Mammaries of the welfare state

Reading  ‘English August’ and ‘Mammaries of the Welfare State’ by Upamanyu Chattterjee, prompted me to pen my own experiences with babus of the Welfare State . Most people include army in the ‘babus’ category, but, despite being a govt organization it is more like a corporate, in terms of order, work culture, efficiency and accountability; in short, … Continue reading “Mammaries of the welfare state”

Reading  ‘English August’ and ‘Mammaries of the Welfare State’ by Upamanyu Chattterjee, prompted me to pen my own experiences with babus of the Welfare State . Most people include army in the ‘babus’ category, but, despite being a govt organization it is more like a corporate, in terms of order, work culture, efficiency and accountability; in short, it is more like HDFC bank than SBI.
So when we do get to work in a civil govt org, we too undergo a cultural shock. I have had to deal with three different State Govts, while serving with NCC (National Cadet Corps) , viz, Tamilnadu
(TN), Madhya Pradesh (MP) and West Bengal (WB). There are vast  differences betwen the States in  language , resources, and work culture. In most of the states, NCC comes under the Education Department or the Department of youth affairs, but in WB, it comes under the Department of Civil defence and Disaster Management (CD and DM), though NCC has little do with Civil defence or disaster management except in extreme circumstances.

 

Be that as it may, considering that everyone is interested in milking the welfare state, it is a common factor that in any State you approach the dept, mostly for finances. Milking the state is a full time job, and it can lead to ludicrous situations. In WB, there was an NCC BN, where not a single clerk was posted out of authorized strength of 10. Of course there were 12-15 Group D staff posted. The question is how do you do the paper work for drawing the salary and other allowances . A clerk was hired to do the needful and he was paid out of the unit’s private resources. So the only work done in the unit was preparation of salary bills and that too was outsourced !

 

While at TN and MP, I was just one of the users, in WB, I was one of the privileged few to be involved in budgeting, release of funds and such aspects.
This took me to the famed Writers’ Building atleast twice a week. The WB Govt , or the Party, as they call it, loved to exercise tight control over everything and what better way to achieve this  than by holding on tightly to the purse strings.
An NCC unit incurring an expenditure of say, Rs 2000/- for sending just one cadet for some training, had to send  a proposal to the Department through the proper channel of communication. This was finally approved by the Dept of CD and DM, and  a Goverment Order (GO) was issued based on which the amount was drawn from the Govt Treasury.
Issuance of a GO is a torturous process, requiring the concurrence of the triumvirate, Pricipal Secretary (PS), Joint Secreatry (JS) and Deputy Secreatry (DS) , duly approved by the all powerful “finance dept” and the invisible hand of the trade union. Despite all efforts,  the funds may not be available in time if the particulr clerk responsible for  typing the GO glares at you and says ‘hobe na’ (not possible) for whatever reason. It may be due to the fast approaching Durga Poojo (Poojo starts approaching  a month in advance) or ‘jomoi shashti’ or one of the many ‘poojos’ in the land of ‘barah mahino, teroh poojo’. When poojos didn’t oblige, the didi did by calling for a bandh on the odd working day. Those were the days when didi was in the opposition.
Coming to the ring side view of the working of the Govt, the minister was young, highly educated and a genial man. But any interation with him started and ended with exchange of pleasantaries. The PS, of the IAS cadre, was again a very affable person, but had definitely imbibed the work cuture of the State, with the long years spent in the districts. When he was not pan-chewing in a comtemplative mood, or discussing office politics, he could be seen laboriously working on a draft letter with one bare foot perched on the chair, and tongue sticking out in deep concentration. The entire process of issue of a letter, from dictaion to his PA, typing, corrections, recorrections, retyping and final despatch could take about a week in good times.ie when there was no disruptions due to strikes or poojos. A computer was seen in his office, but it was seldom used.
The real work or obstruction to any kind of work took place in the large halls, populated by hundreds of clerks, duly supervised by JS s and DSs from their tiny cabins. One had to negotiate through a labyrinth of corridors, with only the singara vendors and huge stacks of files and the public toilets, for sign posts. You literally had to use your nose for navigation.
It all may sound very depressing, but surprisingly things do move, if you keep at it. People are good natured and courteous even if they didn’t like being rushed in their workplace. Only in their workplace they take it easy; they are just personifications of efficiency when it comes to participating in Durga poojo celebrations or while organizing a musical night. The PA to the minister was secretary of his mohalla Durga poojo cmmittee and by the way he plotted and planned to mobile resources for the poojo, one would think that was his primary job. So, things did move if you are patient.

