possibly unknowingly, in our daily life - everywhere in this country. Same applies for Assam.
To stop discriminating against women, we need to have gender awareness. It is much more important to understand the difference between the genders then to simply look for equality. The genders are not equal - physically, emotionally, economically or socially. There is no point trying to make the genders equal - they can never be. That's why there has to be reserved seat for women in public transport, women should not be engaged in jobs requiring hard labour and so on. They are not equal to men. Situations where physical attributes are not vital, they are probably better.
So, what is gender discrimination? We are discriminating against women, when they are judged only on the basis of their physical, mental and emotional weaknesses - not on the basis of their strong points. Or not on the basis of their equal abilities. However, putting women in jobs which are best suited for men like dressing them in battle fatigue serves only the purpose of inflating the ego of those screaming hoarse for gender equality without understanding the gender difference.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Gift
Like most of us, I also face the dilemma of choosing the right kind of gift for someone very often. Not because of the consideration of the cost involved alone, but also because of two other more important factors.
Essentially, a Gift is something for 'giving' without any consideration for return; it is meant to be free. But again, that is hard unrealistic theory only. In reality, we all expect reciprocation in return of a gift - may be not in kind or cash, may be only in terms of love or respect or may simply be the glowing smile on the face of the recipient or the momentary glint in the eyes . Sometimes, the fact that the gift is likely to fulfill one of the many needs of the person getting it weigh heavily in favour of a particular gift. But, return we do expect. When we expect return, the selection of gift is also bound to be guided by that consideration.
The other factor is the recipient of the gift. There is no point giving a camera to a blind person, or a book to a illiterate snob. Me and my wife - we have spend hours at times to zero down on the most suitable gift for someone we really love and really care for. Because, we know, a small hint of dissatisfaction or rejection on the face of that person after receiving the gift would spell hell for both of us. But, when it comes to people we actually do not care for much, it takes hardly a minute to decide on the gift. That, despite the fact that our tradition says 'donation to the unworthy is a sin'!
It is very difficult to choose the right kind of a gift for the right kind of a person because of these two overwhelming factors. Is the person fit for the gift? Or is the gift right for the person? When we fail to decide, we opt for money as gift. Let the person know his worth for us and also let him/her decide on what is right for him/her. That way we escape from the sin and get the privilege of believing that our money is being put to the most correct use. A simple solution, isn't it?
P.S. The banks have made our dilemma much easier to overcome this Diwali. They have invented what they call a 'Gift card'. A small piece of plastic wherein the chosen amount of money is embedded. The recipient can use it as a debit card or pre-paid credit card. Wonderful!
Essentially, a Gift is something for 'giving' without any consideration for return; it is meant to be free. But again, that is hard unrealistic theory only. In reality, we all expect reciprocation in return of a gift - may be not in kind or cash, may be only in terms of love or respect or may simply be the glowing smile on the face of the recipient or the momentary glint in the eyes . Sometimes, the fact that the gift is likely to fulfill one of the many needs of the person getting it weigh heavily in favour of a particular gift. But, return we do expect. When we expect return, the selection of gift is also bound to be guided by that consideration.
The other factor is the recipient of the gift. There is no point giving a camera to a blind person, or a book to a illiterate snob. Me and my wife - we have spend hours at times to zero down on the most suitable gift for someone we really love and really care for. Because, we know, a small hint of dissatisfaction or rejection on the face of that person after receiving the gift would spell hell for both of us. But, when it comes to people we actually do not care for much, it takes hardly a minute to decide on the gift. That, despite the fact that our tradition says 'donation to the unworthy is a sin'!
It is very difficult to choose the right kind of a gift for the right kind of a person because of these two overwhelming factors. Is the person fit for the gift? Or is the gift right for the person? When we fail to decide, we opt for money as gift. Let the person know his worth for us and also let him/her decide on what is right for him/her. That way we escape from the sin and get the privilege of believing that our money is being put to the most correct use. A simple solution, isn't it?
