Shailendra Kumar NDDB 1968-2000 and Dushyant Mishra IRMA 18, NDDB 1999-2003 and
A developing story unfolds through correspondence between two individuals who have yet to meet face to face and live over 12,480 kilometers apart.
Like any story, this one also has a beginning. However, both the writers and the story itself are still searching for closure and longing for an end.
Dear reader, could you lend a helping hand?
Dushyant
Namaste SK Sir!
Kaise hain aap? I just read your blog about Dr. Kurien’s speech at IIMA. Brings back memories of wonderful times at IRMA and NDDB.
If you remember there is an installation of a Bull in NDDB Mumbai campus. What I remember about it is that it was designed and made by engineers of IDMC. Using food grade steel scrap.
The bull travelled as an art installation to Bharat Mahotsav in 1984 till 1988 across Europe and America, along the cultural troupes.
It was then installed in NDDB Mumbai, upon return from the Mahotsav.
The original colour was grey but someone got it painted green a few years back.
They are now wanting to restore its glory. I could find an old picture if it to establish the colour. Which they will be using to restore it.
I request you to tell me if there is any story you remember about the installation. NDDB Mumbai is planning to errect a plaque next to it, giving its story.
Your inputs will be invaluable.
Warm regards, Dushyant
That is the bull installation I am referring to. This was the gray color it had in 1999. Now it has been painted grass green and can’t really be seen in the green background.
Shailendra
Thanks 🙏 I will revert on this as I need consult some old timers who spent time at Mumbai.
Dushyant
Thank you so much !
Shailendra
I contacted several persons to get some information. Behla, Gore, Muralidharan. But no luck. Finally through Murali connected with Mahesh Chandra former MD, IDMC.
Murali sent has me following message after talking to Mahesh Chandra;
“I spoke to Mahesh Chandra. Understand the Bull was made as per the request of late Shri GM Jala. One sculptor from Badoda guided and under his supervision IDMC made it. Dr.Kurien saw this in IDMC work shop and decided to install at NDDB Bombay Campus.”
I have requested Murali to find the name of the Sculptor and year the statue was made.
Dushyant
This is very helpful. Thank you so much. Can someone verify the bull travelling to Europe with Bharat Mahotsav.I heard it from more than one person during my days at NDDB Mumbai. One of them was late Mr JP Majumdar, can’t remember the others who told this story
Shailendra
Spoke to Dr MPG Kurup. He too doesn’t remember much except that the sculptor who made the bull which was given to Mike and Dr Aneja at their farewell function could have been the one who guided IDMC to create the bull currently in NDDB Mumbai office. Dr Kurup doesn’t remember the name of the sculptor but according to him Mr Jhala got in touch with the sculptor through Vadodara based Architect Suryakant Patel. The Sculptor was a teacher at MS University.
The last person to be contacted is Shri DK Sen I have his number and will get in touch. He was longest serving Director Engineering and regional office campus construction was under engineers who reported to him on technical matters through regional head of engineering.
You can do a blog on this for Vrikshamandir basis our conversations / messages.
May be a reader of the blog recollects some missing links.
Personally I very much doubt the story of the bull being shown in exhibitions in Europe but I may be wrong.
PS: I tried to connect with Shri DK Sen several times but with no luck. I haven’t had a response from him.
Therefore, I thought of posting it on Vrikshamandir. May be some one remembers something.
Shir RN Haldipur, an officer of the North East Frontier Agency Service who served as Dewan of Sikkim (1963-1969) and Lieutenant Governor of Arunachal Pradesh (18th January 1979- 23rd July 1981); Pudduchery (27 July 1981- 14th May 1982), Director Institute of Rural Management Anand (1982- )
I vaguely recall that it was month of July, 1982. V S Behla, who was Director, Engineering at that time and I were heading home after office. As we had moved just a few steps out of the main office building, a white premier car suddenly stoped in front of us and the person driving the car called out, ‘Behla Saab’.
We stopped and Behla moved closer to the caller. I had not seen this person before and as they started to converse, I moved a few steps away near the tail end of the car. I could however hear the conversation- it was about the progress of construction of ETDC in IRMA campus.
After about five minutes, Behla joined me and as we started walking towards home, I asked him, “Is he a new civil contractor for ETDC”?
With a surprised look Behla asked me, “You don’t know him”?
“No, we have never met. Who is he”? I replied.
“He is Mr. Haldipur, Director of IRMA. I thought you have met him so I didn’t introduce you”, said Behla.
“He was LG of Pondicherry before taking up Directorship of IRMA”, Behla added.
When Mr. Haldipur called Behla, he did give me a smile. I returned the smile and moved away as I didn’t want him to get am impression that I am eves dropping.
A couple of months later, one afternoon I received a call. The caller asked me, “Mr. Nagar, I want to see you. Can you spare 10 minutes for me”. The caller was Mr. Haldipur.
Till this time, I had not formally met him and remembering that incident, I responded, “Sure, sir. I will come over to your office right away”.
“No, Mr. Nagar, I have sought your time so I must come to your office. I will be there in ten minutes”. And exactly after ten minutes, he was with me in my office.
I, at first felt a bit uncomfortable receiving a person of his stature in my office. I knew that he had given up the position of the Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry to take over as the director of IRMA. But his gentle demeanour soon put me to ease. I just couldn’t believe that the person of his stature had no air of the high offices he held in the immediate past.
He wanted to know if I will agree to his proposal to make the funds allocated under Operation Flood for IRMA as corpus rather than annual reimbursement. After we had gone through the details, he asked me if I would co-sign the proposal as it would eliminate many unnecessary steps. I agreed to it provided Dr. Kurien permits me to do so.
As we walked towards Dr. Kurien’s office, I noticed that he was an extremely soft spoken and humble man. In fact humility defined his personality.
Between that day and June 1986, when I was transferred to Bangalore, I had quite a few meetings with him. I was at times upset on pace of studies that IRMA faculty was carrying out for NDDB, but he always remained calm, never losing his poise. And each time he took the initiative to call me back. I was floored. Unbelievably humble were his ways.
His only son, Vivek also worked briefly with me in planning. Sometimes I used to drop Vivek home but I never went inside the Director’s bungalow. Hence my relationship with him remained strictly official.
Mr. Haldipur completed his term with IRMA just around the same time and decided to relocate in Bangalore where he owned a modest two room apartment in a multi-storey building in Malleshwaram. His was a ground floor apartment-101.
After shifting to Bangalore, one day he called me after checking with my PA, if I was available for a few minutes. He needed some information about some work he had to get done in his apartment and wanted to know if someone from our engineering can help him find a reliable person to do the job. I offered to send down an engineer to his place but he very firmly and politely declined. “Nagar, this is my personal accommodation. It is not proper on my part to expect an NDDB engineer to come over during office time for my personal work”. He, however hesitatingly accepted when I told him that his residence will be visited after office hours as it would help us identify the right person to attend to the problems.
I was new to Bangalore and except a distant uncle of my wife knew no one outside my office circle. Haldipurs too were in more or less similar situation. They had only his nephews- Shankar Nag (producer of the famous tv series Malgudi Days) and Anant Nag (young man in red shirt in Manthan) to fall back on in any emergency.
