Jaya hotel serving beef

 A roadside hotel named "Jaya" near Sakhigopal on the way to Puri not very far from my ancestral village was recently in news for serving Beef masquerading as Goat meat. "BHATA MANSA" (Rice and goat meat) is popular dish among Odias who consume plateful of the curried meat along with mounds of rice followed by evacuating the undigested remnants next day morning in open fields, their bottoms barely an inch above visible Pyramids of shit. 

Two men who ate the Beef curry thinking as goat meat got suspicious only to find their doubt confounded. Full of remorse due to inadvertently committing a sacrilege, in order to do penance by cleansing themselves they sought refuse with Pandits of Muktimandap, an assembly of Brahmins of Sasan villages near Puri and my "Biradaari" (fraternity), most of whom are GODARA (filaria infected thick legs) and KURUNDA (Again filaria infected men with supersize balls). Per the advice of these Pundits, the youth duo tonsured themselves, took bath at Narendra Pond in Puri, drank "GOBARA PANI" (cowdung laced water) followed by a trip to Lord Jagannath temple to purify themselves of any sin they committed out of eating beef. 

Now back in United States 6 years ago during our drive back home from Oklahoma, we made a stop inside the state of Arkansas at a Taco Bell (A Mexican Fast Food Chain) for lunch. It turned out, it turned out what could to be a Taco Hell of an experience to many, especially for the staunch Hindus. No sooner I took a bite of my order of Chicken Taco, than I could taste and smell something different. The Taco had brownish beef inside. The manager profusely apologized and promptly replaced the mistaken order with my original order of Chicken Tacos. 

I immediately rushed to the bathroom, did a "THOO THOO" to spit out everything out of my mouth, followed by a thorough rinsing. It was no fault of the young server of that Taco Bell, rather an apparent case of miscommunication, the message lost in translation and accent, as in remote places in America those not familiar with the Indian accent can have a very tough time understanding them.  

In Hindu mythology, after the legendary "SAGAR MANTHAN" churning of the sea by the "Deva" (Gods) and Asura (Demons) it was decided that the Gods and Demons would share in harmony the "Amrit" (nectar) coming out of sea which would make all immortal. When it came for the demon Rahu's turn to drink the nectar, no sooner he drank it than his head got chopped off. But before that the nectar through the food pipe had already reached Rahu's neck and his head become immortal. Similarly, as the beef didn't go beyond my throat, I stayed brainwashed about beef, though my body still remained pure. 

The default meat in America is Beef, unless otherwise specifically mentioned in the order. A good example is the Cheeseburger. Though sounds vegetarian, the burger is melted Cheese covered default meat is beef. But I didn't go that far to tonsure my head, drink GANGA JAL (water from River Ganga which washes off the sins committed) as I got no access to Cowdung laced water. Nor I bothered to shoulder a new PAITA (sacred thread worn across shoulder by Brahmins).  

A la Narsena Naidoo in the short story "JATIRA DHAKKA" (The jolt from Caste) from our middle school Odia Literature textbook, I lost my caste that day. Before being ostracized, I needed to follow the path of purification prescribed in that epic short story - JA PURI JA. GOBAR PANI PEE, TEBE JAI JATI PHERI PAIBU - Go to Puri (sacred temple city of Hindus). Drink Cow dung laced water, then only you can get your caste back. Never did that and forever lost my caste.

Aurangzeb - the man and the myth

 The other day I saw scenes from the historical movie "Chaava" which is generating controversies and to some extent needless jingoism fuelled and fanned for political purposes. More than anyone else's acting, I was particularly impressed by the actor Akshaye Khanna who played the role of the legendary Mogul King Aurganzeb, the ruthless Emperor of "Hindustan" (India) who ruled with an iron hand for 50 years, but presided over an empire which was on its path to sunset. 

Yet even more than 300 years after his death Aurangzeb still dwells in Indian psyche, dividing our populace still obsessed about him. The last powerful Mughal emperor was a unique man of his kind of the time, for unlike his predecessors who ruled around 25 years he ruled for 50 years. Aurangzeb also lived longest until 90 in an age sans vaccines to tackle incurable diseases when living till 50 was a luxury. Akshaye Khanna's performance in the movie is commendable. He has perfectly portrayed the fascinating character of a merciless, cold, calculative Aurangzeb with his steely, Cobra like piercing eyes (the Mogul Sultan's Cobra like eyes has been corroborated by no other than his bete noire Shivaji during their famous encounter in Mughal court). 

