Not just Kasauli but the entire state is turning into a concrete jungle

           The politician has a lot to answer for, for this shocking bungle

           Read what have I to say on this, this week, and tell what you make of it

           And to save the 'green' of our greying towns, let's contribute our little bit

         Act tough on illegal constructions, Mr CM please

                            

The Tribune, 05 May 201

Excuse me if it is a boast. But I think my voice represents all the sane and sober Himachalwallas who are a silent but shocked and angry witness to the rapid decline of all that is beautiful and pristine that Himachal is proud of. Needless to say, the biggest cause for this steep erosion is reckless, unplanned, unsustainable, unauthorized construction…construction that is unscientific, unaesthetic and in direct conflict with hill ecology and hill architecture. And therefore this small, seismically sensitive hill state groans under the weight of 25000 illegal structures of concrete– a mindboggling number by any standards. It is a virtual time bomb awaiting a temblor or some kind of natural disaster to trigger a major catastrophe. Imagine the tragedy – tragedy which could have been avoided – that would be unleashed.

As I have said before, Shimla has become virtually unlivable. Kasauli, Manali, Dalhousie and Mcleodganj are no more the pristine wonders of ‘green’ but ugly concrete jungles. Other small towns (including my own beautiful Palampur) are not far behind in this race towards uglification with illegal constructions and encroachments on government lands, PWD roads, link roads in its suburbs (including Aima-Sughar area where I reside) and highways, a common sight. Even those lands which can neither be sold, nor their use altered under the law, are being exploited with glee by cunning manipulation and by conniving with the powers that be.

And I hold both the Virbhadhra Singh-led Congress and the PK Dhumal-led BJP governments squarely responsible for this mess, chaos and the potential danger of enormous proportions they have landed us in. Shockingly, they have been brazen enough to  try and  circumvent the NGT’s orders and High Court/Apex court rulings even, to appease and oblige the builder/contractor/hotel lobby. The death of an upright TCP officer and lately of a PWD worker at Kasauli is a sad reminder of how deep the rot is.

The Tribune, 05 May 2018

                                                    *
                                                      
And let’s not gloss over another point. How many of such illegal constructions –the hotels, the offices and even residences belong to the worthy lawmakers or their kin? The Supreme Court has rightly taken a serious view of the whole issue and asked the government to take action against the conniving officials of TCP/PWD and other related departments who didn’t stick to the rules. But my point is: why no one talks about action against the politicians at whose behest the officials worked? Beyond doubt, our venal politicians are the main culprits as well as the beneficiaries (directly or indirectly) in this plunder, loot and destruction of our green hills by facilitating and promoting illegal constructions. It is they who should also be hauled up by the courts and held personally accountable together with the complicit officials.

The Tribune, 05 May 2018

Amar Ujala, 05 May 2018

                                                     

                                                    

                                             

                                                     *

                  Keep it up, Mr L S Guleria; we are with you

A similar view has been expressed by an enlightened and intrepid soul from Mandi: Mr Lakshmendra Singh Guleria, Chairman of ‘Mandi Bachao Sangharsh Morcha’ and I fully appreciate and endorse all that he has said. No one is or should be above the law, he contends, and wants the tainted politicians to be punished too. Well,  in case he decides to take the case to the Supreme Court – as he says he will - we all need to stand by him and lend our support. I certainly do. Guleria ji, I laud your initiative and would be glad to join you and contribute my bit- any which way. Please carry on.                                     

                                                    * 
We would also want the present government to bring out in the public domain full information on how many of these illegal structures belong to political parties, the politicians, the high and mighty bureaucrats, or their kin.

The Aam Aadmi of Himachal Pradesh holds our present CM Shri Jai Ram Thakur in high esteem for his clean image. Therefore, we expect him to act tough. The pressure on him will be momentous. But unlike his predecessors, he has to save Himachal from further slide towards the dark abyss of ecological disaster. Let the entire state be rid of all illegal constructions/encroachments (including those in small towns too) once for all – to restore its original beauty and spaciousness once for all.  That done, he will have delivered as a CM. And he will also have earned the eternal gratitude of the ‘common man’, as also of the Mother Nature. And undoubtedly this will be good politics as well, for such saner, law-abiding Himachalis far outnumber the greedy, unscrupulous and manipulative flouters of law.
                                                          ***

   Rapes  have become daily news, strict though may be the law,

  The  malady is deeper and begs a question: where lies the real flaw?