Since both of us didn’t have any social circle, we got to meet each other at least once in 6-8 weeks. I always went to his place with my family and it was during these visits that a lot more humbler side of him and Mrs. Haldipur came to our view. Funnily, every time they were at my place, he would want to carry the empty dishes to the sink, which of course we never allowed him to do.
It was understandable during our first ice breaker visit when they didn’t allow my wife to help. Mr. Haldipur himself brought the tea and snacks for us, while Krishnaji worked in the Kitchen. When my wife got up to carry the empty cups to Kitchen, Mr. Haldipur said, ‘Anu, you are our guest. I will clean up. This is my job’. He carried the trey of empty cups and cleaned them himself. When I asked him if they had a domestic help, he replied, “only part time. Between two of us, why do we need a full time maid”.
And when we were leaving, he not only came all the way to see us off where my car was parked, but he opened the car door for my wife. It was an impromptu act, no show, just his natural humble way to show respect to a lady.
At first I dismissed it as one off incident. But it happened every time we went to see them. We always requested him to see us off from his apartment door, but he always responded with a smile saying, ‘this gives me some exercise’ and never forgot to open the car door for my wife. He never left the spot till my car went out of sight.
We had a wonderful time with them. Each meeting with him was a lesson in humility. He was one man I know who always remained untouched by the power of high positions he held.
Our last meeting with him was in May 1995. We went to Bangalore after attending my spiritual mission’s meet in Chennai. They were alone but had the same high spirit. Couple of years later they moved to Anand Ashram, Kasaragod, Kerala. They saw no reason to continue in Bangalore and were contemplating moving there after the loss of their only child-Vivek. When Mr. Haldipur passed away, I received a very emotional reply to my message of condolence from Mrs Haldipur. She addresses me as, ‘Respected Nagar bhai saheb’.
Their humble ways continue to teach and inspire me even today.
“Mathan” the celebrated Hindi feature film directed by Shyam Benegal and produced by the Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation Limited was released before I joined the Chairman’s Office in NDDB.
Dr Kurien wanted to have the first show of Manthan in Anand and invite a select audience from various milk unions of Gujarat, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation and other dignitaries from the Government and civil society.
The first Executive Assistant of Dr. V. Kurien, who later became the Director (Administration) of NDDB, was Shri Ashok Koshy from the Indian Administrative Service.
Koshy and I got along very well. When Nagar and I vacated Mani Bhuvan to move to the newly built NDDB campus in 1970, Koshy and PT Jacob stayed for a month or so at the same accommodation. Let me talk of Manthan first and more of Mani Bhuvan later.
Koshy had very good contacts among the bureaucracy, business persons and top citizenry of Anand. Koshy before joining NDDB on deputation was Assistant Collector in Petlad.
I remember watching English films in Laxmi Talkies of Anand on Friday nights from midnight to 3 a.m. after the last regular show of Laxmi Talkies. Only three or four of us will be in the theatre. We had these special shows specially for us thanks to Koshy.
When the premiere show of Manthan was to be organized, Koshy chose Gopi Talkies, which had recently started operating. A rehearsal was done, and once again we watched Manthan in Gopi Talkies from 12:30 am till 3 am. This time, we were not only 3-4 persons but a larger group, which included many who had duties for ushering VIP invitees to the first premiere show of Manthan in Anand the next day, starting at 9 am.
Yes, in a way, we were the first ones to watch the legendary film in Anand before its formal release.
VS Behla and Baboo Nair were the original occupants of Mani Bhuvan. I joined NDDB in 1968. Behla and Baboo joined NDDB before me. A few months after I moved to Mani Bhuvan, Nair left for Sweden, Behla used to be posted on construction sites during those days. After Nair moved to Sweden his brother stayed with me at Mani Bhuvan for a few months.
Nagar joined NDDB in 1969, and Behla and I invited him to move over to Mani Bhuvan. Later, Shailendra Palvia and Naithani joined us in Mani Bhuvan, which has quite a history. Raojibhai was our cook cum man Friday. Khedekar from Amul Dairy had suggested his name to Nagar, and we asked Raojibhai to manage Mani Bhuvan. At one point in time, nearly 15 plus bachelor, real or forced, used to come for lunch at Mani Bhuvan.
When I was appointed the first warden of the NDDB hostel in 1970, and when Shri AK Raychaudhury was Secretary of NDDB, the hostel kitchen was commissioned, and Raojibhai was appointed as a cook. Raojibhai later joined NDDB.
Nagar and Behla Amul administrative building NDDB Floor
Looking back after over 52 years, I find it interesting to note that some of the Mani Bhuvan residents of the late 1960s include one IAS Officer Ashok Koshy, who retired as Additional Chief Secretary of Gujarat, and two Professors Emeritus: Dr. Baboo Nair at the Department of Food Technology, Engineering, and Nutrition, University of Lund, and Dr. Shailendra Palvia, Professor Emeritus, MIS at Long Island University, USA. Nagar, Behla, and I too held senior positions in NDDB.
इसे दो-चार बार पढ़ने के बाद, मुझे व्यक्तिगत रूप से एहसास हुआ कि यह कथन मेरे लिए बहुत मायने रखता है। आज हम जिस दुनिया में रहते हैं, उसमें हममें से प्रत्येक व्यक्ति अपनी राय रखने और व्यक्त करने के लिए स्वतंत्र है। यह कथन अभी भी फेसबुक पर मौजूद है, यह इस बात का प्रमाण है कि भारत में अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता मौजूद है। कुछ संशयवादी यह तर्क दे सकते हैं कि अधिकारी व्यस्तता के नाते इस बात पर ध्यान नहीं दे पा रहे है।
हालाँकि, मुझे उनकी पोस्ट के अंतिम पैराग्राफ में पूछे गए प्रश्न “क्या हमारे पास ‘वसुदैव कुटुंबकम’ की कोई परिचालन परिभाषा है?” का उत्तर खोज पाने में काफ़ी दिक़्क़त महसूस हुई।
इसलिए, आपने यहां जो पढ़ा है, वह पूरी तरह से मेरा नहीं है बल्कि मेरे द्वारा न्यूनतम संपादन के साथ एआई+चैट द्वारा तैयार किया गया पाठ है।
मैंने इस पर बहुत सोचा, लेकिन कोई उत्तर न मिलने पर मैंने हार मान ली। एक भुलक्कड़ बूढ़ा आदमी होने के नाते, मैं जल्द ही इसके बारे में भूल गया। लेकिन अगले दिन, यही पोस्ट मेरी फेसबुक टाइमलाइन पर फिर से दिखाई दी, और इसे दोबारा पढ़ने के बाद, मैंने उस श्लोक को याद करने की कोशिश की जिससे “वसुधैव कुटुंबकम” वाक्यांश लिया गया था। दरअसल, “वसुधैव कुटुंबकम” महोपनिषद के श्लोक की दूसरी पंक्ति का दूसरा भाग है।
मैंने सोचा कि पूरा श्लोक दोबारा पढ़ने और उसके अर्थ पर विचार करने से मदद मिल सकती है। पूरा श्लोक है:
इसका अर्थ है: “यह मेरा है, वह उसका है,” ऐसा छोटे दिमाग वाले कहते हैं। बुद्धिमानों का मानना है कि संपूर्ण विश्व एक परिवार है।
तो, क्या द्रष्टा कह रहा है, “उदारचरितानाम या “बुद्धिमान” के लिए पूरी दुनिया एक परिवार है”?
