Teejan Bai

 ALVIDA Teejan Bai, the celebrated Pandvani exponent !!

Humble tributes 🙏

नानक सिंह

 नानक सिंह, पंजाबी कवि और उपन्यासकार, जिनके उपन्यास ' पवित्र पापी ' पर इसी नाम से फ़िल्म बनी जिसमे बलराज साहनी, तनूजा और परीक्षित साहनी मुख्य भूमिका में नज़र आए.

जयंती पर विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि 🙏

NCERT - unnecessary change in Syllabus

 What is NCERT up to !

A news headline reads " NCERT drops French & Russian Revolution....."

 I remember in the ' 60s, combined syllabus of Social Studies for ix & x class there was a chapter on the 1789 AD  French Revolution, highlighting the names of contemporary thinkers and writers Rousseau  & Voltaire. Their teachings were about  Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, which universally remain the cardinal principles of Humanity.  About Russian Revolution we knew from other sources.

What makes NCERT  take such a decision is beyond comprehension.

Reportedly a substitution is made by adding chapters on Vedas and other Ancient Indian Philosophy. One can hardly have an issue with teaching Vedas, Upanishads etc. But why drop the important events that happened in other parts of the world ? Is it worthwhile to close our eyes and mind to the outside World ?

Another 'wonderful' chapter has been added lauding the ECI for successful implementation of SIR which ironically has met with criticism nationwide.

Of course addition and not substitution is the way forward that too with sagacity and foresight.

Let's not create a generation of Zombies.

TEETH, THE PRECIOUS POSSESSION

 SUNDAY MUSINGS -

Never been lucky to have a beautiful line of pearly teeth, I have always envied people gifted with shiny symmetrical denture. My asymmetric assemblage has sometimes invited the uncharitable comparison with Dracula which I knew was an exaggeration. Despite all this I could not care less for the cosmetic side as long as I had no problem with biting into food, the sole purpose of having been equipped with  the tool. I have had trouble due to toothache occurring many a time but got over with minor medication. 

Fortunately I  didn't have to go for RCT or removal of an odd tooth.

So far so good.  Now over a period of time I have lost half my teeth, and as if by some design, am denied the luxury of having roasted chana, my all time favourite. Not a big deal even this.

To make the matters worse, my better half points out to some change in my voice, attributing it to my loss of teeth. Regularly she keeps persuading me to go for denture, which advice I hardly relish. Removal of my remaining natural teeth and replacing them with an artificial equipment - the idea simply does not amuse me and puts me off !

No false claims of Abhi To Main Jawan Hun  in my case.........!

FATHERS DAY

 At  my age and stage, not many but a lucky few blessed ones  have their parents  by their side . I lost both before I was forty. I do not think  one needs special days to feel grateful to  parents  but such occasions do  keep   one reminded of this wonderful relationship full of selfless love and  affection from parents’ side , though unfortunately not always  returned or reciprocated  by the kids.Increasing number  Old age homes and vriddhashrams   are a testimony to this bitter  truth. I remember my father  as  someone , who led a simple highly contented  life , never caring for any material gains. Never a pampering or cajoling type, but always  alive to  our needs, which  he tried his best to fulfill .Even while buying cloth for our school uniform, he would go for the best. His trademark thaila  always  hung on his shoulders, fresh vegetables were carried home daily. I am lucky  to have inherited  his genes and  at times,  it feels good when  others, who knew him   have nice things to say about him. 

 Things are never the same  when parents are gone  !

HAPPY FATHER'S  DAY !!

Birthday Musings.

 Ordinarily  for the younger lot a birthday is an occasion to celebrate. For older people,it is an  opportunity  to  be grateful to the Almighty for having  afforded  a journey this far. It hurts and is painful to learn that you share your birthday with someone who is  a part of history  besides being a victim of some atrocity. The same feeling  crossed my mind yesterday as I thought of Anne Frank , a young girl born  exactly 25 years before me   who became a writer  when she started writing a diary  in  a note book  gifted to her on her 13th birthday. She became a chronicler of her times. Her family  became a victim of the  Holocaust that  befell the  Jewish race of the times during the Second  World War . She died of Typhus while living in captivity  in a Nazi concentration camp aged 15. The diary was published posthumously in the shape of a book.

PANCHAYAT ELECTIONS 2026- II

 By the way.....

Today is the third and the last phase of PANCHAYAT ELECTIONS in Himachal Pradesh. The results in respect of Pradhan/Up Pradhan/ Ward Member in the Panchayats covered in first two phases are already out.

 The results of Pradhan/Up Pradhan/ Ward Member  of the Panchayats being covered today will also be out by late night today. The results of BDCs and Zila Parishads will be declared later as per schedule when counting is done. 

One hopes that the elected Candidates 

meet the expectations and aspirations of their voters by working honestly and diligently for the development of their respective areas . 

It is amusing to see the Political parties already laying claim to the winning candidates as having been 'supported' by them. It is common knowledge that Elections for the PRIs are not held and contested on Party Symbols. Candidates file their nomination in individual capacity and symbols are allotted according to their names in the Alphabetical order.  No Political leader worth the name from outside the Panchayat/ BDC/ Zila Parishad ward is supposed to come for canvassing or holding public meetings / rallies. On the face of this the claims of Parties supporting the candidates seem hollow , unfounded and quite an aberration. There is only one aspect left  and that is of financial support . Again , if parties help a candidate financially out of the Party fund even on the sly, there is no point in holding the Election on independent non- Party symbols.  Ironically such unauthenticated claims make headlines of the Press, especially the Hindi newspapers.

The other amusing aspect is of the pictures of very old voters being carried to the Polling booth to gain publicity. Though this is a sign of healthy democracy, when very old people  participate in voting, there is no point in carrying sick people from  the comfort of their homes. Sometimes there are exaggerated claims regarding their age, which is nowhere documented.

Good luck to all who are in the fray !

Hail democracy and the spirit of democracy !!