....The Indian Unity.....

......the NCR  is dotted  with Tombs , Forts  &  Palaces .......before  the  11th Century  it  was  evident as Hindu Rajas  & chieftains  held  sway, but  not  to  a  rampant  extent     .......until  Turkey , Persia , Kabul , Samarkand , Herat  , Kandhahar & Bukhara intervened .......prior  to  tht  the  foreign  taste  in  the  form  of  Parthians  , Bactrians  , Scythians  , Yuichi(Kushanas)  had  already  permeated  in  the  Northern  plains since  the advent  of Alexander The Great in the  BC  period ....the  evidences  r  tell tale....followed by  the  slave sultans seizing  the  plains : the  fertile  Doab  frm  the  Hindu  Chieftains  ....only  to  be  later , threatened  by  Timur who  crossed  the  Oxus  &  Indus  river , taking "Dehli" by  storm....pillaged  &  razed ........"Dehli" earns  a reprieve  as Timur  returns  back  to  Samarkand  with Indian Masons  &  elephants  &  a  huge booty .....redecorating  his  beloved  Capital ......tht  was  not the first   brush  with  the  Mongols for  the  Citizenry  of  "Dehli" as  prior  to  tht  Hordes  of  Mongols  Marauders  were  held  &  vanquished at  the  Northern  plains  .....but  this  time "Dehli" was  overrun ......as  post  Timur , the  Timurid Clan  squabbled  for  Samarkand  , Bukhara, Herat ....Babur having  a  mixed  fortune  of  holding  Ferghana  &  Cherished  Samarkand  settled  in  Kabul , laying  beautiful Royal  gardens ....the  ambient  clime  &  orchards  &  greenery giving  him  a  much  needed  brk  frm  the  battles  with  other  Timurid  Clan  members , Uzbegs ,  for  Samarkand .....Contrary  to  the  popular  belief  of  Timur  as  a  barbarian , marauder , Timur's passion  for  a  Cultured  court  of  intellectuals  frm  India , Persia  , Turkey , Afghans  persisted , passing  on to  his  generations  & Babur  no  exception  either .......the  word  Mongol as hated  in  India for  barbarism took  the  aura  of  authority  as  Babur  established  himself  in "Dehli  Musnud" as the  First  of  the  Great  Mughals.....the  taste  of  Timurid  Clan starts to  permeate & sprinkle  as fine  aroma of  aesthetics  sprayed a  blend  of  Persian  , Turkish & Hindustan artisans over  the Northern plains  of  Hindustan  in  the  form  of  well  laid  out  gardens   , palaces   ,  Forts   , Mosques   ,  Tombs  over  the  years ........as   I drive  across  the  NCR , I am  breathless , excited to  witness such an  array  of  an admixture  of influence of  nationalities  imported  long  time  back  to  modify  Hindustan  of  yesteryrs  ......which I  believe  is  irreversible.....a  cultural  change , a  cultural  accomodation  , a  cultural  Co  habitation  in  the  form  of  affecting  our  current  daily  lives  was not  effected  in  a  day......tht is  Evolution ......with  the  passage  of  time  , we evolved  nd  embraced......Its  time  tht  we  now  realize  the  folly  of  setting  the  Clock  back  ......as  evolution  cannot  be  tampered as  it  is  Natural .......!!!!!.....Hv  to  respect  all .....hv  to  embrace  all......as we  succeeded  tht  way  ......as  we  flourished  tht  way  ......as  we  r  strong  tht  way  .....as we  were never  vanquished  tht  way  .......!!!!......Long  live  the Indian Unity......!!!

....'Poorna' : The Power girl ....

....The  more  U  r  away  the   more   attracted  Ur   .....late thirtys  was  the  rt  time  to  take  a  decision for  the good  ....to seek  a  change  &  a Greener  pasture  ....gregarious  as  our  nature  wud permit  ....flying  out  of  the  Country  was  no  mean  effort  ....herculean I  must  say  ....as  the  roots  were  deeply  entrenched.....thought a  replant  wud  be easier....but  to  no  avail  ....." ...the  More  Ur  Away  the  More  Ur  attracted  to  your  native  land...."...this  proved  to be  tru....the  intonations  albeit  more  defining....as  the separation leads  to  new  found  knowledge  of  the  old  habitat :our  dear  homeland  ....Glad  I  Parted  late , as the  roots  r  healthy , succulent  ,  opulent  in our  region's magnanimity...as  Rahul  Bose churned  out "Poorna"  which  the whole  fmly  of  us  watched....the story  of  an  impoverished  Children  of  our  Land  , determined  to  go  ahead  &  conquering  "Everest"....Cud  feel  the  setting ; so , so  similar  &  familiar  as  we  were  subjected  to  visuals of  poverty  long long  time  back  home  as  we were  children .....SilverSpoon,  shud  I say  being  thrust  into  our  mouths by  our  indefatigable  parents....Convent  education  &  higher  expensive  education  in  best  of  Colleges & universities  in  the  same  contradictory  settings  of  our  impoverished  neighbors  not  very  far  away  .....as  the Nation  hobbled after  a  marathon  foreign  domination , we  as  Children  cud  see  the stark difference  & disparity ....Lucky we had parents  to  shield  us  ,  promote  us  , augment  as  at  every  step despite  difficulties....but  alas,  the  majority  around  were not  so  lucky  , deprived....as  "Poorna  " the Everest  Girl depicts , a poignant  tale  of  struggle  ,  &    subsequent  Conquest  of  same  ....it is  Life's tale of a  Spirit  so  Indomitable with  which  we  r  all  blessed, hidden ,  only  needing  a spark  to  ignite &  rekindle the  path  of  Joy  of  a Human  Endeavour.....!!!!   
       

