RIP, Dev Anand

“Jiya O, Jiya O Jiya kuch bol do…”

But the Peter Pan of the Hindi film Industry will not say anything again.

The man who never grew up has now moved on to the Great Beyond, leaving us with memories of that fluffy hair, that unique walk (which taught me how one can convert a weakness into one’s biggest strength), that oft-imitated drawl.

Dev Anand was already past his prime when I was a baby (he really belonged to my parents’ generation) but I grew up watching his movies on Doordarshan.

How can I forget the song that I have mentioned above, where Dev Anand was sitting on top of the car romancing Asha Parekh while someone was driving parallel to the train? A song sequence that probably was the inspiration for the other popular song “Mere Sapno ki Rani” from Aradhana?

Or the Jewel Thief playing the drum to Vyjayanthimala’s “Honthon Pe Aisi Baat”?

Or the music at the lighting of the cigarette from Hum Dono? (I bet his fans who are reading this are humming it right now)

“Dil Aaj Shaayar Hai, Gham Aaj Naghma Hai, Shab Yeh Ghazal Hai Sanam”

What a life he led! The movies (though my grandfather hated CID – the only movie he saw. He was an inspector, and thought he was going to see a movie on his department!), the songs, the romance…

That is another thing that I remember. His ill-fated romance with Suraiya. A young handsome hero and an established heroine fell in love and wanted to marry, but were thwarted by her family due to religious reasons. (Why her family did not stop her from acting in films for the same religious reasons is something I cannot fathom, but that’s beside the point).

A heart-broken Suraiya never married, and died a spinster in 2004! Dev Anand went on to marry another actress and had two children, but by newspaper reports, the couple was estranged for years.

“Hum Bekhudi Mein Tumko Pukaare Chale Gaye”

However, as much as I would prefer to remember only the suave debonair romantic, also comes to my mind images of possible narcissist who did not know when to quit!

Starting with possibly Des Pardes, he continued making films that no one saw, and possibly no one even remembers the names of, trying to play hero when he should have graduated to grandfather roles, casting people young enough to be his children as his contemporaries, or even his elders in the movies.

It hurt every time I saw him announcing a new film or on a poster; of the man making a caricature of himself!

“Kya Se Kya Ho Gaya, Bewafaa, Tere Pyar Mein”

He lived life on his own terms, and I daresay even died on his own terms. According to a newspaper report, he had expressed a desire to not be cremated in India, so that his fans remember him as the die-hard young romantic. His death in London was possibly a fulfilment of that wish.

Possibly it is therefore only fair that I remember the Dev Anand of the Black and White era, the young romantic, the hats, the walking stick, the drawl, the style of drooping his face and shaking his hands…

“Main Zindagi ka Saath Nibhaata Chala Gaya”

RIP, Devdutt Pishorimal Anand, while your die-hard fans say,

“Abhi na Jaao Chhodkar, Ke Dil Abhi Bharaa Nahi”

Muharram

Last night, the new moon heralded the beginning of the New Year of the Islamic or Hijri calendar.

Today is the 1st of Muharram, 1433.

A lot of laypersons associate Muharram with activities that would take place 10 days later. Known as Ashuraa’ (from Ashra’ or ten in Arabic), that is the 10th of Muharram, and marks the day of one of the most heart-rending events that occurred in Islam – the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Ashuraa’ is also associated with a number of events of earlier eras. According to various traditions, it was on the 10th of Muharram that Adam’s prayer was accepted, Noah landed his Ark on Mount Judi, Abraham was saved from the fire in which Nimrod had thrown him, Jonah emerged from the belly of the fish, Joseph was re-united with his parents, Moses led his people across the sea and the Pharaoh was destroyed; apart from many others.

Due to all the above, in the era when Prophet Muhammad (SAW) lived, Jews used to fast on the 10^th of Muharram. Even today, quite a few Muslims fast for the entire 10 days of Muharram, and many others on the 9th and 10th.

However, the events that took place on 10 Muharram 0061 (approx Oct 680 AD) overshadowed all other events.

Yazeed, a despot, tyrant and the total antitheses of Islam, proclaimed himself the Caliph or leader of Muslims. He asked Imam Hussain to pledge allegiance to him, which was naturally refused.

In a nutshell, this refusal of Imam Hussain to pledge allegiance to the despot Yazeed led to various events, leading to Imam Hussain leaving Madinah with his family and a few companions numbering 72 men, and about 51 women and children towards a place called Kufah (in modern-day Iraq). This small group of people was surrounded by an approximately 30,000-strong army sent by Yazeed at a place called Karbala, near the Euphrates river.

After denying water for 3 days (from 7 Muharram onwards) to this small group of people comprising women and children, including a six month-old infant, Yazeed’s mercenaries mercilessly killed the men and captured the women and children. From then onwards, the 10th of Muharram is marked as a day of mourning, remembrance and prayers by Muslims across the world.

Is it just a coincidence that the Islamic calendar begins with one sacrifice and ends with another? Or is it a message for us Muslims to be ready and willing to sacrifice their all for the will of Allah?

Eid-al-Adha

I had started writing this post last Sunday, to time it with Eid on Monday. But exigencies of work made me keep it aside without completing it as the relevant time had passed.

A chance remark by a colleague a couple of days after Eid about not liking this 'festival of slaughter' prompts me to complete it.

Let me narrate a story.

Many years ago, when Prophets walked on this earth, there lived a man called Ibraheem. He was in his 80s when he and his wife Hajara became parents for the first time.

The baby was still nursing when the Lord commanded Ibraheem to leave his wife and child – Ismail- among the barren plains of a desert and move on alone to spread His word. Placing his entire trust in the Lord, Ibraheem did as asked. He left them in an uncultivated valley which did not have even water for a vast distance. His wife, who was herself a staunch believer in the Lord, accepted her husband’s decision, since she believed that the Lord would take care of her and her child.

