People to People

How many of us comprehend that people across the border are as simple as we are? That all want peace and feel affection for each other? Shweta Sirohi Gupta reminiscences her first-hand-encounter with the brethrens of the subcontinent.

News is just breaking that former Prime Minister and head of the Pakistan People’s Party, Benazir Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi in a terrorist attack. She was gunned down following a suicide blast at her rally in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi; the same place where Liaqat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s first Prime Minister was assassinated.
Every Pakistani resident, civilian or military, sits on a throne that is placed on a volcano periodically shaken by convulsions. As a crisis-ridden country which commemorated the 60th anniversary of its foundation past August, Pakistan is seriously divided, broken and shattered. In most countries the very existence of a military leader would have symbolised a state of emergency, but not in Pakistan. The military has ruled the country for more than 30 years, survived the hot lava of numerous uprisings and assassinations, and always returned to power, largely unscathed. This political turmoil of angry protests, corruption, rigged elections, state of emergency and worse – terrorist assails. The country's people deserve better! Why should they be paying the price for what is the darkest, coldest, most brutal and shabby period in Pakistan's history?
In the present circumstances, we, the Indians, cannot remain mere a spectator of the events of Pakistan. It is not a country situated in a remote corner of Eastern Europe. We have common border of more than 1000 Km with it. People of both countries are socially and culturally identical: we have common language, food, religion and social traditions. How many of us comprehend that people across the border are as simple as we are. All want peace and feel affection for each other.
Thinking about all this fairly reminds me of my only first-hand encounter with the Pakis. It was not long ago when a 46-member delegation from Islamabad visited the educational institution in Jaipur, India I used to work for. The occasion was ‘Gandhi Jayanti’ and none of them was naive of Bapu and his messages. All vigilant and enormously akin to us, they echoed “Vaishnava Janato” and expressed how peace is something their country is yet to find and keep. While they joined hands to celebrate the spirit of harmony, new friendships were made and new ties were cemented.
The leader of the delegation, Maveesh Azmi confined that if Pakistan is seriously thinking about peace, modernisation and being part of the global community, it has to build up tolerance, love and vigilance to be compatible with these goals. While discussing Pakistani political scene, nearly all had no problem answering questions, giving opinions, or pointing fingers.
Whilst most members represented young Gen of Pakistan, this youth brigade was full of questions and answers about anything and everything. There were Shahrukh fans, Amitabh’s fans, Aishwaryas’s fans and Lata ji’s devotees! There were Dilli bazaar buffs, Jaipuri Mojri fanatics and Agra’s Chaat lovers! Much to our surprise, all and sundry were very friendly and very forward when it came to discussing Indian influence on the people of Pakistan. They had no qualms admitting the fact that their country adores Indian movies, movie stars and also the political stability which is scarce in Pak. But all unitedly showed their hardcore loyalty to the Pakistani Cricket Team and said Sachin might be good, but Shoaib is the best. Phew!
Ajiya kamal Bhutt shared how she did not know what to expect when coming to India. “Astonishingly though, we were traditionally welcomed by all. I was unsure of Pakistan’s impression in their minds, but was overwhelmed with the warm response and unprejudiced attention. I fail to understand how two nations can have any conflicting issues when the culture, lifestyle and objectives of the people are so similar,” she adds.
Fatima Saleem was also amazed to discover the similarities between India and Pakistan. “While interacting with Indian youngsters, other than ‘faith-based’ names, we found them to be just like us. We share same aspirations, ideals and fears. It is therefore unfortunate that we have been separated for so long because of the political intransigence. If anyone ask us, we all want to live with love, not hatred,” shared the 16 year old with great guts.
Eemaan Amjad was enthralled with the sights of Delhi, the magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra and the enchanting forts and palaces of Jaipur. A die-hard fan of SRK, Eemaan said that the warmth in the atmosphere made them realise it is not the background that separates us, but mere politics. None of our teachers/elders edify that Indians/Pakistanies are bad. We share the same history and culture and are observant enough to identify with the purity of each other’s hearts.
Cricket buff Hiba Ahaan had a great suggestion, “Tendulkar, Afridi, Ganguly, Shoaib…Imagine the two best cricket teams of the world as one! Sabki chhutti ho jayegi, Australia ki bhi!” Well, why not!
Friendship knows no boundaries, no does humanity. It was a unification of untainted souls when the brethrens of the subcontinent got together to emerge as each other’s reflections. During the interaction with different members of the group, the unanimous view expressed by all was that the two countries should live as friendly neighbours and a majority of the people want the removal of all hurdles in promoting people-to-people contacts. Indeed, these sentiments resonate with those hundreds of thousands both sides of the border. But they can do little more than wait, watch and pray. Amen.

