10 Die hard habits die hard - Part I

 Those from my generation who grew up in India might remember these, which were unique to the milieu of the day. Not sure if our counterparts from the present generation still retain some if not all the following habits, but I am sure most from Gen Z will find some if not all these habits as oddities and us as interlopers. A few habits probably are still intact, some gone redundant, became defunct a la old rivers die unsung in deserts, drying in the sands of time. Many considered unwarranted these days - consumed by the ever encroaching cultural invasion from outside. Here is a compilation of 10 such die hard old habits hardly died.

1. Have a fever ? Your diet changes from normal "BHATA - DAALI" (Rice and Daal or Lentil soup) to "PAUN RUTI - KHIRA" (Bread and Milk). Saltine cracker is the snack of fever, known to titillate your numb taste bud. Also fever is the time to consume fruits considered exotic at that time - Apple, Pomegranate, Pear and Orange. They were preferred over the locally sourced and plentily available Banana, Mango, Guava, Papaya, AATA (Sitaphal in Hindi or Custard Apple). Though these tropical fruits were highly nutritious, for a strange reason they were thought as cold fruits which can aggravate fever, especially Banana and Guava. Perhaps they fit to the old Odia adage, "GAAN KANIA SINGHANI NAKI" (Country girl, Runny nose), simply meaning - "Local stuff, Unpalatable". Medically speaking, there is no such hot or cold fruits. The fruits which might trigger cough or cold aren't cold fruit, rather an allergic reaction of that particular person.

2. PETA GARAM or the Hot Stomach Syndrome, the colloquial medical adage blamed for every common ailments, from constipation to headaches. It was supposed to be the root cause behind common cold. No one knew what exactly the elusive PETA GARAM was, but drinking plenty of PAIDA PANI (coconut water) and flashing mugs of cold water on your lower belly at shower was the prescription to get rid of it. My take - PETA GARAM is nothing but symptom of dehydration caused by heat and humidity of a tropical country which could be cured by staying hydrated.

In case of stomach upset LEMBU PANI (Lemon juice squeezed into water) was used for instant remedy. Often a cut lemon was inhaled close to nose tip to prevent puking. The later definitely worked, not sure about the former as it often caused acidity.

3. Need old Newspaper to cover a dusty cupboard ? Make a temporary cup holder out of it for munching peanuts or making THUNGA (paper pouch) ? Go and fetch for the ubiquitous "SAMAJA KAGAZA", the default name for all Newspapers those days. The ubiquitous "Samaja" was the most widely circulated vernacular newspaper of Odisha those days. Once in my Primary (Elementary) school our English teacher asked a question to his students - "Which newspaper comes to your house ?" All in my class answered in unison - "Samaja". I answered - "The Samaja" and received brownie points from our teacher, as prefixing "The" in front of the name of a newspaper was dramatically correct.

Either way, The Samaja ruled every one's home, both as a carrier of news, then of utility value to be sold to the perennially cheating buyer of magazines and newspapers who would arrive every other week on his antique bicycle, shouting at top of his voice - KAGAZA BIKRI KARIBE KAGAGAZA (Want to sell Newspapers) ? The tyres of his bicycle would be seriously short of air pressure, invariably touching the ground. He would be carrying his "NIKITI or TARAZU", his hand held weighing machine and BATAKARA (weights of 500gm, 1kg nominations made of wrought iron), carefully crafted to cheat the customers. The 1 kg measured is never 1 kilogram, it would weigh at least 15% more for the benefit of the buyer.

4. The caption ODIA JUBAKA NKA UCHHA SIKHYA PAIN BIDESHA JATYA (The Odia youth goes abroad for higher education), followed by a Passport picture of the smiling man wearing suit and tie used to adore the inside pages of "The Samaja" - as I mentioned used to be the most widely read Newspaper of our days. The term BIDESHA or Foreign was euphemism for "Ameyricka" spoken in a thick Odia accent, meaning USA or Western Europe, mainly England. Don't remember anyone ever publishing pictures of those travelling to the foreign lands of Nepal or Bangladesh. Now way too many are making PHOREIN (Abroad) trips in Jeans and T-shirts to get a mention on local newspapers attired in suits and boots.

