The Game That Had Captured Indian's Fascination Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

 

The Game That Had Captured Indian’s Fascination

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

Even before independence the game that had become increasingly popular among the people of any age group is volleyball. It is present almost in every school, college, office, parks, hospitals and even on some vacant plot in the villages. There are not only vollleyball courts in government organizations but in non-government and private organizations too. The basic reason for the popularity of this game in India is that it needs little requirement. The only thing that is needed is a net and a ball. Mostly the net is tied on the poles across the ground but it is even tied on the nails on the two parallel walls on a vacant plot.

Another reason for the popularity of the game is that though this game does give some exercise but you do not have to shed much sweat or require too much stamina to play it. Though football also requires little equipment but it requires quite a physical effort on the part of the individuals which is not possible for people of elderly age group while in this game you just have to stand lazily in the court and wait for the ball to come to them. As the movement in this game is limited hence common people with confined stamina can also take it up as physical activity or hobby in morning and evening. Mostly in India this game is a contest between two or four good players on each side. As there is less movement in this game so even people of every age group from 15 to 60 and even above can play this game easily.

Thirdly like Badminton it does not get affected by wind or other unfavourable weather conditions easily so this can easily be played all the year round easily. I conclude this write up with this wise saying:-

Workers and common man play Volleyball,

Managers play Tennis and CEO’s play Golf,

As the position and responsibility increases

size of ball decreases while the focus increases.

Two Bodies, One Soul Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

 

Two Bodies, One Soul

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

Amla and Sabla came together in the village almost at the same time. They were found in a very bad shape at the shrine of a holy sage. Both of them were wounded both physically and mentally as a result of which they lost their memory so much that they were even unable to recall their names, leave aside their place and reason for loss of memory. so eve these names were also given to them by the villagers. In those turbulent times it was quite normal for people to lose their memory after witnessing this large scale destruction and senseless violence. With time their physical injuries were healed but they were unable to get back their memory. As they had nowhere to go so villagers decided to give the work of looking after the shrine to them in return of food and half a dozen clothes per year though they seemed to belong to diverse faith to the faith followed by the majority of the villagers.

So they were employed as caretakers of the shrine that was hub of faith not only for the villagers but also for the people of surrounding villages. As both Amla and Sabla had lost everything, including their memory, so both of then devoted rest of their entire life in looking after the shrine and serving the pilgrims, who came to pay their homage at the shrine selflessly. Due to their devotion, hard work and polite behaviour they won the hearts of the villagers and other pilgrims visiting this holy site. They became popular among the villagers as Baba Amla and Mai Sabla who added these prefixes as mark of respect and affection. With time they became the centre of respect of the villagers and as both of them did not know about their lineage so they accepted this work as their destiny and God sent opportunity and blessing that has given direction to their rudderless lives. Villagers had even married them with each other so as to put the stamp of approval by social authority regularising the fact that both of them were together day and night. As both of them had devoted themselves, soul and body, entirely to each other and to the service at the altar of holy shrine so they did not had issue and villagers took the responsibility of looking after them in their old age when they had grown weak and infirm.

Though their energy had not remained the same as it was in their young days but still they used every ounce of energy left in them in the service of holy saint with full vigour, vitality and capacity. They had grown so used to each other’s company that now they could not even imagine in their dreams to live without each other even for a moment, But they knew that they could not do anything except follow the decree of Almighty and making prayer daily to God not to separate them even in death, even for one moment and they had complete faith in Him that He will give power to them to face the vagaries and uncertainties of future life. Perhaps their prayer to remain together for ever was so sincere and firm that even God had to grant it as one morning both of them were found dead by the villagers. Of course it was perfectly natural death as they lay side by side holding their hands together with a divine glow on their face. Villagers also complying with their dying together decided to bury them together in the same grave side by side. They had lived together and were united even in their death because they were tow bodies one soul. From that day it is believed by the villagers that the pilgrimage to this shrine remains incomplete without paying homage on the grave of this couple.

Common Social Responsibility Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

 

Collective Social Responsibility

Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

Rabia was blind by birth and she used to visit a shrine few kilometres away from her village regularly every month in the hope of getting her vision back even though she also knew that she was not going to get back her vision but she used to get inner peace and content beyond description at this holy place. That fateful day too she visited the shrine in company of her fellow villagers mostly belonging to the majority and dominant community of the village. While she was on the visit to this holy shrine the situation in village worsened when army soldiers in their heavy three ton trucks came into villages to evacuate the people belonging to minority community from the village so that they can be safely transported to the refugee camp at the international boarder and from there they can proceed to a newly created state on the basis of their religion.