Published in Indian Link, a Sydney based national paper, Issue-Jan(1)2008

Singing in the rain

SHWETA fondly remembers the aroma of soaked soil in the monsoon season back home in India...

Growing up in India, the late summer months were spent awaiting the monsoon rains. The welcome showers took away the heat, and brought the earth back to life once again after the parched weeks of high summer. Is it any wonder then, that we danced in the rain?!
It is amazing to note there is no exact pattern of rains in India. Even in places where it rains heavily, you may experience a few days with no precipitation at all. There is every kind of possibility - it may rain or drizzle all day long, it may clear up after quick showers or you may see a long spell of dry days.
In the early days of monsoon when it is still a little hot, it is a great thrill to get drenched in the first showers. Everything is lush green and beautiful during the monsoon, and the wetness has its own charm. Seasonal waterfalls and streams come alive in the jungles and rivers run full. It is as if earth has sprung to life with the rains coming down.
Remember though, how painful it was getting around – to college or to work – in the rains, especially if you were taking public transport or a two-wheeler. Going around on damp, slushy roads was annoying, but looking back, I’m sure we all have at least one funny rainy day story to tell our kids.
Just as the monsoon triggers a fresh lease of life making things verdant around us, it also infuses a certain mood which sets the stage for everyone to work hard and enjoy even harder! It is the season for picnics and long drives. The clove scented air, overcast skies, slight drizzle and wafts of cool breeze serve as a catalyst in the reaction of joy and exuberance.
India's passion with the monsoons is hard to put in words. It affects people's lives closely – how many Bollywood movies have you seen in which the rains began, or ended, a special chapter in someone’s life. Yet it also has a serious underpinning, with so much of the economy dependent on it (even the government’s annual budget harbours closely around it). For India, the monsoon is like an elixir on which cling many things like agriculture and several secondary industries. With it is attached the livelihood, fortunes and lives of countless people from different walks of life.
Here’s hoping that the impact of global growth on climatic decadence slows down. Let us all say a prayer and hope that the monsoon in India is abundant again next year, and brings with it a fresh wave of hope and promise!

Published in the national edition of 'Indian Link', Sep. 1, 2007 Issue, a Sydney based newspaper

Reaching the Moon...

