Never Lie - Never Ever Lie .!!

I was on a routine flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad .I flew a lot on that sector , either  for official work at the DPS Society ,or to meet my son at Delhi University ,or to meet Sangeeta who was the Principal at the Himjyoti School in Dehradun .

Delhi Domestic Airport was crowded like a railway station .Packed with people – most of their faces  looking drained and greasy .Understandable – it was Delhi weather at its worst – hot and humid .

The travelers were  impatient to get their boarding passes ,which would entitle them to enter the lounges where they could relax a bit – security check ins suck your patience  most of the times .Being a experienced traveler ,I was carrying only hand baggage – it helped me  having not to wait at conveyor belts at my destination .As I waited , I was  lookjn  forward to reaching home ,having a shower , a nice cup of Lipton Darjeeling tea , and slip into my airconditioned room .

The problem( sometimes a ego inflator !),  of having been a Principal for 3 decades is that there is someone or the other who will recognize you at a public place .Thats one of the reasons that I dress up reasonably well – (tie intact !!)- when I travel  or go to a mall or the movies . Everyone who smiles at me , appears  to me to  be either a student who I have taught ,or a parent with whom I have interacted .Someone who smiles a lot  is sometimes greeted with “Oh hello , how are you doing”? This sometimes shocks people – and sometimes makes them happy !!. I have noticed however ,that it has never hurt anyone .

As I waited – I caught the eye of a young man ahead of me in the queue .He had been looking at me and giving me a smile .

I thought ,I had seen him somewhere . But I let it pass by pretending to look at my ticket , and at the queue behind me .As he edged ahead and moved forward  he looked back and   waved at me . I waved back .Very soon  we were next to each other – but on different sides of the queue .( In airports ,people line up and sometimes queues take the form of a “U”. So you come across each other on the two straight lines of the U before  you turn round the curve ).

“ Good evening ir”, he said rather enthusiastically .Enough enthusiastically to make people turn their heads and look  towards me .By now ,I was convinced that he was a student whom I had taught .

“ Good evening”, I said .” How are you”,?

“ Fine thank You Sir. Do you recognize me” ? he asked expectantly .

I have learnt not to lie .But  there were so many people who were now part of the conversation , that I thought it would be rude and arrogant for me to say no .Besides ,my memory was reconnecting with him .Oh yes – he was a terrific sprinter in school .I also knew that he was from Soma House .But for the ife of me I could not recollect his name .But yes – I knew that below those cotton trousers he wore – were a pair of very hairy legs !!

“ Of course ,I do” !! I said . “So you are going to Ahmedabad ?” I enquired .

 “ No Sir , I am going to Pune . ( It was a Delhi Pune flight with a stopover at Ahmedabad ) .Sir do you remember  my name” .?

“ Yes I do” ,I , answered  without thinking .He was now near the counter  . I knew that I had made the cardinal mistake of telling a unnecessary lie .I was very uncomfortable – not because I had lied ,but because what do I tell someone who thinks I remember his name .

While he checked in , I phoned up a fellow Principal friend of mine who was working in Panipat .

“ Vinoo – yaar ,what is the name of the boy ,we used to call “ Harry”,  because he had a lot of hair on his legs?”.!!

Vinoo pondered – I could make that  out in the pregnant silence at his  end  of the phone.

“ Kulu , I will get back to you .Aur sab theek thaak hai”

“ Yes ,yes .Please get me his name fast .Treat it as a emergency “ . I was panicking !! I was not interested in polite conversation .

I was cursing myself as to why I had lied .

I checked in .The boy was waiting for me .I did  not  want to meet him yet as I did not remember his name .I pretended I was talking to someone  else on my  cell ,as I shook his hands !

And then the worst happened .While I pretended to speak , the phone rang .We both looked at each other . He was too smart not to know that I had been on a fake call .

The   call was from Vinoo .He told me that the name of the boy was Devinder (name changed ). I thanked him and rushed to Devinder and gushed

“ How are you Devinder. Such a pleasure meeting you .Its been ages”.

Devinder was over the moon that I remembered not only his name ,but his House and the fact that he was hairy .

“ You are amazing Sir .You are phenomenal .And Sir you are right about the hair . See.” He pulled up a bit of his trousers .And sure the hair were still there .!!

I wonder though – what he must  have thought of the phone call that I faked while waiting to know his name ?

The bottom line – never lie .Its damn inconvenient .!! And never  never lie if you are ageing !! It compounds the problem !

Back To School - But Now As Teachers !!

I remember both the girls when they joined  DPS Jaipur as students .That was about 15 years ago, though it seems like yesterday . I don’t have to scratch my memory to recollect what all they did as schoolgirls .They were not the normal run of the mill school children .Both were very independent and focused .I never summoned them to my office for violation of a school rule.!! Both were value driven.

Both have great lineage .Anushree's Dad was working in the Gulf( Muscat ) and she was already exposed to the world outside India .That obviously gave her the edge .She  went on  to acquire her BA  degree from Delhi University after doing her Political Science Honors from Daulat Ram College .Anyone who has studied in Delhi University knows how good the College is .She then went onto study French from the  Alliance Française ,Delhi.She bounces with energy – which is a prerequisite of a good teacher. 

Suhasiny is the granddaughter of India's greatest music director and lyricist – the legendary Madan Mohan- her mothers Dad.I know her parents Sangeeta and Rajive  very intimately and for a number of years we were part of the same party circuit( till i aged !!) ! She has a elder sister Putul , who studied English Hons at St Stephens College and  Oxford !! .  
Suhasiny   was  the School Captain , and  went on to join Lady Sri Ram College and did her Honors in History .She then went  to the School of Oriental and African Studies  in London – the equivalent of MIT / Harvard  for the Liberal Arts !! She travelled the world- London ,Berlin ,Copenhagen ,Stocholm ,Gotenburg ,Salzburg ,Vienna, Praha , Munich ……... I followed her travels very closely.

I talked to them  in my comfortable office , on a wide range of issues .I asked them the obvious question-as to what they found better – being students or being teachers in DPS Jaipur ?. They were unanimous in their opinion that it was far greater fun to be a student

“ Its less responsibility when you are incharge of yourself .Buts it’s a huge responsibility when you are in charge of yourself and so many kids .Its not just about teaching them History or French .Its also about teaching them the discipline of how to learn .Its not about WHAT to learn – its about HOW  to learn”  they said .They crinkled up their noses and continued  

“ We love teaching –but sir there is so much of file work .There are so many formats to fill”.!! I remembered my days as a young teacher  and had failed to understand why there was so much of paperwork in the teaching profession .I had presumed that teaching was only verbally telling kids what you know and occasionally writing something on the boards !!

I reassured them ,that with the passage of time ,they will learn how to manage that easily and that ,that paper work  also had a relevance .Its like a map when you are driving in a new town !!

