Tragedy Strikes India -30th Jan ,1948.

I am reproducing first hand accounts of two very respected journalists of the times –Vincent Sheean from the “Guardian” and Peter Trumbull from the “New York Times” .I cant vouchsafe for the veracity of the account(I am not too sure whether Gandhiji asked for water after he was shot ).

 Vincent Sheean was an American reporter and author who had covered trouble spots around the world in the years prior to and during World War II. This is what he wrote, as he rushes to join a prayer-meeting with Gandhi in the heart of New Delhi in the early evening hours of January 30, 1948:

"I got a taxi and went out to Birla House in time for the prayer-meeting. This time I was alone. I stationed my taxi under a tree opposite the gate of Birla House and walked down the drive to the prayer-ground. It was not yet five o'clock and people were still streaming in on foot, in cars and with tongas. As I came on to the prayer-ground at the end of the garden I ran into Bob Stimson, the Delhi correspondent of the B.B.C. We fell into talk and I told him about the journey to Amritsar and what had taken place there. It was unusual to see any representatives of the press at the prayer-meeting; Bob explained that he had submitted some questions to the Mahatma for the B.B.C. and thought he might as well stay for the prayers since he was on the premises. He looked at his watch and said: 'Well, this is strange. Gandhi's late. He's practically never late.'

We both looked at our watches again. It was 5:12 by my watch when Bob said: 'There he is.' We stood near the corner of the wall, on the side of the garden where he was coming, and watched the evening light fall on his shining dark-brown head. He did not walk under the arbor this evening but across the grass, in the open lawn on the other side of the flower-beds. (There was the arbored walk, and a strip of lawn, and a long strip of flower-bed, and then the open lawn.)

It was one of those shining Delhi evenings, not at all warm but alight with the promise of spring. I felt well and happy and grateful to be here. Bob and I stood idly talking, I do not remember about what, and watching the Mahatma advance toward us over the grass, leaning lightly on two of 'the girls,' with two or three other members of his 'family' (family or followers) behind them. I read afterward that he had sandals on his feet but I did not see them. To me it looked as if he walked barefoot on the grass. It was not a warm evening and he was wrapped in homespun shawls. He passed by us on the other side and turned to ascend the four or five brick steps which led to the terrace or prayer-ground.

Here, as usual, there was a clump of people, some of whom were standing and some of whom had gone on their knees or bent low before him. Bob and I turned to watch - we were perhaps ten feet away from the steps-but the clump of people cut off our view of the Mahatma now; he was so small. Then I heard four small, dull, dark explosions. 'What's that?' I said to Bob in sudden horror. 'I don't know,' he said. I remember that he grew pale in an instant. 'Not the Mahatma!' I said, and then I knew.

Inside my own head there occurred a wavelike disturbance which I can only compare to a storm at sea - wind and wave surging tremendously back and forth. I remember all this distinctly; I do not believe that I lost consciousness even for a moment, although there may have been an instant or two of half-consciousness. I recoiled upon the brick wall and leaned against it, bent almost in two. I felt the consciousness of the Mahatma leave me then-I know of no other way of expressing this: he left me. ...The storm inside my head continued for some little time-minutes, perhaps; I have no way of reckoning.

...lt was during this time, apparently, that many things happened: a whole external series of events took place in my immediate neighborhood - a few yards away - and I was unaware of them. A doctor was found; the police took charge; the body of the Mahatma was, carried away; the crowd melted, perhaps urged to do so by the police. I saw none of this. The last I saw of the Mahatma he was advancing over the grass in the evening light, approaching the steps. When I finally took my fingers out of my mouth and stood up, dry-eyed, there were police and soldiers and not many people, and there was Bob Stimson. He was rather breathless; he had gone somewhere to telephone to the B.B.C. He came with me down the steps to the lawn, where we walked up and down beside the flower-bed for a while. The room with the glass doors and windows, by the rose garden at the end of the arbor, had a crowd of people around it. Many were weeping. The police were endeavoring to make them leave. Bob could not tell me anything except that the Mahatma had been taken inside that room. On the following day he told me that he had seen him carried away and that the khadi which he wore was heavily stained with blood."

And here is what Robert  Trumbull wrote in his dispatch to the New York Times

“”New Delhi, India, Jan. 30 -- Mohandas K. Gandhi was killed by as assassin's bullet today. The assassin was a Hindu who fired three shots from a pistol at a range of three feet.

The 78-year-old Gandhi, who was the one person who held discordant elements together and kept some sort of unity in this turbulent land, was shot down at 5:15 P. M. as he was proceeding through the Biria House gardens to the pergola from which he was to deliver his daily prayer meeting message.

The assassin was immediately seized.

He later identified himself as Nathura Vinayak Godse, 36, a Hindu from Poona. This has been a center of resistance to Gandhi's ideology.

