Nirvana now By Randeep Wadehra

Enlightenment: right here, right now! By Sirshree

Tej Gyan Foundation. Pages: 256. Price: Rs. 160/-

Literature on spiritualism enjoys a growing market. The reasons aren’t far to seek. Materialistic pursuits mercilessly test our conscience. One can’t survive without running the rat race, yet one desperately seeks solace for one’s soul. Traditional religious structures are fast becoming redundant as these are unable to rid themselves of outdated rituals and shibboleths. This leaves the field open for new age gurus to hawk their stuff promising instant nirvana. While going through this volume one couldn’t find anything that doesn’t sound spiritually sensible, but has rather hazy practical value; viz., this observation, “Words are like the stick of the candy. Just as the stick is thrown away after the candy is consumed, similarly, words should be cast off after the understanding is drawn from their true meaning.” But, if you’re taken up by the book’s title, do read it. It might be good for your soul. Enlightenment comes in variegated ways, after all.

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A book on Sikhism By Randeep Wadehra

The Sikhism by Jagjit Singh

B. Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh, Amritsar. Pages: xviii+262. Price: Rs. 300/-

A mix of Sikh theology, history and mythology, this volume touches various aspects of Sikh culture too. Divided into six parts, it contains details of such Sikh festivals and special days as Vaisakhi, Diwali, Holi, and various martyrdom days etc in the first part. The second part delineates the salient features of Sikhism while the third gives bio-sketches of prominent ladies from the “Guru Family”. Part four describes various martyrdoms like those of Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Sahibzadas and many others. Chapter five gives details of various gurdwaras located in different parts of India and abroad, even as chapter six explains terms from Sikh lexicon. Interestingly, this book describes all the nine succeeding Gurus as Nanak 2, Nanak 3 etc.

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Punjab De Munnabhai

PUNJABI ANTENNA

 By 

Randeep Wadehra

 

How different is real life from reel life actually? One loved the tapori character’s antics in the Hindi flick Munnabhai MBBS without even thinking of the consequences of such a ‘doctor’ treating patients in real life. After all the make-believe cannot get real, right? Wrong, if we go by the sensational exposé carried out by PTC News on 31^st August. Not one or two but twenty seven “Munnabhais” have been uncovered in one go by the Baba Farid University. Belonging to well-off families they wanted to acquire the coveted “Dr.” honorific for obvious reasons. So they hired brilliant scholars willing to become their proxies in the PMT. And so lucrative is this business that in a couple of years these professional imposters have already earned at least half a crore each, according to the investigating journalist Ritesh Lakhi. In the related interview on Guftagu with the University’s VC we learn that PMT exams related scams have become “a thousand crore rupee industry”. What next, the rise of Munnabhai Mafia a la D Company? Anchoring the expose titled Punjab De Munnabhai Davinder Pal Singh observes, “Just think of the havoc these twenty seven would’ve wrought if they had eventually become doctors!” Right, but what about those who might’ve escaped detection over the years? After all you can’t have diligent university staff and hawkeyed media everywhere. Nevertheless, let us appreciate the good work: Shabash Baba Farid University for your innovative steps against such malpractices and shabash PTC News for not only the expose but also for nudging the police machinery into prompt action!

Watching Khed atey Khidari on DD Punjabi can drive one to despair. On 30^th August the show featured sports medicine. It was clear that the anchor knew nothing about the subject. Wooden expressions, poorly formulated questions and sotto voce conversation tested one’s patience no end. Worse was Sur Sanjh where the female interviewer would leave her questions hanging in mid-air; poor Barkat Sidhu had to put up with such clichéd questions as tusi sangeet di prerna kithhon leyee? However, the interaction with Salim Iqbal on the sets of Mehfil was a riveting show with Iqbal’s virtuoso rendering of ghazals. The interviewer was able to elicit quite a few off-beat statements from the singer, viz., “koiyee kisi nu mosiqui sikawanda nahin… (Nobody teaches music to anyone…)”.