मुझे संदेह की भावना ने घेर लिया। मैं भुलक्कड़ हूँ, यह सच है। लेकिन मुझे कैसे पता चलेगा कि मैं उदारचरित्र हूं या बुद्धिमान हूं या अन्यथा? मेरे प्रिय पाठक, मैं आपके बारे में नहीं जानता लेकिन अभी तक किसी ने भी मेरे मुँह पर यह नहीं कहा है कि मैं बुद्धिमान नहीं हूँ। मेरा मतलब है, किसी ने भी मेरे सामने मुझे बेवकूफ नहीं कहा। भगवान का शुक्र है। तो, मैं कैसे जाँचूँ कि मैं बुद्धिमान हूँ?
जिन लोगों को मैं जानता हूं उनका राजनीतिक रूप से सही ( पोलिटिकली करेक्ट ) होना ही होगा, कम से कम जब मेरे सामने ऐसे निर्णय देने की बात आती हो। शायद इसीलिए वे मेरी मूर्खताओं पर ध्यान नहीं देते।
मुझे एक और संस्कृत श्लोक याद आया जो ज्ञान और ज्ञानी के बारे में बताता है। AI+Chat ऐप का धन्यवाद, मुझे वह श्लोक मिल गया।
यो वेद नेति वेद चेत् यो न वेद नेति वेद चेत्। अथ यो अद्यवेद तं वेद वेद चेत् यो वेद न वेद चेत्॥(रृग्वेद मंडल १०, सूक्त ७१)।
इस छंद की आमतौर पर निम्नलिखित रूप में व्याख्या की जाती है:
पहले दो पंक्तियाँ इस बात की संकेत करती हैं कि जो व्यक्ति दावा करता है कि उसे ज्ञान है, लेकिन वास्तविकता में ज्ञान नहीं होता है, और जो व्यक्ति दावा करता है कि उसे ज्ञान नहीं है, लेकिन वास्तविकता में ज्ञान होता है, वे दोनों अज्ञानी होते हैं। यह श्लोक ज्ञान की महत्ता और समझ की निरंतर खोज पर बल देता है।
तीसरी पंक्ति कहती है कि जो आज ज्ञान रखता है, वही वास्तविकता में ज्ञानी है। इससे यह सूचित होता है कि ज्ञान स्थिर नहीं होता है, बल्कि यह कुछ प्राप्त करने और प्राप्त करते रहने के लिये निरंतर प्रेरणा है।
अंतिम पंक्ति दोहराती है कि जो व्यक्ति दावा करता है कि उसे ज्ञान है, लेकिन वास्तविकता में ज्ञान नहीं होता है, और जो व्यक्ति दावा करता है कि उसे ज्ञान नहीं है, लेकिन वास्तविकता में ज्ञान होता है, वे दोनों अज्ञानी होते हैं।
अर्थात; “जो लोग कहते हैं कि वह जानते हैं, वह नहीं जानते। जो लोग कहते हैं कि वह नहीं जानते, वह जानते हैं । यदि कोई उसे समझ लेता है, जो अज्ञात है, तो वह वास्तव में जानता है। यदि कोई सोचता है कि वह जानता हैं, तो वह वास्तव में नहीं जानता हैं।”
यह श्लोक इस विचार को दर्शाता है कि सच्चा ज्ञान अपनी समझ की सीमाओं को पहचानने और अज्ञात की विशालता के प्रति खुले रहने से आता है। साथ ही विनम्रता के महत्व और इस मान्यता पर जोर देता है कि सच्चा ज्ञान सीमाओं को स्वीकार करने से आता है।
स्वयं आगे लिखने के बजाय, मैंने AI+ चैट का लाभ उठाने का निर्णय लिया (मैं एक ग्राहक हूं)। मैंने एआई+ चैट से कहा कि मैंने जो कुछ भी लिखा है उसे संपादित करके और इस ब्लॉग को समाप्त करके मेरे लिए लेखन करें। इसलिए, आपने यहां जो पढ़ा है, वह पूरी तरह से मेरा नहीं है बल्कि मेरे द्वारा न्यूनतम संपादन के साथ एआई+चैट द्वारा तैयार किया गया लेख है।
यह कथन कि भारत में पारंपरिक संयुक्त परिवार प्रणाली को एकल परिवारों द्वारा प्रतिस्थापित किया जा रहा है, आंशिक रूप से सही है। हालांकि यह सच है कि शहरी क्षेत्रों में एकल परिवारों की ओर बदलाव आया है, लेकिन ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों और देश के कुछ हिस्सों में संयुक्त परिवार अभी भी प्रचलित हैं। राष्ट्रीय नमूना सर्वेक्षण कार्यालय (एनएसएसओ) की एक रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, 2011-12 में भारत में कुल परिवारों का लगभग 31% संयुक्त परिवार थे।
अंतरजातीय और अंतरधार्मिक विवाहों के संबंध में, हाल के वर्षों में ऐसे विवाहों में वृद्धि हुई है। 2011 की जनगणना के अनुसार, भारत में सभी विवाहों में अंतरजातीय विवाह 5.8% है, जो 2001 में 3.2% था। इसी तरह, अंतर-धार्मिक विवाहों की संख्या भी बढ़ रही है।
हालाँकि, यह सच है कि हाल के वर्षों में सांप्रदायिक झगड़े और तनाव बढ़ रहे हैं। गृह मंत्रालय के अनुसार, 2018 में भारत में सांप्रदायिक हिंसा की 822 घटनाएं हुईं, जो 2017 में 703 थीं।
“वसुधैव कुटुंबकम” की महान भावना को भारत की विशेषता के रूप में प्रचारित या प्रसारित किये जाने संबंधी कथन भी आंशिक रूप से सही है। हालाँकि यह भावना सदियों से भारतीय दर्शन और संस्कृति का हिस्सा रही है, यह कोई हालिया विकास या विपणन चाल नहीं है। इसका उल्लेख प्राचीन हिंदू धर्मग्रंथों, महा उपनिषद और हितोपदेश में किया गया है, और पूरे इतिहास में कई भारतीय नेताओं और विचारकों ने इसे अपनाया है।
निष्कर्ष में, प्रश्न यह है कि “क्या हमारे पास ‘वसुधैव कुटुंबकम’ की कोई परिचालनात्मक परिभाषा है?” शायद वास्तविक हो लेकिन यह ध्यान रखना महत्वपूर्ण है कि भारत में स्थिति जटिल है और इसे सामान्यीकृत नहीं किया जा सकता है। भारतीय समाज में सकारात्मक और नकारात्मक दोनों तरह की प्रवृत्तियाँ हैं, और उन्हें उनके उचित संदर्भ में समझना महत्वपूर्ण है।
अंत में, मैं, प्रिय पाठक एक प्रश्न पूछता हूं, क्या प्रत्येक दार्शनिक कथन की एक क्रियात्मक परिभाषा तैयार करना संभव है?