Mr. Gandhi died twenty-five minutes later. His death left all India stunned and bewildered as to the direction that this newly independent nation would take without its "Mahatma" (Great Teacher).

The loss of Mr. Gandhi brings this country of 300,000,000 abruptly to a crossroads. Mingled with the sadness in this capital tonight was an undercurrent of fear and uncertainty, for now the strongest influence for peace in India that this generation has known is gone.

[Communal riots quickly swept Bombay when news of Mr. Gandhi's death was received. The Associated Press reported that fifteen persons were killed and more than fifty injured before an uneasy peace was established.]

Appeal Made By Nehru

Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, in a voice choked with emotion, appealed in a radio address tonight for a sane approach to the future. He asked that India's path be turned away from violence in memory of the great peacemaker who had departed.

Mr. Gandhi's body will be cremated in the orthodox Hindu fashion according to his often expressed wishes. His body will be carried from his New Delhi residence on a simple wooden cot covered with a sheet at 11:30 tomorrow morning. The funeral procession will wind through every principal street of the two cites of New and old Delhi and reach the burning ghats on the bank of the sacred Jumna River at about 4 P. M. There the remains of the greatest Indian since Gautama Buddha will be wrapped in a sheet, laid on a pyre of wood and burned. His ashes will be scattered on the Jumna's waters, eventually to mingle with the Ganges where the two holy rivers meet at the temple city of Allahabad.

These simple ceremonies were announced tonight by Pandit Nehru in respect to Mr. Gandhi's wishes, although many of the leaders desired that his body be embalmed and exhibited in state. India will see the last of Mr. Gandhi as it saw him when he lived -- ha humble and unassuming Hindu.

A crowd of about 500, according to witnesses, was stunned. There was no outcry or excitement for a second or two. Then the onlookers began to push the assassin more as if in bewilderment than in anger.

The assassin was seized by Tom Reiner of Lancaster, Mass., a vice consul attached to the American Embassy and a recent arrival in India. He was attending Mr. Gandhi's prayer meeting out of curiosity, as most visitors to New Delhi do at least once.

Mr. Reiner grasped the assailant by the shoulders and shoved him toward several police guards. Only then did the crowd begin to grasp what had happened and a forest of fists belabored the assassin as he was dragged toward the pergola where Mr. Gandhi was to have prayed. he left a trail of blood.

Mr. Gandhi was picked up by attendants and carried rapidly back to the unpretentious bedroom where he had passed most of his working and sleeping hours. As he was taken through the door Hindu onlookers who could see him began to wail and beat their breasts.

Less than half an hour later a member of Mr. Gandhi's entourage came out of the room and said to those about the door:

"Bapu (father) is finished."

But it was not until Mr. Gandhi's death was announced by All India Radio, at 6 P. M. that the words spread widely.

Assassin Taken Away

Meanwhile the assassin was taken to a police station. He identified himself as coming from Poona.

It was remarked that the first of three attempts on Mr. Gandhi's life was made in Poona on June 25, 1934, when a bomb was thrown at a car believed to be Mr. Gandhi's. Poona is a center of the extremist anti-Gandhi orthodox Hindu Mahasabha (Great Society).

The second possible attempt to assassinate Mr. Gandhi was by means of a crude bomb planted on his garden wall on Jan. 20 of this year.

The only statement known to have been made by the assassin was his remark to a foreign correspondent: "I am not at all sorry."

He is large for a Hindu and was dressed in gray slacks, blue pullover and khaki bush jacket. His pistol, which was snatched from him immediately after the shooting by Royal Indian Air Force Flight Sergeant D. R. Singh, contained four undischarged cartridges.

Lying on a wooden cot in his bedroom, Mr. Gandhi said no word before his death except to ask for water. Most of the time he was unconscious. When he was pronounced dead by his physician, weeping members of his staff covered the lower half of his face with a sheet in the Hindu fashion and the women present sat on the floor and chanted verses from the sacred scriptures of the Hindus. Those who could see these ceremonies through the windows knew then that Mr. Gandhi had expired.

Pandit Nehru arrived at about 6 o'clock. Silently and with burning eyes he inspected the spot where Mr. Gandhi was shot and then went into the house without a word. Later he stood high on the front gate of Birla House and related the tentative funeral arrangements to several thousand persons gathered in the street and blocking all traffic. His voice shook with grief and hundreds in the crowd were weeping uncontrollably.

Several thousand mourners formed orderly and quiet queues at all doors leading into Birla House and for a time they were permitted to file past the body. Later when it became evident that only a small fraction of the gathering would be able to view Mr. Gandhi's remains tonight, the body was taken to a second-floor balcony and placed on a cot fitted under a floodlamp so all in the grounds would see their departed leader.

His head was illuminated by a lamp with five wicks representing the five elements- air, light, water, earth, and fire- and also to light his soul to eternity according to Hindu belief.

