Death Anniversary of Indira Gandhi

 Exactly 37 years ago, on the morning of 31st October, 1984 Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India was assassinated by her Sikh body guards. Eminent writer Khushwant Singh once used to be very close to her family, especially to her younger son Sanjay Gandhi, but later fell out of her favor after Sanjay's death in an air crash. He wanted to visit her place to pay his last respect in spite of their estrangement.

When he was about to leave he got a call from a well wisher (I have forgotten the person's name) - "Sardarjee (as Sikhs are addressed), Have you lost your mind ? Don't ever dare going out now. The goons of Congress are dragging Sikhs out of vehicles and roasting them alive. They are going to make a Sikh KABAAB (roast) out of you".

Needless to say, the hired goons of HKL Bhagat (An East Delhi Mafia) and goon troika of Lalit Maken, Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar - all HONORABLE MPs from Congress party, were directly accused of conniving and complicity in the riots against the hapless Sikhs who have no connection with Indira's killers except their religion.

Thousands of Sikhs were killed and maimed in the days following. Estimates vary - from the government issued figure of 2,800 to the independently assessed number 8,000 to 10,000. All said and done, many hardened criminals were released from jails that fateful evening in full police protection. Scores were armed with iron rods and Kerosene oil.

Bribed and motivated by the 100 rupee note handouts (had a decent purchase value then) and fueled by bottles of liquors alleged supplied by Sajjan Kumar and Lalit Maken (Uncle of the present Congress politician Ajay Maken who was a baby when his parents were mowed down by Sikh gunmen months later for his dad's involvement in anti-Sikh riots in Delhi), they went on rampage, destroying life and property of Sikhs they came across.

Indira's son Rajeev Gandhi who took over as the Prime Minister after his mother's untimely death shrugged off the Sikh massacre as "When a big tree falls the surrounding earth shakes". Government controlled All India Radio and Doordarshan blacked out the mass killing of Sikhs. People tuned in to British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) to get stunning news of Sikhs killed not in the hundreds but in thousands (Ironically the news of killing of Sikhs by iron rods and garlanding them with tyres set on fire would have stayed hidden from the same folks who today despise BBC for reporting some unpalatable truth from India).

This is not the sole example. Our great Congress party, espousing soft Hindutva has a history of involvement in several large scale killing of minorities including Muslims whom ironically it now portrays itself as their savior. The following ones come on top of my mind, though I am sure of many more such incidents taking place under the auspices of our Grand Old Party Congress.

1983 - Nellie massacre in Assam (3,000 killed)

1987 - Maliana near Meerut (50 Muslim youths picked up from their homes and killed by the UP police)

1989 - Bhagalpur in Bihar (1000 killed).

Congress was in power in both at the Center and the above states during these pogroms of Muslims.

BJP is no lily white, but it sounds utterly hypocrite when Congies like Digvijaya Singh and Ajay Maken whose father incidentally handed out 100 rupee notes and liquor bottles as prize to teach the Sikhs a lesson, are accusing BJP of resorting to Communalism. This is nothing but a classic case of Pot calling the kettle black. Death of Indira was itself the end of an era but the progrom that followed paved the way minority bashing in the future.

The fickle nature of human relationships

 Human relationships can be fickle, fragile, fake - a mix of some or all the above. It often defying logic. Many folks I have noticed have temperamental relationships which repeat every year like seasons. I call it Animalistic relationship. Animals get friendly during their few months of mating season every year, rest of the year they spend fighting with one another. This habit gets repeated every year. 

Man is nothing but an intelligent animal. A similar pattern is followed by the homo sapien species. We have a couple of relatives whom I have been following for few decades. One year at our various family gatherings and social functions they would fight tooth to nail, the next year they are seen being extremely friendly, hugging and embracing one another, embarrassing others by such turncoat behavior. Again the very next year they will get into fighting mode and the following year they will patch up yet again. This has been going on for several decades now.

