31st July 1980 was one of the darkest days in the history of Indian music. That day, the king of Bollywood playback singing Mohammed Rafi bid adieu to this world at an untimely age of 56 years.

He was a simpleton who was born in a poor family in Kotla Sultanpur near Amritsar. How he went on to scaling the highest peak in Bollywood playback singing is a well known story that has inspired thousands of other singers and artists to try their luck in Bollywood.

Between 1944, when he made his debut and 1980 when he breathed his last, he sang thousands of songs in multiple languages for almost all the leading men. Of the triumvirate of Dilip, Dev snd Raj, while Rafi was the voice of Dilip, he sang some scintillating numbers for Dev as well. For the next lot, Rafi ruled the roost. Two of the biggest stars Rajendra Kumar and Shammi Kapoor owed their popularity to some extent to ditties sung by Rafi for them. Ditto Joy, Dharmendra as also Sunil Dutt and Manoj Kumar in his initial days. In 1969, Kishore finally made it to the top of his singing career after a very long struggle and though he became the first choice of music directors in 70s, Rafi continued to enthral his fans with his silken voice.

It’s amazing that 40 years after his death, how the repertoire of songs left behind by Rafi continues to regale the new generation of listeners , adding to his ever growing list of fan following. Many aficionados of his music are aware Rafi clones that came on the music scene to fill the vacuum created by legend’s death – Anwar, Shabbir, Munna even Sonu to an extent. But what many people may not know is the fan following Rafi has in our neighbouring country. I saw a programme on YouTube, where obeisance was being paid to the legendary singer on his 40th death anniversary. Khalid Baig, who has done his masters in musicology from London and has also done an elaborate research on Rafi, is his big fan who is known in Pakistan’s music circle as voice of Rafi. In connection with his research, he also visited India couple of times and apart from members of Rafi’s family, he also met Bollywood stars and singers including Dev Anand and Manoj Kumar. The conclusion of his deep research is something that we all know ! He was humblest of the persons, who knew nothing apart from music. A simpleton, whom Lata once described as “ Khuda ka Banda”, was a great human being that makes him the greatest singer ever born.

On his 40th death anniversary that just went by on 31st July, let’s keep the great man’s music and his legacy alive in our country, the way Khalid Baig is doing in our neighbourhood.

As he once sang, “ Tum mujhe yun bhula na paoge”. In his lifetime, he might not have guessed that his prophecy would turn out to be true and generation of Bollywood music fans would uphold him at the top of their memory.

Covid is refusing to go. If anything , it’s intensity and coverage are going up with number of infected persons and mortality rate both continuing to rise.

It all started around Holi- I distinctly remember as our society had cancelled annual holi celebration as advisory for social distancing was already doing rounds. How there was Janta curfew and total lockdown and mass infections at Dharavi etc are now part of oft discussed and written about facts.

Navratris, Easter and Eid Al Fitr were celebrated under complete lockdown situations. Already, Lal Baug cha Raja is going to write history by not making an appearance this Ganpati breaking a non stop tradition of 80 years. While there are some claims by pharma companies of having found some cure, vaccine still seems some distance away in spite of its testing being fast tracked. God knows whether Janmashtami, Dahi Handi, Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali and Christmas will be celebrated with traditional gaiety or will the current pandemic conditions continue to put a spanner in all our festivals.

Currently affected festivals are Eid al Adha being celebrated today and Rakshabandhan to be celebrated on 3rd August. While Eid is a community festival celebrated by offering prayer, feasting on that which has been sacrificed and partaking of the feast with the needy and providing them with alms, Rakshabandhan is a family festival, where all family members assemble to celebrate delicate and sensitive emotion of affection between brother and sister.

Muslim brethren all over have celebrated Eid today with sobriety and restrain in view of the current pandemic. Many opted by donating money for online qurbani to avoid physical congregation in these pandemic times.

Rakshabandhan is also going to be celebrated in a similar fashion with sisters tying virtual Rakhis on the wrists of their brothers through video calling,

Lesson here is that spirit of festivals is more important than rituals observed while celebrating them. Eid teaches us the importance of sacrifice and charity, while rakhi is a festival of trust and affection. Current Covid pandemic is indeed teaching us so many new ways of life, which we probably knew in our subconscious but were too busy with the worldly pleasures to let them be manifested.

Happy Eid and Rakshabandhan. Let’s stay safe and defeat the pandemic. Festivals are part of our milieu and will come again for us to celebrate them with traditional gaiety but without forgetting the learning from Covid.

