Hindi, the missing link

कितनी आग लगा रखी है सोशल मीडिया पर हिंदी के विरुद्ध. आज पहली बार हिंदी की पैरवी करने का दिल करता है. इतनी खूबसूरत भाषा जिसे विदेशी भी सीख जाते हैं और दिल से पसंद करते है, अपने ही देश में नफ़रत और हीनभावना की शिकार हो रही है. बच्चे अंग्रेज़ी फर्राटेदार बोलते हैं. हिंदी बोलना गन्दा माना जाता है और बच्चे हिंदी की ट्यूशन लेते हैं क्योंकि स्वाभाविक तौर पर हिंदी उन्हें मुश्किल जान पड़ती है.

सबसे अधिक विरोध दक्षिण भारतीय कर रहे हैं. यह देखिए. और उसमे भी तमिल भाषी.

என். சொக்கன் ‏@nchokkan 5h5 hours ago

Hindi is yet another Foreign language for me.That's all.It deserves as much respect as Kannada,Telugu,French etc. #StopHindiImperialism

44 retweets 26 favorites

 என். சொக்கன் ‏@nchokkan 5h5 hours ago

Hindi is yet another Foreign language for me.That's all.It deserves as much respect as Kannada,Telugu,French etc. #StopHindiImperialism

44 retweets 26 favorites

वाह ! इसमें अंग्रेज़ी का नाम नहीं है. अंग्रेज़ो ने भाषा से प्रान्त बना कर देश का सबसे बड़ा नुक्सान किया है. तमिल सुन्दर भाषा है पर पूरे देशवासियों को तो नहीं आती। हिंदी सबसे अधिक बोली समझी जाती है. अब समूचे देश को जोड़ने वाली कोई तो कड़ी होनी चाहिए. हिंदी वही कड़ी है. संस्कृत भी हो सकती थी पर हिंदी का पतन देख कर लगता नहीं कि लोग संस्कृत बोल समझ सकते. इसमें दिक्कत क्या है? दक्षिण भारतीय या फिर कोई भी प्रान्त के लोग रोज़ी रोटी के लिए दूसरी जगह जाते हैं तो वहाँ की भाषा सीख ही लेते हैं न तो हिंदी के प्रति इतनी नफ़रत क्यों?

एक ट्वीट मिला नहीं जिसमे लिखा था कि हम तमिल लोग बिना हिंदी जाने पूरे देश पर राज कर सकते हैं. क्यों नहीं ? काबिल इंसान कहीं पर भी राज कर सकता था पर मैंने उन श्रीमान जी को लिखा था की भाई साहब आप के यहाँ से महान हस्तियाँ जैसे कि चिदंबरम, श्री श्री रवि शंकर, जग्गी वासुदेव और रजनीकांत बेहतरीन हिंदी बोलते हैं।  ख़ैर, अगर दूर की सोच हो और दूर तक पहुँचना हो तो ऐसी भाषा तो सीखनी ही पड़ेगी जो आपकी आवाज़ को दूर तक ले जा सके.  मैंने हिंदी में लिखा था पता नहीं उन्हें समझ भी आया कि नहीं। 

बात ख़त्म नहीं हुई है.... यह तो एक शुरुआत है. हिंदी के लिए मैं तो लड़ूँगी क्योंकि हिंदी और सिर्फ हिंदी से ही यह देश जुड़ेगा.  

My Independecne Day

Just now saw the Tricolour being unfurled in the school next door. It conjured up emotions. I love this moment when Tiranga opens up and showers its petals all around ..like blessings and then sways proudly. I thank God for sending me to this Great Nation. Its an amazing feeling to be Bhartiya, Hindustani.

During childhood my mother ensured that we made this day special. Her nana was a freedom fighter and so our mom had lot of stories to tell. She was a five year old when the country was divided. Though our family was rooted in Punjab my mom had heard/seen poignant stories including that of a Muslim family staying with them as tenants. So we kind of knew the price we Bharatwasis paid for this freedom. And we value it. Thanks to all that she shared with us.

I still remember myself, an eight year old, singing patriotic song... 'Desh de Tirangaya' at Azad Chowk.. a prominent city chowk for official Independence Day celebrations. In my school it was the most beautiful ambience. We sang, we paraded and we ate ladoos. Yes, we always got two ladoos on this days... the sweetness of those is lingering till this day.