5. "ARRE ETE RAATI JAE TU KOUTHI THILU ? JA HATA GODA DHOI, PRARTHANA KARI PATHA PADHIBU" - (Hey, where were you hanging out so late in the evening ? Go, wash your hands and legs and do your study) - was the usual reprimand from our parents. Now a days it has changed to - "JA iPhone CHHADI PATHA PADHIBU" (Leave your iPhone to focus on studies). I heard the same from a father who was bewildered by his child's demands for a separate room and more privacy in his house, something unthinkable during our time when all the kids used to study together packed like sardines in a room, occasionally passing gas accusing the other siblings of the same with a "not I" look on the face. Reprimanding kids for coming late is so passe. Parents these days are regarded as intruders by their children for stepping on their privacy. Forget about boys, even girls of late are hardly questioned for coming home late.

Those were the days...

(The 2nd and concluding part of the blog will follow soon).

The H1B fee hike

 There are tons of discussions on media - social or otherwise about USA hiking the H1B Visa fee for all new applicant by 100 times from the current $1,000 to a hefty $100,000 (About 88 lakh Indian Rupees). This is a gargantuan amount which is certainly going to act as a deterrent, drastically reducing the number of new H1B applicants. India is the center of attention on this imbroglio as 71% of the H1B applicants for this coveted Visa are Indians, which is considered a path towards the coveted US green card and citizenship, the ultimate goal to attain the American dream for many.

Approval of Visa is the prerogative of any country. A nation has retains its rights to increase or decrease the number and fees, change Visa rules and regulations depending on the demands and circumstances, both economic and political. Regardless Visa is given at any nation's discretion. Getting a Visa is a privilege not an entitlement. Is the decision good, bad or ugly on short and long term for India and USA, the two major nations at the center of attention of H1B ? Only time will vindicate that. Rest, especially the majority on social media who have no idea what H1B is, having very little knowledge about it and little knowledge can be a dangerous thing - contributing to the prevalent chaos and confusion.

Many say that returning H1Bs will contribute towards entrepreneurship in India. That's possible, but easier said than done. Two things need to be noted. First of all, the overwhelming majority of H1Bs are job seekers not job creators. Secondly, the Neta (Politican) and Babu (Bureaucrat) dominated ecosystem in India hardly acts as a catalyst for entrepreneurship.

H1B also has its pros and cons. H1B holders have not only contributed to the growth of the company they work for in America, being high end wage earners they make their share of contribution to the US economy. They pay taxes, buy houses, cars, consumer durables and non durables, eat at restaurants, spend money on vacation etc. It is true that most of them are positive contributors.

But it is also true that, the H1B has been long abused. The Visa holders are often paid 30-40% less than the market rate as the profit in leau of it caters to corporate greed. That is just part of it. There has been accusations of fake degree holders brought into the United States as highky qualified techies only to end up working here in gas stations,grocery stores etc, some even work as prostitutes. Sometime back a juicy story circulated around about two sisters on H1B pleasing their employer making a good sandwich of him, occasionally shared by the employer's son. The father, so and the two female holy spirits reportedly had a good time until their luck ended as the authorities found out.

If true, this incident reminds me of the better known Odia proverb -

BATA RE HAGILE NA PADE
DEULA TOLILE NA PADE ..
Transliterated..

"If you shit by the roadside you get fame,
if you build a temple you also get fame."

While most H1B holders depict the temple part, a few are exactly busy doing the road side act. Unforunately its human tendency to go after confirmation bias formed due to activities of a obnoxious few than exemplery behavior displayed by the overwhelming majority.

