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BOOK CORNER: THE DEOLI WALLAHS: The True Story of the 1962 Chinese-Indian Internment … Joy Ma … Dilip D’Souza

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    ‘THE DEOLI WALLAHS—The True Story of the 1962 Chinese—Indian Internment’ by Joy Ma & Dilip D’Souza.

    The subject title was first published in 2020 by Pan Macmillan. A citation at the bottom of the cover page of the book by Pratap Bhanu Mehta an Indian Political Scientist says, ‘Humanly compelling, beautifully told … brings to light a forgotten chapter of Indian history, one we need to remember in these troubled times.’

    The title is an untold account of the internment of some 3,000 Chinese—Indians just after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The narration commences with a long ‘Preface’ followed by the ‘Origins’ chapter which explains where these Chinese-Indians came from. It describes the Chinese debut in India in Achipur and Calcutta, to begin with, and later their migration to other parts of the country which slowly expanded for nearly 200 years after Atchew’s arrival—The first ancestor of the Chinese in India.  

    The title is a mid-length narration of fewer than 200 pages divided into 17 chapters plus Notes and Annexures. In Chinese, they refer to Deoli Camp as chap chung yin (Hakka) or chi chung yin (Pinyin) which translates into a ‘gathered-together camp’ or a ‘concentration camp.’ The Deoli Camp was also used for incarcerating Indian political prisoners and for prisoners of war during World War II.

    Just after the Sino-Indian War of 1962, about 3,000 Chinese-Indians were sent to languish in a disused World War II prisoner of war camp in Deoli, Rajasthan, marking the beginning of a painful five-year-long internment without resolution. At the time of war with China, these ‘Chinese-looking’ people had fallen prey to government suspicion and paranoia which soon seeped into the public consciousness just because their features were Chinese. This is a page of Indian history that comes wrapped in prejudice and fear and is today largely forgotten. But over five decades on, survivors of the internment camp are finally starting to tell their stories. So, is there an apology due from the Government of India to them is a point in question raised in the book.

    The authors of the book record these untold stories through extensive interviews of survivors of the Deoli internment. Through these personal accounts, the authors not only discover a crucial chapter in our history but also document for the first time how the Chinese came to be in India, how they made this country their home and became a significant community, until the war of 1962 that brought on a terrible incarceration, displacement and tragedy to them. The narration is primarily structured around the Chinese-Indian community, who open their hearts and minds to the authors. The Chinese-Indians were considered spies during those times of the Indo-China conflict. I know it for sure because I lived in Shillong then, where my father was a minister in the Assam Cabinet. But then the government had little leeway in terms of thinking otherwise.

    And now my observation on the storytelling. The narration could have been even more forthright. The language is plain English in easy to read format. Since the narration has many personal accounts it gives you a feel as if much is happening in the book but the general plot moves slowly. I particularly found the chapter titled ‘A CONTESTED LINE’ to be very interesting and informative. It gives you a good open view of why the Chinese conflict took place at all. After the Indian-Chinese were released from Deoli Prison they had a long struggle rebuilding their lives. Some stayed back in India and some left for greener pastures abroad. Not many would know that even a ship had docked at the Madras port to take the internees from Deoli to China the ones who were willing to go. The book is a gratifying mix of the China conflict and Deoli’s internment camp in the 5th chapter titled ‘WAR.’ But was there any sense in adding this chapter to the narration because to me it diluted the central agonizing story of those interned at the Deoli camp? However, the chapter titled ‘War’ does raise the Indian flag when it describes the Rezang La Ridge, the scene of the fierce battle that is still remembered in India as the lone glorious chapter in the otherwise depressing story of the 1962 war. But yes, the continuity of the story is momentarily derailed by the chapter titled ‘WAR.’ The book has some illustrating pictures of the Deoli barracks too. The narration lacks the flourish of emotions considering what the families of the protagonists underwent. The authors could have definitely scripted the narrative to be more emotional taking into account the sentiments of the protagonists. The narration of the central plot is not a continuous happening in the book. It is in staccato-bursts because of the several personal accounts. The sequencing of the chapters could have been better. The historical facts are engrossing and interesting when you look back. I guess the chapters don’t sequence well because of certain heavyweight chapters in between the normal chapters that override the main plot of the book but then they are vital for the consummation of the ultimate story. The plot reveals that the Indian Government’s approach towards the ‘Chinese-Indian’ in those times was not soft due to their being treated as spies.