P.S. The banks have made our dilemma much easier to overcome this Diwali. They have invented what they call a 'Gift card'. A small piece of plastic wherein the chosen amount of money is embedded. The recipient can use it as a debit card or pre-paid credit card. Wonderful!
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Former President speaks
The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 's recent speech in Hyderabad
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse acknowledge them--- Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit.
There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.
Why are we so NEGATIVE?
Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture,when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say.. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS.
YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road ) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?
YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .
YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah .
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'
YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.'
YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU.
YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?
Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr. Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the
officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin.
We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse?
'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of ? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbor's, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU.
When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Lets do what India needs from us.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse acknowledge them--- Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit.
There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.
Why are we so NEGATIVE?
Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture,when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say.. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS.
YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road ) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?
YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .
YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah .
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'
YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.'
YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU.
YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?
Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr. Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the
officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin.
We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse?
'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of ? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbor's, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU.
When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Lets do what India needs from us.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Expensive drivers
I have very recently travelled with Air India, (formerly Indian Airlines and briefly Indian). While going out, I was upgraded to executive class and was seated in the cabin in two by two seats along with my wife and the five-year-old son. The hostess was aged, repulsive if not ugly, overweight and not at all smiling. It looked as if she had a fight with somebody and will pick up another fight with anybody who would talk to her. I was feeling totally unwanted even if I had paid close to eight thousand rupees each of the three of us for the privilege of flying with our own domestic government airline. The same day other airline were offering seats at Rs. 2600!
The Indian Airline is in crisis, i read in newspapers. What I could gather from the news is that there is not enough patronage from travellers and the cost of running the airline is too high. Air India now needs close to Rs. 5000 crores to give it a new leash of life. Government is apparently ready to give the money which actually it will get from our pockets.
Just before we were supposed to come back, the pilots of Air India went on a strike demanding more pay. Hundreds of people were either stranded or had to cancel their travel plans. What we hear from the media was that there was no co-ordination among the staff of the airline and they paid little or no attention to the plight of the passengers.
We had the opportunity to experience what we read and heard from the media on our way back home. At the check in counter the clerk demanded money for 5 kgs of excess baggage. I was surprised because among the three of us we had allowance for 6o kgs of luggage and we were carrying hardly 35 kgs. Then I realised that he had not even looked at my ticket properly. He thought that I have only one ticket which had a baggage allowance of 20 kgs. It occurred to me much later that even by that count his excess baggage claim should have been for 15 kgs and not 5 kgs. I still do not know what spectacular arithmetic did he use to arrived at that ridiculous figure! And he was not even apologetic when pointed out the mistake. The second surprise came when he handed over me my boarding passes. Me and my wife were given adjacent seats on both side of the isle and my five-year-old son was given a seat five rows ahead of us! When I pointed that out to him he did not respond but a baggage handler, who thought that the universal language spoken in this country is Bengali, told me that I should have come at least two hours earlier to the departure of the flight. Two hours ahead for a domestic flight? Can you believe that? So nothing was done and I took the seat of my son five rows ahead of my wife and son.
The cabin crew were shouting at the passengers, were very rude and were deliberate to make the travelers feel unwanted. There was no co-ordination among themselves and with the ground staff. They were hardly bothered about passengers comfort. The food was lousy. And they want us to travel by Air India!
When pilots strike work demanding more pay why do we forget that they are not very special class of people who have any kind of contribution towards society to deserve special treatment. They are only catering to the need of a minuscule part of the society. They are just a few very expensive drivers driving a very expensive vehicle to the eventual destination of doom.
The Indian Airline is in crisis, i read in newspapers. What I could gather from the news is that there is not enough patronage from travellers and the cost of running the airline is too high. Air India now needs close to Rs. 5000 crores to give it a new leash of life. Government is apparently ready to give the money which actually it will get from our pockets.
Just before we were supposed to come back, the pilots of Air India went on a strike demanding more pay. Hundreds of people were either stranded or had to cancel their travel plans. What we hear from the media was that there was no co-ordination among the staff of the airline and they paid little or no attention to the plight of the passengers.