It has been four months and three weeks since I last saw my best friend Priyanka in India. And my phone rings, thirty past midnight. My voice on the line, my muffled "hello," must sound thick with a nap lag. She, on the other hand, sounds chipper and bright, her usual self.
How's it been going?" she asks, conversational but concerned.
"Well, I've started to like my life in Sydney, Australia has been treating me well and Rohit is the world’s best hubby," I reply, sinking onto the bulging mattress and rubbing the weariness from my eyes.
"Well that's good, I am so happy for you," she says. I can hear her fumbling around the kitchen and can picture her with the phone held fast to her cheek with a propped shoulder.
The line goes silent for a moment, even the hustle and clash of dishes and cellophane pauses through the receiver. She says, "You know, I don't really like going to Pizza Hut by myself," and then, "I miss you, miss our good-old carefree college days."
"I know."
"Hey," she says, her voice lifting a little, "tonight I want you to do something for me. Will you?"
"Well, now is my tonight. What is it?"
"I want you to go look at the moon."
"The moon!" I exclaim. "Why? What for?"
"Tonight at nine o'clock I want you to go outside and stare at the moon for a few minutes. I'll be sure to look at nine here, and you go at one-thirty your time. This way, we'll both be looking. Think of how far away we are, wouldn't that be comforting?"
"Amm…I guess," I sigh.
The night is upbeat by the time I step outside, making everything seem silvery with brilliance. I gaze at the moon and am suddenly overcome with an image of her, perched on the window seat in the kitchen with a fleece blanket and a mug of tea, staring wistfully at the sky. We are not looking at each other, yet somehow she is staring back at me.
The moon is universal, I think to myself, seen from anywhere in the world and only obscured by its own cycles or the atmosphere. I wonder if anyone else is gazing at it as well, unaware of the fact that I am considering them. Where are they? Have their lives dealt them circumstances that are as comfortable as my own? Better? Or worst?
What would it be like, if people everywhere were to pause at once, and all turn their focus to this universal landmark? Like a Muslim call to prayer facing Mecca, would ten thousand faces turn skyward in harmony? In a glorious moment of pure and absolute togetherness, everyone in the world could act as one. And in the few seconds that it would last, every individual on the planet might imagine their finite existence as one of many, innumerable, as well as their ultimate connection to humanity.
Thousands of miles apart, our gazes are reflected at each other. When I will return to my best friend, we will sit side by side in our favourite pizza hut junction and I will tell her these thoughts that come to me while staring into space, and she will smile. Together we will sit, shoulders touching, surrounded by a silence that is the manifestation of a peace that the world has yet to discover as a whole.

Published in the national edition of 'Indian Link', Sep. 2, 2007 Issue, a Sydney based newspaper

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

Shweta Sirohi Gupta sneaks a peek into the latest trend of Indian media where page3 news is snatching the place of main lead. Has tabloid journalism become a norm? Aren’t there many bigger issues waiting to be highlighted? What is important….A for Aish-Abhi or A for AIDS?