  Worse, even holy sites are becoming the haunts for crime

  A rape near Palampur was one such near a place- holy and sublime

  I vent my spleen on this, this week in a post just short and brief

  We all need to address the evil rather than sitting idle in plain grief

                  Rape in Palampur's backyard

                 

The Kathua and Unnao incidents stunned and singed us. The (as yet unresolved) Gudiya rape-murder incident in Kotkhai continues to fester as a sad, haunting memory. And now there is a rape case right in our backyard. In April, this horrific incident occurred at a breathing distance from our own town Palampur: a forest wilderness around ‘Garh Mata’ near Paraur. When bad things start happenings closer home, obviously, the shock and horror feel sharper…as this one does.

Not being a great idol worshipper, I have not been to this popular shrine. But I have driven through the link road and am aware of the point from where a track leads to this pilgrim spot. The landscape along this entire stretch is lovely beyond words. How sad that such idyllic sites and places of worship and faith should also become the scenes of ugly, ghastly crimes.

Well, rapes now are a daily headline- an inescapable morsel of our news feed as if to ensure that we start off the day on a note of anxiety, pain and depression. What is most alarming is that it is not just the cities, big towns or the badlands of Haryana, UP, Bihar and Rajasthan notorious for gender bias and misogynist mindsets, but even the peaceful states like ours too are succumbing to this virus, this scourge, at a rapid rate. And then these are not merely plain rapes emanating from some pathological sexual frustration or insane lust. But the violence and brutality of the worst kind, leading to murder, is becoming increasingly frequent and integral part - a 'new normal', as the popular expression goes - of such crimes. It is this aspect that sends a chill of horror and shock down one’s spine.

How can any human being - even if totally depraved, perverted and deranged - can turn so beastly and cruel is simply beyond my comprehension. Then another disturbing aspect is the increasing involvement of teens in such heinous crimes: both the victims as well as the perpetrators. The Kathua girl was a minor (her innocent, bewitching smile haunts me still); and the ‘Garh Mata’ rape victim was a minor too and so were two of the accused who have already been arrested. Equally worrisome is the fact of 'gang' rapes becoming more frequent than ever before. Is it the poor law enforcement or something else that despite making new and more stringent laws, there is still no let up or abatement of violence against women and the girl child?  Why has the fear of punishment not been able to deter the criminal minds from such dreadful acts? There are no easy or simple answers. Laws howsoever deterrent alone cannot prevent crimes. In fact  the malady lies in the general  rot in our society, faulty grooming of our children, eroding value system, the mess that our school education has become,  and the caste, gender and other such prejudices and biases that run deep in our psyches and are fostered by the politicians for grabbing votes.

We need to adopt holistic, multi-pronged strategies with proactive participation of the enlightened and committed do-gooders in our midst to make our society healthy, happy and vibrant where every woman and  girl child can walk free, play, smile, laugh, dream, and grow and live without fear.

                                   

*

              

 ...The malady is 12000 years old and deep

 The gender bias which is the root cause of crimes against women is old and has been flowing in our veins right from the era of ‘Agricultural Revolution’ 12000 years ago. It afflicts all societies and all nations in varying degrees. A  book  'Sapiens: A brief History of Humankind’ that I am reading these days says  that as of 2006, there were still fifty-three countries where a husband could not be prosecuted for the rape of his wife. Even in the developed Germany, rape laws were amended only in 1997 to create a legal category of marital rape.

I reproduce below a para from the book to give you an idea about how bad the gender discrimination has been in human society:

In many societies women were simply the property of men, most often their fathers, husbands or brothers. Rape, in many legal systems, falls under property violation- in other words, the victim is not the woman who was raped but the male who owns her… The Bible decrees that ‘If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife’ (Deuteronomy 22:28-9).

Hmmm… Shocking...isn't it?