Within a couple of days, the food and water that she had was finished, and both mother and child started feeling hungry and thirsty. Hajara left her child in the valley and started walking briskly between two nearby mountains trying to look for someone from whom she could get some food or water. After she had moved between the two mountains seven times, she saw water coming near her child’s feet, where he had kept hitting the ground with his heel. (Another tradition also has it that an angel dug the earth near her child, and water came out).

Hajara had her fill of water and fed her child, but the water kept coming out, and vegetation grew around it. Soon, sensing water, birds started circling the area, caravans noticed them and came to the oasis, creating a settlement in the process.

A few years passed, and Ismail was old enough to walk and play. Then, Ibraheem had a dream, in which he was told to sacrifice that which is closest to his heart. He sacrificed forty camels each over two days, but the dream persisted. Ibraheem realised that the closest to his heart was his only child, Ismail!

He went to Ismail and told the little boy about his dream. The child replied, “O father, do as you are commanded, you will find me patient”.

Ibraheem took his wife and son and moved towards a nearby place where he planned to sacrifice his son. As he neared the place, the devil appeared to Ismail and whispered in his ear that his father was taking him to be killed. Ismail responded by throwing some stones at the devil.

A few steps later, the devil appeared to Hajara and tried to appeal to her maternal instincts. Hajara responded the same way that her son had.

Not one to give up, the devil then tried to talk Ibraheem out of sacrificing his son, but Ibraheem also hit the devil with a few stones.

Upon reaching the spot where Ibraheem had decided to offer his son as sacrifice, he made Ismail lay down and moved his knife on his son’s neck. However, even after trying to cut his son’s neck thrice, he could not succeed. Ibraheem threw away the knife in frustration at not being able to offer the ultimate sacrifice to his Lord. At this moment, he heard a divine voice saying, “Ibraheem, your Lord has accepted your sacrifice”, and a sheep was sent down from the heavens to be sacrificed in Ismail’s place.

Eid-ul-Adha - or Eid-ul-Zuha - (Adha - meaning sacrifice) is a commemoration and remembrance of this willingness to sacrifice by Prophet Ibraheem (AS) – also referred to as Abraham - and his family; possibly the greatest sacrifice made by man submitting to the will of his Lord.

The Lord loved the devotion of his servants, Ibraheem, Hajara and Ismail so much, that he decreed walking between the mountains of Safa and Marwa as well as stoning three pillars (Jamaraat) at Mina at the places where the devil had appeared to Ibraheem and his family an integral part of the Hajj, or pilgrimage, that is incumbent upon every Muslim who has the means to perform it. And Muslims across the world are ordered to sacrifice (not slaughter) an animal to remember the ultimate sacrifice made by their Prophet, and as an indicator that they would be ready to make whatever sacrifice required for the pleasure of their Lord.

May Allah grant us all the patience and understanding to submit to His will, so that all our words and actions in future are for the pleasure of Him, and Him alone. Aameen.

Happy Diwali

As I write this, we are in the middle of celebrating the biggest festival of India – Diwali, the festival of sound.

It is a really festive season for us between September and November. In the first week of October, we celebrated Dussehra, symbolising the victory of sound over silence. Before that, in September, we had Ganesh Chaturthi, where we welcomed noise to our houses and societies for 10 days.

Seriously, what is this?

Festivals have lost their original meanings and have become a means of out-shouting one another. Collection of donations is no less than extortion. No festival is complete without loudspeakers blaring at record decibel levels, and mindless beating of drums and other assorted objects in the guise of music.

Had he known what it would lead to, I am sure Lokmanya Tilak would not have started the concept of community Ganesh pandals. Because what started off as a means to mobilise people against the British has now degenerated into an abject noisy show of political power.

I remember in the 80s when any such procession accompanied by sound or music used to pass by a religious place of any other religion, they automatically used to stop playing music from a distance till they passed it by respectfully. Nowadays, the volume actually increases!

Dussehra has lost its original relevance of the triumph of good over evil, and has become a symbol of might is right.

And there is more noise and pollution in Diwali. The louder and more polluting the firecrackers, the better; seems to be the new motto. The original concept of diyas or earthern lamps is now restricted only to photo-ops.

Happy Diwali, folks!

Buy Medical Insurance wisely (my personal experience)

Life has this amazing knack of playing roulette with you!

I had planned to write about my experiences with medical insurance on the first Sunday of this month, and a medical emergency on that Saturday itself took the entire weekend. And this Sunday was dominated by work.

Anyway, here goes. 6 points based on my experience of what to do – and what not to do – while buying medical insurance.

Buy what you need – not what saves you tax: We have this amazing thing in India of Rs.15,000 tax saving under section 80D (we all seem to remember this section, as we save the entire amount on tax). Hence, we all end up investing only this amount on Mediclaim. I did the same. But maybe it is not enough for some families. What if there are 3 children and aged parents to take care of? What if there is a medical history in the family that necessitates preparation through proper medical insurance planning? There are many possibilities. Always take into account all these factors while deciding how much to invest. Rs.15,000 should be the minimum, and not the only number. My own experience – my old policies had lapsed and I had to take a new policy in 2007. I realised that I would have to shell out a huge premium for my parent’s insurance, as they are both above 60, hence in consultation with them, we decided not to take insurance for them.

Over the next two years, both of them required treatment, and we had to shell out of our own pockets!

Do not let your policies lapse: The second lesson I learnt. I had mediclaim till 2004, which we allowed to lapse when I went abroad. It would have cost next to nothing to keep it alive, but I allowed it to lapse. Result – when I came back and invested once again, I had to pay higher premia as we had moved into different age brackets, and we also lost all no-claim benefits.