After school days got over, my youngest brother Vineet used to wish all of us.. "Happy Independence Day" and make our day so special. It was amazing when the expected D day for my second child was marked as 15th Aug. Mostly the actual date of delivery changes. On 14th my doctor said, "Ma'am, we will induce on 16th Aug" .......as 15th Aug is a national holiday. The doctor came for a short round on the morning of 15th August and was taken aback seeing a baby next to me. "Yeh kab hua?"
"Wee hours... last night...early morning of 15th August."
He smiled. I smiled. My child was born on the most wonderful day when there is festivity and joy in the air. Always. Year after year. The ladoos are distributed.

Happy Independence day... !! Lets hear our great PM from the Lal Quila and feel that pride in our hearts.

Jai Hind!!

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam...People's President

In the year 1991, in DRDO, Kanchanbagh campus where we had gone visiting an uncle (an army officer who was posted there) we saw one maverick missile scientist taking an evening walk. We were told that he works on missiles and is very unique kind of a person. I found that long haired man very interesting looking. It was getting late and we could not meet him.

He went on to become India's most revered and most loved President. The one and only #Dr APJAbdulKalam. I could not meet him but I read his biography 'Wings of Fire' and felt connected with him. I am sure he touched the hearts of those he crossed in any way. The news of his death at 84 came like a blow to many like me. We never wanted him to go... isn't it? Even as a President. India's people wanted him to come back as President again but the corrupt politicians did not. He stood apart like a lotus in the dirty pond. Every time I read about him or re-read his books I was awed by his personality. He was nearly a flawless creation. He was so inspiring. That is why his words are timeless. He read Gita and Quran and lived a very pious life. That is why perhaps he goes back on this day of Ekadashi completing this round of life on this earth.

Dr ‪#‎APJAbdulKalam‬ was an institution, an icon, an idol.... a leader with a difference, with principles, with integrity. No one can ever come close to the stature he rose to, the reverence he earned. He will remain People's President....will live in the hearts of millions of Indians. No one can ever take his place. May his soul rest in peace.

I am in tears as millions of Indians. A million salutes to you Kalam Sir !! India will never ever forget you.

(Pardon any mistakes..writing with blurred eyes and mind and stream of tears... )

Neem Hakim...well yes!!

Have a look at this picture.... These are Neem leaves put to dry in my living room..

Neem Leaves in my Drawing room...

Have a good look at these pictures and then read this very interesting blog post. I dry Neem leaves every two three years and keep in my boxes, cupboards etc. Oh yes, I belong to some old era and I trust the knowledge I received from my grandmother. Few years back I had moved to Bombay and one of my cartons which had some Soybeans,  snowwhite Rajmah and red Moong from Kashmir had got misplaced.  I located that carton two years later when I moved places again and when I opened it I expected everything to be rotten but to my surprise everything was fine and eventually I used it too. I think that was because I had put dried Neem leaves in all of them. Now that kind of made me a Neem lover. I have made Neem packs for boxes, edible items, shoe racks, cupboards, book shelves, bathrooms...well just about everywhere. I even put it under my matteresses... crazy? Wait till I tell you more.

We have a dog at home and the finicky me is disgusted with dog hair on the rugs and carpets. For the past two months she had some skin rash too.  Medicated shampoos, powders, tablets, de-worming, ointments...doctors kept writing prescriptions n we tried all. Then one day I searched the net for 4 hours to find some homeopathy or alternative medications for this poor being who was so restless and itchy that she was biting into herself. No, there were no fleas but a few ticks every day after the walk would emerge. Ticks was not the real problem. I read about home remedies for doggie problems. I included garlic pods in her khichdi. Tried applying some coconut oil and vinegar solutions and blah blah... (you can find more...) But this blog post is not about it. Then I thought of Neem...my wonder drug. I said why not?