DPS Jaipur is a coeducational school .Suhasiny and Anushree  went to study in colleges that were all girls colleges  .Did they find that a big change ? Did  they think , that it was a advantage or a disadvantage to be in such learning centres ?

“It really doesn’t matter Sir .The topic is only good for a inter house debate !! If your focus  is study ,then we don’t think it matters whether there are boys in the class or not .We were very clear what we wanted to do.” they said decisively . And as a counter they added

“Why do you presume that the only way boys and girls  meet is because they are studying in the same class and college ? And besides – the channels of communication are so many these days – technology has changed the rules of the game of relationships .There are no walls  these days ” they said added. One just needs to prioritize “ .

Hmm .Kids these days have really moved on !

I  asked them,that as teachers , what issues are important to them .Both were very concerned about the strong patriarchal society and the attitude of the men towards women- at times bordering on disdain .They feel that women and girls , still have far less freedom of choice than men .

“ But that’s true  only in the underdeveloped parts of the country .It should not matter to someone like  both of you who stay  in a city, and  that too,the  capital of the state” I said .

“You  will be surprised Sir – but we find women in rural areas safer than women  in cities .The social and religious norms still hold sway there .People find it difficult to deviate from them “ they said .They  felt that even in European countries women are discriminated against – albeit in  more subtle ways .

And the conversation went on and on .We discussed  whether DPS Jaipur had changed from their times ,whether the children were distinctly different from what they were ,whether we are in sync as far as teaching is concerned with what they were exposed to and how they saw themselves after let us say 10 years !!.Suddenly Sangeeta came in and said that Suhasiny had a remedial class and that I should let her do her job ! They both left after I took a few photographs with them .

What do students like  Suhasiny and Anushree  teach us  .?( All teachers  MUST   presume that they learn a lot from students .A teacher is  not a sage on the stage ,but a guide on the side )

They teach us that you can compete and yet remain fair and honest .I would be very disappointed if  they were to cheat someone.That will negate knowledge empowerment  .

I would be very disappointed if they were to lose a honest battle. They look such winners .Students  like them  are not JUST teachers  .They represent a belief ,a idea –that one  will succeed  by honest means – if not in the short run ,certainly in the marathon of life.

Students  like them  also teach us  that you can be loyal and loving and yet very rational, and  that professionalism does not run contrary to loyalty .One can be a poet and a nuclear scientist (like Einstein), one be a hopeless romantic but yet a  great king .!We need more children like them , leaving our schools and becoming teachers .

Did I give them any advice ? No .I don’t believe in giving advice .I believe what Einstein when he said “ I am grateful to all those who refused me advice as its because of them I did it myself”  . However  if they are reading this , then what Steve Jobs wrote is something I would like them to keep in mind in their life

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

I find it necessary to quote Steve Jobs , because many will discourage them from becoming school teachers given their qualifications and brilliance .They did that to me .But I followed my heart .

I hope they follow theirs !! 

Modi Has Won The Battle - But The War Has To Be Won !

Today my mother in law went to the bank here in Jaipur to exchange her old currency notes with the new ones .She –like the rest of us – is entitled to 2000 rupees per week .She was apprehensive ,but decided to take the risk .After all – some sections  of the Press ,political parties and some sections of society , have been raising the spectre of long queues causing immense hardships that could lead to violence .However she came back  gushing with praise .She recounted how orderly the queues  were  and how optimistic and willing the people were to sacrifice their comforts because they felt the PM had    “morally” made  the  right move ! From a AAP supporter ( she is a Delhi resident ), she was “Modified”!! And by the way ,my  mother in law is no greenhorn to  politics .She can teach a thing or two to economists and political scientists .She reads the newspapers on her smart phone and uses facebook and twitter.She is wise and a survivor of the Partition.She has seen it all –from Nehru to Modi .She is up there with a very informed  political opinion .1

Yes ,Modi  seems to have  won the demonetization game .The teething problems will continue for sometime.Everyone is prepared for that .One does not need to a rocket scientist to know that the Kejriwals and Mamtas  would whip up frenzy .One does not need to be expert in differential and integral calculus to predict that the “award wapasi” brigade and communist dominated university intellectuals ( all have  studied in American Universities and send their  kids there  too ),will try to intellectualize a simple idea and tie it into knots of abuse and negativism   . However the positives  of the idea has gone deep and far into the corners of India

I am not a Lutyens Delhi man and live in close proxity to rural areas .I interact with a huge army of  rural poor  with whom I work .I also interact with a huge class of educated citizenry  on a daily basis .Most feel that what the PM did was that he took  a calculated ,bold ,innovative decision .He took the risk because he feels for India .

It is a excellent move .Out  of the box  disruptive  thinking is required in a country like ours .The aspiration and the dream must always be beyond our means .When John Kennedy said in the early sixties that he dreamt of putting a man on the moon – we all laughed .When we saw movies in the 90s  of cars without drivers we all laughed .We laughed at a lot of things and we criticized a lot of things .That is becoz in our  mind  we never imagined the way some game changers do – the Einsteins ,the Zuckerbergs ,the Steve Jobs .A “disruptive” idea holds the key to progress in todays world .It has to be really disruptive to be effective – remember how the cell phone eased out the telephone , or how the transistor chip eased out the radio ,how a laptop eased out the PC , how cell phones are easing out lap tops , how emails killed the postal service ,or how digital cameras killed “roll cameras”? These ideas caught us unaware and we slowly adapted to a better lifestyle.We felt uncomfortable with cahnge initially .

I haven’t been able to understand the  argument  of those who are opposing the move – do  they want the black money to be eliminated ? If yes – then what is the best option to do that ? And if that option existed – then why has  it has not been exercised till now  7 decades since independence ?And if it has been exercised ,then why are there no result? And if better options are there – how many decades more will it take for them  to bear fruit ? Can India wait ? They need to make their stand very clear – they cant run with the hare and hunt with the hound .

The man from Gujarat exercised  the best option .He has thrown the dice .There is no point about complaining about its implementation .Any refinement of the implementation part before it was introduced , would have led to the leakage of the a measure that ,depended on secrecy The success of it would depend on  adhocism as the system ( people) responded once it was declared  The very fact that the government is responding on a near day to day basis proves that it is dynamic and responding and adapting  whenever  required

There is no doubt that the citizens are furious, but they will NOT  punish Modi for it .He has already gotten away with it, only the extent of his rewards is unclear.

Why ? Because there was a message which was loud and clear .It was a message that had nothing to do with your caste or your religion .It was a message that was based on the twin pillars REMOVAL OF CORRUPTION AND NATIONAL SECURITY. It was a message that what we leave behind for our successive generations must be worth it .We  cant  leave behind something  cancerous and moth eaten .

This may not be apparent at first glance, especially if you are not very fond of him.But there is observable evidence that the general public is with him.