There is a popular saying going back to the medieval period of the Mughal Dynasty's 200 years of rule of India from 1525 to 1739 which goes as "TAKHT YA TAKHTA", meaning "Crown or Coffin". It aptly described the fratricidal wars fought between the Mughal brothers for the prized Kingship which knew no Kinship. In the end one of the brothers ended up with Crown, the rest rested in their graves. 

The last powerful Mughal emperor Aurganzeb was no different. After killing his brothers he captured the prized Peacock Throne and put his ailing father Sahajahan to house arrest overlooking the monument "Taj Mahal" over river Yamuna which he built in memory of his beloved wife Mamtaz Mahal.

Akshaye Khanna playing the role of Aurangzeb in the movie speaks coldly - "HAMAARI ABBUJAAN SAH JAHAN YEH TAAZ HAMARI BHAIJAAN DARA SIKOH KE SAR PAR RAKHNA CHAHTE THE. MAINE WOH SAR KATKE ABBUJAAN KE PAAS BHEJ DIYA (My father Sah Jahan wanted to place this crown on the head of my brother Dara Sikoh. I cut my brother's head and sent it as gift to my father). It is true that Aurangzeb sent his father the severed head of his dad's favorite son and his own blood brother Dara Shikoh served on a platter when Shah Jahan was dining. The old man fainted at the sight of the head of his favorite son and his face crashed into the table, breaking his teeth. 

But Sah Jahan, the old man who fainted at the sight of the ghastly, macabre sight of his son's decapitated head was no lily white. The fifth Mughal emperor had no qualms about blinding and killing his brothers for securing the coveted Peacock throne. He inhereting these traits from his father Jahangir, who blinded his rebellious son Khushru wanting to usurp him for the coveted crown.  

Why was Aurangzeb so cruel ? The question could be reversed. Why did Shah Jahan hated Aurangzeb so much ? It is not easy to understand, but it is true. From a very young age before he was an adult, Aurangzeb was sent out by his father on impossible missions, like reconquering their ancestral lands in modern day Afghanistan, while the pampered eldest son, Prince Dara Shikoh was mollycoddled in Mughal court. Unfortunately, for both father and his favourite son Dara Sikoh, this mistreatment of Aurangzeb produced a hardened and experienced warrior. While the suave Dara sat with Pundits busy learning Sanskrit and translating Upanishad (a sacred Hindu text) to Persian, his younger brother became a hardened warrior learning all the scheming and political maneuvering needed for war. 

The battle tested 3rd son of Sah Jahan soon became a Master in military moves, the first in the Mughal Dynasty since Akbar (Jahangir was a hedonist and Sah Jahan indolent). He defied the odds by making strategic military alliances with his other brothers and then dealing with his main threat and father's blue eyed boy, defeating Dara Sikoh in the battle of Samugarh in spite of the later having the backing of the Imperial Mughal Army. Eventually Aurangzeb killed all his brothers and went on to rule for half a century. 

Aurangzeb was born suspicious and trusted non. Childhood psychology runs late into age - a person who can't trust his father can't trust anybody else. Seeing being ignored by his father who openly favored his elder brother Dara Sikoh, Aurangzeb abhored his dad and took his sweet revenge by killing his brothers and imprisoning his "ABBUJAAN". Sah Jahan groveled over Dara's gruesome death for rest of his life looking vicariously at his mammoth masterpiece Taj Mahal he built on the banks of Yamuna river for 8 years before passing away. It's fate not father who decides "TAKHT YA TAKHTA".

Happy Women's Day

 There is a song from Amitabh Bachchan's blockbuster movie "KHUDDAR" released in the year 1982 where the tall actor who was the unquestioned Superstar, the King and the one man Bollywood industry sings onscreen Kishore Kumar's song -

"MAA KA PYAAR, BEHAN KYA PYAAR,
KABHI KABHI DULHAN KYA PYAR,
TERE PYAAR KA RANG HAZAAR".

Roughly transliterated...

"Mother's love, Sister's love,
Sometimes the love of the beloved,
Their love comes in thousand colors".

March 8 being the women's day reminded me of this song from my teenage years. The love of mother and sister is in its purest form, precious and unadulterated, like the clear Spring water bubbling out of the top of a glacial mountain. It is perennially pristine, unequivocally soothing, unwavering and unflinching. When I went to India, my mother's hug and caressing hands felt so soothing, something I long for days, months and sometimes years. Mother's love is panacea to all ills plaguing mind and body, heart and soul. Unfortunately she is no more and I am yet to get over the loss and probably never will.