The past few weeks have been either a few great weeks for the Indian media, or some terrible ones, depending on people’s point of view. There were three obvious stories which occupied an inordinate amount of air time and print space. First one being, of course the Aish-Abhi wedding (thank god that one is finally over), then there was Shilpa Shetty-Richard Gere kiss, who would not have thought to occupy front page and prime time space. And last but not the least, there was this sudden emergence for starlet outside the Bachchan home claiming that she has been dumped by the junior Bachchan at alters and this has led her to attempt suicide.
Were all of these perfectly legitimate news stories occupying perfectly legitimate print space and air time? Or was this a new low in Indian journalism?
Shilpa Shetty, who has suddenly become a permanent fixture in our news space one way or the other, had her share of great press. But everything hadn’t been that great for her. The up most absurdity in the Shilpa-Richard drama was that the court had asked Shilpa not to leave the country till it was determined what she did was obscene or decent, and whether she was party to it or it just happened. Shilpa, who feels doubtlessly angry with the media to have highlighted such a nice colourful shetty-gere kiss picture in a grubby manner, says that the whole episode has been ridiculously blown out of proportion. Providing prime space and prime time to this whole moral brigade who was questioning Shilpa’s dignity and values, she believes, was so uncalled for. Shilpa says she has bigger things to deal with than giving explanations about this unimportant chronicle. Now, why dint the media has bigger things to deal with? Or was this big enough? Isn’t media fairly responsible for providing stimulation to such acts where moralities are questioned but deserving issues are left behind?
There are many debates that pouring stories about the girl in Mumbai who alleged bachchan was an area where media is crossing the line as an entity. But we can’t blame the media for everything as it is very easy to do so. The problem with India is, specially with the broadcast media, that it is very young. It has been around just for about ten years. Another stake, if people wouldn’t go and buy those newspapers or watch those channels projecting these kind of stories, media would not do it. The media is feeding to the apatite of the public. Now, is media wrong in that sense? Throw a question at the people if they had a story on suffering in north-east and aish-abhi wedding, what would they prefer to watch? People often don’t like admitting their own roles in this.
Noted mediawoman Barkha Dutt shares her dilemma while this grand star marriage took place. She didn’t know how much they can put on as a responsible news channel. This is a dilemma which every feels every other day that how much is okay. And s/he never gets to know for sure whether this is the right balance or not.
Leading Indian daily like The Hindu, takes another take, where they had the option of covering the entire marriage, but they did not want to. As a journalist, as a part of the media, when you are covering aish-abhi wedding, you are supposed to stick to the basic facts that there was a wedding…of bollywood icon’s son abhi…with leading bollywood actress aish….and india’s top clan attended the ceremony.
While “Indian Express’ which did a big story on the Bachchan-Khan camp, has an absolutely opposite view where they think there were layers and layers of newsworthiness in the entire marriage episode. They feel there were Gandhi layers, reliance layers, khans layers, and so on. They debate all this is entertaining, its racy, so why would not everybody not like to read it?
Sneak a peek at BBC, they did it for two minutes and that two as the end story on their programme putting the star-saga at the bottom of their precedence list. But it was also an important story because of the fact that these two stars together as a couple are worth about hundreds of million dollars. It was an illustration of how the media brand of India has become so strong around the world. Ten years ago, no one has even thought of a bolly wedding story carried out on BBC.
Putting things in proper context, is the problem not so much that it was a story, but how much time and space devoted to it.
‘NDTV’ and ‘Aaj-Tak’ had its 2 correspondents standing in front of the bachchan’s house giving running commentary like they do it for Republic Day Parade or very important days in India. Not just that the wedding happened, but also they had to report their viewers about how the gates opened, kajol went in, priety is seen around, shahrukh is not seen around, ambani is wearing a bandhej safa and so on… Wasn’t that going overboard?
Well, there is also a big section of people who debate the very issue saying India is a democracy and nobody is forced to read or watch what s/he does not wish to. If the story doesn’t interest you, just flip the page or change the channel. Why is it that most of the people read and see it all, just to opine that it was rubbish!
But was there an escape? Were there any channel other than Discovery or Animal Planet who was not showing the curtailed wedding video?
There was a time when there used to be a proper place for every flavour of news. If it was about films, or sports, it used to be in the section devoted to that only. Now everything from sports, films, fashion shows has replaced the serious breaking news on front page and at prime time. If let on the earlier norms, people would have a fair choice between watching serious happenings in the country & around the world, or a star-studded evening like bachchan wedding.
Newspapers and TV channels should not be reduced to mere entertainers. They are there to share information, primarily. So media cannot exalt itself of the blame by saying the masses wanted it and there was demand for something like this in the market. Because that would be like opium, you introduce the masses with this kind of journalism and they want more of it, you say, oh! they want it so we are giving it to them.
So can we have a permanent ‘lakshmanrekha’ for the media in India? The ‘thin-line’ of how much is enough would keep changing with the dynamics of market and society, but before we worry too much about the rich n famous, we should be knowing more about people who have been victims to crime or rape. Unlike celebrities, it is these people who don’t have a voice too loud to be heard by masses until unless media supports their agony.
Perhaps the press council experiment has not done that well with the print media but television does not even have a standard yet which competitive channels can agree on. Probably this is the time for a self-regulated broadcast authority, or may be the press council getting changed as media council and acting vigorously. The bottom line is, something is needed that we can all benchmark ourselves against with.


Shweta Sirohi Gupta

BEHOLD:Ujaale Ki Parchaayi

I would have preferred silence in the face of the series of heartfelt circumstances pictured in the small bunch of pages called Ujaale Ki Parchaayi, by Sh.Dinkar Joshi. For, any words I can find fall flat amid such happenings which revolved around lives of Gandhiji, Harilaal and Baa. Still, I will try to pen down as much as I could grasp from the book, talking less about the story line of the same and more about how I felt after reading it. Sh. Dinkar Joshi deserves a big run of applause for such an emotional and strong portrayal of his characters, undoubtedly. The expression that he has used is so powerful that I almost felt I was always watching things happen. The best impact this book left on me was that I immensely felt the need to know and read more about Gandhi. Unfortunately, I found that only his freedom-fighter role is projected everywhere and not much is available about his other side, where he is simply a father, not the father of the nation.