Pandit Nehru delivered Mr. Gandhi's valedictory in his radio address late this evening. In a quivering voice he said:

"Gandhi has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere. The father of our nation is no more- no longer will we run to him for advice and solace. This is a terrible blow to millions and millions in this country.

"Our light has gone out, but the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. For a thousand years that light will be seen in this country and the world will see it... Oh, that this has happened to us! There was so much more to do."

Referring to the assassin Pandit Nehru said:

"I can only call him a madman."

He pleaded for a renewed spirit of peace, which had been Mr. Gandhi's last project, saying:

"His spirit looks upon us- nothing would displease him more than to see us indulge in violence. All our petty conflicts and difficulties must be ended in the face of this great disaster...In his death he has reminded us of the big things in life."

What Must Have Happened On United Flight 93-9/11 Hijacking .

I was at the Newark International Airport in the US in November last year.The Airport must not be mistaken for the airports in New York  because Newark is in New Jersey ( New York and New Jersey are different but adjoining states ).While at the airport ,I picked up a book about the 9/11 hijackings of the 4 flights –which have made them the most infamous hijackings of our times.I knew  I was at a place which would  never be forgotten in the history of modern times .Four flights were hijacked on that fateful day -2 from Boston,1 from Washington and one from Newark.It was from Newark that the most daring attempt to wipe out the the symbols of American power –either the Capitol(which houses the American Parliament) or the White House was made.There is a difference of opinion as to which was the target –Osama bin Laden wanted the plane  to target the Capitol ,but Mohammad Atta thought the White House would be a easier target .However  it was the guts and the character of the people inside the plane that perhaps altered the course of modern history .Because if either of the two targets had been hit –the retaliation could have been very severe –maybe akin to the Americans dropping the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki when the Japanese dared to bomb Pearl Harbour in 1945 .

I read the book on my long haul from Newark to Frankfurt ,and then after a brief shopping spree at the Frankfurt Airport ,I plunged into the book again ..By the time I landed in Dubai ,I had finished the book and started writing my blog .I am now reproducing what I jotted down hastily on my Blackberry notepad.The account is from the evidence that was available from the voices recorded at the ATCs and from the flight recorder of United Airlines Flight 93 .The intense struggle inside Flight 93 is brought to life mainly because it was the only aircraft whose voice recorder did not melt –the voice recorders of the other 3 melted as they hit their desired targets.We have some recordings of those flights as well –but they are fewer in number and detail .

Amy Sweeney was the flight attendant on Flight 11 which took off from Boston to Los Angeles at 7.59 am .Her last words   to a question “What can you see outside the window ?” .

were: "I see water. I see buildings. We are flying low. We are flying very, very low. We are flying way too low. Oh my God we are flying way too low. Oh my god!"

Those were the last words from American Flight 11 before it crashed into the North Tower of the WTC at 8.46:40.with tons and tons of fuel (since it was flying a long distance ).Obviously nothing remained –we all saw the tower come down like a pack of cards .

Peter Hanson was on Flight 175 which also took off on the same Boston Los Angeles route at 8.14

At 9:00, Peter Hanson made a call to his father.

"It's getting bad, Dad. A stewardess was stabbed. They seem to have knives and Mace. They said they have a bomb. Passengers are throwing up and getting sick. The plane is making jerky movements. I don't think the pilot is flying the plane. I think we are going down. I think they intend to go to Chicago or someplace and fly into a building. Don't worry, Dad. If it happens, it'll be very fast. My God, my God.”

As the call ended abruptly, Lee Hanson heard a woman's scream.He was sweating –all those years of carrying Peter as a infant ,of teaching him the basics of life ,of the fights and good times flashed before his eyes .Was it the last time a father had heard a son call him “Dad”?  He turned on the television, and  watched as a second plane hit the South Tower at 9.03:11. .I had just got back from my evening walk in Jagdishpur and yelled out to Sangeeta as I switched on the TV “Sangeeta –look at that .Oops its so dangerous looking .!!” And as we watched –the second plane came and rammed into the second WTC tower .We were watching it live as smoke billowed upwards like a nuclear mushroom.The world seemed to be coming to an end .

Lee Hanson  knew there was no way Peter would survive .Like the WTC Tower –his world seemed to collapse before his eyes .

American Flight 77 took off from Washington for Los Angeles at 8.20am and the last routine exchange took place at 8.51am. The cockpit crew were killed and plane was hijacked over the next three minutes. Just two people are known to have made calls and much less detail is available than for the other three planes.It crashed into the Pentagon ,the American Defence Headquarters .

The most gripping detail is available for the famous battle for control of United 93 – because it took off 42 minutes late from Newark for San Francisco at 8.42am, its passengers were to learn all about what had happened in New York and  its cockpit voice recorder was also recovered, while the other three were destroyed in the fireballs when they crashed.By this time everyone was aware of what was happening .