 

West Bengal Civil Defence Minister Sreekumar Mukherjee



It was a great day, when I saw the ‘Master GO‘ declaring that the senior most army officer responsible for all NCC activities in the state , was empowered to draw and expend money, based on a lump sum allotment for the whole year. It also meant the end of my biweekly or triweekly visits to the Writers’  Building. Fortunately for me, my tenure there alo came to an end around that time, for I would definitely have missed the trips through the corridors of power. 

A Married Woman : Manju Kapur

After her debut novel, Difficult  Daughters, Manju Kapur has followed it up with ‘ A married woman’, another story highlighting the struggle within a seemingly conventional woman to find her identity in the family and the society. ‘A married woman ‘ starts in the period 70s and 80s, the period, when the ‘difficult daughter’   signed … Continue reading “A Married Woman : Manju Kapur”

After her debut novel, Difficult  Daughters, Manju Kapur has followed it up with ‘ A married woman’, another story highlighting the struggle within a seemingly conventional woman to find her identity in the family and the society. ‘A married woman ‘ starts in the period 70s and 80s, the period, when the ‘difficult daughter’   signed off.

If the first novel was about education vs marriage, the second is about a woman’s right to own property, manage finances, develop her talents, explore her passions, thrive for self actualization and all this from within the safety and security of a rock solid marriage.

The story starts with, Astha, a middle class college student,  running away from ‘girl seeing ceremonies’ and the constant talk of her marriage at home. She has a couple of teenage flings before finally getting married to a ‘good boy’ as arranged by the parents.

While the husband has relatively liberal views on women, he continues to take his role as the ‘sole provider’ too seriously. I suppose, this is one role men have to go easy on and women have to be a little more serious about to bring about harmony at home.

As the story unfolds, there is a nice description of the fears and aspirations of a middle class family , in the 80s. Astha’s parents, pay the price for not preparing well for the retirement, while Hemant’s parents ride the boom in demand for property.  

After a few months of married life, ‘dullness’ sets in. With, undemanding in-laws and  ample support from domestic help, she has enough free time to be restless. She has to take up a job. It had to be a teaching job, which she dreaded.

In-laws approved ” It is a good time-pass”
Mother: ” As a teacher you will earn some money, you will be out only half a day, so the house will not suffer”

father: “It will do until you decide to develop yourself in other ways”
Husband :- With a job you won’t get fidgety if I am a minute late”

So, a career is made, for all these reasons, while Hemant’s business picks up well to provide for the family.  Kids come, grow old enough to go to school, depending less and less on their mother. Obviously it is not a life fulfilling enough for Astha.

Astha’s latent talents surface, encouraged by the attractive Street Play director , Aijaj. She starts painting. Babri masjid issue comes up , conveniently enough, so that Astha can express her social awareness and responsibilities with her painting talents.

Enters Pipleeka  Khan, to arouse in her a kind of sensuality, which she did not know that it existed.

Now you have a married woman donning many hats and switching deftly among the many roles that she plays; as wife , daughter in law, mother, an artist  a social activist and  a passionate lover to her lesbian partner. So much for self-actualization.

Naturally, it is not easy to play so many conflicting roles. She resorts to lies and deceit which is sort of justified , for whatever reason.

“She began to lie at home about where she was going and what she was doing. Most of the girls she knew who were seeing boys lied. It was routine self protective thing . And how necessary, Astha had seen.”

“Her lies grew skillful. Her desperation and her need had ensured that they tripped off her tongue, as though she had rehearsed them for hours.”

Much has been said about the rendition of a lesbian relationship. Frankly it is not easy to understand.   

“…….Afterwards, Astha felt strange, making love to a woman took getting used to. And it felt strange, making love to a friend, instead of an adversary.”


Strange it is ! to call men as adversaries, and if so, it is stranger to call ‘having sex’ as ‘making love’.

