Close To My Heart

(There is a patch in everybody’s life which is a lot closer to the heart than the others and is cherished by one, over and over again in remembrances and reminisces, in wanting some how to cling to it rather than severe it as a bygone era… the memories persist, the times lived and relived over and over again…regretting what at that time was destined, though maybe the present equally good or better.)

Part I. The Beginning…

I also have patch close to my heart…years ago…a stint in the Indian Army, from the age of 19 to 25…in one of the decorated Gurkha Battalion… the 2^nd of the 11^th Gurkha Regiment. This was what I wanted and I got from life, maybe for a short period…before destiny intervened to change the course, to be what I am today.

The Army catches you young and trains you in all spheres enough to take on the career responsibility, the early years are impressionable and what is imbibed then, becomes a base to form your character…a launch pad, to face the oncoming changing situations. If you remember, in the late nineties, when with the onslaught of the multi-nationals coming to India and offering literally the ‘Moon’ as regards pay packets and the revision hike in pay scales of the contemporary services, the Army was forced on the back foot as regards recruitment of officers, with the young one’s preferring to go towards higher pay packets and comparatively ‘softer’ services. During that time the Indian Army had come up with a catchy Ad-Campaign for its Short Service Commission, titled ‘An Officer for Five Years and a Gentleman for Life’, so aptly true to what its training & service imbibes.

My up-coming career in the Army came to a sudden & unfortunate end due my involvement in a 'Freak' road accident near a graveyard on the Riverside Road in Barrackpore while driving, as per the 'locals' a prone area, known and feared for 'unbelievably weird accidents'. A downgraded medical category and a charge of ‘Rash and negligent driving’ saw the end through, and before I could register the impact in totality I was back home. I could have avoided this outcome with some wangling but the conscience wouldn't allow...I would have fallen in my own eye's if I would have done that...along with me there were friends / comrades in that accident who got hurt and my heart was heavy. I was aware with the knowledge that with this mishap. the 'blemish' would be fatal...but thats the way that was ethical...and so it be...maybe the future had other challenges destined. That was in 1978…I was 25yrs of age with 6years of service behind me. The years passed and I carried on with life with what it had to offer but this ‘patch’ was my strength, the memories my very own which nobody could take away. With changing priorities and efforts towards rehabilitation, I lost all touch / contact with my colleagues but not this ‘patch’ of life. Then suddenly, late in 2005 after 27 years I had the urge to communicate / locate / be in touch , catch-up with them…nothing better than an e-mail for expression, and so I surfaced and wrote…….

The e-mail...nailed !

14^th September 2005

Hello All,

Its been a long, long time…in fact years…over 27, since we were together. Though I came away, you were always in the mind or say the back of the mind. Life in civil is taxing …mentally…if you want to live within the confines of your principles. People like me…for whom life suddenly changed the environ and had to start all over again…revise / revamp the code of conduct and somehow find a middle path between one’s own set of principles and conscience…to live life meaningfully…it takes time… and so it did.

The rougher years are gone…one has waded through…life is reasonably comfortable…(even in today’s twisted world where values are looked down upon and morals are an unnecessary burden)…and somewhat settled. The path, though winding and uphill, has been taxing and strenuous but has also been satisfying and fulfilling, for having met the challenges and tackled them at one’s own terms…gives you good-sound-sleep at night…every night.

I shall take you through these 27 years in spurts…and leave it on you to visualize the colours and imagine the scenarios. Discharged in May 1978…managed somehow to give Final year in 'Bachelor of Arts' in the same month…burning the night lamp with a bottle of Rum…and of course…the subject books…(the subjects were new to me…having done the I st & II nd year in Commerce and prior to that… Indian school Certificate (ISC)... in Science ! Quite unusual and chequered academics) …managed to clear and become a 'Graduate' with a reasonably good high 2^nd Div, to enter the new world… armed…or in their language - educated. This was just to ease the minds of the near one’s who were concerned for me. I on the other hand had no intention to enter any service / job after I lost my first love…Army. I wanted to venture out into the big bad world of…self-employed and why not…I had nothing to loose, nothing to fall back upon (literally) …but everything to look forward …but more so because I was young…had a full life ahead and I thought I had been better prepared, with comparatively, what our ancient metallurgists had amalgamated… “Ashta Dhatu” an alloy made from eight metals (Gold, silver, Copper, Tin, Lead, Iron, Zinc & Antimony) enhancing the better qualities of each of these metals to combine & create one… which has stood the test of time in terms of centuries.