One particular year when both families were in a fighting mode, they came separately to our house to complain against each other. My parents would interject - if you guys can't get along why not just cut off the relationship ? For years we have been observing this farcical endless cycle of fracas and squabbling followed by patch ups and bear hugs. This repeats every year like seasons. Just let go this relationship and move on for God's safe. You are making a laughing stock of yourself. No one will take you seriously if you keep doing this. 

They responded by considering my parents as interlopers, retorting back - We are blood relations and blood is thicker than water. We fight, make up to fight yet again and don't mind getting into this infinite loop of break ups and mending. How can you say we take a break from this ? Shit happens between relations, but we love to get entangled in this shit. This is how we live and have no qualms with this pattern repeating every year. 

"Fair enough. It's your life to live the way you like. But stop compIaining and bitching behind each other. Respect the thickness of your blood by living amicably. You guys don't have to fight" - my parents replied. Not sure how they took it, but this farce gets re-enacted each year.

Such relationships are not just limited to our family. It's pretty much rampant, especially in our DESI (as Persons of Indian origin are ascribed to) community in America. More than any thickness of blood pragmatism is the glue which keeps them together though they enjoy engaging in their periodic squabblings. There are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interest thrives - ethics or morality be damned. 

Inexplicable it may sound, but these aren't minor human foibles to be ignored. Logically it doesn't make sense. But we humans are inherently complex and our relationships are complicated affairs. Love (its opposite hate too) is strongest when it's unseasonable. Emotion is known to override logic. Your public hater could be your secret admirer. Psychologists struggle to explain it.

My take - if a relationship doesn't work simply move on. No one in the world and at this age indispensable. Graveyard is full of indispensable. Time and tide wait for non. Life goes on. No wonder Lord Krishna espoused his buddy Arjun in our epic Hindu scripture BHAGAVAT GITA to use weapons against his own relatives - because for a higher cause human relationships doesn't matter, so let it go if necessary for the sake of duty and sanity. Sri Krishna was way ahead of his time and the eternal truth spoken by him still stands out.

Celebration in Kashmiri following Pakistan's win

 Reports of celebration of Pakistan's victory over India in the recently concluded T20 game in Kashmir didn't surprise me at all. We all have been there, seen this before. This is neither new, nor unique. 

The Kashmiri valley was never with us. During the West Indies 1983-84 tour of India, an One Day International held in Srinagar prematurely scrapped due to the crowd violence. It didn't go unnoticed in the teenager in me to see the crowd cheering wildly for every wicket India lost and every boundary hit by the Windies. Bottom line - the spectators hated India to the core.

Fast forward by 5 years. Rubiyya Saeed, daughter of a Cabinet from Kashmir was kidnapped by terrorists. The Central non-Congress government then well supported by BJP acquiesced by releasing some hardcore militants in exchange for the release of a VIP's daughter. This decision had its long unforeseen consequences, emboldening the terrorists and reinforcing the perception of India being a weak state.

Soon Violence took over the Valley. REC (Now NIT) Srinagar was closed Sine die and all the students from Odisha studying there were transferred to NIT, Rourkela. It included some of my childhood friends. We welcomed them with open arms to REC, Rourkela. Those brilliant brains lost a valuable year due to our Centeral government's indecisiveness and vacillation.

Our new NIT Srinagar immigrants brought us exciting anecdotes from Srinagar. Most of us in our upper teens with adrenaline rushing through our body and fickle minds ruled more by emotions than logic were battered by the events surrounding them. 

The Valley's antipathy towards India and sympathy for Pakistan was appalling. The locals in Kashmir valley hardly considered themselves as part of India, clearly seeing those from the Mainland India as outsiders. The environment inside the Engineering College Campus perpetually resembled a room filled with flammable gas. All it needed was to light a match stick, in form of celebration of a section of students post India's win or defeat in a game of Cricket or Hockey .

They narrated many interesting and harrowing stories. One of them Ashutosh Mallick, was taunted frequently "SALIM MALIK TO MUSALMAN HAI, TU KAISE HINDU BAN GAYA, "Salim Malik is Muslim, how come you are Hindu", pointing to his last name and referring to Salim Malik, a Pakistani Cricketer.