“The traditional joint family system in India is fast being replaced by that of the nuclear family. Inter-caste and inter-religious marriages are being spurned; communal strife is becoming rampant. Against this backdrop, the noble sentiment of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ is being waved around or advertised as India’s characteristic. Do we have an operational definition of ‘vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’? In the absence of adequate clarity about the concept, the phrase will, I’m afraid, turn out to be nothing more than yet another jumla.”
After reading it a couple of times, I realized personally, the statement made a lot of sense to me. In the world that we live in today, each of us is free to hold and express our opinions. The fact that this statement is still on Facebook is proof that freedom of expression exists in India. Some sceptics might argue that the authorities are too preoccupied to notice it.
However, I struggled to find an answer to the question posed in the last paragraph of his post: “Do we have an operational definition of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’?”
What you read here, therefore, is not entirely mine but AI+Chat generated text with minimal edits from me.
I thought it over, but unable to find an answer, I gave up. Being a forgetful old man, I soon forgot about it. But the next day, the post reappeared on my Facebook timeline, and after reading it again, I tried to recall the shloka from which the phrase “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” was taken. Actually, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” is the second half of the second line of the shloka from the Mahopnishad.
I thought that re-reading the full shloka and reflecting upon its meaning might help. The full shloka is:
The meaning is: “This is mine, that is his,” say the small-minded. The wise believe that the entire world is a family.
So, is the seer saying, “For the udarchartanam or “wise” the entire world is a family”?
A feeling of doubt engulfed me. I am forgetful, that’s true. But how do I know if I am “udarcharit” or wise” or “otherwise”? I don’t know about you my dear reader but no one so far has said on my face that I am not wise. I mean, no one has called me an idiot to my face. Thank God. So, how do I check if I am wise?
People I know have to be politically correct, at least when it comes to passing judgment on my face. Maybe that’s why they don’t point out my stupidities.
I recalled another Sanskrit shloka that speaks about the wise and wisdom. Thanks to Chat GPT Artificial Intelligence Appliance, I found the shloka. It reads:
यो वेद नेति वेद चेत् यो न वेद नेति वेद चेत्।अथ यो अद्यवेद तं वेद वेद चेत् यो वेद न वेद चेत्॥(Rigved, Mandala 10, verse 71)
The first two lines suggest that one who claims to know but actually does not know, and one who claims not to know but actually knows, are both ignorant. It highlights the importance of true knowledge and understanding.
The third line states that the one who knows today (adya) is the one who truly knows. This implies that knowledge is not static, but something to be continuously sought and acquired.
The final line reiterates that the person who claims to know but actually does not know, and the person who claims not to know but actually knows, are both ignorant.
Overall, this shloka emphasizes the importance of genuine knowledge and the constant pursuit of understanding.
Meaning; “Those who say they know, do not know. Those who say they do not know, know. If one understands that which is unknowable, they truly know. If one thinks they know, they do not truly know.”
This verse reflects the idea that true knowledge comes from recognizing the limitations of one’s own understanding and being open to the vastness of the unknown.
This shloka emphasizes the importance of humility and the recognition that true knowledge comes from accepting one’s limitations.
Instead of writing further myself, I decided to take advantage of AI+ Chat ( I am a subscriber). I asked AI+ Chat to do the writing for me by editing whatever I had written and concluding this blog. What you read here, therefore, is not entirely mine but AI+Chat generated text with minimal edits from me.
The statement that the traditional joint family system in India is being replaced by nuclear families is partially correct. While it is true that there has been a shift towards nuclear families in urban areas, joint families still remain prevalent in rural areas and some parts of the country. According to a report by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), joint families accounted for about 31% of the total households in India in 2011-12.
Regarding inter-caste and inter-religious marriages, there has been an increase in such marriages in recent years. According to the 2011 Census, inter-caste marriages accounted for 5.8% of all marriages in India, up from 3.2% in 2001. Similarly, the number of inter-religious marriages has also been on the rise.
However, it is true that communal strife and tensions have been on the rise in recent years. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, there were 822 incidents of communal violence in India in 2018, up from 703 in 2017.
The statement regarding the noble sentiment of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” being waved around or advertised as India’s characteristic is also partially correct. While this sentiment has been a part of Indian philosophy and culture for centuries, it is not a recent development or a marketing gimmick. It is mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Maha Upanishad and the Hitopadesha, and has been embraced by many Indian leaders and thinkers throughout history.
In conclusion, while the question “ Do we have an operational definition of ‘vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’?” may perhaps be genuine but it is important to note that the situation in India is complex and cannot be generalized. There are both positive and negative trends in Indian society, and it is important to understand them in their proper context.
In the end, I ask a question to you dear reader, it is possible to work out an operational definition of every philosophical statement?
This performance of Nasadiya Sukta at Times Square today reminded me of the days of Bharat Ek Khoj!
I remember our first color TV, Shyam Benegal and his team, Manthan, and so many other incidents and movies.
During my Anand days, I was privileged to have met Shri Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, and many others from his team.
In fact, for the small auditorium on the NDDB campus (now named Dr. Kurien Auditorium), the order for cine projection equipment was placed only after advice from Shri Benegal, as desired by Dr. Kurien.
Bharat Ek Khoj episodes began with a rendering of this Rigvedic Sukta. It talks of creation from an Indic (Bhartiya) perspective and emphasizes individual thinking. Krishna in the Gita therefore says, “Yatha Ichhasi Tatha Kuru” (इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया। विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु।।18.63।)
For Vaishnavites, Hiranyagarbha may be Vishnu, and for Shaivites, Shiva. Both are Pujya.
The essence of Sanatan thought at its best is openness, inquiry, and faith based on rationality, as far as humans are capable.
टाइम्स स्क्वेयर में नासादीय सूक्त का यह प्रदर्शन आज मुझे भारत एक खोज के दिनों को याद दिला गया !
हमारे पहले कलर टीवी, श्याम बेनेगल और उनकी टीम, मंथन, और बहुत सारी अन्य घटनाओं और फिल्मों की यादें ।
उन दिनों जब मै आनंद में एनडीडीबी में कार्यरत था मेरी मुलाक़ात श्री श्याम बेनेगल, श्री गोविंद निहालानी, और उनकी टीम के कई अन्य सदस्यों से हुई थी।
वास्तव में, एनडीडीबी कैंपस पर छोटे ऑडिटोरियम (जो अब डॉ. कुरियन ऑडिटोरियम के नाम से जाना जाता है) के लिए सिने प्रोजेक्शन उपकरण के ख़रीदने का आदेश डॉ. कुरियन की इच्छा के अनुसार श्री बेनेगल की सलाह के बाद ही दिया गया था।
भारत एक खोज के सारे एपिसोड इस ऋग्वेदीय सूक्त से शुरू होते थे ।
इस सूक्त मे भारतीय दृष्टिकोण से सृजन की बात की गई है साथ ही साथ व्यक्तिगत सोच पर भी जोर दिया गया है। गीता में कृष्ण इसलिए कहते हैं, “यथा इच्छसि तथा कुरु” (इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया। विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु।।18.63।)
वैष्णवों के लिए, हिरण्यगर्भ विष्णु हो सकते है, और शैवों के लिए, शिव। दोनों पूज्य हैं।
सनातन विचार की सार्थकता, जितनी भी मानव सोच मे संभव हो, खुलापन, जांच, और तर्क पर आधारित विश्वास है।
This Facebook post reveals a lot. Click on the link and watch the video clip, which is part of a podcast.
