Category Archives: casual causerie

LITERARY CORNER: WHY I AM A HINDU by Shashi Tharoor

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Khidki (Window)

–Read India Initiative—

This is only an attempt to create interest in reading. We may not get the time to read all the books in our lifetime. But such reviews, talk and synopsis will at least convey what the book is all about.

WHY I AM A HINDU’

by Shashi Tharoor

Publisher Aleph

Year of publication: 2018

    The price of the book is Rs 699. It’s a 300 page book loaded with some palpable stuff—quite typical of Shashi Tharoor. The book has three main chapters divided into seven sub chapters.

    It starts off quite well with the author glossing over reasons as to why he decided to write this book. Where, he takes you through the essence of Hinduism, but not so much through the rituals but essentially through the religious-socio-cultural plank. He gets into meticulous detailing such as how a Sanskrit word ‘Jagannath’ came to be known as ‘Juggernaut.’ He takes you through the Bhakti movement. He talks about the Advaita Vedanta, the vedic learnings with lots of anecdotes—interesting ones. He describes in great detail the wisdom of Swami Vivekananda and Adi Shankracharya. Talks about his own childhood entangled in Hinduism. The ‘sanskars’ that he got from his parents. While Shashi loves Hinduism he admonishes Hindutva in his hot narration.

    The author, initially appears, quite as a baby faced admirer and a harmless volunteer of Hinduism till around page hundred and forty. But thereafter he changes gear and moves into the domain of political Hinduism.

    Where, he goes unsparingly after Savarkar, Golwalkar and Deen Dayal Upadhyay all stalwarts of the Sangh Parivar. And, as expected of Shashi Tharoor, he does make, a piercing commotion about the atrocities committed by the British Raj on Hinduism, but remains somewhat vague about the atrocities of the Muslim invaders, perhaps, offering them benefit of doubt. He feigns or genuinely believes Hindus are large hearted or even dodos, and will never react to the persecution that they were subjected to at the hands of the British Raj and the devious invaders, even in a millennium which is not quite clear. While he allows Deen Dayal Upadhyay to pass off as a more tolerable face of the Sangh Parivar. For Savarkar and Golwalkar, he projects unalloyed despise rising up to hate, but doesn’t really touch Hedgewar the founding Sangh Chalak even with a bargepole.  Shashi cannot imagine leave alone believing that RSS may have been an initial emotional reaction to the atrocities of the British Raj and the Islamization during Jinnah before and even after the partition. Just as Islamization could have been a reaction to American atrocities on the Muslims as believed by many and not some. And why forget the fascism of Europe that arose primarily because of Communism.

    Beyond page 140 the author shows his real face and that is his attack on Hindutva. The point that he makes is about the ancient Indian culture of hospitality where India has always been a great host to all communities. The population of India is 80% Hindus but they have always looked after the minority communities in terms of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and others. When you cruise through the book further what becomes more apparent is that Hindutva is the brain child of RSS. And till the time Congress was well in control of India the Indian society was an Utopia and now it has become a dystopia. The book is excellent in terms of narration and flow. And is action packed with all the appreciated fantasies of the Congress regime. Yet, I was left with the following gaps for which I did not find answers or were the answers held back. I really don’t know?

   The book has a good spread of Hinduism’s history but lacks in precipitating/ Hindu emotions because of obvious reasons. It churns out great details about Hinduism yet it does make you feel a depreciated Hindu. The author talks about large scale conversion of Hindus, at the hands of Muslims and even Christians but at the same time is short of saying that both Muslims and Christians are fanatics in that manner.

    Although, he goes after Hindutva with a gun yet he doesn’t give any plausible explanation as to why Hindutva flourished in the last 25-30 years. Was it a pent up emotional need of the Hindus or the failure of Congress party that ruled for so many years. All he does is to blame the Sangh and the BJP. The author having criticised the BJP and the Sangh so vehemently, should have suggested a socio-religious-cultural alternative to BJP which he hasn’t. Muslims have their mosque and Christians their Church but where do Hindus go barring their defining book Gita. And is BJP a reaction to 70 years of Congress rule is the question the author needs to answer to complete the book? BJP has come up through a democratic process. It started with just two seats in the parliament and now occupies almost a full house. If all was going so well for the Hindus in India why did Hindutva gain so much ground. For which there is no elaborate answer from the author barring the cliché of the divisive policy of the RSS and BJP.