A good read, if only to learn or understand  a little more about the women in your lives.






























what is for ‘touching’

At home, whenever there is a talk of a meal  / tiffin there is always the question of ‘ thottukka  enna ?’  (for the benefit of non tamil speaking, thottukka literally means ‘touching’) , but it is one of those untranslatable words associated with the way some people eat. It is best explained in a … Continue reading “what is for ‘touching’”

At home, whenever there is a talk of a meal  / tiffin there is always the question of ‘ thottukka  enna ?’  (for the benefit of non tamil speaking, thottukka literally means ‘touching’) , but it is one of those untranslatable words associated with the way some people eat.
It is best explained in a scene in the tamil movie ‘nala dhamayanti’. A customs official opens a jar of pickles and asks,  ‘ something eatable’ ; the pallakkad brahman is mortified; and he  exclaims in a thickly accented english ‘no no no no, not eating.. only touching.”
It is not seasoning, not garnishing or anything like that. Typically, when you have  curd rice with your  fingers that have just touched a dollop of pickle, well that is ‘thottuka’,
Some people  call it a side dish. but it is more than just that. it complements the  main dish from taste, texture, nutrition and health point of view.
There is strict code for what can go with what . There is virtually not a single preparation that is complete in itself. What is idli without the coconut chutney or curd rice without a dollop of pickle, particularly, lemon or better still, dry sweet lime pickle.
How can one have adai with sambhar?  For a Tanjavoor brahmin,  it is sheer blasphemy to have adai with anything other than jaggery or butter.
Curd rice being the most important dish for the ‘Tambra’s has a great many items to go with it. Just the sight of makali kizhangu  kindles one’s appetite so much that you end up having double the portion of curd rice; after all you cannot have makali kizhangu without curd rice.
While ‘touching’ is so important while eating, at times, a simple touch can render a whole meal uneatable.  Here, we come to the concept of echil (avoiding contact with saliva, like while sipping from a tumbler) and pathu (segregating cooked food from uncooked food).
most people can never understand the nuances. But a tamil brahmin can never understand as to
  • how can you  drink water from a bottle or a glass on which some one else  has put his or her lips to ?
  • how can you pass around a cake or a sweet for everyone to take a bite from ?
  • how can you wash the utensils in a sink where someone has just gargled after a meal ?
tail-piece
an american, the story goes, was offered a makke ki roti with saag on top. He ate the saag with  a spoon and returned the ‘plate’ to his host.

Give a man a fish

  “Give a man a fish you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and he is fed for a life time” …much quoted lines.. after all why should it be only about food ? Almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the internet is a fundamental … Continue reading “Give a man a fish”

 

“Give a man a fish you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and he is fed for a life time” …much quoted lines..

after all why should it be only about food ? Almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the internet is a fundamental right, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests

people come to me with computer problems, hardware, software and skills…

they are not stupid people , (they are generally smarter than me) and they can easily do what I do, through a bit of googling and a bit of experimentation.. but then they enjoy taking a fish from me , rather than learning how to fish.. though sometimes someone does insist on learning but then complain that I don’t teach well…!?

the bottom line is that I enjoy fishing and giving fish to people and they enjoy receiving their fish free of cost and using their time and effort in more productive ways, for example partying or networking.. I don’t complain at all, since the whole effort makes me feel good 😉

How I wish the whole world adopts ubuntu for their OS, and I am saved from the pain of seeing innocent people suffering from virus attacks , formatting and reformatting of hard disks, data loss, rampant piracy and anti-piracy operations in the cyber space.. not to mention the financial loss to all except Bill Gates and his like ?

I do feel strongly that there is a great injustice perpetrated on innocent computer users. But who am I to complain ? who am I to change the way people use their computers ? I restrict myself to making some noises where I can, just to please myself.

coming back to the first line …sigh .. sigh… will I, or someone else ever be able to teach the world how to fish ?

A tale of two indians

In the past month, I read two books with similar settings , but diametricaly oppposite story lines., “the White Tiger ‘ by Arvind Adiga and ‘a tale of two Indians ” by Maharshi Mehta.  Both the stories are set in rural India and have protagonists struggling to break out of a vicious cycle of poverty, ignorance, casteism … Continue reading “A tale of two indians”

In the past month, I read two books with similar settings , but diametricaly oppposite story lines., “the White Tiger ‘ by Arvind Adiga and ‘a tale of two Indians ” by Maharshi Mehta. 
Both the stories are set in rural India and have protagonists struggling to break out of a vicious cycle of poverty, ignorance, casteism and feudalism .
That is where the similarity ends.The white Tiger, from rural Bihar  finds his way to Delhi through cunning and deceit and finally obtains a fortune by murdering his employer. He then goes on to use his ill-gotten wealth to bribe the powers that be and become what he calls an entrepreneur.  
The second story, set in rural Gujrat, follows a course diametrically opposite. Our hero, loses both parents early in life; and he is particularly upset that he could not save his mother as medical help could not reach her in time due to poor roads. Fired by his mission to participate in building good roads in rural areas, he struggles through his way , through sheer grit and handwork to become an engineer in Goverment service. Through out his life he faces more than his quota of  tragedies and yet finds ways to overcome his personal grief by serving his fellowmen. It is also significant that most of the characters in the novel are based on real people , as mentioned in the ‘acknowledgments’. 

