Mary kom - a movie review

Mary Kom is a Bollywood movie based on the life and struggle of the legendary women boxer of our country. The movie has exposed the callous attitude of the officials in the sports department. The message it gives is that the sportsmen can perform far better if they are provided with the basic facilities during the games.As per the movie the players have to survive on banana and tea during the games. They are made to stay in the dormitories while the officials enjoy the luxuries of the five star hotels. Often the female players have to tolerate the suggestive overtures of the bosses.

Another noticeable point brought out by the story is that the Manipuries nurse a feeling that there is discrimination against them in the country. The heroine, in the movie, accuses the refrees of partiality when an Haryanvi girl is declared the winner in a very closely contested match.

There was a time when the Bollywood movies used to be packed with songs that one would hum for years or dialogues that would permanently remain etched in ones  mind. Besides a good storyline they delivered a strong social message along with making the audience laugh through the comedians. Nowadays a  movie becomes popular even if one among the above features is good. The story of this movie is very inspiring but one would find it difficult to appreciate its  playback singing and background music.

Only a few movies in Bollywood succeed with a woman in the lead role. Mary Kom is is one of them. One would not regret watching it.

How I befriended a Doctor

In the country side the villagers go to a medical practioner and say, "Doctor ek Teeka laade (give me an injection)." Such doctors are often matriculates or even less. I was once told about a doctor who would give a Teeka on the butt first and then enquire about the ailment. Some among them crush tablets and give to the patients in the form of purriahs (paper packets). Also there are those who are known for providing a Hatholla service (some kind of hand magic done upon the body).

In sharp contrast we have a very highly qualified surgeon in our town. He owns the Kulwant Clinic named after his father. His name is Dr Balraj Singh Gill. He performs skin grafting and cosmetic surgeries in the town in a highly skilled and professional manner. He does his work with passion and does not care much about the fees. Sometimes he charges only one fourth of the fee that any other surgeon could have charged for a similar operation. At times he even pays from his own pocket and does the treatment.

First time I met him at his clinic a couple of months ago. One of my friends requested me to show the Doctor how internet banking is done. Very few people of his age (born in around 1940) use internet in Punjab. I had gone to help him donate money to the Aam Admi Party. He had a bunch of ATM cards with pin numbers written on them. The transaction could not take place due to some reason but I advised him not to take 'panga' (risk) with ATMs anymore as cards with pin numbers written on them become insecure. Some other person may take away the details of the cards while working on his computer and misuse them. Doctor Sahib agreed readily. Since then we have remained connected with each other via WhatsApp.

I saw him for the second time at the Antim Ardas of my mother when she expired in July this year. He came just for a while, paid obeisance to the Guru Granth Sahib and left.

Yesterday I asked him on WhatsApp if he knew chess and if we could play a match on some Sunday. He informed politely that he played only hockey in his life and thought that he is too old to learn Chess now. May he live a long and meaningful life.

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.

The educational short circuit

Most of the companies across the globe are downsizing their work force. In contrast the number of degree holders seeking jobs is increasing exponentially. This has led the youth to a very critical pass.
In the earlier times only few people got educated. During those times even those who did matriculation got employed easily. As the jobs ensured fixed income, the whole population got interested in acquiring degrees and diplomas till a saturation point was reached in the nineteen nineties. Fortunately during those times Canadia, Australia, Newzealand, etc started developing new towns and districts in their countries in the areas which were otherwise unfit for human inhabitation. These countries found Punjabis too eager to immigerate even to such wastelands. They exploited the situation by starting scores of educational courses of little value and started providing PR status to the youth. These Punjabis were equally satisfied as they hardly had any chance of employment in their own country. PR status was also granted to skilled workers from Punjab like plumbers, electricians, welders etc. For this reason professional institutes like ITIs, Polytechnics, etc sprouted in all parts of Punjab in large numbers.
Now even the foreign route has got saturated to a great extent. Quite often we see students seeking employment in the same very institute from where they pass out. The skill, if at all, they learn is never put to any practical use. A graduate from a private engineering college starts teaching there itself. Same is the case with several other institutes around Jagraon. It is like getting cheated first and then start cheating others later on, in a round and round circle. This situation can be called as educational short circuit. It surely downgrades the value of degrees.
The young Jagraon-wasis need to start loving their family occupation howsoever humble it might appear rather than getting conned in the name of degrees in India and abroad.

The use and misuse of the railway land

Indian railway possess a vast stretch of land across the length and breadth of the country. In UP criminals dispose of the dead bodies of their victims at the border of two districts, two states, or even  along the Nepal border. In this way there is confusion about the juridiction of the Police station. Thus there is delay in pursuing the case. Similarly the railway tracts are also put to a similar use in order to create confusion amongst the already inefficient police forces of the various regions of the country. Railway police and the local police try to rest the responsibility on each other if there is any dead body found on the railway tracts.
India is a poor nation and a large number of its urban population does not have a toilet. Defecating at any other place in the city can create a trouble for the poor people. The land along the railway tract is a kind of no man's zone and is, therefore,  used as an open toilet by them.
Other than the dark winter days a shed or a roof is sufficient for providing shelter to the homeless. Therefore all the railway stations of the country serve as a 'Raen Basera' (night time shelter) for the homeless destitutes. In winters, if a bonfire is lit on the platform, it gives a snuggly and homely feeling to the poor. About three decades ago the government started charging platform ticket for those who come to receive or see of their near ones at the station. This ticket created a trouble for the homeless. With passage of time the platform ticket is normally bought only at the railway stations of the big cities. Since Jagraon is a small town no one cares for the platform ticket. The railway platform is extensively used by the people for their morning and the evening walks. One straight walk up and down the platform is easily above one kilometer. Where else would one find such neat and fresh environment in the town?
In the country side the land along the tracts is encroached by the farmers for the purpose of cultivation. This of course is not without greasing the palms of the officials just like the way it is allegedly done along the Indo-Pak border. Thus hundreds of acres of fertile land gets converted into illegal wealth. It is said that at Chonkiman village of Jagraon there is a chunk of land to the tune of one hundred acres that belongs to the government of India. It is meant for building a railway station specially for the good trains for porting food grains of the FCI. As per the allegation of the local population this land is cultivated illegally. Presently the special good trains get loaded at Jagraon. The trucks that line up for loading choke the Mandi road which is like a vital artery of the town. The shifting of the loading place from Jagraon to Chonkiman would mean a loss to the illegal beneficieries. Therefore the chances are bleak that the government authorities would ever take an initiative to shift the loading site from Jagraon to Chonkiman. It seems that the people of the town would only have to keep gasping for breath due to this criminal inefficiency of the system.