    Book is a little too much to digest in one go for an average reader. It’s outright verbose—Shashi Tharoor style. And yes read it with a pinch of salt. The book leans towards Congress. In which he has mixed society, religion and politics. It has excellent flow and detailing. Author admits his erudite team has also helped him in this narration. A large part of the book is all about RSS and BJP bashing. Though India is projected well in the eyes of the world, which, Shashi always does. The first half and even all along, the book is all about the uniqueness of Hindu religion. It covers the Sikh riots in just about half a paragraph just because Congress was to blame for it. Whereas, he criticizes forcefully the doctrine of Hindutva. And mildly conveys about the invaders who came and plundered India from time to time. He sings the same old tune of secularism. He compares India with Pakistan. In Pakistan all non-Muslims have it written on their passports as non-Muslims, signifying they are second rate citizens.

    The book doesn’t reveal the dynamics of an evolving society. One will agree, Hindutva was not in the agenda of things when India got independence. But obviously, there have been factors that propagated the concept of Hindutva later on. Intermittently Shashi criticizes the caste system propagated by the Britishers and subsequently upheld by the Congress party.

    Author doesn’t accept Hindutva as a reaction to Muslim radicalisation. And even fails to say that if Muslim radicalisation continues there is a likelihood of Christian radicalisation too, maybe not in India but in various Christian majority states of the world.

    The book is excellent in terms of detailing and of course the content, language and the flow.

    But surprisingly, it nowhere deciphers between the temperaments of Hindus settled in south and the ones in the north who mostly took the wrath of these Muslim invaders.

    Towards the final chapters the author takes you through some iconic inventions in the realm of Hinduism and Science, especially the inventions of numerals in terms of Shunya or zero. At one point he also tries to justify the invaders and that includes the Mughals starting from Babar. He compares them with the Britishers only to say that Britishers took the loot to their own country whereas, the Muslim invaders spent it here in India. Then he goes on to talk about holy cows, changing the name of Aurangzeb road and even the independence movement.

    Overall it’s an excellent read if you don’t mind the politics that the book generates. I would give the book eight out of ten for the content, detailing, information, language flow and of course Shashi’s guts in being one-sided and the frankness.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

INTERESTING FACTS & QUOTES–17

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Shoot the breeze—to have a casual conversation or to spend time talking about things that are not important.

Cut the cackle and come to the horses—to get down to business. Leave out the non-essentials and come to the part that matters. Agatha Christie was quite fond of this idiom and she has used it in some of her novels.

Not turn a hair—to remain unmoved or unaffected.

Shakespeare—arguably is the greatest wordsmith in the history of English language. Americans loved the Bard because they saw in him a pioneer: an inventive wordsmith who coined new words and expressions—some 1700 by one estimate.

Running the Parliament costs Rs 2.5 lakhs per minute or Rs 2 crore a day. MPs get Rs 2000 per day to attend Parliament. But does the country get the real worth out of the Parliament is the big question.

China has increased its investments enormously in the US in the last decade, employing 1,00,000 US workers compared to 10,000 in 2006.

Wang Jianlin is China’s richest man and the largest Chinese investor in the US.

A joint secretary in the Government of India is the administrative head of a department and has critical influence on its efficacy.

IPL ranks in the world’s top five sporting leagues.

A recent study by UNICEF on the economic impact of sanitation has estimated that in an open defecation free village, each family saves over Rs 50,000 per annum on account of avoided medical costs.

The ministry of law and justice has admitted that as of July last year, 24 high courts were functioning with only 615 out of the total sanctioned strength of 1079 judges. Where, center and state governments account for nearly 70% of cases in courts.

According to RBI data, total debit cards in India went up from 623.67 million (about 62 crore) in November 2015 to 867.35 million (about 87 crore) in September 2016 (a 39% jump, even if many people have multiple cards). Similarly, payments through pre-paid instruments like m-wallet or PPI cards went up from 62.66 million (more than 6 crore) in November 2015 to 97.07 million (that is more than 9 crores) in September 2016 (a jump of 54.9%).