We had the opportunity to experience what we read and heard from the media on our way back home. At the check in counter the clerk demanded money for 5 kgs of excess baggage. I was surprised because among the three of us we had allowance for 6o kgs of luggage and we were carrying hardly 35 kgs. Then I realised that he had not even looked at my ticket properly. He thought that I have only one ticket which had a baggage allowance of 20 kgs. It occurred to me much later that even by that count his excess baggage claim should have been for 15 kgs and not 5 kgs. I still do not know what spectacular arithmetic did he use to arrived at that ridiculous figure! And he was not even apologetic when pointed out the mistake. The second surprise came when he handed over me my boarding passes. Me and my wife were given adjacent seats on both side of the isle and my five-year-old son was given a seat five rows ahead of us! When I pointed that out to him he did not respond but a baggage handler, who thought that the universal language spoken in this country is Bengali, told me that I should have come at least two hours earlier to the departure of the flight. Two hours ahead for a domestic flight? Can you believe that? So nothing was done and I took the seat of my son five rows ahead of my wife and son.
The cabin crew were shouting at the passengers, were very rude and were deliberate to make the travelers feel unwanted. There was no co-ordination among themselves and with the ground staff. They were hardly bothered about passengers comfort. The food was lousy. And they want us to travel by Air India!
When pilots strike work demanding more pay why do we forget that they are not very special class of people who have any kind of contribution towards society to deserve special treatment. They are only catering to the need of a minuscule part of the society. They are just a few very expensive drivers driving a very expensive vehicle to the eventual destination of doom.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Holy cow!
Sashi Tharoor has been reportedly asked by Madam Soniaji to stop his controversial comments on twitter. Amid the hue and cry created by several people in the Congress, who would like to see Tharoor going out of the Ministry, and the helping accomplices in the form of media, the beginning of this controversy(?)has dissolved into the backdrop. While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called it a joke, Tharoor has tried to downplay the entire issue by saying that many had misunderstood what he wanted to say. Poor Tharoor! It is understood that he wants to stick to his position as State Minister in External Affairs ministry, even though he has to travel economy class and stay in less than five-star comfort. So he tried to pacify the agitated Holy Cows by providing a new meaning to what he said. But for all of those who wants to remember for a long time what exactly happened, here is how the controversy started -
A reporter asked him in Twitter "Are you traveling cattle class?". Tharoor replied "Yes, in cattle class in solidarity with the Holy Cows"
So, what was wrong in that twit? Anybody with a little sense of humour would have replied the same way as Tharoor did. And the 'cattle class' was not invented by Tharoor, it was put on his mouth (sorry, in his twit) by the reporter. It was a loaded question and Tharoor succumbed to it. That's it.
Tharoor could have said this instead of me. But, you know, I do not run the risk of loosing the External Affairs Ministry.
A reporter asked him in Twitter "Are you traveling cattle class?". Tharoor replied "Yes, in cattle class in solidarity with the Holy Cows"
So, what was wrong in that twit? Anybody with a little sense of humour would have replied the same way as Tharoor did. And the 'cattle class' was not invented by Tharoor, it was put on his mouth (sorry, in his twit) by the reporter. It was a loaded question and Tharoor succumbed to it. That's it.
Tharoor could have said this instead of me. But, you know, I do not run the risk of loosing the External Affairs Ministry.
Indeed! Puja is here.
It rained last night; not a heavy one though. I could here the raindrops hitting the concrete outside our bedroom as I drifted towards sleep. I woke up to a gloomy overcast early morning and realized the air has indeed become crisp. The next immediate thought was to check the Sewali tree that has grown up from a small sapling to be a six feet tall one. No, there was no sign of any flower on it. I think it will not flower this year. But, in any case, Puja is here for sure.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Passion of Puja
As you gradually come into terms with the grueling hot and humid Indian Monsoon enduring it for more than four months, do you realize suddenly one day that the continuing rains have stopped, the night-sky has become clear, the air has become crisp laced with the smell of Sewali flower, the mornings have become cooler and you can spot little drops of dew on the grass, and above all you are somehow feeling happy? If you do, then you have perfectly sensed the advent of Durga Puja.