The ‘white tiger ‘ won the Man Booker prize, while ‘the tale of two Indians’ is hardly known. Is it necessary to expose the dark underbelly of the country for an Indian work to win an Oscar or a Man Booker prize? 

Freedom to break laws

This is cartoon from DNA, on 26 Jan 2012, when our nation celebrated  the 63rd Republic Day. In India, if you are a  big shot, you have  to break more laws and with more impunity to prove your worth in the society. It is not as if we live in a lawless area like a tribal belt in … Continue reading “Freedom to break laws”

This is cartoon from DNA, on 26 Jan 2012, when our nation celebrated  the 63rd Republic Day.

In India, if you are a  big shot, you have  to break more laws and with more impunity to prove your worth in the society. It is not as if we live in a lawless area like a tribal belt in a frontier region. We have plenty of laws, as any civilized society should.
Oprah Winfrey, on her recent visit to India, exclaimed, “…No, like, what is it with the red lights ? I mean, does the red light mean stop or not ? or is it just for your entertainment ?” . Ma’m we know what a red light is meant for . It is just that we like to break a few rules wherever we can. It is a land of ‘speed breakers’ not ‘sign posts’. If a motorist is to be stopped it has to be through speed breakers or better still barricades. A ‘Chaudhary‘  is simply not intimidated by a mere red light.

The higher you go in the social hierarchy, you need to break more laws. It also rubs off on the kith and kin. The children can merrily cheat in their school exams and where else can you find news headlines like “IAS officer’s wife slaps cop ” ?

Encroaching on public property is a birth right, it is our country, our land, isn’t it ? If you own a DDA flat, a one bedroom flat with some ingenuity can be converted into a three bed room flat with overhangs here and there.

Intellectual property is a great joke. IP lawyers can fret and fume, but we reserve our right to buy and sell pirated books and CDs at pavements, railway stations, inside the trains and well, wherever we can. And now  we have become tech savvy.  A computer buyer, demands a long list of software to go with it. Shops selling mobile hand sets in small towns, invariably flash a sign board saying “Downloading done here” . Even simple rural folks are not happy with just the handsets ( having 32 GB, storage capacity, all for under Rs 3000/-). They want their handsets with plenty of songs and Video clips of all kinds !
Not every one can break every law every time. A beggar sleeping on a pavement is promptly chased away. A hawker is tolerated as long as he follows certain ‘conventions ‘(not laws, mind you). Then comes an ambassador  car with a red light on top, and it can be parked wherever for however long. 
When you are really big enough, and when you can get away with a murder, not just figuratively, you are ready for bigger roles in the society. Run out of laws to break, some of the law breakers, even mange to become law makers,  so that they can make more laws  to break!

No harm in dreaming . If only,…if only, every Indian decided to abide by the laws of the land,..atleast there will be wider roads, cleaner pavements and no traffic jams. Revenue collection, in every department will soar, to be used for all sorts of welfare measures.

Where are the girls ?

In India, it is nothing unusual to read news stories about female foeticide  or abduction of girls. But what is extremely disconcerting is that one crime feeds on the other and the entire outcome is condoned by the society at large. In a typical village in Haryana, the sex-ratio is so skewed that there are few prospective … Continue reading “Where are the girls ?”

In India, it is nothing unusual to read news stories about female foeticide  or abduction of girls. But what is extremely disconcerting is that one crime feeds on the other and the entire outcome is condoned by the society at large.
In a typical village in Haryana, the sex-ratio is so skewed that there are few prospective brides available. So they conveniently buy ‘girls’ abducted from impoverished regions and the demand-supply chain is well established . But, why have the villagers become silent spectators to this heinous practice ? The uncomfortable truth is that every third house in the village is party to such a crime, in one way or the other.