There are 250-300 million or say 25-30 crore Indians with a smart phone.

The stark fact is that in a country of 1.2 billion people, we currently have only 2.50 lakh ATM machines.

I am told there is a magnificent archaeological site in western Africa—the vast ruins of Djenne in Mali. Apparently, this was a city of over 1,00,000 people one thousand years ago—a world class metropolis in the first millennium. A visitor to the site observed: “Its art was stunning. Its architecture reflected a complex society … what struck me the most, however, was the fact that it had been completely ignored by western archaeologists for decades, because they found no evidence of military constructions! The Djenne civilisation did not find its strength through military conquest or intimidation of its people, but through cooperation. It was a great city built not on fear, but friendship.

Stubble burning: Labour has become expensive, therefore mechanical harvesting is done for big fields. But the machine for harvesting leaves 25% of the stem during the harvest. This again, has to be cut, by another machine. So, burning the crop residue is easier and that is called stubble burning. There is an imposition of a maximum fine of Rs 15,000 for stubble burning for farmers.

India occupies 2.4% of the world’s land area and supports over 17.5% of the world’s population. India has more arable land area than any other country except for the United States, and more water area than any other country except Canada and the United States. Indian life therefore revolves mostly around agriculture and allied activities in small villages, where the overwhelming majority of the population live.

As per the 2001 census, 72.2% of the Indian population lives in about 638,000 villages and the remaining 27.8% lives in more than 5,100 towns and over 380 urban agglomerations.

In 1901 the world population was 1.6 billion. By 1960, it became 3 billion, and by 1987, 5 billion and in 1999, 6 billion. Currently, one billion people are added every 12 – 13 years.

When we see the population growth in India we find the population of the country was 27.13 crore in the year 1900, from where it decreased to 26.31 crore in 1925 which sounds impossible and then from there it increased to 35.04 crore in 1950 and 36.23 crore in 1951. From here onwards the population growth took exponential proportions of growth to 43.88 crore in 1961, 54.79 crore in 1971, 68.52 crore in 1981, 84.39 crore in 1991, and 102.70 crore in 2001.

With over 1 billion people, India is currently the World’s second largest populated Country. India crossed one billion mark in the year 2000 that is one year after the World’s population crossed the six billion threshold. It is expected that India’s population will surpass the population of China by 2030 when it would have more than 153 crore of population while China would be number two with a population of 146 crore.

Since 1947, the population of India has more than tripled which has resulted in increasingly impoverished and sub-standard conditions in the growing segments of the Indian population.  In 2007, India ranked 126th on the United Nation’s Human Development Index, which takes into account social, health, and educational conditions in a country.

Britian is already the largest investor in India among the G20 countries and India invests more in the UK than in any other country.

Gotra—is the male bloodline that links Hindus with a range of ancient sages.

The value of rupee has changed from Rs 17.50 per dollar in 1990 to Rs 74 per dollar today.

Interesting quotes and lines:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do”—Steve Jobs.

Alexander the great might just be right. “I’m not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I’m afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”

“Virtue has a veil, vice a mask”—Victor Hugo.

“To error is human; to forgive divine”—Alexander Pope, English poet.

  “The first   requisite of civilisation is that of justice”—Sigmund Freud.

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems”—Greek philosopher, Epictetus.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

SHORT STORY: MAHAVIRA AND HIS TEACHINGS OF AHIMSA

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    Mahavir Jayanti is one of the most significant festivals of Jainism. It is observed to commemorate the birth of Mahavira, the 24th and the last Jain tirthankara. A tirthankara is an enlightened soul, who is born as a human being and attains perfection through intense meditation.