For Indians as a whole and for the people in the eastern part of this country in general Durga Puja has crossed all boundaries of religion, cast creed and language. It does not matter any more whether one is a Bengali Hindu worshipping Sakti or an Assamese son of soil more accustomed with worshipping traditional deities, because Durga Puja is not only associated with the ritualistic practices of worshipping of Godess Durga, but is much more associated with the fervor, the fun, the bonhomie, shopping, eating delicacies like jeelebis and much more. It is much of a huge social gathering bound by enthusiasm of festivities and the passion for welcoming the soothing Autumn.
Everything about Durga Puja is passion. Most of us raveling in the zest of Puja hardly ever have any idea about the deep philosophical thought associated with religion and its practices. However, it is the activities related to the Puja like huge decorated Pandals, learge number of people thronging the Puja Pandals and the overall festive atmosphere that draws us to this unique event. The change of season also plays a very influential role in bringing peace and happiness in the mind of the people which is much more pronounced among the children.
Like many among us, we grew up in small town in western Assam during the eighties among a crowd of lazy, crazy, and at times incredibly obsessive Bengali people. For us then, Durga Puja was like a World Cup matches between Argentina and Brazil or like the final between Mohan Bagan and East Bengal; cannot miss it at any cost. We used to prepare for it, gear up properly like dedicated fans with elaborate plans for each day of the Puja. Everyone used to try very hard to come up with the best plan – be it on the donation collection, Pandal decoration, lighting, eating out, shopping and above all the cultural programme. Later, we noticed that the gusto linked to Durga Puja is not less in any other parts of the northeastern region, be it Places like Shillong or Jorhat.
The character of the Puja has remained almost same all these years. For an average eastern Indian and thousands of people of this region settled in other places across the glob, the first individual priority during Puja is new cloths for each and every one in the family. Some of them even buy specific cloths for each of the five days of the Puja. It does hardly matter whether the cost of the cloths justifies the quality. It simply has to be new. The women in the family were much more engrossed and occupied with what to buy or what to wear. Come Puja and everyone try to spend according his means and the market is flooded with varieties – both in terms of styles and prices. Bellbottoms were the craze when we were in the schools. Next year, broad flower patterns dominated the styles of cloths that we vied for. Next year was another style, and more new ones followed. But it has to be new craze every year. I am sure, this year also the marketers will come up with new styles and develop new craze.
The preparation ranges from what to wear to what to eat. Small stalls selling jeelebis, different kinds of sweets sprung up everywhere. It is impossible to think of going without an evening among the family with hot sweets and balloons for the kids during Puja. The market would be brimming with various kinds of toys and a toy pistol was a must when we just started to learn to enjoy Puja. The happiness of looking at children blessed with heavenly pleasure playing with their toys can not be paralleled.
No preparations for Puja are complete without the Dhak and Dhaki. Nothing can announce that the Puja is here better but the monotonous beat of the Dhak. The idol is another area where every organizer try to score over others. Innovations are galore in building the idol. If one Pandal is having the idol made from grass, the other is using paper to make it. The size of the idol generally signifies the size of the budget for the Puja.
Since the day of Mahalaya, the anxious look in the face of the elders in the colony not sure whether the preparations are adequate or not, not so young people engrossed with discussions to complete the preparations, the younger folks too busy with fund collections and Pandal erections, the womenfolk gathering to complete the collections of materials for the actual Puja and finalizing the items for the cultural evening – these are the snapshots of any Puja Pandals. It is amazing to think how fluidly an event can make everyone amalgamated to a unique social identity!
Durga Puja is, however, not merely shopping, eating, group activities and wholesome fun only. For all of us, Durga Puja is an opportunity to renew the vigor and passion for life. It is a time to forget the difficulties, the torments, and the pain that we encounter in our life everyday. We relish the full five days with a kind of gusto and enthusiasm so that we can remember for the rest of the year that after all we are born free.