The art of conducting interviews requires diligent collection of relevant information, an analytical mind and insight into human nature, apart from tact and fluency. You find all these in the three episodes of Guftagu wherein Lakhi had interviewed three prominent Sikh leaders, viz., the Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh, ex-Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti and the incumbent SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar. The issues discussed were sensitive, viz., the Sacha Sauda controversy, the manner in which Vedanti’s resignation was obtained etc. Being a seasoned TV journalist Lakhi kept the talks interesting and decorous. It goes to the credit of the interviewees too; they used the opportunity to place their respective points of view in a cogent and dignified manner. Such interviews not only help in countering the stereotype but also strengthen democratic ethos in our polity.

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Dr. Radhakrishnan: A truant student, an ideal teacher! By Randeep Wadehra

"The truly great men are not the men of wealth, of possessions, not men who gain name and fame, but those who testify to the truth in them and refuse to compromise whatever the cost. They are determined to do what they consider to be right. We may punish their bodies, refuse them comforts, but we cannot buy their souls, we cannot break their spirits. Whoever possesses this invulnerability of spirit even to a little extent deserves our admiration."

— S. Radhakrishnan

HE was the second son of a poor Brahmin couple. Born in the temple town of Tirutani, his initial education was at the local primary board high school. Later on he joined the Hermansburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission School at Tirupati. Though a scholarship holder, he was wayward. His refractoriness once almost cost him an academic year when he was absent from the school on the day the forms for the lower secondary exams were to be filled. It was his headmaster who saved his career by filling the forms himself. Sounds like any other regular schoolboy? Well, you can say that. And yet you are way off the mark.

This was no ordinary lad. His dedication to the quest for knowledge propelled him to the topmost rung of modern philosophers. He also became the President of India and a much-respected figure in the international community of intellectuals. In fact, in the modern times he is that rare person who came close to Plato’s ideal of Philosopher-king. Radhakrishnan was cited as an example of what an ideal teacher ought to be, the Indian nation pays him annual homage by observing his birthday, the September, 5 as the Teachers’ Day.

Poverty remained a constant companion of Radhakrishnan even when he was married and earning scholarships. Things had come to such a pass that he had to borrow heavily and even face a lawsuit! However, his grit and innate faith in his own abilities helped him face the life’s vicissitudes with equanimity. His intellectual integrity saw him rise in the esteem of his peers, superiors and critics alike. When he passed his first arts examination in 1904 with distinctions in mathematics, psychology and history, he won a scholarship to study in the Christian College at Madras.

His poverty forced him to take up philosophy instead of his favourite physical sciences as subjects for theBA course. Despite being a reluctant pupil of the subject, Radhakrishnan managed to win the best student award in philosophy when he passed the BA course with first class honours.

In the age when only western philosophy was considered supreme, Radhakrishnan had the courage of his conviction to propound and expound the ancient Indian philosophy — as embodied in the Bhagvadagita and the Vedanta. This earned him scorn from the conservatives but appreciation from the progressives among his teachers and the British Press. One of his teachers, A.G. Hogg — whose disparaging remarks on "the ascetic and otherworldly tendencies" in the Bhagvadagita had provoked Radhakrishnan to write a thesis on the book — was happy to be his guide in writing the thesis!

Radhakrishnan’s writings had introduced new impulses into the national psyche — especially among the educated classes. Dignity and self-respect as well as independent thought were the virtues that he practised and preached. However, it was as an educationist that he had the maximum impact on the national thought processes. He felt that education, while covering a broad spectrum, should have depth. One may become learned and skilled, but if one does not have a definite aim in life, his life becomes blind, blundering and bitter. Therefore it is vital that education should give not merely learning and skill but endow one with a definite purpose in life.

The philosopher had clear idea of what a teacher’s role ought to be. To quote him, "No true commitment of knowledge can be achieved if the teachers do not play a progressive role. What the teachers do, students follow. So they set the example. The teachers are in charge of the pupils at an impressionable period of their lives. Young pupils, in primary schools and secondary schools, come to them to be moulded. Love of pupils is the first essential quality of successful teacher. More than intellectual efficiency, it is that attitude, that emotional attitude of true love for pupils."

