“You are fined Rs. 500/-”, said honorable judge.
“Saheb, I am not guilty “, replied Ramdeen.
“Thousand rupees”, judge ruled .
“Saheb, please, I am a poor man”.
“Thousand five hundred or fifteen days imprisonment”, judge closed the file and took up another case.
Ramdeen could not pay any fine hence was jailed for two weeks. I knew Ramdeen since last four years . He has been visiting me for health checkup of his second child who is suffering from kidney ailment. This time he came after an unusual long gap. “How is it that you came after such a long time, Ramdeen? “I asked.
“Saheb , its all game of stars”, he replied . Later he narrated the chain of events that led him ‘behind bars’.
Ramdeen used to sell cloth bags at one of the busiest traffic points in the city . This was his only source of income . He was blessed with a daughter . At a very tender age of two, she had developed redness of eyes and gradually lost her vision. Ramdeen took her to government hospital but did not get any benefit. His second child, a son, was healthy but had developed nephrotic syndrome, a kidney ailment, for which he used to visit me frequently. I was moved by the tragedy of his children. I took opinion of my ophthalmologist colleagues . The girl’s blindness was caused due to Vitamin A deficiency. But by the time she was seen by my colleagues, her blindness had become irreversible.
Whenever her father and brother would visit me, she would accompany them holding hand of her brother . My heart would bleed for the poor child .
Off and on, police constables would pester Ramdeen for putting up the shop at traffic point . Everyday, police constable would take bribe from him and let him do his business . But one evening , he could not bribe the constable on duty and hence he was arrested, produced before the court and fined . He was told to pay a fine of Rs. 500. When Ramdeen tried to explain it to the judge, his penalty was doubled and then tripled. As he was unable to pay penalty, he was put behind the bars.
“ I have stopped selling cloth bags , sahib”, said Ramdeen. “ I am working as an attendant in a shop now ” , he replied.
“But why have you given up your business of selling bags?” I enquired.
“Saheb , in my life , I have never been humiliated so much. I had never seen the prison before . I always thought prison is for thugs . For initial two days even my wife did not know my whereabouts. She was shocked to learn that I was jailed. My neighbours look down at me and my family. Even the children from the neighbourhood have stopped playing with my kids.” His eyes turned moist. “ I shall never sell bags again, it has robbed me of my pride.”
I could understand that Ramdeen has lost confidence in himself. The judgment delivered by the judge changed his life. There stood the man humiliated and shattered, father of two ailing kids, one of them being blind forever . I looked at the far window to hide tears in my eyes .
After a few days I happened to pass by the same traffic point where Ramdeen sold his bags. There still were a few bag- sellers selling cloth bags. A police constable was standing nearby sharing some tobacco with them , but Ramdeen was not to be seen . I have not seen him since long now.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Hysterical Hindustan
(This article was written before Ashwarya Ray and Abhishek Bacchhan got married)
Don’t worry , be happy Hindustan , this is Hindustan news channel bringing you head lines - Ash and Abhishek have got engaged . Its time to celebrate Hindustan !
What did you say ? Farmers committing suicide ….. Oh , it is routine affair . It occurs very frequently , in fact its happening over three years now , it will go on happening as the authorities continue to be in deep slumber . How can it be the prime news ? Forget it , now elevate your moods , wipe the tears , it’s the time to celebrate , Ash and Abhishek are getting married .
Oh no , not again . Why are you in blue mood over load shedding ? You do not get electricity for 4 hours in your town and for 12 hours in your village . Don’t you worry . When our favorite starlets get married , you shall see and enjoy what electricity look like . The best lighting of the century shall be displayed in their wedding . The world will remember for ever the great show ! So worry you not , Hindustan , forget load shedding , its time to celebrate , Ash and Abhishek are getting married .
What if the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh did not visit Noida where hapless children and innocent girls were tortured , their body dismembered and bones thrown in to garbage , but don’t you realize that Mulayam is the only Chief Minister to express his overwhelming happiness over marriage of Ash and Abhishek . In fact he has deputed his lieutenant Amar Singh for Herculean task of making arrangements for wedding of the starlet duo . After all , such ‘small’ incidents of murder do happen on and off . You should not be anguished for such insignificant incidences , elevate your mood , see , Ash and Abhishek are getting married .