The sorry state of the Election commission of India

The election comission of India has hardly got any teeth left. It served notices, received complaints, got false affidavits and silently witnessed the candidates spending money much more than their allowed limits. However no concrete action was ever taken. Even its own functioning was far from being satisfactory. My father passed away in 2011. His name was there in the voterlist whereas my mother who wanted to vote earnestly could not vote as her name was removed from the list. Election comission is the backbone of our democracy. Election outcome could have been different had the candidature of the wrong doers been cancelled. We as the citizens of this country demand overhauling and empowerment of this institution on priority basis.

The administration need to keep pace with the time

What is being observed is that the local administeration is not evolving with the changing times. For example it is not in touch with the public as it ought to be. Jagraon administration needs a twitter handle. Newspapers are a dying lot. Anouncements should be made through the official twitter account by the public relation officer in addition to the conventional methods. Making of an official website may require funds and other resources but opening a twitter account is a simple job. The whatsapp numbers of Muneems of various police stations and other officials must be announced through twitter from time to time. The SHOs, the DSPs and the other officials should not be shy of joining welfare groups of the society on whatsapp. Better co-ordination is the need of the hour. If an FIR cannot be lodged via twitter and whats app, at least there should be a provision for sharing vital information without any time delay. When PMO, Delhi police and the various other corporate giants can be on twitter, then why not the administration of Jagraon?

Unsung hero of the town

Dr Balraj Singh Gill owns the Kulwant Clinic at Lala Lajpat Rai road Jagraon. He is a typical, tall, slim and active Punjabi gentleman. Besides other exercises he does walking for about thirty minutes in the evening regularly. In a place where everyone is crazy to settle abroad, he is a Jagraon-wasi by choice. He is a plastic surgeon. He treats burn cases, hand injuries, facio maxillary injuries, loss of skin besides all type of general and gynae surgery. He did graduation fom Amritsar and post graduation from Patiala Medical College (in General Surgery). After that he did Registrarship in DMC Ludhiana for two years. Later he pursued Post doctoral training in the form of  Registrarship in Plastic surgery in PGI Chandigarh  for three years. Then he went to England for advanced training in Traumatic and Emergency Surgery for 17 months. Due to his love for his country India, he decided to serve his own people since 1979.  Unluckily he did not get any cooperation from his own collegues, due to professional jealousy. So he is quite like an unsung hero carrying on his practice in a small sleepy town like Jagraon. Any other person of his calibre would always love to settle abroad or atleast in some city like Ludhiana. He often encounters interesting, simple cases, spoiled by quacks and unqualified pseudo physicians.Unluckily his practice is scanty as he does not keep indoor patients. As he is basically a plastic Surgeon, his speciality attracts  very few cases. No other doctor refers cases to him as Jagraon being a small town people think that doctors of the town might also be incompetent dwarves. However Dr Balraj Singh is exceptionally tall both physically and professionally. When I called him yesterday he was preparing for Split thickness skin graft for a burn case. His wife Mrs Dr Gunjeet Kaur  is a well established gynaecologist at Jagraon. He has two daughters, one is a doctor (M.D) in Physiology. She is married and settled in America. The younger one is a computer Engineer and a management graduate. She is an administrator at a Hotel in Toranto. Doctor Balraj Singh also had a son, a doctor(MD). It is sad that he died due to lung cancer about seven years ago. Doctor Balraj Singh agrees that sometimes things are hard to digest in life like untimley death of any family member. However he has a very positive and cheerful attitude towards life. He loves to teach and guide budding doctors as he considers himself to be a good and compulsive teacher. His father was a famous physician who practised at Jagraon from 1945 until 2008 when he expired at the age of 89. About the ailment of his son he elaborates,''It was non hodgkin.  Llymppghoma of mediastinum, lymphnodes.'' He says that he remains confined mainly to his surgical practice, jogging, studies, and teaching his assistants. He is not much aware of what is happening outside. He was a hockey player through out his medical carrier, and after wards also. Nevertheless he has a great regard for intelligent and nice people of other feilds. Doctor Sahib is well aware of his draw backs. He says, ''Like all Surgeons, I often lose temper. Some times I am aggresive like any hockey forward''. He desires that those who would seek inspiration from him would ignore this weakness in him. About his schooing Dr Balraj says that he studied from Govt. School Jagraon which was a much different school at that time in terms of quality education. Before going for the education in medicine he did B.sc from Govt. College Ludhiana in 1962. Below is a picture story of a typical patient who was treated by him. In the first picture we can see a patient who is a victim of Dog bite with partial loss of lip tissue. The second picture illustrates the mucosal graft, taken from inside of cheek, applied over exposed muscle of the lip. This grafting was of course under the cover of Anti Rabic Vaccine antibiotics. The third picture shows the Final result. The last picture is of Doctor Sahib himself.

Comparing GT road project with a failed marriage

Marriage is love making with some purpose and planning. Atleast a family is raised at the end. Whereas a Rape is a sort of forced love that ends up being termed as crime. Pain and suffering is all that it results into. It appears that authorities tried to make forced love with the GT road connecting Ludhiana and Ferozpur. The project can also be compared to a failed marriage involving an NRI. All were excited in the beginning. At that time it appeared like a glorious marriage getting solemnised in one of the grand marriage palaces of Jagraon. No one showed any concern over the cutting of thousands of trees just as no one weeps at the departure of a bride who has been wed to an NRI. But some times a Punjabi NRI celebrates honeymoon and impregnates the innocent bride before abandoning her and escaping into the foreign lands. Some thing similar has happened to the GT road project also. No one knows who enjoyed the honeymoon (read corruption money). For several months there is no progress at all. The traffic at the main crossing of Jagraon is chaotic at its best. While driving no one knows where a single way would begin and where there would be a diversion. During night time the whole project seems like a cruel joke played on the people as the chances of accidents increase manifold. Now that we have same political party at the centre and the state level, there should not be any blame game. The project ought to be completed without any further delay. Thus the poor citizens would be able to smile and feel satisfied like the relatives of a newly wed bride who takes a flight to join her NRI hero by completing all the tedious visa formalities.

Jagraon and the call of nature

In many towns of India one can see slogans written on walls like 'Dekho Gadha pishab kar raha hai' (look at the donkey urinating). Or it is in a rhymed form like' Gadhe ke poot yahan mat moot' (O son of a donkey, do not piss here). Due to reasons unknown such slogans are missing in Jagraon. But that does not mean such a problem does not exist here. A few years ago some one narrated an incidence where a lawyer of our town had this problem. A wall of his chamber became a victim of uninterrupted urination. His friend, also a lawyer, suggested him to get some religious slogans written over there. Heeding to his advice he got 'Jai'(victory) written before the name of some deity and got a few posters having pictures of deities pasted on the wall. To his relief the scheme worked.
In several towns there are paid washrooms. At such places urinating is free for men while there are charges for defecating . Jagraon is definitely lagging in this type of civic amenity. A man may manage somehow but it is indeed difficult for the fairer sex to suffer humiliation on this account.
Recently the Dhaba owners have realised the gravity of this inconvenience. The newly built Raja Dhaba has the washroom facility usually seen in five star hotels. Pehlwan da Dhabba also has reasonable quality of washrooms. For this reason these places are popular for  family outings. But both these restaurants are away from the main markets.
In the town there is a public urinal near the water tank at the Rani Jhansi chowk. I used it a few years ago. Apart from the stink and dirt there was a pile of empty cough syrup bottles. It seems that the place is a junction point of addicts who abuse medicines. Fortunately nowadays the Easyday Mall can be of some help near that area. But there one would have to buy something so as to use the toilet. Another urinal for men is in the old grain market. It is maintained, though only moderately. The new bus stop of Jagraon has eased this problem to some extent for distant travellers.
Unlike Arvind Kejriwal who has this problem in his agenda for Delhi, there is hardly anyone in Punjab who thinks on similar lines. Politician's of Punjab are in a habit of putting up their picture in every welfare activity undertaken by them. Certainly they do not want their smiling photographs on the walls of stinking urinals.

