RIP Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States passed away at the age of 100 today. He was the first ever President to reach that milestone of living for more than 100 years. 

A rare Southern Democrat and a peanut farmer from the state of Georgia where I currently live, he became President of the United States in 1976 after defeating Gerald Ford at a time the country was coming out of the miasma of the famous Watergate scandal which led to the resignation of Ford's predecessor Richard Nixon. 

President Carter was a gentleman to the core. But unfortunately he presided over a poor economy and the famous hostage crisis when Iran was taken over by a cleric Ayotollah Khomeini who took American Embassy staff in Teheran hostages for 444 days. Both bad economy at home and hostage crisis abroad made him highly unpopular as he was up for reelection in 1980. Earlier same year he tried to salvage his rapidly plummeting popularity by launching a secret rescue attempt on Iranian soil. Unfortunately for him the rescue mission went horribly wrong due to bad weather and collision of two military aircrafts killing some American commandos. 

Later that year a few days before the 1980 Presidential Elections when Carter was up for reelection, his Republican opponent Ronald Reagan, a former B -grade Hollywood actor asked the Americans a pertinent question - "Are you better off now than 4 years ago ? If so, you have your choice", he said winking at President Carter. His message was well taken as less than a week later Ronald Reagan won by a landslide. Poor Jimmy Carter ended up bring one time President. 

President Carter had his tryst with India in 1978 when as he was the first American President in more than a decade to visit India. It was during the height of the Cold War when India was the bete noire of USA as it had firmly tilted towards the erstwhile Soviet Union. The visit went cold as cold as the cold war when the relationship between a Socialist India and a Capitalist America was at best frosty. The visiting US President told to his officials sitting next to him that he didn't get a good impression of India's Prime Minister Morarjee Desai, whom he found blabbering incoherently during their meeting. Desai who drank his own piss every morning and lived until the age of 99, pissed off the Americans. It was an embarrassing diplomatic moment, as the microphone in front of Carter was not switched off and many could hear the conversation. Carter's visit was a milestone as not a single American President chose to visit India for 31 years except him between 1969 and 2000. 

After his Presidency Jimmy Carter didn't sit idle. He never retired, led a hardworking active life engaged in myriads of charity and humanitarian work all over the world which won him the Nobel Prize for Peace. A fighter and survivor he scored a century. RIP Mr. Carter.

RIP Dr. Manmohan Singh

An episode from the year 1991 might ring a bell. This is how Subramanian Swamy, a man who has been in almost all parties and now-a-days a BJP man turned into a BJP critic, then a Commerce Minister in Chandra Sekhar's government, had this conversation with the USA Ambassador to India. This was during a very crucial time in early 1991 when the American led coalition forces were fighting the Iraq War and Indian economy was totally in shambles. The American Ambassador asked Dr. Swamy what India needed in exchange for refueling facility provided on Indian soil to the Gulf bound US planes fighting the Iraq war. 

Here is how the conversation was reported. US Ambassador - "What do you want in return" ? Dr. Swamy replied - "We want $2 billion because we are on the verge of bankruptcy". The Ambassador asked, "You want it from the United States" ? Dr.Swami responded - "No, from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and without any condition attached". 

The Ambassador went on, "How can I get you money from IMF" ? Dr. Swami replied, "You have 87 percent voting right in IMF. So, if you want landing rights, then by Monday I want $2 billion". The American played hard - "Today it is already Friday". Said Swami, "In Washington DC it is still Thursday night. I know you have the ability to pull it off." (And unlike many believe that world leaders get ecstatic by looking at Mahaprabhu's white beard, we know in international matters it is always a give and take relationship and every one plays hard. It invariably needs some negotiation and hard bargaining before a deal is reached). 

So US gave India $2 billion and they were given the landing rights by India. We changed our non-alignment policy overnight. 2 billion dollar, even adjusted to inflation is not a gargantuan amount by today's standard, now considering India a USD 4 trillion economy and $650 billion plus in its Forex reserve. But it was no laughing matter then, when India's Balance of Payment position was extremely precarious and its coffer was on the verge of depletion. India with few hundred million of USD in its reserves and its gold mortgaged in a London Bank was staring at nightmare scenario of economic catastrophe. 

Long rule by the Congress Party and its disastrous, leftist - socialist economy policy followed by years of classic Hindu rate of economic growth took us to the doorstep of impending bankruptcy. Yet it took another Congressman, incidentally not from the Nehru - Gandhi family to fix it. A huge credit for this transformation we are seeing 33 years down the road goes to a man, who after almost retiring from public life became India's Finance Minister by fluke and a two term Prime Minister for 10 years. He is no other than our erudite, educated, a qualified Economist and the first Sikh Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh who is no more. He passed away earlier today at the age of 92. 

Dr. Singh was a gentleman whose integrity was beyond question. Never a politician, he was liked by everyone. He was India's Finance Minister for 5 years, Prime minister for 10 years - both rare achievements by a person who wasn't a politician. Khushwant Singh once mentioned that Dr. Singh once ran for Lok Sabha from South Delhi constituency and borrowed some money from the eminent writer. Needless to say, he lost the election and soon after he returned the money to Khushwant Singh. Such a gesture is very rare these days when money taken in never returned. No wonder such a person lost the election and it says a lot about the people we elect. Manmohan Singh never got elected from Lok Sabha and had to get elected via backdoor to Rajya Sabha to be able to continue in office and contribute to nation. 

Dr. Singh's tenure as India's Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996 was eventful. He opened up Indian economy from the stranglehold of Red tapism, Permission and License Raj, devalued the moribund Indian Rupees to make it more competitive and encourage exports, cut tariffs and improve India's substandard infrastructure. India's economy responded positively unshackling itself from its classic Hindu rate of growth. Its foreign exchange coffer increased to a healthy level. All happened sans any fanfare and fake jingoism surrounding it. 

Yet his tenure as India's Prime Minister between 2004 - 2014 was a mixed back. Though India's economic growth continued, there was visible corruption done by people around him, although his own integrity was impeccable. He watched silently and helplessly as there was policy paralysis everywhere as he was seen as a puppet of the all powerful Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, followed by her son Rahul. Internationally, Pakistan continued to make one terror attack after another inside India perceiving him as a weak person and the leader of a weak state. Regardless of all these, India's growth juggernaut chugged ahead contrary to many who believe everything was in doldrums before 2014 and "Satya Yuga" (golden era) arrived in India the same year after the arrival of BJP and Modi. RIP Dr. Manmohan Singh. Om Shanti.

Corruption Reporting in Odisha

As reported by this Odia media outlet some government employee has been arrested for taking a bribe of Rs.10,000 ($120). A news from Odisha not long ago didn't just raise my curiosity, it got my attention - "ଯାଜପୁର ଜିଲ୍ଲାର ସୁକିନ୍ଦା ପୋଲିସ ଷ୍ଟେସନର ସବ୍ ଇନ୍ସପେକ୍ଟର ନିର୍ମଳ କୁମାର ସେନାପତି ୧୦ ହଜାର ଟଙ୍କା ଲାଞ୍ଚ ନେଲା ବେଳେ ଭିଜିଲାନ୍ସ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଗିରଫ". Transliterating the gist in Odia, "A police sub-inspector in Odisha was arrested by the Vigilance department when taking a bribe of Rs.10,000". 

It's high time they stop reporting bribes of these meager amounts. I find it ultimate hypocrisy in this getting reported on media, social or otherwise. A classic case of the Odia saying - "HAATHI GALI JAUCHI, PIMPUDI DHARA PADUCHI" (Elephant escapes while the Ant gets caught). The meaning is self explanatory.

We studied in Math and Physics during our school/college days that when a number tends to get infinitesimally small we ignore it considering it as equivalent to zero. And those who are familiar with corruption in India any bribery less than Rs.100,000 ($1200) is too small these days to get noticed and reported. The media should ignore them, rather focus on reporting the big fishes who invariably find a way to escape.

Regardless of what's reported on Odia media, I love reading Odia, my mother tongue. Whenever I visit my home state back home Odisha in India, I make it a point to grab a few books written in Odia language, the most cherished ones being those by the eminent writer Manoj Das. Reading Odia script was never cumbersome for me, even after living in the United States for more than quarter of a century. In Sanskrit there is a saying "BINA ABHYASE BISHAM VIDYA" (without practice knowldege becomes poison). I was able to overcome whatever little bit of initial tardiness I had while reading from Odia script by sustaining reading habit in my mother tongue. I can now boast of being equivalent of linguistically ambidextrous who can read both English and Odia at aplomb.

Living abroad does not give me much option of getting Odia books from stores, so I have to restrict myself to reading Odia newspapers on the web and social media. I see sparks of brilliance in young and not so young minds who pen a whole lot of blogs, articles and short stories in Odia on social media - from short, crispy writings to long, gripping essays. Most of these creative Odia writers who have a passion for writing in Odia, a few themed around feminism. Not to mention I religiously try to catch vernacular Newspapers in Odia font. But I find a few newsworthy and most I wish I could drag and drop into my Trash folder.

