NEIGHBOURS MUST HELP PERSECUTED MINORITIES : HOME MINSTER

Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju  said here today if a minority community of a particular country are persecuted on religious grounds, “it is the responsibility of neighboring countries to provide shelter to such people in their Territory.”

Therefore, the Union Minister said, India has provided shelter to Bangladeshi Hindus in India as they were persecuted on religious grounds. He said Bangladeshi Hindus have been residing in India for several decades in this country.

He said the Government is treating these cases of Bangladeshi Hindus on humanitarian ground and there are proposals to grant them citizenship rights. He further spoke on the opposition to grant citizenship rights to such people and said these people would not be accommodated in Northeast alone, but throughout the country.

“The Northeast alone would not share the burden of providing shelter to such people, but these people would be accommodated throughout India,” Rijiju said.

  

On continuation of peace talks with the NSCN (K), he said the Government of India wanted to continue with the peace talks with NSCN (K.) “It is the NSCN (K) which has abrogated the peace talks. The Government was in favour of continuing talks with the outfit,” he said.

Informing about the abduction and reported death of an Intelligence Bureau official, B Singh from Rongra, South Garo Hills, Rijiju said, there is no confirmation about the death.

“It is an unfortunate case (abduction), but there is no confirmation about his death as there is no physical evidence in this regard,” Rijiju added.

Terming the Garo Hills situation as “disturbing” the Home Minister said that the Centre is willing to provide more assistance if the State Government wants. 

PERFORM YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO DEMAND RIGHTS: KIREN RIJIJU

Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju said today people from Northeast would forfeit their right to speak about discrimination outside the region, if they discriminate people of other communities here in the northeast.

“Within the Northeast there shouldn’t be discrimination, or what right do we have to say people from the northeast shouldn’t be discriminated outside the northeast,” the Union Minister said while speaking at the Mega Arunachal Tribal Festival at the U So So Tham auditorium here.

He advised the students: “if you want your right you should know about your responsibilities. Nothing is one way traffic.” Terming racial discrimination as a “mental illness and the worst form of crime” he said, there would be now provisions in the Indian penal code to take “strong punitive action” against those who discriminates racially.

Touching on the large number of organizations and associations, he said, any State having a large number of such organizations indicates the State Government has failed in discharging its responsibilities and duties. “NGOs and associations are formed when people feel their grievances are not addressed by the Government. Such organizations indicate that the Government has failed,” he maintained.

 He urged the students not to form too many organizations, as they are “not to do business here,” and said they should rather concentrate on their careers.  

On the other hand, Rijiju said people from the northeast “need not feel frustrated and angry” when people outside the region remains ignorant about the people of the region as India is a huge Nation of 1.25 billion people.

“We may know about Mumbai, Delhi, UP and Bihar, but how much do we know about the people of Lakshadweep or say Daman and Diu. Sometimes it is not possible to know everything about the people of this huge Nation,” he stated.

Nonetheless he said the Central Government is taking steps to create awareness of the region and from next year all the text books of CBSE would have chapter on the northeast. “Right from nursery to the Ph.D level the CBSE and the UGC syllabus would have chapters on the Northeast,” he added.

Moreover, speaking about the often-repeated term “mainstream India,” Rijiju said: “people speak about the northeast merging with mainstream India, why can’t Delhi-Mumbai merge with the northeast?"

He stated Delhi is not the beginning of the Country; it is in the Centre of the Country and the Capital. “My State and the northeast is the beginning of the country as it borders several foreign Nations and the vanguard of the country. The region is also mainstream India,” he stated.

With the “definition of a toilet changing every 20 odd kms in rural India,” 1.30 crore Government-built toilets doesn’t fit any definition in India and remains unused, with beneficiaries preferring the outdoors for defecation.

Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS), Choudhary Birender Singh said here today: “the definition of a toilet changes every 20 odd kms in the villages and this has been there for years. So to think of bringing about a change of mindset in a fortnight is not possible.”