                                                   ***

             देव आनन्द की जीवन गाथा पढ़ी है मैंने अभी अभी,

             चाहता हूँ पढ़ कर इसको, आनंद उठायें आप भी सभी I

             सच्च मानो वह तो जीवन में भी था एक अद्भुत प्रेम पुजारी,

             इस उम्दा पुस्तक पर ही लिखा है मैंने ब्लॉग अबकी बारी I 

          

                                      Dev Anand

                  A romantic's journey through life            

It  took me a month to finish reading 'Romancing With Life'- the aptly titled memoir of one of the most romantic and ‘evergreen’ actors who took Bollywood by storm: Dev Anand. 

Poetic in tone and tenor, pacy and free-flowing in style, Dev Anand’s autobiography describes his dream-filled journey from Gurdaspur to Bombay and meteoric rise as a film star. His dream was to not settle for a life of mediocrity. He didn’t want to be a stereotype as most of us end up being, under pressure from our ‘ever-wise’ parents, the elders and the society inflicting their ‘how-to-do-well-in-life’ ideas on the young impressionable minds. To my mind, this  wiser-than-thou-attitude, quite often, does more harm than good. But Dev Anand was cast in a different mould. Looking at himself in the mirror he found himself handsome; his inner voice told him that he was not meant to lead a mundane, ghisi-piti life in some mofussil town. Therefore, defying conventional wisdom and parents’ protective embrace, he slipped out of home and boarded the train to the city of dreams. He had a rough ride initially but with his undying passion, verve and self-belief, nothing could have stood in his way to finally touch the dizzy heights of success and celebrity-hood. Of his hard days when he was still on the roads and penniless, he poignantly recounts one incident of how he had to sell his prized, carefully kept stamps album to a vendor on a Bombay street to quell his pangs of thirst and hunger.

Bollywood is a world unto itself. It is a world of glamour and glitz; beauty, aura and mystique…(and much more, not altogether wholesome). The film stars are celebrities adored and adulated by the millions. The enchanting heroines rule many young hearts and tiptoe in their dreams. And handsome heroes are wooed by women. Dev Anand, perhaps the handsomest of all in his days, was no exception. In gripping narrative he describes his ‘loves’ and encounters with the best and the most beautiful in the film world and how women young or old, married or unmarried in and  outside Bollywood fell under his spell and drooled over him. And being a romantic at heart with nothing but ‘love-for-all' the guiding mantra of his life, he loved and lived it all.

From the book he comes out to be a man of passion and childlike curiosity. He is restlessly energetic and always bubbling with new and novel, unthought-of, unexplored and bold ideas for his films. He is seen eagerly scouting the whole globe, forever looking to scale new heights and enlarge his horizons; feverishly in quest of fresh new talent (not just from India but from any corner of the world) and the best locations for film shoots so as to present something special and unique to the world as a film maker. Jeenat Aman was one such ‘find’ of his; also Kalpana Kartik (a product of St Bedes College Shimla who, as we all know, he subsequently married); and so was the fabulous Tina Munim (who later married one of the Ambani brothers), who he brought into the world of films. He also writes about his unrequited love for Jeenat and his date with her when he was all set to make his 'pre-planned' confession-  only to step back in a sad but dignified and quiet manner on sensing that perhaps something (on her side) was amiss.
He describes his association with various luminaries in the film world and the top stars like Dilip Kumar (who he speaks very highly of), Raj Kapoor, Sunil Dutt and others; his creative highs with SD Burman and Kishore Kumar, his launching of own studio Navketan along with his equally talented and gifted brother Chetan Anand and later his joint film ventures with Goldie. He meets and rubs shoulders with the big and great in various walks of life including the politicians. His love and passion for the country and its great people propels him to even plunge into the world of politics with undiminished zeal and enthusiasm but the political party that he and his friends conceive of doesn’t take off- mainly because of lack of will on the part of some. This happens post the fall of Morarji Desai-led Janata Party government soon after the Emergency.