In this podcast, Shri Pervez Hoodbhoy, a Pakistani Nuclear Physicist and a well-known researcher and educator, talks about DNA. In the Pakistani context, he mentions that those who call themselves Syeds and trace their ancestry to Arabs would be shocked if they took a DNA test, as it would show that their lineage is not Arab but Hindu ( Indian).
This brings me to the subject of this blog.
I got my DNA test done some years ago from 23andme.com 23andme maintains a dynamic database of those who get their DNA test done using their kit. When I last looked up my account on their website, I found that 95.5 percent of my DNA composition is the same as that of those from northern India and Pakistan in their database. Additionally, 2.3 percent of my DNA composition is the same as that of those from Bengal and northeastern India. The composition of the remaining 2.1 percent of my DNA is the same as that of those from southern India and Sri Lanka, and 0.1 percent of my DNA composition is the same as those from broadly central and south Asia.
So, would it be a reasonable statement to make that labels of nationality, religion, caste, social group, etc. are manmade?
Yes or no? I am not sure. What about you?
Self-awareness is critical to spiritual pursuit. In the Indian tradition, it begins with striving to find the answer to the question, “Who am I?” Atma Shatkam by Adi Shankaracharya answers this by listing out “Who I am not,” thereby highlighting the basics of Advaita philosophy. The Sanskrit verses of Atma Shatkam, also known as Nirvan Shatkam, with the meaning explained in English, are available at this link.
The more I think about it I feel that I have not one but several identities and these identities are man made. I will be called an Indian as I was born in India. I was a bread earner for my family when I was working but now retired. I am a son of my parents and am a brother to my sisters. Husband to my wife. Some would say these are social “roles” that the individual has to play over his or her lifetime.
So, who am I ?
“We are inconsequential cosmic dust, bumping and milling about on a tiny blue speck. We imagine our own importance. We invent our purpose – we are nothing.”
Mark Manson
I am still searching for an answer to the question “Who am I??”
I found an interesting answer to the question “Are humans just a bag of chemicals and are all our thoughts, emotions and actions just a bunch of chemical reactions?” on Quora. To read the answer please click on this link.
I remember a Sanskrit sholka first heard or read in the writings of Pujya Dada Ji Pandurang Shashtri Athawale.
It describes the moment when a human embarks on his final journey. Set in the context of old times it goes something like this;
“Wealth will remain hidden below the ground; Cattle wealth in the barn; Wife at the gate of the home; friends will come up to the creation ground; the body will remain on the burning pyre; the Jiva ( I?) bound by his karma will go all alone”
Note; there are some slightly different versions of this shloka too but I have used the one I heard/read from Dada Ji.
धनानि भूमौ,पशवश्च गोष्ठे।
भार्या गृहिद्वारे, सखाया श्मशाने ।
देही चितायाम, कर्मानुबंधे गच्छति जीव एको ।
But where?
I started with a who question. Who am I?
I have now I added a where question. Where would I go when I die?
One can add when and how questions also. There is no end. Was there a beginning?
Bhagvad Gita shloka (chapter 2 verse 27 ) perhaps provides an answer for serious reflection.
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च । तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ।
Meaning “For to that which is born, death is certain, and to that which is dead, birth is certain. Therefore you should not grieve over the unavoidable.”
But in all this where am “I”.
Let me end with a quote from “EVERYTHING IS F@CKED” by Mark Manson
“We are inconsequential cosmic dust, bumping and milling about on a tiny blue speck. We imagine our own importance. We invent our purpose – we are nothing. Enjoy your fucking coffee.”
यह फेसबुक पोस्ट बहुत कुछ कह जाती है । इस लिंक पर क्लिक करें और वीडियो क्लिप देखें, जो एक पॉडकास्ट का हिस्सा है।
इस पॉडकास्ट में, पाकिस्तानी परमाणु भौतिक विज्ञानी,प्रसिद्ध शोधकर्ता और शिक्षक श्री परवेज़ हुदाभाई डीएनए के बारे में बात करते समय पाकिस्तानी संदर्भ में उल्लेख कर रहे हैं कि जो लोग खुद को सैयद कहते हैं और अपनी वंशावली अरबों से जोड़ते हैं, अगर वे डीएनए परीक्षण कराएंगे तो उन्हें झटका लगेगा, क्योंकि इससे पता चलेगा कि उनका वंश अरब नहीं बल्कि हिंदू (भारतीय) है।
अब इस ब्लाग के ब्लॉग के विषय पर आते है।
मैंने अपना डीएनए परीक्षण कुछ वर्ष पहले 23andme.com से करवाया था। 23andme उन लोगों का एक गतिशील डेटाबेस रखता है जो अपनी किट का उपयोग करके अपना डीएनए परीक्षण कराते हैं। जब मैंने आखिरी बार उनकी वेबसाइट पर अपना खाता देखा, तो मैंने पाया कि मेरे डीएनए की 95.5 प्रतिशत संरचना उनके डेटाबेस में उत्तरी भारत और पाकिस्तान के डीएनए संरचना के समान है। इसके अतिरिक्त, मेरे डीएनए की संरचना का 2.3 प्रतिशत हिस्सा बंगाल और पूर्वोत्तर भारत के लोगों के समान है। मेरे डीएनए के शेष 2.1 प्रतिशत की संरचना दक्षिणी भारत और श्रीलंका के डीएनए की संरचना के समान है, और मेरे डीएनए की 0.1 प्रतिशत संरचना मोटे तौर पर मध्य और दक्षिण एशिया के लोगों के समान है।
तो, क्या यह कहना उचित होगा कि राष्ट्रीयता, धर्म, जाति, सामाजिक समूह आदि के लेबल मानव निर्मित हैं?
हां या नहीं? मुझे यकीन नहीं है। आपका क्या कहना हैं?