What distinguishes human beings from other living creatures is their sense of relationships. While some relationships are by blood – one’s parents and children – there are others that are acquired through betrothal or contract like spouse and in laws. However, one relationship that’s neither acquired by blood nor betrothal and that entails no responsibility, obligation, duty , compulsion or formality but is purely a matter of heart and choice is friendship. Today being the international friendship day, I dedicate this write up to all my friends.

First set of friends get acquired in school. Today, in the jet age, while children may have to change schools frequently on account of their parents changing job and station, I was lucky to have studied in the same school for 12 long years and in the process make some enduring friendships that have lasted till date after more than half a century!

As one moves to college, the bonhomie of school starts going amiss, but those who pursue professional courses by staying in hostels do build up lasting friendships. I didn’t have that opportunity but still have a few college friends.

As one turns professional, priorities change and rat race begins. During our day to day working, we do come across colleagues, associates, vendors, clients etc, but all acquaintanceships are not friendships. In fact, there’s a thin line between the two and sometimes when it gets blurred is difficult to ascertain. Similarly in our personal lives we come across neighbours, good Samaritans et al, but friendship is different as mentioned above.

We are all busy in our lives chasing our dreams and running day and night to fulfill needs of our own self and our family members – more luxuries than needs. In this daily struggle, we may not frequently call up friends, send them WhatsApp messages, wish them happy birthday or anniversary, but deep in our hearts we know that those friends are there for us ! The very thought of meeting them and spending some quality time reliving the old times is in fact the fuel that keeps us going.

On this international friendship day, let me tell all my friends that I truly nurture and value our relationship and pay an ode to them that reads-

Diamonds are forever,

That’s how the saying goes

My coffers are empty having no diamonds

But is it really my loss?

Not quite, if you don’t believe

Have a look at my treasure, at my trove;

It’s full of precious gems called friends, that too without any behove!

Let’s celebrate, nurture and value this selfless relationship on this international friendship day!

My readers by now have a fair bit of idea on why Mahatria’s thoughts are found to be so very inspiring by me, motivating me to share the same with the larger audience for their benefit.

In a discourse broadcasted on YouTube, he has very effectively highlighted the need to develop one’s subconscious mind. As explained by him, our conscious mind is only 1/8th of our total mind, the remaining 7/8 being the subconscious mind. And all our lives we use only 1/8th of our mind, which is as if in factory called mind that’s employing 8 workers, only 1 is working while the remaining 7 are being subsidised by this one!

According to Mahatria, power of man is in his mind, power of mind is in subconscious mind and power of subconscious mind is in subconscious beliefs. To build a powerful subconscious mind, he suggests a three pronged approach comprising the following steps:

(1) Avoid mixed associations – As he brings out in a very nuanced manner that’s become his hallmark, he says that during the course of any feeling, any emotion or any action, our mind thinks in favour of it as also against it. We have no clarity of thought and we tend to mix the issue in for and against parlance. If we try, what if we fail? What if our request is not accepted but turned down? He explains that having mixed associations is a basic trait of conscious mind, but when we build clarity of thought and purpose, we reach subconscious mind, stoking our subconscious beliefs. We must pursue our goals and objectives with a single minded devotion.

(2) Honour every commitment – As he cites an example that if you say that you will do yoga each 365 days of the year, you are likely to fail your commitment. When you are sincere and make a commitment with an unfailing promise to honour it, it reinforces subconscious beliefs.

(3) Run your victory laps – As he explains, negative feelings are more deep rooted and are embedded in the subconscious mind and beliefs. Sadness, anger, failure, loss are all deeply embedded. To overcome these, we not only have to seek success or victory, but celebrate !

All the above are simple truths that we are aware of – clarity of thought, dedicated commitment and inculcate positivity! But when explained in simple words and structured manner by Mahatria, the impact is immediate and lasting. He, in fact, inspires you to follow these simple time tested truths to improve your life!

I find his thoughts even more relevant in the current Covid scenario, because unless one sees this pandemic with a spiritual lens, it can be heart rending and extremely traumatic!

Life is uncertain and difficult,

Covid has added to its miseries;

Listen to divine and think differently,

Clarity will emerge by unravelling all the mysteries!!

Work from home (WFH) is posing newer challenges such as unlimited working hours, no breaks, mental fatigue and above all monotony. People are not taking leaves because as it is they are at home and there’s no scope for any outing or visit. People are not dressing up, grooming themselves, taking care of their physical health, binging on junk food and leading an unscheduled life style that’s hovering around office work and television. There’s no physical activity or mental stimulation. In fact, household tiffs and obesity are being cited as two most adverse outcomes of the current lockdown.