The students from the Srinagar Valley were mostly Muslims, who kept to themselves and were completely segregated from their Hindu and Sikh counterparts from Mainland India. Except few perfunctory interactions of exchanging academic notes and greetings on Eid and Diwali, there were hardly any interactions. 

Pakistan was seen as the Promised Land, the land of freedom & opportunity. When Zia Ul Haq died that fateful day in August, 1988 the mostly Muslims Kashmiris felt bereaved while the rest from Mainland India rejoiced in silence.

Nothing reflected the mental partition and the hiatus based on faith than cricket. The rooms of the Kashmiri Muslims adorned the pictures of Imran, Akram, Miandad and Salim Malik. In their common room, during Indo-Pak cricket encounters they used to sit segregated, with Kashmir Muslims grouped together vociferously cheering for Pakistan. Only Indian players who ever got occasional cheer from the predominantly Muslim Kashmir students were Azharuddin and Arshad Ayub. No prize for guessing why.

Unfortunately for the students from the Mainland, those days India used to lose often to their traditional rivals. Their hapless supporters had to bear the brunt of taunts from the Pakistani supporters from Srinagar. It's no surprise for the politicians from the Valley to sympathize with Pakistan, for they have correctly assessed the pulse of the locals.

I am sure this will ring a bell to my friends who studied in that institute a quarter of century ago. Kashmir is still very much a volatile problem - a political issue of extremely complex dimension, which in Engineering parlance is not a fluid dynamics equation which can be solved in minutes or overnight. It needs a political solution and we have a long way to go. More victories of Pakistan over India will lead to more celebrations in the Kashmir Valley. Don't think much will change during our lifetime.

Mocking at South Indians in Bollywood

 The other day I was watching a nondescript Hindi movie on TV. Actor Paresh Rawal was dressed as South Indian with egg head with a long ponytail wearing a Dhoti. When asked to introduce his family he says I got 3 Lyakshmi (Lakshmi prounced in South Indian accent). First comes his wife Laksmi attired in a Saree with conspicuously visible flower bedecked back of her head. The other two Lyakshmis were his young daughters, Bhagyalaksmi and Soubhagyalaksmi with their flowing waist long hear knotted nicely into breads accompanied their parents on a long road trip.

They happen to stop by a roadside DHABA (North Indian eatery). Looking at the menu all family members look confused and took some time to order. Finally Paresh Rawal in thick south Indian accent queries - "IDHAAR SAMBAR MILEGA" - Is Sambar (a popular South Indian dish) available here ?

Comedian Johny Lever, who plays the waiter taking order dressed as Sardarjee retorts back - OI MADRASI, DHABA MEIN SAMBAR MANGTA HAI. KYA USME ROTI DUBOKE KHAEGA, "O the guy from Madras, you want to dip your bread in Sambar and eat" ? The onlookers in Dhaba surrounding the family break into a hearty laugh. For many North Indians anyone living South of the Vindyas is addressed as "Madrasi". But that person may be from Srikakulam, Ernakulam or Mysore who never have visited Madras. Yet he is branded as a Madrasi.

This might be funny for the Hindi speaking audience at which this movie is directed, but to many South Indians it may not be so funny to be mocked at like this. I am fondly reminded of Amitabh's hit movie AGNIPATH (The path of fire) which was released in the 1980s. I would consider it as an ordinary movie, but it was the time when the tall hero stood tall over others as the one man Bollywood industry. Any mundane movie from him would pass by as super hit.

In the same movie the actor Mithun Chakraborty plays the role of a South Indian who sells coconut water for living and dances Bharat Natyam to tune of :

YUMM (HUM) LUNGI UTHAKE,

TUMHE DISCO DIKHATI...

YUMM (HUM) KRISHNA AYYAR

EMME (M.A.) NARIYAL PANI WALLA.

Our Audio Visual (AV) Hall in REC (NIT) Rourkela where the movie was screened erupted as the audience clapped and laughed at the actor Mithun who danced ahead, swirling his Lungi around (Perfect for Indian summer, Lungi is a white or multicolored loincloth wrapped around the waist, easy to lift and take off as and when needed). 