Buy a floating cover, it is worth the extra premium: The harshest lesson I learnt over the past one year. I have insurance for myself, my wife and both the children. On seeing the difference in premium, I decided to go in for separate policy amounts for each individual, insuring myself for the highest sum, followed by my wife, and then smaller amounts for the children. My daughter and I both needed hospitalisation this year. And while the amount for me was well within my insurance limits, the amount spent on my daughter’s treatment extended well beyond. This naturally took a huge chunk out of my savings. The funny part is – the total amount for both our treatments combined is less than 2/3rds of the total insured value for both of us. In other words, had I taken a floating cover, I would not have spent a rupee (apart from the minor amounts that insurance companies or their TPAs love to deduct).

Find out what insurance companies have tie-ups with good hospitals near your home: And go with only those companies which do. It is a simple but oft overlooked fact, but think about it. Where do we rush to in an emergency? The best hospital nearest to our house. And if at that time we have to also run around for money? It can get extremely harrowing. Believe me; we have been through it in the past year! Remember, it is not only for ourselves but also for our family members, who spend the best part of their day near home itself.

Find out who offers cashless treatment at a good hospital near your home: It follows from the previous point. You may get insurance, and everything may be in order, but if the hospital and the insurance agency do not have an agreement for cashless treatment, you could run around like a dog chasing its tail!

I had my accident on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, the hospital and my insurance company did not have a tie-up for cashless, and the hospital rules wanted us to pay Rs.1.4 lakhs for me to be operated upon immediately. And with my left hand broken (for those unaware, I am left-handed), I could not even sign a cheque. Even if I could, what use would it have been on a Sunday? It was only the emergency and possibly our family friend’s (who is a doctor known to the surgeon) discussion that made the hospital accept that they would do the surgery and we could make the payment the next day.

Everyone would not be as lucky!

Also, for me, claiming the money from the TPA was like getting money from a Jew! Have you heard of the saying “A fool can ask more questions than the wisest man can answer”. I am sure the person who coined this saying must have had to answer a doctor in an insurance company!

And the number of times they made me run around, I could qualify for the Olympics! They are expected to complete one process in 45 days, but you ask them about the claim on the 46^th day, and then they will start sending queries. The way the lady at the TPA counter acted aghast when I asked her how come their letters don’t reach our house when every other letter does, had to be seen to be believed. I get a strong feeling they do this only to delay payments.

I nearly gave up on one claim because I realised that I may end up spending more than 20% on taxi fare going back and forth, in addition to the huge waste of time! And when I stopped responding, they sent the cheque home – one year later!

I learnt the advantage of cashless a while earlier when my brother had to be rushed to hospital at midnight, and everything was taken care of like clockwork.

Do not trust your insurance agent: Sound a bit harsh, but it is true. Remember, he is doing a job, which is to sell you a medical policy. He may end up saying yes to everything you say, with just the right pauses and intonations to drive you towards where he gets more commission.

Decide your requirements, read the fine print and make your own decision.

After all, it’s your life – and your family’s.

Two little girls

There are quite a few huts just outside my office, all of them inhabited by - I believe - a single community of Gujarati tribals.

Typical of such settlements, these huts too have the usual assortment of drunk men, screaming women, dirty kids, crap on the road etc. All the usual elements that make 'people like us' crinkle our noses, look in the other direction and walk away. Even when people stop to give their leftovers or alms, it is a sight to see them holding the leftovers at an arm's length.

Amidst all this, two little girls catch my attention daily. Aged possibly 6 and 3, they are possibly among the most adorable girls one could see. Fair (not a criterion for beauty in my sight, but am mentioning it as a differentiator among slum kids one sees who get tanned by being exposed to the sun the whole day), glowing skins, bright eyes, really cuddly like soft toys. And generally pretty clean!

Like most slum kids, they have the most carefree smiles, which adds immensely to their entire demeanour. Give them a nice bath, dress them right, and I challenge any human with a beating heart not to pick them up, cuddle them, hold them close and bless them.

Every time I look at them, I wonder about their future. What would happen to them as they grow up in that environment? All sorts of questions, all sorts of worries crowd my mind.

Sometimes I also wonder if it is possible to take them away and bring them up with my own children. Or maybe get them a good foster home. Give them a chance at a bright future.

And then I think - is it right to separate them from their parents? Maybe, my view of a bright future is a product of my environmental conditioning; and they may wither in that. Possibly, where and how they stay are their roots. Maybe God wanted them to be the wild flowers they are, and not the ornamental flowers in the four walls of a house.

Also, all those other 'societal' thoughts - how will their parents react if I talk to them; what will other people say; can I really take care of them; will - by opening their cocoons, I'll end up killing the butterflies inside?

But then, maybe again, maybe God has raised this paternal feeling in me to be the catalyst for a change in their lives...

Questions, thoughts, confusions. What do I do?

An Open Letter to Arif Naseem Khan

Mr. Arif Naseem Khan
Suburban Guardian Minister
Mumbai

I read with a great sense of anguish about your rebuke to the RTO officials who conducted the raid on autorickshaw drivers who tamper with their meters.

You as a minister are expected to uphold the law and the moral fibre of the city and constituency you represent. And yet, here you are, reprimanding officials who are doing their job, and taking the side of professional strike callers and cheats.

Isn’t the very fact that 97 out of 150 rickshaws tested a clear indicator of who is at fault?

Have you, Mr. Minister, personally travelled as an ordinary citizen in an autorickshaw and seen what the public has to put up with?

Your statement, “RTO officials can initiate action against illegal meter shops but they must stop unnecessarily harassing rickshaw drivers” reeks of - well, let me not express it in words! But the next time the traffic police conducts any checks on drunk drivers, I believe they would say, “Raid the bars and liquor shops, don’t harass us”.