More than the slamming of astronomical fee for H1B Visa or 50% tariff imposed on imports from India, the way these things have been implemented in an insulting manner to India is thought provoking. There is a double standard in US tariff policy as China hasn't been sanctioned any tariff for buying oil from Russia while India has been sanctioned 25% just for that. Obviously all pompous talk and hot air blown about us being "Vishwaguru" (Supreme world leader) and all the surrounding fake jingoism has fallen flat. That's because unlike India China knows America's choking points where it can hit hard, and can drive a hard bargain with Uncle Sam. India on the other hand has been taken for a ride.

It is said that India is most compromised as far as America goes as the children of India's elite, especially the all powerful politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen live, study or work in the United States which prevents them from acting tough against Americans. There is some truth to that considered the laid-back approach of Indian government. So far the Government of India has been caught napping or rather cause like a fox in front of headlight. Its response has been frugal, inconsistent and its actions incoherent. It has been suggested that India's PM Modi should call an all party meeting to take stock of the situation and formulate a coherent foreign policy with a solid 56 inch response in action, not by oratory and optics. Inaction is not an option. Like justice delayed is justice denied, action delayed is inaction, until Dolaand Trump catering to his MAGA base comes up with another bombshell.

Happy birthday Uncle Pai

 Today is the birthday of Uncle Pai of The AMAR CHITRA KATHA (Immortal Tells in Illustration) fame. Like many from my generation, I spent my entire childhood reading his comics which contributed immensely to my knowledge and character. More importantly, he inculcated a reading habit in me which I carry till date.

Pictorial depiction of stories and events can enliven the mood and leave long imprints in mind, which gets captured in memory like a lasting photography. For more than a decade I poured over those comics, starting when it was priced at Rs.2 until the price soared to Rs.20. The range of the Comics reached myriad subjects, which includes but not limited to History, Mythology and the Saga of Freedom Fighters who participated in India's freedom struggle.

The popularity of these comics could be judged from being the most sought after items to steal during my school days. Most of my schoolmates would rarely buy them. They would borrow from me and never retur. Some outrightly stole them. To stop this I came up with this novel idea - I lent those to whom I suspected with one condition. When I handed the Comics to them, I requested them to forget about returning and better keep them. The message was well taken. Though it didn't entirely stop the menace, it alleviated my problem to a certain extent.

Another popular stolen and burrowed-to-never-returned materials were the popular Weekly Magazines of Sportstar, Sportsworld and Sportsweek, especially during the peak cricket season. (Unlike today cricket wasn't played around the year, with fewer 50 over cricket, T20 games were strictly fantasy). The chief target in the Sports magazines were the colored center spread sheets of popular cricketers those days - mostly Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. Those magazines would soon get raped and soiled, with those cherished center spreads gone missing. In our school library there was virtually a riot to be the first person to tear and grab the center spread).

Back to Amar Chitra Katha - There is this anecdote of a famous King whose three sons could never focus on learning as they showed little interest in academics. So he appointed several tutors to impart knowledge on his recalcitrant children. All of them failed, until stepped in Vishnu Sharma of PANCHATANTRA fame. To these spoiled brats, he recited his famous short stories. The characters were mostly Animals conveying a strong social messages, which are very apt even at this age. The Princes listened to them with rapt attention and were soon transformed into a wiser, learnt lot.

Uncle Pai was one of those rare kinds, the modern world Vishnu Sharma. As soil needs tilling and crop needs rotation to retain and enhance its fertility, human brain's fertility can be nurtured through good reading habits. Uncle Pai was a pioneer in his field who immensely contributed to the fertility of brains of young and old alike with his matchless story telling ability. RIP Sir, many happy returns of the day.

The Dream of Akhand Bharat

There has been a lot of clamor about AKHAND BHARAT (Monolithic India) on social media, especially from the virulent supporters of India's right wing nationalists. This undivided fantasy land would extend starting from the border of Burma in the East, ending at Afghanistan in the West, encompassing Pakistan and Bangladesh, both Muslim majority nations which were part of India before its independence from the British in 1947.