When Rabia returned back to the village after paying homage to the holy shrine she found her locality and the street completely deserted and not a single men of her community could be seen in the village. She was disheartened thinking that her own people had deserted her as if she did not exist for them just because she was blind. Even the people of her community had taken the cattle along with them and left her perhaps they considered her to be totally worthless as they can get milk or work from cattle but what can they get from a blind man. Seeing her dejected and lonely Sardar Tara Singh and his wife Manu took Rabia into their house as Manu convinced Tara and it would be a noble kind human gesture to look after an visually invalid human being as people even keep pets and then she was a human being after all. Initially villagers had discussed the option of taking her safely to the refugee camp or even up to international boarder from where she can be handed over to the soldiers of neighbouring country. But seeing her blindness they felt that she would be unable to find her family in a totally strange land so they decided to keep her in the village. She became responsibility of not only Tara’s family but of entire village.

When Rabia was young she was treated as daughter of the village, then as the time passed and old generation left for their heavenly abode she was considered as the sister of the village and then in her advanced age she was treated as aunt and even grandaunt of the entire community. As she belonged to different faith so villagers, including the family of Tara Singh looked after her special needs particularly during the holy month of Ramadan when she used to observe fasts for a month. During this time they used to cook meals for her before sunrise and after sunset and even sent her dates and the dish of sweet vermicilli on the day of Eid. Last night she breathed her last and as per her last wish she had Kalma in her hand, in the last moments of her life, and head in the lap of her nephews and grandnephews of the village. As there was no muslim in the village so there was no question of being a graveyard in the village but Tara’s son Jagan respecting her muslim origin decided to bury her in one corner of his ancestral field as after all Rabia had been a member of their family and entire village community and so it was the Common Social Responsibility of taking care of her mortal remains too in the same way as they had looked after her fully well when she was alive.

United They Stood Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

 

United They Stood

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

At the time of tragic decision of partition of country both Adeena Begum and Ranu lived in a perfect peace and harmony like two real sisters, though they belonged to diverse faiths. Both of them came to know each other when they were put in a lone missionary school of the town as it was a common belief among people that missionary Christians gave good holistic education to a child and both Adeena and Ranu’s parents wanted to have the best of the education for their child. Both of them were always together in every activity at every place like two bodies single soul. Their journey continued into the province of higher education too when both of them were admitted to the same college of the town named after a famous philanthropist. Both of them were leading their life like real sisters participating in celebration of each other’s festivals and both of them visited each other’s house quite frequently and regularly.

On that fateful day Ranu had to leave her ancestral town, due to partition. Though unwilling, her parents decided to leave their beloved town and soil of their ancestors as even Adeena’s parents also felt it safe for them to leave the town, so as to ensure their safety, atleast for some days. But as the fate would have it they had to leave it for ever by coming across the boarder to a newly independent country but strange with its alien language and culture though with the same faith as theirs. Before leaving the town Ranu had come to bid farewell to Adeena for ever. In their last meet they decided to be in touch with each other by meeting with each other on the international frontier as frequently as possible atleast once in an year to know about the well being of each other’s family. They decided to meet each other on the birth anniversary of the great revolutionary leader who commanded great respect in both the nations as he had worked tirelessly for the freedom from imperialism throughout his life. A number of young people in those days were supporters, admirers and fans of that great revolutionary leader and his ideals and ideology.

As decided Ravina’s family crossed the boarder along with numberless other people who had lost their land, friends, relatives and property in the senseless communal violence that preceded the partition. Thanks to the support and aid of Adeena’s family that Ranu’s family reached safe and sound in this country after crossing the frontier. Every year on the appointed date and time both Ravina and Adeena came to meet each other to exchange the news and well being of their families, and friends on their side of the boarder. That had become almost a regular annual feature of their lives except for a brief span in 1965 and 1971 when boarder was closed due to conflict and tension between these two neighbouring countries. Earlier Adeena and Ravina used to come with their parents to meet each other, then with time when they got married and their parents got infirm due to old age, they would come along with their husbands and children. And later on they would come with their son-in-law, daughter-in- law at the boarder and now they continued their visits to the boarder in the company of their grand children. But their commitment was firm that as long as they are not physically invalid they will continue to come at the boarder to know about the well being of each other and their families. The firmness of their commitment rose from the belief that after all they are two bodies one soul, and though they have been separated by a political decision taken by alien rulers at the midnight but this firm resolve to meet each other was their way to affirm their unity and defy the decision of partition, that had affected the numberless lives, in their own way .