Water scarcity ! What is that ? Every one knows that during summer you shall be without water and electricity . Why do you worry about such routine things ? The authorities will dig the wells once water scarcity starts . The health care facilities ? Don’t you ever say that ! We have severe resource crunch for these basic things of life . Now we bring you a news flash – Ash will be wearing anmol Benarashi lehanga worth Rs two lakhs for wedding . This is only lehanga , don’t ask about georgette and bandej saris in varied hues including pink , scarlet , mustard , royal blue and magenta with exquisite pearl and stone work , ornaments , Italian chappals for Ash , best designer outfits and German shoes for Abhishek , Swiss diamond studded wrist watch for both and a party to be held in an exclusive yacht over pacific ocean where a chartered flight shall ferry the guests . The wedding itself will take place in some palace of Jaipur . Oh , how exciting !
Never mind if the amount spent can feed and rehabilitate the starving hundreds of Melghat for ever .
The rapes , day time robbery and murders , rising prices , corruption , suicide of jawans at the frontiers , battering of cricket team in South Africa , closure of factories and small scale industries ….. ….. these can no longer be the head lines , oh , Hindustan , these happen day in and day out . Don’t worry and be happy , see , Ash and Abhishek are getting married . In the mean time we assure you that we shall bring you the latest details from time to time about premarital gossips , shopping , wedding , honey moon , pregnancy …………,......., .........
Don’t worry , be happy Hindustan , this is Hindustan news channel bringing you head lines - Ash and Abhishek have got engaged . Its time to celebrate Hindustan !
What did you say ? Farmers committing suicide ….. Oh , it is routine affair . It occurs very frequently , in fact its happening over three years now , it will go on happening as the authorities continue to be in deep slumber . How can it be the prime news ? Forget it , now elevate your moods , wipe the tears , it’s the time to celebrate , Ash and Abhishek are getting married .
Oh no , not again . Why are you in blue mood over load shedding ? You do not get electricity for 4 hours in your town and for 12 hours in your village . Don’t you worry . When our favorite starlets get married , you shall see and enjoy what electricity look like . The best lighting of the century shall be displayed in their wedding . The world will remember for ever the great show ! So worry you not , Hindustan , forget load shedding , its time to celebrate , Ash and Abhishek are getting married .
What if the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh did not visit Noida where hapless children and innocent girls were tortured , their body dismembered and bones thrown in to garbage , but don’t you realize that Mulayam is the only Chief Minister to express his overwhelming happiness over marriage of Ash and Abhishek . In fact he has deputed his lieutenant Amar Singh for Herculean task of making arrangements for wedding of the starlet duo . After all , such ‘small’ incidents of murder do happen on and off . You should not be anguished for such insignificant incidences , elevate your mood , see , Ash and Abhishek are getting married .
Water scarcity ! What is that ? Every one knows that during summer you shall be without water and electricity . Why do you worry about such routine things ? The authorities will dig the wells once water scarcity starts . The health care facilities ? Don’t you ever say that ! We have severe resource crunch for these basic things of life . Now we bring you a news flash – Ash will be wearing anmol Benarashi lehanga worth Rs two lakhs for wedding . This is only lehanga , don’t ask about georgette and bandej saris in varied hues including pink , scarlet , mustard , royal blue and magenta with exquisite pearl and stone work , ornaments , Italian chappals for Ash , best designer outfits and German shoes for Abhishek , Swiss diamond studded wrist watch for both and a party to be held in an exclusive yacht over pacific ocean where a chartered flight shall ferry the guests . The wedding itself will take place in some palace of Jaipur . Oh , how exciting !
Never mind if the amount spent can feed and rehabilitate the starving hundreds of Melghat for ever .
The rapes , day time robbery and murders , rising prices , corruption , suicide of jawans at the frontiers , battering of cricket team in South Africa , closure of factories and small scale industries ….. ….. these can no longer be the head lines , oh , Hindustan , these happen day in and day out . Don’t worry and be happy , see , Ash and Abhishek are getting married . In the mean time we assure you that we shall bring you the latest details from time to time about premarital gossips , shopping , wedding , honey moon , pregnancy …………,......., .........
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Divine Sticks from Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar is a holy place . It is situated in the Sahyadri range of mountains along western coast of India . Besides natural beauty , temples and serpentine rivulets , this place is also famous for beautifully carved walking-sticks . It is believed that prayers made here always come true . I have a feeling that the sticks from Mahabaleshwar are as effective as prayers . I have a reason to believe so.
During my childhood , we used to stay in railway quarters . We six brothers and two sisters with parents lived in a quarter admeasuring about 600 square feet - courtesy South Eastern Railways . I was the seventh child of my parents . Our home was shabby for more than one reason . There was always more luggage in our home than needed - some useful , many useless , mostly such items which were never to be used but could not be thrown out either . As if the number of children were not enough , we also had two pet dogs . Not surprising then that in spite of all efforts of my overworked mother , the home remained shabby .