That's not imagination, rather an Utopian, mirage forming huge hallucinations - strictly fantasy. It is a pipedream in the current vitiated environment bordering on miasma. It will be impossible for the Muslims to assimilate with Hindu majority of Akhtand Bharat, especially those from Pakistan and Bangladesh who harbor no love lost towards India. Such a proposition of humongous United India is simply unpragmatic and an absolute nonstarter.

In spite of so many cultural and linguistic commonality, Hindus and Muslims differ like chalk and cheese, like oil and water they will stay separately even if you try to mix. Each community look at each other with deep suspicion, the usual disclaimer applies. They widely differ in their religion, food, dress and cultural habits. Islam is monotheist while Hinduism is polytheist. Hindus revere cow as "GOMATA", their mother while Muslims have no qualms about eating bovine meat. You can identify Hindus and Muslims from their names as they are so different, so also their genitals as unlike the Hindus, Muslims  circumcise.

Once during my childhood I was visiting my Brahmin dominated native village near Puri. I was attending a marriage reception. I was sitting next to my grandfather when Banana leaves were handed to the guests squatting on floor before the food was served. In dimly lit light I put the Banana leaf on the ground the other way round. I was soundly chastised by Grandpa- "TU TA PATHANA TA KIRE" (Are you a Muslim ? Muslims in Odisha are often called Pathan though they are hardly related to the famed western tribe). He promptly overturned my banana leaf to spread it the correct Hindu way. I realized that day that Hindus and Muslims were like east and west, the twain won't meet.

The distrust, animosity, deep hatred in history
between Hindus and Muslims is nothing new and existed much before partition happened in 1947 when Britain quit India. It's a myth that the British created the division between Hindus and Muslims. As we say in Odia the two major religious communities in India had a "AHI NAKULA SAMPARKA" (a relationship between snake and mongoose who can't live amicably without fighting). The division existed status quo and the English were smart enough to use it to their advantage following their classic divide and rule policy.

When freedom was in air and India was getting closer to its independence, the Muslim minority got uncomfortable and increasingly insecure to live under the same roof with Hindus, but were looking for someone to take up their cause. Jinnah immefistely filled the leadership void and was popular amongst the Indian Muslims like a rock star.

Khushwant Singh mentioned in his autobiography that when he used to study in Govt College in Lahore before partition, Jinnah was extremely popular amongst Muslims. He was rather a rock star amongst them. Majority of Muslims were not comfortable to live under a Hindu leadership post independence and were looking for leadership. Jinnah, even in private he was pork eating and wine drinking, immediately filled into the void. It would be unthinkable for a Muslim with pork and wine consuming background to be a leader these days , even in secular countries like India and Turkey.

Per eminent writer Khushwant Singh who lived in Lahore before partition, the partition was already there on communal lines in the college campus where he studied. Muslims in the college campus had their own mess and befriended only Muslims. Khushwant Singh had a muslim Manzur Qadir as his best friend. The unlikely friendship between a Sikh and a Muslim was the talk of the town. Except few superficial mixings during marriages and deaths there was hardly any social interaction between Muslim and Hindu-Sikh communities. 

The court where K. Singh worked as a lawyer, a Muslim would trust a Muslim lawyer, a Hindu or Sikh someone from their community. If the judge happened to be a Hindu or Sikh his decision would invariably go in the favor of their community, same as with a Muslim judge to his own. The Muslim dominated Punjab police was openly partisan in West Punjab, as the Hindu-Sikh law enforcers sided with their brethren in the eastern part of Punjab where they were in a majority. The partition was complete.

Not much has changed since the partition days. It is another matter to daydream about Akhand Bharat. But there is huge difference between fantasy and reality. Do the dreamers have a plan of action on how to administer considering it would be practically impossible to unite Hindus and Muslims from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in their current dispensation under the same umbrella ? Widespread unrest will be the call of the day. Riots will be a daily affair and Civil War will wage on forever. No one wants that at this point when not just the Indian subcontinent, but the whole world is sitting on a tinderbox. So dream on folks. Good luck on Akhand Bharat !!!

