India is facing the heat on multiple fronts. While Corona is a worldwide pandemic and within the constraints, India is trying to do its best, its international boundaries are are facing challenges from aggressors all across. Our western neighbour that was very much part of us, and is since partition our bitter and sworn enemy, refuses to address internal problems of COVID, locusts and terrorism back home and continues to foster terrorism in Kashmir and tension on the border. Superpower China, know for flexing its muscle in the entire subcontinent, is trying to divert international attention from its misdeed of spreading Corona across the world, by trying to move inside the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and provoking Indian troops. The worst and the most unexpected is Nepal’s aggressive overtures by releasing a new map, claiming it’s right over certain territories under Indian control. Obviously, the leftist government in Nepal is acting under the directions of its Chines ally.

The above is not all. There has been a deadly gas leak in Vizag, number of earthquakes, devastating cyclones- first Umphan on the East and then Nisarga in the West coasts, incidents of fire, accidents (scores of migrant labourers returning home dying under most unfortunate circumstances), untimely rains and sleet destroying ready crops and the real threat of tiddy dal (locusts) attacking ready crops after its monstrous act in Pakistan.

When the nature and man decide to raise their ugly head together, how can a country cope up? Especially, when the economy is in the throes of deep deep recession, job losses at the highest ever and efforts to kick start economy severely hampered by Corona!

One option is to look skyward up to the Lord almighty and pray, an option we should never abandon anyway irrespective of the circumstances. One more option that’s in our hands and which we should exercise is to stand together, help each other and overcome all our mindsets of region and religion! A united India can overcome all the above and many more internal, external, natural and man made threats. The worst should bring out the best out of us! Worse can get worst – but there’s no limits of being the best! Even if we start by planting a small sapling on the occasion of the world environment day just gone by, we would be taking a step in that direction. Let’s donate – money, empathy, efforts, thoughts- and labourers will be back and so be communal harmony and the spirit of Indianness! And we shall see Corona, enemies and natural disasters going out of window!

I am a music aficionado. In my young days, you could ask me about any Bollywood movie and I would tell you the lyricist, the music director and the singer. It started with Rafi- Shankar Jaikishan- O P Nayyar- S D Burman era and lasted till the end of Kishore Kumar- RD Burman era. There were brief flashes in the pan – Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Jatin Lalit, Nadeem Shravan , Anand Milind, Anu Malik era. But by the time highly talented Sonu Nigam made it to the top, riding on the ditties by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, AR Rahman and Pritam, I had almost lost interest in Bollywood music, instead choosing to go for retro music of 60s to 80s. Today, I can’t make out an Arijit from a Darshan Jariwala or an Amal Malik. Ditto female singers. After the golden period of Lata and Asha, there were periods of brilliance highlighted by the likes of Alka, Kavita, Anuradha and more recently Sunidhi and Shreya. But somehow I know longer get stimulated by Bollywood music.

In the above backdrop, I must confess that I have hardly heard or followed Sajid Wajid’s music, though I know they are sons of illustrations tabla exponent Ustad Sharafat Ali Khan and are highly talented. From some shows in which they appeared, I could also make out that they have very intimate knowledge of music and, in particular, Wajid sings quite well, in fact, as well as any playback singer of repute. Their repertoire includes blockbusters like Dabbang series, Partner, Ek Tha Tiger etc. It’s also a known fact that superstar Salman likes this music duo very much.

It’s most unfortunate that this highly talented and younger half of the duo, Wajid Khan, bid adieu to this world at an untimely age of 42 years, becoming another victim of this dastardly Coronavirus, though he reportedly had other health issues too. A powerhouse of talent with huge potential has been nipped in the bud.

These Corona times are distressing – people are getting killed during Corona times, many due to the viral infection. Oh god spare us the agony of Corona times and let Wajid’s young soul rest in peace!

I opened the e edition of today’s Sunday Times with great deal of apprehension whether my favourite Sunday feature “Ganesha says” by inimitable Bejan Daruwalla would be there or not! The reason for this apprehension was a news earlier this week that the world’s famous astrologer had fallen prey to this deadly Corona virus and breathed his last at a hospital in Gandhinagar.

Born in a Parsi family in Mumbai, he was an ardent devotee of Lord Ganesha and attributed his skill and ability to make accurate predictions to the power he derived from the elephant god.

