Hungry in the grand feast
Eating slowly, bit by bit may keep you hungry in commuity feast, as it happened with me, in a marriage in young age. My school summer vacations in sixties were mostly spent in Garhwal hills near Deoprayag with my aunt. I could not speak the local Garhwali as glibly as they did, and failed to […]
Society should remove its own handicaps first
There are more ‘disabled’ around us than those labeled so. They are not less talented or wise than others, some outperforming the able-bodied. They need to be treated with fairness and equity, not derision. Ever pondered how the disabled persons with bowl in hand, some on wheel chair, pass their day around the religious and […]
In the festival of lights, bank on the light already within
Come the eighth month Kartik of Hindu calendar, the no-moon day is agog with illumination of homes, government buildings, workplaces and industrial houses of northern and other parts of the country. A few days later similar lighting is fervently observed by the Sikh people. To Hindus in particular, Diwali or Deepavali (literally meaning the array […]
Magnanimity of a petty vendor
As we were to set out with our two children for day-long trip of the holy city of Rishikesh after breakfast at our sister’s home where we were lodged, I suggested her two kids to join us, which would be a bonus pleasure to them. They were, as if awaiting the opportunity. I recalled my […]
Stay focussed on mind, body shall take care
Only a mentally healthy person can lead a satisfying, meaningful and productive life. Consistently rising trend of mental disorders in India, as elsewhere, warrants evolving new mechanisms to improve the mental health for overall well being of individuals. The spongy 1.4 kg mass of fatty tissue inside the cerebral cortex called ‘brain’ remains the most intriguing […]
Let interpersonal spaces be bridged, not widened
Interpersonal spaces determine behaviour, communication and social interaction patterns. Knowledge of how much distance to maintain in different contexts facilitates healthy growth of individuals and society. Kahlil Gibran’s often-quoted line, “Let there be spaces in our togetherness” is more than an admonition against intruding into personal affairs of others. A pun is intended in ‘spaces’. […]
Skip the words, read the intent
Due to poor vocabulary, not everyone is adept in proper use of words. Don’t go just by what she or he said. Try to understand the intention. Relations break, malice and enmities crop up when we take the words at their face value. Sitting with my uncle in his electrical parts shop in downtown Delhi, […]
Anatomy of suicide: Ethical considerations
The entire home and neighbourly ambience is agog with happiness and joy at the advent of a child … with so many expectations from family members and others. Yet a moment comes when the same person decides to end one’s life. What leads him to resort to this heinous act?
Fake cough didn’t work
Ignorance is bliss! Apropos of the wayside labourers who routinely imbibe tea procured from a nearby vendor, in unhygienic, low quality polythene bag. On two occasions when I explained them about its serious carcinogenic effects, they gave a patient, receptive hearing. A few of them might have relinquished this dangerous practice, I understand. Earlier, […]
Retirement blues
I was reluctant to accept my retirement party. Yet I did. Here is why? This article was published in Deccan Herald nine days after my retirement. Myth of ‘meritorious service’: After three decades and a half of ‘meritorious’ service as they euphemistically term it, as the date of my retirement draws close with only few days […]
Playing truant for a holy cause
My friend’s ingenuity in finding time to feed the unattended bovine at home amidst his daughter’s marriage celebrations moved me and rekindled my regard for the holy cow. I had dropped from Delhi well in advance at the marriage venue, a sprawling lawn in the sylvan, hilly Nangal town of Punjab along Sutlej River. My […]
Staying in sync with youth aspirations
Indian youth, the largest youth power the world over, needs to be groomed amicably, in their own and in nation’s interest as they can become the greatest asset to the community and the country. Owing to immense vibrancy, vigour, imagination and the verve to do, youth is the phase with highest potential. For the receptivity, […]