Hirthrik's Mahenjodaro

Though a Tiger as a critic, I am a tamed kitten when it comes to be critical of my wife's choices. It explains why exactly 7 years ago I smiled my way to watching a junk movie, the Bollywood actor Hirthrik Roshan's nonsense MAHENJODARO, an average, forgettable movie at a local theatre. I was there only because my wife is a huge fan of the actor.

I am not a fan of Hirthik, my son ain't a fan of Hindi movies. But both readily volunteered to be the BALI KA BAKRA (sacrificial goat) or collateral damage to wish of the sole female member of our family entourage. As contingency plan, my paraphernalia included a full pack of ALEVE headache relieving pills, in case they come handy and bought my son candies to keep him awake and happy.

Couple of characters in that movie, Hojo and Lothar seemed to have been straight taken out of Mandrake comics from my childhood days. As the movie progressed, I felt drowsy inside the cool comfort of the theatre as the AC whirred on a hot summer afternoon. There were barely 50 sitting inside the theatre meant for 500. The name of the movie sounded historical, hardly hysterical to appeal to the local Desi crowd. If you want to study history, you can still go to see this movie. You may focus on the subjects inside the empty hall as the movie got nothing to distract you. I did exactly that, noticing around to find some characters to write about.

To massage my other half's ego and send a message, I would intermittently alternate between peeking at her through the corner of my eyes and gaping at screen with my mouth and eyes wide open - to fake myself watching the movie seriously. A la comedian actor Utpal Dutt reluctantly clapping his hands to please his wife in the movie "ANAND ASHRAM", I put a fake smile on my lips appearing to enjoy the movie, intermittently with my mouth wide open exposing the phalanx of my 32 teeth. Not a bad way to feign attention, as we call in Odia AAN KARI PI JIBA (gulping the movie with eyes open) can do the trick to impress my wife.

I earned my fake certficate of enjoying the movie. It was akin to a bored DBA (Data Base Administerer or Din Bhar Araam, whatever way you see it) ex-colleauge of mine, who successfully hoodwinked his boss by dozing off while keeping his head straight, his fingers well positioned on the desktop keyboard which gave the impression of him working. End of the day the moral of this story is a twisted version of the PRESTIGE Pressure cooker commercial back home in India -

JO BIWI KO KARE SACHHA PYAAR
WOH HIRTHIK KI MOVIE KO KAISE KARE INKAAR... 

transliterated 

One who has true love for wife
How can one refuse Hirthrik's movie she likes.

My review of the movie - if you are a diehard Hirthrik fan or a Bollywood buff who feels like to kill some time by eking out a few bucks, it's for you. For the rest, it's avoidable at best.

24th Anniversary of 9/11

Today is the Anniversary of 9/11, when a prominent chapter was added to the American and World history on this day exactly 24 years ago on September 11, 2001. How time flies ! A child born on that day is no more a teenager. Feels just like yesterday when on a cool, crispy early Fall morning commute to my work at Toyota Motors in Kentucky where I was working as a consultant, the news of terrorist attack on the World Trade center came as a bolt from the blue. That very day is forever etched in my memory. 

Most at my workplace were stunned, but stayed calm and composed. Many were frantically trying to find Afghanistan on the world map and I remember helping a few in locating the beleaguered nation on the map which made the cardinal mistake of harboring Osama-Bin-Laden. No hysteria or public outcry, but it was not business as usual and anxiety on the faces of my coworkers was quite palpable.

I had the habit of filling gas in my car a local SHELL gas station which used to give 5% discount on Tuesdays and unfortunately that September 11th fell on a Tuesday. On my way back home I encountered long line at the gas station. There was hardly any car on the road. People were mostly indoor, glued to TV.

The aim of terrorists is to create terror and they really succeeded that day in scaring the hell out of Americans who were attacked on their Mainland for the first time in history (technically the first major attack on US soil took place at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on 7th of December 1941. But it was in Hawaii, America's 50th State thousands miles away from mainland).