Your other statement, “We all know what happens at RTO offices and how things work” is another gem!

Your statements tell me simply that you are aware of “what happens” and yet, you have shirked in your duty as an elected representative of the people. In a private organisation, you could have been sacked for such wilful negligence of duty, but it is a travesty and a joke of our democratic process that you would be elected again and again!

Mr. Khan, take my word for it; go and praise the RTO officials, encourage them to do their work without fear or favour, ensure that errant autorickshaw drivers are punished. You would get more votes this way. After all, that is what you want, isn’t it?

Yours sincerely,

Mubin Khan

Travel Light with the King of Good Times

I have always travelled light. And lately, being what airlines euphemistically term a ‘frequent flyer’, I have made it even lighter. I have a trusted Samsonite made to cabin baggage specifications which I dump my clothes and papers in, stretch the laptop bag across its handle and I am ready to go. Saves me a lot of time after alighting.

In the past few months, I have travelled on every single airline available in India, and have never been asked to check in my bag, except for three times. And I realise that it is the same airline – Kingfisher – every time.

The tone is the same – polite, turning politely threatening. “Sir, it is my advice to you Sir. It is better for you Sir”, “Sir, I shall put a priority tag Sir”, “Sir, you will have to keep it in front of your seat, and you will be uncomfortable Sir”, “Sir, I am trying to help you Sir, the cabin crew will keep it in the hold while you are boarding Sir”.

Once, when I agreed because they put a priority tag, my bag was almost the last to come out!

What I found most interesting was that all the three times, they gave me different reasons for wanting to check in my bag.

The first time, the person said that the flight was full, and there may be no space in the luggage bin.

The second time, she said that the flight was small and my bag would not fit!

But I think the reason I got just now takes the cake!

I am told that the flight is completely full and the bag would be too heavy, and the cabin crew might offload it!

Huh!!!

Too heavy for me to carry, but okay to put it in the hold?

I am awaiting boarding, as I write this, and eager to know how they will accommodate this ‘heavy’ bag.

Happy Teacher’s Day

It’s Teachers Day tomorrow, and I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all teachers a Very Happy Teacher’s Day.

A lot of teachers have influenced me, and shaped the way I am today. Right from my school teachers to my Professors – Prof. Sudhakar, Prof. Dabholkar, Prof. Dharkar, Prof. Shetty, Prof. Borde, Miss Irani and so many others – my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to each and every one of you!

I’d also like to pay tribute to all of you by writing about three very special teachers, who I probably will never forget till the day I pass on.

First - Mrs. Agnihotri: My Marathi teacher in Rosary High School. Marathi is a subject most students – especially those studying in English convent schools – love to hate! But it was Mrs. Agnihotri who made me love this language.

She was in her 50s when she first taught us the language. Short, possibly just four feet nothing, with a back that was bent with age, she could reach only up to the bottom one-fourth of the black-board (which was later replaced by a green one). Maybe I am dreaming, but there were times when the chalk dust would fall on her glasses and she had to stop writing to clean them.

She insisted on speaking to us only in Marathi, and God help those who could not respond to her with proper grammar and pronunciation. Interestingly, I realized that it was the students having Marathi as their mother tongue who used to be at the receiving end most of the time.

Strange, but isn’t it true? The people who are worst at the grammar of any language are the people who profess it to be their mother tongue. I reckon that is because they tend to pick up the language as it is spoken ‘on the streets’ rather than in its pure form.

Anyway, I digress, as usual!

Mrs. Agnihotri introduced me to P. L. Deshpande, to spoken Marathi. She is the reason I get compliments for a good command over the language.

Thank You, Agnihotri bai!

Second – Mrs. Suzie Chacko: Possibly the best teacher a student can get! She taught us science in school. We used to fondly call her ‘Amma’ (mother). And a mother she was to us. It is nearly 3 decades since I saw her last (she had apparently left the school a few years after I passed out, to join her husband in Dubai, so I was told) but I still can see her vividly whenever I close my eyes and think about her. Dark, plump, speaking with the typical Malayalee accent, it was her eyes that first caught your attention. The eyes would smile when she was happy with us, and breathe fire when we were at fault.

I also know that a lot of students hated her. And they had a reason for that. They hated re-writing. You see, Amma had a unique style of teaching. In the 35 minute science class, she would spend the 6^th to the 30^th minute explaining the concepts of physics, chemistry and biology to us. And God help anyone trying to do anything except pay full attention to her. Asking questions, debating a point, arguing over a concept – all was allowed, even encouraged. But sharpening pencils, taking notes, doing something else invited a rap on the knuckles and kneeling at the door of the class.

The 31^st to the 35^th minute was for dictating notes very fast, which the students had to write down using their pencils.

That leaves us with the 1^st to 5^th minute. Ahh, now that was the fun!

The notes that she dictated in the previous class had to be re-written using the ink pen, with all the proper drawings etc. as homework. The handwriting and the drawings had to be perfect. These would be checked in the first five minutes of the next class. And any student who did not complete this homework had raps on the knuckles and had to attend the class kneeling at the door for the entire duration.

Not only did Amma instil a love of chemistry in me (which was later fanned by Profs. Dabholkar, Dalal, Shetty, Borde, Miss Irani et al in college) that lasts till today, she is also one of the people primarily responsible for my good handwriting.

Thank You, Amma!

I have lost touch with both Agnihotri bai and Suzie Miss. And I am not sure whether Agnihotri bai is still alive or not. But if either of you are reading this post somewhere, I would like to let you know that you are still in my heart and in my prayers.

Third – Mrs. Khan: She started off as a teacher in a municipal school and was a Headmistress when she retired. She has been an influence behind a lot of youth in areas like Nagpada, Madanpura and Dharavi growing to be decent, educated and well-respected people.

