Each year I look forward to December issue of Reader’s Digest for it contains heart warming stories with Christmas as the backdrop. This year’s edition is no exception, but the impact of the ongoing Covid pandemic has not left even the spirit of Christmas.
This year’s story talks about a family that followed an age old tradition of buying new items of decoration as early as in November and then to put up these items along with lighting and Christmas tree to create a picture postcard like fantasy in the front yard of the house. The family comprised two seniors – the family patriarch and his sister and his two children a 20 years old son and 24 years old daughter having an eighteen months old infant. Like all the years, the Christmas of 2020 was no different and all four members pooled in efforts to create a beautiful Christmas decoration, The baby of the family was delighted to see all the light and glitter. On the eve of Christmas, the aunt received a message that someone with whom she had spent sometime the previous day had tested positive for Covid. Though she had no symptoms, she decided to get her test done and most unfortunately, she also tested positive. While she quarantined herself within the house, the other three members also decided to get themselves tested as a matter of extreme caution. By chance all three of them also tested positive and it was decided to celebrate Christmas on low key without any further elaboration or guests. While the youngsters recovered, Aunt developed breathlessness and she was immediately hospitalised. To cut a long story short, both- the patriarch as well his sister die within few days of each other due to Covid related complications. There was a pall of gloom in the family but the surviving members decided to continue with the decoration to overcome the grief. While the life was limping back to normal, a letter was delivered to their house that read – “ please take off the Christmas decoration as it’s going to be Valentine’s time soon ! This insensitive message really reopened the wounds and the siblings decided to face this indecency and insensitivity heads on rather than taking it lying down. They took to social media and the local FM also supported their cause. In fact, it became such a mass movement that the entire neighbourhood expressed their solidarity by taking out their Christmas decoration and lights from their stores to honour their neighbours, who had lived by the tradition for decades. The entire neighbourhood wore Christmas like look in February and unseasonal snowfall further added to the magic. The response of the people at large to the cause of the the family’s plea was unprecedented and overwhelming and an ample proof that even the worst of tragedies cannot fully sag the undying human spirit.
I immediately identified myself with the story because it was in 2020 only that on the morning of Diwali Day my Corona test report came positive and I slept through the night of splendour, gaiety and lighting. Of course, I defeated Corona and celebrated Diwali of 2021 with full fervour.
There’s some magic about these traditions associated with our festivals. Metro Christmas!
I distinctly recall that we used to have winter school break during the Christmas period, which our elders used to call bade din ki chhuttiyan. The significance of this dwelt upon me much later in life when in our geography class we learnt about winter and summer solstices as also the importance of 21st December and 21st June, the days representing the aforesaid two solstices respectively.
In Mumbai, where we enjoy fair weather throughout the year, the importance of solstices is rather understated. However, in countries in the Northern hemisphere closer to the North Pole, where the white sheet of snow that marks the severe winter there engulfs everything into its fold, it’s a day to rejoice, as from here onwards, days start getting longer and a bit warmer too. There’s more sunshine to counter the bleakness associated with cold winters. And of course, winter solstice also means that Christmas is just round the corner.
As someone tweeted, “ Let’s sing “ Days can only get longer” to the tune of famous song “ Things can only get better”. This assumes all the more significance in today’s times of Covid and it’s new avataar omicron. I have composed a few lines combining both the above:
My residence is bang on the Versova Ghatkopar Metro line and it rejoices me no end to see this only operational metro line attracting the attention of the advertisers. A few of the trains have been painted with the advertisements by the sponsors. However, more strikingly, it’s the very renaming of few of the stations by including the name of the advertiser or sponsor. Ghatkopar was VIVA Ghatkopar ( I don’t know whether the sponsorship continues or not), while Andheri station used to be Bank of Baroda Andheri. Yesterday, I noticed the station near my residence being renamed as Medimix Azad Nagar.
This made me nostalgic about my birthplace Delhi of yore, when the main bus termini in the heart of Delhi, Connaught Place, used to have names that represented the iconic landmarks there. These stops were called Madras Hotel ( since renamed Shivaji Stadium), Regal ( since renamed Jantar Mantar) , Plaza ( also renamed but I don’t recollect what). Those were the days of simplicity when iconic restaurants and theatres held greater might than poor DTC. But while the iconic places kept on vanishing one by one- Madras Hotel closed down after decades of existence purportedly due to expiry of lease, Regal shutdown after years of struggled existence and Plaza became a multiplex a few years ago, the corporations learnt the tricks of trade.