Thinking back, it seems that what I was at that time (I’ll pen it down for you) entering a new life was nobody less than today’s “Rambo or Schwarzenegger”….

- A Graduate of Bachelor Of Arts… with more of Commerce, Physics & Chemistry in me.

- A Qualified Physical Training Instructor (Army School of Physical Training)

- Knowledgeable about basic Weaponry, Tactics & a Qualified Commando with skills of all kinds of combat and survival (Young Officers Course).

- Knew inside out of Petrol & Diesel Vehicles…enough not to be fooled by anybody (Motor Transport Course)

- Had working / operative knowledge Of Telephony & Wireless systems (Regimental Signal Officers Course)

- Trained & tested, to & for, Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare…a little out of tune in the concrete jungles…but the basics apply (Counter Insurgency & Jungle Warfare Course)

- Administrator & a PRO…rolled into one. (Junior Staff Course)

With all above knowledge, on ground I was a strongly built, humble young man of 25 yrs (with ground experience of 6 ) wanting to settle down ASAP and carry on with life. The Army had taught a few good things which made the first steps not so difficult… like…Walk Straight (with your head high…which I still do... with a clear conscience)…Talk Straight…(has given me a reputation of being blatant to a point of being rude…some call it …Attitude)…Drink Straight (used to…I have sobered down with time).. and Shoot Straight ( I still do…may it be on the Shooting Range…we have a Rifle Club here…I can still average 80/100 even with the present 54 yrs old eyes… OR in business… because there the rules say “In business you do not get what you deserve, but what you negotiate”). And I have managed to survive, so long in the business of being 'Self Employed'.

They say one is most receptive when circumstances are adverse. It was then…during the rebuilding process of life & career when I caught on to these two aphorisms… one by Swami Vivekananda, a great philosopher of our time…quote..."STAND UP, BE BOLD, BE STRONG, ALL POWER IS WITHIN YOU. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING & EVERYTHING, BE BRAVE, MAN DIES BUT ONCE"…unquote… written in bold letters and pasted on to the pelmet of the door leading out of the house…this used to charge me up enough to see the day through. The other from H.L. Dietrich in 'A Final Destiny'…quote…"WE ARE ALL VICTIMS, ANSELMO. OUR DESTINIES ARE DECIDED BY A COSMIC ROLL OF THE DICE, THE WHIMS OF THE STARS AND THE VAGRANT BREEZES OF FORTUNE THAT BLOW FROM THE WINDMILLS OF THE GODS” …unquote…pasted on to the pelmet of the door of the bedroom, this used to console me enough in the evening to look forward for the next day….and these two are still inspiring me to carry on.

End of Part I. 'The e-mail continues' in Part II, to follow shortly.

Madhai Magic.

Have you ever sat under the open sky at night in the jungles away from the harsh artificial lights of the cities? Have you ever experienced the big bright stars shining in their perfect glory in the dark night sky just above your head, giving you a feeling that you could pluck them if you reach out? Have you ever breathed the clean fresh fragrance of the night air so crisp that you can actually taste it? Have you ever in this environ heard the nocturnal jungle sounds, as soothing and relaxing as a lullaby? Have you ever sat alone like this for yourself as company and contemplated on your life? Have you ever been at total peace with yourself? Have you, have you ever?