What was so unique about Bejan Daruwalla in a land where every other person is either a mystic or a soothsayer or a God man? It was his ability to infuse tremendous positivity into the most grim of the situations. He would explain the problem clearly, highlighting its down sides and then invariably give a solution or at least show light at the end of the tunnel!

Am I an astrology enthusiast or an avid believer? My answer to both the questions is a firm “No”. But I used to eagerly look forward to his weekly column in Sunday Times as his forecasts generally were a perfect recipe for a person (whichever be his or her sun sign; though years of following his column gave me an inkling that he had some sort of liking for the sun sign Gemini, which incidentally is my sign too) to step into a brand new week on Monday with full confidence and optimism . In today’s Corona affected world, even a ray of hope would be welcome and Daruwalla’a prediction would bring a whole lot of sunshine!

I wanted to hear his forecast on Corona virus and that how soon or late would the mankind come out of this pandemic but alas the grand old man of astrology chose to make his eternal journey to his favourite lord. In his death also, he remained ever charming and ever enigmatic that he was all his life as his family refuted the official claim that he died of COVID ! The fact is that irrespective of the cause of death, the grand old man is no longer there; he will no longer be giving hope and optimism to million of readers of his weekly column “Ganesha Says” or to many others who read his annual forecasts or consulted him! Whether this week’s column was his last or he penned a few in advance for the coming weeks only Times of India would be knowing , but the fact is TOI would be missing another of its star contributor – Laxman, Girilal Jain, Khushwant Singh et al. But I have no doubt that he loved his life and the lives of the people of this country and whatever were his views on Corona or its longevity, he would have shown hope to the mankind as long

Rest in peace Bejan Daruwalla. Ganesha says, he loves you and will ensure that you continue to live in the hearts of your millions of readers and admirers.

While for others 58 may just be a number, for me it’s an important landmark as I complete 58 years of my existence in this World today. My grandfather retired when he completed 58 years and I, who was a very young boy at that time, wondered when I would complete my 58 years and retire like my grandpa, with nothing to do except rest and read! A few year laters, my father retired on attaining 58 years and I, who had just started his life as a professional, thought why had he retired so soon when he was still so fit.

Then somewhere down the line, the age of superannuation got increased to 60 years, but unlike the days of my grandfather and father, when physical stress was high ( my father used to cycle down to his office over a distance of 15 Km and used to earn meagre overtime by working well into wee hours of the morning)but mental stress was low, the game gradually started changing. While the calculators, computers, tablets, mobile phones reduced physical stress, the mental stress levels started rising and people started developing lifestyle ailments such as BP, Diabetes, Spondylitis and heart diseases. In fact, I sometimes consider myself lucky to have turned 58 and still working full time because many youngsters are having an accelerated rise to the top positions, becoming CEOs/CFOs in mid 40s and then burning themselves up to retire from full time work and pursuing hobbies.

And to top it up, we have a new phenomenon called Corona virus. I always thought that my generation was rather lucky – India hasn’t really faced a full fledged war since 1971, we have seen green revolution followed by technological revolution. After India opened up economy in 1991, we have seen unprecedented boom in consumerism. All in all, my generation seemed to have lived through golden period for mankind, till COVID changed the very way we lived all along! We are not sure whether we will be able to live our “normal” lives ever again?

I consider myself blessed and with so much love and affection showered upon me that started when the clock struck 12 and is still going on as clock readies itself to strike 12 again, what else can I ask for? If God almighty has held my hand for 58 years, I am sure it will handhold all of us out of this Corona crisis to where a great happiness and prosperity await all of us! I thank each one of my contacts, acquaintances, friends, readers, well wishers from the bottom of my heart for giving some meaning to my life.

I distinctly remember having celebrated most colourless Holi of my life this year. Though our society had organised community celebration, including sumptuous food, the threat of Corona virus had started looming large on the horizon leading to advisory on avoiding crowded places and need for social distancing. Since then, all of us have been going through lockdowns of various degrees depending on whether we are in green, orange or red zones. We Mumbaikars continue to be under lockdown being in red zone.