It is our only chance to eradicate corruption .We must use his charm ,guts ,honesty and great orotorial skills to create a new India .He connects very well with the masses .He seizes every opportunity .Look at the way he seized the opportunity at the Coldplay concert yesterday to connect with the people  via a video  address, and quoted lines from Bob Dylan’s iconic song, “The times they are a-changin”.and said 

“You have been smart in asking me to only address the gathering and not sing, else I’m pretty sure your audience would be asking you for their money back, and that too in Rs 100 notes,”.!!! He rocked !!

Methinks - he has won the battle !!.But remember - the war has yet to be won .


(Please share if you agree and become a stakeholder for removal of corruption .)

Down Memory Lane - Remembering Jaswant 30 years down the line !! Part 1.

25 Kms North of Amritsar is a place called Chowk Mehta .It houses  the Damdami Taksal ,a  seat of Sikh learning and education .Tucked away almost unknown to the outside  world ,it sprang into prominence when one of its heads ,held the country to ransom .He was instrumental in instilling fear in the minds of many like  us who by birth were as close to any Sikh in any part of the world .Then, as  now, we always made our way to the nearest gurudwara in our vicinity with the same regularity as to a temple or a masjid  .It was a  bond (between us and the Sikhs ),that no one had ever dared to drive a wedge through .It was also crystal clear that  no one would succeed if they attempted .

 Sant Bhindrawale tried to do the impossible .He was headquartered at Chowk Mehta from where  lists were prepared and  diktats sent  to carry out gruesome killings of Hindus .He had a narrow support base -but it was a  ruthless and committed one  .Those  who did not support his ideas ,were confronted with a choice –leave or be prepared for the repercussions .Maybe death ..

Jaswant Singh chose to leave Chowk Mehta.

“I have come to teach here .Why have you come ?To sell "andaa" and chicken on a cycle .It does not make sense to me ” ?I had asked, as a young teacher at Rai  .It was a logical question.

“How can one stay in a place where we are told that Hindus are our enemies . How can one stay in a place when people tell you that a separate country Khalistan is going to be created ? They keep saying   "Sikh ik vakhri qaum hai. (Sikhs are a different race)  .In our family we have Hindus .And in our family I have relatives in Andhra ,Maharastra and Assam .Sa…la , Ch…..ya,  sanoo bewakoof  samajdeh hai “ ( they think we are fools”) .He was a raw and rustic man .But he was a true secularist and a nationalist .

Rai is a residential school .And having the mess food day in and day out was uphill task –even though the food  was top class .But even top class food loses its edge once it becomes repetitive , predictable and assured  .By the time I had spent my first year at Rai ,I knew what was going to be served for breakfast on Monday ,lunch on Tuesday or dinner on Saturday !! We always had the option of eating at the world class dhabas at Murthal but one could not do that very often .The distance and the pocket protested sometimes .

Jaswant Singh changed all that .He gave us options .He peddled raw  eggs and  dressed chicken and it suited us fine .I always preferred having boiled eggs which were warm ,and cook my own chicken and share it with my other bachelor friends .He would announce his arrival by ringing the bell of his cycle three times !! I would open my door and inspect his eggs and chicken .One day I told him that the eggs were too small and so were the chicken .I was at the prime of my life and had taken to playing squash daily .I had fairly good biceps .I flexed my muscles and showed them  to him.

“I need  big eggs and chicken to feed my biceps” I boasted !! Get me big eggs and a good “kooker” (chicken).And I expanded my chest !!

He was quick to retort

“If you eat the eggs  and the chicken I supply you ,you will be like this”, and proceeded to show me his biceps !!And I swear ,they were really big and bulging !!And as a afterthought he said

“But you wont get them  ,because you are a Amul eating man .Desi ghee khaaya karoh(eat pure ghee).” he added with a smile and a hearty laugh !!

“Can you get me desi ghee”, I asked ?

“Of course I can .You just have to tell me a day or two in advance .I will get you desi ghee and looni makkhan (white butter). You need it .”!!

That’s how I started to eat farm fresh eggs,farm fresh dressed chicken ,desi ghee and looni makkhan !!Jaswant  started feeding my body . From  a acquaintance ,he became a friend .I would talk to him in Punjabi  .I asked him once whether he travelled to Punjab often .

“Of course I do .I have some land there .I will return once the madness is over .I don’t  like it much here .I feel homesick” .Punjab at the time was in the grip of terrorism .Terrorists used innocent  human beings like Jaswant as couriers  to pass messages to each other  or hide in their homes .And if the police came to know of such incidents ,then the innocents were targeted .People like Jaswant were caught in the crossfire of the Police and the Terrorists .No one was obeying or playing the game according to rule .Punjab lurched from one gory incident into another .I got married .The Principal of the school changed .And for reasons best known to him ,he stopped the entry of Jaswant into our school campus .I don’t know what the reasons might have been .I could not understand  why he ordered the cutting down of  eucalyptus trees and  targeting  people like Jaswant .Jaswant stopped coming .

In the mayhem of terrorism ,I lost my brother in law who was a senior IAS Officer .Jaswant came to meet me .On his cycle but without his eggs ,desi ghee ,and chicken .I was grieving and trying to cope with the tragedy .I heard the bell of the cycle ring 3 times .I got up and opened the door .........

To be contd and concluded tommorow .

Demonetization -When One Is At The Crossroad Of History , Speak Up .

One should not and cannot remain neutral when one is at a crossroad of history .The demonetization move by the PM is the single biggest and most revolutionary attempt to remove corruption .Those indulging in pessimism and casting aspersions on its success ,don’t even know what else is up his sleeve .Those marching to the Rastrapati Bhavan are doing something good – they are walking !! Its good for health .

I watched the debate in the Rajya Sabha yesterday for sometime .The opposition parties have clearly lost the plot .They are barking up the wrong tree by deputing journalists ( all beneficiaries of the “ancient regime”, ), and getting sound bites from the elite  - the “award wapasi brigade”.The collective picture that is being “manufactured”, is that India is on the verge of riots and economic anarchy .!!

That is far far away from the truth .The truth is that people are willing to wait and the queues are getting shorter .I have made sure that I try to get a feel of the mood of the crowd .I have been out on the streets and talked to them in detail. I was surprised as to how much of goodwill the move has generated for the PM .He has a huge task cut out for himself – will the results of this move ,translate into facts ? That’s the risk the PM has taken .And that’s a risk every game changer  takes .

Of course some parties who have a few seats in parliament and state assemblies – will be able to garner enough people to stand in a line so that their leader can come and get selfies with them !! .The vocal chords of the commies also need to get primed once in a while outside the campuses of  anti national universities   – becoz their brands’   catch line is “Empty vessels make the most noise”.!They are doing that .