She was my first teacher. She taught me the alphabets – both English and Arabic. She taught me how to speak, how to behave. She instilled a sense of responsibility in me. She taught me to differentiate between right and wrong, to control my emotions. She taught me disciple and chivalry. She taught me Islam, and to respect others for their beliefs.

She is the reason for me being the man I am.

Whatever I am today, is because of her.

She is now in her 70s, and I still meet her everyday.

She is my mother!

Happy Teacher’s Day, Ammi. I love you!

Random thoughts - Anna Hazare and the Lokpal Bill

Back to my blog after a gap of a fortnight.

Extremely interesting developments have taken place in the country in these two weeks, which I kept noting down as statements or pointers. Just putting them down here, as noted.

I was born two decades after Independence, and hence could not see Gandhiji. But seeing how people have rallied around Anna, I can imagine what must have happened in 1930 and 1942.

I have seen the angry young man taking on the system in Hindi films so many times; and over the past few days, seeing a hungry old man doing the same in real life. The hungry old man is so much more powerful!

Anna supporters now need to guard against letting emotions taking over rationale. We do not need a Chauri Chaura. (This was penned down somewhere around the sixth day of the fast).

The last time a Maratha had taken on the forces of Delhi was at the 3rd battle of Panipat (1761).

Loved the story my cousin sent about Vikram and Vetaal - A merchant had entrusted his wealth to an old man for safekeeping, and the old man’s son squandered all of it. When the merchant returned and took the old man and his son to the king, the king punished the son, but the merchant demanded that the old man also be punished. As usual, Vetaal asked Vikram for his comments. Vikram’s reply was, “Though the old man is innocent of the actual theft, he is guilty of dereliction of duty. The son’s crime was a straightforward one, the old man’s was a graver crime. He did nothing to protect the merchant’s wealth. Far from being vigilant, he failed to take action even when he was warned of his son’s misdeeds. Because of the old man’s laxity, the trusting merchant is now condemned to a life of penury. So, he should be punished!”. Apply that to our PM?

I guess being a good Finance Minister does not qualify you to be a good Prime Minister. Of course, I am not aware on the selection judgement criteria!

How support has been trivialised! Armchair support - like armchair friendship – is meaningless. Merely creating a facebook page or clicking on 'like' does not mean support. For that, you have to go out and take action.

Has everyone who 'supported' Anna pledged not to bribe anyone ever, no matter what the circumstances?

After winning this battle under Anna, let us not forget Irom Sharmila! After all, 11 years IS a long time!

Yeh Mera India

India’s 65th Independence Day, and I was reminiscing about the various parts of India that I have seen.

Let me share my observations (nothing more – just observations) on traffic in two areas of this unique and varied country of ours.

Area 1: Chandigarh
The first thing that struck me about this city was the clean, wide roads and the lack of traffic on them. It took me a while to realize that there was actually a significant amount of traffic – be it cars, motorcycles, scootys, autorickshaws or even bicycles. Trucks were conspicuous by their absence.

The impression of lack of traffic was mainly because of the impeccable traffic sense of the people. No one crossed the white line at the signal, lane discipline was immaculate, overtaking was from the right side. In short, proper traffic discipline. Possibly the presence of CCTV cameras at virtually every signal contributed to this.

Also, apart from certain areas, it was rare to find dirt and muck on the streets.

That is one India.

Area 2: UP
I had the opportunity of travelling across the state; from Allahabad, to Lucknow, Kanpur, Rae Bareli and Aligarh. And the first thing that struck me – or nearly struck me – was the motorcyclist coming at full speed from a lane and trying to overtake from the wrong side of the road. A few seconds, and he could have been killed, or worse!

Across the state, the observation was the same. Daredevilry at its best, rash driving at its worst, no regards for road discipline or traffic sense. Signals are working, but being made a mockery of. And the traffic police was conspicuous by its absence.

Everyone seems to be completely ignorant of the traffic rules. Signals are rarely given at turnings, and even when given, are ignored by the guy behind. Turning right from the 3rd lane is as common as Vettel standing on the podium this year.

Speaking of Vettel, I do not think even he can open the door of his car, bend down and spit gutkha, at the same time driving straight at 50-60 kms/hour, as virtually every driver I saw could do with ease!

And that smell, that all-pervasive smell! Why would it not be? I was in Lucknow, near Charbagh, one morning. A BMW 5-Series was ahead of me. We had just taken the left turn on Kanpur Road, going towards Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University when the BMW stopped. No signals, mind you – except that its brake lights worked well. It just stopped. A gentleman emerged from the rear door, walked on the footpath, and proceeded to do his job right there while the driver was waiting for sahab to return.

For God’s sake, the public convenience was less than 100 metres away, in plain sight!

But this is not an isolated instance. Marking one’s territory this way - the way tigers do – is something common, I soon realized.

That is another India.

And we know where most of the drivers in Mumbai come from!

Jai Hind!

Ramadaan

As salaam, As salaam, Ya Shahar-e-Ramadaan.

On Tuesday, the month of Ramadaan started. The 9th month of the Hijri or Islamic calendar, it is the holiest month of the year.

Everyone knows it as the month in which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Mumbaikars also know it as the month when everyone goes to Mohammed Ali Road for amazing delicacies all through the night.

Taking a little time off today, I thought I’d write about what fasting really signifies, and what this month means to me personally.

Ramadaan is not about just staying hungry and thirsty all day long. Rather, the fasting is a means to achieve ‘Taqwaa’, or piety. It is a way to build self-restraint in us, and to make ourselved more disciplined in our lives. Fasting is prescribed as a means of worship in virtually every religion across the world.