At 9.19am, a United Flight dispatcher Ed Ballinger began to issue warnings to 16 flights crossing the country: "Beware any cockpit intrusion – Two A/C [aircraft] hit World Trade Center".Like all of us ,he was by now aware of the horrendous damage that had been done to the WTC Towers by the two planes crashing into it .

The message was transmitted to United 93 at 9.23am and received in the cockpit at 9.24am.

Two minutes later, pilot Jason Dahl responded with an air of puzzlement  "Ed, confirm latest mssg plz – Jason".

Before he received an answer, the hijackers attacked at 9.28, and as the aircraft lost altitude, air traffic control picked up two radio transmissions from the cockpit.Captain Jason Dahl

 declared "Mayday" (Mayday is a distress signal sent out by ships and aircrafts ).There were   sounds of a struggle.It can be concluded that the terrorists had entered the cockpit and were overpowering the pilots

Thirty-five secs later, shouts of "Get out of here"  and “Mayday,Mayday,Mayday”,are repeated .The pilot was trying his  best to beat off the challenge .But it appears it was in vain .But not before he had put the plane off from its automatic controls .The plane it seemed –had now to be navigated manually .!!The terrorists were probably not upto it .In his dying moments Jason had  his nation uppermost in his mind .The terrorists were “lost” in air .!!

By 9.32, the terrorists were at the controls and a hijacker attempted to communicate with passengers.Jason Dahl was apparently alive because he could be heard moaning as the terrorists spoke

"Ladies and gentlemen. Here's the Captain, please sit down, keep remaining sitting. We have a bomb on board. So sit."

 A woman, presumably first-class flight attendant Debbie Welsh, is heard struggling with the hijackers before being killed or otherwise silenced, followed by one of the hijackers saying in Arabic, "Everything is fine. I finished."

Again, the message was broadcast to ATC.

At least 10 of the 33 passengers and two flight crew began calls from in-flight air phones and mobiles that lasted for the next 30 minutes, providing a dramatic account of the desperate struggle inside the plane as the hijackers turned it around and headed for Washington where their target was believed to be the White House or Capitol.In less than 10 minutes they would be over their target .The 40 passengers  must have decided to revolt .And they must have put their heads together and arrived at this conclusion .It appears to have been a democratic decision because Jeremy Glick  called his wife and told her the flight was hijacked by three dark-skinned men who  looked "Iranian", wearing red bandanas and wielding knives.^[He also told her that they had voted to tackle the terrorists to try to regain control on the plane.Everything we  are taught throughout our lives was being put to test .I am sure all the passengers must have thought “we wont go down without a fight ,we will act collectively ,and we will make sure that even if we die –the terrorists wont get to their target .The nation  must have become far far bigger  for them than the self .

At 9.57am, several ended calls, saying the revolt was beginning. "Everyone's running up to first class. I've got to go. Bye," said one.

Thomas Burnett told his wife, "I know we're all going to die ... There's three of us who are going to do something about it."And here is what Lauren Grandcolas who was pregnant  have say to her husband before perishing along with the foetus (she voice  messaged him)

“Jack ,pick up Sweetie.Can you hear me ?Ok .I just want to tell you –there is a little problem with the plane .I am fine .I am totally fine .I just want to tell you how much I love you”.And she went silent forever .

And Todd Beamer was apparently heard saying "Let"s roll!" – a totemic call to action.

The black box captured the sounds of a sustained assault on the cockpit over the next six minutes. Ziad Jarrah, who was flying the plane, told another hijacker to block the door as he rolled the aeroplane to the left and right.in a attempt to throw them off balance .

Eight seconds before 10am, he pitched the nose up and down as he tried to shake off the revolt amid sounds of ongoing fighting. At 26 seconds after 10, a passenger is heard shouting: "In the cockpit! If we don't, we'll die," followed shortly afterwards by another yelling "Roll it!"

This is widely believed to have referred to an attempt to smash open the cockpit door with a service trolley.Oh –the service trolleys .We remember all of them carrying the yummiest of food ,the rarest of whiskies and wine ,and the most attractive things for sale (including Swaroski Crystals).It was now being used as a weapon .

At 10.01, Jarrah repeats "Allah is the Greatest!" before asking another hijacker: "Is that it? Shall we put it down?"

His ally replied: "Yes pull it down".

Jarrah rolled the plane onto its back, with shouts of "Allah is the Greatest" continuing in the cockpit.

The counter-attack could still be heard as the Flight 93 plunged downwards, crashing just after 10.03 into an empty field in Pennsylvania, 20 minutes' flight time from Washington.

Jarrah's objective was to crash his airliner into symbols of the American Republic He was defeated by the alerted, unarmed passengers of United 93.