My Mejda ( second eldest brother ) had brought two walking sticks from Mahabaleshwar . These were well carved with beautifully decorated handles . The grips of the handles were designed like the head of Chinese dragon . Mejda brought these sticks for two reasons , one - to decorate the walls of our otherwise shabby home and the other that they would prove handy in father’s old age. Well , the second logic did not amuse my father !
My father was always worried about the future of his sons and daughters . “Alas ! I wonder if my children will ever become manush ”, he often said . ‘Manush’ in Bengali means good human being and amanush meant a spoilt child . I , his seventh child , was far from being a manush , in fact I was more of amanush.
There was a mango grove next to our school where I studied . During the school periods , instead of concentrating on what the teacher taught , my thoughts would hover around the branches of the mango trees . In the recess , we all friends would play hide and seek game in the mango grove . I used to rush to these trees and hide among the branches , while my classmates would search for me frantically .
Once I spread itch – powder on the benches and desks in the class room and later when powder showed its effect , all the kids started scratching their body and I had a hearty laugh till I got a good thrashing from the head teacher . In short I was a naughty and lazy student .
I never lost any opportunity to gossip . In fact I loved to listen to other people gossiping , especially the elders , as that seemed to be the only available entertainment for them in our small town. Needless to say most of my time was wasted like this. Once , just a month prior to exams , a family acquaintance visited our home . He started telling stories about some Bengali hit movie he had seen in Calcutta . I was glued to the spot voraciously gulping his make belief .
My Mejda was an army man ,a strict disciplinarian . He disapproved of all this especially wasting time before exams . He was home for his annual leave and was watching all that was going on for sometime , silent but disapproving . When suddenly….
Dham ..dhoom … dham ..dhoom …. crack , the stick broke on my back . It happened even before I realized what hit me. Unable to tolerate my wasting time Mejda had silently brought down one stick and then ……. This had two immediate effects . Firstly , from that day , I stopped wasting my time in gossiping . Secondly , my father was apparently very happy . Sticks no longer reminded him of his old age .
Many years have passed since then . My father is no more . I do not know whether I have fulfilled my father’s dream of my becoming a manush . I often tell my Mejda , “ Brother , your one stick has made me a kidney specialist , you should have broken both the sticks on my back , then possibly , I would have become a manush in the real sense .”
After all , the sticks were no ordinary sticks , these were divine sticks from Mahabaleshwar !
During my childhood , we used to stay in railway quarters . We six brothers and two sisters with parents lived in a quarter admeasuring about 600 square feet - courtesy South Eastern Railways . I was the seventh child of my parents . Our home was shabby for more than one reason . There was always more luggage in our home than needed - some useful , many useless , mostly such items which were never to be used but could not be thrown out either . As if the number of children were not enough , we also had two pet dogs . Not surprising then that in spite of all efforts of my overworked mother , the home remained shabby .
My Mejda ( second eldest brother ) had brought two walking sticks from Mahabaleshwar . These were well carved with beautifully decorated handles . The grips of the handles were designed like the head of Chinese dragon . Mejda brought these sticks for two reasons , one - to decorate the walls of our otherwise shabby home and the other that they would prove handy in father’s old age. Well , the second logic did not amuse my father !
My father was always worried about the future of his sons and daughters . “Alas ! I wonder if my children will ever become manush ”, he often said . ‘Manush’ in Bengali means good human being and amanush meant a spoilt child . I , his seventh child , was far from being a manush , in fact I was more of amanush.
There was a mango grove next to our school where I studied . During the school periods , instead of concentrating on what the teacher taught , my thoughts would hover around the branches of the mango trees . In the recess , we all friends would play hide and seek game in the mango grove . I used to rush to these trees and hide among the branches , while my classmates would search for me frantically .
Once I spread itch – powder on the benches and desks in the class room and later when powder showed its effect , all the kids started scratching their body and I had a hearty laugh till I got a good thrashing from the head teacher . In short I was a naughty and lazy student .
I never lost any opportunity to gossip . In fact I loved to listen to other people gossiping , especially the elders , as that seemed to be the only available entertainment for them in our small town. Needless to say most of my time was wasted like this. Once , just a month prior to exams , a family acquaintance visited our home . He started telling stories about some Bengali hit movie he had seen in Calcutta . I was glued to the spot voraciously gulping his make belief .
My Mejda was an army man ,a strict disciplinarian . He disapproved of all this especially wasting time before exams . He was home for his annual leave and was watching all that was going on for sometime , silent but disapproving . When suddenly….
Dham ..dhoom … dham ..dhoom …. crack , the stick broke on my back . It happened even before I realized what hit me. Unable to tolerate my wasting time Mejda had silently brought down one stick and then ……. This had two immediate effects . Firstly , from that day , I stopped wasting my time in gossiping . Secondly , my father was apparently very happy . Sticks no longer reminded him of his old age .