The corporations such as DTC, Mumbai Metro, BEST etc , who have struggled financially as the fare collection is insufficient for their sustenance, have opened newer revenue streams by offering their vehicles and other assets to advertisers for additional revenue. And that brought to my mind the nostalgic thought – there are no free lunches!
There are power coupled in all the fields – business, politics, social work etc, but those in showbiz attract maximum attention. In the past, we had Beatles star Lennon and his wife Yoko, US President Obama and First Lady Michelle , tennis champions Steffi Graf and Andrei Agassi and Amazon chief Bezos and his divorced wife Mackenzie. Closer home, we had Rajiv and Sonia and Benazir and Asif Zardari. However, the names that readily come to mind at the very mention of Power couples are the Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities- Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, Brad Pitt and Angelina, Sunil Dutt and Nargis, Rajesh Dimple, Amitabh Jaya, Rishi Neetu, Abhishek Aishwarya, Ranveer Deepika and of course the newest couple on the block Vicky and Katrina.
Katrina, considered very close to Salman and his protege, is amongst the top paid female stars that made her most eligible. She dated Bollywood hearthstone Ranbir Kapoor, before two of them called quits. Her marriage with a relative newbie, Vicky, is very surprising to say the least. The rumour mills were busy spreading their story in the recent past, but the affair culminating into a formal marriage was quick and astonishing. Also, the event happened with all its opulence and grandeur and there was a veil of secrecy around the entire proceedings. Pictures of the wedding are being released one by one in instalments, keeping the interest and curiosity alive. There are posts doing rounds on the website regarding the gifts comprising Lamborghini ( by Akshay), Land Rover ( Salman), Mini Cooper ( Aamir), Diamond ring ( Vicky to Katrina) etc. Everything associated with the marriage seems to be big, grand and expensive.
The crux, however, is the longevity of such marriages. Many celebrity marriages come to an early and bitter end due to irreconcilable differences. Vicky and Katrina appear to be sensible individuals who apart from loving each other, also seemed to have understood each other well. Let’s wish them a happy and long married life and great stint in Bollywood.
Came across a beautiful post forwarded to me by my friend and inspirational leader Mr Sunil Babbar. Here the speaker, apparently addressing a group of students that are passing out of their institution, is giving a very valuable advice. He says that it’s not easy to live this life – one has to make it easy. How? His mantra is that we can do so by being patient for a few things ( sabra सब्र), tolerating( bardasht बर्दाश्त) a few others and ignoring ( nazarandaaz) very many! He further goes on to say that if we live by the principle of “My way is highway” then we are bereft of all the above three necessary virtues for making our lives easy. He advises humility to be inculcated by all of us, as nothing is more important than being humble.
I think through his aforesaid advice, the speaker has hit the nail on the head. The cause of distress and strife in our lives is our impatience – about possessing material goods, raising standard of living, earning more money, elevating our professional and social status- intolerance – about the well being and progress of others, especially rivals and neighbours, religious beliefs and practices of others, eating habits of others – and ability to ignore – malpractices by others to make a quick buck, provocation at half baked unverified facts etc.
If at all we have to be impatient , let’s be impatient at the slow rate of growth and development around us, let’s be intolerant of communalism, casteism and other social malaise such as gender discrimination, dowry, Eve teasing and let’s not ignore global warming and social tensions.
Why to worry about things not in our control?
Instead why not conserve natural resources such as petrol?
Why be in a hurry to possess everything in life?
Keep on making efforts and everything can be yours in time!
Why be intolerant of what others eat?
As long as we are getting our own rice and wheat!
And why earning by shortchanging the system by others should lure us!
It’s in our own interested to ignore such acts without a fuss!
Being patient, tolerant and ignorant about the useless things can make life easy
There are many frontiers to be captured in short span so don’t be queasy !
General Bipin Rawat, the first Chief of Defence Services ( CDS), his wife and 11 other officers of Indian Army and Airforce that formed the entourage of the CDS, died under the most unfortunate circumstances when their helicopter crashed in the hills of Nilgiri, barely ten kilometers away from their destination , Wellington.