Can't stop mentioning certain eye catching news I often stumble upon on regular basis. Some are outrightly funny - "SARAPANCHA KU NISTUKA MADA" (The village head being thoroughly thrashed), "UTAKTA JANATA BHANDA BABAJI RA DAADHI KAATI DELE" (irate mob cut the beard of a fake Guru) and so on. "SASHU SAHITA JWAIN FERAR" (Mother-in-law eloped with son-in-law). And not so amusing pieces like "SAANA BHAI RA TANGIA CHOTA RE BADA BHAIRA MRUTYU" (Younger brother kills the elder one using an axe). The one which hurts me a lot, "JAUTUKA PAI BADHU NIRYATANA / HATYA" (Bride tortured or killed for Dowry). Such news mostly emanate from coastal Odisha districts which makes me believe that my coastal brethren are champion dowry harassers compared to their western Odisha cousins. 

On the same page I read "Bhubanesar RASTARE FERRARI AU BENTLY GAADI BHIDA (Ferrari and Bentlies crowd the Bhubaneswar roads) proclaiming the arrival of nouveau riche in once upon a sleepy township of salaried people. What fun is riding a Ferrari in the capital city of Odisha where a gnawing and crawling traffic can hardly make your vehicle go over 30 kmph (20 mph). If you are intrepid enough to exceed that speed limit you could very well kill someone. If you survive, I would tersely remind you to remember your dependants and make the last payment of Life Insurance policy on timely manner for the risk of going above and beyond 20 miles per hour.

Many think this a symbol of Odisha's progress. In my view too much in the hands of too few is not a sign of upward economic mobility of the entire state. Number of Ferraris, Bentlies, iPhones etc has no doubt gone up. I dont mind it as long as the income used to purchase them are from legal sources. Growing number of dowry deaths and economic inequality is not a sign of upward social mobility by any yardstic. 

Such contrasting news protrays a world of have and have nots in Odisha in particular and India in general. In this context a meager bribe taken by small fries - a Peon, Clerk or sub-inspector is too trivial these days to get noticed and reported by the media. 

Pathani Samanta - the pride of Odisha

Today I decided to commemorate the memories of a gentleman who is not remembered much these days in his place and state of birth, let alone people know or care about him. He is our Samanta Chandrasekhar, popularly known as Pathani Samanta (pronounced Samantaw) - an Odia who dabbled in astronomy producing results with immaculate accuracy in 19th century, at a time modern science and astronomy was at its infancy. He was born exactly 189 years ago, on December 13, 1835.

Born in a village in the district Nayagarh in Odisha, Pandit Samanta deeply studied our Ancient Hindu texts of astronomy written in Sanskrit and was able to decipher the hidden knowledge which supplemented his instinct and intuition. He used his grasp of astronomy to measure the distance of celestial bodies from earth amazingly close to what has been found by modern scientists. Without any access to the modern instruments, he took the help from a hollow bamboo pipe and couple of sticks for his measurement. Pathani Samanta's findings were recorded in his book titled Siddhanta Darpana (The Gospel Treatise Mirror). This book found mentions in the European and American press in 1899. 

During his childhood, Pandit Samanta's passion was watching the movement and position of moon and stars in the night those days when the air was crispy, pollution free - the sky was bright and blue during the day, crystal clear to gaze at night. During the day he would closely observe shadows of Sun and their length. It is said that he could measure the distance of vultures flying high in the sky using his naked eyes and few wooden instruments.

In the year 1894 Sri Chandrasekhar was concerned about his health due to chronic frequent bouts of colic, commonly called in colloquial Odia as "PETA MARA BEMARI" those days. At the age of 59 in an era when the average life expectancy was less than 50, he had reasons to be worried, carrying the burden of 5 sons and a daughter, not to mention his shy but supportive wife. He was a poor man, being dependent on meager income received from the King of Manjusha who was impressed by the Pandit's skills in correctly measuring the height of Mahendra Giri (Hills) using his bare hands and his famous paraphernalia of bamboo sticks & wooden accessories. His ability to correctly predict Lunar and Solar eclipses earned him the title of MAHAMOHAPADHYAYA (The Very Wise and Learned One) by the British India Government - first time ever conferred to a non Brahmin in Odisha. 

Though poor, Pathani Samanta's fame in Astrology and Astronomy had travelled far and wide, enough to get an audience with Commissionner Cook of Cuttack. One sultry August afternoon the duo of Samanta and his son travelled downstream on a boat on River Mahanadi to Cuttack and reached Cook SAHEB's (a colonial way of addressing the Englishmen and still reserved for the elites in India). The Commissioner who was leaving for a game of Tennis gave them an appointment to meet the next day. 

Following morning, Cook took Pathani Samanta to the bank of the river Kathajodi. Pointing to the Saptasajya range of mountain, the Commissioner challenged the later to measure its height. Samanta Chandrasekhar instantly got busy with his hollow bamboo stick and other instruments, burying his head, making calculations on the ground using a piece of chalk - finally deriving his figure of 1178 cubits and 16 fingers. Commissioner Cook cross checked the height of Saptasajya mountains from his official records. The result was tantalizingly close.

An impressed Cook shook hands with Pathani Samanta. The first thing the Pandit did after coming out of Commissioner's residence was to take a dip in the river Mahanadi - for he touched a MLECHHA (outcaste). Touching a beef eating, Christian White man those days was tantamount to sacrilege, so he needed to purify himself by taking a bath in the river before it was too late.

On another occasion, during a bright, starry night sitting on the verandah of the house of Jogesh Chandra Ray, Professor of Science in Cuttack, Pandit Samanta was challenged by the Professor to measure the distance between the planets Mars and Venus shining on the Western sky. The shabbily dressed old man got busy with his instrument and making calculations using a chalk on the verandah. To the Professor's surprise the calculation by Pathani Samanta came extremely close to the actual distance between the two planets. When Sri Jogesh Chandra Ray showed our Pandit a modern Telescope, the old man started dancing as he could see from close up his favorite celestial bodies whom he gazed at from a distance over several decades.

But his joy was short lived, as he didn't live long after this incident. His Colic got better of him, slowly consuming him, destroying the body of one of the finest brains Odisha had ever seen. On his birthday I am taking the opportunity of dedicating my blog to our twinkling, scintillating star of Odisha who is living among the galaxies in the boundless sky where he rightly belongs to - a beacon of light, ray of inspiration for the current generation and many more to come.

Gloomy Sunday

 It feels gloomy when you wake up after taking siesta on a cool, cloudy Sunday afternoon following a weekend with the spectre of a long work week ahead and a morbid feeling engulfing the mood. It feels gloomier when you remember an article from your childhood days published under the section "True tales stranger than fictions" in a magazine in 1980s named MIRROR (now defunct).

One not so fine Sunday afternoon, a nondescript jilted European youth dumped by his beloved composed this fateful music in between the gloomy times between the two World Wars, aptly naming it - "Gloomy Sunday". Whenever this ill fated song was played over Radio and hit the European Airwaves, it led to several suicides across the continent ranging from Italy to Germany. Some jumped from bridges, some shot, hanged or poisoned by killing themselves, blaming the music on their suicide note.

The saga of the suicides did not end there. The ill fated music took its toll, as the jilted composer was jolted by the news of his ex-girlfriend, the cause behind his composition committed suicide by consuming poison using a paper on which the song was written. The jilted lover, an already heartbroken guy, was totally devastated as he didn't want his ex-girlfriend to die.

The song had to be banned and the radio stations stopped playing it, never to be heard again. Thus ended the saga of Gloomy Sunday.

Finally a Song on a cold, cloudy  gloomy Sunday 

Yeh Facebook ki Duniya,
Yeh Like ki Duniya.
Yeh Share Ki Duniya,
Yeh Posting the Duniya.
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya hai...

(Based upon the famous song from Guru Dutt's PYASA, an actor known to make gloomy movies and committed suicide).

Donald Trump again became President

Donald Trump again became the President of the United States. It wasn't entirely unexpected. For a long time opinion polls showed him having a consistent 1-3 point advantage in the crucial swing states. He won all the 7 swing states by 1 to 3 points, a comfortable margin these days in a overtly Divided State of America to get into the White House. Republicans also won both the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

Democrats are themselves to blame for their defeat. They stuck to good ole Biden who showed signs of dementia and it was until July or August he was replaced by his Vice President Kamala Harris who wasn't vetted through the grueling Primaries process. But the main reason for the Democrats defeat isn't their choice of candidate. It’s economy stupid ! 