                    

Dev Anand's autobiography reflects his flamboyant spirit and his limiltless love for all things beautiful. At the same time he also strikes you as a man sensitive to the core, a man of integrity, vision, professional competence and idealism who would never buckle under any pressure and sell his soul at any cost – unlike some other stars and film makers - then and now.

I read this memoir  after Naseeruddin Shah’s. They both have style and flavour uniquely their own- as indeed how it should be. They both recount their own stories of struggles, highs and lows, tears and smiles, success and fame to regale us with, in their journey of life. But one common thread runs through  both: self-belief, 'chin- up' and ‘never-say-die’ attitude; the courage to defy conventions and bear the adversities when they come  with a grin…but always keeping the inner flame burning brightly, come what may.

Last word: You ought to have fire in your belly to become great. 

                                                       ***



                                                   

When arrogance, greed and lust for power become the  name of the game

 When even the apex court and the CJI are humiliated and called many a name

Then we must all wake up to save our values and tweak the politician’s ear

For, our great institutions are under threat; so let’s now act without any fear

In my blog this week, about it all I have given vent to my anger- loud and clear

Please read/share it, and remember:  I love you all and hold you close and dear

                     The CJI impeachment case

            Have our politicians gone berserk?                   

I am no BJP chamcha. Nor does my heart weep for the Congress.  Both the parties are packed with criminals who are shamelessly fielded election after election. The ongoing Karnataka election tamasha shows the ugly face of our politics well enough. Thankfully, we are a little better off in Himachal though. Yes, the AAP did entrance me when it was just a baby that we felt was born to give India a fresh new start with neat, clean politics. But my love affair ended soon in bitter heart break. Having said this, I want to draw your attention to the raging debate the shocked and bewildered country has been witness to: debate on the impeachment of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India led by the Congress. Last Friday, the 20^th of April, I sat glued to the TV switching one news channel after another watching the proceedings with horror, pain, disbelief and disgust. Knowing full well how credible our news channels are, I don’t buy their stuff. Nor the dialectic or logic proffered by the squabbling and shouting party spokesmen who we all know unabashedly blow their party’s trumpet howsoever weak, stupid, hollow or twisted their arguments may be. In the present case I wanted to grasp what the country’s topmost, independent-minded legal luminaries had to say on this momentous issue of far-reaching implications and consequences. From the esteemed Fali Nariman to Harish Salve (who successfully argued for India in the Kulbhushan Yadav case in the International Court of Justice) to Ram Jethmalani -  and even many retired judges of outstanding merit - have been unequivocal in condemning this misguided move inspired by the Congress. This is what Fali Nariman – a lawyer the whole country respects for his neutrality and integrity – had to say: “This is a horribly black day…The blackest day. I‘ve never seen a day like this. In my 67 years, I’ve never seen a day like this.” Harish Salve said that it was unprecedented and undesirable and just by initiating the move, “damage to the image of the judiciary has already been done.” And  another jurist Soli Sorabjee finds the impeachment of CJI simply  "nonsensical".

I don’t know friends what is your take on this…how you feel about it, but believe me, after switching off the TV, I went to bed a broken, worried man. Our politics stinks, we know, but could it be brought to sink to such nether depths by the politicians? – I wondered as I shuffled uneasily in the bed. One crucial pillar of our democracy, the press, is already under siege with big corporate houses guided by vested interests having usurped it- the electronic media in particular. Judiciary is the last bastion which has stood firm and not let itself be cowed down by the nefarious and sinister designs of the politicians to buckle under or dance to their tunes. It has had issues and questions of propriety...as also an odd bad fish here and there. But such things are best left to its internal mechanisms to deal with. Politicians, of all, are the least qualified to meddle into its affairs. The judiciary’s umbrella of justice is the last refuge for the common man to take shelter against the scorching heat of injustices of the society and the hubris of the various organs of the government. It is sacrosanct. It inspires hope and confidence amongst the weak and the downtrodden. And when even its supreme edifice is now being jolted, the CJI being humiliated, abused and intimidated by the politicians, what message does it send to the common man? Can you imagine some Congressmen allegedly calling the CJI who is held in highest esteem by the very nature of his exalted position by you and me, “a rat in the trap”, “a fixer”? Is this the Congress of Nehrus and Patels? Has it gone intellectually bankrupt? Has it gone berserk? Where are the saner, suave, sober minds- the Jai Ram Rameshes? Where is Rahul leading this oldest party of great leaders to? Thank God, Dr Manmohan Singh held his own and so did Chidambram and Salman Khurshid, and refused to be a party to this sinister move. I salute them.