आध्यात्मिक खोज के लिए आत्म-जागरूकता महत्वपूर्ण है। भारतीय परंपरा में, इसकी शुरुआत इस प्रश्न का उत्तर खोजने के प्रयास से होती है, “मैं कौन हूं?” आदि शंकराचार्य द्वारा लिखित आत्म शतकम इसका उत्तर “मैं कौन नहीं हूं” सूचीबद्ध करके देता है, जिससे अद्वैत दर्शन की मूल बातें उजागर होती हैं। आत्म शतकम् के संस्कृत श्लोक, जिन्हें निर्वाण शतकम् भी कहा जाता है, अर्थ के साथ इस लिंक पर उपलब्ध हैं।
मैं जितना इसके बारे में सोचता हूं मुझे लगता है कि मेरी एक नहीं बल्कि कई पहचान हैं और यह सब पहचान मानव निर्मित हैं। मैं भारतीय कहलाऊंगा क्योंकि मेरा जन्म भारत में हुआ है। जब मैं काम करता था तो अपने परिवार के लिए रोटी कमाने वाला व्यक्ति था लेकिन अब सेवानिवृत्त हो गया हूँ। मैं अपने माता-पिता का बेटा हूं और अपनी बहनों का भाई हूं। मेरी पत्नी का पति । कुछ लोग कहेंगे कि ये सामाजिक “भूमिकाएँ” हैं जिन्हें व्यक्ति को अपने जीवनकाल में निभाना होता है।
तो, मैं कौन हूँ?
“हम महत्वहीन ब्रह्मांडीय धूल हैं, जो एक छोटे से नीले धब्बे पर टकरा रहे हैं और मिल रहे हैं। हम अपने महत्व की कल्पना करते हैं। हम अपने उद्देश्य का आविष्कार करते हैं – हम कुछ भी नहीं हैं।”
मार्क मैनसन
मैं अभी भी इस सवाल का जवाब ढूंढ रहा हूं कि “मैं कौन हूं?”
मुझे इस प्रश्न का एक दिलचस्प उत्तर मिला कि “क्या मनुष्य केवल रसायनों का एक थैला है और क्या हमारे सभी विचार, भावनाएँ और कार्य केवल रासायनिक प्रतिक्रियाओं का एक समूह हैं?” Quora पर. उत्तर पढ़ने के लिए कृपया इस लिंक पर क्लिक करें।
मुझे याद है कि संस्कृत का एक श्लोक सबसे पहले पूज्य दादा जी पांडुरंग शास्त्री आठवले की रचनाओं में सुना या पढ़ा गया था।
यह उस क्षण का वर्णन करता है जब मनुष्य अपनी अंतिम यात्रा पर निकलता है। पुराने समय के संदर्भ में यह कुछ इस तरह प्रस्तुत होता है;
“धन ज़मीन के नीचे छिपा रहेगा; खलिहान में पशु धन; घर के द्वार पर पत्नी; मित्र श्मशान भूमि तक आएंगे; जलती चिता पर रहेगी देह; जीव (मैं?) अपने कर्मों से बंधा हुआ बिल्कुल अकेला ही जाऐगा।”
टिप्पणी; इस श्लोक के कुछ भिन्न संस्करण भी हैं लेकिन मैंने वही उद्धृत किया है जो मैंने दादा जी से सुना/पढ़ा था;
धनानि भूमौ पशवश्च गोष्ठे।
भार्या गृहद्वारे, सखाया श्मशाने।
देहि चितायम, कर्मानुबंधे गच्छति जीव एको।
पर कहाँ?
मैंने “कौन” प्रश्न से शुरुआत की। मैं कौन हूँ?
अब मैंने एक ‘कहाँ ‘ प्रश्न जोड़ दिया है। जब मैं मर जाऊँगा तो कहाँ जाऊँगा?
कब और कैसे जैसे प्रश्न भी जोड़ सकते हैं। क्या कोई अंत है? क्या कोई शुरुआत थी?
भगवद गीता श्लोक (अध्याय 2 श्लोक 27) शायद गंभीर चिंतन के लिये उत्तर प्रदान करता है।
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्घ्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च। तस्माद्परिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि।
अर्थात् “जो जन्मा है, उसकी मृत्यु निश्चित है, और जो मर गया है, उसका जन्म निश्चित है। इसलिए आपको अपरिहार्य के लिए शोक नहीं करना चाहिए।”
लेकिन इन सबमें “मैं” कहाँ है?
मैं मार्क मैनसन के “एवरीथिंग इज़ फ@कड” के एक उद्धरण के साथ अपनी बात समाप्त करना चाहता हूँ
“हम महत्वहीन ब्रह्मांडीय धूल हैं, जो एक छोटे से नीले धब्बे पर टकरा रहे हैं और मिल रहे हैं। हम अपने महत्व की कल्पना करते हैं। हम अपने उद्देश्य का आविष्कार करते हैं – हम कुछ भी नहीं हैं। अपनी शानदार कॉफी का आनंद लें।”
Dr Kohli is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, and holds a PhD from Indiana University. He is currently a professor of Marketing at California State University, Fullerton, where he has been teaching since 1992. Besides his academic pursuits and teaching, he loves to travel and is a voracious reader. Interestingly, he is also a stand-up comedian.
He is a visiting Professor at the School of Inspired Leadership (SOIL), Gurgaon. I met him first at SOIL many years ago. Dr Kohli also shares reviews of the books he reads on his Facebook page. He has kindly consented to allow me to post his book reviews on Vrikshamandir.
The story of “!” This cocky one-balled phallic-looking punctuation is arguably one of the most potent. It has a chameleon-like ability to impact the mood and convey emotions. “I am leaving” without the exclamation point doesn’t have the impact of a heartbreaking split expressed as “I’m leaving!”
Hazrat shares a fun joyride on the iconic exclamation point (exclamation mark in British English). Everything is created at some point. The exclamation point owes its birth to the 14th-century Italian scholar Alpoleio da Urbisaglia. (Venetian printer Alda MaNuzio merged the colon with the comma to create a semi-colon, a more nuanced pause, in 1492.) And it has survived since. And that’s evidence of its utility. Not everything survives. The horizontal-mirrored question mark was created in 1575 by English printer Henry Denham to suggest a rhetorical question. Then there was the interrobang, a question mark superimposed on an exclamation point. It was even included in Remington‘s 1968 typewriter. The interrobang was supposed to convey a mix of fear, disbelief, and emergency. While the question mark signaled bewilderment, the exclamation point conveyed distress. The latter was the bang of the interrobang. But neither the mirrored question mark nor the interrobang survived, and evolution discarded them in history’s dustbin.
The exclamation mark, on the other hand, is thriving—and gaining popularity. Perhaps for good reason. In a study evaluating ethical situations, phrases accompanied by an exclamation point were considered more commonly “very unfair“ rather than “unfair.” It induced greater activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, where we process alarming information.
Jeb Bush used it in his election signage as Jeb! Trump, of course, indulges in exclamation points. Not long ago, the use of multiple exclamation points in literature was considered undefined, the equivalent of wearing underwear on your head in public. But once it becomes a convention, it is stronger than mighty armies.
An Admirable Point is a short, sweet, and pleasing read!
“!” की कहानी।
यह एक छोटे से बिंदु और डंडी वाला ग़ुस्ताख़ विराम चिन्ह ! बेशक प्रभावी है। इसकी क्षमता गिरगिट जैसी होती है । यह पढ़ने वाले के यह मूड पर प्रभाव डाल सकता है । भावनाओं को प्रकट कर सकता है। बिना विस्मयादिबोधक चिन्ह के “मैं जा रहा हूँ” एक दिल दहलाने वाला असर व्यक्त करने मे उतना प्रभावी नहीं होता जितना विस्मयादिबोधक चिन्ह के साथ “मैं जा रहा हूँ !”