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint (Qur’an 2:183; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

A person who is fasting is expected to also fulfill all other conditions of Islam, namely the five prayers, recitation of the Qur’an, giving ‘Zakah’(charity) etc. Also, what is very important is that the person uses this period for introspection, and checks his own behavior and actions. As a Muslim, he should avoid speaking or acting upon anything which is not allowed in Islam. Fasting of a person is irrelevant if his actions are not those of a good Muslim.

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)" (Bukhari 3:31, Hadith 127)

Of all the acts of worship prescribed for a Muslim, fasting is the most loved prayer of all. Because all other prayers can be seen except fasting. Whether one is praying Salah (namaz), reciting the holy Qur’an or giving charity, all these acts are visible to others, and there could be an element of showing off (human nature!) But a person can always claim to be fasting, yet quietly eat or drink in private, and no one but he and Allah will know it. On the other hand, a person could fast all day long for the pleasure of Allah, and if he carries on his normal work throughout the day, again, no one but he and Allah will know.

Narrated Abu Huraira :
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “(Allah said), ‘Every good deed of Adam's son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.’” (Bukhari 7:72, Hadith 811)

One could go on about the virtues and merits of fasting and prayers in Ramadaan, where the reward of every good deed is multiplied at least 70 times. And the reward for fasting – only Allah knows!

As for me personally, this is the one month that I miss Jeddah the most. Both from a personal and a religious perspective!

The distance to Makkah made it so easy for us to perform Umrah in this holy month. And the revised office timings meant that I could reach home every day to break the fast with my family, and then go for the night prayers – certain things that tend to be a distant dream with the travel timings in Mumbai!

May Allah give us all the benefit of spending at least one Ramadaan at His House. Aameen!

Exchange of Words - Bloopers

Today, a colleague, while showing me something on facebook, said that it is a "very allergic website". It took me a while, and some more statements from him, to realize that he meant that it is very addictive.

I am sure all of us have inadvertently committed such bloopers where we use one wrong word, changing the meaning of the sentence completely.

I remember in school, when we had just learnt the meaning of the word 'vocabulary'. After that, a classmate always asked the teacher, "What is the vocabulary of..." whenever she meant to say, "What is the meaning of..."

There are also times when we say innocuous statements that just don't sound right. Like the time when I had asked my HR team to source a female management trainee, and getting no response after a fortnight, reminded them thus, "Any progress on the search for a girl for me?"

There are also instances where people who are not conversant with English try to translate their thoughts verbatim, leading to amazing howlers. My father likes telling us about his Hindi teacher who used to tell his students not to make noise "in front of my back" and asked three students to leave the class thus, "Both of you three get out".

The most hilarious one was used regularly by an ex-colleague who nearly always started speaking with the sentence, "My telling is that..." (remember that the next time you say, "Mera kehna hai ki...")

There is one 'exchange of word' blooper of mine which still brings a wry smile to my face. I was in school, in Std. 9, learning bigger words, proper grammar (Thanks - Messrs Wren & Martin) along with the other interesting things that people at that age learn. Our (beautiful) Social Sciences teacher asked the class why do we have to clean foodgrain after we buy it (remember - those were the days of the PDS). Being the bright kid that I was, I immediately raised my hand and replied, "Because the ration shop owners commit adultery".

The stunned silence of the teacher as well as the entire class left me non-plussed.

After a while (either after she figured out what I meant or after recovering her poise - I don't know which), the teacher said, "Very Good Mubin. Class, as he said, the ration shop owners adulterate the foodgrains with heavy and non-edible substances, which we have to remove by cleaning before cooking."

It was only after what seemed like a full minute of giggles from the girls and laughter from the lads following this explanation that the actual meaning of what I had said dawned on me!

So, any bloopers you can think of?

I am going to steal something today

I have decided. I am going to steal something today.

Something small, of not much value, so that nobody suspects me, and no one notices.

Shall I steal the magazine lying in the seat pocket in front of me? Maybe the safety instruction sheet – that’s something no one would think about!

Maybe I shall pinch five rupees from the cabbie on the way home.

But I shall definitely steal something today.

And then something again tomorrow, and then the day after.

I have resolved that I shall start stealing something every day from now onwards.

If someone starts noticing and creating a scene, I shall share a part of my spoils with that person, or find another person to share my spoils with, who will silence the first one and protect me.

Starting with small things, I shall – over the next few years – grow towards stealing bigger and bigger things, till after about 10 years; when I can commit large daylight robberies without any fear.

Because by then, I would have enough people supporting me in what I am doing. Either they would legalise my robberies, or someone would file a PIL, which would render me immune from prosecution for the rest of my life.

Because isn’t that what happens in Mumbai?

At least, I have grown up seeing this.

People steal a little bit of the footpath at night; and nobody notices. Then they steal a little more during the day; and even the people who notice, do not pay attention. Then they steal a little bit of water from the underground pipes, a little bit of electricity from the overhead wires, and start paying people to protect and support them.

After some years, when they have brazenly stolen enough, rich bored ex-actresses come and support them, and ensure that their daylight robbery is condoned. Then our brilliant politicians join the gang, and start mooting legislations to legalise their robbery.

And by the time all this is over, the people who started this have lived their entire life immune from any prosecution. Not only that, many of them have even been rewarded handsomely for stealing in the above manner.

For those who want to see how it is done, go and see under the new Byculla to Lalbaug flyover, where you will see the beginnings of this process, and then see the SRA projects, which are the culmination and rewards.

So therefore, I am going to steal something today.

Random Musings

Just some thoughts that I've been reflecting on...

In the olden days, saints were known for having virtually no material possessions. Nowadays, 'godmen' have possibly more wealth than anyone else.

In the olden days, people of a certain profession had red lights above their houses. Nowadays, people of a certain profession have red lights above their cars.

What takes lesser time when a man is in a hurry to escape a police raid at 1:30 a.m.? To wrap a lungi and put on a cloth on his shoulder; or to wear a woman's Salwar Kameez?