If not then please do so, life is short, so do not miss out the small pleasures nature has to offer. Find a place which offers all the above and you will be surprised to rediscover yourself. I found one for myself in ‘Madhai’ a few years ago and its magic is astounding. Tucked away in the foothills of Satpura, 130 kms from Bhopal, in the Satpura Wildlife Sanctuary, surrounded by Churna and Bori Wildlife Sanctuaries and Pachmari, the summer capital of the erstwhile Central Provinces of the British Raj, Madhai is amazing. Normal civilization stops at this side of the river Denwa (infested with crocodiles), which you have to cross on a motor boat to reach the other side which is a wildlife sanctuary. Once you cross over, you achieve isolation since you leave electricity behind. No gadgets work, no irritating mobiles as there are no signals. The place was mostly unknown to all till recently the Forest department of Madhya Pradesh decided to open it for public and has started developing it on the lines of the famous ‘Bandavgarh and Kanha Wildlife Resorts’.

Madhai is magical. With river Denwa on one side and the hills of Satpura range on the other, linking Pachmari through the dense forests of Churna and Bori, thick with Teak and Sal trees and the undergrowth providing the necessary camouflage for its plentiful wildlife. The amount of wildlife sighting you get here is astonishing. Though the sighting of Tigers and Panthers is not too common due to its spread area, the herbivorous are abound with Sambers, Cheetals (Spotted Deer), Barking Deer, Blue bulls, Black Bucks, WildBoars, Sloth Bears, Langurs, Monkeys, Peacocks etc. Sometimes you get to see the vanishing Giant Squirrels also. But the most interesting are the rare Bison herds which roam freely in the foothills and the cool meadows in the summers. They are a majestic sight -- a special treat and if you are lucky you might come across the Albino Bison’s also. The beautiful pictures say it all.

Two nights in the surroundings of Madhai Forest Resthouse across the river or at the private resort on the periphery of the Sanctuary this side of the river Denwa by Retd. Conservator of Forests, Shri SP Dubey and Prashant (his son) who generally looks after the resort, two early morning and late afternoon Jeep/ Gypsy rounds of 25 kms in the jungles are more than enough to cleanse your ‘Body n Soul’ and rejuvenate for the next three months. The ‘contemplative’ nights, the fragrance and freshness of the air, the tasty and spicy rest house meals, the undulating bumpy Jeep/Gypsy rides and the sighting of the animals are just… ‘exhilarating’.

So go find your Madhai somewhere near your base and give a treat to your ‘mind and body’. Life’s calling; do not waste time as time is precious and irretrievable.

Photo credit : Vijay Chhiber

Buoyant Bhopalis’

If you are an Indian, 9/10 you would have seen the records busting film ‘sholay of the early 70’s’, and if you have then the character of ‘Soorma bhopali’ typically typical, would ring a bell somewhere at the back of the mind. I am talking of the same Bhopal, tucked away in between the ranges of ‘Vindhyachal and Satpura’ in Central India.

A place generally tends to grow on you and cover you up in its own character or colour – like the green ivy – once let go free, will cover up anything without leaving any of the original exposed – and like so is Bhopal, the laid back city, capital of Madhya Pradesh, India, still chewing and mulling over the ‘Nawabi background and culture’ and ever so reluctant to join the continually fast changing lifestyles all around. All it does is to adapt and include ‘bits and pieces’ which fall within its notional periphery and ‘never say die’ attitude, which of course is stamped in fast colours on all ‘hard core’ Bhopali’s,- kown as ‘Barru cut Bhopalis’ in the local lingo.

Years back, on the bottom of the front page of a national newspaper I saw a headline screaming back at me ‘Treacherous Tamilians’ and the instant reaction was ‘ how very appropriate’ – I do not remember what the article or write-up was about – but the rhyming of the general character of the people and the state, in two words hooked me. But please, before I start hearing the ‘choicest’ from the ‘Tamilian friends’ which I am sure I will – and the few I have become ‘have nots’, let me clarify. Like the old ‘paper warhorse’, the venerated ‘Khushwant Singh’ who tactfully heads his column in newspaper - The Hindustan Times as ‘With malice towards one and all’ and then goes on openly ‘shredding’ people and ‘assassinating characters’ especially those in ‘sheep’s clothing’ with his opinion or lets say as he sees, with vengeance, what I write in this blog, is of course ‘Without malice towards one and all’-- it is my perception of ‘punny’ side of the rhyming.