What the  Minister meant by stating definition of a toilet changes as most of the people in the rural areas defecate outdoors and it depends on the time of topography where they relieve themselves, be it a agricultural field, canal, River etc.

Expressing “deep concern” over the 1.30 crore toilets built by the Government remaining non-functional, he wondered how to bring about a change in the mindset of the people, as merely building toilets won’t address the problem of open defecation.

“The Government has so far built 6 crore toilets in the country. Last year alone we built 80 lakh toilets, but just by building toilets we cannot achieve success in our open defecation free programme,” the Minster said about the old habits of people dying hard. The DWS Ministry has targeted 2019 for every household - which otherwise now goes outdoors for defecation – to have a toilet.

 

“The mindset has to change, if we are to succeed in our Swachh Bharat campaign. The Government alone cannot do everything, the people must come forward and be part of the change,” Singh, who was here for the National Consultation on Sanitation Partnership, said.

Asked about the way forward, Singh said a lot of awareness programme is being organized at the grassroots level. “The campaign is also being taken forward through social media, NGOs and community leaders,” the Union Minster said.

Exuding confidence about the northeastern region achieving 100 per cent success in the open defecation free programme, Singh said, in the next two to three years, every household would have a toilet.

He, meanwhile, said that the Centre is providing Rs. 10800 for the construction of toilets in the northeast, while the amount is Rs. 9000 for the rest of the country. 

WOOD OF THE GODS: MEGHALAYA'S AGAR PLANTATION DRIVE

With a global market share of US $8 billion, it is not called the “Wood of the Gods” for nothing and Meghalaya Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma is sniffing a rural economy turnaround through Agar plantation in the State.

 “The global market share of Agar (Aquilaria Khasiana) by-products is US$ 8 billion and the market is growing,” Sangma said during the launch of Megha LAMP here today, an initiative to link the rural economy with the markets.

Agarwood is used for many religious purposes in India and abroad, such as manufacture of Agarbatti (Incense sticks) to Agar oil. It is also in high demand in the Arab world where the oil is used to manufacture high-end perfumes. Agar is also highly prized for its medicinal properties.

In fact, All India United Democratic Front chief, Badruddin Ajmal built a successful business empire from Agar plantation and now manufactures perfumes which are sold in the Gulf region.

Recalling the 70s, Sangma said, Agar plantation formed a major chunk of the rural economy in Garo Hills and some of the most affluent businessmen in South Garo Hills region were Agar planters.

But, over the years the planters lost interest and there are just a few remaining in the region, which Sangma wishes to change through his Green Economy initiative. In fact, Agar is a “potential endangered species” and listed in Appendix II by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Although, Agarwood is a prized raw material and more expensive than sandalwood, there are challenges to extract Agar oil from the wood. It is sometimes a complicated process as it requires a fungus to infect the tree.  The infection could be natural or artificially inoculated.

After the fungal infection, the Agar tree develops a natural resistant against the fungus by developing a resin and the wood turns dark and heavy at the trunk and roots, which is the ultimate prize for the planters who distill out the resin.

“The Ministry of External Affairs recently asked from the horticulture department for one litre of Agar oil to be gifted to some foreign dignitaries,” Sangma said. He informed the gathering that a Tola (about 11 grams) of Agar oil cost about Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000 in the current global market.

Sangma seems excited about the prospect of Agar plantation and this could be gauged by the number of Agar plantation programmes he is inagurating. In August alone, Sangma has launched the plantation of this tree in Umling, Ri-Bhoi district and in Betasing in South West Garo Hills. The District Horticulture Officer launched Agar plantation programme in Nongstoin, West Khasi Hills.

“Tomorrow I would launch the Agar plantation programme in Chokpot, South Garo Hills in which 4000 farmers have already registered,” Sangma informed the gathering. 