Ironically, the relentless pursuit for male offspring has all but emasculated the society.

Men and women alike have lost the courage to stand up for justice and compassion to stand by the oppressed.

Where are the Khap Panchayats , the custodians of clan honour ? What kind of honour does, abduction or purchase of girls bring ?

More than enacting of stringent laws, the need of the hour is social reformers !

I wish, Anna hazare and his gang of four (Kejriwal, Bedi, Sisodia and Bhushan) , who have considerable influence in the region, channelize their energy to weed out this malaise . After all, what good can an anti-corruption to law do to a society where every home is morally corrupt ?

some links

traffickingnews
times of india
indian express
Shaktivahini

Religion and Music

  Can a religion exist without music ? No religion can be totally cerebral and there are always some rituals which are invariably associated with some kind of music. Even in Islam, where the attitude towards music is at best ambivalent, the ‘Adhan’ , Islamic call to prayer is recited in a melodious voice rather than as a terse … Continue reading “Religion and Music”

 

Can a religion exist without music ? No religion can be totally cerebral and there are always some rituals which are invariably associated with some kind of music. Even in Islam, where the attitude towards music is at best ambivalent, the ‘Adhan’ , Islamic call to prayer is recited in a melodious voice rather than as a terse announcement.
Can music exist without religion ? Apparently, the answer is  yes, as ‘kolaveri‘ is also music , having nothing at all  to do with any religion. But then,if  you ask a carnatic musician, you cannot even think of music without thinking of God. There is simply no room for atheists there.  Certain kind of music gives rise to certain kind of emotions as joy, peace or compassion in a listener. To a practitioner of carnatic music, music is an intellectual and emotional exercise and also an expression of Bhakti and it also creates a similar feeling in a listener’s mind.
Then, we have the lyrics or sahityam . With the current generation, lyrics have taken a back seat and it is all drums and beats. Drums and beats are not great and  such music is so enlivening and exhilarating.  I remember , when we were in the academy, we used to have what we called ‘jam sessions’. We could hit the ceiling energized by orange squash, some eats like jalebi and doughnuts and…….. the Drums. It was all expression of raw energy and ‘OSI BISA’ (particularly, ‘ojah awake‘  and ‘dance the body music‘) was a great favourite.
While the effects of rhythm and beats are physical, it is only the words that can really get to your mind.  Words are powerful and music is even more powerful, and when these powerful words are set to great music and rendered with the right bhava or emotion, it definitely does something to your innermost self. What’s amazing is that every time you here such a piece of music, the feeling gets more intense rather than follow the law of diminishing utility. To me, Bharathiyaar songs, sung by MS, or DK Pattammal / Nithyashree or Bombay Jayashree can be listened to any number of times.
Tailpiece . Recently I read AR Rahman’s biography. AR Rahman is said to  avoid composing for non-sufi, religious songs. Just wondering what made Rafi sing such wonderful bhajans. Some of these works, Baiju Bawra, Kohinoor  have been the combined effort of a great team, Mohammad Rafi, Shakeel Badayuni, and Naushad, with star cast including Dileep Kumar. They are professionals alright, but how does Rafi put in so much emotions into his devotional songs ?

The Solitude of Emperors

Having read Davidar’s first book, it was only natural to pick up his second book, “ The Solitude of Emperors”; to read. It is so different from his first book, yet there are similarities. If caste and racial issues were intertwined in  the earlier plot, communal violence dominates this plot. The narrator of the story, young Vijay is a … Continue reading “The Solitude of Emperors”

Having read Davidar’s first book, it was only natural to pick up his second book, “ The Solitude of Emperors”; to read. It is so different from his first book, yet there are similarities. If caste and racial issues were intertwined in  the earlier plot, communal violence dominates this plot.