.....Ramaadan Kareem .....

.......The Holy Mnth is  here amidst  lots  of  Sunshine.....welcome  Sunshine after  a wk  of  deluge .....dark  hovering clouds  nd gail windspeed .....there will  be  sunshine  after  the  rains   .........  thr  will  be   day  after   nite  ........thr  will  be   hope  after  despair ......thr  will  be   light  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel .....as.....thr  will  be a  silver  lining  to a   dark  cloud  .......as  nature  wud   provide  the  balm  for  every ailment  .......thr  will  be  a Holy  mnth  to cleanse  our  spirits , to  rededicate  ourselves  to  the  cause  of  mankind  ......for  a  better  Life ;   a  better World   .......truly tranquil .........a  better  Life  for  the progeny ........our   Children .......thr  will  be  a  sense  of  urgency  now  , the  all pervading  piety , sacrifice , a moment  of  redemption  ......a  moment  of  forgiving .....a  moment  of  opening  your  heart  nd  mind  to  your  fellow brethren......a  helping  hand   & a  firm  reaffirmation to  one's  Holy Faith , deeply  ensconced  in  the  heart......such  will  be  the  spirit  here  in  the Timeless,

age old  Archipelago  ,  with  the  Sun  , Moon  , the  Deep  Blu &  its swaying  Coconut  Palm ........a  string  of  Coral  beads .....islands  , white  sandy  beaches  , under water corals  , communities  scattered  nd  sparse.....remote......yet  Spirited.....torch bearer  of  their  Civilization ......proudly  holding  Sway.......!!!......Wishing  all  frnds  nd  fmly    Ramaadan Kareem .....!!!

....Unstoppable service.....

.....drenched  to  the  Tee ,    relentless   "Hulanghu"(Monsoon), catching  me  unawares  as the  Rain coat  gives  way this  evening .....the 30  mt detour to  the Clinic, as  many  streets  remain  temporarily  waterlogged....out  of bounds.....its  a pleasure  walking  on  Male  '  Streets , as  u  negotiate  the  multitude, a  gud  habit of  not  using  the  car .....gud & refreshing  after  a  marathon T20 @Clinic.....today  remembered  Capt  Atma  Prakash   Prof  of  Pharmacology......as we  were  sure the  class  wud  be  a  wash  out  due  to  heavy  rains of  the  Gangetic  plain Monsoonal  season, with  water  logging.....thr  arrived  our  dear Professor  drenched  &  into  the  Lecture  theatre , a  huge  arena packed  with  Medicos .....nonchalantly   removing  the  Wet  Shirt ,  Prof Capt Atma Prakash picks  up  the chalk  nd initiates  the  class without  much  ado  in Banian.....such  was the  level of  professionalism thru  which  we  were  subjected  to  .....taking  a  leaf  out  of  his book, for  a  suitable  lesson  learnt of  professionalism ....... I  had no  hesitation    initiating  the  Eve  Clinic with   the Wet  shirt  removed ,nonchalantly  hung , & draped only  in  my  Hosp. coat ....tht  afternun  Class  of  Pharmacology  in  Patna Medical College as  vividly & proudly remembered   as a brite  star  as  if  it  was  just  yesterday  ......!!!

.....MeghMallar.....

...last week & the current hv  been the Onset  of Monsoon , brking  on  time....the  strategically  located archipelago in  the firing  line  of  the  monsoon as  an  early  bird .....never  ,never did  I  ever  witness  any  dearth of  rainfall in  the  last  one  decade .....last  thursday visit  to the  Clinic was adventurous draped  in  a  tough  Raincoat negotiating  the  gail  like windspeed  nd  on  the  newly  laid  Rasfannu  beachfront 

  tracks, no  less  thn  a  Treadmill testing  time , up against  the  wind....the deep  blu will  be  now  at its   notorious  nd  truant  best  ,  unpredictable  nd  very  soon   will  herald  the  off  season  .....the  children  r  upbeat  as  one  of  their  Mama nd  Mami (maternal  uncle nd aunt) will visit  us  for  holidays in June , as  a  return  visit  tour of  our  trip  of  Dec  '15 of  Bombay whr  we  had  a fabulous trip  of  Bombay  Darshan  ,  Shirdi  , Mahabaleshwar  , Panchgani .....though  it  will be raining  Cats  nd  Dogs , yet we  will ensure  full time  fun  as fmly is  fmly  .....!!!....always  , always  welcome  ....Most  Welcome  .....as  we  always  miss  thm whn we  board  the return flt , frm India  to the  Isles .....!!! 