Indian Air Force plugging gaps to thwart Chinese threat

With China lurking in the backyard, the Indian Air Force is desperately trying to fill the “voids and gaps” in the eastern theatre, while Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha today saying attention was not paid to this vital sector.

This is the first time an Air Chief has candidly admitted about India’s fixation on the western sector, vis-a-vis Pakistan and the years of attention-deficit on the eastern sector.

He said the country was “concentrating on the western sector” and as such the “eastern sector didn’t get the attention,” so vital for the country’s security.

“We have voids and gaps in the our capabilities in the eastern sector,” Air Chief Marshal Raha said at the end of the two-day Commanders’ Conference at the Eastern Air Command (EAC) headquarters here.

What is worrying is the rapid infrastructure build-up of China for years now along India’s border, especially along Arunachal Pradesh. Civil airports have been integrated with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force for swifter combat capabilities. New airfields built and other modern infrastructure and equipment are already in place to give support to the Chinese men at the frontline.

But the good news is that after 60 odd years, India is finally going full steam to develop the eastern sector. The Air Chief said the EAC’s area of responsibility is one of the largest amongst other commands of the Air Force. So now a number of initiatives have been undertaken to develop it.

One of the gaps of this sector is the connectivity and also the ageing fleet of the IAF. Air Chief Marshal Raha said several Advance Landing Grounds are being built in the northeast and eastern India. Some of the other initiatives include building of hangars and “assets” that would enhance the maneuvering capabilities of the Indian Air Force.

“We are upgrading our infrastructure and equipments in the eastern sector,” the Air Chief said. Moreover, there are induction plans for new fleet.

He said the country "urgently" requires new generation fighter aircrafts and the induction of 36 Rafale fighter jets, once the deal is finalized with France, would “fill some void” in the Air Force.

Commenting on the Tejas, which is being built indigenously, the Air Chief, said, the Tejas "may not be the best in the world" in its category, but their induction would also help the Air Force.

He said, in the next 15 years the Air Force’s ageing fleet comprising the MIGs, Jaguars and Mirage have to be replaced and therefore the “Make in India” initiative would go a long way in bridging this gap.

BIRDS GET THEIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT IN KHASI HILLS, MEGHALAYA

An East Khasi Hills district administration order has become the “wind beneath the wings” of birds and now they have their “fundamental right” to fly.

The district has become one of the few places where keeping or selling caged birds has become an offense, after Friday's  notification. With the order, the birds are gone, so too the sellers from marketplaces such as Police Bazaar and others.

East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, PS Dkhar said there has been no violation of the order till today. “We would be strictly following it,” he stated.

The decision of the district administration here was based on the 2010 Gujarat and 2015 Delhi High Court rulings. The Delhi High Court ruling said: “Birds have fundamental rights, including the right to live with dignity and they cannot be subjected to cruelty by anyone…They deserve sympathy.”

Many children are fond of keeping birds as pets. Several individuals and organizations across the globe term such pet-keeping cruel and have been counseling, especially, parents to encourage their kids to take home some other animal as a pet.

Some of the birds that are found in the markets places here come from different places of the State and country with diverse conditions, related to their habitat. So many perish in cages, when trapped and translocation.

Dkhar feels that not just the administration, but also individuals and NGOs should report or file FIR against violation of the order. Violators would be punished under the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Dkhar said, “We somehow feel good after the notification was passed” - guess  the feel-good factor is more in the birds !

APJ ABDUL KALAM - A TRIBUTE

The "People’s President." Had the fortune to meet APJ Abdul Kalam as a journalist on several occasions – a superb human in my book.

Trust is something that does not come easy these days. It, however, was something our President was full of. As a President, he was entitled ZZ+ category security. He came one fine summer at the Raj Bhavan in Shillong, journalists like us were mesmerized with his simplicity and hairstyle!