It all started as ‘Pun – Rhyming – Fun’. The brain teaser ‘Treacherous Tamilians’ (which caught ‘my left eye’), if I may call it so, sounded so phonetically rhythmic to my musically orientated ‘right ear’ that it started the thought process to coin similar two word ‘character assimilation’ of people of other states, with maybe one, two, or more predominant of the following terms of reference.

- Food and food habits

- Language – hardness/softness, crude or polished

- Attitude

- History, Heritage and Culture

- How people from other states perceive.

When the ‘mini com’ up there started spurting out, the results were quite astonishingly apt, like ‘Pungent Punjabis’, Hulky Haryanvis’, Grumpy Gujratis’, Uppity UP’ites, Bickering Biharis’, Boisterous Bengalis’, Revered Rajasthanis’, ‘Lumbering Ladhakies’, these are a few which do not need any explanation or elaboration as to how and why coined, then came the difficult one’s, though ‘punned & rhymed’ but with my interpretation & my meaning of the intended ‘Pun’ word, like Myopic (shortsighted) Madhya Pradeshis’, Malignant (spreading fast) Malyalis’, Mythical (& parsimonious) Maharastrians’, ‘Arrogant (egotistical) Assamese’, .….. I can only coin these few because others I have not visited and am not aware of the traits as per the terms of reference as above but I am sure I would be getting suggestions from you all to complete coining the balance left out. So lets go into as to ‘how and why’ for the above two difficult ones.

- Myopic (shortsighted) Madhya Pradeshis – in terms of thinking, vision, growth. Politicians over the years have taken this tribal ‘state for a ‘ride’ to capture votes and created people with ‘frog in the well’ outlook. Though having very fertile minds, a very easily contented mass, but whosoever has ventured out of the state has generally created a name for himself, reached the top of the ladder and ‘hobnobbed’ with the highest in his field.

- Malignant Malyalis – here I do not mean malignant in the true meaning of the word but in reference with ‘like malignant cancer which tends to spread fast’ and like so if you employ one malyali, within a short term he will gather you a few more and before you know, you will feel like an outsider within your own organization. A positive towards them, not in ‘negative’ term as it seems, as their intention is to help settle near & dear one’s. Malyali’s are sincere and hard workers i.e. when they want to be.

The ‘mini com’ up there just wouldn’t stop, then it started picking up ‘known’ cities & towns at random and what came out was even more specific & interesting (though there will be a lot of ‘flak’ for me for uttering these but so what? we are just having some ‘pun’). Here it comes, the first one to pop up like a balloon bursting out of water was naturally of Bhopal - place where I am settled for the last 30 years, a city with its own typical humour, wit, attitude, a place where people do not know to drown or go under with the pressures of life but have learnt to ‘float’ with their noses just above water and bide for better times to come, a place where people are fun loving, helpful and walk with their ‘heads high’, the ‘Buoyant Bhopalies’ with their ‘never say die’ attitude. And on the same lines of ‘assessment’ followed the rest like – Dubious Delhites, Mast Mumbains, Kaleidoscopic Kolkatans, Chafing Chennains, Beseeching Banglorians, Laid back Lucknowis, Punting Pune’walas, Hardy Hyderabadies, Pulsating Patnawalas, Acidic Ahemdabadies, Amorous Amritsaries, Jaunty Jallandharies, Jamboree Jaipuries, Jabbering Jabalporians’ Inanimate Indories and…..so on. So put on my shoes and my thinking cap, read again and help me finish this ‘pun fun’ game.