What started with Holi is not likely to end with another community festival, Eid Al Fitr. Actually, the entire festival of Ramadan culminating into Eid is about community – assembling at mosques for namaz, breaking fast by eating Iftari in groups and celebrating the festival by greeting each other. However, thanks to COVID pandemic, the entire community has decided to celebrate this festival with restraint and by following COVID protocols. Muslim religious leaders have been exhorting their community members to stay at home and offer prayers/namaz from there itself. Many members of the community are cutting down on grandeur of celebration and instead doing charity by helping poor, downtrodden and hungry , a section most affected in the current pandemic.

I hope fervent prayers offered during Ramadan and Eid will lead to deliverance of mankind from the jaws of deadly pandemic.

عد کا رہتا ہے سبکو انتظار

عد لاتا ہے کھُشئون کی سوگات

آئے سب ملکُے رُعا لدینہ

کی دُنیا کو ملے کو رونا سے نجات

Everyone waits for Eid

For it brings happiness to mankind

Come let’s join hands and pray

That the world is relieved of COVID’s grind!!

Eid Mubarak!

This is my second blog on Mahatria. I have not met him but thanks to a friend, who is Mahatria’s ardent follower, I am now beneficiary of Mahatria’s thoughts and messages, received every morning. These are simple messages holding a very deep meaning and those who have experienced his presence, I am told they have felt close to divinity.

Actually, this is a special ode to this messenger of God on his birthday. May God bestow his choicest blessings on his favourite son for people like him are required to show the way to the mankind in these dark hours of COVID pandemic. It’s impossible to find enough words to write his eulogy, but I hope this humble attempt of mine of composing a few lines as an ode to him are liked. My verse reads as;

Mahatria- God’s very own messenger

When the world seems to be nearing it’s end,

With COVID pandemic taking its grip;

The house of gods are all locked,

Only place to go is hospital for a drip.

There’s no vaccine and no cure,

People can do nothing but look at sky;

To search for elusive answers,

Of how this has happened and why?

But when the God seems far,

The messenger of Gods is there for us;

Mahatria is one such ray of hope,

In his simple words showing truth without fuss.

Our scriptures are complex,

In Sanskrit that’s hard to comprehend;

That’s why god has sent Mahatria as his messenger,

Who’s simple, selfless, genuine having no pretence!

May God make more of his ilk,

Who spread goodness and love amongst mankind;

Happy birthday Mahatria

For you are the one of the rare kind!!

I bow in obeisance.

In one of my earlier blogs, I had expressed similar sentiments about cancer. Day in day out, we hear people dying of cancer. The scene outside Tata Memorial Hospital can be heart rending with patients and their relatives all over there, camping on footpaths. Very recently only, two stalwarts of Bollywood- Irfan and Rishi Kapoor died on consecutive days after battling virulent strains of this deadly malaise. But all these were news or events, until this disease decided to make inroads into the family and my brother- in – law was detected with having metastatic cancer with origin unknown and no cure! It was only then that realty struck us and for last several months, we are facing this reality daily seeing him going a step closer to his life’s end.

Similarly, since its initiation in China late last year, COVID has been in news all over. It was still a news when Corona virus decided to infect other nations of European Union and USA. The situation got scarier when the first of Corona cases was observed in Kerala and then the virus came knocking at the doors of Mumbai. The lockdown, day curfew, work from home and Mumbai becoming a red hot zone of Corona virus all added to our fear and discomfort but were still news and events.

And then like the incident of cancer above, Corona made inroads when a close friend, who started feeling uneasy and feverish was diagnosed as COVID positive. She’s now under treatment in local hospital, battling it out all alone, as she’s living by herself in this megapolis. The news has now struck us like a bolt, rudely shaking us from the world of news and distant events into the world of harsh reality.

Knowing her inner strength, her perseverance, her zest for life and her optimistic view of the world in general, I have no doubt, she’ll emerge victorious in her fight with Corona virus and battle hardened after this, she will emerge even stronger, more positive, more optimistic and more distinctive.

While my friend will defeat and kill Corona virus, I wish all the well to hundreds of others- including migrant labours and under privileged section of the society that they all defeat Corona so that we as a nation can come out of its evil design and live our lives as we were doing till 2 months back.