After the occasional meeting, Kalam sat for a press conference - a rarity for Presidents. He answered questions. And thereafter, some usual suspects asked for a photo-op with the President. What audacity! The security went into hyper tizzy. Of course the entire journalist fraternity was accredited. This meant they were security-checked thoroughly.  

The security which involved the venerable President’s guards shooed every one saying nothing doing and moved the entire happy journalist out of the President’s way.

But, that is where Kalam came in. He asked the guards to move out and sat for a group photo with the journalists from Shillong and Guwahati. It was tensed photo opportunity, but journalists had the biggest smile! 

Kalam was also a President to give one-on-one interview with reporters. I was fortunate to have taken one with the President when he was in office.

One of the nicest quotes he said was when he eulogized "God as a great designer." He added that while Venus was a hot boiling mass and Mars was cold uninhabitable planet, “ earth was put in a suitable orbit … and blessed” so that life could sustain here.

That came from a man of science. Kalam to me was a man who gave equal leeway to science and faith.

In India faith runs deep. A large section of the people believe in faith, be it Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism you name it and people of a particular faith would stand up.

Kalam, though a scientist, did not disregard this populace and gave credence which is highly creditable. Moreover, Kalam a Muslim by birth could quote the Gita or the Bible or any religious text  – that’s secular.

All the students at IIM, Shillong would have gained a wealth of wisdom through the lectures of the president. He dedicated himself till he could no longer stand on his feet, but India stood tall because of this Great Man.

As someone who was born after Independence and not having the fortune to meet some of the greats, Kalam was someone we can be proud of post Independence, who epitomized India as a country of diverse race, religion,   ethnicity. We have seen Him, only question is: “can we live Him?”

CHINA REVERSE ENGINEERING MANUFACTURE OF TERRORISTS

China is in "Reverse Engineering" mode. This giant of a country is now taking all the ills from the world and duplicating it. Be it the foreign policy towards its neighbours, its muscle flexing, assembling terrorists, or rush to claim all the firsts in the Universe. HiuenTsang's China was exactly opposite to what the commies are up to.


China at that point of era was an accepting Nation, seldom attacked another country and was in the genuine quest for knowledge and wisdom. Hiuen Tsang visited India and there was shared knowledge that has passed over the generation between India and China.


But just because a country has a great historical past, doesn't necessarily mean it would have a great present or future. The present China has now an amazing fascination of claiming the firsts of the world. There was even this claim that the first toilet seat was build in this country after some excavation in a remote place. The forefathers could have great toilet seat manufacturers, but now?


Now it is in the process to accept anything- even reverse engineering. A country, which claims itself as one of the top Nations of the world has time and again proved it is good at manufacturing electronic goods after tearing apart similar items from the West.


India's market are flooded with these items. Okay, they are cheap, but what about the quality? From Umbrellas to pen drives. you name it and the "Made in China" tag is there, but how durable are these? Many of the multinational companies, are outsourcing assembly of their products for the cheap labour available, nothing more.


Sadly, the Umbrellas can't face two Indian Monsoon and the fabled 60 GB pen drives can't hold even 1 Kb after a use or two. But once you decide not to buy these items, you have another Made in China good.


Some of the defense hardware too are mere copies from the West, like the American Stealth Bomber. China has reversed engineered a stealth bomber of its own. The J-11 fighter jet is another example. China is now trying to make a clone of the BrahMos missile. These have never been tested in harsh conditions like its Umbrellas and pen drives.


But the larger question is about its relationship with its neighbours. From South China Sea to the Indian and Pacific Ocean, China has only been able to flex its muscle like a bully. Its only ally is the failed and rogue Nations. Be it Iran, Somalia, Pakistan, North Korea and similar others whose only contribution to the world has been terror.




As an Indian I am disturbed by this bully at the neighbourhood. At some point of time we have to face it (by the way bullies are cowards.) China by blocking a UN resolution for keeping the terrorist ZK Lakhvi under lock and key has proved its hideous policies towards its neighbour. By the Lakhvi was the mastermind of the Mumbai terrorists attack. China is India's enemy No 1 defense Minister George Frenandes have said, he couldn't have been more correct.