The love of the beloved comes next, with the disclaimer of "Kabhi Kabhi" (sometimes) tied to it. It reminds me of another Bollywood movie titled "DULHAN WOHI JO PIYA MAN BHAYE" - "Beloved is the one who keeps her Lover happy". In my opinion, it applies other way round too. It is also the duty of a lover to keep his beloved happy, the men to keep their women happy, but our misogynistic society rarely mentions about it. (Bollywood is still misogynistic institution, filled with nepotism and hypocrisy. Otherwise how could be a silly movie like "Animal" released last December where a woman asks a man to lick his shoes be a big hit making millions) ?

But unfortunately with the progress of time, in an age when thoughts can fly in twinkle of an eye in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the world has turned any less misogynistic. Women are still belittled, harassed, persecuted, suffer from inequality and often treated as sex objects. There are plenty of stories of battered women, not from slums but from the so called elitist families. Discussing it here is beyond the scope of this blog. But I can say with confidence that I personally know many Indians and folks of Indian origin here in America boasting openly about treating their women as doormats, humiliated their wives in public like drop of a hat to prove their masculinity.

I am now reminded of the Hindi saying - "MUCHHE WOHI RAKHTE HAIN JIN KE APNI MARDANGI PAR SHAQ HOTI HAI". Roughly transliterated it means - "Those who keep Moustache are those who got doubts on their masculinity". Similarly, those who needlessly boss over their women have an inferiority complex about their masculinity. I remember a scene from movie "ARJUN PUNDIT" where actor Sunny Deol slaps actress Juhi Chawla. An angry and humiliated Juhi retorts back - "AGLI BAAR IS HAATH KISI MARD PE UTHANA (next time you better try hitting a man using this hand of yours). I consider it isn't masculinity, rather a cowardly, despicable act to physically hit a woman universally considered as the weaker sex.

One guy, who doesn't live very far off from me well known for conquering whores once bragged in front of me that women should be treated as slaves and physically beaten, then quoting an Odia proverb to drive his convoluted logic -

"NAARI, GADHA, BHRUTYA AAU  DHOLA,
TANKU JETE BADEIBA SETE BHALA".

Roughly translated

 "Women, Donkey, Servants and Drum,
The more you beat, the better they Perform". 

It made me feel sick to my stomach. I told that guy impromptu, directly on his face in no uncertain terms, LOUD and CLEAR, that I COMPLETELY DISAGREED with him and believe that beating women, animals or servants is not only utterly disgraceful, it is a cowardice, despicable act and the ultimate form of indecency. 

The fairer sex is no more the weaker sex. Things are changing of late, though not as fast we would desire. Still facing hurdles in their life, women have come a long way, matching mano to womano. They have succeeded, equalled and even bettered men in myriads fields. We still have some catch up to do and miles to go before achieving the gender equality. On the occasion of Women's Day I salute to all women who have made a significant difference to my life, contributing to it, shaping my knowledge and character, shaped my life, like a potter shaping pottery out of clay. Happy Women's Day to all.

Is Trump Putin's Agent Orange

There is accusation of US President Donald Trump being a Russian Secret Service KGB Agent codenamed "Kasnov" since 1987. He was supposedly involved in money laundering using Russian mafia to protect his floundering, bankruptcy driven business empire. The Russian Dictator Vladimir Putin probably got something BIG on Trump, enough to blackmail him and end his Presidency. The Comedian Bill Maher says Trump is Putin's "Agent Orange". Normally I would dismiss this talk as conspiracy theory and calumny raised by Trump's opponents, unless I could see the following telltale signs :

1. Trump who bullies every person has so far been conspicuously soft on Putin. He hasn't spoken a harsh word about the Russian Dictator, though he used the word Dictator against a democratic elected President Zelensky of Ukraine. That perplexes me. 

2. I am all for world peace and would like this Russian- Ukraine war of three years which has led to loss of life, money, property to stop right now. If Trump is doing this for World peace it's fine. But if he is doing this at the behest of Putin who is blackmailing him, it is not only dangerous, it's roblematic. What baffles me is Trump's peace plan which is totally skewed in favor of Russia. In any peace talk both parties need to make concession. It takes two to tango, two hands to clap. But Trump (and his hand pick lackeys in his government) want ONLY Ukraine to make all kinds concession and haven't spelt out yet on the Russian, aka Putin's side of bargain. Incorrigible isn't it ! 