The problem is that most of the organisations are seriously exploring implementation of WFH even in post Covid times. It’s said that this is expected to result in substantial savings to the organisations ( rent, electricity, overheads etc) as also employees ( conveyance, travel time etc)

It’s not as if everyone is adversely affected by WFH situation. Women with dependent elders, young children and other such issues are rejoicing the idea of WFH. It gives them flexibility as also opportunity to fulfil other familial obligations. Those who used to spend hours commuting to office and back home should also generally be happy.

But besides everything, man inherently is a social animal and notwithstanding conveniences and flexibilities offered by WFH, he needs to meet people, exchange thoughts, mingle socially and at times, celebrate his existence. The very concepts of social distancing, avoiding crowds, working from home, staying indoors etc are anathema to his basic trait and that’s the reason why Corona’s impact is being felt so severely much beyond its contagiousness and fatality.

Corona has hit the very basis of mankind’s existence. It’s not so much to do with WFH, but overall constriction associated with it that’s driving people to psychological disorders, including suicidal tendencies. Yoga, meditation or mere chanting of God’s name can prove to be great stress busters in these Covid times. We need to treat it as a passing phase rather than being apprehensive about its permanence. If change is the only constant, then this scenario will also change and those who will see through it successfully and come out relatively less scathed will be the winners.

If those days are gone

How long will Covid survive?

Man’s resilience knows no bounds

Tomorrow is a new day of his life!

I love both The Dark and The Light, Evil and Angel, Good as well as Bad, because they all are incomplete without each other!

It’s Friday evening and after an excruciating week, as I just sit to relax and chill, a few random thoughts come to my mind. These are:

(1) As India overtakes Spain in number of deaths and stands at third position behind US and Brazil in total number of Covid cases, the country is unlocking slowly. Number of people on the streets, vehicles on the roads, shops open, offices gradually opening, sale of cars and bikes going up and several other activities almost touching pre Covid levels is a great dilemma, very hard to explain. When there were few cases, we were under strict lockdown ! Now that pandemic is peaking and so are deaths, we are trying to be going back to normal!

(2) Oxford vaccine is now getting into phase 3 trial, while as I am writing this blog, I understand our own Covaxin ( under the auspices of ICMR) has been administered to a patient in AIIMS and as last heard, so far there has been no side reaction. Is effective vaccine really about to be mass produced shortly and we are all going to be vaccinated over the next 3-4 months to be Covid proof?

(3) India and China are talking at military leadership level, but outcomes are not very clear! It’s said that while China has moved back its forces in Galwan valley, it’s not doing so in finger region of Pangong Lake. Indian Army is stocking up for long Ladakh winters! What’s happening there?

(4) Mumbai and Eastern parts of India are receiving record rainfall. But Mumbai lakes have 29% stock of water only while devastation in Bihar is unprecedented. Government is relying on record Agri production for Indian economy to piggy ride rural recovery! But with poor and farmers at the forefront of all natural calamities, this optimism seems slightly misplaced!

(5) Pakistan’s rhetoric on Kashmir is unfazed by Corona pandemic , while Nepal’s claim on owning up real Ayodhya is only adding to the confusion on the chances of improvement in India’s relations with its neighbours in short to medium term!

(6) A well run, largely profitable and having the distinction of acquiring numero uno position in aviation sector company like Indigo is cutting its staff by 10%. I think, earlier it had cut staff salaries too. Employees contributing to reserves built up over a period of time are getting sacrificed at the altar of pandemic for no fault of theirs. This in turn is leading to loan defaults. The job market is at its nadir.

(7) A bunch of Kerala doctors working in Mumbai decided to go back on not being paid salaries. There are several health workers, teachers and other government/semi government employees not getting salaries regularly! How will their kitchens run?

(8) Price of gold has crossed Rs50000 per 10 grams and interest rates on deposits are now hovering around 6% level. With 35% tax on interest, the return on deposits are proving to be too meagre for pensioners depending on this for survival!

(9) I haven’t touched a physical news paper for 4 months and am reading e papers, solving Sudoku and crossword in my register, which is very inconvenient !

(10) I am dying to go to my favourite South Indian restaurant at Matunga for my staple of idli, dosa, vada and thali! Don’t know when will I have all these?