.....Quick Silver Fluidity & Flexibility....

.....Finally , it  was  a delight  completing  :Cultural History  of  India Edited by  Prof . AL Basham .....must  must  read  for  the  modern Citizen of India & the Subcontinent....a flexible book  of  understanding  our  Nation ....authorities  on  specific period, penning fluidly & lucidly .....the array  of  Scholarship penning the  various  epochal chapters  is  breathtaking .....finally , I  cud  get a  proper  grasp  of  the  Nation &  its  Evolution .....those  who hate  facts  ,  figures  & History &  choose  to  live  in  the  present will be handicapped  & Confused  in  a  proper appraisal  of  the  Current  phase  of  evolution  of  the  Nation , for  want  of  the  same ......hence  its  a  mandatory  reading  for an Indian .......contrarily , those who  love  an in depth  analysis, for those  who  like  me , r  in  Love  with  History......&  those  , who  like  me  get easily  transported  to  an  Era  gone  by  thru  intense  reading  &  imagination.....this  is  the book to  be  armed  with ....!!!!....I am intensely  happy  in  the  last  six  mnths reissuing  the  book, again & again  , reading  over  &  over  again , transporting  myself , thru  various  epochs & era .....nd  feeling  proud  & happy & a new found awareness......a better  understanding ......to  know  the  antecedent  of  my  bearings ......Strangely  , tossing  over frm  West( Prof Eric Foner : American History )   to  the East( Cultural History of the Subcontinent )   hv  been  a smooth  transition  &  transportation......tru  wealth is  knowledge  nd  the  happiness  generated  by  receiving  a  millionth  part  of  a  topic is in  sharp  contrast  to  the  negativity  of  Ignorance .....in  fact the  acquisition  of  Information  has  to  be  free  ,  flexible  & with Quicksilver  fluidity with  an  open  mind .....!!!!

....The Banana Boat ride .....

.....The Banana Boat  ride ....was  hilarious as  Shahid  rode  at Jetspeed  the Jetski , hitching  our carrier the Banana Boat .....he had  instructed  to  raise  Thumbs  up , if more speed  is  req  nd  Thumbs  down  if  want to slow  down if out  of  scare .....unsuspectingly  , as  the  speed  increased  to  a  scary  level  in the  thick  of  the  Indian Ocean , seldom  did  I  knew  tht  Doel sitting  behind is  the  signaler...... as I was busy  clutching  the ropes  with  Arnav  in  harness......scary  , funny  nd  satisfying  , little Arnav  overcame  the  fear  factor  .....as  Shahid  , a Champion  watersportsman explained to  him  tht  fear hv  to be  overcome  just  once  .....nd  thn  the  rest of  the  Journey is  cake  walk  .....!!!!!

......Brave Heart's Day.....Long Live .....!!!

....as if one rubefacient  is  not  enough.....Subol's Ma is sick  , he needs  to  send  back  home few  tubes  of  an ayurvedic  Rub....not  only  a  rub,  I am  flooded  with  req  for Vitamins  , Supplements , by  the expat  blu collared  to  send  back  home.....often  as the  eldest  son , shouldering  a  fmly back  home , wife & children , an  ageing  parents  , younger  siblings & often unmarried  sisters.....motivation  strong  enough  to  brave  the  Equatorial  sun tanning  thm  beyond  recognition .....hence  these  OTC req  however  untenable hv  to  be attended to......for  the  sake  of  these  bravehearts  away  & lonely  in  far  flung  Islands .....afflicted  by  ailments & for  want  of  reprieve ......the  hammering  on their  often  frail  self  , as they capitulate  on my  clinic  table.....their heart open bared ,of  any  distress  or  injustice  meted ......hv  to  hear  thm  out  as it  goes  a   long  way  in  formulating  the  fight  back .....a  rapidly  developing  part  of  the  Globe  now , as I  move  frm  facilities to  facilities  .....the  distinctive stamp  of  their  hard  Labour  is  discernible.....as  you  appreciate  newly  laid  developments  Island  after  Island , thr  is  undoubtedly a laborious  hand  working  feverishly  braving  the  Island  Sun  &  Rain .....assisting thm is   most satisfying  & their  smile most  heartwarming  ........Long Live  thr  brethren  who  make  the World  a better  place  to  Live in  ......!!!!

......Labour Day.......

....Gandhiji used a  pencil to its  very  end  until

the  stub  was  un grippable ,thus ,  honoring  the  piece  of  labour tht  went  into  its  making....the World  is  wht  it  is , had  it  not  been for hard  labour of many  tht  went  into  its  creation  of a modern  existence ....Gr8  r  the Nations  who appreciate nd honor  "Shram" (labour)which  went  into  its making of an  existing greatness....Human  Resource  hv  to  be  honored  ,  taken  care  off , appreciated  nd  furthered ....thn  only  a vibrant  society will crop  up on  a  truly  well  laid  foundation .....Labour  has  to  be  honored , placed  in  the  higher echelons  of our mind set of the  Indomitable  Human spirit.....Long Live the laborious  Brethren....Long Live  "Labour Day "....!!!!