Many years have passed since then . My father is no more . I do not know whether I have fulfilled my father’s dream of my becoming a manush . I often tell my Mejda , “ Brother , your one stick has made me a kidney specialist , you should have broken both the sticks on my back , then possibly , I would have become a manush in the real sense .”
After all , the sticks were no ordinary sticks , these were divine sticks from Mahabaleshwar !
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Miracle water
I was in seventh heaven , naturally so because my patient Ramu had shown remarkable signs of recovery . This 10 years old lad was admitted in the intensive care unit ( ICU ) 3 weeks back in a state of coma. He had high grade fever , seizures , bleeding tendency , jaundice and kidney failure . His father Haridas had brought him with great hopes .
In the first week inspite of our efforts Ramu was deteriorating . Myself and Devyani, my physician colleague were involved in the management of Ramu . As he deteriorated we scanned many books , literature , discussed day and night and went through the internet about the disease and the possible treatment available .
In our ICU , we have a very dedicated staff in-charge , Sister Ammini . She is very strict with the staff nurses , friendly with doctors , sympathetic to the patients and co-operative with the relatives . She is very religious . As I enter the ICU , from her face I can understand the status of my patient . If her face is bright , my patient must be improving ., her dark face indicates that something is grossly wrong with the patient , a bored face indicates that the number of patients in the ICU are less . In short her face is the mirror of ICU . If any patient is critically ill , she is in blue mood.
“ Ai ai yo , I shall pray to Jesus for his recovery “ said sister Ammini .Her face was dark with pain and anguish of the suffering child .
Devyani and me appreciated her feelings .
We have a very dependable friend Jay , I call him as a “ mobile medical dictionary” . He is very intelligent and always helpful . I took his help in patients management . But inspite of all our struggles , patient was not doing well .
We had exhausted almost all available medications of our armamentarium . We were feeling helpless against the hopeless situation . The child had started bleeding in his stomach . Lot many blood transfusions and blood products were transfused .
I felt as if the earth below my feet is giving way . I was depressed . My enthusiasm had disappeared . I was greatly disturbed with the chain of events .It was difficult for me to face child’s father , who was always calm and serene . He had great faith on us , that made me feel more helpless .
God has his own ways to make us feel His existence .As we were fighting against all hopes , the child gradually started improving . His breathing improved . His urination picked up . Jaundice started fading . One fine morning he opened his eyes . A wave of joy spread in our ICU .
“ Ai ai yo , ” giggled sister Ammini , “ See sir , our prayers are answered ”.
Out efforts were fruitful . The child had started taking feeds . Soon he was sitting with support and started communicating . I felt elated . I was in seventh heaven .
Now I could face Haridas , the father of the child , confidently .
“ See , I am glad to tell you that your child Ramu is now out of danger . He will soon be discharged . This all was possible because of the continuous day and night care in this hospital .” I said .
“Yes sir , you all have done very hard work .But ….. er sir , I hid a fact from you sir” said Haridas “ that I have been giving my son miracle water of 300 yrs old village-pond secretly for last so many days . And see the result , my son has recovered . ” said Haridas in full faith .
My heaven crashed .
In the first week inspite of our efforts Ramu was deteriorating . Myself and Devyani, my physician colleague were involved in the management of Ramu . As he deteriorated we scanned many books , literature , discussed day and night and went through the internet about the disease and the possible treatment available .
In our ICU , we have a very dedicated staff in-charge , Sister Ammini . She is very strict with the staff nurses , friendly with doctors , sympathetic to the patients and co-operative with the relatives . She is very religious . As I enter the ICU , from her face I can understand the status of my patient . If her face is bright , my patient must be improving ., her dark face indicates that something is grossly wrong with the patient , a bored face indicates that the number of patients in the ICU are less . In short her face is the mirror of ICU . If any patient is critically ill , she is in blue mood.
“ Ai ai yo , I shall pray to Jesus for his recovery “ said sister Ammini .Her face was dark with pain and anguish of the suffering child .
Devyani and me appreciated her feelings .
We have a very dependable friend Jay , I call him as a “ mobile medical dictionary” . He is very intelligent and always helpful . I took his help in patients management . But inspite of all our struggles , patient was not doing well .
We had exhausted almost all available medications of our armamentarium . We were feeling helpless against the hopeless situation . The child had started bleeding in his stomach . Lot many blood transfusions and blood products were transfused .
I felt as if the earth below my feet is giving way . I was depressed . My enthusiasm had disappeared . I was greatly disturbed with the chain of events .It was difficult for me to face child’s father , who was always calm and serene . He had great faith on us , that made me feel more helpless .