When I boarded my flight back to India from the Newark Liberty Airport (the name was changed in honour of the unarmed passengers who fought to save the symbols of the American Nation),I had made sure that I went and saw the gate A17  from where the fateful flight had been pushed back for take off .A American flag now flies over the gate as  mark of respect for the brave men and women who perished fighting .I watched the passengers line up .Many years back –there must have been a queue as well .And among the innocent men and women there must have been 4 dreaded terrorists .And the flight must have taken off –with none ever suspecting what was to follow .Just like me , when I was taking off  .I was going back home –and as I flew over the Statue of Liberty ,the air attendant came to me with the service trolley .

“A drink for you Sir”

I was looking at the service trolley .

“Sir ,a drink for you”,she repeated with a wonderful smile

“No thank you –maybe after a couple of hours”,I replied .

Her eyes danced and twinkled .She looked confused as I continued to look at the service trolley.She “rolled” it past me  .I continued to read .I am off in June to Pennsylvania to the site of the crash .As expected –the Americans have built a memorial .They respect their past .

Bleeding To Death-The "Halal" Way

Anyone who is not a keen follower of Indian politics will be thoroughly confused by what is happening .And I don’t blame them because politics in India is more shallow  and less predictable than in any other part of the world (maybe Pakistan beats us here for the simple reason that there are actually two Pakistans inside one –ISI Pakistan and  “Democratically” elected Pakistan!!).There are multiple parties and all of them are vying for the same space –power .Which is all what politics is  about –power .But to change ones stand so dramtically in its quest is not quite acceptable .After all human beings don’t and should not pursue things by instincts .They must pursue things using their mind and chasing some ideals .No matter what the political pundits say about “politics is the art of the possible”,or “one day is a lot of time in politics”,the fact of the matter is that politics must have some enduring and lofty aims .

But to students and observers like me –Indian politics is simple to understand .Get power –whether you have to murder ,beg or steal .Or whether to have to rob Peter to pay Paul .And  never before has the level of politics fallen to such lows as it has  now.And I am not even talking of the scams -2G,Coalgate ,Helicopter deals (a former Chief of the Airforce is involved –sorry but Caesars wife must be above suspicion )etc ,etc etc .There are too many of them .What I am referring to is the ideological pits to which it has sunk .No one knows which party is secular-though the Congress seems to have a patent for it .No one can say that any political party is not infested with criminals .No political party has any stand on foreign policy (save pass a resolution against a resolution passed by Pakistan in its assembly),no political party has any consensus on economic development or a educational vision.There is complete chaos , as to where we are at the moment and where we want to go.That is the reason why I feel that the present government is about to fall .

Lets have a look at the stand of the DMK .Its been a ally of the UPA since 2009 .All of a sudden it wakes up and wants the government to pass /support a resolution or move one in parliament that says that there has been a “genocide” by the Srilankans against the Tamilians in Srilanka .The civil war has ended in Sri lanka many years back .So why the demand now ?And how can any government ever take a stand when the reverse also happened –the LTTE went on rampage many times when Prabhakaran was at the peak of his power ?And was not the LTTE responsible for the assassination of the Indian Prime Minister Rajive Gandhi? Asssasinating a Prime Minister of a country is like waging a war against it .How can any govt support such a resolution .?Not only that -States cant run Indias Foreign Policy .In any case ,spoiling relations with Srilanka would throw it into the arms of China .Is it sensible to pass such a resolution?

Not only that –the DMK wants that a independent international agency be set up to investigate the crimes against the Tamilians in Sri Lanka .Hah!!Will we allow such a thing to happen if Pakistan demands it in Kashmir and in the Naxal infested areas ? (infact Pakistan has asked for it has on several occasions).Will we  allow  someone else to interfere in our internal affairs ?Is it not against the basic tenet of Indian foreign policy ?Have we not passed a resolution just a week back and told Pakistan not to meddle in our internal affairs ?Does the DMK now expect us to change all that ?The 90 year old Karunanidhi should have now gone beyond the petty politics of power and should have grauduated into a statesman .Like aging wine he should have got better .But no –he was adamant because he was looking for a exit route from the UPA .Otherwise ,why would he have not raised the issue in 2009 .?Or why would he have ever joined the government (though I am not discounting the fact that the Govt might have promised him something in a clandestine deal ).

I am glad that the UPA did not accede to the above ridiculous demand .But it has left the government extremely dependent on what is called the M+M factor .The Mulayam and Mayawati support .Both the BSP and the SP are extremely unreliable allies –if their past record is any indication .If one of them pulls out now –the government falls .And its very close to that .Mulayam Singh Yadav is demanding the sacking of the strong Kurmi leader Beni Prasad Verma for some remarks he made (the guy is crazy –he makes these very provocative remarks time and again).It could be a reason for them to pull out and bring the nation to a brink of a fresh election.Even otherwise ,how will the Congress deal with let say a communal riot breaking out in UP?Will it call the SP a communal party in that case (by the way ,100 communal riots have taken place in UP since the SP  took over leading to the death of 34 people).?And if it does not ,will Mayawati (SPs sworn enemy ),tolerate it .?Will it threaten to pull out ?

