Mother tongue: Trigger for individual and social growth
The growth and prosperity of an individual, society or nation is a function of esteem and affinity one has for nativity that includes the language that parents taught us. We have already paid heavily for neglect of our mother tongue. This International Mother Language Day (21 February), let us see how best to re-align ourselves […]
Valentine showers are not for the beloved alone
‘Love’ is very strong force that works when all other powers – money, muscle or political power fails. Why to restrict its multifarious benefits to beloved alone? In this stress-laden age and era torn with turmoil and conflicts, let none be deprived of the Valentine showers. With flowers beginning to sprout, weather pleasant and ambience […]
On Relationships and Train Fare
When I tried to reimburse my nephew Ishu the amount he spent on online ticket, he vengefully said, “I shall not take it!” Upon further insisting, he retorted, “Shall you accept it from Dabbu [my son] too. That left me hamstrung. He once again endorsed how he valued relationship rather than cash values. An asset […]
For prosperity, take care of girl child
A well educated, nurtured girl is likely to be a big asset to the family, society and nation. Any discrimination against her is likely to cost too much in long run. In my early teens in 1960s, a typical scene of Republic Day parade in Delhi’s India Gate lawns ever perplexed me. As the group […]
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?