FRIENDS AND FOES
When, at last, the War ended, “Peace broke out”! I was born in June 1941. The Great War had been raging for nearly two years, but since the bloodshed was confined to Europe, it did not affect us. Then, on 7 December ’41, the Japanese attacked the Pearl Harbor, and two odd months later they stormed and captured Singapore. Their …
LIFE AFTER THE DREAM COMES TRUE
Harshvardhan Navathe We were talking about eminent Indians who have made a mark in life. It had started with Sachin Tendulkar’s stupendous achievements and then we drifted to other fields. Suddenly, someone asked, “Who is or was Harshvardhan Navathe?” Nearly everyone had heard the name, but we could not readily recall the field in which he had achieved glory. To …
The Silence of the Lambs by Jaggi Oberoi
Prologue What happened in a bus in Delhi shook the conscious of the peoples of India. It also moved every sensitive soul on the Earth. Barbaric is the closest English word to describe the act, but it is nowhere near what actually happened. My friend Jaggi Oberoi was moved beyond tears. He was reminded of horror Movie, “The silence of …
Maanjhi jo naav duboye, use kaun bachaaye?
Public Memory is Notoriously Short All hell broke loose on 17 Dec 2012. It was, as if someone had pulled the plug out! Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the bestial gang rape of a 23 year old medical student. To the lay public it seemed that such a thing had never happened before. Nobody mentioned the …
PERFECTLY IMPERFECT
My quest for ‘Perfection’ Right from the day I stepped into a school, I was told to strive for flawlessness. I was told to dress properly, and speak absolutely right language, to solve all problems to get the right answers, and above all maintain harmonious relations with every one around. I am not sure whether I have lived up to the expectations of …
In the Shadow of Khushwant Singh
You have the option to like Khushwant Singh or dislike him, but it is difficult to ignore him. Like many Indians of my era, I read his books and the Illustrated Weekly. His wit and writing style had a deep impact on me. Later when I started writing ‘middle’ articles for newspapers, twenty odd years ago, I suspect I was greatly influenced by him. …
JAGGI OBEROI ASKS : ‘QUO VADIS?’
Quo vadis? is a Latin phrase meaning “Where are you going?” or “Whither goest thou?” The modern usage of the phrase refers to a Christian tradition regarding Saint Peter. According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter (Vercelli Acts XXXV[1]), Peter is fleeing from likely crucifixion in Rome at the hands of the government, and along the road outside the city …
IF THE CURRENT EVENTS ARE ANY INDICATION, DEMOCRACY HAS NO FUTURE IN INDIA
Posted on 20/07/2010 I have just seen the news covering the proceedings in the Bihar Assembly this morning. They first shouted ,then threw mikes at the speaker. Not satisfied with that, they picked up a large table and smashed it. Those who are familiar with what happens in the Parliament are not surprised. Our elected leaders are willing to go …
LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
The attached picture have been sent to me by a venerable veteran, Col Bhanu K Rai. As I was looking at them, my mind’s eye went to the following sociological changes which I have personally seen in my life : During 1953 – 55, we lived on The Mall in Delhi Cantt (bungalow number 24) We could pedal down from …
TAKHTI QALAM AND DAWAAT (Paperless learning)
Originally posted on 9 June 2011 : For my grey haired friends, I am giving below a link to a picture of the writing materials which we used when paper was scarce and ‘ball point pens had not yet been invented. The fingers used to be soiled with ink, and the mothers had a tough time washing ink on our …