Contrast that to the indomitable spirit amongst Indians. Mumbai and many other cities in India have gone through several terror attacks. But within hours the life comes to normal. It's not about the number of people being killed, those many are killed in road accidents every day. The main goal of the terrorists is to create terror in the hearts and minds of the people. In that aspect they fail miserably in India, though it has more to do with the need for ROZI ROTI (daily bread) than any great gallantry against odds or fighting spirit. Yet they still deserve the credit of defying the odds and getting back to normal life quicker than anywhere in the world.

Nearly a quarter of a century down the road, hardly anything has changed. Though, touch wood, America has been able to prevent any major terror attack on its soil, terrorism across the globe still thrives. No nation on earth is fully immune to this disease which is spreading its tentacles far and wide like cancer, nor they're entirely blame free for letting this menace prevail due to their short sighted political goals.

Some one is a good terrorist as long as he is an useful idiot to serve one's own business, but becomes a bad terrorist if it hurts the state which sponsors them for creating terror in another country. Someone's terrorist is another one's Freedom Fighter. If not curbed, on long term terrorism is going to do irreparable damage to the mankind unless everyone gets together to root out this evil. Remember, if you keep snakes in your backyard thinking that it will only bite only your neighbors then you are living in fool's paradise. One day that snake is going to bite you. The lessons learned from 9/11 should never be forgotten.

Bagha Jatin

 Today is the death Anniversary of Bagha Jatin, or Jatindranath Mukherjee, an Indian freedom fighter who fought against the British and died young at the age of 36.

Born in Nadia district in present day Bengal, he was only 5 when his father died, followed by his mother at 9. He was brought up by his elder sister. From teenage he dabbled in fighting for freedom against the occupying British who ruled India with an iron hand. But Jatin possesed an iron hand using which he killed a tiger as he was scouring the forests to go underground and use as launch pad for his anti government activities. He used a small knife to kill the tiger but was grievously injured in the process. It took him days to recover from the poison of the tiger's claws and teeth which caused him deep, gruesome wounds. After this incident he was christened by locals as "Bagha" (the tiger killer) Jatin. 

Soon Bagha Jatin would shift his revolutionary activities to Balasore, a small town in Odisha near its border with Bengal. He, along with his close friends Chittapriya, Manoranjan and few more formed a merry band whose fiery spirit led to several skirmishes with the British using arms and ammunition. In order to run their organization they needed money and hence looted the rich Zamindars (feudal lords) of the time, most of whom sided with British. After looting, Bagha Jatin gang would leave a note saying that they are taking the loot to fight for freedom and will return the money with interest after independence. 

But such a thing never happened. During the World War I, Bagha and his associates established contact with  Germany who was seen as enemy's enemy is a friend as they were fighting the war with British. The Germans were ready to assist Bagha Jatin's gang with arms and ammunitions. But the mission failed due to couple of reasons. First of all, the English ruled India with the support of the majority of Indians and many of whom were eager to please and cooperate with their occupiers for a price or privilege. Secondly, British had created a strong network of spies and informants and like a ripe fart could smell any mutiny or revolutionary activities from miles. 

Based on the information they received the British Military Police closed in on Bagha Jatin and his gang inside the deep forests surrounding Budhabalanga River near Balasore. Though thorougly outnumbered, outgunned and outmaneuvered, Bagha and his associates fought bravely for few hours before most of them were gunned down or captured. 

Bagha Jatin was seriously injured in the ensuing gun fight. He was taken to a local hospital and treated by a British doctor. When he came to his senses he refused to get treated by an Englishman and threw away his bandages. He continued to bleed and died this day September 10, 1915, exactly 110 years ago. Long live martyr Bagha Jatin. My tribute to one our many unsung heroes.

A night of full moon

 Today being the Lunar eclipse night I went out to see the blood moon as predicted. Alas, on the semi cloudy, full moon night I could barely see the moon, but was awed by staring at several sparkling stars on the western horizon. I could see on the crispy fall night couple of airplanes high on the sky were looking like walking stars on the dark sky amidst a plethora of stars, big and small, bright and pale.