    The authors have compared the Deoli prison camp with the Manzanar prison camp in the US where American-Japanese prisoners were housed during World War II. The book makes a gentle request to the Government of India for a ‘Chinese-Indian memorial’ to mark their trauma. The narration compares the Chinese-Indian prisoners of India with the Japanese-American prisoners of the US which is asymmetric. It highlights that a majority of the Japanese internees remained in the US after their release and even got an official apology from the government of the US after forty-six years, whereas a majority of the Chinese internees left India to start a new life in other countries and never got an apology from the government of India. Towards the end, the narration expresses a flurry of holistic emotions.

    As a reader, I felt the narration should have been more along the central theme of the book than deviating from it off and on or the sequencing of the chapters could have been shuffled when the authors had a meaty story to tell. Of course, the book is more like a personal account of several families that were interned.

    Buried under the ‘Himalayan Blunder’ of 1962 – the humiliating India-China war – is also a tragic story of many Chinese-Indian that is not known to most of India and was quietly ignored by successive governments. Did one know that Deoli in Rajasthan had an internment camp during World War II? Starting in 1931 the British used to detain various leaders of the burgeoning Indian freedom struggle. Five hundred freedom fighters from Bengal to begin with and then, in the 1940s, Jayaprakash Narayan, S.A. Dange, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Jawaharlal Nehru, B.T. Ranadive, S.S. Batliwala, S.G. Patkar and many others were detained here. In the National Archives in New Delhi, there are petitions from the wives of some of these men, asking for a maintenance allowance during their husbands’ incarceration or for their travel expenses to meet their husbands to be reimbursed. The British not surprisingly, rejected them all.

     What I liked about the book was the initiative of the authors to have woven a book around the happenings of the Indo-China conflict which otherwise was unknown to Indians especially when it affected only a minuscule of Chinese-Indian population. The story sets you thinking.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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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 8 prestigious libraries of the US that includes Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada, Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida; India. Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).  

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; Available for reading in Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

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 the undying characteristics of Lucknow. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California).

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 way 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 on 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 on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

(The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was recently launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama).

Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers?, June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22; 27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK 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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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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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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INTERESTING FACTS … DID YOU KNOW-EPISODE 6

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A linguistic Survey of India reveals there are 780 mother tongues in India. Out of which, 480 are spoken by tribal or adivasis concentrated in the north-east and central-east of India.

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Arunachal Pradesh has a population of 14 million, which is just about 7% of UP. Yet in Arunachal Pradesh, people speak in 66 tongues—one of India’s least-populated states is linguistically the most diverse.

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With more than 210 tongues, India’s northeast is the world’s most linguistically diverse place.

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The length of an average sentence in English has been reducing. According to a study, it came down from an average of 63 words in the 16th century to 22 words by the 19th  century.  One current estimate for sentence length is 14.3 words, a number that will no doubt go down even further, given the direction that technology is taking language to. Earlier in 1896 for the democratic nomination for the president, the average length of a sentence was 104 words, whereas, today politicians speak in sentences that are less than 20 words long.

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Overseas Indians having foreign passport remit on an average $70 billion, annually to India, which is approximately 3% of India’s GDP. Given India’s large twin deficits in the fiscal and current accounts, these remittances continue to be a vital bridge to India’s economic stability. (TOI 24.1.19).

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Almost one-third of India’s coastline was lost to soil erosion between 1990 and 2016, according to the National Centre for Coastal Research (TOI 24.1.19).

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The giant statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel known as the Statue of Unity was built at an astronomical cost of Rs 2,900 crores (TOI article by Ronojoy Sen dated 3.11.19).

