Adding Colors to Life…
May 15, 2007
Words that proved so prophetic…
1986-1990
A note at the time of saying goodbye…
The mood is nostalgic these days as the countdown for the first ever alumni meet has started. I am searching for the old letters, cards and keepsakes that are so precious to me, even today! One such is a small note written by Leena of the 1996—1990 batch when it was the time to say goodbye. It was so difficult to say good byes that a piece of paper, with some words written on it, helped her to say it all and for me to read between the lines, all these years.
In her impeccable handwriting what she wrote, some seventeen long years back, holds the universal truth. Yes, our lives are routine, we are bound by certain immediate concerns that make it difficult to travel back, all the time, to days gone by but the truth that somewhere deep inside remains a pleasant memory of the good old associations. Is it not what is more important to carry forward such memories that add sweetness to your life! This small piece of paper that I scrouched from an old bundle, holds inside it, such a plethora of memories. All these memories come up these days, at all times of the day, as the first ever alumni meet is close at hands.
I am waiting to see all those confident middle-aged men and women whom I had seen as young vulnerable boys and girls some twenty years back!
May 14, 2007
Baba Balaknath Ji
Another visit to the shrine of the Baba Ji yesterday to say our thanks for his mercy. My heart bows to realize the greatness of Baba Ji and the trust that binds people coming from far and wide. Be it the NRIs visiting the shrine or the rustic commoners, all have the faith overbrimming their very being for the Baba Ji.
Watching young boys in designer clothes, creeping all the way to the shrine, shows how faith still has its impact in the life and hearts of the young generation, fed on the staple diet of MTVs! It sure is the enigma and the mystic power of the unseen that brings us all together.
When we started for the shrine yesterday, we never realized the kind of rush that would be there. it too my husband six hours to stand in queue to have darshan of the idol. I am grateful to him foe having given us the chance to have his darshana as a thanksgiving ritual. Everytime that I go, I have more to see from him and great as he is, he fulfills all my desires. My heart and whole of my being stands humbled in front of his greatness.
May the faith of the people and their trust keeps up the tradition of paying obeisance intact!
May 9, 2007
Dharma favours the Stronger–The Mahabharata
9 May, 2007
What a strong man says
often becomes the only dharma;
a weak man may have dharma on his side
but who listens to him?
…To tell you the truth
These are the sentences uttered by Bhisma in the Sabha Parva when Draupadi is seeking help from all those who claim to know dharma but are unable to uphold it! Bhisma, the misogynist, who ruins the lives of Amba, Ambika, Kunti, Gandhari, and watches, without being perturbed, the attempted disrobing of Draupadi, comes as a weak person in the sabha parva. And it really goes to the credit of Draupadi to maintain her head leveled even at that crucial moment.
Why do the people we wxpect to speak for us keep mum when it is most needed? Why women, even today, have to take a stand to fight it to the best of their capacity?
When I take a stand against the arbitrarily reached at decisions of the establishment, these lines and the references make me more resolved to fight and lodge my protest.
Has anything changed in the present day world?? No, nothing has changed!
May 8, 2007
May 7, 2007
The Old World Charm Giving Way to a New World…
1987
We Started Under the Patronage of Vivekananda…
The Vivekananda Block holds many a precious memories…The classes for the Regional Engineering College, Hamirpur, were initially started at Government Polytechnic building who were magnanimous enough to provide us with a few class rooms and space in their hostel for the First batch boys as well. We all knew about the campus being developed at Anoo, which was at that time a thick jungle full of pine trees. It was in the year 1987 that some small buildings were constructed at this new campus and we were really elated as now we had a place of our own! Vivekananda block was the first building to come at what we call the NIT campus today. The small three rooms, single storied structure, in red bricks, captivated our heart. Could any building be more beautiful—red tin roof and surrounded by lush green pines—the best setting for an academic ambience!I was so happy to see the building where I would be, henceforth, taking the classes of the First year students. Even students were so happy as they were the kings of the jungle they inhabited in. I call it jungle as there was no road, electric lamp posts and the entire modern infrastructure that you today take for granted on the campus. The access to this Block was from the road that connects Hamirpur to Awahdevi as there was neither the Check post No. I nor the Check post No.II or any interconnecting roads. We would take HRTC bus from the bus stand and would get down at a place somewhere near to the present day Sports ground and would walk through meandering jungle paths to reach this place. Many a times the HRTC buses would not stop at this point and we would have to walk for a long distance to reach the campus. Then a bus stop came up at this place and I remember the words “on request” written on the sign board. We felt so happy as this sign board heralded a recognition for REC so far as the HRTC’s local bus routes were concerned! Not a mean achievement keeping in view the number of passengers that availed this Bus stop!
The Relics of Vivekananda Block…
It was while walking towards the Vivekananda Block, in a single-line as the jungle path provided only this much width, that we saw the remnants of the burnt logs of wood and our enquiry from the local people revealed the fact that the place we walk through everyday was in fact the cremation place for the local people. You can imagine our state of mind—it sure was horrifying. I could not sleep that night thinking of all that I had heard about the cremation grounds! The girl students also felt horrified as they, too, had to take the same route. Looking at the present scenario, I really think—we have come a long way indeed! But apart from these small happenings, life at this new campus was blissful. Sitting out in the open, after the class, I remember having read a good number of books as there was nothing to distract attention. And the relationship with the students was at its best perhaps for the reason that we sought their companionship and they, in turn, sought our companionship as human company was the most difficult thing to be found in that jungle!There was a tea shack, housed in a small room, which catered to our needs for some refreshing beverage! It sure was fun sitting there and discussing and dreaming about the good days to come when we would have a better place to sit.
The buildings coming up gradually and Vivekananda Block still stood proud and erect where classes were regularly held. The Tagore Block housed our library. It was a library in the pure sense as the setting was perfect where silence was not enforced but was a part of the ambience—the overall ambience of the environment! More to come under this nostalgic journey backwards….
May 4, 2007
We Complete 29 Years of Being Together…
04 May, 2007
Life Together…
This day we complete 29 years of being together. It sure seems as a very long period and going by the number it seems so difficult to believe that it actually has been this long a period. It seems as if it was just some time back that we had started a journey together. KS was not a complete stranger to me as we had been engaged for complete one year before we got married and both of us “thought” to know each other well enough to start a life together. But, looking back I question myself, did I really know him well or for that matter did he know me well enough. The biggest question is whether I did know “myself”? We still are in the process of exploring each other and the various shades, both white and black and occasionally grey as well that we depict, make our life together still an excitement rather than a dull life that I see around in many families.To be honest our life has been full of excitement right from the day one. How interesting it is to find a life companion who respects you for being different from the run-or-the-mill kind of girls and supports you for that. From the very beginning our relationship was based on mutual respect for each other’s ideology!