Closer to the ground – the people have overwhelmingly accepted the great initiative .Of course it could have been implemented better ,but parties during whose tenure, the 5 year plans ,Nrega ,Clean Ganga project , Food for work ( people actually sold food instead of eating it ), Scams , subsidies ( they never reached the actual target group), ……..one can go on and on ( difficult to find a particular project that was successfully implemented ), cannot lecture as to what will happen in the future .Of course one understands their pessimism .But then they need to deal with it themselves rather than impose their negativity on a optimistic nation .No one expects them to cooperate

A word of caution though .I would have liked  the PM  not to make this as  a issue of the rich versus the poor. This should not be taken as a “class” war ( as distinct from a caste or communal issue). It is a extremely dangerous ground to tread on .I have seen many poor people becoming slightly haughty and spout disdain against the rich and middle classes .I think the attempt should be  to explain to the people what black money is ,why the steps are being taken , and not indulge in rhetoric that “ameer goli dhoondh rahe hai ,garib aaraam se so rahe hai”. There should be a difference between Che Guera  and Narendra Modi .A revolution has started from the top of the pyramid .It will filter down through sensible policies and not  through  conflict on the streets .Lets keep it that way .Good for everyone .

How "Conveinient" to make a issue of "Inconvience" to defend Black Money !!

When people stood/sat/slept/ in Jantar Mantar and brought the capital to a standstill in April 2011 , it was called a movement against corruption. The roads were blocked,people defecated on the streets, and there was near total collapse of law and order. But people tolerated it-even though the people who heralded the movement were men and women of dubious character-one of them became a CM after pledging that his movement was apolitical.!!! 
Now this talk of inconvenience when a real solution is being offered?( And talk of business houses being in the know of demonetization ?And talk of most black money being in form of gold property and parked in foreign banks ? All attempts to create a negative opinion against the move ). I hope people join the queues and make them longer till these queues reach Kanyakumari. I hope someone can convert this inconvenience into a vehicle of change. Let everyone just join the queues (even if they do not need immediate money) as a show of solidarity in the fight against corruption. Come on INDIA-Jantar Mantar was fake. It did not manage to bring in the Lok Pal bill the way the people wanted ! It was political ( in the garb of being apolitical), and made Chief Minister's and Governors of people involved. It was a movement against the government to grab power. This is real. It is a decision by the government to eradicate corruption. That's why we must support it.

Why we must support Modis demonetization move

The social media has been dominated by two major events in the last 36 hours - the election of Trump to the White House and the stunning masterstroke by the PM - Narendra Modi.Much has been debated .It should .Most of us have applauded him and a few of us have criticized him .Fair enough .Those who have supported him have been dubbed "ultra right wing". Those criticizing him are the so called "left liberals" (JNU types, and the losers who have still not accepted the moral responsibility in any democracy –to respect and accept the will of the majority !!!).
All that is reflective of our democracy( so vibrant that slogans of "barbaadi", and support of terrorists are justified as "freedom of speech by not only respected intellectuals, award wapasi phoneys but also by glamorous TV anchors !!).
I do not want want to add to anything new to the election results - except the fact that though no prediction is verifiable ,i think that the responsibility of office of the President will transform Trump - he is too intelligent not to learn quickly( by the way i am a staunch Hillary supporter .She gave a fantastic speech yesterday - gave me goose bumps as i listened ) .So i am not going to believe that he will nuke Syria or Pakistan or throw the immigrants out !!.He has his ears close to what are real issues which Hillary Clinton tried to soft peddle becoz she did not want to take a risk.Its time we gave terrorism a name – whether Hindu ,Islamic ,Christian etc .Terrorism operates through religious fundamentalists of all religion .Lets not avoid the fact to win votes .
Back to India -again too much has been written and debated to write something which does not sound cliched !However ,I do want to make a point about all the noise some political parties are making in the aftermath of demonetization of 500 and 100 rupee notes .Their silly arguments about the middle, lower middle and poor segments of our society , suffering because of the paucity of 500 and 1000 rupee notes being made irrelevant, is shocking to say the least .Some phoney intellectual started this argument ,spokespersons of political parties picked it up , the supporters of political parties became noisy on facebook and twitter and ran with the hare and hunted with the hound - not having guts to give a compliment without a rider !! .I disagree - yes even the Prime Minister said that there would be inconvenient , and the Finance Minister also acknowledged the same .They are not like Mohhamed bin Tuglag who took to to reforms without knowing the consequences .The government is like a good doctor who will tell you that you need a operation because the tumour is threatening to get malignant .Its like a doctor who will tell you that you will have to be operated and that the operation means loss of inconveinience of staying away from your home and family members .Its like a doctor who will tell you that there may be pain and incisions on what appears outwardly a beautiful body .Yes the doctor will tell you that forget the inconveinience for a few days /weeks because once you recover ,the quality of life will be better .So dont squeal - and dont expect not be operated and still remain healthy .If you want that – then you have suicidal tendencies !!.

And one thing i have noticed about the PM -criticize him as much as you want ,call him names ,slap cases on him ,try to demoralize him ,BUT - he does what he is convinced of .You may either call him a man with dictatorial traits or like me - admire him becoz he seems to know his mind .!! He is not a flip flop man like the young pretender to the throne of his dynasty !!.And unlike a bhakt or his rabid opponents - i will criticize and applaud him on issues .And not blindly .!! Come on - give him his due !!

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Leonard Cohen - RIP

When we were in the University ( Delhi ), it was “hep and cool” to listen to western music .90 percent of us were brought up on Hindi music and got baptized into western music inorder to upwardly move into the “hep” crowd .Of course we had heard the Beatles and a few other groups but names like, Jethro Tull ,Grand Funk railroad ,Pink Floyd , Doors , Deep Purple ,Jimi Hendrixs ,The Who ,Santana,John Lennon ,Bob Dylan,Three Dog Night ,Petula Clark ,Neil Diamond ,Grateful Dead ,Blood Sweat and Tears ,Abba ,Elton John ,The Beach Boys ,Osibisa ,Doors ,The Rolling Stones ,Carpenters ,Bee Gees ,etc were new to us .But once we (I ) started to listening to them – I was hooked .It did not matter whether it made me hep or not .I just loved to listen to them because they were terrific musicians and bands .I listen to them even today –sometimes starting midnight till 2 am – the way I did in College.