High inflation and cost of living is hitting the American middle class, the traditional voters of the Democratic party through the roof. Bread and butter issue trumps all and helped Trump win the election. Politics is a matter of perception. Continuing Illegal immigration was another reason behind the democratic party's defeat as Biden was  considered friendly towards them. He capitalized on both. 

Trump has gained DESI (a slang used for Persons of Indian origin in India) votes by at least 10 points. In 2020 election, 67% of Indians voted for Democrats. It has come down to 56% this time. More Desis are now turning Republicans. When Indians come to USA with $40K salary they tend to support Democratic party, a party they see as more friendly towards immigrants. Once they settle down, start making money in 6 figures, they talk like Republicans - proponents of lower taxes etc. It is another matter that some Desi Bhai who are active members of Republicans party who preach morality and family values are champion, serial wife cheaters. 

The day after the Election I met a Desi Bhai at work. He told me why he voted for Trump. He is miffed about inflation and prices going up, him buying Eggs at $7 a dozen vis a vis $3 a dozen few years back. I told him that it was Trump who started transferring thousands of dollars to the accounts of the middle class to save the economy which was in stage of free fall. After his defeat, Joe Biden continued the same trend, pumping more money. The economy was saved, but the side effect was a painful inflation which pinched the pockets of the middle class. Before Covid I could buy a decent sandwich for lunch for $5. Now it costs no less than $8, and with fries and a drink exceeds 10 bucks. Inflation had been a clear and present issue for which always the incumbent administration pays the price. 

The other albatross on Democrat's neck was illegal immigration. Trump is perceived as the savior of America from illegal immigrants. But he needs to walk his bombadistic talk rather than giving lip service. Remember, during Trump's tenure between 2016-2020, two million illegal immigrants entered into the United States. Hopefully he cracks the whip this time. Time will bear the testimony of that. 

Democrats who used to be the traditional party of the Working middle class is now seen more as a woke party now conducting gay marriages. They have failed to fight for the issues of the working class American. It hurt them big time, especially cracking the Blue Wall of the Rust Belt of the critically swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania. They needs to get back to the drawing board. It's okay to be liberal, not OK to be woke. It's time for Democrats to wake up and smell the coffee. 

Politics in our blood

 The other day a friend asked me if politics is discussed in US at the same breath as it is discussed in India. I replied - "Not even close. Politics is the talking point memo in some discussions I have been to in America, but nothing compared to what we come across in India or amongst Indians. In USA politics is more or less discussed mostly around the Presidental Elections every 4 years, but in India it is a 24×7, 7 days a week, 365 days a year phenomenon, ubiquitous on social media if you take a glimpse at it. Indian Americans too discuss more about politics in America than any one else. 

India has more than 5,000 years of tryst with politics. From the age of Mahabharat when the "Mahatma" (great soul) Vidur laid out his Vidur Neeti (principles) applicable to the Dwapara Yuga (era) when ethics and morality was the sine qua non of that age. Then came the "Kalyug" (The age of Conflict) where ethics and righteousness were passe, truthfulness was damned. Kautilya, the wily but wise and pragmatic minister during Chandragupta Maurya's empire in India wrote his famous "Chanakya Neeti" which is still considered as a Treatise of modern day politics. 

Politics has been part and parcel of Indian subcontinent over centuries. But it is not just limited to scheming Kings, palace plots involving their queens and concubines, their ministers and even subjects. Politics is there inside every home. Forget politics amongst siblings, cousins and relatives, there is lot of in house intrigue between the Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law (India's popular Sas - Bahu tele serials are based on it). Sister-in-law (Nanand) rarely see eye to eye with her co Sister-in-law (Bhauja or Bhabi). Samudi and Samuduni (parents of bride and groom) lose no opportunity in their game of scheming and oneupmanship. Politics inside Indian families living under the same roof in a nuclear family can be extremely complicated. Politics runs in our vein. 

Not a single linguistic or ethinic Indian community is free from intra-community politics. It is particularly stark amongst the PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) in America where all over the states in United States you can see multiple Odia, Bengali, Telugu and other linguistic groups solely based on the desire to fulfill the political goals of certain individuals. In many social occasions one can see ladies passing snide remarks under the veil of their stilted, plastic smiles. Constipated with ego and false vanity, they can be seen looking at each other as if they didn't get a bowel movement for more than a week. Politics runs in our blood, so much so that an additional blood group P+ can be attributed to we Indians. I am sure if "Chandrayaan" paves the way for migration to moon, soon we will have our political parties ready to run for elections on earth's sole natural satellite. 

Interestingly, many in India took a keen interest during the last Presidental Elections in the United States in 2020. Many back home became self proclaimed supporters of Donald Trump. One guy from my village called me in middle of Election night during last election - "Bhaina, Kana TRAWMPAW HARUCHI  (Brother, seems our Trump is losing) ? "How did you know and why do you care ?" - I asked in curiosity. "Ethi Sabu TV Re Dekhauchi, everything is shown on TV here". He continued further - "TRAWMPAW MODI RA SANGA THILA. PAKISTAN KU PAANE DEITHANTA (Trump was Modi's friend, would have taught Pakistan a lesson)". I replied - "How did you know ? Did Trump ever tell you so" ? 

Wish Americans take even a fraction of this interest in Elections held in India, compared to what many Indians take in the US Elections. 2024 has been the year of hot political debates as both USA and India had their elections, first time ever since 2004. Social media is full of action without a single dull day.

Businessmen as statesmen

Donald Trump is a failed businessman who is running for office and could become the  President of the most powerful nation of earth yet again in less than a week. He is supported by many other successful businessmen, overtly or covertly. Elon Musk is openly canvassing for Trump, using his powerful social media platform (X) for the same. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon refused to endorse Kamala Harris on Washington Post. Mark Zuckerberg of Meta and Sundar Pichai of Google are bending their backs before Trump by calling him to keep the egotistic and narcissist man in good humor. Not that Businessmen (and women) stay out of the Election cycles, but never ever in the history of the United States, so many Business leaders are blatantly involved in politics.

Do Business persons make great politicians ? Technically nothing stops them from becoming one. I have many entrepreneur friends who are not only highly successful, they are outstanding individuals who make immense contribution to society. Always in awe of them I admire their guts, risk taking capability and philanthropic outreach.

Yet I can't remember a business person ever becoming a successful politician. The rise of Donald Trump brings up a very pertinent question - Can a businessman excell in state craft ? Possible, but unfortunately history hasn't been on their side. Rarely we have seen eminent business persons at the helm of affairs of a nation and carving a niche.

Billionaire Trump boasted that if elected, he will build a wall on Mexican border, making Mexico pay for it. None of that happened. In four years in office, he managed to build a token wall on a small stretch of the vast southern border, but by any stretch it hasn't stopped illegal immigration. Nor Mexico has paid a single Peso for that wall. There is no reason for me to believe why he will do the wall if he gets elected this time.

Trump was a businessman from outside the Washington Beltway, supposed to bring a breath of fresh air using his much vaunted negotiation skills as an asset to his administration. But he turned out to be a pompous, big fat liar with dictatorial tendencies, trumpeting hot air to garner votes. His skills as a businessman (a failed one) neither helped US, nor helped his reelection bid in 2020.

A nation ain't Corporation. You can't build a fence and bill your neighbor, as you send invoices to your clients in business. You can't fire your voters if they aren't on the same page with you. Managing a country is not a business of managing boardroom or balance sheet. A country is not run on the basis of profit and loss. It's takes lot more than that.

It's not just Trump who failed. We have seen many Businessmen making poor politicians, national leaders or anything remotely statesmen. Mitt Romney, a man with business experience failed to enthuse the electorates in a nation known as the citadel of Capitalism.  Despite his best efforts he could not get rid of the stigma of a vulture capitalist. He could not connect to the commoners especially in a country where business and business men are adored and not so much frowned upon, unlike in many nations including India.

I personally admire and respect the businessmen for their vision, acumen and stewardship. They make champion managers, have exemplary people skills and guide their corporations to pinnacles of success. However their leadership is mostly limited to their boardroom, rarely beyond that. Many who manage their company extremely well, are poor to manage in managing their companions on home front which lead to marital discords and divorces. It yet proves that nanaging a nation is a whole different ballgame.

History stands as a testimony to this fact. Our great leaders Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Subash Bose, Indira Gandhi (arguably the most manly Prime minister India ever had. She did size up Pakistan by walking the talk, not just by talking the talk) did not have any business background. In America, the most capitalist country in the world, none from Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton or Obama had hardly had any kind of business background. So also English Prime Ministers Churchill and Maggie Thatcher. The myth that a business person would make a great national leader still lives on and on, yet to be vindicated.

A week away from US Presidential Election 2024

Exactly a week remains before the Election day in America on Tuesday, November 5. Harold Wilson, the British Prime Minister once said that a week is a long time in politics. Anything can happen between now and November 5 to decisively move this race one way or other. The race is still tight, as Comedian Bill Maher said - "the race is tighter than Trump's ass in a federal prison". 