United by Hearts and Souls Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

                                                           United by Hearts and Souls

                                                                   Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

When Lord Radcliffe drew lines on the map to divide India into two independent nations- India and Pakistan in 1947, Ramya and Rahimya also exchanged their countries along with their parents, relatives and friends. Leaving behind the soil and land of their ancestors, Ramya came to Hindu dominated India while Rahima went into muslim dominated Pakistan. Both of them were of same age when this tragedy struck the Indian subcontinent. They came across each other in a refugee camp near the international boarder. The thing that bound them together was the game of Hockey. Rahimya on his side of camp was playing hockey with a hooked branch of a tree and a ball made of rags put into a sock. Ramya was drawn towards him when he saw him playing Hockey and both of them exchanged preliminary information, including the name and location of the villages that they had left behind, about each other. That day both them decided to select a day in an year to come at the international boarder to exchange the events, developments taking place in their respective ancestral villages and the day that they selected was the birth anniversary of a popular revolutionary leader who had worked tirelessly throughout his life for the independence of the country. They considered it as apt people’s response to evil design to divide the hearts and souls of people who were living together peacefully for centuries.

It was a coincidence that Ramya’s parents settled down in Rahimya’s village in India and Rahimya settled down with his family in Rama’s village in Pakistan. Both the villages were not far away from the international boarder and they found convenient to settle in these two villages as they found that the culture, language, food habits and attire of these villages was almost the same like the villages they have left behind. On the appointed day Ramya and Rahima met each other at international boarder almost regularly every year, except the troubled years of 1965 and 1971 when due to conflict the boarder was closed. While watching and enjoying retreat ceremony by BSF and Pakistan Ranger soldiers at the international frontier they met each other and discussed the developments and exchanged the news and well being of their neighbours that they have left behind. They had to discuss these things within five minutes the Guards at the frontier allowed them to interact and then they had to go back with heavy hearts and tears in their eyes with a resolve to meet at the same place, same day next year. So like it they were constantly in touch with each other as well as with their ancestral villages from which they were uprooted.

Earlier Ramya and Rahimya used to come alone, then later on they started coming on with their wives and children,as a result of which their families were also introduced to each other and this tradition continued regularly as with time Ramya and Rahimya continued to meet regularly every year at the international boarder- sometimes they were in company of their wives, sometimes in the company of their children and now even their grand children brought them to mark this personal event in the life of Ramya and Rahimya and so they were in constant touch with their people despite the political decision of the leaders to partition the country on the basis of religion because both, Ramya and Rahimya,were united in hearts and souls as far as their commitment to their ancestral villages was concerned. Even the political decision to partition the land could not affect their commitment as they were attached to their lands.

Stuck-Up Again Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

 

Stuck-Up Again

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

The fact of too much reliance of man on gadgets dawned on me when I nearly lost my mobile phone. I can understand the predicament of a person who loses a phone in which he has put a lot of his life, including the financial services like Net-Banking on it. I was fortunate that I did not have any such service or my life’s savings at stake on my mobile phone. Mobile phone has nearly become a second nature for a modern man, a part of his dress and daily routine. After reaching my village I gave a rang to my cousin to intimate him about my arrival and my intention to meet him. After that my mobile phone slipped out of my pocket. Fortunately a photographer sitting in his studio observed it and taking me to be an educated and civilised man took the phone form the road and took it to his shop. I realised the fact of phone being stolen when after seeing a statue in my home village I felt an urge to take its snap, but to my utter surprise and rather dismay I discovered that my phone was missing from my pocket. I was dumbstruck for some time as I could not even remember phone number of any of my friend or relative. Losing phone in a strange place is quite an ordeal that can disturb any person.

Meanwhile photographer who had picked up my phone from the road opened it at once and here also I was lucky that I did not make any locking pattern on the interface of my phone otherwise he would not have been able to open the last number dialled. So opening my phone he dialled the last number, naturally my cousin picked it up and I was again lucky that my cousin and that photographer, who had appeared to me in the form of a deity, were known to each other and so photographer was convinced that the phone belongs to a genuine person. So he asked him to collect my phone from his shop. I was searching disparately for my lost phone on the road and asking the shopkeeper where I had taken juice about my phone but to no avail. However one person at the shop agreed to give his phone to me so that I can dial it, and to my relief I found that phone was ringing that meant that the phone was unharmed and still nobody had tried to change its SIM.