    Many incidents and stories reveal the character of Mahavira. Mahavira, once said that, “Anger causes degradation of soul.” A popular story talks about Mahavira and Chandkaushik (a poisonous cobra). Once on his way to village Vachala, where lived Chandkaushik, Mahavira heard that the people of the village near the forest lived in absolute terror. Mahavira stopped in the forest where Chandkaushik lived, and started meditating. Feelings of peace, tranquillity and concern for the well-being of every living being flowed in Mahavira’s heart. On the other hand, Chandkaushik, on encountering Mahavira, hissed in anger, but saw no sign of fear in him and this made him more angry and he blew poisonous venom at Mahavira three times, but still the tirthankara was in absolute meditation posture. Now Chandkaushik was really mad and concentrated on all his power and bit Mahavira’s toe. He saw white milk flow out of his toe. This was when Mahavira opened his eyes but was so calm and compassionate. He looked at Chandkaushik and said, ‘Hey Chand, shant ho ja, shant ho ja’ and requested the cobra to overcome his anger and bitterness and instead, forgive and remain peaceful. Chandkaushik acceded and became calm, and peacefully retreated back to his hole.

    Moral of the story: Peace and harmony in society come from the feeling of love and equality of all living beings. This is the concept of Mahavira’s non-violence.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

SHORT STORY: THE FARMER AND THE WELL

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    Once a farmer who was looking for a source of water for his farm bought a well from his neighbour. The neighbour was a cunning person. He refused to let the farmer take the water from the well. On asking why, he replied, “I sold the well to you, and not the water.” After saying this he walked away. The distraught farmer didn’t know what to do. So he went to Birbal, a clever man and one of the nine courtiers of Emperor Akbar, for a solution.

    The emperor called both the farmer and his neighbour and asked why the man was not letting the farmer draw water from the well. The cunning man said the same thing again, “Your majesty I sold the well, and not the water. So he cannot take my water.” To this, Birbal replied, “All that sounds fine to me. But if you have not sold the water and the water is yours, then you have no business keeping your water in his well. So remove the water or use it up immediately. If not the water will belong to the owner of the well or you may have to pay rent for keeping your water in his well.”

    The neighbour realising that he’s been tricked and even taught a lesson, immediately apologized and left.

    So the Moral of the story is: Cheating will never get you anywhere. If you cheat, you’ll pay for it soon.  And in Hindi as they say … ser ko sawa ser jaroor milta hai. Birbal was the sawa ser to the cunning neighbour.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

  

SHORT STORY: BEWARE OF TOO MANY CHOICES

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    Once a jackal and a cat met in the middle of a forest. The jackal asked the cat how he would get away from a tiger. The cat said: ‘I know only one way and that is to climb the tree as fast as possible.’  Then the cat asked the jackal what would you do in case you come across a tiger? The jackal replied: ‘Brother,  I know 101 ways of getting away. For example, I can go into the bush. I can climb up the rocks and can even hide behind the tree, or can even go into a hole.’

    Just then all of a sudden a tiger appeared. The cat immediately climbed the tree while the jackal pondered—which solution should he adopt? In the meanwhile the tiger pounced on the jackal and killed it.

    Moral of the story: Too many choices at times create conflicts and problems, and leads to unhappiness. In fact too many choices can paralyse anyone.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHORT STORY: ASPIRATIONS OF A ROCKSTAR

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    This story is from the US. In the year 1983 a talented young guitarist was kicked out of his band in the most unceremonious manner. The band had just been signed up for a remarkable deal. They were about to record their first album. But only a couple of days before the recording. The band showed the guitarist the door. In other words he was asked to leave. There was no warning, no discussion, and no melodrama. They literally woke him up one day, and handed him, a bus ticket home.

    While on the bus, back to Los Angeles from New York, the guitarist kept asking himself. What was his fault? How did all of this happen? What was his mistake? Did he rub someone the wrong way? Such stupendous contracts, didn’t just, fall out of the sky, especially for the raucous, upstart metal bands. And had he missed his chance of a lifetime?

    But by the time the bus rolled into Los Angeles, the guitarist had got over his self-pity. He vowed to start a new band. He decided that his new band would be so very successful, that his old band would forever regret their decision of firing him. He would become so very famous that they would be subjected to years of seeing his face on TV, hearing him on the radio, and seeing his posters on the streets, and his pictures in magazines. While they’d be flipping burgers in some dingy eatery, loading vans, from their shitty club gigs, obese and drunk with their ugly wives, while he’d be rocking out in front of the stadium crowds, live on television. And as a sadist he would bathe in the tears of his betrayers, and each tear would be wiped dry by a crisp clean hundred dollar bill.