However there is another alignment which may bail the UPA out at the moment .And that is if Nitish Kumar breaks away from the NDA and  joins hands with the UPA.And why would he do that ?Because the UPA would give Bihar the “special status”,he is looking for .!!And also UPA could get a reprieve if Mamta rejoins the coalition .Thats what I mean by saying that we lack a idealogical culture.

As I foresee it ,early elections are imminent –maybe within 3 months .It suits the SP to withdraw its outside support because it has just won a massive mandate in UP .That popularity is fast disappearing because of the inept handling of the state by Akhilesh Yadav.So elections are better now for them than later.It also suits Nitish Kumar because irrespective of what he says –his popularity is at its peak at the moment .(Amazing show of strength on “Adhikaar Diwas” in Delhi the other day) .Its the right time for him to convert it into votes .It suits Mayawati because she has nothing much to lose .It suits the BJP because Narendra Modi has caught the imagination of the youth .And they are closer to power at the centre than ever before ,though they have to do some internal cleaning themselves .

It does not suit the Congress because  frankly speaking ,I see no way it can even dream of coming back to power .It suits the party to atleast remain in power without governing the country .Its two kidneys (SP and BSP),are showing signs of failure .Its two lungs (the DMK and the TMC  have  collapsed).It is on ventilator support .It is slowly dying –“the halal” way .Who will give it the “Jhutka”?.I know it for sure .I am sure –even you know .It could be today ,tomorrow or the coming weeks .But I cant see a government on ventilatator support and brain dead being able to pull through .A Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was good at managing a coalition could have turned things around  .Certainly not the great academic Dr Manmohan Singh .He was always a king in the campuses of the Universities or the corridors of Yojana Bhavan or World Bank .But Barabanki ,Hardoi ,Saharanpur,Amethi ,Kunda,Baramullah,Dantewada,Belchi ……..?Awww –no,no,no.  

The Boy From Dehradun Still Follows Me ...........

I grew up in a relatively small town –Dehra Dun .Relative that is to the bigger cities  like Delhi ,Bombay ,Calcutta or Madras .My father had a difficult choice to make –whether to drop anchor in Delhi ,where a number of relatives stayed ,or to drop anchor in Dehradun .He chose the latter because of several reasons –good schools and excellent climate being two of them .In retrospect ,I think it was a wise decision .

We grew up in a city that had very close bonding between its inhabitants .We knew the shopkeepers personally -,the barber came every Sunday to cut our hair ,the baker came with his basket every day ,the meat wallah sent mutton on days specified by us,the tailor came to take measurements when we wanted new clothes stitched or altered   .Everyone knew everyone by name .We would hang around shops gossiping with the shopkeepers and indulged in small time politics –running down someones action or eugolizing someones achievements. “You know Mr Tandon was seen late at night with a woman half his age –and it was not his daughter”,or “Mr Martin was found drunk on the culvert and Mr Bhatia had to literally pick him up and take him home .And his wife refused to open the door”!!,or “Mr Massey was saying that he was the one who shot J.F .Kennedy dead.Do you think it could be true ?He was in America on that day !!”

And amidst this atmosphere and the lovely weather of Dehradun ,and before we could realize it ,we  had grown  out of our shorts and  grown into trousers and jeans and finally into suits made by Sensons in Janpath ,Delhi .I went into a hostel which was very impersonal ,and which had boys from different cities .I yearned to be back home,to the security of its simple people and light sunshine and green trees .I even ran away once  from college –only to be told that I am a “sissy”!!Life trundled along ,but the habbit of trying to bond with the people around me never deserted me .When I was at Bhopal ,I made good friends with the barber and the Nanda Meat Shop butcher  at Bazariya .And  with the Jaihind Bakery chap at T.T .Nagar .Same at Jagdishpur . .Though  Jaipur is not a city  in the classic mould (its still very feudal ), it did not generate that kind of bonding .And maybe  that was because I was the Principal of a school which , at that time was far ,far away from the main city .And also for the fact that we were totally dependent on food from the mess –so we did not need to shop .But still ,I was able to make friends with the local barber Leeladhar who had his saloon at Bhankrota,and the bakery guy at Venus Bakery on Kings Road  .I would sometimes phone Leeladhar up and he would respond by coming on his motor cycle to cut my son’s and mine hair .But our interaction with the people whom we were dependent on was restricted .We were as it were in a “golden prison”,where we were expected to spend 24 hrs .And we did that .