God has his own ways to make us feel His existence .As we were fighting against all hopes , the child gradually started improving . His breathing improved . His urination picked up . Jaundice started fading . One fine morning he opened his eyes . A wave of joy spread in our ICU .
“ Ai ai yo , ” giggled sister Ammini , “ See sir , our prayers are answered ”.
Out efforts were fruitful . The child had started taking feeds . Soon he was sitting with support and started communicating . I felt elated . I was in seventh heaven .
Now I could face Haridas , the father of the child , confidently .
“ See , I am glad to tell you that your child Ramu is now out of danger . He will soon be discharged . This all was possible because of the continuous day and night care in this hospital .” I said .
“Yes sir , you all have done very hard work .But ….. er sir , I hid a fact from you sir” said Haridas “ that I have been giving my son miracle water of 300 yrs old village-pond secretly for last so many days . And see the result , my son has recovered . ” said Haridas in full faith .
My heaven crashed .
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Kohinoor
Recently I visited United Kingdom to participate in nephrology conference . I utilized this opportunity for tourism . I visited many places and museums . The unforgettable experience was my visit to Tower of London because here I saw Kohinoor , the diamond about which I had heard many stories since my childhood and always yearned to see it . I was dumbfounded with the beauty of it , this large glittering diamond is now glorifying the crown of her majesty , the queen of England .
The authentic history of this jewel begins in the 14th AD when it was reported to be in the possession of the rajas of Malwa. It later fell into the hands of Baber, who founded the Mogul dynasty in 1526. It decorated the peacock throne of Shah-e-jahan. During the next two centuries the diamond was one of the most prized items in the treasure of the Mogul emperors. In 1739, Nadir Shah of Persia invaded India and all of the treasures of the Moguls fell into his hands except the great diamond. Nadir Shah was told by one of the emperor's harem women that the stone was hidden in the emperor's turban. The conqueror then invited the conquered to a feast and offered to exchange turbans as a gesture of friendship. The emperor had no choice but to agree. Later, in the privacy of his tent, Nadir Shah unrolled the turban, the gem fell out, and Nadir is supposed to have exclaimed "Koh-i-noor", mountain of light.
The stone continued in the possession of the Persian dynasty, although many attempts were made to gain ownership of it. The Persian king was assassinated, and his son Shah Rukh, was deposed. In an effort to discover the whereabouts of the diamond Shah Rukh´s eyes were put out, and boiling pitch was poured on his head, but he refused steadfastly to reveal its hiding place. Later, a Persian king fled with it to the Sikh court and Ranjit Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, took the stone and wore it as a decoration. It was later placed in the Lahore treasury.
In the mean time Englishmen learnt about Sone ki chidiya , the golden bird , India and they sailed in search of it till they reached America and then Africa . Ultimately they reached the west coast of India and took permission of Jahangir (in fact from her majesty , Noor e jahan , wise queen of Jahangir , who virtually ruled India behind the
veils ) . Englishmen found that India is really very rich , had fertile lands , rich in garam masala , cotton , jute , resham , jungle wealth , coal mines , and what not ! You name it and you would find it in India .
To their great joy , Englishmen found that India is a divided lot , many kingdoms existed in India fighting with each other . Englishmen took full advantage of the situation . They had brought gun powder with them . They sided with one or other king and destroyed both . They found dishonest ministers , likes of Mirjafer who was bribed by Englishmen which led to the defeat of king of Bengal , Siraujudoulla and East India Company could set its feet in India .
After the Sikh wars, Kohinoor was taken by the East India Company as part of the indemnity levied in 1849, and was subsequently presented to Queen Victoria at a sparkling levee marking the company's 250th anniversary.
Queen Victoria thought that the jewel displayed insufficient fire . It was decided to recut it from its original Indian form. The cutting took 38 days, but did not add much to the stone's brilliance. It was rather believed that the historical value of the diamond was diminished by the cutting.
There were three good things that happened because of English rule - firstly India was benefited with the great discoveries occurring in England those days like railways , telephone and electricity. Secondly English abolished the age old horrifying custom of sati , wherein ladies were burnt alive in the pyre of their dead husbands . Last and most important benefit reaped was the formation of United states of India . Against the oppressive rule of British empire , all different states of India united and fought for freedom . In the process we have a single country of varied culture which never happened in the history of India in last thousands of years !
As a partying gift , English inflicted India with two deep wounds - they divided western India as west Pakistan and intellectual capital of India , Bengal in to west Bengal and East Pakistan .
Mother India was gifted with the crown of thorns and continues to bleed relentlessly while our Kohinoor glorifies the crown of Her Majesty , the queen of England .