    Thereon, the guitarist worked as if possessed by some musical demon. He spent months recruiting the best musicians he could find—far better than his previous band mates. He wrote dozens of songs and practiced meticulously. His seething anger fuelled his ambition. Revenge became his muse. Within a couple of years his new band had signed a record deal of their own, and a year later their first album was going gold. In other words it had achieved a sales level meriting a gold disc.

    The guitarist’s name was Dave Mustaine and the band he formed was the legendary heavy-metal band Megadeth. Megadeth went on to sell over 25 million albums and went around the world many times. Today, Mustaine is considered one of the most brilliant and influential musicians, in the history of heavy-metal music.

   But unfortunately. The band that he was kicked out of, was Metallica, which has sold over 180 million albums worldwide. Metallica is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock bands of all times.

    And because of this, in an exclusive and intimate interview in 2003, a tearful Mustaine admitted, that he couldn’t help but still consider himself, a failure despite all that he had accomplished in his mind. For he would always be the guy who got kicked out of Metallica.

    Dave Mustaine knowingly or unknowingly chose to measure himself by the inconsequential fact whether he was more successful and popular than Metallica. The experience of getting thrown out of his former band Metallica, was so painful for him. That he considered his success relative to Metallica and as the metric by which to measure himself and his music career.

    Despite churning that horrible event of his life into something positive, when Mustaine created Megadeth, his choice to hold on to Metallica’s success, as his life-defining metric continued to hurt him even decades later. Despite all the money, and the fans and the accolades, he still considered himself a failure.

    Now you and I may wonder at Dave Mustaine’s situation. This is because you and I have different values than Mustaine has. Because we measure ourselves with a different metrics. Whereas, Mustaine’s yardstick of being better than Metallica helped him launch an incredibly successful music career. But the same yardstick later on tortured him, in spite of his success.

    Moral of the story: Be content with what you have in life, and stop comparing yourself with others, especially, your peers.

Synopsis by Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

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BOOK CORNER: THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK–a counterintuitive approach to living a good life by Mark Manson

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Khidki (Window)

–Read India Initiative—

This is only an attempt to create interest in reading. We may not get the time to read all the books in our lifetime. But such reviews, talk and synopsis will at least convey what the book is all about.

 

    ‘Fuck’ is a scandalous and a vulgar cuss word not meant for the civilized society. But then it has a lot to do with the making and breaking of life. Before, I move ahead let me refresh you with the meaning of this word. One of course is the usual one—to have a sexual intercourse. And running alongside that, it is also used, while expressing, extreme anger, or to add force, to what is being said. Some words get ostracised because of its dirty meaning. According to Oxford dictionary, fuck also means ‘your ruins.’ Let me now construct, two sentences for you, using the four letter word. One is.

  1. I don’t give a fuck—which means I don’t care.
  2. I give a fuck—which means I care.

    I am telling you all of this, to make you understand the book even better. The book has a long title supported by an even longer sub-title that goes as, “THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK—a counter-intuitive approach to living a good life.” by Mark Manson. Counterintuitive means, contrary to intuition, or a kind of common-sense expectation. I would call this book a wonder book, because the author converts the four letter word ‘fuck’ into a handy an appropriate life lesson for readers. New York Times and Globe and mail a Canadian chronicle have declared it, as a bestseller. The other word extensively used in this book is sucks which is an expression of disappointment. The book is priced at $17.99, published in 2016 by Harperone.   The book lives up to its title in all boisterousness. Mark Manson is a star blogger, with more than two million readers. He lives in New York City. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, is his, first book.

     For this day and age the book is a self-help guide, written by a super-star blogger. It charts the course for us, to make us happier and stronger. The real panacea of which is how to handle adversity better, and stop trying to be positive all the time. Of course the gap between the two is quite wide.

    For the past few years, Mark Manson through his ecstatically popular blog, has been working on correcting, our delusional expectations, for ourselves and for the world. He now brings his hard fought wisdom to this ground breaking book. Manson makes the argument that human beings by nature are imperfects and even limited. As he writes, ‘not everybody can be extraordinary—there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know your limitations and accept them as they are. This he says, is the real source of empowerment. Once we embrace our fears, faults and uncertainties. Once we stop running from and avoiding, and start confronting, painful truths—we will begin to find the courage and confidence we desperately need.