Corruption is bad not the taxes

The AAP wave in Punjab politics is mainly based on slander and hate speeches against the system. Although, to a great extent what was alleged was correct, hate energy seldom yields fruitful results and slander as a rule boomerangs.
Usually the state governments of various states levy taxes on fast moving items like sales tax, toll tax road tax etc. Which means that if tax is not paid the items would not be allowed to move. Now guess what would the government do if people do not pay the house tax next year? Would the government drag the citizens out of their houses. There can be charges for water supply. But what if someone does not pay the severage bill? Would the authority go and cut his severage connection? The house tax and property tax were something like the last straw on the camel's back.
Recently Bhagwant Mann's speeches have made people start hating taxes altogether. Are taxes that bad? In fact taxes are good. Tax money helps us to have better facilities. Only thing that is wrong is the misuse of the tax money. Hating corruption can be valid but not the taxes. Tax money is misused when our police stops serving us and instead start serving the VIPs alone. Our Patwaris, Tasildaars, SDMs, etc should serve us with utmost respect and efficiency. They are paid out of our tax money. Our leaders must draw only reasonable salaries and prevent wastage of public money in any manner. The grants that reach the villages and wards must not be looted midway.
It was only the hatred of the public towards the inefficient system that made four AAP candidates win from Punjab. But how can hatred alone take the society forward? What is needed is a constant struggle for transparency and accountability in the various departments.

The story of 'Baegar' and the Rule Book

Earlier the students never had the facility of internet. They had to struggle for knowing the meaning of the words. In college, I heard the word Baegar for the first time. It is in a shabad of Gurbani on Ang 727 of Shri Guru Granth Sahib (Neeki Terri Biggari Alle tera Nau). This word means doing labour  without getting paid. During those times (1985), I had to refer to several books of translation to know the meaning of this word. We shifted to Jagraon in 1999. We sent our child to DAV school. When I used to reach the school to pick up my son, I had to wait near the school gate for a couple of minutes under the shade of a tree along with the auto rikshaw wallas who commuted these school children back to their houses through the narrow lanes. Once I overheard an autowalla uttering the word 'Baegar'. I came to know that the policemen can catch any rikshaw walla and use his services as much desired and then leave him unpaid. The auto rikshaw wallas have to make a union to keep this exploitation under check. The union pays some fixed amount to the police force per week or  month. In local parlance it is called Hafta and Mahina respectively. This money, probably, travels from low level to the top level in the police department. To make all this run smoothly strict rules are made regarding school transport in the name of safety of the school children. Since there would always be some problem in fulfilling the requirements of the rule book, the hafta culture keep getting encouraged. Anybody can understand that a school bus cannot navigate in the narrow lanes of the town like the auto rikshaws. When the things cannot work in an ideal way they are made to work in the mafia way. It is said that in some places in India, the mafia collects 'hafta' as the protection money from the shopkeepers. In small towns in Punjab there is a union for most of the trade like truck union, tempo union, daily wage labour union, Mason or Rajmistri union, rehriwalla(hawker) union, taxi union, shopkeepers union in every market. All these unions have some trouble in following the rule book. The poor people do not know that the rule book was knowingly made such that it would be extremely difficult to follow It is more for entrapping them than anything else. Due to this the poor guys have to do 'Baegar' for the police. The police wallas who otherwise must be from good families have to act as mafia in disguise. The respective unions have to pay haftas and Mahinas to them. The poor people battling for their bread have to shell money from their pockets which are wet with sweat in order to pay to their union leader. Union leaders often learn the lessons of corruption without any time lag. So there are elections for the union leader. Thus moves the wheel of corruption in the society.
A few year ago I was in the electricity office where a clerk said that he was an honest man but he had to extort money from the customers as he has to submit a fixed monthly 'Baegar' amount from his seat.  This means 'Baegar' rates are there at clerical level also and that too fixed for every seat.
Ultimately a part of the dirty money reaches the politicians who are usually clad in spotless white clothes. These people then ensure that no rule should be plain and easy to follow. More complications in rules result in more dirty money. So the 'Baegar' culture thrives.
Similar is the case in the revenue department. When a person buys property there is a rate list for various types of properties. His property may not fit in any category. He finds it easy to shell out money to the Patwaris and his ilk.
Once I heard from a milkman that he has no fear of the police as he gives 'Mahina' to them. But police is meant to instill confidence not fear. Logic followed is simple. As per the rule book nothing can be sold without sales tax. Moreover his motorcycle is a private vehicle and cannot carry commercial goods. So he should be exploited royally.
A few years ago some innovative guys installed 'Atta Chakki'(wheat grinder) on their tractor trailers. They used to take their equipment to the doorsteps of their customers and offered their services. They were forced to close their work as a tractor trailer is a private carrier and cannot be used commercially. Some villagers used to buy big cars. This served their family as well as a few others of their village. Thus they could earn their livelihood. This continues to happen even now but not without paying bribes.
The main culprit is, therefore, the rule book. The solution is simple. Let there be a card for rehri wallas, auto rikshaw wallas, Doodhwallas, private taxi wallas and all other wallas. They should pay the hafta or Mahina to the government. For that money the rules should be relaxed for them for a certain period of time. The rule book should be simplified to the level that even a primary student should be able to follow it. But before all this one or two officials involved in dirty money in every department must be given exemplary punishment every year. An office or the officer that never punishes anyone must be suspected at once. The main question that should be asked to the top level officers is, 'Apne kitne logon ke khilaaf action liya?'(Against how many officials have you taken action?).

The town shell-shocked

Dual murder has been reported from Railway road Jagraon. It has sent shock waves across the town. The victim was an ex member of municipal committee. The details of the whole episode are awaited. However it can be sensed that the motive must have been very strong as even the wife of the victim was not spared. People living in the suburban areas can only pray for their security as even thickly populated areas are not safe.