The authentic history of this jewel begins in the 14th AD when it was reported to be in the possession of the rajas of Malwa. It later fell into the hands of Baber, who founded the Mogul dynasty in 1526. It decorated the peacock throne of Shah-e-jahan. During the next two centuries the diamond was one of the most prized items in the treasure of the Mogul emperors. In 1739, Nadir Shah of Persia invaded India and all of the treasures of the Moguls fell into his hands except the great diamond. Nadir Shah was told by one of the emperor's harem women that the stone was hidden in the emperor's turban. The conqueror then invited the conquered to a feast and offered to exchange turbans as a gesture of friendship. The emperor had no choice but to agree. Later, in the privacy of his tent, Nadir Shah unrolled the turban, the gem fell out, and Nadir is supposed to have exclaimed "Koh-i-noor", mountain of light.
The stone continued in the possession of the Persian dynasty, although many attempts were made to gain ownership of it. The Persian king was assassinated, and his son Shah Rukh, was deposed. In an effort to discover the whereabouts of the diamond Shah Rukh´s eyes were put out, and boiling pitch was poured on his head, but he refused steadfastly to reveal its hiding place. Later, a Persian king fled with it to the Sikh court and Ranjit Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, took the stone and wore it as a decoration. It was later placed in the Lahore treasury.
In the mean time Englishmen learnt about Sone ki chidiya , the golden bird , India and they sailed in search of it till they reached America and then Africa . Ultimately they reached the west coast of India and took permission of Jahangir (in fact from her majesty , Noor e jahan , wise queen of Jahangir , who virtually ruled India behind the
veils ) . Englishmen found that India is really very rich , had fertile lands , rich in garam masala , cotton , jute , resham , jungle wealth , coal mines , and what not ! You name it and you would find it in India .
To their great joy , Englishmen found that India is a divided lot , many kingdoms existed in India fighting with each other . Englishmen took full advantage of the situation . They had brought gun powder with them . They sided with one or other king and destroyed both . They found dishonest ministers , likes of Mirjafer who was bribed by Englishmen which led to the defeat of king of Bengal , Siraujudoulla and East India Company could set its feet in India .
After the Sikh wars, Kohinoor was taken by the East India Company as part of the indemnity levied in 1849, and was subsequently presented to Queen Victoria at a sparkling levee marking the company's 250th anniversary.
Queen Victoria thought that the jewel displayed insufficient fire . It was decided to recut it from its original Indian form. The cutting took 38 days, but did not add much to the stone's brilliance. It was rather believed that the historical value of the diamond was diminished by the cutting.
There were three good things that happened because of English rule - firstly India was benefited with the great discoveries occurring in England those days like railways , telephone and electricity. Secondly English abolished the age old horrifying custom of sati , wherein ladies were burnt alive in the pyre of their dead husbands . Last and most important benefit reaped was the formation of United states of India . Against the oppressive rule of British empire , all different states of India united and fought for freedom . In the process we have a single country of varied culture which never happened in the history of India in last thousands of years !
As a partying gift , English inflicted India with two deep wounds - they divided western India as west Pakistan and intellectual capital of India , Bengal in to west Bengal and East Pakistan .
Mother India was gifted with the crown of thorns and continues to bleed relentlessly while our Kohinoor glorifies the crown of Her Majesty , the queen of England .
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The Enigmatic Smile
She had a pretty face adorned with an enigmatic smile . She was a black beauty and had I been a poet , I would have likened her to a black pearl , such was her radiance. Her soft lilting voice , her dark wavy hair dancing on her forehead and graceful walk held our attention.
We met her during our short trip to Kerala . As we drove from Cochin to Periyar we wished to quench our thirst with fruit juice . From a distance we could see a shop where fresh pine apple juice was being sold . As we stopped for a drink , the black beauty rushed towards our car. There was a spring in her steps and a welcome smile on her face. She was wearing a simple handloom sari and had a white dupatta thrown casually over her right shoulder. She ushered us to her single room mud house and made us sit comfortably on a bench made of bamboo and wood . She quickly arranged for a bamboo tripod which she lifted with her left hand and arranged in front of us in as decorative manner as was possible in her hut . Behind the hut was a small farm full of pine apple plants . They were selling freshly picked pine apple juice . The black beauty ran to the farm with a sickle , plucked a pine apple with her left hand , then dissected it into small pieces with a fine knife and then she put the pieces into a juicer . She moved the gear of the juicer with her left hand and the fresh juice started pouring in to a container .
Then she poured the juice in to big glasses and brought the tray to our table with her left hand , kept it on the bamboo tripod and served us smilingly . As we asked her about the farm she smilingly answered in broken Hindi mixed generously with Malayali. Though we could not understand everything she was saying we could understand that she and her husband were working on the farm for many years. They looked after the farm and also attended to any thirsty traveller who stopped by to have a drink. They stayed in a tiny hut on the farm itself. Every evening the landlord came and collected the days earning.