A month ago it was looking like Harris has wrapped up this election and sealed the deal, especially after Trump's poor performance in the debate with her. Since then a lot of water has flown under the bridge of Chattahoochee river. The gap between them has considerably narrowed, the momentum now with Donald Trump. If the Election is held tomorrow, Trump is probably winning. 

Why this is happening ? What has happened in between for Trump to close the gap and  Harris can't close the deal ? Well, Kamala Harris has a messaging problem. If she can come out as genuine and not look like a stereotype politician, she would have a chance. Politicians like Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama were natural communicators. I think it is now a case of too little, too late to build that image. She blew up that post debate advantage she had. It is now her Election to lose. If Trump wins, it will be a blow to the traditional American politics for the following couple of reasons. 

1. Previously the Presidential debates matter to swing the election one way or other. In 1980 Reagan came out better against the incumbent Jimmy Carter in the debate which turned the tide for him. In 1992 Bill Clinton turned the table by defeating George Bush senior and comfortably won the Election. Nowadays debates don't matter in an overtly divided country where voters have already made up their mind. 

2. The old theory of Republicans being friendly towards the rich, democrats standing for the Working middle class is gone. Now Democrats are perceived as a party of the woke, college educated, privilege class elites. Trumpians (not traditional Republicans) see him as the fighter of non college White Working class. This explains why democrat strongholds, the blue wall of the rust belt of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin are shoes signs of cracking. Even many Labor Union members, young male Blacks and Hispanics are leaning Republican. 

At the same time Trump, a New York real estate sellsman who is good at making hyperbolic statements has been able to connect to the White non college working class like no politician has. They think Trump is answer to their woes. Whether Trump will REALLY drive all illegal immigrants out of America or bring back jobs to America, your guess is as good as mine. 

Interestingly, Democrats have more money this time and are outspending Republicans. They also have a well entrenched system to play the ground game by poking the undecided, independent voters urging them to go and vote. Ground game is very important when results in the crucial swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania is going to be decided by razor this margin, in a margin of few thousands from a million of votes cast. It's going to be a long night on Tuesday, November 5.  But one thing I can predict with certainty - if Kamala Harris wins this, Trump is again going to be her opponent in 2028, as I am sure he will get GOP nomination hands down. So tighten your belts and get ready for a roller coaster ride.

RIP Dinabandhu Mausa

He was our neighbor in BJB Flats in Bhubaneswar, my hometown back home where my father was quartered from 1976 to 1991, and I spent the bulk of my childhood and early part of youth. He is Dinabandhu Rath Mausa, my father's friend and colleague who used to teach English in BJB College.

Just before my Plus 2 Higher Secondary Examination my dad requested Dinabandhu Mausa to guide me in English, especially the English poetry which I neglected. Earlier I had tried my hand in poetry, but miserably failed in it, athough I was a voracious reader of English prose, literature, books and sundry magazines. Not that I was disinterested in English, but I focused more on Math and Science subjects so that I could get into IIT or REC, the two most sought after Institutions those days to get into for graduate studies. Qualifying for these institutions attempted by 99.99% undergrads those days was a matter of prestige. If you failed to crack IIT or REC JEE (Joint Engineering Entrance) after successive attempts, you were considered a PENA (Nincompoop) or DHAIN (an Odia word for Asthmatic person gasping for breath, often used as a slang to denote an useless, good for nothing guy). 

I certainly had no intention of ending up as a PENA or DHAIN, yet I went to Dinababdhu Mausa's home not to dissapoint my father. It paid its dividends. Mausa taught me that English poetry is not read, rather it has to be felt, along with few tricks of writing and I grasped it like sponge to water. Under his tutelage, I could understand the depth of the poems of my favorite duo John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelly, especially Shelly the eccentric genius who died from a freak drowning accident in the sea, his poem "Ozymandias" is arguably one of the best I read. I also started liking the works of John Donne, Wordsworth, Elliot, Frost and was surprised to find a poet in Shakespeare.

Dinababdhu Mausa gave me assignments to write critical appreciation of poems. I found my writing very ordinary and expected a bad feedback from him, afraid to ask him. One fine evening my father came home - "Just spoke to Dinababdhu Babu. He told me, your son has a flair for writing in English and better suited for humanity stream. He needs no direction and good to go as far as scoring good marks in English subjects in his Higher Secondary Examination go".

My mother was an expert cook. Dinababdhu Mausa loved the Puri style cooked "MACHHA BESARA" (scrambled fish) prepared by my mom. Mausa got married in the summer of 1986. He threw a big reception at the OTDC Pantha Nivas, a stone's throw from BJB Flats where we used to live. I remember me savoring several helpings of "Quality" brand Ice Cream - a luxury those days. While studying Engineering in REC (now NIT) Rourkela, I used to come home during the Holidays and often met Dinabandhu Mausa, our neighbor. He always motivated me - "Hope you are still writing. You have a knack for story telling. Don't lose your flair in writing. Keep it up".

We left BJB Flats in 1991 and shifted to our own house constructed by my father. In 1998 I visited Mausa to invite him for my marriage. His long hairs had long gone (we used to call him Shakespeare Sir for his long, flowing hair which made him resemble the legendary English playwright). Then I lost contacts with him until I reestablished contact a few years ago on Facebook. He asked me to find a suitable girl for his son Rutwik who is in USA. I replied - "Mausa, your son is good looking and qualified. It shouldn't be difficult for him to find a life partner. These days young men and women prefer to look for partner by themselves". Mausa said - "You are so correct. I wish he finds someone soon. The boy is getting old". It was so sad to see a gentleman leave this world too soon. May God give strength to his children Rutwik and Olivia to overcome the grief. Om 🕉 Shanti.

A tale of two MUNDAs

 At peak of the currently ongoing Presidential campaign in USA, I remembered this incident exactly 8 years back when Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were in their final throes of political slugfest. On one fine morning of a Fall day of 2016, I took my car to the same mechanic I have been seeing over several years. A huge Trump supporter and a staunch Republican, he had already made up his mind. At the same time, he was still nervous about his candidate Trump victory, the same way the Democrats are now about a Kamala Harris win.

"This tainted bi*ch (referring to Hillary Clinton) is going to destroy our great nation built by our founding fathers. Along with her philandering husband Bill Clinton, the duo are going to convert the sacrosanct White House into a Whore House", he lamented. Though I wasn't a big fan of Hillary and disagreed with some of her policies, I wouldn't get personal and call her a b*tch. But I liked her husband Bill Clinton who in my opinion was a good President during whose tenure the American economy was booming in his 8 years of Presidency and he was the last President who saw a budget surplus.

I told my car mechanic to look back into history and the days of JFK as the President of the United States. Jack Kennedy was a Casanova of his time and his affairs included Interns inside the White House and females outside it. "Do you know JFK once surprised his Brtish counterpart Harold McMillan by telling the later - "If I don't have sex everyday, I get headache". "Oh, Is it so. I didn't know that"- my car mechanic buddy burst into laughter, as he took a drag from his Marlboro, complimenting me with his Southern drawl "Awhh Myaan, you seem to know a hell lotta stuff about America than me".

Shaking his head, he replied - "See the hypocrisy here ! The liberal media ain't say nothing about the Kennedys, or Bill Clinton but they are after Trump's ass". But he acknowledged, "Kennedys, though Democrats were Patriots who loved our country and fought for it. This Son of a Gun Bill Clinton is a draft dodger predator and pedophile. (Son of a Gun is the accolade reserved for the progeny of pleasure ladies who used to accompany Sailors during their long shipping sojourns during Medieval times). He added - "Can't fault the Kennedy brothers as their dad Joseph Kennedy was a notorious womanizer and his sons inherited their father's legacy." I wanted to say Trump was a draft dodger and a notorious womanizer too, but preferred to remain silent.

Never knew that womanizing is part of genes and passed on as inheritance. But he did have a point. We humans are champion hypocrites, always lenient towards the celebrities we worship, turning blind eyes towards their shortcomings, pushing them under the carpet. At same time, we lose no opportunity to chide and mock at others whom we don't like if they do exactly the same. Kennedys were after all the Camelot family, no less than Royalty, a cult figure whom the Americans still adore.

It reminded me of Aparti, the coconut plucker from our Brahmin dominated Susan village near Puri, who tilled our paddy fields. A staunch supporter of the Congress party those days, he believed Indira Gandhi always fought for poor. In between tying a rope knot around his legs and waist before climbing the tall coconut trees, he would take long drags from his BIDI (thin cigars of raw tobacco popular in India) while extolling the pro-poor virtues of Indira Congress. No matter what I say, not withstanding any visible change in his economic status, he had unflinching loyalty to the "Hand" symbol of the Congress party and Indira Gandhi.

