The story of ruins

A dairy plant, worth several crores of Rupees, near Nanaksar on the GT road is a classic example of failure. The sad part of its story is that it did not see any beginning. The project simply failed  to takeoff. Opposite to that is another failed project, the sugar mill of Jagraon. The project had a very sad ending. Its employees went out of job and the whole structure gives a ghostly appearance. There was a Mall that matched the international standards at GT road called Adhar Shopping Mall. It had all the good qualities that any Mall should have. Sufficient parking space was also there. This beautiful project died by inches. A huge complex is standing at Sherpura Chowk near the gate at the beginning of Sherpura road. Other than one or two shops, it is lying vacant. In the vicinity of the new grain market there is a beautiful market with ample parking place. Except the LIC office there is hardly anything notable there. A huge CBSE based school constructed in several acres came up near Kothe Khajooran side. It is said that it was a sister project of Sanmati Vimal Jain School. This project also had to bite the dust. Just behind the Jain temple and very near the Hari Singh Hans hospital, is another huge hospital in the making. Sadly, it is only having the 'under construction' status for the last several years and the whole project seems to have lost direction. Just opposite the new grain market came up a marriage palace which simply did not click. As if due to some superstitious reasons the gate was opened from the rear side facing the gate of the Royal city. Entry from the front side was closed. Interestingly, the scheme worked but only moderately.
Has anyone thought why the Jagraon wasis are a bit more superstitious? Perhaps it is due to the fast collapsing business projects both big and small. When some plan fails people want to rest the responsibility on some super natural power. In this way they can escape  humiliation if any.
In 1999, when we shifted to Jagraon I had in my mind a project of a playway school. It failed miserably. Since the risk was a calculate one, I converted the building into a Kothi. But as per Kothi standards it is pretty big and gives a feeling that I am a very rich guy. Few people know that it was only by chance that the house has become big. Along with mine there were several other playway school projects that were started in the town. All were closed without exception. During those times someone started a business of selling ice cubes near Lal Palace cinema with a lot of advertising. I wondered who on earth would be interested in buying ice cubes. Before I concluded that it must be a drinking bar of the sort, the business got closed. Near Royal city came up a complex named Dashmesh Complex. Someone told me that it failed because it was facing towards the west. Now quite near to that is another newly built complex on Sua road (a road where there was a water channel earlier). May be one or two shops in the entire complex are opened. Better think at Naunihal complex opposite Bikaner sweet shop, The bank of Punjab in Galib complex are among the several business ventures that were shut down. A adventurous gentleman started a business of computer training. He was out of job due to the closure of sugar mill. His scheme was 'Each one teach one'. It was quite like Amway's selling technique where you buy a package and later get share out of the profit when you sell the same package to a few others. Unluckily his business vanished into the thin air.
To turn buildings into ruins seem to be in the blood of Jagraon wasis. There used to be huge community hall near Chungi No 5. Later it was converted into Milan marriage palace. But now it is in a thoroughly dilapidated condition. The science college is built in a huge area of fertile land. The last time I went there it had a ghostly appearance. Fifty percent of its land gives a look of a weeping widow. 
There is WAKF board land near Nau Gazia peer near Sawaddi Khurd. Several projects including some rice shelling plants are abandoned half way through the construction process due to unknown disputes. This place is perfect for a person who might be interested in making a film like Sholay. The ruins look really good in the movies.

Era of branding

When we visit the Easy day Mall we come across several products named great value products. It is obvious that all the things are not manufactured by Great Value. Perhaps they are procured and sold under their name by making handsome profits. Owning a brand is indeed a lucrative business. There is a near 100% value addition when wheat gets branded into Shakti Bhog Atta or Ashirwad Atta. In order to give a boast to their goods the primary producers need to come in contact with the brand companies. But If this contact gets established the small time retailers could face the danger of elimination. In Delhi there is a brand called Aggarwal sweets. The name is franchised after ensuring the quality. Thus several small time sweat shops got ignored. Unless the retailers learn the tricks of branding, they might face the danger of extinction in the future.
In a world where even our body is branded in terms of caste colour and creed, an unbranded thing in the market can only appear like an illegitimate child. When even our souls are not spared and are branded in terms of the religion to which we are born into, how can unbranded items survive in the market.