I took the glass and moved around in the farm behind that hut and later after I had finished the drink I handed over the glass to the black beauty which she collected with her left hand . I thanked her for the nice juice and for her hospitality , paid her bill and continued our journey .
As we drove ahead , my daughter asked me , ‘ Papa , did you notice something strange about that lady ? ’
I gave a thought and answered ‘ Oh yes , she was working with her left hand only .’ ‘That was because she had no right hand , she had lost her right hand in an accident long back . ’ replied my wife . I was astonished . I looked back towards the hut , there stood the black beauty waving at us with her left hand and a beautiful heavenly smile on her serene face .
‘ God has gifted us with so much but we understand the importance of such divinely gifts only when we loose them . See this young lady who has lost her hand but look how happy she is . Even in this dire poverty where she and her family are practically living hand to mouth , she is able to smile forgetting that she has lost her right hand . Look at the radiance on her face . She is helping her family from dawn to dusk . She is contented . She has no grudges , ’ said my wife . We were all dumb founded .
Truly we all live but only a few live life fully .
We met her during our short trip to Kerala . As we drove from Cochin to Periyar we wished to quench our thirst with fruit juice . From a distance we could see a shop where fresh pine apple juice was being sold . As we stopped for a drink , the black beauty rushed towards our car. There was a spring in her steps and a welcome smile on her face. She was wearing a simple handloom sari and had a white dupatta thrown casually over her right shoulder. She ushered us to her single room mud house and made us sit comfortably on a bench made of bamboo and wood . She quickly arranged for a bamboo tripod which she lifted with her left hand and arranged in front of us in as decorative manner as was possible in her hut . Behind the hut was a small farm full of pine apple plants . They were selling freshly picked pine apple juice . The black beauty ran to the farm with a sickle , plucked a pine apple with her left hand , then dissected it into small pieces with a fine knife and then she put the pieces into a juicer . She moved the gear of the juicer with her left hand and the fresh juice started pouring in to a container .
Then she poured the juice in to big glasses and brought the tray to our table with her left hand , kept it on the bamboo tripod and served us smilingly . As we asked her about the farm she smilingly answered in broken Hindi mixed generously with Malayali. Though we could not understand everything she was saying we could understand that she and her husband were working on the farm for many years. They looked after the farm and also attended to any thirsty traveller who stopped by to have a drink. They stayed in a tiny hut on the farm itself. Every evening the landlord came and collected the days earning.
I took the glass and moved around in the farm behind that hut and later after I had finished the drink I handed over the glass to the black beauty which she collected with her left hand . I thanked her for the nice juice and for her hospitality , paid her bill and continued our journey .
As we drove ahead , my daughter asked me , ‘ Papa , did you notice something strange about that lady ? ’
I gave a thought and answered ‘ Oh yes , she was working with her left hand only .’ ‘That was because she had no right hand , she had lost her right hand in an accident long back . ’ replied my wife . I was astonished . I looked back towards the hut , there stood the black beauty waving at us with her left hand and a beautiful heavenly smile on her serene face .
‘ God has gifted us with so much but we understand the importance of such divinely gifts only when we loose them . See this young lady who has lost her hand but look how happy she is . Even in this dire poverty where she and her family are practically living hand to mouth , she is able to smile forgetting that she has lost her right hand . Look at the radiance on her face . She is helping her family from dawn to dusk . She is contented . She has no grudges , ’ said my wife . We were all dumb founded .
Truly we all live but only a few live life fully .
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Nest of Love
Since few days , a bird was frequenting my home , and soon followed its mate . Throughout the day the couple would chatter and make lovely sounds . The male bird was dark black in color with beautiful dark red collar . The female was slightly smaller in size , but fully dark . They selected a corner in verandah of our house . Soon they started building a nest .
Throughout day and night , they brought shreds of paper , grass , tiny branches of shrubs and twined these in to a tiny but beautiful nest . We eagerly observed the growth of the nest . Soon the nest was ready . It took about 5 days for them to build the nest . All of a sudden , chattering stopped . We wondered as to what had happened . Soon we discovered that the female had laid eggs - off white eggs with brownish tinge . Throughout the day , she sat on the eggs and incubated . She would sit still for hours together. Her size was larger than the size of the nest . Her wings would remain outside the nest while she sat there patiently . It became a routine for me to see the bird before going out for my work . The first thing I used to do after coming back was to have a look at the nest and see whether there was any sign of new born . The days passed by and every day appeared very long for me . I was not able to hide my eagerness to see the new comers .