What was a man doing in a woman's Salwar Kameez at 1:30 in the morning?

A month ago, we complained about the heat and the sweat. Now, we're complaining about the rains and getting wet. Why do we always crib?

Physiotherapy - when a beautiful girl holds your hand - and it hurts!

Will Chetan Bhagat's next book have the number 4 in its title?

Finally, will the bank that promises that they not only give home loans but also 'help you find a home', refund the processing charges they took from me by saying that my loan has been approved, and then not giving it?

People like him make me believe (Dreams!)

Was watching snatches of a singing reality show on TV last night, and saw an amazing display of raw talent.

The participant was a 31 year old auto rickshaw driver who had migrated to Delhi from Kanpur in search of livelihood.

He had absolutely no training in music. Everything he learnt was by listening to songs. But he decided to come for the auditions - accompanied by his wife and little daughter - to 'fulfil his dream'.

For his audition, he selected one of the more difficult songs of Kishore Kumar. And he sang with such unbridled passion and such amazing command that there did not seem to be a single person who was unmoved.

One of the judges - a fantastic trained singer and one of India's most versatile singers himself - had this to say about the performance, "If I was a 31 year old who drove a rickshaw daily to earn a living, who had absolutely no training in music and was singing on stage for the first time in my life in front of eminent judges, I would not have been able to sing even half as well as you have done!"

But the real reason that compels me to write about this person is not his singing. Rather, it is his dream that moved me to tears!

On a stage where people stand up and proclaim their ambition of being the next Lata, Asha, Rafi, Kishore...the biggest thing in the Indian Music Industry; this man shared his simple dream.

Due to poverty, his wife could not complete her studies and achieve her aim of being a teacher. And all he dreamt about - and was working towards - was to enable her achieve her goal!

Even his participation in this reality show was a step only to achieving that dream!

What does one say to that???

Here was this person who comes from a state infamous for its male chauvinism, which ranks towards the bottom on virtually every development parameter, which has gained notoreity for its crimes against women, for female infanticide, female foeticide, which has one of the worst gender ratios in the country, and all he is dreaming of - and working towards, even to the extent of migrating out of that state to another city - is to help achieve his wife's aim of studying and being a teacher!

Hats off to you, young man!

It is people like you who make me believe, despite all our problems, in the potential of our country.

It is people like you because of whom I can proudly say, "I am an Indian!"

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"

How apt these lyrics are. Seems like John Lennon was addressing me when he sang them.

Here I was, making plans to repair our house, working on the plans to achieve the next year's targets for myself and my team at office, dreaming and planning for the holiday with the family...

And then there was the accident.

All the plans went out of the window. Everything had to be re-organised, re-scheduled, re-oriented, re-prioritised.

Does it sound like deja vu?

It sure does to me.

I had moved to Jeddah with plans of working there for about 12-15 years, and retiring by 50. And less than 4 years later, I was back. Mom was ill and her need for us took priority over work and retirement plans.

Lest I sound like life always deals a cruel blow, let's make it clear - NO.

My plans of working in media planning changed when I got a good option in a media house, changing my career choice completely. The job offer from Jeddah came out of the blue, helping me clear off all my EMIs and get some savings to boot.

Doesn't it happen to all of us?

Just introspect. Have we become exactly what we had planned when we were in college? Are we doing exactly what we had planned just 5 years ago? Heck, what has happened to our New Year resolutions and plans just 5 months later?

It applies to organisations too. I remember reading an article by a leading businessman, in which he had said that it had never happened that his company worked exactly according to the plans made at the beginning of the year.

'The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men, Gang aft agley' (Robert Burns)

But does that mean that we should not plan? After all, life could deal a different hand the next instant.

Quite the contrary.

Life will always take some sudden twists and turns; we may not achieve everything that we start off planning to achieve, but it is these plans that we make - and the work that we do to achieve them - that will take us from our present state to the next, possibly better, state in life. It is what we plan that make us the person that we are.

Look at all the successful people around us. In their introspective moments, they will all confess that everything never went according to plan, but it is their plans, their dreams and their hard work that has made them so successful.

One could write so much more, and it would all revolve around the same. But instead of boring you will all of that, let me ask you to share your thoughts in your comments.

As for me, I can tell you one thing. Most of my plans may have come to naught, but working towards them has helped me achieve a huge amount of satisfaction as an individual, if nothing else.

Time to Slow Down?

I have been noticing during my daily visits to the physiotherapist that a number of people who come in for treatment are quite young. And they are not coming for accident-related physiotherapy, but seeking treatment for stress-related ailments!

I mentioned this to my physiotherapists, Dr. Hardik Patel and Dr. Swati, they shared certain information with me, which makes me really concerned! The numbers below may not be specific to all hospitals / physiotherapy centres across Mumbai, but I believe they surely could be a pointer to a larger syndrome.

More than 70% of the patients who come in for physiotherapy are not accident-related at all. And 5 out of these 7 patients are below the age of 50, with a large majority being in their late 20s and early 30s.

In fact, the youngest patient I saw was a girl of about 23, and I am told that she is not an exception!

All of these young people are coming in seeking help for ailments related to stress.

Apart from the usual suspects – IT and Software Industry; quite a significant number of patients are from Finance, especially Insurance Sales, and other salespeople across industries.

Most IT and Software Industry Professionals face issues with relation to the physical stress; the usual suspects - repetitive stress injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, slip disc, vertigo (BPPV) etc. Salespeople are also seen suffering from Overuse Syndrome, where the shoulder and neck muscles are affected due to their habit of carrying their laptop around throughout the day.

But to my mind, the big worry is in the increasing number of cases that are related to mental stress.

Mental Stress for 20 and 30 year olds?