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Sardar Patel was instrumental in getting the 560 odd princely states in 1947 to join the Indian Union. (TOI article by Ronojoy Sen dated 3.11.19).

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It was well known secret that Nehru and Gandhi had tense moments. In December 1947, Nehru and Patel traded letters on the handling of Kashmir and both threatened to resign. With Gandhi playing the arbiter. (TOI article by Ronojoy Sen dated 3.11.19).

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As many as 3447 people died in India due to fireworks and crackers in the decade of 2005-2014. This was way higher than the figure of 1,429, that the deadly dengue killed during the same period. (Dipankar Gupta’s article (Why do Indians live dangerously?) TOI 3.11.18.

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About 28 motor cycle and scooter riders died daily on Indian roads in 2016 because of not wearing helmets (Dipankar Gupta’s article (Why do Indians live dangerously?) TOI 3.11.18

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In the past four years or so, a total of 23,013 people were killed while trespassing railway tracks, alighting from running trains or falling off them.

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Another study points out that as many as 452 workers lost their lives between 2013 and 2016, because normal precautions were not taken. The fact is not just the illiterate poor who take unnecessary risks. About 15 motorists die every day for not putting on their seat belts.

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The 2004 National policy for Urban Street Vendors states, India has about 10 million street vendors. The numbers would have surely gone up by then.—TOI article 23.1.19 Arbind Singh, the national coordinator of National Association of Street Vendors of India (Nasvi)

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India is home to the highest number of TB patients globally—TOI article dated 23.1.19

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A third of central government employees are due to retire in the next 10 years. On an aggregate basis, government is ‘short staffed’ going by the number of employees it can have. At the start of 2014, there were 33 lakh employees as against the sanctioned strength of 40.5 lakh, which translates into a shortage of around 18%. The maximum gap is in the revenue department where over 45% jobs are vacant.

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The pay panel of India has estimated that the US federal government has 668 employees for every one lakh citizens, compared to 139 in India.

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The average size of homes now being built in the US (average family size 2.4 people) has touched 2,600 sq ft, an all time high, and twice the size of most other developed countries. In contrast to that an Indian family with a household strength of 4.8 persons cramps itself in a 504 sq ft. Indian NSS computed that 32% of Indian urban homes are 258 sq ft or less, which translates to 60 sq ft per person—the minimum specified for a US prison cell.

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India’s per-capita emission is among the lowest in the world (155th in ranking) a tenth of that of the United States, and a 4th of that of China.

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White house is a mansion and office–cum-residence that has 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms.

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

*

Share it if you like it

*

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)

*****

 

 

 

NEHRU SNOOP ON FAMILY MEMBERS OF SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE. DID HE SURVIVE THE AIRCRASH?

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11New Doc 11_1

    Mystery deepens today on Subhash Chandra Bose. For who was Gumnami Baba? Read the full column till the end and the two newspaper clippings appended.

    Everything needn’t be proved. The world can as well live, with unproven stuff. For there is no scientific proof that God exists. Yet the majority on planet earth, believes in some form of God. Arising, purely out of faith. And ‘faith moves mountains’ as the saying goes. Post Subhash Chandra Bose’s air crash some believed he was dead, and some felt he was alive. In Lucknow there was a strong buzz, that Subhash Chandra Bose is alive and in solitary confinement near Ayodhya, and this how the story goes.

    ‘When I was young and in a school in Lucknow. There were rumours galore that an old ‘Baba’ stays near Ayodhya in a secluded ‘mutt’ and that he is Subhash Chandra Bose in hiding. And that many senior political leaders and government officials often come to see him but no civilian is allowed to meet him. So, then, who was he, if not Subhash Chandra Bose? This was a common hearsay in Lucknow, Faizabad and even Ayodhya around late sixties and early seventies. The veracity of this story can be traced back to some intelligence archives of the UP Government. But the moot question remained, why was Subhash Chandra Bose in hiding?