There was enthusiasm in our home , my kids were very excited .
“ Papa , what are they doing ?”, asked my youngest daughter .
“ They have built a home , and now they have laid the eggs , and soon tiny kids will be born ,” replied my wife .
“ The way we were born ?” asked the tiny tot . My wife smiled .
The birds remained silent throughout the period of incubation . There was no chattering . Soon the tiny little ones were born . These were featherless bundle of muscle mass with closed eyes and tiny beaks . We all congratulated each other as if there was a new born in our own family .
The mother bird brought eatables and fed the new born , the father bird was hanging around nearby keeping a close watch on the kids .
Often we found the kids were alone and protruding their beaks out as if they were very hungry . Soon the mother would arrive carrying some insects to feed the young ones . The kids started growing . They started making noise and soon chattering restarted . The hungry kids would shout as if they were demanding food and the mother bird would chatter as if to assure that soon the food would be available . The moment , mother bird would arrive with food , the chattering and eagerness of the kids increased . They would jostle among each other to get their share of food .
Once early morning there was a call from my hospital to attend an emergency . I got ready in a huff and rushed to the hospital . As I was nearing the gate , a frail voice called me back . I looked back - my mother was calling me back.
My mother is about to complete her ninth decade . She has tremors involving her hands and tongue . She is lean and thin . Her face is full of wrinkles of wisdom and experience . She is an abode of love , affection and strength for me . I have always remained a tiny kid for her . She was calling me back .
“ Why don’t you have some food and then go to hospital to see patients . After all your return is unpredictable .” said my mother with a trembling voice . She had slowly come out of her room , walked with shaky steps up to the door and called me . Even in most urgent situations , I could never say no to her . I turned back to the dining table . She served breakfast for me . I gulped my breakfast in a hurry . She felt relieved once I finished eating .
As I started back for my work , I heard the chattering of the birds again – I looked at the nest - mother bird was feeding her kids .
All mothers are same , so I thought .
Throughout day and night , they brought shreds of paper , grass , tiny branches of shrubs and twined these in to a tiny but beautiful nest . We eagerly observed the growth of the nest . Soon the nest was ready . It took about 5 days for them to build the nest . All of a sudden , chattering stopped . We wondered as to what had happened . Soon we discovered that the female had laid eggs - off white eggs with brownish tinge . Throughout the day , she sat on the eggs and incubated . She would sit still for hours together. Her size was larger than the size of the nest . Her wings would remain outside the nest while she sat there patiently . It became a routine for me to see the bird before going out for my work . The first thing I used to do after coming back was to have a look at the nest and see whether there was any sign of new born . The days passed by and every day appeared very long for me . I was not able to hide my eagerness to see the new comers .
There was enthusiasm in our home , my kids were very excited .
“ Papa , what are they doing ?”, asked my youngest daughter .
“ They have built a home , and now they have laid the eggs , and soon tiny kids will be born ,” replied my wife .
“ The way we were born ?” asked the tiny tot . My wife smiled .
The birds remained silent throughout the period of incubation . There was no chattering . Soon the tiny little ones were born . These were featherless bundle of muscle mass with closed eyes and tiny beaks . We all congratulated each other as if there was a new born in our own family .
The mother bird brought eatables and fed the new born , the father bird was hanging around nearby keeping a close watch on the kids .
Often we found the kids were alone and protruding their beaks out as if they were very hungry . Soon the mother would arrive carrying some insects to feed the young ones . The kids started growing . They started making noise and soon chattering restarted . The hungry kids would shout as if they were demanding food and the mother bird would chatter as if to assure that soon the food would be available . The moment , mother bird would arrive with food , the chattering and eagerness of the kids increased . They would jostle among each other to get their share of food .
Once early morning there was a call from my hospital to attend an emergency . I got ready in a huff and rushed to the hospital . As I was nearing the gate , a frail voice called me back . I looked back - my mother was calling me back.
My mother is about to complete her ninth decade . She has tremors involving her hands and tongue . She is lean and thin . Her face is full of wrinkles of wisdom and experience . She is an abode of love , affection and strength for me . I have always remained a tiny kid for her . She was calling me back .
“ Why don’t you have some food and then go to hospital to see patients . After all your return is unpredictable .” said my mother with a trembling voice . She had slowly come out of her room , walked with shaky steps up to the door and called me . Even in most urgent situations , I could never say no to her . I turned back to the dining table . She served breakfast for me . I gulped my breakfast in a hurry . She felt relieved once I finished eating .
As I started back for my work , I heard the chattering of the birds again – I looked at the nest - mother bird was feeding her kids .
All mothers are same , so I thought .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)