हज़रत ने विस्मयादिबोधक (ब्रिटिश अंग्रेजी में मार्क आफ एक्सकेलेमेशन) ) पर एक मज़ेदार एक विचार यात्रा साझा की है।सब कुछ किसी न किसी समय पर बनाया जाता है। विस्मयादिबोधक चिन्ह के जन्मदाता 14वीं सदी के इतालवी विद्वान आल्पोलियो दा उर्बिसेग्लिया को माना जाता है। (वेनेशियन मुद्रक आल्डा मानूज़ियो ने 1492 में कोलन और कामा को जोड़ कर सेमी कोलन बनाने के लिए बिंदु का इस्तेमाल किया था) और वह तब से बच गया है। यह उपयोगिता का प्रमाण है।
हर चीज़ नहीं बचती। इंग्लिश मुद्रक हेनरी डेनहम द्वारा 1575 में बनाए गए उलटा हुआ -मिररर्ड प्रश्न चिह्न एक रीटोरिकल प्रश्न को संकेतित करने के लिए बनाया था। फिर आया इंटेरोबैंग, एक प्रश्न चिह्न के ऊपर एक विरामचिह्न। यह रेमिंगटन के 1968 के बने टाइपराइटर में भी शामिल था। इंटेरोबैंग को भय, अविश्वास और आपात स्थिति के मिश्रण को प्रकट करने का काम करना था। प्रश्न चिह्न विस्मय का संकेत करता था, वहीं विस्मयादिबोधक चिन्ह पीड़ा और दुख को प्रकट करता था। यह अंतरोबैंग का धड़कना था। लेकिन न तो उलटे हुए प्रश्न चिह्न बचे, न ही इंटेरोबैंग बचा, और समय ने उन्हें इतिहास के धूलभट्टी में फेंक दिया।
विस्मयादिबोधक चिन्ह, दूसरी ओर, प्रचलन में है – लोकप्रियता प्राप्त कर रहा है। शायद अच्छे कारणों के लिए। मूल्यांकन करने वाले एक अध्ययन में, नैतिक स्थिति की दृष्टि से विस्मयादिबोधक विरामचिह्र के साथ वाक्यों को “बहुत अन्यायपूर्ण” माना गया था बनिस्बत बिना विस्मयादिबोधक चिन्ह जिसे केवल “अन्यायपूर्ण” पाया गया। इसके प्रयोग से हमारे मध्य प्रीफ्रंटल कोर्टेक्स में, जहां हम चौंकाने वाली जानकारी को प्रोसेस करते हैं, गतिविधि उत्पन्न होती है ।
जेब बुश ने इसे अपने चुनावी प्रचार में विस्मयादिबोधक चिन्ह का उपयोग किया था। जेब! ट्रंप, तो बेधड़क , विरामचिह्रों का प्रयोग करते हैं। कुछ समय पहले तक, साहित्य में विरामचिह्नो का उपयोग परिभाषित नहीं था, जैसे सार्वजनिक स्थानों पर अपने सिर पर अंडरवियर पहनना। लेकिन एक बार जब इसका उपयोग परंपरा बन जाता है, तो शक्तिशाली सेनाओं से भी ताकतवर होता है।
“एन एडमिरेबल प्वाइंट” एक छोटा, मीठा और आनंददायक पाठ्य है!
Dr. Chiranjeev Kohli is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, and holds a PhD from Indiana University. He is currently a professor of Marketing at California State University, Fullerton, where he has been teaching since 1992. Besides his academic pursuits and teaching, he loves to travel and is a voracious reader. I had the pleasure of meeting him first at the School of Inspired Leadership in Gurgaon, where he serves as a visiting professor. Interestingly, he is also a stand-up comedian.
Dr Kohli also shares reviews of the books he reads on his Facebook page. He has kindly consented to allow me to post his book reviews on Vrikshamandir.
“The queen is dead, my lord” just doesn’t have the impact of “The queen, my lord, is dead.”
While we may mourn the death of long-form writing and be disheartened by the 140-character limit of the original Twitter, we are resigned to short-form writing. That’s what this world wants.
Clark covers the why and how of short-form writing. Every word must carry its weight. Everything else has to be excised. To make his case, he takes an original paragraph from Strunk and White’s Bible-like “Elements of Style” and omits needless words to trim it from 65 words (386 characters) to 27 words (137 characters). This is a book you want to read if you want to learn to write in short form.
To pay my homage to this impressive book, let me limit my take to saying that Clark has inspired me to write short. Six-word stories, anyone?
We were in Vancouver from July 7th to 16th, 2023. The occasion was a sort of reunion of three families: the Anejas, Behlas, and mine.
The three of us first met at Anand in the late sixties where we worked for many years with the then nascent National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) of India. Virindra Singh Behla joined in November 1967, I joined in May 1968, and Dr. RP Aneja in July 1968. At one time, Behla was the Director (Engineering), I was the Director (Human Resource Development), and Dr. Aneja was the Managing Director.
Dr. Aneja was earlier the Secretary of the NDDB before it became a body corporate under an act of Parliament in 1987. Dr. Aneja’s predecessors were Dr. SC Ray, Mr. AK RayChaudhry, and Mr. GM Jhala. I have had the privilege of having worked for NDDB during the period when the above four and Dr ( Miss ) Amrita Patel were at the helm of affairs of NDDB as Secretary / Managing Director under the Chairmanship of Dr V Kurien.
Behla was the first to leave NDDB in 1988 as he took over as MD, Hindpack (A joint venture of NDDB and Tetra Pak in India) followed by Dr Aneja in 1990. I left NDDB in 2000.
Dr Aneja was married some months before he joined NDDB in 1968, while Behla and I were bachelors. I had met my would-be wife Kiran a year earlier and our marriage was already fixed by our parents in 1960. Behla knew Rita his would-be wife but their marriage was not fixed. Behla and Rita completed 50 and Kiran and I completed 52 years of married life in 2023. For our children and us, it was also an occasion to celebrate our golden jubilee marriage anniversaries having completed 50 or more years of married life.
Our children grew up on the NDDB campus. They are now spread over three continents with homes in Canberra, Dubai, Toronto and Vancouver besides our India home base(s) in Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Chandigarh and my village in Gorakhpur.
Thanks to the reunion some of the children and grandchildren met after 8-10 years. It was a great occasion for all of us. On the last day there was an impromptu Garba.
In the picture gallery below, I share some pictures of our families gathering for a ten-day reunion.
Once upon a time we lived in the NDDB Anand Campus. Our families spread over continents gathered for a ten day reunion A boat ride in Vancouver Guinea book of world record has listed this outlet as one shop with 238 flavours rof icecream!Vancouver skyline
How times change; it now feels like a ‘once upon a time’ when we lived in the NDDB Anand Campus. We are old now. I used to be proud of my memory, but it is no longer the case. However, both Dr. Aneja and Behla are very good at recalling old incidents. It is such a pleasure to be with them.