    In life, we all have a limited amount of fucks to give. So, you must choose your fucks wisely. Manson brings a much needed, grab-you-by-the-shoulders-an-look-you-in-the-eyes moment, of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories, and profane, ruthless humor. This narration is a refreshing pat on the face of all, so that we can start living a more contented and grounded life.

     The book is a little over two hundred pages and if one goes at an uninterrupted pace, one could finish it within two days. It is in many ways a page turner written in lucid English quite easy to comprehend. It has long gripping sentences with appropriate pauses in terms of sentence breaks and well suited prepositions. The author has curtailed unnecessary flab in his narration. Within a para, the breaks are few and that gives a good flow of thoughts so very necessary for such life-lesson emitting books. Many sentences are somewhat unconventional, and more than that the thoughts are quite out-of-the-box. It is divided into nine chapters with sub-chapters. The book hinges on two prime words—‘fuck’ and ‘sucks.’

    Everyone believes. The key to a good life is a nice job, a sexy limousine, or a pretty girlfriend. The world keeps telling you over-and-over again, that the matrix for a successful life is to have more … more … and … more. Buy more, own more. You are constantly bombarded with messages to give a fuck about everything, and at all times. But the key to a good life is not giving a fuck about more; but giving a fuck about less, or giving a fuck about only what is true and immediate and important. I’m sorry for having used the four letter word so very often in this narration. But without which you wouldn’t have got the real feel of the book.

    The book has many interesting stories and anecdotes that I would not like to disclose in great detail. But yes of course. I liked the one about the Japanese second lieutenant and the Rock Star band. The book teaches that life is essentially an endless series of problems. Problems never stop they only get exchanged or upgraded. Happiness is a constant work-in-progress. It teaches you the value of suffering. Human beings often dedicate a large part of their lives to seemingly useless and destructive causes.

    It says happiness is a problem yet happiness comes by solving problems. And mind you, you are not special. The book defines certain values as shitty and even obsolete. It says a lot of time in our life is wasted in choosing. And of course failure is the way forward. It talks about action, inspiration and even motivation. Most of us commit to action only if we feel a certain level of motivation. And we feel motivated only when we find enough emotional inspiration.

    The book inspires you to believe that you’re wrong about everything. The author cites examples in terms of cartographers who some five hundred years ago believed that California was an island. Doctors believed that by slicing a person’s arm open (or by causing bleeding anywhere) one could cure a disease. Scientists believed that fire was made out of something called phlogiston (a combustible substance). Women believed that rubbing dog urine on their face had anti-aging benefits. Astronomers believed that the sun revolved around the earth. But then were they right?

    I would recommend this book. If not for anything else, at least it will advise you how to be comfortable in negative situations. While reading this book I was even reminded of my own poem that I wrote sometime back. The title of which is … ‘Bad times is a friend of all times’ published in a book titled, ‘Rhythm … in poems.’ I would give this debut book of Mark Manson eight out of ten.

   Synopsis by Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

 

THREE CORPORATE LESSONS

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Lesson no 1

    A crow was sitting on a tree doing nothing all day. A small rabbit who was passing by asked the crow, ‘can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?

    The crow answered: ‘Sure why not, come along. So the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow and rested all day. But in the evening all of a sudden a fox appeared from nowhere and pounced on the cat and ate him up.

    MORAL OF THE STORY: to be sitting and doing nothing like a crow you must be sitting, very high up, on the ladder or position.

    Lesson no 2

    A turkey was chatting with a bull. ‘I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,’ sighed the turkey, ‘but I haven’t got the energy to do so.’ ‘Well then, why don’t you nibble some of my droppings? Replied the bull. And added ‘They are packed with nutrients.’ The idea appealed to the turkey. He pecked at the lump of dung and discovered. That the bull was in fact right, as it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree. The next day after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally, after a fortnight, there he was, proudly perched at the top of the tree. But soon he was spotted by a farmer who promptly shot the turkey and had a feast.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Bullshit might get you to the top. But it won’t keep you there.