Polling process not fair-Bhai Baldeep Singh

In a telephonic interview Bhai Baldeep Singh, AAP candidate from Khadoor Sahib, alleged that the election process was far from being free and fair. The established parties influenced the electioneering staff in several ways and also there were several other malpractices that went unchecked. Despite that he is hopeful that Aam Admi Party would win 3 to 5 seats in Punjab.

Are secularists sick?

The retired top cop Kiran Bedi readily believes the media regarding the exit polls of Lok Sabha 2014. She calls secular people sick in her tweet. She had been an idol for countless Indian girls. When I went to her residence at 10 Talkatara road N Delhi to see some office equipment of my company some time in ninteen ninties, I found her very down to earth and simple. She called at my residence for some problem with the equipment and had also given her visiting card. These were treasured moments for an ordinary person like me. The nation looked upon her as a leader during Anna Hazare movement. Arvind Kejriwal called her elder sister and offered her to be the CM candidate for Aam Admi Party in 2013 assembly elections. But her inclinations towards a mosque demolishing political party and calling secular as sick does not behove her otherwise awe inspiring image of a wonderful personality respected by people across all religions in India and abroad.

Crime in its various manifestations

It has been more than a decade that any serious dacoity was committed in Jagraon. It is most probably due to the mobile phone technology. Earlier the intruders used to cut the telephone lines. Since mobile phones don't have any wires, this type of crime has almost become extinct. Crime has changed its face. Dacoity is organised nowadays in the form of political parties and the gang of government babus. It is an extraordinary thing if a political leader is not invoved in scams. The nation witnesses one scam after the other. It would stop instantly even if one corrupt leader is hanged. Didn't we see that in Arab counties two years ago? Red tape has become quite an acceptable thing nowadays in the system. It is considered normal even if a civil servant is not in office perpetually. The PA can say 'Sahib round per hain (boss is on round". Hopefully some day the public would call their bluff by attaching a GPS system to their cars and making the information available online under RTI rules. Another popular line during forenoon is 'Sahib meeting per hain (the boss is busy in a meeting)'. But meetings were common only in pre smartphone era. An officer who cannot do a meeting online ought to be demoted. These days matters must be sorted out in no time with applications like whatsapp thereby eliminating the meetings altogether. In the afternoon one can hear 'Sahib lunch kar rahe hai (the boss is having his lunch). Interestingly the boss would not take lunch at the lunchtime when everyone is supposed to take it. How can he, if has had his breakfast at 9.30 and reached the office at 10.30? Lunch time, therefore, gets postponed to anywhere between 2 pm to 4 pm. Shouldn't a boss who eats past 2PM need to be packed home along with his lunch box? Then next excuse is 'Sahib rest kar rahe hain (the boss is taking rest)'. This is a blatant abuse of power. No one is paid for taking rest. This can be tackled if two resting bureaucrats per state are dismissed each year by some independent intelligence agency.The government servants at lower level try to copy their seniors as best as they can. It is quite like a dacoity in a different form. A few years ago an employee of some road related department in Jagraon was talking about his honesty amongst a group of parents in a school compound. He narrated how he did not okay a road made by some contractor. His tone showed as if corruption was his birth right and he had let go his share as a goodwill gesture. As per his narration he said to the contractor, " Ae Sarrak nahi ji pass honi. Ess nu theek karo. Bahutee gall hai assin apni corruption nahin lanndae.(This road cannot be passed unless made better. At most we can help by not demanding our share in corruption)." The lower ring of babus, anyhow,would be set right in no time once the top ones are fixed.

Dignity of Labour

About a decade ago the Principal of a CBSE  school asked her students to port a few bricks as some new rooms were being bulit. According to her even if a child ported five bricks it would be a huge work that would be accomplished and the children would learn the value of work. Fun would be an added bonus. But the lady got a very negative respose from the parents and the management. The episode had quite an unpleasant ending. What type of job does a person want in India? A middle class family spends money on a child's education so that he can occupy some chair in some good office. Interestingly no one thinks that if everybody occupies a chair who would be left for doing the physical work. Luckily in Punjab we have Bhaiyas of Bihar and UP to do hard manual work. Some Punjabis also do physical work but only if they are totally uneducated. All educated people want to work either by moving a pen or by pressing the buttons of a key board. All mothers want their children to get educated and become big Sahibs. This mentality is responsible for fifty percent of the unemployment menace in Punjab. There is an equivalent of labour square in Jagraon called 'Labour Adda' near the Raikot Adda. Once I suggested my students to come along with me and stand at the labour square on some Sunday morning to learn the dignity of labour. All took it lightly. One said, "Lo ji Sadde hun anne marhe din aa gaye?? (O, and you think we are going through such bad times !)". Once when I was in my late teens in Delhi, I got fed up of the remarks of my elders calling me worthless. I took a bus and went to the railway station. I asked a gentleman if I could carry his luggage. He got a bit scared and hurried his way to avoid me. Some labourers came to me and asked if they could give me something to eat in case I was hungry. I refused and took another bus to Karol Bagh area where a photographer had advertised for a helper. That gentleman refused me work as according to him it was quite a low grade work for me. Then I took another bus and went to Patel Nagar area where some family wanted a tutor for their child of fourth grade studying in some elite school. To my good luck they employed me. A few years ago I asked my elder son (who is presently pursuing am MBBS course) to try out earning twenty rupees from somewhere. He rode on his cycle to Ajitwal as there could be several known people watching him in Jagraon. As per his narration he was surrounded by a crowd at some Dhabba. Some truck wallas were ready to help him by giving him money without any work. He refused that. Finally he got a chance to work. He broomed the shop of a Tyre walla and earned twenty rupees. He came back happily and wanted to give me his wealth. As I declined to pocket away his earnings, he went to a nearby grocery shop bought some Giri Pakoras and shared with us.

A writing on the wall

When the Octroi got abolished in my town it left scores of young people out of work. With the advent of mobile phones scores of families got affected as all the PCOs of the town were closed. When the ATMs and the computers got introduced in the banks of Jagraon the staff of the banks got reduced to one fourth. This, probably, affected fifty families even if we assume that each bank in the town shunted three clerks. Then came the Mall called Easyday, which hit hard the grocery stores of the town. Roughly this mall must have caused the closure of twelve grocery stores. The construction workers lost work as the construction work slowed down due to the scarcity of sand and gravel. Now let us talk about the watch makers of the town. As the watches eloped from the wrists of the people due to mobile phones, all the shops dealing with watches were pushed to the tight corners. When the personal computers were becoming popular a few people invested their time and money dealing with computers and its accessaries. But when smart phones started doing almost all what a PC could do, it hit these computer dealers on the nose. Now photographers were also pushed to the brink as most phones could shoot professional level pictures and videos. Since last year payment via Debit card has been allowed on the internet. Due to this buying things online has become common. This has affected the shops that deal in readymade clothes, shoes,kithchen ware, electronic items etc. It is obvious that when the trade activities reduce the state revenue also drops. That forces the government to tax its citizens harder in order to pay the salaries to its staff. That is exactly what the Punjab Government did. Property tax and house tax were introduced. Many industrialists fled due to the harsh tax policies introduced by the Akali-BJP government. That further aggravated the problem. Since the energy of the people in general and youth in paticular is not channelised the problems of drug abuse, crime, religious fundamentalism,etc is bound to witness a surge. The positive thing we can embark upon is that the people of my town are capable of adjusting to any type of situation how so ever grim it might be. The migration has increased manifold. The explosive situation is less dangerous due to the IELTS window that gives the youth a chance to sneak out of the country. Nevertheless the thing that the people of the town have started hating bitterly is the corruption and the inefficiency amongst the government employees. It is needless to say that the corrupt leaders would be thrown out of the political arena by the people very soon. It is a writng on the wall.