The stars looked like tall, beautiful fairies in some distance land, smiling, probing the sky, savoring the beauty of the cool weather beneath, showering their "MUKTA JHARA HASA", a la thousands of pearls sparkling on their lips, smiling at us mere mortals below. I was immediately reminded of this stanza from this Kishore & Lata duet from the 1970s Hindi movie "MEHBOOBA" about a lover and his beloved -

"TAARON KI SAATH WOH 

JAGTE HAIN RAAT KO,

JHARNON HI SAAT BEHTE HAIN"...

Roughly transliterated...

"They awake in the night amidst the stars,

Flow together along with the streams".

All my romantic thoughts were brutally, rudely interrupted, coming to standstill as a moon headed guy came walking his dog and walking past my driveway, waving his hands at me. The white doggy with his conspicuous rock and roll walk was looking golden under the neon lights on the street, trying to keep pace with the man as the guy's bald head acted like a convex mirror reflecting the street lamp.

The blood moon was still elusive, partially visible, still playing hide and seek in the floating cloud, shy behind the gargantuan looking pine trees in the dark. I was reminded of another Bollywood song :

"CHAND CHUPA BADAL MEIN 

SHARMA KE MERI JANAA;

SEENE SE LAG JAA TU,

BALKHA KE MERI JANAA".

Transliterated into English.

"Moon is hiding behind the clouds,

Feeling shy, my love;

Come close to my heart".

Finally the moon suddenly showed up out of the veneer of bluish, fleece like clouds like out of the blue a pretty Iranian girl took out her veil in a soccer match I saw a while back

WOH ACHANAK A GAYEE

YOON NAZAR KE SAMNE,

JAISE NIKAL AYEE

GHATA SE CHAAND...

Transliterated from Hindi.

"She suddenly arrives

 In front of my eyes;

 Bolstering my mood

 as moon ventures out of cloud".

It finally made my day, rather the night of moon watching on a full moon night. 

Teachers Day 2025

Today is TEACHER's Day, all other brands are prohibited. (Teachers is a popular brand of Scotch). Joke apart, I salute to all my teachers who have made a huge difference in my life by shaping my knowledge and character. It is not just limited to my teachers in school and college. My parents were my first teachers. Then came some friends, relatives, acquaintances as teachers in various forms at different stages in my life. There is always something to learn from every human being, a prince or a pauper, a beggar or a sorcerer, an animal or an inanimate object. Life is the biggest teacher. 

A good movie can be a good teacher too. In the iconic movie 3 IDIOTs, on the Teacher's Day of 5 September, the character Chatur Ramalingam goes on stage to recite a Sanskrit Sloka (hymn) eulogizing the teachers of his college. He rotes the Sloka by memory, without understanding a single word of it, nor caring about its content, without realizing that the original speech was altered by a playful and witty Rancho (played by Aamir Khan). As Chatur on the stage was about to vomit the Sloka he rote from what Rancho wrote, the later told his friends to get ready to hear a sermon about the former's farting prowess. Chatur recites:

UTTAMAM GAD GADATA PADAM,
MADHYAM PADAM TUCHAK TUCHAK;
THUR THURIYA KANISTAM PADAM,
SUR SURIYA PRANA GHATAKAM.

Roughly transliterated...

"Loud farts are majestically thundering;
Medium farts come along stuttering,
Small Farts arrive whisteling & sirening;
The silent ones can be life threatening."

As the crowd goes berserk rupturing with laughter and poor Chatur gets kicked out of the stage, Racho's dark humor taught us another lesson in academics - Knowledge acquired through roting sans understanding may earn you a Degree, but will take you nowhere. My father always emphasized on learning through understanding rather than roting.

Decades ago there was this incident, when a sub-collector in Sonepur district of Odisha did this shameful, cowardly act of kicking a hapless school teacher, abusing him as a poor MASTRA (the way the word master is often pronounced in Odia, a term mostly used in derogatory sense for teachers back home). 