We managed to get Neem leaves and boiled them and cooled them and bathed our dog. I do not think it made any noticeable difference but one day while I was chewing on a twig I thought about how good it is for teeth and skin (when I swallowed the bitter juice) I wondered if my dog will drink the bitter Neem water. We boiled and made a decoction, cooled and gave our dog with some curd. She finished it in one go (because of the curd). For the past fifteen days she is being given Neem water with two spoons of curd early morning and evening. Within first week her bowel improved. Her skin rash is cured. Her skin tone is becoming normal. Her hairfall has miraculously stopped. STOPPED. I still can not believe it. That to us is an achievement. This was an experiment we had carried and not with any bad intention. After all people have safi (also Neem extract). My dog now does not itch and sleeps peacefully. Someone who has been getting Neem for me has gone crazy and had brought in load of it to dry and swears that he will fill his home with Neem too.

There was Neem all over in my house for the last few days. My daughter was having a bad cold and cough just before that. Within two days her cold was gone and suddenly her cough too had vanished. Was it the smell and the aroma of Neem leaves in my house? I really do not know but I can logically think of only that to be the reason.

Friends, I do not have cockroaches or any such insects in my house. Is it also Neem, I do not know. Possibly yes because I do not use sprays or chemicals or Naphthalene balls in my house.

Well, that is the story. There are Neem trees everywhere. Be grateful to God for giving us such wonderful plants and yes take only the twigs but never harm a Neem tree.

Plant more Neem trees and share this story with everyone you know.

Bombay Well What, Waat laga di....

Bombay Velvet... my unpaid review. Even if Karan Johar or Anurag Kashyap would have paid me for a review I still would write this....

I have just come back after wasting my money, time and brains trying to make some sense out of 'Bombay what what'. There was no story. Quite understandable as four people including Anurag Kashyap has written some random things. So, clearly too many cooks have spoilt the broth. Karan Johar's dead pan expressions killed the villain's part thoroughly. He was not at all convincing as a Parsi τοο. In some shots he looked switching over to AIB. Actually that is his forte and he should stick to that. One is forced to make comparisons with another new release set in the early last century Calcutta. Yes, Detective Byomkesh Bakshi. There is a world of difference between the two. Bombay Velvet does not have sheen and texture...no velvety feel. In fact it is tattered canvas with some patchy velvet pieces. Karan Johar should stick to being behind the scene so that he can control himself. 

I am tempted to write something in Punjabi... a one liner about this nonsense.

 ਬੋਮਬੇ ਵੇਲਵੇਟ ਵਿਚ ਵੇਲਵੇਟ ਵਰਗਾ ਕੁਝ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ. ਸਾਲਾ ਪਾਟੇ ਤਪੜ ਤੇ ਲੀਰਾਂ ਜੋੜ ਤਿਯਾਂ।

Mummy Oh Mummy

I sometimes want to start a parenting blog. Not that I am an authority but yes I try my best to keep learning good parenting tricks. Now both my daughters have entered teens and grown taller than I am. Nether the carrot nor the stick is working any more. My hair is greying at a faster pace than ever before. My days are action packed as both my girls are trained in martial arts and keep fighting whole day. These are tough times for me. Sometimes I feel envious of their father who goes to office, plays golf, squash and watches movies in peace because he is posted in the field area away from us. Ironically, I am the one living at a peace station and yet I am in the middle of a battlefield every day. I no longer qualify for a referee position also. All my rules, tricks seem obsolete and expired. So I reach out for online help to deal with cranky cats. Its tough...I do not know if all girls are like that. Moody, cranky, lazybones.

Its tough being a mother and tougher being a good mother. No, I am not complaining. Its fun being with my daughters. They have taught me many things about life. Sometimes their understanding of life and relationships surprises me. Those positive sparks make me hopeful that they will surely turn beautiful human beings. I do not know what career choices will they make but I am sure what ever they choose to do in life, they will do it beautifully as good individuals.

Sabla..Celebrating Womanhood

When Maithili Sharan Gupta, a famous Hindi poet wrote years ago, "Abla Jeevan Hai Teri Yehi Kahani, Aanchal mein hai doodh aur aankhon mein paani (what is the life of a helpless woman, tears in her eyes and suckling child in her lap)", he had portrayed a rather helpless image of women. That was many many years ago. While the woman has emerged stronger and achieved everything a man could, the atrocities on women have not ended but they have changed shapes. Society is going through turbulent times where the new woman is breaking barriers and evolving as a stronger pillar in the society questioning patriarchal mindset which perhaps is making the chauvinist Indian male insecure. "Offence is the best form of defence".....this is perhaps the reason why the insecure men commit crimes on women. This Women's Day lets pledge to celebrate every woman who has found her voice and believed that a in healthy social system she has to be respected and regarded as a an equal important part...nothing less, nothing more. Lets also pledge to give hope and support to every woman who has been victimized because she has not compromised her values. A woman is not 'abla' but 'sabla'-someone who has the courage and conviction to bring about a positive change in the society.