Thinking of Swaraj

Ideally in a democracy citizen is the king. Swaraj is his birth right. A civil servant is no more than a servant and a police officer is no more than a watchman. A  leader is just a representative of the citizen and no more than a clerk managing the finances of his boss, the common person of the town. A clerk in the municipality would never in his wildest dreams ever think about extorting money for a death certificate or a birth certificate by putting up a middle man like some owner of a photocoping shop outside the municipal committee office. The Patwari would behave just like a lower division clerk and so on. Afterall the citizen pays them from his pocket. Red tapism would become extinct. Genuine work would be as simple as withdrawing money from an ATM. We the citizens of the country should strive persistently to achieve an ideal swaraj. It might be difficult but not impossible.

Memorandum to the election comissioner Mr VS Sampath

Sir,
Elections in a democracy ought to be a kind of national festival. I wished to give some joy to my old mother by making her take part in the elections. But the callous attitude of the electoral staff has deprived her of the feeling of being a proud citizen of the nation. My mother's voter card number is HGH2241248. Her name was excluded from the voter's list without any valid reason. The election comission's Android app didnot show her records but they didnot show my record aswell although my name was there in the list (My voter card No is HGH2242816). Since the Android app did not show anyone's name, I thought it to be semi functional as most of the things of our system usually are. From the booth I was directed to the office of Ms Apneet Riyat (SDM Jagraon). She talked to the DC Ludhiana and informed me that she was helpless. She directed me to complain to the electoral office Chandigarh. I contacted Electoral office Chandigarh via landline numbers 0172-2724037 and 0172-2704779. From there I was directed to the mobile phone number of Sh Harpal Singh(9872659437). He said that nothing could be done. From him I got the number of additional chief electoral officer Punjab(Sh Raminder Singh IAS ;mobile no 9417604198). He said that he could not help either. On being asked the contact details of his senior, he asked me to check from the web site of the election comission of India or from tel no. 1950. I checked the website and found scores of numbers written there. I contacted the main number of Nirvachan Sadan but could not get any response. I had no option but to give up my chase. Most humbly and with due respect I wish to say that the fundamental right of a senior citizen who is suffering from cancer has been trampled by the callous attitude of the electoral staff.
Humbly.
Kamaljit Singh Gill

Whatsapp is replacing conventional media in Jagraon

The pressing of a button on the voting machine on 30th April would create news. It would remain preserved for a fortnight or so. After that there would be a mega news explosion which is quite likely to leave the whole nation in a state of orgasm. One thing that has definitely emerged stronger out of this political festival is the social media like Whatsapp. This smartphone application along with facebook is greatly responsible for changing the tide of the politics in Punjab. In merely two months the political equation of Ludhiana has changed beyond imagination. It has particularly worked in favour of the Aam Admi Party. But some messages are downright vulgar. Some religious fundamenalists are also spoiling the show. The party leaders must instruct their workers to refrain from posting matter pertaining to religious fundamentalism, personal lives of leaders or vulgarity. Such hate messages and slander campaigns harm the same very leader who is being canvassed.

Left wing approach vs right wing approach

Leftist movements like Maoism or Nexalism take birth when there develops a huge gap between the rich and the poor. The rich refuse to share anything with the poor. Once the leftists take over the stage, there occurs widescale violence and plundering whereby the rich tend to lose almost everything. Guru Nanak's principle of sharing food prevents extreme left like conditions (seen in states like West Bengal and Jharkhand) to develop. The 'atta dal' scheme for the poor started by the Punjab government, as such, is not a bad idea. However, If such benefit is given permanently, the poor people might tend to procreate at a faster rate and hence the situation might not change at all or may worsen even further. Also such offerings can make the population unduely lazy and hence unfit for survival. Therefore the best option for any government is to lay more focus on quality education and creating job opportunities rather than providing 'atta dal' at throw away prices to the poor section of the society. Aam Admi Party is flexibile regarding its ideology.
Right wing parties are those which support the rich whereas the left wing parties favour the labour class. The main stream parties adopt a midway approach. Aam Admi Party, as claimed by its leaders is not married to any ideology. They say 'If we find solution from the left, we would go for it and also if we find it from right we would seek it with equal interest.'

Whatsapp washing the dirt of the politicians

There are two types of people in my town. First are those who use WhatsApp messaging services and the second are those who can't use it for one reason or the other. The second group consists mainly of old people, computer illiterates and small children. There is a wide gap between the people of these two groups. While the Whatsapp smart can bring revolutions with their finger tips, the Whatsapp ignorant can only gape with astonishment the fast changes occurring around them. The most recent example is the Lok Sabha elections of 2014. The traditional leaders were unaware of the power of Whatsapp till now and perhaps, they would learn it in a hard way by losing vote count. At the same time it has been found that while venting out their emotions people often resort to slandering and propogating hate messages. It is well known that slander campaigns and ugly jokes often turnout to be beneficial for those against whom they are targetted. It is because such hatred and slander generates a sympathy wave. Social media can yield positive results only if there are healthy discussions. No accusation ought to be made withot substantial base. Their is a belief in my country that a slanderer virtually washes the clothes of the person whom he slanders (Nindak hamre kapre thove- Kabir). May be it is due to this very reason that the politicians are dressed in such sparkling white clothes!

Impressive road show by AamAdmi Party at Ludhiana

All the party workers gathered at Jagraon office. First we went through the main roads of Jagraon on motorcycles shouting party slogans. Then we started for Ludhiana. There was a massive crowd at Ludhiana to have a glimpse of
Arvind Kejriwal. From our
vehicles we waved at the
Ludhianvis seeking support
from them and as a pleasant
surprise ninty nine percent of them waved back asuaring full support for the Aam Admi Party. The road show was remarkable indeed. The brief
speech of Arvind Kejriwal
struck cord with the crowd.
He has certainly become an
undisputed leader of the
masses.

Youth of Sherpura Khurd Pledge support to Aam Admi Party

Visited Sherpura Khurd with Baba Nand and another party worker. It was a religious function and most of the eminent villagers were present in the house of Sardar Saudagar Singh Garewal. The gathering at that place received us with affection that is shown only to the family members. The visit was indeed very satisfactory as the youth have pledged their support to us. Back at the election office met Sardar Gurbinder Singh Kang and Yuvi Phoolka (cousin and nephew of Sardar HS Phoolka). Found them very gentle and down to earth.