The narrator of the story, young Vijay is a budding journalist who , due to sheer boredom of life in a small town in South India, breaks out his cocoon to take up a job with a magazine in Mumbai. Mr Sorabji’s magazine, “The Secularist”,  has a small but dedicated readership of people who share his vision of a secular India.
Mr Sorabji becomes a  father figure for Vijay and he just soaks up the ideas and vision expounded by his mentor. But for Vijay, it is all just abstarct ideas till the time communal violence breaks out in mumbai, following the demolition of Babri masjid. He gets caught up in the violence on the streets and is a mute witness to riots and killings in all the gory details. His magazine runs a major story on the riots and riot victims as part of the campaign for a secular India.
The second part of the book covers Vijay’s experience at the Nilgiris where another disputed Shrine is under attack by the right wing activists. It is here that Sorabji’s manuscript is introduced, from which the title of the book is derived.  The artcle is addressed to the young people of the country for instilling of secular values through a study of the lives of Asoka, the emperor of renunciation, Akbar, the emperor of faith and Gandhi, the emperor of truth.
There are two imposing , well defined characters to cover the two main divergent view points, viz, Mr Sorabji, the editor of ‘The secularist’ and Rajan, the entrepreneur-politician. While Mr Sorabji, believes in convergence of religions for the good of the mankind, Rajan convincingly argues that a strong Hindu rashtra alone can bring in peace and prosperity for all including the minorities.
The most lovable character in the novel, is the  vagabond called Noah, who has seen it  all, done it all , in his ‘ripe’ age of 36 and is now content to live in the local cemetry with his dope, flowers, a dog called’ godless’ and his great collection of contemporary european poetry. While all other characters move on predictable lines, it is this loose canon that adds life to the narration in the second part of the book.
The first part of the novel covering Vijay’s escapades in mumbai is highlighted by a gripping narration with a meticulous eye for details. In the second part, the narration is more like a tourist guide book, with long interruptions by  sermons in history, ie Sorabji’s manuscript on the ’emperors’. Yet there is enough momentum to keep the readers’ interest in the ultimate fate of the shrine. Will it also go the Babri Masjid way and if so with what consequences ?
An immensely readable book, if only for the excellent characterization of Mr Sorabji and Noah.
 

 

A Meal at Gurudwara, Mhow

  It was not the first time I was going to a Gurudwara. During the days when we were co-located with a unit of the Sikh Regiment, I have attended many functions at Gurudwara, but more often than not it used to be just another ‘Parade’. Last week a retired army officer, invited us; insisted … Continue reading “A Meal at Gurudwara, Mhow”

 

It was not the first time I was going to a Gurudwara. During the days when we were co-located with a unit of the Sikh Regiment, I have attended many functions at Gurudwara, but more often than not it used to be just another ‘Parade’.

Last week a retired army officer, invited us; insisted that I should bring my mother along; to a Gurudwara at Mhow for a keertan followed by lunch, to celebrate the wedding anniversaries of his son and daughter. We were a little surprised, since the gentlemen was from south of Vindhyas and so were his son-in-law and daughter in law.
A word about the places of worship in army; in most of the places including at College of Military Engineering (MCTE) , Mhow, portions of a military barrack are used as ‘Mandir’ Masjid, Gurudwara or Church. Very often it happens that when a Jat unit takes over a barrack from a Sikh unit, the Gurudwara is converted to a Mandir overnight. The flag is changed from yellow to red and the Guru Granth Sahib is replaced by  idols of Radha and Krishna. In the units having mixed troops , they have what we call an MMG (Mandir-Masjid-Gurudwara) functioning under the same roof.
Anyway, we did attend the function in full strength. The Gurudwara in the army area was clean, well maintained and very well organized. Most of the people attending were from ‘The Signals Vihar’ a colony of retired officers. One could sense a general atmosphere of peace and contentedness. After the Ardhas (Arati for Hindus) , which was attended by the pundit from the Mandir next door, among others, lunch was served outside the main hall. Everyone was seated on the floor on a long ‘chatai’ (a carpet) and food was served by volunteers . The meal was simple and wholesome. I was glad I could sit cross legged on the floor (though not as much at ease as I wished) and many of the guests were sitting on the edge of the verandah , with legs half strecthed, half folded, to ease the creaking joints . There was a distinct feeling of fraternity, though there people from all ranks, including a couple of Lieutinent generals.
I was reminded of the community meal , I used to have at Divine Life Society at Hrishikesh , on my way to Harsil where I was posted for two years. A simple meal of daal, rice, roti and vegetables tastes so delicious when partaken, in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

(Photos do not pertain to Mhow, but  random picks from the net)

Tail piece : An anecdote going round in army circles: A young sardar in a unit asked his ustad, “yeh Christmas kya hota hai ? chhuti kyon manate hain ?” and his Ustad, assuming a posture of prayer with bowed head and folded hands, explained “yeh isaayiyon ka Guru purab hota hai” (This day is the Guru purab of Christians)