I was in Vancouver, Canada. I remembered my first that visit to Canada was in 1980 when I accompanied Shri GM Jhala. In 1983, I accompanied Dr. V Kurien. In 1987, NDDB sponsored my dear colleague (Late) Dr. SP Mittal and me for a three-month-long Training Programme in Canada and the USA. We attended workshops and seminars on Human Resource Development, staying in various cities and traveling from the east to the west coast multiple times. However, we spent a larger part of our time in Victoria, BC.
It was a lengthy trip, and we greatly missed Indian food. Dr. Mittal and I both enjoyed cooking. Rob and Carol Nelson, who were our hosts in Victoria, graciously allowed us to use their kitchen. However, getting groceries was a challenging task. Nevertheless, we tried our hands at cooking and our efforts were highly appreciated.
During the 1987 trip, I recall visiting Indian restaurants in Toronto, Victoria, and even Vancouver. However, I found them to be quite expensive. As a result, we opted for Chinese food instead. Not only was it served in generous portions, but it was also more affordable compared to the Indian restaurants.
That was in the past. Now, more than thirty years later, I spend 5-6 months or even more each year in Canada. Thankfully, there are numerous stores that sell groceries from India, and they have everything we could possibly think of. It’s wonderful to have access to such a wide variety of Indian products.
While I was in Vancouver, I fondly remembered Rob and Carol Nelson, who were the NDDB’s first International HR consultants, among others. Sadly, both Rob and Carol have passed away. If they were still with us, I would have taken a ferry to Victoria Island to meet them. Cancer took away two kind souls from us. Rob embarked on his final journey approximately seven years ago, while Carol left us six years later in 2022. They will always be remembered and missed.
I remembered Dr. A.H. Somjee, who is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Simon Fraser University. Unfortunately, I did not have his phone number or email address. However, I was able to find a lot of information about the books and papers he has written through a Google search. In 1987, Dr. Mittal and I had the opportunity to visit Dr. Somjee’s home, accompanied by Rob. The Somjees graciously hosted us, and we had engaging conversations while sitting on the balcony of their house in North Vancouver. The location, situated at a higher elevation on the hills, provided us with a mesmerizing view of the Vancouver port that evening.
Dr AH Somjee
I continued my search on the internet and came across an article from Simon Fraser University. It saddened me to learn that Dr. Somjee’s wife, Geeta Somjee, passed away in 2013. Considering that Dr. Somjee was born in 1925, I thought he must be 98 years old. It is worth noting that Dr. Somjee has generously donated 3 million dollars to Simon Fraser University. One can access the story I am referring to by clicking on this link.
“ To support further knowledge and understanding of his homeland, Som has generously left a gift to SFU in his will to help create the Dr A.H. Somjee and Dr Geeta Somjee Professorship in Indian Political Development. Part of his $3 million commitment to the university, this exceptional contribution honours his legacy as a beloved political science professor, well-published author, prolific researcher and philanthropic leader”
I had no idea about Dr. Somjee’s health condition or whether I would be able to meet him, but for old times’ sake, I thought I should try. I wrote an email to the Department of Political Science at Simon Fraser University, where Dr. Somjee has taught since 1965.
After a week, upon my return to Toronto, I received an email from Dr. Somjee. I was excited to open it. After reading it, I experienced mixed feelings. I was glad that I had connected with him, but also saddened by the realization that I would not have the opportunity to meet him in person. Nonetheless, I was pleased that I would be able to communicate with him through email. The reply I received from Dr. Somjee is as follows
“Your email enquiry about me was transferred to me on the internet.I am a very old man, about 98, and hence I am required to meet as few people as possible. So I cannot meet you in person. What you can do is to email me. My email is..”
Reply received from Dr Somjee
One day, a thought came over me, and I started recollecting the names of colleagues in NDDB who joined the organization before it moved to the fourth floor of the Amul Administrative building in 1969. I remembered Dr Aneja, Behla, PG Gore, BN Bhat, Arvind Patel, Mathew, George Kurien (GK), Fatteji, Martin, Sarju Ram, Talati, Manubhai Shah, Jashbhai Patel…I am sure I am missing many names. As I mentioned earlier my memory is no longer as it used to be.
I remembered my salary of Rs 421.20 per month. Entries in my 1968 diary of money that I lend and borrowed from friends. The amounts were so small Rs 5 or 10 or maximum 15. About 10 Canada cents at current exchange rate but may be a dollar in 1968/1969.
The other day I found this interesting passage in a book I am reading;
“One day, you and everyone you love will die. And beyond a small group of people for an extremely brief period of time, little of what you say or do will ever matter. This is the Uncomfortable Truth of life. And everything you think or do is elaborate Avoidance of it. We are inconsequential cosmic dust, bumping and milling about on a tiny blue speck. We imagine our own importance. We invent our purpose – we are nothing. Enjoy your fucking coffee.”
EVERYTHING IS F@CKED by Mark Manson
The above lines, I thought, describe the impermanence of human life beautifully. But be it a curse or boon as long as we live thoughts, feelings and memories don’t leave us. I think that even the ideal meditative thoughtless state of Samadhi is for a limited time.
Let me end by a couplet by Firaq Gorakhpuri;
ये माना ज़िंदगी है चार दिन की, बहुत होते हैं यारों चार दिन भी !
These lines literally translate into English as;
Agree that life is just “four” days, even “four” days can be a lot, my friends!
I wonder what are qualities the “four days” in which the poet has imagined encapsulating entire human life.
Are those days the days that we keep remembering and then keep forgetting; days that remind us of our struggles and achievements; successes and failures; days that are filled with love that we get and empathetic conversations that we have had; days when humanity in us touches the humanity of those with whom we come into contact with …?
Extension of NDDB Projects to areas other than milk
Nearly two hundred Former employees of NDDB, some of them with their spouses, gathered for a meeting on 21 and 22 January at NDDB, Anand. It was the third meeting of its kind, following previous meetings in 2015 and 2020.
The two-day meeting had four structured sessions;
1- Introduction
2- Dairying in India before NDDB,
3– Formation of NDDB Struggles and Achievements
4- Extension of NDDB Projects to areas other than milk.
The program design was flexible and some changes were made in the originally designed program schedule.
Besides the above four sessions a “Lady’s Session” also took place. This session was facilitated by Mrs Ruby Vinod Huria and was highly regarded, although no video recording is available. Mrs Huria has agreed to write a blog on the session for Vrikshamandir.
Arrangements were made for the visit of the interested participants to the Amul Dairy Plant, Chocolate plant in Mogar, Parikrama exhibition in NDDB etc. The program provided adequate time for the participants to spend time to meet and interact on one on one, in small groups, and large groups or visit their friends in Annd town or go shopping or just stroll around or sit and revisit the times they spent on the campus while working for the NDDB in their youth.
A pre-dinner musical evening was organised on the first day of the meeting in the Tribhuvan Auditorium.
I have great pleasure in sharing the Video recordings of the first session on day two of the meeting. This session was dedicated to deliberating on the subject “Extension of NDDB Projects to areas other than Milk.”
Extension of NDDB Projects to areas other than milk
Extension of NDDB Projects to areas other than milk
The picture gallery below has pictures of those who contributed to the deliberations of this session.