He stressed the point that the teacher’s work is not limited to the classroom or the syllabus. A student’s personal problems must also receive the teacher’s fullest consideration. Radhakrishnan emphasised the role of character in a nation’s progress. According to him destiny is character. Only a teacher can help build a student’s character by installing healthy values in him, and lead him to a fruitful tryst with destiny. Elsewhere he avers, "If education is to help us to meet the moral challenge of the age and play its part in the life of the community, it should be liberating and life-giving. It must give a basic meaning to personality and existence and equip us with the power to overcome spiritual inertia and foster spiritual sensitivity."

In fact, Radhakrishnan considered education as "a second birth". The teacher gives the spark that enables students to develop a new outlook on life and become an entirely different, albeit improved, person from what he was earlier.

Whether it was the Presidency College at Madras, the college at Rajahmundry where he had a stint as teacher, the Maharaja’s College in Mysore, or the Calcutta University, Radhakrishnan was extremely popular among his students. They listened to his lectures with rapt attention. When he left Mysore for Calcutta, the students converted the occasion of his departure into a farewell function.

To quote from his son S. Gopal’s biography of the great man, "That scene has become a part of the history of Mysore city. The horses were detached from his carriage and students in harness pulled it to the station. There the platform was wreathed with flowers and the compartment packed with roses. Almost the whole university, faculty and students, turned up to see Radhakrishnan off. The traffic on all roads leading to the station was held up for hours and the crowd was such that other passengers found it extremely difficult to get through. As the train pulled out hours late, to resounding cheers, Radhakrishnan, like many others present, was moved to tears." Can there be a better example of teacher-student relationship? How many of today’s teachers can boast of similar command over their pupils’ esteem?

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Nepal-India-China: the emerging scenario

By 

Randeep Wadehra and Amar Nath Wadehra

The recent developments in Nepal have evoked mixed feelings in India. The replacement of 239 years old monarchy with a republic may not have attracted such attention in India and around the world if the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) had not emerged as the largest in the elections with 220 out of 601 Constituent Assembly seats. The smooth transition of former insurgents to the avatar of a democratic political party is remarkable indeed. This might come as a relief to India as it strikes at the very roots of the raison d'être of insurgency, especially of the Maoist variety that infests such states as Bihar, MP and AP among several others. ‘If governments can be changed through ballot-box where is the need for blood-letting?’ the extremists’ supporters among common folks could well be asking themselves.

But there are other issues between the two countries – political and economic – between the two countries that would need revisiting. In the run-up to the elections the CPN (M)’s strongman Prachanda and others generated quite a bit of anti-India sentiment, raising such demands as stopping the recruitment of Nepalese citizens in the Indian Army, banning of Indian movies, and questioning the open borders policy. There was also a talk of abrogation of the 1950 Treaty. However, these demands have a history. In July 1950, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship was ratified. It provided for, among other things, respect of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, granting by each country of rights equal to those of its own citizens to the nationals of the other residing in its territory. In another pact signed in October 1950, called the Treaty of Trade and Commerce, India recognized Nepal's right to import and export commodities through Indian territory and ports. Customs duty could not be levied on commodities in transit through India. But soon discordant voices began to rise. Time and again, Nepalese leaders called for the review of the treaty, demanding more concessions from the larger neighbour. Periodic disputes pertaining to work permits, citizens’ rights, taxes on goods-in-transit etc kept cropping up. Although, in the past about six decades, India has successfully dealt with the treaty without any major shift in foreign policy vis-à-vis Nepal, in the present transformed scenario it is obvious that the whole gamut of relationships, treaties and other aspects will have to be reviewed. For example, while Nepal would like to have unrestricted access to India’s ports to conduct foreign trade with other countries it would like to curtail India’s ‘trade privileges’ granted under earlier agreements. Similarly, it would like to buy military hardware from countries other than India. On the other hand, while India wouldn’t really have a problem with the re-negotiating of trade related pacts it is not happy with China’s growing influence in what India considers its backyard. Here it is pertinent to recall the two-year-long stand-off when Kathmandu signed a contract with Beijing for purchase of weapons.