China attacked India. It is violating human rights of Uighurs in Xinjiang province. The Uighurs are fighting for sovereignty. It is not just the Uighurs, the occupation of Tibet and Tibetans  brutal suppression over the years has made International headlines over several decades now. But few are willing to antagonise the Dragon  out of fear.

Moreover, China is encouraging terrorists from Northeast, India. Forget about its neighbours, the commies didn't spare its own people by pulling out its cloned tanks in Tinamen Square - remember?


China by its action has lined up terrorists in its production units, on the sly. India and the world must be careful what it buys (literally) from China now. All the while it is also trying unsuccessfully to reverse engineer an image of itself as a peaceful Nation. Also heard it is manufacturing Ganesha idols, God help us all!

Lord Ganesha Made in China with trunk on the wrong side, OMG!

PUNK AND PROUD

A long long time ago when the Sun rose in the East and set to rest in the west, I was a testosterone-filled teen.

We lived in the era of Punks amidst torn jeans with patches, leather jackets with studs and leather wrist bands again with studs, but one of those sharp kinds and yes, long dreadlocks was the in-thing.

Who needed discussions on climate change and environmental pollution back those days, because as you walked across the alley the preying eyes of those gangs with blood-shot eyes, with knuckles and reeking with alcohol was bad enough - they used to club you or break teeth with knuckles those day, no guns.

Importantly, there were always droopy-eyed girls around speaking idyllically about Moksha, Movies and the sweet smell of Marijuana and of course Revolution. You watched the lips moving in slow motion and heard stuff that are usually played on a broken record. Now you have DJs doing the same sound effect, without encouraging any lust or longing.

The hostel guards got their daily grass, some friendly teachers joined in, in fact we lived in an unspoiled world – we needed just that last stagger for the revolution to take place to place us inside Utopia – instead we stumbled into bed!

Now it is politically incorrect – I don’t like this term anyway – to say a lot many things. Moreover, teachers can’t spank the shit out of the arse of school children, you can’t sing happily the jingle of condoms while watching TVs with the family that included grandpa, grandma aunts, uncles, mom, dad, brothers sisters, and a whole lot of cousins. Coming to cousins they no longer ask what kind of biscuit is that, to the 'family' again during TV hours, when there was an ad about sanitary napkin packet - wow things surely have changed.

These days, boys and girls have information overload and have, moreover, taken to Facebook, Twitter, and Whatnot and they are saying a lot more things than us, but in a different manner, which some of us erstwhile Punks understand, but don’t entirely relate to.

In India, we see a whole lot of new generation kids, tech savvy – back in our time we longed for a TV – with a bag full of information, which they are disseminating at a furious pace. Had Facebook been invented in our Marijuana-laced world decades back, we would have first slowly created a four-dimensional figure of the word inside the psychedelic head, torn the word bit by bit to find it’s true meaning looking hours on the page and prodded endlessly about the lives of millions on the site.

There is no time for these craps. These kids now ‘like’ everything. A new picture, a new status or even when someone breaks up saying “finally I did it.” What the heck, “I finally-did-it” kinda break up in our times was nothing to like about modestly - it was an adrenaline rush, an opportunity up for grabs with both hands!

We are what we were, a Bob Marley, always at the Doors jamming with not one, but three little birds and we surely were Comfortably Numb. At times it was the Beatles, Bob Dylan or Queen rapsodysing about Jude or walking alone as the Tambourine Man. I still have the urge to take those stairways to Utopia.

WILD ELEPHANT DIVINE NOT MAHUT!?

After several years of teaching, a Guru led out a bunch of disciples from his ashram into the world with his last words of wisdom stating: “there is divinity in everything we see around.”

