Yesterday, May 21, was International Tea Day.

There’s always this discussion that which drink is consumed more ( and I don’t want to include alcohol here, which is consumed in different context and times) – tea or coffee. While the Southern part of India prefer coffee, East and North have tea as the main beverage. However, like everything else, things have changed with the coffee chains taking coffee to tea drinkers and tea quietly making inroads into coffee drinking territory.

There’s something about tea that’s unique. It rejuvenates body during the break, while stimulating the mind at work. Nothing can beat a cup of tea served during a friendly chat, while offering tea to a guest is the epitome of hospitality.

Another thing unique about tea is that it can be served and consumed at any point of time during the day. Some people can’t get up in the morning without their morning cuppa, while a few others can’t sleep unless served tea at bed time. I usually need three cups of coffee- bed tea, a cup with breakfast and one cup in the evening. Anything additional is a welcome bonus !

There are many truths and myths around tea – it containing caffeine, excess tea creating gastric problems, children to be kept away from tea, tea at bedtime interfering with sound sleep et al – but notwithstanding all or some of the above, there’s no doubt about its ability to bring humans together! And the experience of dipping a rusk or biscuit in the cup and having it is heavenly. The theme for International Tea Day is “Fostering Growth and Inclusion” alongside the complementary focus of “Sustaining Tea, Supporting Communities”. As more and more tea is consumed, while it benefits millions of farmers and tea estate workers besides massive employment in tea industry, it also brings communities together.

Whether green or herbal, white or black, with sugar or without , at day or night, tea lifts the spirits whenever consumed and what else can be a greater relaxant than a cuppa on today’s fast paced and tension filled life.

In my childhood, I used to hear a Punjabi song that had lines

“Angrez chale gaye, saanu ki de gaye?

Chhoti ji nishani bas tea de gaye! “

Britishers left and took away everything before leaving us free!

However, gratitude to them for small mercy of introducing us to tea!

Happy international Tea Day. Let’s celebrate it by having a hot cuppa!

Yesterday my grandchild sought my help in writing an essay on the current west Asian crisis. However, the request came with a clear caveat – no use of ChatGPT or any such similar technology and it must be original.  

It made me ponder whether ChatGPT or other similar tools weren’t original? If several users requested help on the same topic, would the output be same? 

If you think of it, what AI does it to put all available information on any event in a text format, which is accurate, factual, logical and eminently readable! In contrast, essays or other written articles not using AI could consist of dated or insufficient information, viewpoints prejudiced by unverified contents ( read social media) and grammatical or syntax errors! 

But institutions are increasingly encouraging pupils not to use AI, but think and write what’s perceived and understood by them. And this could be true of other users of this technology – authors, bloggers, content writer, storytellers, official correspondence users etc. 

I myself have so far not used AI assistance in any of my writing, but I am told by those using it that one could make out whether contents of a writing are AI driven! I seek feedback from those who have first hand experience of this.

But on a different note, while we have mechanised and now robotised almost all of our manufacturing sectors, we are still ready to pay a premium on handmade articles (handicrafts) that entail an artist’s creativity, skill, effort and rare art! I think that’s what will define difference between a self created and an AI generated work! While the latter will be precise, predictable, polished and particularly efficient, the former will testify a creator’s originality, creativity, thought process and individuality! And the use of word creator, instead of writer is deliberate as the above applies across a whole spectrum! 

Mother dedicates her life to the welfare of her children. Therefore, dedicating a day to her is neither sufficient nor can be deemed to be an expression of gratitude towards her! However, in the hustle and bustle of life, when chasing success and affluence is paramount, a dedicated day to thank her is not all that bad! 

This Mother’s Day, I bow in obeisance to all the mothers, who keep children in their womb for 9 months and then see them through their infancy, childhood and adolescence till they attain adulthood and independence. While children become independent and busy, mother’s heart keeps on beating for her children till she breathes her last! To express it poetically:

Mother’s heart beats for her children

For her children come always first,

She can bear anything with a smile

Except her child’s problem, hunger and thirst!

When children become parents

Their children then become their first concern;

Their lives start revolving solely around them

That’s what life teaches them and they learn!

But in this scheme of things

Aging fathers and mothers should also fit somewhere;

Because getting old is a harsh reality

What we sow will also have to be reaped here! 

Happy Mother’s Day! 

One of the sincerest wishes of any human being is to have a future that’s full of all the great comforts of life, notwithstanding the quality of life lived till date. And if such a rosy future can be predicted and told to us, it makes life zestful right from that moment. 

There’s no harm in dreaming – aspiring big as we cannot widen our horizons without having grandiose plans for the future and working towards achieving such goals. But what does our past experience tell us?  Does life always move on the expected line, without any shock or surprise! Don’t we all experience ups and downs, highs and lows, happiness and sadness, good days and bad days? 

Sometimes a simple thought can clear confusion and lend clarity . I love to read good thoughts  on display boards outside schools and churches and sometimes  come across something that leaves a deep impact. The other day a thought on the board of a neighbourhood church read, “Life is an adventure not a package tour.” Doesn’t this simple thought adequately explain all our doubts about the future? I see this very relevant in the current moment as its promotion and increment time and while some friends would have romped home, others be in for deep disappointment. The above quote should enlighten both the sets for the next round! 

In times when the good news are few and far between, a report appearing in today’s Times of India warms the cockles of my heart. As per the report, in 2025, the country’s carbon dioxide output has edged down, breaking a decades-long trend of steady increases. The drop has been driven largely by cyclical factors linked to a strong monsoon last year, along side a continued robust expansion of renewable capacity. 