The awe inspiring ribbon of Aam Admi Party

The ribbon of AAM ADMI party that we wear around the turban or the forehead is awe inspiring. We went to a social function and met some eminent personalities. Men shook hands with us with a lot of enthusiasm. We were four party workers including Jasmail Singh Sidhu of Rasulpur (Puppa Rasulpuri), Waheguru Pal Singh and Numberdar of Malha village. We were overwhelmed as well as humbled by the respect, attention and affection of the crowd. The credit goes to the ribbon of the Aam Admi Party.
Tireless Party worker Jasmail Singh Sidhu  (Puppa Rasoolpuri) wears the adorable ribbon of the Aam Admi Party

Phukra

Phukra is a slang in this part of Punjab. It denotes a person who shows off unduely. The act of showing off is called Phukri marna. A phukra is, basically, a lier. He tries to show what he is actually not. Usually a person on a Bullet is a typical Phukra. He would own and ride it burning the expensive fuel despite his parents difficulty in making both ends meet.Another major sign is the piercing of one ear. Normally a Punjabi Phukra with one ear pierced might have a slightly higher IQ than a person who is a confirmed retard. In his defence a Phukra usually says 'Phukri marn wastae hi hundi hai'(Showing off is ofcourse meant for showing off). They alone know what that means.

The bare legs of a Sofa - A short story

'Why not use this holiday for some productive activity that could provide an enriching experience as well?' thought the professor. It was early in the morning. The morning in January is quite cold in the Jagraon. He covered his head with a yellow turban. He tied it in a round shape so that nobody could recognise him. He tied a piece of cloth around his waist to be in a sort of disguise. He picked up all the oranges that he purchased from the wholesale market. While lifting a sack of oranges in the right arm and having a folded mat in the armpit he waited for a train to reach Buggipura bypass near Moga. He could have very well sold the oranges in Jagraon itself but he was ashamed lest someone should watch him doing this petty roadside business. Moga is thirty five kilometers from Jagraon and nobody would recognise him there. Moreover he was now dressed as a humble Sikh.
A baby started crying in the arms of her mother in the running train.The mother wrapped herself gracefully and started breastfeeding the child. The baby calmed down. There was silence in the compartment. Only the ordinary running noise of the train was there. The trees and the green fields seem to be running backwards in the moving train. However the distant trees seemed to run along the train. Perhaps a sort of illusion. When it reached at Nanaksar the young lady with the baby got down. A man wearing a lot of rosaries on his neck started a conversation. He started telling a story which went on somewhat like this :- Once upon a time a lover was desperate to win the love of his dreamgirl. He came across a holy tree that could speak. The speaking tree said to the young man ''In your previous incarnation you yearned to fondle the bosom of a girl of tender age. A person of your age could have had a daughter of her age but you were blinded by lust. Your wish was fulfilled but in a different way. You died in an accident and your soul transmigrated into the womb of the girl whose cleavage you looked at stealthily and lecherously. You got what you desired. You sucked her breast as a baby in the present birth. Now why don't you rise above lust? Why do you wish to restart the cycle of life and death all over again? So silly of you!''. The man in saffron clothes and rosaries around his neck took a pause as the train halted at a station.
Another gentleman with a short moustache and a long beard said.''Are the men to be blamed for all the problem? The women communicate by partially exposing their bosom every now and then. They try to lure men and gain their attention. A major part of their seductive prowess lies in the cleavage of their bosoms. Every minute they transmit signals through them. It is not merely bosom. It is their arsenal as well. That is why in our culture we ask them to remain fully covered with a veil.''
A man dressed in perfectly white clothes added,''If you do not have a control on your eyes nothing can work. Why blame anyone when the control mechanism is weak? In our culture meat and other concentrated food items are not allowed.They are an hinderance in the proper functioning of the control system. If the food eaten is pure even total nudity would not corrupt a person's mind.''
In the end the professor said,''It all depends on the way one is accustomed to. The things would not go utterly bad if our actions are guided by truth.There was a society a few centuries ago. In that society women folk remained covered from head to toe.The men folk were not accustomed to seeing anything bare.They could get seducted even by the bare legs of a Sofa. So they started clothing even the legs of the Sofa''
At Mehna an elderly women in her late seventies came and sat in the apartment. She had a Serenity on her face and piosity in her manners. All the men fell silent as though their wisdom had evaporated all of a sudden.
The train stopped near Buggipura bypass. The professor got down the train to try out his experiment of selling the oranges. The sunshine was soothing. He spread his mat and on the mat spread the oranges.'Two oranges for ten rupees'. He would speakout loudly the rate whenever somebody asked the price.Travellers got down from the long route buses and while waiting for the three wheelers they bought the oranges from him. Across the road there were green fields offering a feast to the eyes. At noon he relished the lunchpack that he had brought from his home. By 2PM he sold all the oranges and came back home.

Be aware of Mobile Frauds

Today I got a miss call at 10:11am from +923434993753.Since I was curious,I called back.The person over there said he was calling from Airtel N Delhi.I asked them to drop the call and call from there number.It was a call of 18 seconds but Rs 9.25 were deducted from my account.This is very unfair.Kindly look into the matter and do the needful. Regards Kamaljit Singh
They replied like this---
Dear Kamaljit Singh , Thank you for writing to airtel. With reference to your e-mail dated 07/12/2010, you have expressed concern regarding wrong charging for your airtel mobile number 9878771449. We understand that the receipt of such calls must have inconvenienced you. We would like to inform you that +923434993753 call is from Pakistan.As per the ISD tariff balance deducted. Airtel does not operate in Pakistan and is not running any promotional campaign offering cash prize to the user in the form of a lottery as of now. Also, several complaints of similar nature have been reported to CBI/CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) for further verification and we are constantly following up with them for the progress updates. However, to safeguard our customer interest, we always try to educate our customers on frauds of this nature through SMS, Bills and Our website. We would urge you to safeguard your personal details. Please find the link below of our website where details of some common frauds have been reported and how to safeguard against them:http:// www.airtel.in/fraudAlert/ fraudalert.html. For further assistance, mail us at 121@ airtelindia.com. We thank you and value your association with airtel. Yours Sincerely, Sangeetha P Customer Care Bharti Airtel Limited