The tragedy has plunged the nation into pall of gloom for, this is not the way for the country’s top general, his wife and 11 other brave hearts to die. General Rawat, coming from a family that has served this nation for generations with distinction, was a complete soldier – brave, bold, firm, fearless and strategist. He was also a strong advocate of “ Made in India” and was doing a pioneering job in integrating the three arms of defence – Army, Airforce and Navy – that have hitherto operated as separate outfits. The nation will always remain indebted to his tremendous contribution in making the nation and its armed forces stronger than ever!
The black box of the crashed helicopter has been found and the inquiry is underway to establish the cause of this tragedy. But let this martyrdom of India’s top general, his wife and eleven other of his entourage not go futile and the best obituary we can pay to our martyrs is to take an oath in the name of our motherland to stand united and oppose all divisive forces – external and internal – that are trying to weaken the very foundation on which this great country is built!
Salute to General Rawat and 11 other martyrs and obeisance to Mrs Rawat! Long live India and the defence forces of this country! Bharat Mata ki Jai!
We spent considerable time in South Africa with our daughter’s family and till our return around Diwali, the term Omicron was unheard of. Now suddenly everyone is expressing relief that we could make it safely back to India avoiding the omicron outbreak in that country, though personally it’s no relief for us for our children are very much there and sitting here we remain concerned about their well being.
First it was Covid and when the world seemingly was getting handle on it, we heard about Delta variant – more virulent and more transmittable. And when the Delta seemed to be going into oblivion, we now have omicron. When a crisis tests you – your health, patience, finance, relationships. prospects – beyond your bearing capacity, apart from looking towards the medical fraternity for some critical breakthrough, most of us also look skywards towards the Divine Master, the creator of this world.
Read outside Mahim Church this morning, “ Omnipotent can erase omicron! Change fear to faith!” I think when there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, faith in the omnipotent is very soothing and heart warming!
There’s a very popular Bollywood number that explains the irony of the theme of this blog. The song runs as-
सुख के सब साथी दुख में न कोई ।
A very close friend of mine recently had the first hand experience of this when his mother-in-law fell seriously ill following the adverse consequences of the deadly dengue. She developed multiple organ complications and being in a small place with limited medical facilities, he had no option but to rush her to Chandigarh, the nearest large city. Leaving all his businesses and his wife’s job, he camped with the aged patient for more than 3 weeks and in fact, had to go to her place again following the re-emergence of the symptoms.
Of course, his mother-in-law comes from a large extended family, most of the members of which are well endowed – academically, socially and financially. The family comprises members having high end jobs, with a few of them professionally qualified being doctors and engineers.
While he had no plan to dump any of his responsibilities on others, being an outsider himself to her native place, he just tried seeking guidance on the next best option after Kurukshetra. The quality of suggestions and responses that he received could be at best described as apologetic if not outright pathetic. And he shivered at the very thought of if he had to ask for financial help from any of these financially sound so called “ relatives”.
Let’s face the facts. It’s a very cut dried cold world out there. While social media has played part in bringing friends and families together through creation of FB and WhatsApp groups, these platforms are mainly for wishing good mornings, happy birthdays or announcing some achievements. Whenever a member of these groups tries to highlight a problem, he is either ignored or blocked.
Let’s all have financial security and adequate medical insurance for ourselves and our close family members. Don’t test the dependability of your friends and relatives. They are all fair weather or Sukh ke sathi.
Some times, a short verse can take one very far with the sheer depth of its message. Came across the above verse in Urdu that says:
ये लम्हे इश्क़ व मस्ती के कभी पाबंदी नहीं रहते
सदा ख़ुशियाँ नहीं रहती हमेशा ग़म नहीं रहते
ज़रा देख दरवाज़े पर दस्तक कौन देता है?
मुहब्बत हो तो कह देना यहाँ अब हम नहीं रहते ।
The above can be loosely translated as:
Times do not wait for love and fun
Neither joys nor sorrows are perpetual here;
Please see who is knocking at the door?
If it’s love, tell I no longer reside here!
This immediately brings to my mind the famous couplet by Faiz Ahmed Faiz that says:
The above Faiz’s all time popular couplet is loosely translatable as:
Love is not the only priority in life
Meeting a lover is not the sole agenda of life!
So while we all know about the romanticism associated with Urdu poetry, the aspect of practicality of things over and beyond romance and romantic liaison is equally pronounced and the impact of some of such verses could be very profound as one can experience in the couplet forming the basis of this blog.
Arvind Arya blog 