The crux is that even in randomness, Corona is not sparing! It’s made such a deep impact on our psyche that while all our considered thoughts hover around it, it dominates even our random thoughts! Hope our country, businesses, rural economy, health sector and above all citizens, especially those who have struggled for food, jobs, livelihood during these Covid times show resilience to survive this to see the golden future that will come back for sure! Don’t miss the thought stated in bold italics at the beginning of this article! Without pandemic, we wouldn’t have valued our normal life!

Yes, precisely 35 years ago my life made a fresh beginning. It was on 22nd July 1985 that I joined as probationary officer in now defunct, by virtue of its merger in SBI, State Bank of Bikaner &Jaipur. Certain moments in one’s life are defining moments that on the hindsight seemed to be matters of routine, but eventually proved to be game changers.

Such game changing, life defining moments are few and far between and can be counted on one’s finger tips – at least this applies in my case. The first such moment I distinctly remember was opening of new branch of Central School , of which my mother came to know, stood in queue for hours to get the form and then to deposit it, prepared me for admission interview and got me into it. In fact, I had already passed my Class I from Government school and I ended up repeating the level in Central School. The next was selection as PO in SBBJ, the next most coveted civilian job after civil services. It was an altogether new experience, with new learning and new friends – a few of us being in touch till date – probably the next best to the school friends’ relationship , which dates back to 1968 with a few who are still in touch. 1985 is the next best indeed. This opened up further opportunities as I managed an opening in the then newly opening new generation private sector bank, Axis Bank, then known as UTI Bank in 1994 and it has been a great journey since then, now on the verge of reaching finishing line!

22/7/85 will always remain important date, etched in my memory. I might have left the organisation, organisation itself might have ceased to exist, but for many of us, the batch of 1985, 22/7/85 will be a defining moment and SBBJ an institution evoking awe, as we reflect at that moment after 35 years. Age has caught up; many friends have already ended their innings and started fresh one; many moved on – to new organisations, new destinations, including new countries; many are proud parents of brilliant children and a few of us are grandparents!

Long live SBBJ, albeit only in our memories! Long live association of batch of 1985, whose summer of 42 started in 1985, on 22/7/85 to be precise!

The media is agog with the clear probability of Corona vaccine getting readied in next few months. Suddenly, there’s hope of the life going back to normal – free of masks, sanitisers, social distancing and lockdown.

However, such a once-in-lifetime experience should not be allowed to go waste if the idea is to go back to the old normal. While old normal is welcomed for getting rid of the aforesaid Corona related compulsions, we must adopt new normal, the one I have tried to explain in the few lines composed especially for my readers. The verse reads as below:

Life after Corona

Till now we have only worried –

First it was about school and grades,

And then higher study and higher trades;

Then started the struggle for a good job that was well paid,

That would have met my needs keeping me in shipshape ;

Need for a life companion followed soon,

And the desire was to have nothing less than the moon;

After all what’s marriage without procreation;

Aren’t children God’s finest creation ?

Children needed to go to the best of school,

The very thought of smart children would make us drool;

Meanwhile need to get ahead in the job was imminent,

Unless the rat race was won, the success was not pertinent;

Children had to be educated in the best college abroad,

Lest they would not earn in dollars and be the lord;

Luckily somewhere Corona brought life to a standstill,

That forced each one of us to pause before the next thrill;

Realisation dawned that what looked like thrill was nothing but sham,

The life was not being lived but it was a mere chase up to glam;

And now I am worried –

More than half of the life is gone,

There was so much to do but what I have done?

Have so far lived life chasing what I didn’t have,

Little realising all the bounty that I already had;

Ergo, now I want to live my life,

And bid adieu to worry and strife;

Unless we learn anything from this Corona pandemic in haste ,

The entire experience of lockdown will go waste;

It will be back to the life of chasing big dreams and newer goals,

By sacrificing the small things around us and that’s not all!

We will again ignore the chirping of bird and whispering of tree leaves,

And we may face another disruption and again pray for a reprieve !!!

Vaccine and cure will obliterate coronavirus sooner than we believe and we should start preparing for living the life as bestowed to us by the lord almighty!

(1) चीन के वुहान में मेरा जन्म हुआ

देखते ही देखते मैं पूरी दुनिया में अमर हुआ

अमेरिका जैसे सुपरपावर भी सोच में पड़ गए

यह क्या हुआ, कैसे हुआ?

बताओ मैं कौन हूँ?

(2) लगता हूँ खांसी जुकाम जैसा

असली रूप मेरा विभत्स ऐसा

चौदह दिन में साँस रोक दूँ

अच्छे भले को कर दूँ शव जैसा!