One name is missing from the above list – and that is Leonard Cohen who passed away 2 days ago .He was one of my favourite musicians – had a fabulous voice and sang on a range of subjects – politics ,religion ,sexuality ,personal relationships ,tragedy ,hope , hopelessness – everything which you and me experience .I am not going into the details of his life ( was a Canadian and won Canadas top honour), and was singing till about a couple of weeks back even at the age of 82 .
Back in July, he wrote a touching final letter to his muse, lover and friend Marianne Ihlen whom he met on the Greek island of Hydra in the 1960s. He would go on to have several other relationships with beautiful and glamorous women who would bear him children and grandchildren---but Ihlen stayed in his heart.
Ihlen’s close friend Jan Chrstian Mollestad wrote to Cohen that Ihlen was suffering from leukaemia and time was running out .Mollestad recalled that after contacting Cohen “it took only two hours and in came this beautiful letter from Leonard to Marianne.
“We brought it to her the next day and she was fully conscious and she was so happy that he had already written something for her.”
This is what he wrote in the letter to her , and what Mollestead read out to her in her dying moments
‘Well Marianne it’s come to this time when we are really so old and our bodies are falling apart and I think I will follow you very soon. Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine.
“And you know that I’ve always loved you for your beauty and your wisdom, but I don’t need to say anything more about that because you know all about that. But now, I just want to wish you a very good journey. Goodbye old friend. Endless love, see you down the road.’”
Mollestad said that when he read out the line “stretch out your hand,” Ihlen did indeed stretch out hers.
“Only two days later she lost consciousness and slipped into death.”
Mollestad added
“I wrote a letter back to Leonard saying in her final moments I hummed 'Bird on a Wire' because that was the song she felt closest to. And then I kissed her on the head and left the room, and said “so long, Marianne.”

Do try to listen to the song “So long Marienne” ,Hellulajah” and “Bird on a Wire”
Though times have moved on maybe some of you may like them.
Cohen died on the 7th of this month .RIP – you enriched my life .

The Havelis Of Shekhawati

I had been to the Shekhaweti area before .About 10 years back ,I was on a CBSE Inspection of a school in Dundlod .I had stopped over at a Heritage Hotel for tea and had diverted to Nawalgarh to have a look at a exquisite Haveli of the Poddars .But ,it was getting dark –so I had seen it in a hurry .I was convinced that one could not see havelis in a day or in a hurry.I had promised myself to come back to them .It took me 10 years to fulfill the promise to myself .
The Skehawati area is not far form where I stay .Three hrs drive, on a beautiful road, brought me to my first destination – Fatehpur .I drove through its crowded streets and terrible roads and all of a sudden – I was in the middle of a town that seemed to have no other buildings but havelis .What are “HAVELIS” ?.

Briefly and without intellectualizing the word ,Havelis are magnificent mansions ,built by the “Marwari” community ( trading community), between the 18th and 20th century for their families .The region was the centre of trade route that connected the Middle East with China (Silk Route ),and also Delhi with Gujerat .With the opening up of the sea routes ,the importance of the area declined commercially and the merchants migrated to other parts of India – especially Calcutta .Here they made their fortunes and would return to Shekhawati to build glorious Havelis –each seeking to outdo their neighbours .
The highlight of many havelis was, and still is ,- the outstanding murals painted on its walls .Artists were invited from neighbouring towns who painted these exquisite frescoes .Natural colours were used –especially blue ,maroon, yellow ,green, indigo .Sometimes the murals were decorated with GOLD AND SILVER LEAF (look out for “Chandi Sone” photos in my second blog).Many have small mirror work distinctive of Rajasthani textiles .The themes of the murals were on the life of Lord Krishna – particularly those depicting his mischievious pastimes .Later frescoes showed British influences – cars ,trains ,balloons telephones !!, gramphones and even Englishmen in hunting attire !!
There are two categories of havelis – one which have decayed and left to crumple and die. Sadly no one wants to restore them .I am willing to take up a project to do some of them and even buy one .But there are huge problems about their ownership legalities .A lot of them have been occupied by illegal occupants and are now kind of slums .Innumerable number of them .Secondly – there are HAVELIS THAT HAVE BEEN RESTORED AND BUILT INTO HERITAGE HOTELS AND SCHOOLS .They are exquisite .I stayed in one of them .But even in the dying or dead Havelis are innumerable treasures of art and history .
Have a look at some of the HAVELIS .DONT VISIT THEM AS IF YOU ARE OUT FOR APICNIC WITH CHIPS AND MUSIC SYSTEMS IN TOW !! Visit them if you want to revisit history ,to revisit the great art ,if you want to identify with the walking streets of the Birlas ,The Khemkas ,The Dalmias ,Poddars ,Ruias ,Bajajs,the Goenkas – the whos who of Indian business .And stay a night or two in their charming hotels – believe me I found them better than the magnificent Hotel I stayed in Vancouver which overlooked a beautiful bay .Or a hotel on the Bosphorus !!

Vijay Kain - A Tribute To His "Taaya" from Pratique

Pratique ( my son ) pays tribute to Vijay (my brother).I cant better it -so am making public a letter written by him to me .I am not changing a single word or correcting a single spelling.And do remember that he is writing to me -so you will find a lot of it directed towards me .

" On a Friday afternoon on July 3rd 2015, my father told me he was going to Chandigarh to meet Vijoo taaya. He has never forced me to do anything in my life. So as usual he gave me a choice of whether I wanted to come and meet his elder brother. He told me taaya was extremely unwell and it would be nice if I could accompany him – “he is a nice guy. Aa jaao if you can. It is nice to know the elders of the house”. I said yes. To this day I don’t know why. Maybe because I wanted to meet a man who I knew only through pictures and remarkable stories. Maybe because my father, even though had not forced his will on me, had never been more honest about a demand he made of me. Maybe because I was very intrigued about the idea of Vijoo rather than the Man Vijoo. Whatever it was, I don’t care today. I am glad I met him.
So we left for Chandigarh and in a journey spanning over roughly 6 hours, all I heard was “Oh you can’t meet a man as patient as Vijoo” or “oh he is so brilliant” or “listen don’t be loud in front of him – he is not like the rest of us. Very classy – be careful about what you say”. I heard all this and my father’s countless tales of a man he often associated with, not in a manner that can be defined as relationship between brothers but that between a father and a son. So, when the next day we were getting ready, and I was dressed up in my signature jeans with a round neck tea shirt and flip flops, my father looked at me, utterly annoyed and said “don’t you know who you are going to meet?!” – “please wear some decent clothes with a pair of black shoes and make sure they are polished – I always polish my shoes. Vijoo always wears polished shoes too”.

By this time I was really regretting having said yes to this trip – I was on a holiday to India and I had just come for 2and a half months out of which I had interned for 2 months and in the remainder of this holiday I was being taken to meet a man I was related to, probably just in name. I asked myself, who is this Vijay Kain and why is my father, who is otherwise never so formal, being so careful in approaching his own brother. So well, very reluctantly I did what was asked of me and there we were ready to go. Throughout the journey, between Indu Bhua’s house and taaya’s (about 20 mins or so) I kept asking myself “karna kya hoga?! – touch his feet, shake his hand? – hug him? Nahin nahin cant hug him – we hardly know each other”. So after much deliberation I told myself – “listen just go upto him and say hi sir… wait sir or taaya.. lets say hi taaya – how are you – shake hands and if people around you get too judgmental touch his feet – formality poori kar dena if the situation demands it and chup chaap sit down in the corner of the room closest to the exit”. We reached.