Yes! And it is getting manifested in stiffness of muscles; pain in the neck, shoulder, head and back etc.

And there is increasing agreement among doctors on the fact that these issues are all related to the mental stress and anxiety brought about by targets and deadlines!

We have all heard phrases like, “The reward for good work is more work”, “It’s a rat race out there” etc.

The intense competitive environment, as well as the unreasonable pressure put on today’s youth by themselves and their organisations to prove their relevance virtually daily, is resulting in their youth being spent between the office and the doctor’s clinic. One is also seeing an increasing trend among youth to take shortcuts (jugaad, as a research aptly termed it). This is a pointer to the effect the environment is having on their minds too. And the long-term effects will really only be known about 20 years from now.

The Pharaohs of Egypt were known to drive their slaves to death.

Are we becoming the Pharaohs of today?

Is it time we stopped and pondered about the ill-effects of high – maybe unreasonable – targets and deadlines on today’s youth?

Is it time to slow down? Before the problem becomes unmanageable?

Taxi Drivers (again!)

A lovely Sunday morning, a steaming cup of tea after a nice long bath, and my wrist now allowing me to type enough to put down my thoughts - even if slowly and with breaks. What a feeling!


My first post after my accident, and suddenly the rush of thoughts I had on the many things I wanted to write about seems to have rushed away. :-)

Gathering these scattered thoughts of the past couple of months is an exhilarating exercise in itself. So many thoughts, such feelings, experiences, people met etc. that one wants to write about.

I resumed office on April 5. And due to the fact that I still have the problem in the knee and muscles, I have been using taxis and autos to travel to office and back. And what an interesting mix of taxi drivers I have met!

Nearly every taxi driver who has taken me to office and back had to ask me the same set of questions, “Accident? Kaise Hua (How did it happen?)”. And then the standard “Chalo kam mein tal gaya. Aur ho sakta tha (Good it was only this much. It could have been worse)”.

It is interesting how we tend to look at the positive of life. I mean, here I have a broken wrist, broken toe, missing toenails and a crushed kneecap. And it could have been worse! Someone is in hospital with a serious ailment where he would take months to recover. And it could have been worse!

But then, it is this positive outlook that takes us through the ups and downs of life!

Anyway, as usual, I digress.

After the standard questions – which I have now learnt to answer in about 9.37 seconds – the drivers launch into sharing their own experiences for the rest of the journey. And that has my hair standing on end.

Virtually every driver has a horrific accident story – if not his, then of some other driver closely known to him. And these stories are around broken ankles, shin bones, femur etc. It is as if nearly half of Mumbai’s taxi drivers are driving around with some injury or the other. One driver even took advantage of a traffic signal to show me the scars on his stomach and right leg, and believe me, it was as if he had come out of a war zone!

It frightens me to be sitting there in the front seat of a half battered car with a driver who should be eligible for a disability pension, and yet, driving away with the zest of a Sebastian Vettel!

And for all those Mumbaikars who have the experience of flagging down an auto or a cab, only to find the driver refusing your fare, I must share that I am not in that league any longer. Just the sight of my crutch and splint are enough for them to open the door without even asking the destination. I’ve had only a couple of drivers refusing, for genuine reasons, and they were so apologetic, I had to pinch myself. One driver ferried me from Wadala to Lower Parel, and only when we reached my office did he mention that he had to go to Sion – exactly in the opposite direction!

A few drivers have even got out, helped me out of the cab, and carried my crutch and bag for me right upto the office lift.

Made me change my opinion about whether these drivers had feelings!

But there is one thing on which my opinion has not changed. Irrespective of the nature of the passenger, and the lovely stories he has shared with him, some drivers have to cheat on the fare.

What else explains the 25% variation in the fares that I pay for the same distance?

India’s Madame Tussauds

Hi blog.

I know I’ve been away from you for a really long time – more than 6 weeks!

It’s been a hectic time. First, the two weddings. Then the travelling and looooong days. I just wanted to sleep whatever little time I got.

And the few times that I really sat to write, my fingers just started writing about two incidents of January that I really do not wish to write about here – the demise of a young person I had met just a week before her accident, and an incident that I witnessed while on a tour in Rajasthan.

It took me a while to bury them somewhere deep in my system.

Anyway, we keep going to Pune and Lonavla very often, and pass by the Celebrity Wax Museum at Varsoli.

A fortnight ago, on a whim, my wife and I decided to step in – and were bowled over by what we saw. Real, life-like wax sculptures of various celebrities - Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Satya Sai Baba, Babasaheb Ambedkar and so many others.

The scultpture of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi is so life-like that for a moment, I felt she would get up and hug me in that famous embrace of hers. And A.R. Rahman with his Oscars...

My wife had a ball getting herself photographed with Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussain and Micheal Jackson!

It is a very small museum – one can go through in less than 15 minutes. At Rs.75 per entry, possibly one might call it a bit expensive. And some of the sculptures are possibly not 100% accurate (e.g. of Shivaji Maharaj; though on the whole they are definitely very good). But when you bear in mind that all this is the work of just one young man – Sunil - and he did not have access to any of these celebrities – with the microscopically precise 3D measurements that people give to Madame Tussauds, I could not help but doff my hat to his skills.

Am going to try and post some pictures on my facebook page, as well as here. And I would urge you to go to the museum once, if only to encourage such artists. It is not very far from Lonavla – if you are going from Mumbai, just cross Lonavla on the Expressway and get down at the other (Pune) end on NH4 (the old highway). Puneris can get down onto the old highway just before Lonavla, at Balaji Restaurant.

The wax museum is just about 300 meters on the right side, before the NH4 toll gate.

(And no, Sunil has not paid me to write this. Nor does he know that I am writing it :-))

 My wife at Saddam Hussain's trialDr. Babasaheb AmbedkarThe sculptor with his daughter