It is another matter that until 1991, with Gandhis at helm, India was bracketed with sub-Saharan Africa in povery. It took a non-Gandhi to rescue India from the economic doldrums by opening up its economy with liberalization, which since has moved tend of millions of Indians out of poverty.

Aparti (also addressed as Apartia) has never driven anything beyond his dusty bicycle, with a hanging, perforated leather seat, its two wheels with multiple patches on the cycle tyres barely able to hold enough air, the tube almost touching the ground. My auto mechanic drives a swanky Chavy Trailblazer with Michellin tires glistening under a bright Fall sun.

The best brand Apartia ever smoked in his life is New Odisha BIDI. My mechanic friend intermittently pops up a Marboro from his pocket and takes drags and puffs out smoke and frustration with these liberal Democrats who are hell bent on snatching away his gun rights and freedom.

Reiterating again what I opined earlier - it's the saga of two MUNDAs (an Odia diatribe towards folks with diehard, unflinching views). Both Aparti back home in India and my car mechanic in US, are common people separated by two worlds on the opposite sides globe. One illiterate and poor riding a decrepit bicycle, the other literate and economically much better off driving a SUV - yet both with unwavering loyalty to their political parties, MUNDAs nevertheless.

Ides of October

It is the ides of October. This month is known to have its share of history of turbulence - from the famous October revolution in Russia in 1917, to the epic Wall Street crashes in 1929, 1987 and 2008 happening in the same month. Last October Hamas, Israel's bête noire, launched massive terror attacks in Gaza from land, sea and air, killing hundreds and taking scores of women and children as hostage. Israel's response since has been swift. Since last October the nation has retaliated forcefully. This imbroglio has put the Middle East into crisis mode once again. And month of October isn't done yet. 

I am reminded of the famous cat eating bird story, one of the episodes from the epic Indian short story collection of "PANCHA TANTRA" (The Five Treatises). A bird was trying to make cat see sense with reasoning, proselytizing it to follow a peaceful, pious path. The cat feigned listening to the story in rapt attention. No sooner it got closer to the bird, than the cat jumped on it, killed and ate the bird. Moral of the story - Don't try to inculcate empathy, sense and righteousness into those who are unreceptive to such message. It is not only futile, it can backfire big time. No wonder, scores from a music festival in the quest peace, including one pro-peace American academic in Israel was amongst those killed in the Hamas attack. So much to senseless wokeism. Israel has forcefully responded back, civilians as usual being the collateral damage.

Terrorists are terrorists - regardless of their religion, caste, creed or color. No matter what, shooting unarmed people in a music festival, taking women and children into captivity is a crime. Period. Also it was a rare but major intelligence failure of Israel's famed secret services Mossad which otherwise has many spectacular successes under its belt. Israel has been striking back pretty hard. They aren't paper tigers soiled in unrealist belligerence and soaked in fake jingoism. It responses in kind to any attack on its interest without any hesitation. I can foresee Israel doing more harsh things in Gaza as United States has already extended it its blank support to the Jewish state. The elusive ceasefire is no where in sight.

America's support to Israel is nothing new and perpetually unwavering. In the year 1948, when the state of Israel was formed, Harry Truman, a Democrat and the President of the United States at the time, immediately recognized it risking an Arab backlash. Since then US has unequivocally backed Israel. Apart from perfunctory American aids and grants, Israel invariably gets the latest arms, ammunition and equipments from Uncle Sam. Whenever there is a resolution against Israel in Security Council, the nation gets the blanket support from the United States. You may very well say that Israel is the undeclared 51st state of the United States. More jews live in USA than Israel and are known to be traditionally rich and influential. 

United Nations (UN), an useless bloated bureaucracy whose Birthday incidentally is today, October the 24th, has urged restraint and peace from both sides. As if Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Israel care a hoot about its appeal ! In June 1981 when the Israeli F-16s bombarded Baghdad to permanently end Saddam Hussain's nuclear ambition, Menachem Begin, Israeli Prime Minister at that time was condemned by the United Nations. US promptly vetoed the resolution. I am now reminded of a cartoon by the eminent cartoonist R.K. Laxman on  newspaper "Times of India" depicting the UN Secretary General admonishing a defiant Menachem Begin, the Israeli Prime Minister - "If you attack again, you will be condemned more severely". 

Meanwhile, India has opted to extend its support to Israel and a Palestinian state, though it has denounced Hamas's action as terror. Whereas China, a country Israel holds in much higher esteem due to its business interests has urged calm. This symbolizes that Foreign policy doesn't run on raw emotions, but rather on pragmatism and harsh realities where protection of self interest based realpolitic rules the roost. This latest crisis shouldn't be viewed in simplicistic prism of another religion conflict. Middle East situation is much more complex. 

I have seen a few Right wing supporters in India who never held a gun in their life, volunteering themselves to fight for Israel. Relax folks. It is fine to extend your moral support, but it is a different thing to fight an actual war. Israel can take care of itself and doesn't need any unsolicited, untrained mercenaries. No wonder China, which puts religion into back burner before its national security has urged restraint without taking any sides. Let our government's foreign policy do the whatever is appropriate in the interest of our country. Whatsapp University graduates, fighting wars is not your forte. Please stay away from this.

Relationships in midlife

Every relationship will get boring after you’ve been together for years. This is a reality that often goes unspoken. Relationships, no matter how passionate they start, eventually settle into routine. Familiarity breeds contempt, though the degree of contempt can vary. The initial thrill, the butterflies, the constant excitement, they all slowly fade away as life takes its own course. 

But that doesn’t mean the relationship is failing; it means it’s evolving. A relationship isn’t supposed to stay in that honeymoon phase forever. It is meant to grow deeper, richer, more profound over time, age and mature like fine wine and cheese. And yes, sometimes it gets mundane, but that’s where the real love begins— when you can find comfort and beauty in the ordinary moments together. 

Love isn’t just a feeling. It’s a commitment, to love every day, physically or emotionally. We are often sold this idea that love is purely a feeling - a constant state of euphoria and passion. But the truth is, such feelings come and go, like flashes of lightning during a thunderstorm on a summer night. There will be days when love feels effortless, smooth and silky, but there will also be days when it feels like work. That’s because real love isn’t just about how you feel in a moment; it is about the choices you make every single day to stay committed - to show up and to be present. It’s about continuing to love, even when life throws challenges your way, even when your partner isn’t at his or her best, and even when it gets tough. Love is action. It’s what you do, not just what you feel. 

Relationships aren’t always easy. They require effort, patience, mutual trust, respect and understanding. That’s normal. It is not supposed to be perfect, the goal post shifting all the time. Relationship is about growth, both individually and together. The key is to remember that the hard times are just as much a part of the journey as the good times. They don’t mean the relationship is broken—they mean it’s a perpetual work in progress. 

People tend to quit when it stops being fun, and they go look for someone else because "the spark is gone." In today’s world, we are conditioned to chase the next thrill, the next rush of excitement. So, when the initial mojo evaporates in a relationship, many people think it’s a sign to move on. But that new spark has an expiry date too. It is perennially fleeting. It’s the novelty of something new, not the foundation of lasting love. Real love is about what happens after the novelty fades—when you no longer rely on infatuation but on the deeper connection you’ve built over time. 

The idea that love should always feel exciting and new is a myth. True love isn’t about constantly chasing sparks; it’s about building a firewall that can withstand the storms. Real love is about weathering the storms together, not running at the first sign of difficulty. It’s about digging in, standing firm, and choosing to stay, even when it would be easier to walk away. 

Love, like friendship is a two-way street. You can't clap using one hand. It takes two to tango. If you want someone to be there for you in your worst moments, to stand by you when you’re not at your best, then you must be willing to reciprocate and do the same. Love isn’t about receiving—it is about giving. It’s about being the kind and caring to your partner, offering grace, patience and understanding, even when it feels undeserved. True love doesn’t waver based on convenience. It’s steadfast, even in the hardest moments. Real love doesn’t fade when the spark is gone. It deepens through commitment, grows through patience, and lasts through every season of life. This is the best antidote to myriads of midlife crisis I come across these days.

 Charles Dickens famous quip from his epic Novel "The Tell of Two Cities"- "It was the best of the time, it was the worst of the time" couldn't be more prophetic. It rings a bell when I look at the recent performance of  Pakistan's cricket team. Those from my generation have seen the best of the times of Pakistani cricket at its pinnacle in the 1980s and 1990s. Now we are seeing the worst of the times as the country's cricket has hit the rock bottom, with a series of losses at home from a whitewash by Bangladesh, followed by a humiliating defeat by visiting English team even after scoring 500 plus in the first innings.

It's famed fast bowling attack looks pedestal and batsmen inconsistent and at best average. 