There it was – Vijay Kain (IAS) on the address board with a car number PIH 1. Okay now it was certain – “this guy is a huge shot”. We had been instructed by the others who were in touch with him that he wasn’t fit enough to walk and as such kept lying on the bed for the most part and didn’t talk or eat much. So I entered the house, my taayi was there to receive us. And there he was standing by the drawing room. I was seeing this man after god knows how long. My father met him like a fanboy, my bua was equally delighted to see him. I, in the midst of all this was super confused when he looked at me through the commotion and said “arey Pratique it is soo nice to see you yaar. Thank you for thinking of me and making the effort of coming here”. Nobody had to tell me what to do. I walked to him, touched his feet, hugged him and said Taya how are you feeling. He looks at me and says – much better now. It became very clear why my father and my aunts were in love with this man unconditionally. Where my brother Kunal got his humility and his sensibility from. Where my father got his warmth from. You saw Vijay Kain in everyone. He was an idea. He was an attitude. He was, what you would want to be.

We caught up for hours that day. It is said that wiser of the two men always listen more. So it had to be. He listened to me while I told him everything there was to know about me. I wanted this person to know who I was. I wanted him to remember me. I wanted to make sure he would want to be related to me by more than the just a surname that we shared. He listened intently to what I was doing and what I wanted to do further – “Acha you stay in Halifax – I have been to Halifax. Lovely place. The people are so warm”. “Master of Global Affairs seems very interesting. Have you thought about the UN – maybe you might want to work for them”. We discussed what we liked to eat. I listened too for a change – he told me of his travels. Told me of his love for fish and cricket. Told me of the time when he was just a young civil servant. I can go on and on about my meeting with him and my later interactions with the man, but you knew him better than I did. We finished our dinner that day and we went back home with a promise taaya made to me “once I am fine I shall share a glass of wine with you”. Do come back to meet me if you have the time.
It is human nature to reduce an idea to a man. We are no different and hence we are extremely disturbed about his passing. But shareer, the body, literally translates into something meant to decay. It is but inevitable. Take comfort in the fact that you all are in part a reflection of what he was much like he was very much a reflection of what you are.
As for me, he still owes me that glass of wine. I will have it with my father. I will have it with my buas. I will have it my brothers. And I will end up drunk because let us face it I am just a short little kid who looked at his father on his way back home after meeting his taaya and asked - dad when do we get to meet him again…""

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Salzburg - I can hear "Do Re Me" ( Part 1)

Much of what I am going to write –is going to be nothing new .Salzburg has been photographed and written about more than a average city .What I am going to write about is slightly different in the sense that its going to be about my experience about Salzburg .I am going to divide this write up into 2 parts –one the travelling part of it ( the drive to Salzburg is exquisite !!), and the second part about the town itself .
Salzburg is a town on the river Salzach –which dissects the town into two parts .A beautiful quaint bridge connects the two parts of the town .As you walk over the bridge – you fill find thousands of locks on it .!!( more of that in my second part). At various points of time in history –it was a part of beautiful forested Bavaria , part of Nazi Germany( Hitler persecuted the Jews in Salzburg and sent them to concentration camps ,and also converted it into a camp where prisoners of war were housed) ,and is now the 4th largest town in Austria .It is heavily German speaking and Munich in Germany is only 150 kms from it ( Vienna is twice the distance away at 300 kms ).Just 25 kms away from Salzburg is Berchestegaden – which was Hitlers favourite hangout .Leaders of the world rushed there in the 1930s to meet and convince him not to precipitate the Second World War by agreeing to some of his demands .Its a 20 minutes drive from Salsburg .Salzbur is also the birthplace of Mozart and the setting of the legendary movie –The Sound of Music .!! As my student friend ADITI KATARIA wrote to me – THE AUSTRIANS DID A GREAT JOB IN CONVINCING THE WORLD THAT HITLER WAS A GERMAN AND MOZART WAS A AUSTRIAN!!!( Great one Aditi –see how students teach school Directors !!)Both were born in Austria !!
All this was in my mind (infact , ever since I started seeing movies and studying History), as we boarded a beautiful two decker bus from the Opera House in Vienna .The buses are a pleasure to ride in – you don’t feel a bump and you don’t hear a sound .You have wifi which is very powerful and hence one is connected to the net and whatapp etc ). It was early morning – the traffic was less ( even at the worst of traffic hours ,Vienna has less traffic than the best of traffic hours in India !!).Very soon – the bus was travelling through fabulous countryside .
I have travelled a lot in buses , trains and cars in Europe ( I include Turkey in Europe – I travelled the length and breath of it in car ,not once but twice. I have travelled in Scotland ,England ,Paris ,Czecch Republic- Praha to Karlovy Vary by train is postcard pretty as well- ,Hungary ,Slovakia ,and many more ).But the stretch between Vienna and Salzburg is very very pretty .We cut through thick forests and lovely countryside .We passed St Polten and Linz .In between we passed several villages .The house are so colorful and so well maintained .We passed through areas with castles dotting the landscape .Suddenly , we we would see a temple spire jutting into the blue sky , or a crystal blue colored lake !!. We saw lovely ,well maintained trails taking off from the main highway into forests –and then reappear after sometime near a house on a hill .The open fields had hues of different colors –for the first time I saw swathes of purple amidst rich green ,light green ,yellow and brown fields .I had seen something like that in Frankfurt – but the colors and hues were out of this world .Luckily ,Sangeeta and me got the first seats on the top deck –and we had the large glass in front and on the sides .We had the drivers view .
We stopped at what are called Landzeits – resting places on the autobahn ( highway ). Amazing places .You can get everything in a Landzeit –from fruit ,to any kind of food ,drinks ,pastries ( strudels always there!), beer .The Landzeits are situated in the most beautiful areas .They overlook lovely forests ,and open spaces .They are quiet .You pick up your food and sit anywhere .The second of these Landzeit is at the Mondsee Lake ( where parts of “ Sound of Music “ were filmed .We ate our normal croissants and had lovely cup of coffee .We paid .50 Euros to use their 5 Star washroom facilities !!
Our next halt was inevitably the Mondsee Lake( moon lake ) It is among the last of the privately owned lakes in Austria .It on the outskirts of Salzburg and is famous because of the filming of the movie ( part of it ) ,The Sound of Music .It is also mentioned in Ian Fleming book of James Bond “ Thunderball” .Aside from the lake ,it also has a Cathedral in which the wedding scene of Chirstopher Plummer and Julie Andrews was solemnized .Both of them are alive –and so are the men and women who acted as kids in the movie .There is something about the place ( its psychological ), that gives you goose pimples .I am sure one would not get them if one did not know enough of the place .But it’s a visual delight –whether you know anything about the place or not .The Landzeit ,overlooks the Lake which is surrounded by forests ,mountains and beautifully built town and villages .We took a lot of photographs here – everyone did !!
We had one last look at the Mondsee lake –when comes another chance to repeat a destination when there are so many places yet to see?!!!- turned our collars to howling breeze and made our way towards Salzburg .Very soon -the city rushed towards us –or was it the other way around ?!!.Anyways – we embarced each other !! Like long lost friends . We stepped out of the bus – our guide welcomed us and said “ Welcome to the town of Mozart and the Sound of Music !!”