Sent from my Nokia phone

Counterfeit currency in circulation

It could convince me only 20% that the 500 rupees note could be counterfeit.I received a telephone from my wife in the private institute where I teach.She said that it was a note that I had received as a fee for providing private tuitions.It could not be ascertained as to who paid that note to me.My wife had gone to pay the electricity bill and the note was rejected.''The rejection could be because of the arrogant nature of the clerks''I thought.In Punjab the Electicity is owned by the state government and the clercks in such departments are no less than the government itself.When I came home my son asserted that the note was indeed counterfeit.Now my belief grew by 10%.Thirty percent of my mind started believing the story of the fake note.''This boy loves to think negative''I thought to myself.The note was with my mother who lives across the road.She had promised to pass it on to someone as genuine.She wanted to pay my younger son 5 notes of Rs 100.I did not like the idea as it would amount to cheating.Then my wife asserted that the note was fake.My belief grew by 10% more.''Ladies ought to think positive''I thought.Sixty percent of my mind still believed that the note was genuine.My son brought the note and showed me the defects in it.Eighty % of my mind started believing that the note was counterfeit.It was dark by now and I wanted to go to the Petrol Pump for refilling the petrol.I desired to keep another note of 500 should the note get rejected again.I dropped the idea as it could possibly lower the image of a Sikh who has a flowing beard.We decided to dispose of the note.Just then I and my elder son spotted another defect in the note.This time I was cent percent sure that the note was counterfeit.In Punjab people throw notes at the boys and girls who dance at a marriage function.Marriage season is approaching and my wife wanted to preserve the note for that purpose.I and my son had our say.We disected the note to study the trick.It was cleverly made by pasting two thin papers back to back.After studying the trick we burnt the note.I advised my sons that they should remain truthful in life.Did I suffer the loss?Not at all.I adjusted the money from the 'Daswand Golak'(One tenth amount meant for charity)that I keep.A moral lesson was sent across to my children.It was an extra profit.We all learnt how to verify a true note.This was an added bonus.I did not complain any of my students regarding it as my loss was adjusted.Moreover when they come to me their tensions ought to be reduced and not multiplied.

One earns a lot of vices by ego inflation due to caste

Guruji says 'jaat ka garb na keeje moorakh gavaara is garaab te
khatiye bahut vikara'(Take not pride in your caste o fool one earns a
lot of vices due to this pride.Many Punjabi singers placed their caste
above Sikhi.Perhaps the Jatts started it.Now others are also not
lagging behind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5zXYix_z0g&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-k-wyFgcRE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

May be it a healthy competition.Good or bad?????
Satnam Wahaguru

Stooping morality

'Par triya roop na pekhe netar'Sukhmani Sahib(sees not the beauty of
another's woman)
Seeing not the curves of anothers wife is a high moral.Since long I have
been hearing about wall jumping(kandhan tapna)for sex from my
students.It is horrifying.Some of my students claimed themself to be wall
jumpers and the problems they felt in their adventure.Such stories can
well create a sore in the ears due to their acidic nature.Due to
mobile phones wall jumping increased manifold as per my students.We
have agricultural land in Punjab but we remained outside
Punjab(Mumbai,N Delhi,NOIDA)till 1999.Untill then I could not even
imagine what is, perhaps, actually happening and becoming so frequent
in Punjab
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100820/punjab.htm#1
Who is at fault in this case?What should have any true Sikh
done?Anyhow it all gives a vomit like sensation.
There may be several factors behind this menace
1-Arousal due to porne matter in mobiles or elsewhere
2-Boys gifting mobile sets to their girlfriends
3-Marriage age going a bit too farther.
4-Sikh values diminishing
5-Drugs
'Kam Krodh nagar boh bariya'(World is full of lust and anger).
Satnam Waheguru

Some Punjabi sayings on beard

Darhi da aag vich sarrna(beard getting burnt in fire)It has been used in SGGSG as follows-
'Gariban ooper khinje darhi parbrahm sa agan meh Saarri'--(a person who oppresses the poor by an imposing beard,gets it burnt in fire by the almighty as a punishment).

(Darhi naal paer chaarrne)-To dust a persons feet with the beard.Long time ago I heard a Sakhi(religious story)in which there was a similar reference.In the story somebody(I think Guru Nanak Devji's son) asked Guru Ramdasji why he had such a long beard.Guruji said ''It is to dust your feet'''

Pio dee darhi dee laaj rakhna(to keep the honour of ones father's beard)-This is said to advise the young children especially girls to be careful about the father's honour.

Darhi de sharam karna(not to do any idiot like activity and remain concious about the beard)-This can be said to teenagers advising them to behave responsibly.

Darhi puttna(to uproot ones beard)-This is said in complete disregard for an elderly person.

Dharhi farhna(To hold a person responsible for anything wrong with utter disregard)

Chitti Dharhi wala(An elderly person)-This is not used openly but it denotes an elderly person.

Gith gith darhi hona(One having become mature)This is to taunt a person who behaves in an immature way inspite of having grown up.

Kuchar baeth ke Darhi munnana(To trim a person's beard while being a guest)
I heard this for the first and the last time in Punjabi movie 'jee aayan nu'.

Undarhia hona(a teenager who is immature)

Darhi da rulna(the beard not getting any regard)This is used when an elderly person is ignored and not listened to in a quarrel of the young.

Darhi tunnana-(to tie a beard)

Tunnee nalon munni changgi(It is better to cut the beard than tie it)-I heard that this used to be written on the walls in Punjab during the millitancy days to advise people not to cut the beard.

Darhi da Parkash karna(To let the beard glow)-This proveb is used by the people who tie the beard.They say this when they keep the beard flowing while doing Path(prayers)etc.

Over 90% of the youth in Punjab are hobbyless

I often ask my student jokingly how a new born baby girl in Punjab cry at birth.I make them laugh by telling them that they say Caaa------naaaa----daaa----while crying.All seem to have a desire to migrate to Canada.However,there are two ways of looking at a glass containing water.One way is to call it half empty.The other way is to call it half full.There are a few qualities in the girls from Punjab.They do not smoke.They do not drink.It is not a very good idea to talk about hobbies with a Punjabi youth.I feel; over 90% of the Punjabis are hobbyless.It could be because of the workload they have.One can try talking about the work they do.One may talk about the elders and their health.Talking about their NRI relatives and friends is a good idea.If a person is talking with a boy he may discuss the mobile'set they have.With girls one can try discussing the latest suit they have acquired or some latest jewellery.One can ask them their favourite bollywood actors.

The mirage epidemic

There is a mirage epidemic in Punjab.Everybody is out chasing the
golden stag(In Ramayana Ramchanderji chases the golden stag of
illusion and suffers).The foreign bug seem to have entered the water
and soil of Punjab.Going abroad on study basis is the latest
fever.What I often observe is a hunting process going on in Punjab for
an NRI groom or an NRI bride.Girls and boys who suffer abroad ought to
puncture the illusion bubble and save others.The problem is that when
an NRI visits Punjab he never portrays himself as a loser.He spends
lavishly over here for a few days and is thus able to uproot a dozen
or so innocent boys and girls.