For Indians as a whole and for the people in the eastern part of this country in general Durga Puja has crossed all boundaries of religion, cast creed and language. It does not matter any more whether one is a Bengali Hindu worshipping Sakti or an Assamese son of soil more accustomed with worshipping traditional deities, because Durga Puja is not only associated with the ritualistic practices of worshipping of Godess Durga, but is much more associated with the fervor, the fun, the bonhomie, shopping, eating delicacies like jeelebis and much more. It is much of a huge social gathering bound by enthusiasm of festivities and the passion for welcoming the soothing Autumn.
Everything about Durga Puja is passion. Most of us raveling in the zest of Puja hardly ever have any idea about the deep philosophical thought associated with religion and its practices. However, it is the activities related to the Puja like huge decorated Pandals, learge number of people thronging the Puja Pandals and the overall festive atmosphere that draws us to this unique event. The change of season also plays a very influential role in bringing peace and happiness in the mind of the people which is much more pronounced among the children.
Like many among us, we grew up in small town in western Assam during the eighties among a crowd of lazy, crazy, and at times incredibly obsessive Bengali people. For us then, Durga Puja was like a World Cup matches between Argentina and Brazil or like the final between Mohan Bagan and East Bengal; cannot miss it at any cost. We used to prepare for it, gear up properly like dedicated fans with elaborate plans for each day of the Puja. Everyone used to try very hard to come up with the best plan – be it on the donation collection, Pandal decoration, lighting, eating out, shopping and above all the cultural programme. Later, we noticed that the gusto linked to Durga Puja is not less in any other parts of the northeastern region, be it Places like Shillong or Jorhat.
The character of the Puja has remained almost same all these years. For an average eastern Indian and thousands of people of this region settled in other places across the glob, the first individual priority during Puja is new cloths for each and every one in the family. Some of them even buy specific cloths for each of the five days of the Puja. It does hardly matter whether the cost of the cloths justifies the quality. It simply has to be new. The women in the family were much more engrossed and occupied with what to buy or what to wear. Come Puja and everyone try to spend according his means and the market is flooded with varieties – both in terms of styles and prices. Bellbottoms were the craze when we were in the schools. Next year, broad flower patterns dominated the styles of cloths that we vied for. Next year was another style, and more new ones followed. But it has to be new craze every year. I am sure, this year also the marketers will come up with new styles and develop new craze.
The preparation ranges from what to wear to what to eat. Small stalls selling jeelebis, different kinds of sweets sprung up everywhere. It is impossible to think of going without an evening among the family with hot sweets and balloons for the kids during Puja. The market would be brimming with various kinds of toys and a toy pistol was a must when we just started to learn to enjoy Puja. The happiness of looking at children blessed with heavenly pleasure playing with their toys can not be paralleled.
No preparations for Puja are complete without the Dhak and Dhaki. Nothing can announce that the Puja is here better but the monotonous beat of the Dhak. The idol is another area where every organizer try to score over others. Innovations are galore in building the idol. If one Pandal is having the idol made from grass, the other is using paper to make it. The size of the idol generally signifies the size of the budget for the Puja.
Since the day of Mahalaya, the anxious look in the face of the elders in the colony not sure whether the preparations are adequate or not, not so young people engrossed with discussions to complete the preparations, the younger folks too busy with fund collections and Pandal erections, the womenfolk gathering to complete the collections of materials for the actual Puja and finalizing the items for the cultural evening – these are the snapshots of any Puja Pandals. It is amazing to think how fluidly an event can make everyone amalgamated to a unique social identity!
Durga Puja is, however, not merely shopping, eating, group activities and wholesome fun only. For all of us, Durga Puja is an opportunity to renew the vigor and passion for life. It is a time to forget the difficulties, the torments, and the pain that we encounter in our life everyday. We relish the full five days with a kind of gusto and enthusiasm so that we can remember for the rest of the year that after all we are born free.
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