But dear friends, as Harish Salve voiced his lament: damage has been done.

History will not forgive the Congress for this grave misadventure…nor I think will the great people of our country.

                     

  किस्मत वालों को ही मिलते हैं जीवन में  प्यारे मनचाहे दोस्त/सखा,

 यारी का मज़ा है कितना मीठा जाने वही हो जिसने इसका स्वाद चखा I

 है लिखा इसी विषय पर मैंने ब्लॉग, बिना हिचक व खौफ से,

 उम्मीद है पढ़ोगे आप भी इसको दिलचस्पी और पूरे शौक से I

                                   And

जीना है एक कला अनोखी, यह तो है शायद तुम सबको मालूम,

फिर भी दे रहा  हूँ कुछ अपने नुस्खे- नन्हे, नटखट और मासूम I 

                    Like diamonds, friends are forever              

“Friendship  redoubleth joys, and cutteth griefs in half,” said Francis Bacon. Knowing that this is true, I drove off to my dear old friend last Saturday along with my better half to celebrate the joy of having offloaded my weekend blog. Before setting off, I duly told him on phone that we are calling on him for some gupshup over sips of Vodka which I said I would carry along. (A helpful tip from another seasoned friend of mine that Vodka is best enjoyed when mixed with ‘tonic water’ and slices of lemon was uppermost in my mind.)  As expected, he was glad and asked us to come over. When we entered the gate, while going past the driveway, we were greeted by blossoms of red and white roses on both the sides all along the well-trimmed green hedge. The courtyard had more in store for our welcome:  larkspurs, azaleas, (more) roses, pansies, antirrhinums, camellias, begonias, geraniums and some unknown ones that were blooming merrily in myriad shades of red, yellow and white.  What a warm and grand entry, I said to myself.

After hugs and mutual greetings we quickly settled down in their drawing room for our usual chit chat laced with humour and unrestrained laughter over pithy exchanges in chaste Pahari. We both gel extremely well with this fabulous friend-couple and our meetings are always marked by instant informality, hilarity and joviality. And so it was this time too. But when it came to drinks, he didn’t let me bring out the stuff I was carrying.  He had a pleasant surprise instead: homemade, exquisite 'health drink' made from imported grapes. Over small little sips, we shared our joys and sorrows and discussed other existential matters in a light-hearted and at times serious banter. Hours turned into minutes and minutes into seconds. And then we returned home in a state of bliss- yours truly a bit tipsy with the fine taste and aroma of the 'elixir' lingering for long many hours.

                           

This friend of mine lives in serene, sylvan environs not too far from Palampur in a lovely, tastefully done up and inviting home with open, spacious sun-lit outdoors. He and his charming wife lead a life of relaxed but busy work-a-day schedule…which makes me so jealous. They grow flowers, vegetables, mushrooms and fruits in abundance. The variety of fruit trees they have is amazing: peaches, papayas, pecan-nuts, mangoes, apple, cherry, strawberry and perhaps a few more. Then they make pickles, jams and juices of high quality making full use of their professional expertise. My friend is a qualified and seasoned microbiologist with specialization in wine-making and his wife a trained and experienced hand in the art and craft of fruit-processing. That’s why their services are used to exclusive advantage by reputed juice/jam making units around Shimla. Perhaps living amongst flowers and fruit-trees and tending them with loving care is the reason behind their youthful looks, ready smiles and warm hearts.

                             

                               

And here is good news:

They are toying with the idea of setting up a small unit at their residence that would cater to processing various kinds of fruits into desired good quality products charging just the minimal amount for their labour and service. Not a commercial venture they insist but just a labour of love. I have lauded and supported the idea. So those of you who are growing fruits and veggies enough and to spare, this would be a Godsend. Let’s hope and pray that this idea translates into reality sooner than later. For, a fulsome mango season with the promise of a bumper harvest is near at hand.