This brings in the PRC factor. Tibet, which shares borders with Nepal, is the soft underbelly of People’s Republic of China. The recent developments there have brought the Dalai Lama under the Chinese scanner. Since the Dalai is headquartered in India there is a growing anxiety in Beijing vis-à-vis the possibility of Nepal becoming a conduit for infiltration into Tibet. China has always been wary of the growing ‘strategic relationship’ between India and the USA. This equation might direct resources in encouraging insurgency in Tibet via Nepal. Since the instant unraveling of the Soviet Union is still fresh in their memory, the Chinese wouldn’t like Tibet to be used as a catalyst-via-Nepal to destabilize it. This is one of the reasons why China is working overtime to strengthen its influence in the landlocked republic. Another is Beijing’s growing penchant to indulge in river-water intrigues. But that is another story. But, Nepal’s entry into the Chinese sphere of influence can not only exacerbate the problems in India’s northeastern states – where China has resumed meddling – but also open up states like Bihar and West Bengal to mischief by ultra-leftists. Therefore, Nepal’s strategic value to India cannot be gainsaid.

Since, for quite some time now, the PRC has been trying to broaden its bilateral ties with Nepal – along with periodic bids (some of these successful) at supplying weapons and other military hardware to Nepal, the northern neighbor has been busy building roads in western Nepal – it is time for India to wake up to emerging realities. To counter Beijing’s growing influence in the nascent republic India will have to accommodate Nepal’s economic and military aspirations (we do not want a repeat of Myanmar and Bangladesh in Nepal too, do we?). Apart from accommodating Nepal’s aspirations, the sharing of river-waters, power generation, trade, free trans-border movement of men and material and other such issues of mutual interest should be our top priority.

Let us not forget that apart from geographical proximity the indo-Nepalese ties are founded on the bedrock of linguistic and cultural affinity too.

Jeeona the Drummer By Randeep Wadehra

After saying his early morning prayers he folded the mat. This season it had been unusually cold, but the cane crop was rich. Jeeona knew what it meant. There would be great demand for his labour in the fields. ‘Nobody can work as much and as fast as Jeeona’ proclaimed the village farmers – mostly Jat Sikhs. They paid him well both in cash and kind.

“Jeeona!” it was Jaswant, “are you alive or has your Allah claimed you?”

“O Jaswant, why do you speak ill early in the morning, and that too in the Pir Baba’s presence? Why have you come?” Jeeona asked.

“Have you forgotten already? Today the sugarcane crop has to be harvested.”

The season of gur and shakkar was approaching, as was the time for homemade liquor. Jeeona and other labourers like Yusuf the weaver and Kalu the teli [oil extractor] would be taking time off from their traditional trades to help in the harvesting. These people would be able to meet only a part of the work force required for the job. People from other villages too would come and lend a helping hand. This had been the tradition in pre-partition Punjab.

The First World War had claimed a big chunk of the rural youth population. And the Second World War was now becoming increasingly vicious. Once again young men were being recruited in large numbers to go to distant lands to fight for the Crown.

Jeeona and other men, already past their middle age, were left behind to carry on the village chores under the watchful eyes of the elders. He put on a faded cotton kurta, tied his turban, slipped on the jutti (leather footwear) and, carrying a long bamboo stick, accompanied Jaswant to the fields. There, old women had brought pitcherfuls of buttermilk and loads of bread baked in tandoors. Clarified butter mixed with powdered sugar was the bonus.

All the men ate to their hearts’ content and then started the toil. The reaping continued for hours. When the mellow November sun was overhead they stopped work to rest a while. Buttermilk was served in big tumblers, along with maize-flour roti and mustard saag.

“Jeeona, have you received any letter from your son?” Yusuf asked.

“No.” Jeeona replied, wiping his buttermilk-drenched hairy lips.

“It has been a long time now. Where is he presently? Last time he was in Egypt fighting the Germans.” Kalu said.

“I received his last letter from that front. In it he mentioned that he was promoted to the rank of Naik. But after that he suddenly stopped writing.”

