Shimla Musings

आज अपने स्कूल के एक अन्य अध्यापक महोदय की याद आ रही है , जिनका नाम नराता राम था । उम्र से काफी बुज़ुर्ग थे पर चुस्त दुरुस्त । संजौली में रहते थे और लक्कड़ बाजार तक आना जाना साइकिल पर  होता था । विद्यार्थियों को सख्त हिदायत थी कि ऐसे समय उन्हें अभिवादन न करें , शायद एक बार ध्यान बंटने पर दुर्घटना होते होते बची । घनी मूंछे और टोपी उनकी विशेष पहचान थी । छोटी कक्षाओं को गणित,  सामाजिक अध्ययन पढ़ाते थे। गणित के ऐसे ऐसे फार्मूले उनके पास थे जो  किताबों में कहीं ढूंढ कर नहीं मिलते थे । पढ़ाने का ढंग बहुत अच्छा था । दोनों विषयों पर पकड़ अद्भुत थी । चाहे  इतिहास  में जलालुद्दीन अकबर हो या भूगोल  में  मरुस्थल कालाहारी, विस्तृत जानकारी मिल जाती  थी ।रौब  पूरा था , अनुशासन हीनता बर्दाश्त न थी । गुस्सा आने पर 'हराम खोरो'  उनका तकिया क़लाम था । एक बार शनिवार को क्लास छोड़ते समय उनके मुंह से निकल गया 'ज़िन्दगी रही तो फिर मिलेंगे' . मेरा रविवार का दिन भी इसी पसोपेश में गुज़रा कि कहीं कुछ हो न जाए । सोमवार को जब सब सामान्य पाया तो मन को  शांति मिली ।

Shimla Musings

 There   have been nostalgic posts from friends on Facebook about the harsh snowy winters in Shimla with attendant hardships and the  Lion face shaped  public hydrants  that apart from being a  dependable public utility were also a marvel of technology.  This post covers both aspects.

Till   beginning of August, 1964 we lived in  a literally shady area above the circular road with only a little sunshine. As a result water pipes got frozen in winter posing great difficulty.

One such winter, the water pipe got frozen and water had to be brought from the  lion faced public hydrant below AG office which was at a walkable distance. While my father would  carry full sized two buckets in the morning and in the evening after coming from Office, we kids supplemented the effort by  volunteering to carry water in small Dalda cans and milk buckets. My elder sister ventured to carry a bucket . As we were coming back  after filling our containers, just at a place from where the descent starts, a tall sanyasi type gentleman ,perhaps in late fifties clad in white long kurta and dhoti , with  shoulder length hair smilingly took the took the bucket from my sister and carried it up to the bifurcation to the  path that lead to our residence. We could only bow in respect to him . 

Compare this in with today's pontificating , sermonizing god men  living in 7 star luxury .

The incident is etched deep in memory and is fresh  after more than  half a century .

Teachers Day Musings

 It feels good to recollect that I too had been  a teacher albeit for only a few months. The year was 1975. I called it quits after completing Post Graduation in English , though I was advised to do M. Phil. by  some well-wishers. Somehow teaching did not attract me. 

A friend who came to know that the Shimla Public College aka  Jain Academy, situated below Kali Bari Temple and  adjoining SBI Shimla  needed an English teacher, asked me to have a try. The next day I went there. The owner- cum-  Head didn't ask me for certificates even and told me to start teaching from the next day. I was to take classes from Xth  to B.A. final  , there being eight periods of 30 minute duration each. It was  an all girl institution . The real challenge was to teach Class X. Somehow I started  teaching and came to like it. I had to make necessary preparations every day ,   so as not having to cut a sorry figure in the class. I taught text books, grammar and composition as per the requirements of syllabus I can say I taught well  as there was good response from the students and the Head, Dr. Jain also seemed quite satisfied. Whatever I was given as remuneration was enough as pocket money . I taught for one session only as I had to think seriously about a regular non- teaching job which eventually I got. Although for a short time, teaching was a rewarding experience.

A MISCONCEIVED ADVENTURE

It  was the Summer of 1963 . Being a Sunday,we three siblings aged 4,9, and 11 together with 3-4 other boys of the neighbourhood, made a programme to visit the mini Zoo near Raj Niwas at Chaura  Maidan . Raj Niwas is now the Peterhof  Hotel and mini Zoo is the Bird Sanctuary.  The said was within the walking distance coverable in half an hour or at the most 45 minutes at a very  leisurely pace, so parents granted permission easily. We went there, looked and moved around and enjoyed the sight of caged Tiger, Bear, swimming ducks and other assorted birds. 

This over,someone in the group suggested to go further to Tuti Kandi Zoo that was larger in area and presumably  had  many more animals .