Who is this lovely, unassuming couple, you might be wondering? Well, my friend is none other than K K Vyas who retired as Joint Director Horticulture and now lives at Banuri just about 5 kilometers from Palampur and his wife is Sneh (the name and her nature are a perfect fit!). A made-for each-other couple.

                                                       

                

                                     
                                       

                                            *

Recipe for 'good life'

A teacher once and now a senior citizen…can I therefore turn a bit preachy please? Well then here is my little piece of advice prompted by my visit to a friend narrated above, and a book I am reading these days:

Do try to get out of the rut of dull, daily routine. Break free from existential knots and shackles as often as you can. Step out of the four walls of your homes, howsoever cosy and luxurious. Too much of confinement breeds monotony and ennui. Step out, breathe the free air, feel and savour the various hues and flavours of nature and of the world. Cultivate friends, surprise them some times and let your hair down in an air of total informality. Alcohol is injurious, I know. But an occasional swig is not going to kill you, I assure you...your boredom/ennui may. Don’t be stifled by silly, man-made rules always. Didn’t we have had enough of this life-by-the-rulebook already? I personally feel that a well-groomed, sensitive, rational mind hardly needs to straitjacket itself by codes and commandments…it knows where to draw the line. Show more understanding than your Goddamn ‘judgement’ when you interact with friends and people. And…hold your breath…flirt a little. That would add spark and sparkle to your life.  Yes I mean it: flirt with new ideas, dreams, fantasies and whatever is worth flirting about…but be mindful of not crossing the ‘lakhshmanrekha’. If however perchance you do – after all, to err is human – do step back as soon as you can. 
In short, don’t shy away from romancing with your life….

Well I have very many more tips up my sleeve for a good, fulfilling life, but for that you will have to seek me out. I am always accessible to the desirous and the deserving! Young and old, men and women!

                                

          

                                                                      ***                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                              

            Senior  citizens are an asset to the society and deserve a better fare

                   Be  sensitive to their needs and problems and treat them with some care

                   This week’s post records the woes of one in our own Palampur town

                   Please read/ share it with empathy and love and without   any frown.
                                                                  And

 What a shame, what a shame!- Kathua/Unnao rapes and murders are the most foul
 What violent times we are living in, what infernal winds of crime now rage and howl

                Lament of a senior citizen of Palampur

                                              

The link roads leading to the bazaar are choked by unregulated traffic and bad parking

Hello everyone!

I am a senior citizen. I live in the outskirts of Palampur town. Despite the monkey menace, increasing noise and pollution, I lead a peaceful, quiet life enjoying the fast depleting bounties of nature and the beauty of dwindling tea gardens.  It feels divine to sit out on the veranda, sip my Kangra tea, read books, philosophize about life, dwell on old memories/heart-breaks, rekindle some unfulfilled dreams…even fantasize a bit and so on. Or, I spend time tending my little garden and pot flowers, do a bit of WhatsApping and Facebooking, and have an occasional drink with some good friends against the backdrop of soft strains of some soulful music.

However there is a flip side to my life. Much though I would like to avoid it, to obtain some creature comforts and for general errands, often enough I have to get down to the town. That’s when my woes begin. The very thought of having to go to the bazaar sends my heart racing with anxiety and tension. Walking down would be a better option but is not feasible because of the distance and the problem of stuff you have to buy and then carry. Two-wheel drive is a good idea but is fraught with risks with the crazy, सिरफिरे youth zooming past you left or right at great speeds. Car is a safer bet but then two big questions begin to nag you: where to park the car; and how to negotiate your way through the crowded, vehicle-choked roads and through the bazaar. I consciously avoid the Aima link road passing through the Dohru mohalla that joins the main road near Maglani garments shop. This road is narrow, steep and winding at places and worse, crammed with vehicles on its flanks. I wonder at the wisdom of the guys who opened a ‘Café Coffee Day’ outlet there in such an uninviting and unsuitable location. I usually prefer the road passing through T-bud hotel and the Church, although the school buses parked near the fire brigade building  frighten me.