Did he come like a storm or a whiff of fresh air? Difficult to say, but the fact is that he first appreciated the subject, then learnt it, then mastered it and by the time it was time for him to go to shoulder higher responsibilities, he had become like no one before him had been, including me, who apart from his boss was also his immediate predecessor.

If my tenure was good, his exceeded all superlatives. He brought about changes that were unthought of. He brought in technology and automation to an extent that we all thought would have been impossible! He was a tough task master – expecting nothing short of the best from his team. But he would also fight for their benefits and well being viz. promotions, increments, bonuses etc. Though initially thought to be a tough and difficult boss by his team, towards the end he won their awe, respect and admiration. Actually, there were stalwarts before him and there will be stalwarts after him , but he is acquired a cult status, almost becoming peerless.

Incidentally, from being a reportee, he now becomes my peer as we are going to be reporting to the same boss. As a wry humour, I would like to say that he has, in fact, become a loser – transiting from being a peerless to be a peer!

All the best Rahul! As you scale new heights of success, don’t forget an old man cheering for you from the sidelines!

As I have been maintaining that current lockdown and consignment to indoors is leaving me with no thought other than Corona. Number of Corona positive is going up and so are death numbers. The incessant lockdown is leading to several other problems such as labour migration, food shortage, job losses and psychological issues. Vaccination seems months, if not years, away and treatment for ailment is like wild stab, if it works, it works! Under such circumstances, there seems to be no hope of this pandemic to go any time soon.

The heart and mind are all focused and tainted by Corona. In all such conditions, the thing that obsesses one is deliverance from Corona and my few lines that read:

One thing that I now remember by heart is,

During the lockdown, stay in quarantine;

Dangerous Corona virus has no cure,

Save and except our own hydroxy chloroquine.

It’s killing people all over the world,

UK, USA, Italy and Spain are worst affected;

India is far too crowded for social distancing,

So despite our good intentions, we are getting impacted.

Coronavirus was known to be resistant,

But we thought it’d not survive Indian summer;

Temperatures are now high crossing 40 degrees,

But the virus seems to be only getting stronger!

Social Distancing and lockdown are not easy,

They are creating problems of their own;

People are losing job, income and food,

And is like something our lives have not known!

Our resolve and discipline can only save us,

From this devil of a virus called Corona;

Wear mask, wash hands and keep distance,

And it will be life as usual minus Corona!!!

Be it Doctors (treatment) or scientists (vaccination) or lord almighty (miracle), I bow to all of them for they give us hope!

Guess who welcomed the Government’s decision to partially relax COVID lockdown! No one else but alcohol lovers! The way they took to roads and queued up at the wine shops was a scene to be seen to be believed. Suddenly, everyone seemed to be on the road, as if released from days of detention and rushing to the nearest wine shop as it was the most essential thing required for sustenance! As some one remarked sarcastically, “ India was not hungry; it was actually thirsty.”

Unfortunately, in India, there’s a stigma around alcohol. May be it’s something to do with the climate, because it’s definitely not our culture or heritage for our Gods have been depicted as relishing wine so very fondly called “Madira”. Or may be, we the Indians don’t not know how to behave after downing a couple of drinks. And the fact is that some of us do become little unpleasant and nasty after a few drinks. I have seen guests going wild in Punjabi weddings and people over indulging in binge when liquor is on the house.

All said and done, the above does not merit treatment of alcohol as an anathema. Because of exorbitant duty by Government, many people are unable to afford expensive IMFL and they frequently take to spurious liquor, hooch or inexpensive desi, all grave health risk to consumer. On top of it be it festival, elections or any other event, governments tend to stop sale of liquor by declaring dry days. There are governments that have totally banned sale of liquor in their states leading to sale of illegal liquor by bootleggers. I think all the above are populist measures; relaxing some of the draconian measures around sale and consumption of liquor can definitely remove that veil of mystery and taboo around it.

Like several other learning that we are trying to imbibe from the current Corona pandemic, the way people have reacted to relaxation in lockdown by thronging liquor shops should be dwelt upon in depth. In stead of ostracising drinking and drinkers, all this can be made much more graceful and easier and we may see people drinking and behaving more responsibly.

COVID has taught us so many lessons,

Social distancing, lockdown and isolation;

Let’s ease the sale and consumption of liquor in our country

For when lockdown was relaxed, liquor seemed to be a big consolation