Lesson no 3

    A little bird was flying south to escape the winter. It was so very cold that the bird froze and fell on the ground in a large field. And while it was lying on the ground there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realise how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out. He lay there all warm and soon began to sing out of joy. Just then a passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate, following the sound. The cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung and promptly dug him out and ate him up.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend. And when you are in deep shit keep your mouth shut.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

Significance of Maha Shivratri

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Shivratri as we all know is linked to Lord God Shiva. Shiva has a unique place in Hindu religion. Being incorporeal, or you could say intangible. Shiva alone, is usually not represented by a deity, instead is projected by a lingam. The names of ‘Shiva Temples’ in India bear the suffix of, ‘nath’ or ‘ishwar’ only to indicate that he is the teacher of all beings. One of the many names of Shiva is Sarveshwar, meaning lord of all. Images of Shiva often show him meditating in front of a Shivalingam.

     Hindu mythology talks of Krishna and Rama as avatars. They were born and they died. They are said to have worshipped Shiva. Other Gods also take physical birth, but Shiva neither takes birth, nor, he dies.

    Shiva incarnates himself in a human body. An occurrence that is celebrated during Shivratri. Shiva’s incarnation is associated with ‘ratri’ or night because he manifests in this world when it is enveloped in darkness of ignorance and evil. Omniscient Shiva dispels the darkness by giving humans the light of knowledge. The three parallel lines on the Shivaling are symbolic of Shiva’s knowledge of three aspects of time. The eye in the middle of the lines indicate the eye of wisdom that he gives to human souls.

    The Mahabharata refers to the regenerative role of Shiva, saying that when the world had plunged into darkness, and vicious proliferation. ‘An egg-like form of light descended and established a new order.’ In the ‘Dharma Sam-hita’ which is part of Shiva Purana, it is said that at the end of Kaliyug, during the time of destruction, a magnificent light revealed itself that was piercingly luminous, radiant and eternal. The world was created through this light.

    Shivratri is the commemoration of the arrival of divinity in this world to salvage humanity. In the Bhagwad Gita Krishna says that whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness arises, he manifests for the protection of the good, and destruction of the wicked, and re-establishment of a holy order.

    According to a few God realized Yogis, Maha Shivaratri was the day when Shiva drank poisonous negativity to protect the world. The Maha Shivaratri is mentioned in several Puranas, particularly the Skanda Purana, Linga Purana and Padma Purana. These medieval era Shaiva texts present different mythologies associated with this festival, but all mention fasting and reverence for icons of Shiva such as the Lingam.

    Different legends describe the significance of Maha Shivaratri. According to one legend in Shaivism tradition, this is the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction.  The chanting of hymns, the reading of Shiva scriptures and the chorus of devotees, joins this cosmic dance and remembers Shiva’s presence, everywhere. According to another legend, this is the night when Shiva and Parvati got married. 

    A different legend states that the offering to Shiva icons such as the linga is an annual occasion to get over past sins if any, and to restart on a virtuous path and thereby reach Mount Kailash and liberation.

    The Gita insinuates at this role of Shiva when Krishna says: “I am the ‘mahakal’ (The God of Death). Death can never approach me.” Such an assertion can be made only by Shiva, the Supreme Parmatma. A soul that never takes birth, is Mrityunjaya, immortal.

    There is no room for confusion about the roles of Shiva and Krishna, because there is but one God, though deities may be many. The Supreme of all souls, across different faith traditions, is understood as being incorporeal and omnipotent. The Ocean of Peace, the Saviour, and the Almighty, is forever beyond the limitations of a physical existence.

    He performs his tasks by giving power to his spiritual children. These Gods and Goddesses, are the slayers or the killers of demons who are also embodiments of purity, love and wisdom. They are not supernatural beings, but humans with divine quality. They foster these qualities in their fellow humans, nurturing a new, elevated consciousness, and thus serve as divine instruments. In the task of creating a righteous world order.