While I was searching for my phone like a fanatic, I espied my cousin coming towards me on motorcycle. I wondered how he could know that I have lost the phone when he asked me about my phone instead of exchanging usual greetings. I had to acknowledge that yes, I have lost my mobile phone. He consoled and comforted me by telling me that it has been picked by up his friend, who is a photographer with a studio at the corner of the market and he is known to him as his grandfather and father had been colleagues as toll managers at the municipality of the town. Then both of us walked together to the photographer’s shop but by that time photographer had gone to his house for his lunch. So my cousin again gave him a ring to inform me that we are at his studio to collect my phone. He told my cousin to hand over the phone to one of the customer sitting in his shop who instructed the customer to hand over phone, lying on the counter. to my cousin. It was indeed a lucky day for me that I had recovered my lost phone , where as there are a number of people who not only lose their mobile and sims but also the entire savings of their life.

I don't want to grow up, I want to remain Child for ever. Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

 

I don’t want to grow up, I want to remain child for ever

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

I am a child of three years old living in the company of number of adults named Papa, Mammy, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousins, grand parents, including a number of granduncles and grandaunts. I was cajoled, caressed by some member of the family at one time while the same family member, I don’t understand, became furious with me at other time. I failed to comprehend why they were whispering almost inaudibly at one time while raising their level of voices to such a high pitch that they appeared to be shouting and quarrelling. Sometimes they would pamper me by bringing toys, sweets, candies, cotton candies, frozen desserts, chocolates, biscuits and the like for me while at the other times they were totally engrossed in their own affairs that they would ignore me completely so much that sometimes I had to cry to gain their attention and to assert the fact that I am also existing in this world. My queries about their strange ways are summarily dismissed with a single sentence “ You don’t understand it now, you will come to know about these ways of the world when you grow up”. There were moments when even some strangers claiming to be relatives show affection for me as if they know me since birth while at other times even my own blood near and dear relatives would completely ignore me, as if I do not exist.

Sometimes there was bickering even against the best of friends and even abuses exchanged loudly even between the best of the friends while at other times even foes behaved as if they were the fast friends just for a little selfish gain. I was simply unable to understand the unpredictable behaviour of the adults. I fail to understand that when passing before the shops in the market why the toys and sweets available in the abundance in the shops are not available for hungry people who cannot pay for these things. I was unable to understand why I was scolded when I took a toy from the shop that I liked and walked straight away towards my home. I fail to comprehend why I get some things repeatedly again and again why I am denied other few things again and again even though they are available in abundance in the market. For all this adults have only one sentence for me “ You won’t understand it now, you will come to know when you will grow up, as these are the ways of the world”. If the bickering, abuses, scoldings, wants, quarrels, arguments are the ways of the world that I would understand when I will grow up then in that case I don’t want to grow up, I always would like to remain a child for ever.

Rolling Coaster Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

 

Rolling Coaster

Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

Though Rolling Coaster is normally found in an entertainment park, in which mostly children take rides for a fee but I am talking about a rolling coaster provided free by Indian Railways at some of the railway stations of the country. It was observed by railway authorities when people lost their precious lives by colliding with trains in order to change the platforms. To overcome this problem railways introduced Over head bridges enabling people to get across from one platform to another without incurring the risk of losing the life. But the problem did not end with coming up of bridges as the old,sick and feeble people found it difficult to ascend the stairs of the bridge and sometimes got breathless and even missed their trains. So ascending the overbridge was also quite a task particularly for the old and the feeble. To overcome this problem Railways came up with a new plan to put up electric run escalators on the platforms of the busy railway stations of the country.

But while setting up the escalators at the stations Railways did not dismantle the concrete stairs and overhead bridges so that the human traffic at the busy hours can be coped up even in the case of power failure or technical snag that may stop the escalators. At one such station two brothers- Dhemu and Pemu wanted to catch the train in order to go to their villages. They did not belong to this town as they had come here to get the job. By the time they reached the station the train had already moved on the platform. After purchasing the tickets hurriedly they got the information that the train was at right time and would be available on platform no. 4. As they had luggage so they decided to take escalator from the main platform as they wanted to rush to the required platform where train was parked. Ascending stairs on an escalator gave a sense of pride and joy to them as they were using it for the first time in their life. As the stairs started moving taking them towards the top of the bridge and when they came to the spot they landed with their luggage on the firm top of the bridge.

In their joy and enthusiasm they were confused and took the stairs lying adjacent to the escalator as a result of which both of them reached at the same spot from where they had begun. When they saw their train was still quite at a distance from them, they again took the escalator but this time thee kept an eye on the signboard for the platform no 4 and reached their coach just in time when train was preparing to leave the station. In fact they were literally running to reach their coach and by the time they settled down on their seats they were nearly breathless. After settling down comfortably in the coach, today’s incident reminded Pemu and Dhemu of their childhood when the children of the village used to climb behind the trolley to get the free ride though the trolley left them outside the village and they did not grudge covering back the distance of 2 kms back to their village.