However not everyone in the audience was amused, especially some of my South Indian friends who grudgingly disapproved. Another hit movie CHENNAI EXPRESS had similar stuff of mockery at South Indians, especially Tamils. I am sure there are many more such movies. Not sure if there are South Indian movies which poke fun at the rest of Indians.

The tryst of Pandit Gopabandhu Das and Biju Patnaik

 Not long ago someone wrote an article in the leading Odia daily "The Samaja". One fine monsoon morning it's founder UTKALAMANI (Jewel of Odisha) Pandit Gopabandhu Das was on a boat in the flooded river of Mahanadi. Suddenly his umbrella 🌂 fell into the swirling water. Our UTKALAMANI didn't bother losing it and thinking it as a lost cause let it go. All he could do was watch helplessly as the umbrella floated away from him in the the rapids of ferocious Mahanadi.

Just out of the blue a young boy jumped into water. He swam and fought against the current of the flooded Mahanadi, fetching Gopabandhu's umbrella caring a hoot about his own safety. He is no other than our beloved Biju Patnaik. Our UTKALAMANI mildly chided a young Biju not to take such unwarranted risk for just an umbrella as it ain't worth it. The year of the incident was mentioned as 1932 in the leading "The Samaja" where this article was written by a lady.

No question about Biju Patnaik's history with dare devilry but the timelines here raise some eyebrows and needle of suspicion. Utkalamani died on June 28, 1928, four years before 1932 when this incident supposedly happened. Biju was born on March 5, 1916. Monsoon floods doesn't come early in June and Pandit Gopabandhu Das was ailing for a while in 1928 before passing away, making it impossible to be there on Mahanadi bank that year. The timeline is way too tight to be true to fit into this scenario. It is of course unimaginable a toddler and infant Biju Patnaik jumping into the river and showing his heroics.

My uncle Chandra Sekhar Dash who shares my skepticism of this incident intimated about it to Mr. Dhirendra Das, a descendant of UTKALAMANI from his native village of Suando (a la Pandit Gopabandhu, his descendants write their last name or surname as "Das", instead of "Dash). The gentleman had no inkling or knowledge of any such incident involving his great grandfather Sir Gopabandhu Das and Biju Patnaik. 

An aghast Dhirendra Das called the lady of "The Samaja" Newspaper seeking clarification and questioning the veracity of this news item. The article mentioned 1932 as the year of this umbrella episode whereas Sri Gopabandhu died in the year 1928 - a good 4 years before Biju Patnaik supposedly jumped into water to save UTKALAMANI's umbrella. 

The Newspaper responded by correcting the timeline of the event but stood by its authenticity. The reaction by the news outlet was not surprising as this story has apparently been planted by a supporter of the ruling party whose scion is the son of legendary Biju Patnaik. 

I am not discarding this story outright. Technically  speaking it's extremely difficult though not misson impossible for a 8 or 9 years old to swim in a flooded Mahanadi. But there are a lot of additional questions which raises skepticism about the incident. Is there a historian to vouch about this incident when Gopabandhu's own descendant was gleefully unaware of any such incident. Did anyone really see this event or noted it in a diary or a piece of paper or even recorded as hearsay ? Any document available to prove it ? If such an incident really occurred involving two historic figures of Odisha it should have been duly noted long ago somewhere. Why we weren't aware of this incident until now ? There are way too many unanswered questions to raise an eyebrow. Incidentally Pandit Nilakantha Das, a contemporary of UTKALAMANI has debunked many such popular myths of the time.

My take - this story has been deliberately coined and planted in media for political purpose and sold it to the gullible commoners. A lie repeated 100 times becomes truth. (We see parallels in propaganda by IT Cell of another political party where lies are peddled to boost the political odometer). My grandfather was a contemporary of Pandit Gopabandhu Das. Both lived on the bank of river Bhargavi separated by 4 miles from each other. I can say once my grandfather saved UTKALAMANI from drowning, with a nice, lucid story to back it. Like Ripley's Believe it or not - I would leave it to you to believe it or not. Same can be said about the tryst between the Bull and Jewel of Odisha. These days not everything reported on media should be believed - social or otherwise.