    And, to that we were told that Government of India had an unwritten understanding with the British, after independence. That ever in future. If Subhash Chandra Bose was found alive post the air crash on 18th August 1945. He would be handed over to the British Government for his secessionist acts. Where, the only punishment would be ‘capital punishment.’ But Government of India could not have handed over, its worthy son of the soil to the Britishers, even if clandestinely committed. So, when Subhash Chandra Bose was found alive, after the air crash he was kept under house arrest, and in hiding at a secret location in Ayodhya. And, later after some years there were rumours that the baba had died.

    Whether proven or unproven. There is no smoke without fire and such issues where the masses are not at rest keep simmering off and on.

    Read the article by M.J. Akbar on Nehru snooping titled. “Some Fire Smouldering Within Smoke.” Appended above.

    And below is another interesting article titled–“Mystery lives on: Did Netaji Subhas Bose really die in that plane crash.”

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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. 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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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

*

Share it if you like it

*

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. 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

(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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#OSHO INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION CROSSES LAXMAN REKHA BY DEMEANING INDIAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS-shouldn’t they apologise to the nation?

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#OSHO INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION CROSSES LAXMAN REKHA BY DEMEANING INDIAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS-shouldn’t they apologise to the nation?

index    We all know what Chandra Mohan Jain (11December 1931-19 January 1990) aka Acharya Rajneesh from 1960s onwards, aka Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during 1970s and 1980s, and aka Osho from 1989 stood for:

ss    As a professor of philosophy he drew enough polemics while he traveled throughout India during 1960s as a public speaker. And his outspokenness and out-of-turn criticism of politicians and the political mind space, that included Mahatma Gandhi and the institutionalized religion made him controversial of the irreparable sort. And the legacy goes on even after his death. But this time the Osho International Foundation has crossed the holy Laxman Rekha as this is what they wrote in #The speaking tree on February 7th 2015.

Quote

‘Why Politicians Create Chaos In The Country

Osho

    ‘Freedom came to India very suddenly, without any preparation. All the so called leaders were only efficient in creating a little bit of chaos here and there, and when freedom came they were absolutely at a loss as to what to do because all their efficiency was in creating chaos.

    So even though freedom did come, those leaders still know only one thing; how to create chaos. They go on doing the same. And those leaders know perfectly well that the only way to be in power is to go on creating chaos. The whole concern of those who are in power is to remain in power, and they can only remain in power if the country remains in chaos. So people go on fighting and they go on managing somehow, proving to the world that they are very much needed, otherwise the country will fall apart. And the interest of the people who are not in power is also in creating chaos because that is the only way to come back into power or to come into power.’

Unquote

osho_international_pune_20111015    While the column targets the Indian Politicians and rulers. The first paragraph cited above, targets even the freedom fighters of India. Perhaps, the author tried to continue moving in the shoes of Chandra Mohan Jain alias Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh alias Osho without realizing the battle for freedom had started way back in 1857 with the 1st mutiny, and so, to say “freedom came to India very suddenly, without any preparation. All the so-called leaders were only efficient in creating a little bit of chaos here and there, and when freedom came they were absolutely at a loss as to what to do because all their efficiency was in creating chaos” is completely wrong and ill willed.

ll    Secondly, freedom struggle and gaining of Independence was not the brain child of any single Politician. Rather, it was the aspiration of approximately 30-35 crore Indians that was ably driven by father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, together with Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel to name a few, and many more freedom fighters who even died for the cause of Independent India.

And, moreover the first breed of Politicians, were actually freedom-fighters who definitely did not want chaos for the nation; and took up to the role of Politicians only to steer India out of the woods and therefore to paint freedom fighters with same brush as Politicians is criminal.

Self-styled Gurus and foundations, who have hallucinated all their lives about love and sex, should be well advised not to touch upon certain hallow chords of the nation which are beyond them, and especially for a foundation that has a sobriquet of “sex guru.”

For make no mistake Freedom-Fighters are above any self-styled God-man; so please watch out.