My first stop is usually at the general post office. My heart sinks when I see the serpentine queue (or none at all, as the picture below shows) at the counter for making monthly deposits in the RD account. The agents with  heaps of passbooks in their hands have crammed the window already. And while you are patiently awaiting your turn in the queue, silently fuming and fretting at India’s overpopulation and the antiquated, medieval working of our post offices (where transacting business online is still a far cry), a brawny, abusive-looking ruffian flaunting his biceps will come and push and shove his way to the front despite protests.

Another big ordeal is buying vegetables/provisions. I take due care to park my vehicle as discreetly to the side of the road as possible and make necessary purchases as hastily as I can. But still the cop will come, glower at me and be rude and rough both in language and manner. I have often got edgy and ended up telling the cop: “Well challan me if you wish. But for God’s sake can you be a little polite please?” while murmuring to myself, “Yaar after all I am a senior citizen. Please do have some regard for my grey hair and weak, shaky legs.” The other day a dear friend of mine had parked his scooty beside the Joy restaurant as much to the side – if not more - as were the other vehicles already standing there in a haphazard manner. Yet, the cop came and ‘challaned’ him, saying: “This is owing to my regard for your being a senior citizen that I am imposing a penalty (challan) of just 100 rupees!” My venerable friend just scratched his head with dismay and despair, although he wanted to tell him: “Arrey Bhai, thanks for this great favour but what about the other vehicles parked in a much worse manner…particularly the shopkeepers’ who do so as a matter of right, every day?”

Well, I am not asking for any exalted status. After all it is India and not the 'Happiness Index' toppers Finland or Norway where the senior citizens are treated with sensitivity and care. All I want is a modicum of respect and ease of access to civic amenties. Please do treat us with some dignity and not as a useless scum which we are not. We have contributed our bit to the well-being of our society, to its growth and enrichment. Some of us retirees have educated and groomed young minds in schools, colleges and universities to make them employment-worthy and good responsible citizens. The bankers have given you loans to educate your children and build dream houses. Doctors have ensured you good health. Engineers and architects have built your homes, roads, malls to improve your living standards…and so on. I know old age is not synonymous with wisdom, but still we carry years of experience to share with you to draw lessons from- should you care to sit and listen. The least that you can do is to be polite and respectful when you are dealing with a senior citizen. My dear traffic cops, and babus at the counters, are you listening? There are still no separate windows for us at most public places- post offices and banks in particular. If at all there is any, anywhere, mostly it is unmanned and misused. But the young could avoid pushing and shoving an 'oldie'. And last but not the least, the administration needs to be sensitive enough to put in place some basic facilities for the senior citizens. As my friend I mentioned above suggested, let there be paid parking with time limits for us so that we can make our bazaar errands without being harassed or roughed up. Likewise, the cops should be strictly instructed to ‘behave’. Also, all public offices should mandatorily have dedicated counters/ windows for the old, infirm and physically challenged. My friend even suggested that why not issue stickers to the resident senior citizens for their vehicles and create some paid parking space for them in the busy Palampur market? Not a bad idea; is it?

                                                             

Hap-hazard parking near 'Joy'

 Chaos at a PO counter: photo courtesy Saroj 

                                                       
                    

                                                   

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                       Oh, you poor dear Kathua girl!

        

Am I living in a land of Buddha, Gandhi and of sages and  saints?

Or among beasts masquerading as (soulless) men with ugliest taints?

The rapes and murders at Unnao and Kathua singe and shred my soul

The picture of this cute girl in purple, haunts my being- full and whole

Her big wide eyes look so eager to behold the world’s beauty, joy, love and wonder

How could such a flower be a victim of beastly lust and such gruesome plunder?
She  with such a  beatific smile is no Hindu/Muslim, but a God's gift- a bright flame
O you vile man, keep aside thy communal brush- if you have even a wee bit shame

O rapist-politician, may God’s wrath strike you fast and hard; shame on you

May the child's last sigh awaken all demons to whiplash you black and blue

May you rot and stink in hell and burn in its fires for all times to come

May we all rise as one to treat you 'Calibans' like a foul and rotten scum.

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