Will God love us for hating the religious believes of others?

Story - Three old men used to go for a morning walk daily. As they became weak with old age they bought walking sticks for themselves. Once, while walking, they developed differences of opinion regarding the quality of their sticks. Each one claimed his stick to be the best. Soon there was a heated discussion and finally they started hitting one another with their sticks. Now they were unable to walk even with the help of sticks.
Moral-A stick is good only if it is used correctly.
Amidst hopelessness, disease, misery, unemployment, and suffering, a human being finds himself very weak. He needs support to walk through the strange and scary path of life. For making his journey easy, God has given him a walking stick in the form of his divine name. It gives him spiritual support. He can lean against the name of God just like an old man leans upon his walking stick. During the times of grief a person can pray and feel good just as a blind man feels better when he has a walking stick. Fearful of uncertainities, we say our prayers before God and meditate upon his name. But 'My God is better than your God' type of mentality can cause tragedies similar to those of 1947, 1984 and 2002. Recently, the social media is being misused to hurt the religious sentiments of one another. Such hate messages pertaining to religious believes are worse than porn. They should be deleted immediately and never forwarded. Remember, God will never love us for hating the religious believes of others.

Commotion for the sake of motion

It is well known that smokers cannot download their waste easily in the pot early in the morning unless they puff a few times. Other than alcoholics most addicts have a problem with their motions if the morning dose is denied. In Punjabi the pipe that passes the rain water from the terrace is called 'Panalla'. It is said that if a poppy husk(doddae) addict stops his dosage, his motions become as loose as a running 'Pannala'. On the other hand, someone told me that over consumption can harden the shit to such a level that an operation may  be needed to remove it. Once a student jokingly told me that the shit of an opiate is so hard that it would not break even if it is placed on a railway line and a train is made to pass over it.
A couple of years ago I was passing through Sherpur Kalan early in the morning. A shutter of a shop opened and about thirty people rushed towards it. Next day I asked my students about the cause of the commotion. I thought it could be some quarrel or fight between groups. Surprisingly, it was all for fetching the first dose from the shop of a medico for the sake of a comfortable morning motion.

Discus throw of the Jagraon-wasis

It is mainly India, which is so much averse to an owl. Even a multinational company has started advertising 'India ko no ullu banawing'. Nowbody makes an owl of anybody in the west. Now that the birds are getting extinct owls along with other birds need to be loved. But we people are by default always glued to the tradition and the poor owl is most likely to be abused racially till eternity.
In the west who would run after anybody after washing his hands? Here 'Hath dho ke peeche pardna' (to be after soneone after cleansing the hands) is so very common. If a person is after someone post washing his hands, then there is no escape route left for the victim.
In India an idler always kills flies (Makhi maarna) whereas in the west he does anything except this.
In India displacing one's headgear (cap or turban) is an extremely serious issue. In contrast drop of a hat in the west is a very minor thing. They say, 'He picks up a quarrel at the drop of a hat'.
In North India a male is soberly dressed if the torso is covered. It is absolutely normal if the legs are bare. Howeved in south India, the upper part of the male body can remain nude while it is not acceptable if the legs are bare.
Other than Punjab there is hardly any place where a person would lift piles of wooden blocks if he is over enthusiastic and overflowing with energy. In Punjab the first thing that a healthy and cheerful person might do is lift 'Fatte' (long, flat, wooden benches used at construction sites).
In other parts of the world immigrating to other places might be the last resort but in Jagraon a family is not worth its salt if it is not able to expel its children out of the nation which they call as 'Bahar Kadna'. A father may boastfully say, "Asin apne sare bache bahar kaddtte"(We have secured visa for all our children). Canada is, ofcourse, the most favoured destination.