Never before I saw Pakistan cricket in such a state of doldrum. Well, they have a reputation of dressing room infights and internal bickerings in open, often ending in fisticuffs. In 1981-82 about 8-9 cricketers, most of them senior players refusing to play under a rookie Captain 24 year old Javed Miandad. History repeated itself in 1993 when almost similar number of players refused to play under a young and arrogant Wasim Akram. But such skirmishes were more like flash in a pan, rarely impacted the performance of the team as a whole. 

They had the best of the times for decades seen by our generation who followed cricket from 1970s. It was the ebulient, charismatic leadership of Imran Khan which brought the best out of the Pakistani team as under his leadership the team managed to defeat England in England, India in India and win the coveted 50 overs World Cup in 1992. 

The current situation is worst of its time. The rot started when a series of Pakistani players were accused of match fixing, some even caught red handed on camera fixing matches with bookies. Being unpredictable was the quintessential sine qua non akways associated with the Pakistani team whose performance has a history of swinging like pendulum. One day they would play like a world campion, the next day they will look like club cricketers on steroids. But they have become very predictable these days. The once almost invincible at home Pakistani cricket team led by fast bowlers like Imran Khan & Sarfraz Nawaz, Wasim Abram and Waqar Younis who used to hunt in pairs, they have become immensely predictable these days by losing to pretty average if not ordinary sides. 

These days the extremely competitive modern sports talent isn't just enough. You need infrastructure, coaching and money to polish your skills and takent, taking it to the next level. Talent can get you only to certain extent. Professional teams like India and Australia have judiciously invested time and money with results showing on the ground. On the other hand, Pakistan still has a long way to catch up as far as professionalism goes. Unless they arrest their current state of decline and put their house in order they could very well end up like Zimbabwe and West Indies. Pakistan has earned a lot of bad Karma due to its flawed policies. Karma is a bitch, it bites hard.

Happy 90th Birthday Akshaya Mohanty

 If he were alive, the legendary Odia singer Akshaya Mohanty born this day in October, 1934, today he would be 90 year old today. Like Kishore Kumar, he was a virtuoso, a multifaceted artistic talent from Odisha. Though better known as a versatile singer, the lyricist in him penned many songs - from serious to romantic, from comic to tragic ones. The music all rounder in him arguably stood him above the rest of the contemporaries from his generation, which included a field of gifted artistic talents from the state of Odisha, the likes of Pranab Patnaik, Chitta Jena, Sikandar Alam, Prafulla Kar.

Khoka Bhai (he went by this alias), started singing in the 1950s and was at his peak during 1970s. During that time he made the cardinal mistake of quitting his cushy government job to fully focus on his musical career. Unfortunately for him, he belonged to a state better known as the graveyard of artistic pursuits.

The milieu those days when government was the main employment provider where Odias in general looked down upon and harbored anathema towards anything but secured SARAKARI (government) job. He could have rubbed Clarified Butter on his moustache (NISARE GHIA MARI) and worked nonchalantly in his job nonstop till he attained the age of 58, stil would have continued to sing untill his death, completely assured by the safety net of a "Sarkari" pensions. But he took a risk to follow his first love music and like most first loves in life it didn't materialize for him and remained stillborn, him paying a big price for quitting his government job.

Khoka bhai (his popular nickname) sang many Odia hits. His records sold well. He was hugely popular and immensely admired, yet his going professional in the field of music did not fetch him the remuneration to amply compensate for his ability. By mid 1980s he was not in good economic shape. Everyone admired his songs and music, but going pro didn't provide him a sustainable source of income. He took to alcohol and continued to abuse himself. My brother-in-law who interacted with him extensively during the maestro's trip to Chicago in June, 2001 often found him drunk, staggering and blabbering around. His reckless alcoholism probably cut short his life and career as he died a year later in the year 2002 at the age of 68.

After listening to Akshaya Mohanty's title song from movie "JAJABARA", Lata Mangeshkar suggested him to try his luck in Bollywood. But a laid back Akshaya Mohanty would never do that. He visited America multiple times and enthralled the NROs (Non Resident Odias) with his nostalgic songs. My memory goes back to the year 1979 when his trip to America was well covered in the local media in Odisha. Those days coming to America used to be a big deal. The legendary singer, post returning from his American trip quoted in the popular local Odia daily "SAMAJA" - "Even cats and dogs are better off in America than humans here in Odisha".

India has come a long way since 1979, now a 4 trillion dollar plus economy chugging ahead. Visiting America is no longer a big deal to get publicized in local newspapers. But those were the days. Soon came out a song composed and recorded by him based on his first hand American experience,

AMERICA RE PREMA HUE
BEECH ROAD UPARE,
AMA CUTTACK RE PREMA HUE
BHAI RIKSHAW PACHHARE.

Transliterated....

 (Love in America
  is a road side show,
  In Cuttack love happens
  behind Rickshaw).

The young generation in Odisha since have lifted their veil of shyness, enjoying their amorous aventures in middle of parks and pubs - even on BEECH (Middle of) roads as hand pulled Rickshaws have given way to their Autorickshaw cousins.

Saluting the Maestro and wishing him a Happy Birthday, let me end my ode to him with this funny number, penned by himself,

"PREMIKARA BARIADE BAIDHANKA
AU BICHHUATA BANA,
DEKHIBAKU MANA CHHANA CHHANA
KUNDAAI KUNDAAI GALA PRANA".

Roughly transliterated

"My beloved's home backyard
Has a jungle filled with Poison Ivy,
In the eagerness to watch her stealthily,
I had to scratch myself heavy."

Happy Birthday Amitabh

Today is the Birthday of Amitabh Bachhan, an icon in Hindi movie industry, popularly known as Bollywood (aptly named after Hollywood, the way we love to copycat). There is this dialogue from his movie "KAALIA" - "Hum Jahan Khade Hote Hain, Line Wohi Se Shuru Hoti Hai", meaning, "Wherever I stand the line starts from there". The movie from the year 1982, incidentally the time when Amitabh was the one man Bollywood industry, the unchallenged superstar. He was the no. 1 to no. 10 choice of the watchers of Hindi movies, the rest came way behind. So much so that the popular actresses of that time were scared to be his leading ladies in movies, lest they will be eclipsed by the actor standing tall above the rest. 

Amitabh started his movie career in the year 1969 in a forgettable movie "Saat Hindustani". He struggled for 4 more years and at one point decided to leave acting and become a "Boxwallah" until Zanzeer (1973) and Deewar (1974) delivered him two back to back hits putting him on a pedestal from which he never looked back. By 1980, he had already established himself as the Superstar of Bollywood. Once considered too tall and lanky to play the lead role as an actor, he proved all his detractors wrong. No wonder it is said that a good height always attracts the opposite sex. Those were the days, 6 feet 2 was considered being too tall and Jaya Bhadudi with a diminutive height of 4 feet 8 survived well in the industry (incidentally they were and still are married to each other). 

In year 1980 journalist and Writer Tavleen Singh once met Amitabh at her friend Sonia Gandhi's home in Delhi. As Amitabh was close to the Gandhi family, Tavleen requested Sonia if she could make Amitabh, already a superstar of the time agree for an interview. Amitabh was very warm and agreed. He told Tavleen - "Please talk to my Secretary in Bombay and get an appointment".

When the D-day arrived early that morning Tavleen arrived at Amitabh's home who was about to step out for an outdoor shooting session for movies "Naseeb" and "Do Aur Do Paanch". The previous warmth displayed a Sonia Gandhi's home had vanished as Amitabh barely talked and in a reserved tone told her to follow her as his wife Jaya gave Tavleen a cold stare while handing over the a tiffin career containing simple, vegetarian food. Amitabh was a frugal eater.

At the set Tavleen noted that Amitabh completely overshadowed his co-actors Hema Malini and the Kapoor brothers Sashi and Rishi. In terms of popularity he was way ahead of the rest, mobbed by his fans both on and off the set.

It was a long day. Finally after sunset when darkness set in, Amitabh found some time for interview and open up to Tavleen answering her questions on his way to another set for another shooting session. As mentioned by Tavleen after the interview she ended up with a crush on the tall, charismatic actor.

In late 1960s, days before getting into acting profession once Amitabh visited Mahmood, a comedian and a better known actor of the time along with his close buddy Rajiv Gandhi, the eldest son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who later went on to become India's Prime Minister. Not knowing Rajiv Gandhi, Mahmood told Amitabh - "You are too tall, lanky, devoid of a hero's look. Better try your hands playing the role of a bad guy". Then glancing at Rajiv Gandhi he said - "However, your friend is a handsome dude and got looks fit for a hero. He may try his luck in Bollywood". Fate had its own way. A decade later in 1979 Amitabh was the undisputed king and Superstar of Bollywood after the stupendous success of his movie  "MUQADDAR KA SIKANDAR" where he vanquished Vinod Khanna, his sole challenger at that time.