Emo....tional

My younger daughter visited Ashadaan and was so moved by the plight of women staying there. Some were abandoned by their own children and families, some were deformed and diseased. While she spoke about them my eyes welled up. My elder daughter said, "I know it is very sad but I don't cry the way you do... I am not emo.... I do not know why" I said," Because you are from the 'E M O' generation and me from the E M O T I O NA L one... your TIONAL is missing".

That was in lighter vein of course but come to think of it I actually see a change in the youngsters and I wonder 'Are they mentally stronger?' or is it that the over exposure to too much emotion has desensitized them lowering their EQ? Our sensitivity is whatt shapes the societies and that defines the cultural changes in any environment. Well I do not know. It was a quickie thought I wanted to share and ask your opinion about.

Remembering my Spiritual Grandmoms

I been wanting to share this bit of my story for a long long time. Its about my grandmothers...my biological one and one in relation...my mom's mami ji. Second one addressed as Bibi. As I write I can visualize her in her spic and span dhotis (cotton sarees) walking with pride and in total control and command. She indeed was the true commander of her big joint family. She handled finance like a pro and she had not had a chance to study ..may be not even till primary. But she ensured that all her children studied and got into respectable professions....mostly as educators. Bibi made up for the absence of my beloved nani..fondly called Bhua Nani, who suffered from cancer and died at a very young age of 48. Bhua nani was bhua to Bibi's children but we all started calling her that. Its interesting how relationships are developed in joint families. Bhua nani was hugely talented, creative, meticulous and the best cook in the world. I have never till date met a woman who can make the real 'sardai' (thandai) as she used to make for us. She could sew and embroider to perfection. Most of all she inculcated love of God in our hearts but she left us too soon to become a 'tara' a star in the sky..as we kids were told. Bibi became nani to me and my brothers and gave us endless memories to share. She gave us love and something more. Something that I realized when she came and patted me on my back...after she had died. That moment is unforgettable experience.

I clearly remember when a phone ring stopped me in the doorway. I was leaving for an important event that day. I felt Bibi was there with me in the door way. It felt strange too. Meanwhile my mom answered the call inside the house and I felt some strange connection. I was compelled to walk back inside. Mom said that Bibi is no more... I COULD believe it..could...because I had felt her spiritual presence near me near the door. I could not go to Punjab for her last glimpse but I heard that so many people came for her last rites. She was respected. She was pious.

Pious. In fact my earliest memory of her is she chanting Hare Krsna mahamantra. She was unknowingly a Krsna Bhakt. She even nick-named one of my brothers Shyama... Lord Krsna's name as spoken in Punjabi. Lighting the ghee lamps at dawn and dusk was (and still is) a ritual at all our homes, as was going to temples or dargahs on designated days of the week. That is the beauty of simple small town life. My ancestors had built two temples and a sarai in our home town (these are known landmarks in my home town)...one temple is of Shiva and other of Radha Krsna and we were taken there quite often. When I connected with ISKCON..I remembered my earliest connection with KRSNA.. which had been reinforced by my Bibi. Today I sift, sort, analyze those childhood memories and I realize my love for Krsna is deep rooted..just like my roots...in my home town. Every time I chant Krsna's name I remember Bibi with love. My brother and I were surprised that we can actually recite a Nag leela that we used to sing with her in our childhood.

I do not know where is she and whether she is around me in a new life but I know she will very happy to know where I am heading for.. and as she used to appreciate me looking at my notebooks... "Moti piroye aa..means your handwriting is so good it seems like pearls strung together... I used to laugh. "But you can't read it..how can you say that?" She was quick witted and would say," Disda tah hai..." Meaning I may not be able to read but I can see it.

Sure you could... Bibi..you could see much more than others could.  There are so many things only you could see... and even read and even change.

Thank you Krsna for giving me so much love through her ...Hare Krsna Bibi...I know you still will be chanting HIS name and leading a beautiful life somewhere.