Luckily ,by a stroke of luck we got an opportunity to come to Ahmedabad to work .And after many years ,we were doing what we were always comfortable at –cooking our own meals and looking after our own house .We stay in a nice locality called South Bopal –“Sobo”!!-and we have to do our shopping on our own .And much like Dehradun ,there is a shopping centre just walking distance from our house .We sometimes take 4 trips during the evening on a particular day .”Kulu ,please can you go and get Amul cream”,or “Sangeeta ,can you go to Hiteshs shop and get some Marie Gold biscuits for the dogs”,or “I completely forgot yaar ,tomorrow I am fasting ,lets go and get some fruits from Ramkishore”,or just walk across to have a cone of ice cream -and so on .We just walk out of our house and in the way we are dressed –whether in shorts or chappals ,or sometimes in a suit !!.A lot of parents of children studying in the school stay in the rather large township, and so do a number of teachers .So one always meets a acquaintance while one is on a errand .Even our dogs are recognized in the locality .They can get overrun,or be killed by street dogs –but they can never get lost .!!

A very interesting incident took place about three days back .I went to Hitesh’s shop to purchase something .Hitesh Bhai runs a well stocked shop where you can get almost everything .He hails from Rishabdev a small town in Rajasthan which is bordering Gujerat .I always enter into a tete a tete with him-a old Dehradun habit .And he is always upto it .Once I looked at his rather healthy stomach and told him “Hitesh bhai ,khoob paise kamaa rahe ho.You have put on good weight .”He looked at me and said “No Sir ,I am a poor shopkeeper .All this (running his hand over his stomach),is air and water .And I have plenty of it because it is free”.And then as afterthought “Paise wale to aap ho .You drink juices ,you eat badaam ,and you go to the gym and for walks.Wish I had money to do and eat all those things .Then I would also look fit and trim”.Ha ha ,he had got me again .

Three days ago i  entered his shop to purchase a few items  .There was a small crowd around the counter . “Good evening Principal Sir –sorry Director Sir”,he said mischieviously . “Kya duun aapko(what should I give you”?I told him and he quickly calculated the amount “92 Rupees” he said .I took out a 100 rupee note and handed it over to him .He gave back a ten rupee note and said “You have to give me back 2 rupees”.I searched my pocket ,but could not find a 2 rupee coin .

“No problem.You owe me two rupees .Mere 2 rpaya aap par  “udhaar” rahey”!!

“Hitesh bhai ,zaroor yaad karva dena .Please remind me .I hate owing people udhaar.”

“Never mind Sir ,even if I forget,koi 2 rupaiya bahut baree baat nahin hai”,he said .

“Wah”,I said .”Mein sirf  2 rupey ke liye udharee bun jaungaa .!!Nahin Hitesh Bhai .Mein aapsey 1 crore udhaar luangaa and wapas nahin karungaa.!!”,I joked .Some people laughed and they were enjoying the conversation .Hitesh bhai waited for the laughter to subside and then answered

“Sir ,where can I give you a loan of 1 crore.You are a rich man .Even your dogs travel in a big car .But yes ,I will ask you for a loan of 1 crore”,and with a twinkle in his eyes said

“But  I will return it .And with interest”!! Brilliant .Absolutely brilliant .He had once again turned the tables on me .I shook hands with him .And made my way back  home .

Will Wallmart give me these opportunities to interact.?Is life only about money and economy .?Do not good social bonding play a vital part in living life with a sense of fulfillment ?

Or is it a stray thought of a man who grew up as a boy in Dehradun of the sixties .. .?      

The Ides Of March -Lessons from the Stabbing of Caesar!!

The ides of March is referred to 15^th of March .It is a day on which the great Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was stabbed to death among by many and  Brutus who was considered his best  friend . Brutus had  allowed  himself to be cajoled into joining a group of conspiring senators because of a growing suspicion—implanted by Caius Cassius—that Caesar intended  to turn republican Rome into a monarchy under his own rule and thus weaken the power of the Senate .

 The growing tide of public support soon turned  Brutus, against Caesar (this public support was actually faked; Cassius wrote letters to Brutus in different handwritings over the next month in order to get Brutus to join the conspiracy). A soothsayer(a “jyotish”) had  warned Caesar to "beware the “Ides of March"(15th of March), which he ignored and scoffed at .Caesars  wife Calpurnia,also  had a premonition about his death and had pleaded and  begged him not to go to the senate because she had dreamt something which spelt doom.She pleaded  with Caesar thus,

“ I have  never stood on ceremonies,
but now they frighten me.