Prior to his first hit ZANZEER, Amitabh reportedly contemplated quitting movie career (Similar to Kishore Kumar who thought of retiring before the success of his songs from ARADHANA). The rest we know is history, as he established himself as the one man industry. So much so that, in the1980s he got away with mediocre performances in junk movies like MAHAAN, JADUGAR etc churned out one after another by the likes of Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra.

The saga of this talented Mega star (he was above and beyond a Superstar) is beyond the scope of this blog. Some, if not all of his movies impressed me enough to make them watchable even today, especially many of them laced with the golden voice of Kishore Kumar who was the playback singer of many of Bachchan's hit movies (its rumored both fell out with each other in 1984 after SHARABI. Kishore Kumar refused to sing for Amitabh after that when Shabir Kumar, not Kishore became his voice).

The other day I was watching one of his movies - NAMAK HARAM (Untruthful to Salt), a movie in which he acted along with the contemporary Superstar Rajesh Khanna. Though Rajesh Khanna hugged the limelight in that movie, Amitabh showed flashes of brilliance with his trademark angry young man acting using his baritone voice. Needless to say, he showed traits for a promising future. He not only became a superstar, but ended up being the Megastar, a record no one has broken since.

The movie has a strong undertone of Socialism, the fad during those days. Rajesh Khanna asks his friend Amitabh, who plays the role of son of a rich business tycoon, the price of "Chivas Regal", a brand of Scotch they were sharing together. It was Rs. 250 a bottle in 1973, a hefty amount these days - more than a MAZDOOR (worker's) salary. The price of a 60 ml shot of Chivas Regal costs twice as much these days in any decent hotel in India.

As the movie progresses, Amitabh is advised by his father not to trust his friend Rajesh Khanna, because the later is from the middle class. He warns his son - "Your friend belongs to the middle class. Folks from that class, though they vouch on their ideology and principles, can also be very ambitious and hence dangerously treacherous. Perennially looking for opportunity to move up, they can easily drop their pretense of ideology cloaked in hypocrisy to do anything to climb up the social ladder. Hence the middle class folks should never be trusted."

Very apt and prophetic statement. Upper class folks born with silver spoon in their mouth, mostly have a smooth sailing in their life. The barely ambitious lower class look forward their next meal. The middle class always have that feeling, "I would love to be there but I am not yet there, may be some day." 

They day dream about reaching the status of those "haves". Competition is cut throat and jealousy is the highest amongst the middle class. Some of them, are capable of doing anything and everything, by hook or crook for upward mobility. 

The burgeoning middle class in last few decades just strives hard to do that, a desire to get rich overnight at any cost. They are the ones who are pretty much mostly responsible for all corruption and scams we see these days.

The tall ambition of the middle class as described by the actor Om Shiv Puri in this movie is dwarfed the acting Lamboo (Tall) legend who delivered his classic closing monologe in the movie. Don't think I will see anyone close to Amitabh's stature during my lifetime. Happy 82nd Birthday to the legend. Hope more to come. 

Happy birthday Utkalamani

Today is the birthday of Gopabandhu Das, an Odia Patriot, freedom fighter, social worker, reformer and writer - all blended into one like finest of blended Scotch Whiskies. He is also fondly referred by the masses as UTKALAMANI or "The Jewel of Odisha", a title well earned. He was one of the first visionaries of modern Odisha, a pioneer of out of box thinking.

Gopabandhu Das was born on October 9, 1877, in the village of SUANDO in Puri district of Odisha, a walkable distance from my ancestral village. From his early childhood he was sharp in academics and like most went to Puri, the closest township from a cluster of neighborhood villages to do his higher studies.

Higher education enlightened him to fight social evils and dogmas. He fought against couple of scourges of the time, the diseases of Casteism and Cholera, one social and the other one pandemic in nature. Though a Brahmin he changed his last name from "Dash" from "Das" to protest against the rigid casteism prevelant at the time. He was in favor of woman empowerment, widow remarriage, mass education and was staunchly opposed to Child marriage, leaving no stone unturned in his efforts.

Hordes of people used to die in flood, followed by communicable diseases like Cholera (my grandfather has seen in his own eyes his entire family of 10 from his cousin's side in our village wiped out by cholera in matter of a week). Cholera patients were treated as pariah those days. Nobody would dare come closer to a Cholera patient, locally called as "BADI MADAA" (A Cholera corpse) fearing contamination as the dogs during the day and Jackals in night would feast on the abandoned corpses. It was Cholera not Condom which kept the population under control those days.

Gopabandhu and his friends, primarily Nilakantha Das's tryst with the lethal disease hardened their resolve to fight it. Encountering it from close quarters helped them overcome the fear of the disease. They did something unthinkable at that time - take the Cholera Bull by its horn. Getting close and taking care those infected with this marauding disease, from administering them medicines to doing their last rights, for no one would dare to touch a person cursed by "BAADI THAKURANI" (The Goddess of Cholera) - without ever bothering about getting contaminated. Little did they knew that Cholera was a water borne disease.

Gopabandhu used to travel to remotest of the places to supply relief materials and medicine to the impacted folks. He also foresaw the power of media and was the founder of a popular Odia Daily The SAMAJA (Society), which is still in print. In 1908 he formed the "Young Utkal Association" - an organization which strived for philanthropy and fighting the social evils of the time.

In 1924 Gopabandhu Das got out of jail where he was put by the British for protesting their occupation. He got a heroic welcome from public and was immediately received by P. C. Ray at the Provincial Congress Conference in Town Hall of Cuttack, where the later proudly made an announcement, declararing Gopabandhu Das as "UTKALA MANI" or The Jewel of Odisha. This title has stuck to him till this day.

Pandit Gopabandhu Das, was fond of fish. He has expressed his fetish for prawn which was plentiful those days -

"HAIO CHUNGUDI KAHIN,
GHUNGUDI MARIBA KAHAKU KHAI ?"

Transliterated...

"Hey, why the prawn is not seen in menu,
What'll make us snore in the afternoon ?"

Due to lack of refrigeration facilities as well as demand for export, freshly caught Tiger Prawns (Shrimps) caught from the Bay of Bengal coast were sold cheaply by the fishermen at dime a dozen before the heat and humidity of Puri spoiled them. Locals feasted on them until the arrival of storage facilities and demand for their export gradually made them a lucrative, luxurious and costly item for the locals.

Pandit Nilakantha Das, a close friend and confidante of Pandit Gopabandhu Das has devoted an entire chapter in his autobiography clearing the aura of "BHAKTIKA MITHYA" or devotional lies attributed to UTKALAMANI. Sri Lingaraj Mishra wrote this sometime in the 1950s without fact check, when a statue of Utkalamani was inagurated in Cuttack - "When Gopabandhu's only son was laying on death bed in 1904, he got the news about the devastating floods in Odisha. Bidding adieu to his son at his bedside, Gopabandhu said - "so many sons of my country are perishing. I have to serve them, even if I have to leave my son on his death bed", before proceeding to flood impacted areas. Then poet Radhamohan Gadanayak wrote a long poem eulogizing Gopabandhu on this.

No question about Utkalamani's unflinching commitment and dedication towards social service, but this was simply a devotional lie spread by his BHAKTs (devotees). Nilakantha Das kept the records straight on this by providing detailed facts with timelines. Lingaraj Mishra who wrote this popular anecdote didn't know Gopabandhu until 1921. Utkalamani was never involved in serving people in flood or draught affected areas until the year 1908 when he formed the "Young Utkal Association". It was good 4 years after 1904 when the claim of him abandoning his sick son to serve the calamity stricken people was made.

As per Pandit Nilakantha Das who knew Gopabandhu from close quarters - Utkalamani was not a stoic person, rather he had a soft, caring heart. Sri Nilakantha had seen in his own eyes, in presence of Late Sadashiv Mishra (a famed teacher in Puri Zilla School) the death of Gopabandhu's infant son in the arms of his wife in an era when infant mortality rate was very high. Needless to say, the parents were inconsolable. He was his only son and there was no flood during that time.

Another devotional lie was after his son's death and before the great flood of 1908 Gopabandhu became a saffron clad Sanyasi (yogi) roaming across nation. That was also nowhere close to truth. Had these facts were not disclosed by Sri Nilakantha Das, these urban legends would never have been debunked and turned to gospels.

Ironically the man who worked fearlessly amongst the Cholera patients shunned by the public, died of another waterborne disease - Typhoid. In 1928 Gopabandhu went to Calcutta to address a labor conference and likely contracted there the disease from which he could never recover. Apprehending his death, Utkalamani summoned Nilakantha Das and others close to him, instructing them to write his final will. "I am dictating my last will and testament", he said this as Dr. Radhanath Rath wrote it in front of teary eyed onlookers. After giving instructions to donate the Samaj printing press to "Bharat Sevak Samaj", he passed away.