One Disciple: So even in this rock there is divinity!?

Guru: yes, and in this soil and this universe in this plant, this ant EVERYTHING. It is how you relate and approach to the surroundings that makes us what we are.  

The wizened disciple trod out from the ashram with an air of enlightenment.

Moments later an Elephant which was on *Mast and uprooting trees and bulldozing anything on its way, rushed towards the disciple. The **Mahut shouting out loudly “MOVE OUT this Elephant has gone mad…MOVE OUT!”

The confused disciple quickly recalled his Guru’s last sermon “divinity in everything” and said to himself “if there is divinity in everything than definitely it is in the Elephant and how can the divine hurt anyone.”

With this thought he placed his hands on his hips and stood and waited as the Elephant raged in. In a flash, the Elephant curled the disciple with its trunk and flung him as far as its might could.


The disciple landed like a burst bag of sand and did major damage to his bones and teeth. 

In excruciating pain he crawled to his Guru and fumed: "all your teachings are in vain."

Guru smiled and said: why do you say so Son?

Disciple: "you said there is divinity in everything and I believed you and so stood before this Elephant which was running amok. Is divinity not in an Elephant?"

Guru: "Sure there is."

Disciple: "Then why did it hurt me when the divine is all about love and peace."

















The Guru who saw and heard everything from afar said: "Son, the DIVINE IN THE ELEPHANT was charging at you and the DIVINE IN THE MAHUT was giving out loud and clear instructions to move out. Haven’t you heard HIM?" 

- Fable narrated by Shri Ramakrishna in Kathamrita.

*When an Elephant high on testosterone and is in heat generally goes berserk looking for a mate.

**Elephant keeper/rider

SORRY, I HELPED A THIEF! (PART-II)

We landed at New Delhi airport. It was late September. There was a sense of joy for the Indians. The Canadians were looking forward for exotica. None of them have visited India earlier.

Some expected India to be as exotic as described in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. After a brief stay in New Delhi we headed south to Kerala. We took a train and due to prevailing flood, we took a circuitous route through one of the oldest mountain ranges in India, the Aravallis and the Western Ghats.

After three days on the train, we finally reached our destination. We again headed to three places with our individual groups. Our group went to a village called Kadampanad in Pathanamthitta district.

We never expected such a reception on our arrival. There was the entire village waiting. Elaborately decorated Temple Elephants, even the press waited for us. Flowers were showered. We were spellbound by this reception.

Me and Pat was put in a family, which incidentally had the son George graduating in Theology. We attended Church service on the first Sunday. But our coordinators excused us from future attendance as the service was in Malayalam language, which me and Pat couldn't understand.

In fact, in India there are thousands of languages. A guy from the north would not understand languages in the South. Similarly, with the case of East and West.  Some small States have multiple languages, with people from one corner not understanding what the guy from the other corner is saying.

Me pat and another Indian, Arun were paired up. Arun's counterpart was kicked out of the programme. We tried our best to have him in the programme, but in vain.

We were assigned to work in a brick kiln. Man! We only managed to break the entire machinery the second day into our job. The owner said we needn't work further and allowed us to loiter around. That we did.

Kerala is beautiful situated on the Arabian Sea. Lush greenery and dotted with coconut trees and backwaters. Here  the group didn't have the luxury of hang out in the evenings like in Canada. So we met occasionally.

However, we were asked to volunteer in building an Ayurveda Hospital in the village. Ayurveda is an ancient medical system from India.  So each morning we were picked up in an army truck from our host family's home from different parts of the village.

The Hospital was to be part of the Gandhi Ashram. So Canadians and Indians together hauled dirt, carried bricks to help build the Hospital. It was tiring, but overall satisfying.

In between, our only recreation was to go to a small town called Adoor. Even in October-November the temperature hovered pleasantly between 28-30 degree Celsius.