3. We have seen the televised bashing of Zelensky by Trump and his obsequious VP. Would Trump ever behave with Putin 10% of the manner ? I doubt. During Trump's first term in one of his meetings with Putin the body language of a timid Trump before the Russian Dictator was a contrast to his bullying style of diplomacy. That makes me think Trump, once ascribed by Joe Biden as "Putin's puppy" is hiding something. 

Ronald Reagan famously described Russia as "the Evil Empire". He must be turning in his grave as the original Conservatives have turned to Trump, a man whom I believe can sell himself for a price. Hopefully he doesn't give Putin Alaska as gift. 

Unlike many who think in the lines of "My Fraand Dolaand", the geopolitical game is played cut throat where there is no permanent friends or enemy, where only permanent interest thrives. Not surprising under Trump, blackmailed or otherwise, USA and Russia are getting closer similar to what once USA and UK were, a relationship whom Churchill famously described as "Common people speaking common language". Regardless, this unusual, one sided crush of Trump on Putin is "Sochnevali Baat Hai" or "Something to think about".

Forty years of quality telecast

 The live telecast of ongoing Champions Trophy tournament brings back memories from down the lane, transporting me on a time machine back to this day exactly 40 years ago, to March 1 of the year 1985. Those were the days when TV was new to Bhubaneswar. I could barely sleep the night before excited to watch the first ever live telecast from Australia of a match between India and the home team playing Benson and Hedges World Series in Australia. 

When at sharp 5 AM I switched on to Doordarshan, the only Channel available on TV at that time, I heard the clear voice of the long nosed Richie Benaud with his typical cap wearing style hair on Channel 9 from the land Down Under (as Australia is known). Richie's typical Aussie accented punch lines "gid dye (good day) mite (mate) from MCG",  "in the air but saif (safe)", what a keitch (catch)" still reverbates in my mind and refuses to escape my memory. It was so genuinely Australian, like Kookaburra to Kangaroos. 

India was playing with host Australia in a crucial group league match in the series involving all test playing nations of that time. It was a do or die game for Australia as India was just starting to peak after defeating earlier its traditional opponent Pakistan and England. With blurry eyes minutes after the start, I watched Indian bowlers storming into the Aussies batting up. Before they realized they were reduced to 17 for 4 (oops 4 for 17 as they call it there). Kapil Dev and Jackie (as medium pacer Roger Binny was called by his teammates for his Jackfruit shaped round bottom) were in demolition mode. Australia could never recover from the shaky start and was all out for 160 odd runs. India easily won the game, knocking the home team out from the tournament. Alan Border, then Captain of Australia blamed the defeat on their team getting tired due to playing way too much cricket. The Aussie press howled sarcastically - "if we don't play too much we won't lose too often". India went on to win the tournament with Ravi Sastri gifted an Audi car being the Champion of the Champions. 

More than India's victory what stuck me was the excellent quality of the coverage and telecast of the match with the lucid voice of Richie Benaud (along with ziraffe sized Tony Greig who died years ago) as icing on cake. For the first time I saw the telecast from each ends of stumps, showing the front view of the batsman facing the ball as well as cameras on all ends of the field. Such excellent clarity of vision was conspicuous on our Konark TV (a popular government controlled local brand of that time which soon became defunct). The replays were shown like flipping pages on a glossy magazine. It was magical for us audience in India not accustomed to such quality telecast, not to mention the titillating moment to the early teen in me to view the summer milieu of scantily clad girls from the land down under wearing bare minimum and taking sunbath in the stadium, beamed live to the conservative middle class living rooms in Bhubaneswar. It was like a breath of fresh air. 

So far, I had mostly seen on the Doordarshan (only TV channel available) the so called slow motion replays during cricket telecast with unwelcome stoppages at the crucial moment of the game being quite common, with a drab message "RUKAWAT KE LIYE KHED HAI" or (Sorry for the interruption) message flashing on the screen. Too many grains, unwarranted ghost like pictures. Camera hardly followed or captured the movement of the ball. Indian Commentators suffered from verbal diarrhea. After a boundary, six or wicket would come a banner on TV proudly proclaiming ACTION REPLAY like a trailer announcing the release of a movie. Then would come the hazy replay in slow motion. Even the telecast from Pakistan was much better, which could be attributed to them possessing American telecast equipment those days. 

Often by the time the replay would finish, one more delivery would be over and you would miss a 4, 6 or a wicket. As a welcome change, the telecast and the voice of Richie Benaud was both mesmerizing and welcome respite from the past. That telecast from exactly 40 years ago brought the frog in me out of the well. Cricket telecast and Channel 9 have come a long way ever since, so also India and the quality of cricket telecast these days all over the world.