Salzburg - I can hear the symphony of Mozart !! ( Part 2 )

The first thing that strikes you when you enter Salzburg is the fact that here the tourists outnumber the locals .There are people moving around looking at buildings ,shops ,gardens .There are a number of luxury tourists buses which are parked in a very orderly way .There are men and women who have cameras hung around their necks –the Japanese go a step forward ,they carry with tem their movie cameras and tripod stands!! Undoubtedly ,Salzburg is a tourist favorite,but there is no hustling ,pushing and frantic crossing of the roads .One sees very few vehicles in the form of cars .They never blow their horn ,don’t make sound ,and don’t emit gas.
The building that dominates the skyline of Salzburg is the –Hohensalzburg Castle .It sits atop the Festungsberg. It is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe and is situated at an altitude of 506 m . A funicular takes you upto the castle at a cost of 5 or 10 Euros .One can also walk upto the castle .We did not go into the castle because of shortage of time .I am told it is a awesome castle
As far as I am concerned –the most beautiful building in Salzburg is the Salzburg Cathedral .Its the first baroque church built in this part of Europe and has some exquisite statues ,paintings and frescoes .In one of them , a Marian figure is surrounded on four sides by allegoric figures representing angels, the devil, wisdom, and the Church. According to a plaque on the side of the cathedral, the figure group shows reactions to the mystery of the Immaculate Conception—the angels are delighted, human wisdom vanishes, the envious devil growls, and the triumphant Church rejoices.The building is made of dark grey stone .Its exquisite .The bells are as old as 1628 !! It’s a Roman Catholic Church built in the 17th Century .During the Second World War a bomb ripped through its Dome – however by 1959 ,it had been restored .And Salzburg Cathedral still contains the baptismal font in which composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized.
There are many beautiful sights in Salzburg.Mirabell Place is one of them where some shots of the Sound of Music were filmed .In particular there are a row of steps on which Julie Andrews and the kids sing Do Re Me .These are not filmed as steps –what is there to film about steps ?- but in the film they are used as rows of Piano on which children keep hopping of and on in line with the musical notes !! I also tried to hop –so did many !! On ones way out from the castle –one passes the house in which Doppler lived !!
The Getreidegasse near the Cathedral is Salzburg′s busiest lane: one super-expensive boutique next to another show that the average tourist visiting Salzburg is definitely not the type of person that keeps the city going. The stores in the Getreidegasse make most of their money with the rich guests of the Salzburg Festival. Sangeeta and me kept looking for the brands which were NOT there rather than the ones which were there !! From Omega ,Versace , Mont Blanc etc etc –they have it all .The difference between this street and lets say Oxford Street in London is that these stores are housed in quaint little buildings and narrow cobbled streets and squares .
The Getreidegasse winds its way towards a yellowish colored building where everyone seems headed – this is Mozart birthplace. The Mozart family had rented a flat in the house of the wealthy merchant Lorenz Hagenauer.We were finally looking at the house in which the great man was born .!!We were confronting history !!" There was studied silence .It was clear that his reputation was following him .We took a number of photographs 
A very interesting part of the street is the way a shop is advertised .We were told that in olden times most people did not know how to read or write .So they could not figure out lets say a cobblers shop .So what did they do – they hung a shoe outside the shop to denote that it was a shoemakers shop .!! Same for watches ,clothes ,carpenters ,bricks (hang a brick ), etc .Absolutely fascinating .!1 Beautiful street .
There is a pedestrian bridge that connects the Old Town ( where the Castle is ), to the New Town .This bridge is built over the river that separates the two parts of the town – Salzach.The bridge is called the Makarsteg Bridge .But it is a bridge with a difference .A sea of of padlocks are attached to the fence just below the railing of the bridge.What are these padlocks doing there ? Actually, according to some sources the practice was fueled by the Italian movie, I Want You, based on the book of the same name by Federico Moccia. Apparently two teen lovers attach a padlock engraved with their names to a lamppost on the Ponte Milvio in northern Rome, then throw the key into the River Tiber. The days of hearts carved on trees with a arrow piercing, with names like “Cintoo loves Bunty”, it are over !! 
Isn’t love grand! I stopped to try and read some engravings on the locks .But then I felt , it was like unexpectedly interrupting two lovers on a park bench, coming across all those locks of love. I smiled knowingly, recalling the sweet magic that comes with falling in love. I moved on .For all of you who are in love or “think” they are in love – take a trip to Salzburg , lock a padlock and throw it into the Salzach River and whisper – “till someone can retrieve the key from the river and open our lock –it will last !!”.
Salzburg is seeped in History ,Music and Romance ! Don’t miss seeing it .It will just cost you the price of a Iphone or Apple laptop.You must choose spending your money judiciously !!

Ellie Wiesel -Even Death Cant Silence Your Voice .

Facebook is a great platform that has brought millions together .Its a great platform to express oneself  .It is heavily populated – probably the most populated space in the world today .However – at some levels , it smacks of artificiality .A lot of people log onto facebook to see the amount of “likes” , a particular photograph, dress or achievement  evokes .At many levels it is place to show off – your foreign travels ,your kids achievements ,your celebrity friends, your writng skills , and so on .Its like a Page 3 of a newspaper –interesting but in most cases not too serious .Majority of  its members wouldn’t care less whats on the editorial page !! That’s why – Facebook does not seem to have noticed the demise of one of  the greatest voices of the 20^th century .And even if they have heard his name –they know very little about this remarkable human being

He was Ellie Wiesel , a Professor of Humanities at the Boston University and a Nobel Prize winning human being .But that is not what he is famous for ( he was called a “ Living Memorial’’ ).He was among the few who survived a Nazi concentration camp and lived to tell its tale with a moral fibre that made everyone believe  what he said and wrote .

 Wiesel  was born  in Romania, and  was 15 when he was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland with his family in 1944.

The future writer was later moved and ultimately freed from the Buchenwald camp in 1945. Of his relatives, only two of his sisters survived.

Wiesel said  that Auschwitz was "to this day, a source of shock and astonishment."

Wiesel survived the concentration camp ,and wrote a book which everyone should read .Its called “Night” , and is barely 115 pages or so .In the book Wiesel describes how the Nazis picked him and his family ,along with all the Jews from his home in Sighet. In his own words

“One by one, they passed in front of me,-teachers, friends, others, all those I had been afraid of, all those I could have laughed at, all those I had lived with over the years. They went by, fallen, dragging their packs, dragging their lives, deserting their homes, the years of their childhood, cringing like beaten dogs.”