There are things that we have heard and seen,

which recount the the most horrid sights!!
A lioness had whelped in the streets
And graves have yawned and yielded up their dead ,

Fiery and fierce warriors in ranks and squadrons have fought upon the clouds 

In a form of war which drizzled blood upon the Capitol

Your statue sprouted blood in which lusty Romans danced and sang,
The noise of battle hurtled in the air ,

Horses neighed ,and dying men groaned 

And ghosts shrieked and squealed about in the streets 

O Caesar !these things are beyond ordinary ,

And i do fear them”

But Caesar remained  adamant and haughty.And this was his response

“When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.”.

And  with a touch of the supreme and beyond the mortal world he says

“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.
It seems to me most strange that men should fear death ,

Which is  a necessary evil
.And will come when it has to come."

  With those words he strides into the senate .The soothsayer(who had warned him of the Ides of March) is also in the crowd watching the procession of Caser move towards the Capitol . Caesar looks at the seer and joked,

"The ides of March have come", meaning to say that the prophecy had not been fulfilled, to which the seer replied

 "Aye, Caesar; but not gone."This  meeting is also famously dramatised in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, .

Caesar was completely oblivious to the plot that had been so meticulously crafted by Cassius and the others .Mettalus Cimber was to petition Caesar with a request to cancel the banishment of his brother from Rome .Predictably ,Caesar would refuse ,and when he would do so ,he would be stabbed to death .Mettalus Cimber began

 “Most high ,most mighty ,and most puissant Caesar,

Mettalus Cimber throws before thy seat ,

A humble heart …”

  Caesar, predictably, rejects the petition.His arrogance and power is on full display in his response to Cimber’s petition

“I could well be moved ,if I were as you,

If I could pray to move ,then prayers would move me

But I am constant as the northern star ,

Of whose true fixed and resting quality ,

There is no fellow in the firmanment ,

The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks ,

They are all fire and every one doth shine ,

But theres but one in all doth hold his place :

So in the world ; -tis furnished well with men ,

And men are flesh and blood and apprehensive ,

Yet in the number I do know but one that is constant -Me  !!

 Both Plutarch and Suetonius say that Caesar waved him away, but Cimber grabbed Caesar's shoulders and pulled down Caesar's tunic. Caesar then cried to Cimber, "Why, this is violence!" At the same time, Casca   produced his dagger and with a cry of “Speak hands for me” made a glancing thrust at Caesars neck. Caesar turned around quickly and caught Casca by the arm. According to Plutarch, he said in Latin, "Casca, you villain, what are you doing?" Casca, frightened, shouted "Help, brother!" in Greek. Within moments, the entire group, including Brutus, was striking out at Caesar. Caesar attempted to get away, but, blinded by blood, he tripped and fell; the men continued stabbing him as he lay defenseless on the lower steps of the portico. According to Eutropius, around 60 or more men participated in the assassination. Caesar was stabbed 23 times.

The dictator's last words are a contested subject among scholars and historians and people alike. Suetonius reports that others have said Caesar's last words were: "You too, child?". However, Suetonius himself says Caesar said nothing. Plutarch also reports that Caesar said nothing, pulling his toga over his head when he saw Brutus among the conspirators. The version best known in the English-speaking world is the Latin phrase "Et tu, Brute?" ("You too, Brutus?"); this derives from Shakespeare'sJulius Caesar (1599), where it actually forms the first half of a macaronic line: "Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar." It has no basis in historical fact, and Shakespeare's use of Latin here is not from any assumption that Caesar would have been using the language, but because the phrase was already popular at the time the play was written.

The above narration is from the play “Julius Caesar”,which was a part of my English syllabus while I was in school .Mr Rathke my teacher made us learn it by heart and the result –I can still rattle of all the verses by heart even now .The lines above have been modified with the use of modern words (the “thee”, “thy”,”hath” etc have been done away with ).The incident is based on the historical writings of Plutarch and Suetonius and of course the play by Shakespeare.

There are a few lessons to be learnt from the incident

1.Power has to be exercised with great finesse and restraint .It has to exercised with just the right kind of force –like you apply when you play billiards to pocket a ball .If you hit it slowly –it wont pocket .If you hit it too hard ,itt will rebound .But just the right amount will produce the desired result .

2.Dont ignore the soothsayers .And even if you don’t believe in them –don’t scoff at them .We live in a world about which we have just a grain of knowledge .Maybe there are people who can see the future ?Everything is possible .

3.Beware of people who surround you .Especially people who pretend to be your friends and advisors .When you get close to power –you want to have it yourself .One must protect oneself from people who say and portray themselves as your well wishers .

4 .Lastly (and most importantly),listen to a womans instincts .They must never be ignored .Both Calpurnia(Caesars wife ),and Portia (Brutus’s wife ),knew that something terrible was going to happen .I think it is a gift that God has heaped on a woman –she can instinctively smell something wrong .Pay heed to it .

According to historians ,Calpurnia never remarried after the death of Caesar .Brutus committed suicide .And Rome was plunged into civil war .But that is another story .