Procedure needed to travel to India

 I just came back from my India trip. Thought of sharing my experience with all the travel related documents and paperwork needed which might come handy in case you are planning an India trip during this pandemic time in the near future.

Going to India :
------------------------
1. Take the RT-PCR test within 72 hours of the departure of your international flight. My flight was at 8PM on a Wednesday from Atlanta to Delhi with a stopover in Amsterdam. I did my RT-PCR test at a local CVS Pharmacy at 10.30 AM on Monday. It generally takes 24-36 hours to get the results. I got it around 6PM on Tuesday. They sent me a pdf copy to the email address I provided.

Note : If you are traveling on Saturday and Sunday, remember at most places RT-PCR tests aren't done on weekends. So schedule your testing accordingly.

2. You need to fill out the "Self Declaration Form" and upload the results on the following website https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration. Make sure your RT-PCR result shows NEGATIVE on it. This RT-PCR report and the photocopy of the front page of your Passport should be in pdf format and less than 1MB in size. Otherwise it won't allow you to upload to the above mentioned website. Within a few minutes of uploading you should get a pdf copy of the approval. You can carry a soft copy of the approval or carry its printout to the airport. I took 3 copies of it to be on the safer side. 

3. They did a customary check of the RT-PCR report at Amsterdam Airport before boarding. Nothing more.

3. After the arrival in Delhi I had to do a Rapid Antigen test (you don't have to do this in case you are taking a nonstop flight from US to Delhi with no stopover in between. Also if you're going via Bombay I read somewhere that this test is not required if you carry a vaccine card showing you are fully vaccinated from Covid. But this is a requirement at Delhi Airport if you are coming through a stopover flight). It took me about 30 minutes to do the rapid antigen test - from standing in the line, paying Rs.500, collecting the receipt and getting tested. You have to provide a local cell number where they will send you the results in future. You don't have to wait for this test results and can directly proceed to your immigration, collect your baggage and do customs.

4. Immigration and customer clearances are standard. Same while checking in for Domestic flight to Bhubaneswar. Don't forget to wear your mask all the time. The New Delhi Domestic terminal 3 resembled Cuttuck's Badambadi Bus stand with hardly anyone following Covid protocol. Social distancing - forget it. So do your best to protect yourself following all CDC guidelines. Remember, COVID MAY BE DOWN, NOT OUT yet.

Coming back from India
---------------------------------------
1. In Odisha hardly anyone was seriously following Covid protocol. At most crowded public places people were hardly maintain any social distancing. Forget about standing 6 feet apart, instead of standing in line they stand in clusters, often literally breathing down your neck. So don't let your guard down.

2. You need to do a RT-PCR test withing hours of boarding your international flight, in my case from Delhi. From what I heard, RT-PCR test in India needs to be done in one of the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) approved Labs. If you Google, you can find 6-8 such locations in Bhubaneswar. I did my RT-PCR test at Genex Lab on Maharshi College Road in Saheed Nagar. It is open from 8AM to 12 PM, 2 PM to 4 PM. I arrived around 7.30 AM and was the 2nd person on line. So, arriving early is recommended to beat the crowd. Carry your Passport and Adhar card, whichever applicable as well as a photocopy of the front page of the passport with you. (I didn't carry a copy of the Passport and had to get it Xeroxed inside the Lab. The reason I mentioned inside, the Covid testing is done outside the lab, adjacent to the main entrance of Genex. My testing was done around 8.15 AM. I got my results at 4PM. They Whatsapped the results to me on a link to the portal to the local phone number I provided. 

3. At Delhi Airport they will check the RT-PCR Report before issuing the boarding pass. Soft copy of the RT-PCR report will work, but I carried 2 hard copies with me. I came by Air France which had this requirement to use only N-95 or surgical masks inside the flight. Wearing any other mask is not an option if you are traveling on Air France. There was no requirement on the KLM flight which I took during my onward journey to India.