In the meantime, the Canadians got used to eating with their hands, without spoons and forks and need I say water in toilet. Our lunch was  packed and consisted of Rice, Fish, Meat and Coconut chutney (pickle) wrapped in banana leaves. We usually ate our launch inside the Rubber plantation.

In Kerela we usually drank locally-made lemonade mixed with soda. But, sadly, the Canadians were "advised" not to as they might fall sick. Some of them loved a Mango   cold drink called Frooti.

Here too we went to a camp. It was Theology College. The three storied building was almost empty, eerie and situated inside a Coconut plantation.

One night everyone thought of playing Planchet dead into the night. I didn't like the idea.

We switched off the lights in one of the floors and with just a candle and "called the spirits." My hands shivered and the coin moved. They proclaimed excitedly that it was the ghost of one who was murdered. 

It was enough for me. I left and rushed downstairs to the room to sleep, only to realize I was alone in the entire floor. I rushed back to Planchet, the ghost seemed far comforting.

We also went to several community programme, like the community marriage in the village. In these marriages several grooms and brides are married off the same day and there is a massive feast for the village with contribution from everyone. Makes economic sense.

 

Days went by and Christmas arrived. The Canadians wanted it to be grand and so we started practicing to sing carols. We spent hours in the evenings learning carols like Jingle Bells, Santa is coming to Town, Deck the Halls...

On Christmas we went to the Church and there was a lottery event and I won the first prize. It was a big cake. Did I say that I won a lottery in Canada too? The host family there bought a ticket in my name and I won the first prize. Well I won a TV, but split the prize with the host family who took a CD player, me and Pat a Walkman each.

Well, the carol singing was a disaster. The Canadians were fuming at us, as we Indians forgot the lyrics sang without tempo or beat. But we apologized and things got to normal again.

The village life was easy. There was life at every corner. Lizards, snakes, yes King Cobra, beetles, bugs you name it. The walk to the Gandhi Ashram was a pleasure with the tree canopy and the balmy weather.

After three months, we bid adieu to our host families and headed back to New Delhi. In New Delhi at the end of the programme the Canadians wanted to do some shopping and we were asked to assist our individual counterparts.

This is here I feel I learnt the most. Me and Pat headed to Connaught Place. Pat sought for a cotton shirt. I was with him. Pat asked: “How much?" The shopkeeper in his broken English seeing a foreigner said: "Rs. 1000...very good quality."

I saw the shirt, it was of good quality, but should not have cost more than Rs. 500. The shopkeeper seeing the foreigner doubled the price. Pat looked at me and  I said immediately: "it is of good quality"   

For Pat it was a good bargain and he bought it together with my assurance.

In the evening at the International Youth Centre, were we were putting up, we Indians got together and were discussing about the shopping. My friend Sushant, who is now in the Indian Army, asked what me and Pat bought. I told him about the shirt.

In fact, Sushant's counterpart bought a similar shirt from the same place we bought.  "How much you guys paid," he asked. I told him Rs. 1000. Sushant asked why I didn’t bargain, because he had got the shirt for his counterpart for Rs. 500.

"Come on it was an Indian who was getting the money. The money is coming to India from outside. So what if he took Rs. 500 more. I helped an Indian and India," I justified to Sushant, while everyone was sitting.

Sushant: " You didn't help an Indian or India. You helped a Thief."

From that day till now, those were one of the most valuable learning experiences of my life. I was ashamed at that time, even now. 

I feel that we cannot take sides based on our Nationality, Race, Community, Religion, Language, Colour, but take sides for what is right. Whatever is wrong has to be said, irrespective of whom we stand to hurt.  No  country is looking for Jingoism from its citizen. A sense of patriotism would  do fine. 

I should have bargained. I should have said to the shopkeeper don't cheat your guest. I owe Pat Rs. 500, but more than that I owe an apology to  every right thinking individual  - because I foolishly helped a thief. 

SORRY, I HELPED A THIEF!