Crude Survival index

Crude Survival Index is a simple formula developed by me.It provides a rough idea how life would be in a foreign country.It is meant to help the people who wish to migrate to the foreign lands from Punjab.It goes like this.CSI(crude survival index) of a country is the number of Samosas a person can purchase by the earnings of a single day and that number should be divided by 3 if it is not a his home country.It is because accomodation etc in a foreign country saps away a significant amount of earnings.Let us suppose the price of plain Samosa(fresh and hot) in Southhal (London)is 1pound.If a Punjabi clerk earns 80 pounds in a day in London then he can buy 80 Samosas and hence his CSI in Southall is 80 divided by 3 which is slightly more than 26.In Jagraon a plain Samosa from the best shop is for Rs6.A Clerk in Jagraon may easily earn Rs 200 in a day and hence his CSI is little above 33.This number need not be divided by 3 as it is assumed that he is a local.This tells that he would be a loser if he migrates to London.

I chose Samosa for the calculations because it involves manual labour as well as the material used.In many countries manual work is comparitavely costlier.

Satnam Waheguru.

A day among the villagers

The national census take place after 10 years.The duty has been alloted to the teachers of the government schools.My wife has also been alloted the duty.It is Sunday and I am accompanying her for the duty.We arrived at village Dholan on our Maruti car at 8:20AM.We parked our car at the house of one of wife's colleagues.She too had got this duty but in a different part of the village.This is the third house and we have already spent one and a half hour.The forms of census provided by the government are indeed very long.I drank butter milk in the first two houses.This house had a very posh toilet and bathroom.Two of their sons are in Australia.The grandfather of these boys lives in Canada.There was a ferocious dog in their house.I do not know much about the breeds of dogs but I guess it was German Shephered.
* * *
We refused any drink at the fourth house.At the fifth house we are being served butter milk.All these appear to be well to do Jatt families.This family,however lives in a house that belong to their relatives.Where do the relatives live?Do not know.
* * *
We visited a few poor families of Jatt(farmers).Seemed to be having very meagre incomes .We also went to a Jullajha Sikh family.They were forcing us to have tea but we refused as we had butter milk in the earlier houses.It is 12:06pm now.This family where we are now got a son after 5 daughters.They have donated one daughter to their relatives.Cheerful family.The girls are very well mannered and with smiling faces.My wife asked me to give Rs.100 to them as a shagun for their new baby son.The person used to drive the tempo(a huge three wheeler)for my wife and her colleagues.
* * *
In this house cable T V is showing in front of me.This is a big house.Generally the children of the houses know my wife as she is a teacher in the village.The children of well to do families do not study in the government schoolsThis is one such house.The man in this house doesn't seem to be welcoming us.He has asked us to sit down only half heartedly.He did not even offer us water.This man has studied upto seventh standard.May God bless him.This is the house that I mentioned earlier that did not offer us water.
* * *
The head members of most of the families cannot do signature.They put a thumb impression where signatures are needed.
* * *
First thing some houses ask is water and tea.They are welcoming in nature.The present house has offered us aerated drink.This one is a big Kothi.It is 2:10PM.I think I we have to remain without lunch today.Due to this reason I have accepted sweet drink today.Otherwise I avoid things which contain refined sugar.
* * God had planned our lunch.We got a call from the house of my wife's colleague where we had parked our car.We were served lunch at around 3PM.

Enduring power cuts

Some times I wonder how the developed nations are able to provide its
citizens an uninterrupted power supply.People never own an electric
generator set or an inverter in these countries.How the world managed
when there was no electicity?In Jagraon an eight hour power cut is a
normal thing in the hot summers.Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise
as the people remain in touch with the natural life.Anyhow one ought
to endure what cannot be cured.

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Sent from my mobile device

Jat boys of Punjab

These boys are in a tuition class.Two of their companions have not
turned up due to one reason or the other.They are pursuing BA but are
really weak in English.Private tuitions are a fashion these days.These
boys love fun more than the studies.All of them love the game of
Kabbadi.They love going to gym for building their muscles.They learn
the central idea of an English poem with great great difficulty.

Dowry

In Punjab people do a plain talk.The girl side pose a simple question
like 'What is your demand?'It is a simple and straight forward
question.In Baniya families the boy's side plainly ask 'How much and
in what way are you planning to spend on your daughter's wedding?'.I
think if we can not eradicate dowry we must be straight forward and
honest in its transaction.Atleast there is truthfulness in that
marriage.Misunderstanding is also avoided.

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Veg Food(writes Ishkaran Singh from middle east)

I gotto tell u this humorous incident. .

As you must have guessed middle east is not the best place food Veg food. .

The other day we had gone to this place "Steak House" for dinner . . .(
Steak means Beef , the *goras *with whom I went for dinner are mad for Beef
)

Judging by the name of the restaurant ( & the strict veg fellow I am)
without seeing the Menu card i asked the waiter if they had any veg food ,
he replied negative, saying that they only had Salads for me ..

Later when I opened the Menu Card I saw an item that appeared vegetarian to
which the waiter replied " Sir this is not Vegetarian as it is having MILK "
I almost broke the chair laughing ! !

The whole world is a home

The whole world is your home if you have an internet enabled mobile
phone.Twitter is a site which is quite suitable for the working
people.Orkut charms the youth and the children who have ample free
time.I follow HT Sikhnet and a few more people on twitter.I do not
know how to use it fully but I know the following things about it-
1-You should enter a few words after you sign in. It is some thing
like what you are doing or post a link to any of your recent blog
enteries.Keep seeing the tweets till you reach your previous tweet.
2-You are close to the people whom you wish to be close to without
even causing any disturbance.
Best way to blog
At blogspot,we can start a blog.By going to the settings we can
get a secret email address.We can always punch a few lines based on
our feelings and post it to our blog site by sending an email to the
secret email address.The link of this post can be tweeted after that.
And all this from a mobile phone.

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Sent from my mobile device

Social Status

Social status of a person in Punjab has also become proportional to
the bands one gets in the IELTS examination. These bands are potent
enough to alter the marriage prospects of a person.A girl with more
bands may actually demand dowry from the boy or atleast ask the grooms
side to bear all the cost of marriage and also the cost of a foreign
ride which seems compulsory for every Punjabi for attaining
salvation.Flying Foreign may be hobby,fashion or need.But a person who
has no plans of flying foreign may not be able to find a partner for
marriage.Ha ha !WJKKWJKF

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Health not in safe hands

Health in Punjab is at risk as PPSC commisson appoints the doctors
after taking bribes.Government has set up an inquiry as usual only to
bury the matter.The government is very cunning as it reserves 50%
marks for interviews.In this way there is a lot of scope for bribery.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100309/main7.htm
News of this type does not cause a ripple as the public has gotten
used to such a news.

Internet is becoming popular in Jagraon

The favourite site of the young people of Jagraon is orkut.com
Some boys visit sites that provides Punjabi songs.I would recommend
the people of Jagraon to visit
http://www.sikhnet.com/discussion/search.php?search_id=newposts Most
of the boys of affluent families have assess to internet.Porn sites
are having a negative affect on the young minds.

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