Jaswant, Ramesh and Ram Swaroop were sitting on a cot. Being from higher castes they alone had this privilege. Pulling on the hookah Ramesh said, “Do you know they have made my nephew Sagar a Subedar in the fauj?”

“Really? Where is he posted now?” Jaswant asked.

“In Burma.” Ramesh said, “He had written that in an action his platoon had wiped out a whole company of the Japanese.”

“Did he kill the men from Netaji’s fauj too?” Ram Swaroop, who prided himself in being politically knowledgeable, asked.

“I don’t know.” Ramesh replied uneasily.

“He better not. Gandhiji says that India will become free after the War. If India really becomes independent Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s men will personally execute traitors like your son who defend the foreign rulers against their own brothers.” Swaroop said ominously.

“Jeoona, your son was a great wrestler, the pride of our village. I remember you always would beat the drum rather enthusiastically whenever your son entered the arena.”

“True.” Kalu agreed, “But Jeeona himself was no mean wrestler during his youth. Remember in the Baisakhi fair he defeated all the wrestlers in the area? Even today he can work for twenty hours a day without tiring.”

“You’re exaggerating.” Jeeona objected with rather feigned modesty, “But those were really great days. Things were cheap and we didn’t have to stand in a line to get kerosene.”

“Nehruji says that in the Congress raj there will be no shortages.” Kalu said.

“Don’t get carried away by these big people’s uttering. They have a tendency to forget their promises.” Yusuf said sagely.

Yusuf, who also doubled as the village watchman, had not been given a raise in his wages despite the promise made by the village Sarpanch [headman]. For him there was no difference between a sarpanch and a politician.

“But Nehruji is different.” Kalu protested, “he is Gandhiji’s chela [disciple].”

“I hope my son returns before March.” Jeeona said wistfully.

Not surprised by this change of topic both Yusuf and Kalu looked at Jeeona.

“I know your son’s marriage is due in April.” Yusuf said.

“Then we will enjoy your artistry on the drum.” Kalu added.

“Yes. I will play the drum that will make Pir Sahib happy enough to bless my son with a long and healthy life. I want my Abdul to sire a generation of wrestlers like the world champion Gama pehelwaan [wrestler].” Jeeona mused dreamily, “And I want to play the joyful beats on every wrestling bout featuring my son and even grandsons. I want to do my village proud.”

“I have no doubt you will do so. After all you stay in the house of Pir Baba himself!” Yusuf said.

It was now time for resuming the work; others had already started cutting and tying the cane in bundles. The three men picked up their sickles and joined the rest.

One could hear the joyful songs of village women mingled with the offbeat but happy tone of Jeeona’s singing.

After a week the postman arrived. His arrival was always an event. The elders sitting on the village platform, women by the hearths, children in the streets and men in the fields would pause. Hope and anxiety writ large on their faces.

The postman, aware that he was the cynosure of all eyes, would strut to the centre of the village and call out names of those whose letters he had brought. One by one people took their mail and then eagerly asked a literate relative or friend to read out the contents.

On knowing the contents of the respective letters there were varied expressions of joy and sorrow, of jubilation and disappointment, of hope and despair.

Ramesh did a peacock-dance jig and announced, “My son has been made an honorary lieutenant, right on the front after the Japanese beat a hasty retreat in the face of my son’s jabardast hamla.” There were sounds of congratulations from all around.

“Where is Jeeona?” the postman asked in a suddenly soft voice.

“I am here.” Jeeona came forward eagerly.

“This is for you.” He took out a sealed telegramme message and handed over to the drummer.

“Could you read it out to me, and why a telegramme?” Jeeona was perplexed.

Before the hesitating postman could read out the telegramme an army jeep came there. It stopped a few yards away from the gathering. A Major and two NCOs alighted.

“Who among you is Jeeona?” one of the NCOs asked politely.

“I am Jeeona, sahib, what is the matter, is my son…”

The major moved forward and placed his hand on Jeeona’s shoulder. He said softly, “Naik Abdul was a brave soldier. He killed twenty Germans single-handedly in a bayonet charge. We are proud of him and shall always remain so…”

“Is he… killed?” Jeeona asked choking out the dreaded word.