The above highlights two important aspects. The need for expanding renewable capacity, mainly wind and solar, has been acutely felt during the current geopolitical crisis when the supply of fossil fuels has been terribly impacted. Fossil fuels not only drain our precious forex reserves, but contribute to carbon emission and global warming. 

India is blessed with almost all the natural resources, including the abundance of sun and wind ( also water) and all these need to be conserved and put to productive use. All new skyscrapers and large buildings should necessarily have solar panels and rainwater harvesting. And it’s high time our manufacturing sector stopped polluting the environment through emissions and effluents. 

The aforesaid report is an evidence that if we all demonstrate collective will, we can do it. 

Asha Bhosle was the first diva of Indian music industry, much before the looks and stage performance assumed importance. Till then, the singers, including the playback singers, used to stand before a microphone with a harmonium in front, singing by reading the lyrics from a copy in front of them, with an appreciative audience sitting quietly. However, Asha was like a diva on the stage- well dressed and singing and dancing to the accompanying rhythm and taking the audience along with her.

For most part of her career spanning more than seven decades, she chose to remain in the shadows of her more illustrious sister, the great Lata a Mangeshkar, who was all along the first choice of all the music directors. Asha would get to sing songs for side actors, vamps and those declined by Lata. However, composers like O P Nayyar and R D Burman exploited her potential to the fullest by composing the songs specifically for her. Chain se humko kabhi, her last collaboration with OP, for which she won a National Award and Piya tu ab to aaja for RD gave a new rhythm to Indian movies. She also won a National Award for her ghazals in Umrao Jaan. Towards the latter half of her career, maestro A R Rahman made her sing a few memorable numbers, including the tracks of his first original album in Hindi, Rangeela.

Awards were just reaffirmation of the brilliant talent that she possessed. She sang with zest and chutzpah though she was fully versed and trained in classical music.

She also loved cooking and she took her this passion to professional heights by opening a restaurant chain “ Asha”.

She has died rather suddenly and till very recently was actively singing, including doing stage shows.

Singling out her exceptional songs will be an exercise in futility, because she made almost everything that she sang exceptional. We can only thank almighty for giving us Asha and keep her alive in our memories by listening to a wide repertoire of songs she has left us for us.

Change is the only constant holds more than true in case of April Fool’s Day. It was a day observed with much enthusiasm and pranksters had a field day. In fact, each one strove to become a prankster, though the pranks were harmless and amusing.  

However, I hardly see any mention of April Fool, not even on social media and close knit groups that usually share everything. Probably, with so much fake news, including the deepfakes doing the rounds on social media, playing pranks seems to have lost its relevance. 

The day, however, still drenches me into the nostalgia of the past, though playing pranks is now a passé! On a philosophical note, I wish, if the main protagonists of all the wars being fought currently come together and declare that all their fresh threats to damage each other’s assets were April Fool’s day pranks and that they are having an immediate ceasefire. 

Please don’t get me wrong! The above is not an April Fool’s prank but a sincere wish straight from my heart! 

I have come across posts and reels on social media  with people thanking their stars for being in India in the current geopolitical situation. People are feeling safe and are also living the life as usual, with no shortage of any petroleum product, expect LPG cylinders in certain pockets.

I have also seen posts, reels and pictures of the long queues at the gas stations and petrol pumps in certain countries and the steep increase in prices of petrol and diesels in certain others. I am also aware of certain advisories by certain governments to their citizens to conserve energy, avoid unnecessary travel and work from home instead of coming to office daily.

We are lucky to be in India indeed, where the energy crisis is yet not been experienced by the public and the common citizen is spared  from the vagary of any general price increase.

However, with the middle east crisis completing one month with no signs of abating, the onus is on all of us to observe self discipline by conserving energy and helping our government to ration its fuel imports looking at the exorbitant rates. With rupee under pressure and unending flight of funds by FPIs and foreign institutions from our markets, we must collectively ensure that our precious forex reserves don’t deplete below the comfort level.

At the government level, diplomacy, efficient management of energy resources, excise tweaking etc are all being gainfully used; we should not shy away from our own humble contribution, howsoever insignificant it may be. 

Today is Gudi Padwa and my yoga guru highlighted the significance of neem and gur (jaggery) consumed as prasad today. It represents the acceptance of life’s dualities—bitter challenges and sweet joys. This mixture serves as a reminder to face both with equanimity. It also marks the spring season, offering health benefits like immunity boosting and body detoxification.

It’s amazing that how all our festivals have not only very deep symbolic significance but also scientific rationale.

Happy Gudi Padwa and Ugadi to all my friends.

 I belong to a generation that grew up much before we started hearing new age terms such as millennials and GenZ! Yet, much before women power, equality of gender, save the girl child started becoming fads, I was the flag bearer of feminism. 

My mother, a professional singer, managed her singing career without neglecting her household responsibilities and even if I was not capable of helping her, my mind was always there with her. And much before helping wife with household work became fashionable, I never left my wife toiling alone in kitchen or elsewhere and I watching TV or reading book or newspaper. I was there right by her side helping her. And my daughter always had freedom to exercise her choice – whether it was the field of study or, profession or life partner! 

Naturally, when we write about a woman behind a successful man, women bosses, women subordinates, women in all fields etc , they sound cliche! Anything that describes woman differently from man, even if it’s a eulogy, it’s discriminatory to my mind! 

This international women’s day, let’s ensure that a woman is just one amongst us, requiring no celebration, eulogy, tribute etc. on gender basis.