Without giving a  second  thought we headed towards the destination that we had not gone to earlier. The visit , to me appeared not worth as unlike the mini Zoo, this bigger zoo seemed asymmetric and not properly kept or laid out. The only discerning feature was the wired fence all around .It took much time there also and we started back journey. It was about to get dark when we reached home, unmindful of the worry and the torment that we had caused to our parents. I do not know how the parents of  neighbouring took it , but our father had moved out naturally on foot  enquiring and looking for us. Anyways, he came back utterly sad and dejected ,only feeling relieved that we were back. Full of emotions, it took him quite some time to recover his speech. For the first time we saw the emotional side of him. Otherwise he was not given to outward show of emotion or affection although alive to all our legitimate demand. There was no reproach or reprimand as perhaps the parents had seen and gauged the sense of guilt in our eyes. The so called  adventure turned sour.

Corona DAYS

 Hark ye countrymen ! Corona is here to stay and to stay for pretty long ....till future indefinite.. ! I am amused to see an Ad by a reputed brand . They have started making matching masks to go with fancy Gents formal shirts. So mask is going to be a necessary accessory of the outfit you wear.

Some entrance exams are about to start. After all these cannot be kept in abeyance for long. So dear candidates , go for and take the exams, but at your own risk . But before that must get yourself tested and obtain a Certificate to the effect that you are not Corona positive. This is a pre-condition laid down. सवारी सिर्फ सामान की ही नहीं खुद की भी ज़िम्मेदार है !

Good luck all !!

Shimla Musings

 I have written earlier that when I was admitted to Class V in S.D.Higher Secondary School,Shimla , I was awestruck with the presence of all male teachers, who I was given to understand were famous or infamous for thrashing students.I had no worry regarding the studies part as I was confident of pulling on well but my  Waterloo came in the shape of  compulsory writing in ink with a Kalam or a bamboo Reed. I did get punished a few times for this lapse on my part but within a month or so , I took to Kalam and Holder rather easily . It's another matter that my hands, bag and uniform sometimes got smeared with ink.Taking the stick blows on palm or a slap on the face were the most common types of  thrashing one would get but there were some teachers with idiosyncrasies in this respect also. There was one Mr. P.C.Sood who would slap the face with the sweep of full arm and was the most dreaded and feared teacher of all. There were some who took a lenient view with regard to studies but would not brook indiscipline and punished the students for that only.

There was one Mr. Jindal who would get peeved whenever a student in some context said हम. The student would get beaten badly with the retort from  the said teacher " तुम कोई  राजे महाराजे हो जो खुद को हम कहते हो !". Otherwise he was an excellent teacher quite liberal with giving ' Very Good'  for neatly done homework. Another teacher Sh. Amarnath Shastri, who taught Sanskrit and Dharam Shiksha did not carry a stick but would strike the back of the hand with the blunt side of the pencil , which was no less painful. Another teacher Vijay Rana or Raina , a science teacher would pinch hard on the sides of the underarms. There came a rash and brash PTI who would slap and thrash students in the morning Assembly itself on small pretexts but once had tables turned upon him when a student held rightly and strongly his raised arm from the wrist. I need not go into further details but the PTI got mellowed after the incident .

Over all they were  good teachers always giving their 100% to the job at hand.

My respects and regards to all my teachers !

ख़ैयाम

 दशकों हिंदी फिल्मों एवं फ़िल्मी गीतों को अपने कर्णप्रिय,मधुर, यादगार संगीत से सजाने वाले महान संगीतकार मोहम्मद जहूर खैय्याम हाशमी उर्फ़ खैय्याम की आज पुण्य तिथि है। सर्व प्रथम संगीतकार द्वय शर्माजी- वर्मा जी के शर्मा जी के नाम से 1948 की फिल्म 'हीर राँझा' से संगीत की शुरुआत करने वाले खैय्याम ने 1953 की फिल्म फुटपाथ से खैय्याम के नाम से संगीत देना शुरू किया । उनके द्वारा जिन फिल्मों में संगीत रचना की गयी, उनमें फिर सुबह होगी, लालारुख, बारूद, शोला और शबनम, शगुन, आखिरी खत, संकल्प, कभी कभी, त्रिशूल , खानदान, नूरी, थोड़ी सी बेवफाई, चंबल की क़सम, नाखुदा, दर्द, आहिस्ता आहिस्ता , बाजार, उमराव जान, रज़िया सुल्तान, परबत के उस पार आदि हैं । तीन बार फ़िल्मफ़ेअर अवार्ड से सम्मानित होने वाले खैय्याम को संगीत नाटक अकादमी पुरस्कार और पद्म भूषण से भी नवाज़ा गया । गत वर्ष आज के दिन इनका निधन हुआ !

महान संगीतकार को हमारी विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि !!

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