बूझो तो मैं कौन हूँ?

(3) प्रकृति की छटा हुई है और सुंदर

हरे हो रहे हैं पेड़ नीले समुंदर

मैं तो अदृश्य हूँ दिखता नहीं

मारता हूँ साँस से घुसकर अंदर

बोलो तो मैं कौन हूँ?

(4) लॉकडाउन, मास्क, दूरी जैसे नए शब्द सिखाए मैंने

जो कभी देखे न थे ऐसे नज़ारे दिखाए मैंने

जिसने की मेरे तिरस्कार की हिमाक़त

उसकी कब्र खुदवाई मैंने

अब तो बताओ मेरा नाम?

(5) लगी है दुनिया वैक्सीन खोजने

दवा और काढ़े के फ़ायदे टटोलने

घर में क़ैद रहकर ही बच सकते हो

बाहर जाने के अंजाम है घिनौने

अब तो बताओ मैं कौन हूँ?

(6) आदमी ने बना दिया था धरती को नर्क

इसलिए मुझे सिखाना पड़ा ये कड़वा सबक़

जब उसे एहसास हो जाएगा अपनी भूल का

निकल जाऊँगा मैं लेकर पतली सड़क!

हार गए के जीतोगे मेरा नाम बताकर?

I would like to thank my readers for their candid feedback on my yesterday’s poem Monsoon magic that varied from outstanding to outstandingly gloomy! I had no option but to rework on my poem for one of the main objectives of mine taking to active blogging is to spread happiness and hope and not darkness and despair, which my poem unfortunately ended up doing! But I must be honest that this Covid pandemic has taken toll on my verve and enthusiasm and I actually wrote the aforesaid poem under gloom and despair. To change it into luminous and shining hope, I could think of no one but my young, highly erudite, compassionate and rooted to the ground friend Shyamashree Rudra, who in fact affectionately calls me Dada, elder brother in Bengali. And I would be doing a great disservice to her spontaneity and talent by claiming the credit for the last 4 stanzas of the poem, which she has composed on my request. What’s highly praiseworthy is the fact that she has used the same metre, genre and mood, as used in the first part composed by me, to make it look like a single work by a single author.

One stanza on a sister nursing her ailing brother has especially touched me as Shyama has dedicated it to my wife, who has been tending to her elder brother, a terminal stage cancer patient, with great dedication and devotion, keeping his and everyone else’s morale high under the twin devils – Covid and cancer.

Shyama is currently on a sabbatical-fulfilling her familial obligations. I wish her an active return to public life, for this world bereft of hope, happiness and humour needs likes of her to spread the shining light that they reflect through their attitude towards life and sheer knowledge gained from close interactions with humans.

Monsoon magic 1 was like black magic – dark, rueful and eerie. Monsoon magic 2 is reverse of it – cheerful, chirpy and cock a hoop! It says:

When the rain fell on the tin roof,
Pitter patter was so melodious;
Children played in water poodles,
Splashing sound was so mellifluous.

Bathing in the rain was so refreshing,
First shower had curative power so was said;
Neither it caused cold or cough,
Everything was joyful and so perfect.

Wet weather caused hunger pangs,
But ordinary food would simply not do;
Hot pakoras and hot cup of tea,
Were the must without any hullabaloo.

Come monsoon and heat would abate,
So first showers were eagerly awaited;
After sweaty and sweltering summers,
Rain brought happiness making everyone elated!

Where are those rains?
It’s either drought or disaster;
Gone is that sweet pitter patter,
Children avoid poodles as if monster!

Rains were welcomed as gift of god,
Flooding was rare and seldom;
There was no fear or panic,
For it was just a natural phenomenon!

This year is turning out to be special,
Transition from season to season seems seamless;
Covid has pushed us inside since winters,
Rains will lead to new winter, yet we shall still be hopeless!

Are things really that hopeless,
Is there still hope, I wonder;
Yes – if only we were to look for it,
In a sister tending to her ailing brother.

In a neighbor helping a neighbor,
In the chirping of the birds and the morning dew;
In the rains that washed away the dust,
And left the leaves sparkling anew.

In the fireflies sparkling at night,
And the sparrow tap-tapping on your window;
In the garbage collector who never misses his duty,
And the doctors and nurses saving lives in every way they know.

So as we travel these dark and dreary months,
Let us all hold hands through this pain;
Like the sun that rises every morning,
Hope too will rise once again.

Salute to human spirit, Corona warriors, resilience of nature and above all Shyamashree Rudra!