I remember a cartoon related to the above incident which came out on the local vernacular Newspaper with the following caption, (rhyming with our famous Sloka "GURU BRAHMA GURU BISHNU... "

GURU DEENA GURU HEENA
GURU SAMANYA MASTARA;
KANDOOKA SAMAN GURU
TASME SRHEE GOITHA MARA
ITI UPA- COLLECTOR
JILLA NAMA SONAPUR.

Transliterating in the same rhyme form to keep the theme intact,

"Teacher is poor, Teacher is mere;
Teacher is just an ordinary Master.
Teacher is akin to a football;
To be kicked for sure.
Courtesy Sub-Collector,
From the district of Sonepur."

I have heard parents asking in Odia to their children "KIRE MASTRA AJI KANA PADHEILA" meaning "Hey, what did the master teach you today". The English transliteration may not sound so bad but the way it is delivered in the native language is not a sign of great adulation. It shows the respect they the guardians give to their teachers.

My simple take - A society which does not respect its teachers, can never  prosper. Period. Great nations are made by great men. Great men (and women) are shaped by their teachers. HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY to all.

Uttam Kumar - the legend

Today, September 3, is the birthday of Bengali actor Uttam Kumar. Many girls confide that he is the only Bengali man they ever had a crush on and could have readily married him as women of that era swooned over him. The man had grace, style and a killer smile. It is said that talented artists are "Gandharvas" reborn who live for a small time, but leave early leaving their mark. He died early too, a week before the death of legendary singer Mohammed Rafi. Both were of the same age.

Uttam Kumar’s death at a young age of 53 brought Calcutta to standstill on July 24, 1980. The Bengali hero of all ages was a natural actor who won over generations with his charm and persistence. After getting symptoms of a heart attack he drove himself to a clinic in Calcutta where he was attended by a team of cardiologists. But he died the next day in spite of the best effort of the doctors to save him, stunning the entire state of Bengal and nation.

Sharing a small incident of his life which stands testimony of his polularity and his stature as "Mahanayak" or the mega Star by his fans. Sometime in May 1966, the famous director Satyajit Ray called Uttam Kumar - “Uttam, my movie 'Nayak' premieres tomorrow at Indira Cinema. I hope you will be there".

"But Manikda (the nickname of Satyajit Ray in movie industry), the press and public will be in attendance. Do you think I should go? There possibly will be pandemonium,” he replied.

“Uttam, don’t forget it is a Satyajit Ray film (movie is also widely called as film in India, especially in Odisha and Bengal, the two states bear a lot of resemblance in language and culture). Please be there,” - Satyajit Ray commanded. It wasn't easy to say no to Manikda, even for a man of superstar status. Uttam Kumar relented, though reluctantly.

The next day, the news of Uttam Kumar’s appearance at the cinema house spread like wildfire and all the hell broke loose. By late afternoon, roads leading to Bhowanipore in Calcutta had to be barricaded. Uttam's car (probably a Chevrolet Impala) was piloted through the bylanes. The theatre was shaking under the weight of uproarious chanting, ‘Guru, Guru’ (Uttam's nick name given by his fans) with demands to see the Star. 

The hall manager rushed to Ray. “Sir, if we don’t bring him up on stage there will be a serious law-and-order issue.” 

Minutes later, the lights came on and Uttam Kumar was seen standing on the platform in front of the screen. He raised his hand. The crowd fell silent, as if by the waving of a magic wand. “I request you to please be silent and watch the film. Don’t forget it is a Satyajit Ray film.”

This story, a piquant testimonial to two of Bengal’s foremost immortals, is probably apocryphal. But that takes nothing away from what this tale protrays, which testifies two stalwarts in 1966 – from Ray’s sway over his cast, the pliant theatre manager and finally the phenomenal stardom of Uttam Kumar. In some ways, this story encapsulates the fantasy that was Bengali cinema. But as is known, it is not Ray who colonised that cinema, either as fantasy or as commerce. It was Uttam Kumar, and the one and only Uttam Kumar. Happy Birthday to the Mahanayak who if alive would have been 98 today.