    This is the secret of Maha Shivratri, which will be observed today, the night of the Supreme, comes to liberate his children from suffering and sorrow, as promised in the Gita.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

SHORT STORY: Lata Bhagvan Kare … the marathon runner

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    This is a real life story of a sixty-five year old lady, Lata Bhagvan Kare, a resident of a small village in Buldhama district, in Maharashra. She was leading a simple life with her husband. They both worked as farm labour and barely made enough to make ends meet. They had a small house near the farmland where they used to live.

    The small savings that they had accumulated all throughout their lives was spent on getting their three daughters married off. Apart from their daughters they also had a son. After the daughters were settled their responsibilities were practically over. They enjoyed the simple pleasures of life and of course each other’s company. They were inseparable and understood each other comprehensively. Their relationship was a proof of the principle that you did not need luxury to be happy.

    One day after returning from the farm, her husband told her that he was not feeling well. First she tried all sorts of herbal medicines to help him, but he wouldn’t get better. The local government hospital, diagnosed him of some serious infection. They recommended he be taken to a bigger hospital that had better facilities for further tests. This bewildered Lata. They barely had enough money for the fare to reach the hospital, let alone the expensive tests prescribed by the doctors. With tearful eyes, she told her husband the news and felt helpless. But then how could she let her husband die without treatment.

    She dropped her ego and pulled together all her courage to beg her neighbours and relatives for donations to go to a bigger hospital in order to save her husband’s life. With the donations she had received they finally got to bigger hospital. This was not the sort of place that they were used to, being in. They felt very uncomfortable and out of place. Nevertheless, Lata gathered courage, to ask for a doctor. The official at the reception desk collected an initial fee. With that they had exhausted almost a major chunk of money that Lata was carrying. They were asked to wait outside the doctor’s cabin until they were called.

    When their turn came, her husband was called in. after examination, the doctor handed her a list for further tests, some medicines and the recommendation for hospitalization. With these developments Lata went into a tizzy. She had no money and nowhere to go. How do I save my husband she thought? With tears flowing down her cheeks, she and her husband slowly walked out of the hospital.

    She couldn’t have afforded the expensive hospital canteen, so they stopped by a samosa stall at the bus stand. They bought two samosas for the journey back to their village. Lata thought this could perhaps be her husband’s last meal. The samosa-wallah wrapped the samosa and handed it to her with a smile. As she ate her samosa and chutney from the newspaper wrapper, she saw the headline: ‘Baramati Marathon: Attractive Prize Money.’ Her heart missed a beat. The next moment she was preparing to run the race.

    The next day as everyone lined up at the start of the race, in their running gear, Lata Kare stood there, in her red-checked Maharashtrian-style sari. Barefoot, with tears in her eyes. She argued with the organisers, to allow her to run in the marathon, but they refused. She was sixty five. In trying to save her husband, they did not want her to die. After about an hour of begging and pleading, they finally agreed to let her run, and pinned a number on her clothes. As she began running, people turned to look at her and laughed.

    It was a sight for sore eyes. Teenagers and young adults who had been practicing for months, for this race, lined up, next to an old lady who had hitched her sari above her ankles. She had never run a race in her life, what to say of a marathon. Little did her competitors know that they were about to get schooled by someone who was old enough to be their grandmother. Lata could not think of anything else, but for the love she had for her husband. This race was a matter of life and death for her. What were a few pebbles and rocks to stop her progress?

    Lata, finally ran and ran like the wind with just one focus—the finish line. Her feet began to bleed, her sari became soaked in sweat, but she kept running and running. It would have been an achievement had she even finished the race. But she had aimed much higher. The people who witnessed this spectacle cheered her all along the way. They were touched by her reason for running.

    It would be a pointless story if she did not win. For there was no award for mere participation, yet she had done it! The organizers of the race could not believe that Lata Kare a sixty-five-year-old Maharashtrian woman from a small village, had won the race. The crowds on the streets of Baramati clapped for her and celebrated her victory. She was now the local hero, but she did not care for the attention.

    She collected her winnings, marched into the hospital and got her husband the best treatment. At the same time she even got a few bandages done on her feet. She had achieved her mission and that was to save her husband. As they say, the most powerful force in the world is love. Lata went on to win for the next two years consecutively.

Moral of the story: If you have determination and confidence nothing is impossible.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

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