I was in a student exchange programme to Canada years back. We were 21 from India and joined an equal number of students from Canada at Toronto. Both sides, initially, were fueled with a ferocious sense of competitiveness, mutual distrust and culture shock.

Indian: “You wipe your arse with paper…we wash with water. How unhygienic, smelly arse!” Canadian retorts: “You guys have lice in your hair…everyone’s head must be checked.”

Indians (implicitly): “Indians got through to this programme after some grueling tests and interviews, orientation programmes conducted by the National Cadet Corps.

The Canadians did that by selling T-shirts of Canada World Youth to fund themselves for the programme!  Well that’s how highly we rate you – glorified salespersons.”

But apart from being ‘glorified salespersons,’ the Canadians were superb mind-readers.  So there was always this cold-war.

This cold war was on in a small town called Starthroy, some 110 kms from Toronto. We were provided a host family to stay for three months. Me and my Canadian counterpart, Pat stayed with a Pastor’s family. Similarly, others were paired and allotted host families.

The entire group was split into three groups and sent to three different towns. The other two groups stayed at a town called Blenheim and Amherstburg, in Ontario Province.  

Initially, we Indians due to these 'misunderstanding' gelled among ourselves in the evenings, the Canadians did likewise. We were so different in all conceivable ways, we thought.

Moreover, the Indians had strict instructions not to smoke, drink or drive. The Canadians did not have any of these restrictions. So we smoked inside toilets and fanned out the smoke through the small toilet vents frantically.

Smoked behind bushes, while swatting bugs and all the while cursing our counterparts.  The Canadians smoked luxuriously  – we despised this preferential treatment.  But hey! We were from two different countries with different culture, lifestyle, rules and toilet habits.

But over the weeks and months, we were able to literally keep the toilet paper and water behind. All the lice jumped into the Niagara. Started to appreciate the qualities and hard work of salespersons.

So one unimportant hot summer evening we decided to hit the bar together with chilled beer. We played pool, danced and almost got ourselves killed by a much-tattooed fugitive.

He thought we took his picture in the bar. These revelry and adventure brought us very close. From there on we got-together every evening in each other’s host family’s home after our volunteer work.

We occasionally partied hard. One evening the neighbours called in the police. We were partying with blazing music late into the night in one of the host family’s house. They were on a vacation to the Bahamas (I guess.)  

On a different note, we had over the weekends Educational Activity Days, which further bonded us. Each pair was given a particular subject, which was planned to make these interesting, fun and educative of course.

These activities helped us Indians to learn about Canada and Canadians. On Sundays attended Church in the morning and evening with the host family. It was a totally new experience for me, the sermon, the hymns, everything. 

We occasionally went to far-off places with the host family. These escapades were lovely and we met the extended families of our host. Played baseball, which I felt was lot like cricket. Lunched outside and made the best out of Canadian summer.

One of the best experiences of the programme was when me and Pat went to an Amish community. My host family took us there. 

I never knew such a world existed. We stayed in the community the whole day  with an Amish family. The whole place was unreal. The houses painted black, even the church.

Saw the Amish men ploughing fields with horses. We saw them riding the buggy. It transformed me to a different era, a different life. It was not me any longer. I wanted to be an Amish.      

I never knew that there exist such communities that would not use modern technology. Community living exactly the way people lived thousands of years back.

On many nights I thought of throwing away my passport and running away to the Amish community. Grow a beard, wear hat and take the horses to the fields.  

Anyway, mid-way through the programme the entire group went to stay in a camp. We stayed at the camp called Kee-mo-kee for a couple of days .

The log cabins. The entry into the wood in the night with just a flashlight telling ghost stories. Sleeping in the field just watching the stars in pitch darkness. These were awesome experiences.

After three months of such bonhomie, fun and adventure we packed our Dunhills and Du Mauriers and lot of love and memories. We landed in New Delhi  for the next lag of the programme.  (To be continued)