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ARTICLE- MIND THE BRAND IMAGE OF YOUR SURNAME

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Oxford dictionary defines the word ‘surname’ as a ‘hereditary name common to all members of a family.’ And in India many families can have the same surname, provided it comes down their lineage and is acceptable to them. In other words surnames are just family, caste or even trade and trait names. But certain towering personalities take their surnames to unimaginable heights and some bring it down. But bringing it down is only okay till it doesn’t start affecting the generic surname in an adverse manner.

Let us start with the father of the nation’s surname- Gandhi. I would call it one of the tallest surnames of the world. Today, Gandhi is almost a synonym for non-violence, freedom struggle and nobility. Many Gandhis may have come and gone thereafter, but this one Gandhi, the father of the nation has stood the ground; thereby raising the brand image of this surname.

Today, some contemporary and tall Gandhis, appear in certain ways, to be in ethereal sync with the father of the nation’s surname, even if they are not up there. Just as Indra and Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India, Sonia Gandhi the Congress President and Chairperson of the UPA and Rahul Gandhi Vice President of the Congress Party. And, so the overall brand image of surname ‘Gandhi’ deceptively conveys, as if all Gandhis are a towering personality by default. And in some way or the other guiding India, and could even be dynastical. Surname ‘Nehru’ too had a strong brand image but never got the critical mass to surge ahead, I guess.

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It is typical of India, certain surnames always zoom you to certain professions, traits and banners. Just as the Khans, the three top stars of India; remind you of acting under the Bollywood banner- the famous trio of Shahrukh, Salman and Amir. But then one Khan could be known as a trouble maker that pulls down the brand image of other Khans. And, the Kapoors, who too remind you of the erstwhile number one family of Bollywood; Prithviraj and Raj Kapoor. And this is how certain brand images of certain surnames have been built.

And, then the Ambanis sounding generic to business; reminds you of Dhirubhai Ambani and his sons Mukesh and Anil now running the biggest business empire of the country. While we come to sports, Tendulkar, Gavaskar and Amarnath brothers connect you to cricket in the manner Amritraj brothers connected you to lawn tennis to name a few sportsmen.

And, I can’t move ahead unless I talk about one of India’s most famous surnames ‘Singh.’ It signifies the ruling class of India. Even the Sikhs as a community wear this famous surname. Many Rajas and erstwhile rulers have used this surname Singh and have given it a high brand image. Lord Rama too was from this clan. Some famous Singhs of India are Dr Karan Singh, Giani Zail Singh and Dr Manmohan Singh who unfortunately got reworded to Maunmohan Singh. But, then, where do we place the famous Yadav Singh involved in this huge scam in Noida.

Then you have one of the oldest and strongest surnames in the name and style of ‘Yadav.’ It originates from Lord Krishna, a Yaduvanshi and therefore considered holy. But then how does it battle the whining cry of criminals such as Pappu Yadav, Lalu Yadav and the more recent ones Shiv Kumar Yadav involved in rape crime. And the lackluster Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav who need to do much more in the stream of governance. Probably boxer Vikas Yadav and psephologist-cum-politician Yogendra Yadav bring some reprieve.

‘Modi’ was never a strong surname brand in India. But there again one towering personality like Narendra Modi has made the surname ‘Modi’ as an international brand now having being picked as number two out of thirty most performing of the world leaders.

WHAT IS #PLAGUING #CONGRESS? A #voter’s perspective

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‘It is just cyclic and a vote against anti-incumbency so no big time worry. For, we’ll get back when BJP’s bag is also filled with anti-incumbency.’ Perhaps, most Congressmen feel like this. But, I feel otherwise, as the general perception about Congress has changed and stands much negated now. And unless they come out with a complete makeover for PAN-INDIA voters, things won’t improve. Remember, from a ruling coalition they have now become a paltry opposition in the centre. And in states from the main opposition they have downgraded themselves to third and in some states even the fourth position, yet they have a tremendous appetite, to keep smiling. But even with all the smiles the climb-up will not be easy.

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And in a rare manner Sonia Gandhi too is losing steam in gradual and ageing progression. This gets more accentuated with her illness.