4. On arrival at Atlanta Airport no one asked for RT-PCR report. You have to go through the standard immigration as usual. 

Note : This is purely based on my experience. Procedures followed by the Airlines and immigrations in India, US and stopover nations can change anytime for better or for worse. So, keep your eyes and ears open for any change in policy. Please shoot me if you got any questions. I will answer as best as I can.

Back in US - India trip 2021

 My return trip to United States wasn't uneventful at all. The Indigo flight from Bhubaneswar to Delhi growled on the termac for a good half an hour after my boarding and before take off. Right in front of me was a middle aged man, probably in his late 50s or early 60s - short, bald and plumpy with hippie hair on his ears busy frantically Whatsapping. The screen of his smartphone was barely two feet away from my eyes and a semi-bare female body slowly appearing on the screen raised my curiosity to eavesdrop.

The large size font of his smartphone and the subsequent raunchy chat further got my attention and gave away his intention. From the attire of the girl, the nudity and the kind of lascivious exchanges made between the two made it quite apparent that it is a conversation between a call girl and her client. The man seemed desperate to reach Delhi. He wrote his final sentence as the flight started running on the termac - "Keep sending me your pictures for my in flight entertainment". He probably wasn't aware that he wasn't the only one inside the plane having in flight entertainment. He switched off the phone as the flight took off and I switched my head towards the window to take a view at the fading string of the lights below as the flight slowly vanished into the cloud.

I have already covered the topic of a large number of Odias these days talking in Hingodia (Hindi mixed Odia). Visiting Odisha after a hiatus of 3 years one other thing I did notice - there is a drastic drop in the quality of Odia songs. They are filled with nonsense lyrics and double entendres. Not to be left out the Odia music videos play cheap songs full of gyrating hips in gay abandon. Modern Odia music videos are made for the masses by asses.

Back in Georgia to a cool 80 (25 degree centigrade) afternoon and a lot less humidity compared to Bhubaneswar. It felt odd not to hear a single vehicle honking on my 100 miles (160 km) road trip from Atlanta to Columbus. Miss the din and bustle, crowd and the continous kickee...kickkee..kickee...of bikes yonking horn and slicing their way through the traffic - the ubiquitous jerk on the road and the bumpy rides, the roads being too smooth for comfort to my back here. A person who has driven on roads of Odisha, driving anywhere else in world is a walk in the park.

Already miss the murmuring of the mosquitoes and brutally clapping them to death, the yodelling of mongrels in the middle of night. The cool and crispy Fall (Autumn) air of Georgia felt refreshingly fresh after spending hours inhaling the breath and fart filled stale air emitted by hundreds of passengers inside the flight in 21 hours of flight time. 

The 30 hour long journey including the in flight and stoppage time seemed eternal and tiring when you are packed like sardines inside the Cattle Class, better known as the better sounding Economy Class. Above 40,000 feet in the sky the moon looked a whole lot bigger and brighter in the pollution free air - the rabbit inside the moon looked eager to jump out into the window seat I took.

The US President Ronald Reagan was known to doze off during meetings he attended abroad as he couldn't get sleep inside long flights. I also share similar trait of not able to go beyond sporadic cat naps on long haul flights. I am scared of turbulence and the slightest of shaking of airplane gives me nightmares.

My first working day post vacation awaits me when late in afternoon my chin is destined to drool and hit the space bar of my desktop keyboard. Still drooling over my India trip. No black coffee or aspirin can assuage this post vacation hangover, only time will heal it. It did not went in vain. Travelled miles to achieve several milestones meeting my parents, friends and relatives, connected to old friends and meeting new ones, ate a lot of local food with fun filled moment.

Reminds me of Kamal Hasan from the movie PUSHPAK who while staying in a posh hotel could not sleep as he missed the sights and sounds of his locality, where his deep rooted roots lied. The pleasure of staying amongst your own is unparallel. A la one's own fart smells sweet, as one tends to fall in love with own millieu. Love it or hate it, amidst all these there is a unique flavor of incredible India which one does not find elsewhere. It concluds my travel blog to India. More next time...