Next day was the eve of the auspucious Sri GUNDICHA Rath Yatra. Gopabandhu's dead body was taken around Satyavadi, where he dedicated most of his life in the service to mankind. Droves of mourning people massed around the funeral pyre as his remains were consigned to flame. It was end of an era, a chapter in the history of Odisha came to close. That days was June 17, 1928.

Being independent minded, Pandit Gopabandhu fought against the contemporary British rule, advocating SWARAAJ or self rule. He was promptly arrested and put in jail. While is jail, he wrote in Odia BANDIRA ATMA KATHA (The autobiography of a Prisoner), a stanza from which I still remember. goes as follows.

MISU MORA DEHA E DESAI MATIRE,
DESA BASI CHALI JAANTU PITHIRE.
DESA RA SWARAJYA PATHE JETE GADA,
PURI JAU SETHI RE MORA MANSA HADA.

Roughly transliterated...

"Let my body blend in this county's track,
Let My country men walk on my back.
On the path of self rule lies potholes,
Let it get filled with my flesh, bones." 

Mortal man, whose immortal memories is going to inspire all for generations to come. My thousands salute to the free thinker and beacon of the future on his 147th Birthday.

Happy birthday Imran Khan

 As a cricket captain he desired to defeat England in England and India in India. He got both his wishes fulfilled. He announced his retirement from cricket as the much fancied Pakistani side of 1987 failed to win the World Cup being held in the Indian subcontinent, but returned back to cricket after being pursuaded by Zia-Ul-Haq to return back to play cricket again. He went on to win the Cricket World Cup Pakistan's captain in 1992 after motivating his team when all hopes was gone as his team was one game shy from elimination. He soon built a Cancer hospital in memory of his mother, first of its kind in a poverty stricken Pakistan. He is the well known Pakistan's ex-Cricketer Imran Khan. 

The ultimate alpha Male, Imran bedded a number of lasses, produced at least one known Bastard (from the six feet American celebrity girl Sita White. He first denied but admitted of fathering a girl child when US Court summoned him to do a paternity test). 

Sita White died young at a young age 43, suddenly collapsing before her Yoga class in Los Angeles. Imran was forced to take his daughter into his custody. A playboy of repute he rumored to have affairs with Rekha, Moon Moon Sen and notably Zeenat Aman whom he almost married but for the objection from his mother. He married multiple times which included Jemima Goldsmith, his first wife, a girl half his age and daughter of a super rich Jewish tycoon. 

When Imran  Khan joined politics, he was laughed off and expected not to replicate his success on the Cricket field in the murky world of politics. Yet he rose to became the Prime Minister - the ultimate dream of any politician of Indian subcontinent. But soon he realized that politics is a dirty game and ain't every one's cuppa tea. It is Allah, Army and America who rule the roost in Pakistan, but non of them are on his side at this moment. Eventually it was the all powerful Pakistani Army which put him behind jail. Happy 74th birthday Imran Khan.

How to catch a Bhakt

 I have nothing against BHAKTs (a very prolific, popular slang for the blind Right leaning devotees of Modi and BJP. The tag sticks to them as iron sticks to magnet). Like everyone else they have every rights to their unflinching BHAKTI (Diehard Devotion) for their MAHAPRABHU (Ultimate God). I have no issues with that. Their BHAKTI (devotion) is non of my business, until they get personal and start trolling me. 

Every Fall (Autumn) and Spring I get into the mode of cleansing of such BHAKTs from my Facebook friendlist and still continue this practice. I follow a very simple method of scouring and smoking them out of their holes. So far it has worked well for me and I have been quite successful in my mission of trapping & eliminating them. 

How to catch a Bhakt ? During my childhood days in our village near Puri, I have seen an occasion called "MAJENA" - An offering of Fish to our village Goddess, followed by a massive feasting on varieties of mouth watering dishes made out of fish - MACHHA BHAJA (Fried fish), BESARA (scrambled fish cooked in mustard paste), MACHHA KAALIA (fish Chunk curry), MACHHA MANJI (fish roe or egg) fries and so on. 

The fish is procured from our village pond. The fishermen would enter into this pond called GAAI GADIA (named after cows taking bath inside the pond), wade through it several times, toing and froing from one and to the other, deliberately muddying the water. The fishes who get agitated and start jumping around are caught first. The process is repeated until the target for the evening MAJENA session is met. 

I do the same on Facebook by deliberately posting something critical of Modi, BJP, RSS, sarcastic memes and cartoons poking fun at them, especially the superstitions peddled as phoney scientific theories simply to score cheap political goals. It riles some Bhakts to no end. A la fish they start jumping around with their asses on fire. They bite the bait, start bad mouthing me. I lose no time in giving them the option of unfriending me - to go ahead and make my day. If they prefer, I oblige them by reciprocating the same at my end. 

Last week I had to unfriend couple of guys from my Facebook friend list. The reason - although they wrote nothing against me but irritated me by their nonsense, parochial and outright moronic statements directed to my post and comments on my posts from some of my erudite friends. 

They later said sorry, but my prudence prompted me to get rid of them. If you keep snakes in your backyard expecting to bite only your neighbors, then you are living in a fool's paradise. One day they will turn their fangs on you. It is wiser to wipe them off from my friendliest rather than leave any such scope for future. 

I am also reminded of this story great folklore PANCHATANTRA (The Five Treatise), a series of meaningful short stories compiled by our ancient story teller Vishnu Sharma. A king kept a monkey as his pet. His favorite simian became too close to him as the King treated the animal as a friend. 

One fine afternoon the King was enjoying his siesta. A fly came from nowhere and sat on his nose. The monkey saw it. Not wanting to disturb the king and get rid of the nuisance fly, the monkey grabbed the unsheathed sword of the King and took a hard blow at the King's face. The fly managed to fly away, but the King was dead. The moral of the story - "MURKHA BANDHU THARU BUDDHIMAN SHATRU SHREYASKARA", an intelligent enemy is preferred to an idiot friend. This moral from hundred years ago still holds good. Lesson learnt, good riddance. 

So far this strategy has worked out well for me. I have already have my quota of fish and feel satiated for this year. Now I got to wait until the next MAJENA before I go on my next fishing expedition. Fall is just getting started, so also my cleansing. Elon Musk once said -“You don't lose friends. You lose undercover haters. Real friends can never be lost". He wasn't far from the truth.

Beethoven and sound of music

 Years back, while driving I caught the esoteric tune of Beethoven's all time classic Moonlight Sonata on one of the local FM channels. Neither I am a connoisseur of Western Classical music, nor it's my forte. This music was inscrutable to my dumb mind.

Yet I tried to comprehend it, after all it was a masterpiece from an all time maestro. Legend has it, the German composer Ludwig Van Beethoven had turned completely deaf by the time he composed his Moonlight Sonata. The thunderous applause he received from the esteemed Viennese audience fell into deaf's ear. 

In my case it was deafness of another kind. There is a popular Odia DHAGA (proverb) - "KAALA AGARE MULA CHOBEIBA", transliterated it means chewing Radish in front of the deaf. In other words, "talking rocket science to a layman". I could hardly make any head and tail out of it. My self learning effort was futile, akin to another Odia saying "SANDHA KU BHAGABAT PADHEIBA" (trying to teach Bible to Bull). My attempt at understanding Moonlight Sonata ended in a fiasco. The music was way beyond the comprehension of a tyro in me.

But from my own experience, I can vouch that Beethoven's music really had a very soothing effect. My newborn son used to stay awake for long, hardly sleeping and giving us sleepless nights. It was quite unlike of an infant who was expected to sleep longer whereas he slept no longer than taking some sporadic naps. As parents we were a worried lot. His pediatrician recommended a CD with some soothing music to play so that it will act as lullaby, ensuing calming effect which would lull him into sleep.

I observed that he would be still awake when one after another music played. But no sooner than the CD sequenced itself to a Beethoven's number he would sleep like a baby. A realization descended upon me that day that music can be felt, need not be understood. Centuries later Beethoven's music still had its effect on mere mortals. Mortal men, immortal melodies. This maestro was born this day of December 17, 1770.

These are the lines from a popular Hindi song from 1985 - "Pyar Kiya Nahi Jata, Ho Jata Hai", meaning "Love isn't created, Love happens on its own". We have its Bollywood version from the iconic movie "GUIDE" - Jab Matlab Se Pyar Hota Hai To Pyar Ka Koi Matlab Nahi Rehta (if there is a motive for love it's not love). Love is strongest when it is unreasonable. When you try to reason it, it is not love. Love is a feeling to be felt, a la music.

Same goes with poetry. Poetry isn't read through mind, it is read through heart. It's not understood, it is rather felt. A lot of things in life need to be felt, not comprehended. Music, love and poetry fall into that category. Beethoven just vindicated it.