Reluctant crown prince Rahul Gandhi goes on and on huffing, puffing, meandering from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari like a whirlwind, but to no avail. His gesture of not grabbing the one time opportunity of becoming the Prime Minister when it came his way spills truckloads of beans.

Priyanka the last hope of Congress resurrection stands hand tied to her ‘baggage’ husband Robert Vadra soaked in unkempt land scams to filthy snobbery that people haven’t forgotten- ‘these mango people.’ Rest is sadly the reminiscent of the flummery by pygmies and opportunists; are reasons why Congress is, where it shouldn’t have been.

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So then what should Congress do? Close shop or retake charge. I think it should go for the latter- take charge. But who should take charge, the first family or the Party? I guess the first family without which there is no Congress, as most of these, so called loyalists are now seen with their ‘turncoats’ more pronounced as the ‘black coats’ in their respective courts, up to Supreme Court; as they came not to conquer but to make hay while the sun was not even shinning.

But this time while gathering the disheveled Congress, ensure all the transplants are well designed both aesthetically and technically. For make no mistake a mere makeover will only be a waste of time as your voters have moved to more receptive faces when they lost their own face in Congress. I have some suggestions for the Congress Party:

1. General perception of Congress: General-Public is a bunch of fools and can be fooled not once but several times. Change this mindset.

2. It is considered to be a Party that always tilts towards minority and especially towards the Muslim community and even schedule caste and tribe, only for the vote bank. Even if this is not true they should remove this perception.

3. Replace ornamental words like ‘SECULAR’ and ‘COMMUNAL FORCES’ with youth identifying words like DEVELOPMENT-JOBS-EMPLOYMENT-GROWTH-OPPORTUNITIES-GLOBAL.

4. Come out openly, heavily against all those corrupt Congressmen who cheated the nation and the list is long; but you can do this only if the top is clean. Even now it is not late. The voters won’t mistake you on the contrary will appreciate you.

5. Be a more accountable Party. If the 1st family of the Party cannot accept accountability; get someone else to the forefront. Maybe some new young face that can drive the party and understand the psychology of voters better. Old, hackneyed faces that have made their big bucks and their children who have forged a dynastic deal will only irritate the voters.

6. Let Congress be something more than the New Delhi’s Lutyens club. Get some new grassroots workers and flag them high as your new mascot.

7. Move from the mentality of ‘ruling’ to ‘serving.’ Shed arrogance.

8. The shameful manner in which some of your ministers handled Anna Hazare movement is still not forgotten. Ask them to apologise to the Public of India.

9. PM Dr Manmohan Singh says he had to take certain decisions under coalition dharma. Why couldn’t he observe the noble dharma –resign and go home then be surrounded by scams.

10. Incorrigible, weak, sheepish and play it by the year kind of a foreign policy with arrogant foreign ministers of no nerve and mettle. Replace such gentry.

11. Congress is unable to identify itself with 65% of the Indian Population that is below the age of 35 years. Build a new marketing strategy for this.

12. It believes in only providing subsidies to the downtrodden for their subsistence but has no programme for their rapid progress. The current generation doesn’t want subsistence; rather they want to see rampant progress for themselves.

13. Prime Minister and national leaders are supposed to be iconic personalities and role models but Congress’s recent Prime was never home on these yard sticks.
14. Don’t work, don’t perform, don’t take decisions, encourage corruption, keep hanging on to your chair, power, position, perks and conveniently blame coalition dharma. Hello!! This is Prime Minister of Congress Party, who could have done better.

15. Congress allowed a whole lot of infiltration of Bangladeshis just for vote bank politics. Indians in India don’t get jobs and you allowed Bangladeshis to grab many menial jobs.

16. It always believed and still believes in divide and rule. Something they had learnt from the Colonial rule. It won’t work now.
17. They now appear as pseudo-intellectuals, bereft of marketing prowess and aggression and not able to match the fire and fury of Narendra Modi and the present day BJP.
18. You need to have fire brand orators. Have many more faces in your bill boards and promote local and regional leaders.

Time is running out. So act fast, as by not acting the to-do list of survival will only get longer.