The major bowed his head and signalled to the NCOs. They brought out of the jeep a neatly packed parcel containing Abdul’s uniform and few personal belongings. With great respect they handed it over to Jeeona.

There was hush in the village.

Those who were eating sweets in celebration a moment ago shamefacedly threw them into the mud. Some even sobbed. The wind stilled. Dogs stopped barking and the birds stopped chirping. Silence palled the gathering.

Jeeona took the clothes. His face impassive, he lurched homewards. Words of consolation from the village people failed to penetrate the numbness that had enveloped his consciousness. On entering the Pirkhana he quietly placed the parcel on the cot and bolted the doors. He sat down on the floor in a daze…

That night, for the first time, drumbeats from the Pirkhana sent a chill up the spine of the entire village.

It was relentless, plaintive, melancholy…as if he was asking the deity of the Pir’s shrine…”Why me Baba, why me?”

Nobody dared go and disturb the mourning drummer.

Next morning people found Jeeona’s body half bent on the parcel, with his face upturned towards the Holy Quran that was kept on a shelf, facing West.

Talk shows as opinion makers

PUNJABI ANTENNA

 By 

Randeep Wadehra

Talk shows are powerful opinion making tools. They involve viewers in relevant public discourses that help engender debate at the macro (states, governments etc) as well as micro (institutions, individuals) levels. Every channel worth its salt has at least one talk show and PTC News is no exception. In fact it has several, viz., Punjab Speaks, Guftagu and Straight Talk etc.

Punjab Speaks has been taking up issues that affect their lives directly. Recently it featured two men who not only dared to think out of the box but also cared enough to put money where their mouths were. The contributions of two Punjabi NRIs, Lord Daljit Rana of Ireland and Dr. Gurdev Gill of Canada, are in the form of enduring public assets that are already impacting the lives of rural folks in a positive manner. The former has invested crores in bringing futuristic education to the rural Punjab and the latter is engaged in modernizing the villages. Although the sharp and well-informed moderator, Reeta Sharma, was a bit too voluble at times, she did succeed in drawing out not only the two guests – who emerged confident and earnest vis-à-vis their dream projects – but also managed to enthuse the invited audience. Among the latter the elderly Budh Singh stood out. He has been instrumental in setting up and running hospitals that cater to the poor, and has also opened nursing schools etc. And, he is very much desi. One hopes to see more such episodes that focus on developmental/educational issues rather than the more seductive politics.

Talking of politics, our politicians are consummate actors. You realize this while watching them on PTC News channel’s Straight Talk and Guftagu. Avinash Rai Khanna of BJP – on Guftagu – swears by his party’s friendship with the Akali Dal despite what happened in the recent Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections. More importantly, he doesn’t miss the opportunity to promote himself by enumerating how he got bus-stand shelters and community marriage-halls built in his constituency, and also narrating how a kid contacted him over mobile phone inviting him to a marriage in her family – which he felt duty-bound to attend. But when asked about more substantial issues like development etc he skillfully parried. In a later episode Satpal Jain – a ‘humble and shrewd’ former BJP MP from Chandigarh – let loose verbal fusillades against his Congress rival. In another episode the State Congress President Rajinder Kaur Bhattal had enough barbs in her quiver against Akalis as well as her opponents within the party led by her bête noir Amarinder Singh – who had featured in another episode firing his own salvos. Similarly, in Straight Talk we had Sukhpal Khaira blaming Akalis for turning Punjab into Bihar – law-and-order wise. When the anchor Ritesh Lakhi reminded him that earlier Congress regimes too had used strong-arm tactics to rig up landslide victories in previous local elections Khaira had no choice but to agree. In an earlier episode State Congress spokesperson Bir Devinder Singh had described the poll violence as evidence of the SAD’s tribal outlook, conveniently forgetting the role of the previous Congress regimes in perpetuating this trend. It’s good to see that Lakhi – who is hosting both Guftagu and Straight Talk – is effectively using his interviewing skills, honed at Zee Punjabi’s Khabarsaar, to unravel the state’s political mindset. As for the public opinion, it must be feeding on the inputs provided by the talk shows.

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