“Night” recounted a journey of several days spent in an airless cattle car before the narrator and his family arrived in a place they had never heard of: Auschwitz. Mr. Wiesel recalled how the smokestacks filled the air with the stench of burning flesh, how babies were burned in a pit, and how a monocled Dr. Josef Mengele decided, with a wave of a bandleader’s baton, who would live and who would die. “ Women, and children below the age of 15 to the right , others to the left”  Mengele barked .  Mr. Wiesel watched his mother and his sister Tzipora walk off to the right, his mother protectively stroking Tzipora’s hair.To the right –meant the gas chambers ,to the left meant that men would be made to do labour and finally shot or gassed .

“I did not know that in that place, at that moment, I was parting from my mother and Tzipora forever,” he wrote.

In Auschwitz and in a nearby labor camp called Buna, where he worked loading stones onto railway cars,  Wiesel turned feral under the pressures of starvation, cold and daily atrocities. “Night” recounts how he became so obsessed with getting his plate of soup and crust of bread that he watched guards beat his father with an iron bar while he had “not flickered an eyelid” to help.In silence .

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed,” Mr. Wiesel wrote. “Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never.”

 Ellie  Wiesel long grappled with what he called his “dialectical conflict”: the need to recount what he had seen and the futility of explaining an event that defied reason and imagination. In his Nobel speech, he said that what he had done with his life was to try “to keep memory alive” and “to fight those who would forget.”

“Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices. You kill a person again by forgetting  how he died him” he said forcefully .

"If I survived, it must be for some reason," said Wiesel. "I must do something with my life. It is too serious to play games with it  anymore, because in my place, someone else could have been saved. And so I speak for that person. On the other hand, I know I cannot.".

Death snuffed out that remarkable voice. In an interview to Oprah Winfrey he had said "What is abnormal is that I am normal. That I survived the Holocaust and went on to love beautiful girls, to talk, to write, to have toast and tea and live my life -- that is what is abnormal." .

Ellie Wiesel died yesterday .

But his voice will continue to reverberate. And all  you kids who go on the much touted NASA trips which schools organize – please do visit the Holocaust Memorial in Washington .Ellie Wiesel has contributed hugely to its set up. There is so much to learn from America apart from eating burgers ,drinking Coke ,Bloomingdales, Macys, Times Square .!! I would like to end with my favourite quote of his

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death.”

Beauty In Ruins -Devin Castle ,Bratislava.

It was our last day in Bratislava .We had had a very hectic morning and afternoon exploring what had been left of the city which we had not seen the previous day .We had yet to see the Hrad Castle, the Grassalkovich Palace –Slovakia’s White house which is now the residence of its President, the Novy Most (the new bridge with its famous café UFO which one reaches by taking a elevator and the Devin Castle .It was a fight agaist time

We were wary about doing the Devin Castle –because it is located about 20 kms from the city square .We were dog tired by the time we had seen the other sights – my back was aching and it was getting onto 4 pm .Should we give Devin a go ?
Of course we must – and I am glad that we did . As one drives through rural Slovakia into Bratislava ,the traveler grows quickly accustomed to spotting castles–ruined or otherwise– perched atop seemingly on every hill or craggy outcrop. But for those visitors without the opportunity to travel much farther than Bratislava and the surrounding area, Devín offers a similar experience.And it is a must see .
We took Bus no 29 bus( even no 28 goes there) from beneath the UFO bridge in Bratislava.The bus was more or less empty and took us along the river and forests and into a village which appeared fairly well populated .It came to stop at a very beautiful bus stop which had a lovely hotel and a few houses .There were shops selling the usual stuff which castles and traditional places are famous for .And as we looked skywards –we saw the magnificent castle in front of us .The idea of the climb was daunting –but we had not come this far to give up .So off we went in the quest to explore the castles ruins .
Devín Castle stands on a cliff rising 212 metres above the confluence of the Morava and Danube rivers, which is also the border between Slovakia and Austria. It takes neither a military genius nor a pioneering city planner to identify the strategic worth of such a location
The stone medieval castle was built in the 13th century A.D., with a palace added 200 years later, as well as further fortifications to protect the castle against the Ottoman invasion. When Napoleon occupied and then destroyed the place in 1809, he was the first marauder to penetrate the castle's defenses, leaving behind the current ruin, which has been carefully preserved and now houses a museum detailing the castle's chequered history and containing many artifacts discovered on the site.His forces occupied it and stayed on here for 10 years .
Napoleon was, of course, unable to destroy the natural beauty of the area, and the castle's hilltop location affords spectacular views along both rivers and across both countries, surveying forests, marshlands, vineyards, more rolling hills, and the capital city. From the ground, the castle is equally attractive; it is an imposing fortress whose turrets and towers seem to be a natural extension of the vertical rock-faces launching up from the riverbank.
The most photogenic part of the castle is the tiny watchtower, seemingly not much bigger than a chess piece on the board representing the castle ( the last pieces on the last row of the chess board ) known now as the Virgin Tower. Separated from the main castle, it balances perilously on a lone rock and has spawned countless legends concerning imprisoned lovelorn daughters leaping to their deaths.Catch a local and he/she will narrate a interesting –though tragic tale – of how many couples leapt to their death ( why do they do that ?!!!)

At the Devin Castle ,Bratislava .

Inside, the castle is a sprawling landscape of walls, staircases, open courtyards and gardens in various states of repair. It is a fully-fledged tourist attraction, with well-paved pathways, informative signage, countless benches and drinking fountains.The Nazis, occupied it during the World War II.
The castle is isolated - Bratislava being 25 min away by bus or car .This isolation was even more pronounced during the communist era, when Devín's location at the confluence of the rivers Morava and Danube made it a favoured departure point for those fleeing the regime which was Communist .Dont forget that Slovakia ( at that time a part of Czechkslovakia ,was the last outpost of the Communist Europe) . Austria( part the Capitalist bloc those days ) is no more than a tempting 40 metres across the narrowest sections of the Morava, a brief swim or literal stone's skim away.
Consequently, the river banks were heavily guarded by communist soldiers, with fences and watchtowers erected some distance from the water's edge, effectively placing Devín within an exclusion zone. Day-trippers were persuaded against visiting the village and were certainly not allowed anywhere near the river, denying Slovaks many of the finest views of the castle and into Austria.

There is , a memorial arch stands a few metres from the river, bearing the names of more than 100 unsuccessful defectors, shot during their attempt to escape. The concrete arch is symbolically riddled with bullet holes and also details some startling statistics from the era: there were more than 180,000 successful escapees from the country; 80,000 people were imprisoned for their attempts; 20,000 sent to gulags; and 2.2 million unwillingly deported from Slovakia.
If you are in the Slovak Republic –you have to go to Devin Castle !! Know a bit of its history – otherwise it will remain a rubble of stones in your memory !!