Nearly sixty years on, Gandhiji’s profound philosophy influences millions worldwide and the book Ujaale Ki Parchaayi brings us even closer to the Mahatma, the father.

“If my faith burns bright as I hope it will, even if I stand alone, I shall be alive in the grave, and what is more, speaking from it.” To the roaming voyager of life, caught up in today’s world of political backbiting and one up-manship, Mahatma Gandhi’s far-sighted thinking comes as a refreshing oasis. His values of simple living and high thinking, his immense faith in Satyagraha, religious tolerance and non violence give new meaning to life.

But how many have been able to take his cause forward? I think, in the present world, full of hatred, bitterness, cruelty, racial discrimination, communal tensions, inequities, human degradation and erosion of values, Gandhi is more relevant today than at any other time. In the context of the present situation, I strongly feel that there is an imperative need to recapture the spirit and human touch of Gandhi.

Gandhi had to pay the price of his life for the great contribution that he has made to human history for the establishment of peace. As in today’s context, it is like when you go to the market with a credit card to purchase a commodity, you secure the commodity first, and then you pay the price afterwards. But as far as struggle for peace and freedom is concerned, you pay the price first, and then you get peace afterwards. This man paid most of it by treating his own family, his wife and children, to the same level of hardships as it would require fighting for the freedom of motherland. While Gandhi displayed loving kindness to everyone else, he was quite demanding and severe with his wife and sons. At first glance, after reading about his “mercilessness” in the book, Gandhi appeared insensitive to me. I found him highly thick-skinned about his wife, his children to the extent of being cruel on them. That was when I placed myself in his son Harilaal’s shoes. But on another take, I questioned myself if caring for one’s own family requires more sensitivity, or caring for the whole nation as one’s own family requires more?? Anyone can be sensitive about his wife, his children, every one of us is. But it takes a man like Gandhi to create the uppermost level of sensitivity where he cared about every man, woman and child of his motherland. This is being sensitive, I realised!

Even in the form of “Gandhi-giri”, if India today feels that the irrepressible spirit of Gandhi will assert itself and hold strong, then it will be India’s finest hours. Mahatma Gandhi continues to be a subject of enduring relevance and interest as is evident from the interest and passion generated by the movie, Lagey Raho Munnabhai. Gandhigiri has entered the popular imagination and academic discourses. Ramjas College of Delhi University will soon launch a three-month add-on course on "Gandhigiri: Reinterpreting Gandhi in Modern Context" Gandhi's principles deserve much more than just adoration or dismissal and the course will try to show just that. It will give a contemporary flavour to issues of continuing relevance like tradition, modernity, nation, women, caste, race and environment.

As much as I could relate to this great man via this book, I realized that ‘Gandhism’ does not mean the mere absence of violence. It is something more positive, more meaningful than that, for it depends wholly on the power of truth. The true expression of nonviolence is compassion. To experience genuine compassion is to develop a feeling of closeness to others combined with a sense of responsibility for their welfare. This develops when we accept that other people are just like ourselves in wanting happiness and not wanting suffering. I felt he teaches that if you can help and serve others you should do so. If you cannot, you must at least restrain yourself from harming others. I believe that it is very important that we find positive ways in which children and adults can be educated in the path of compassion, kindness and nonviolence. If we can actively do this I believe we will be fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi's legacy to us.

Published in 'Indian Link', a Sydney based newspaper, Issue - August 1, 2007

To the First Eleven!

A Passionate Plea to the Indian Cricket Team from a young fan, Shweta Sirohi Gupta, to pull up their socks…

Respected First Eleven,

“I am just any Indian. I don’t know much about cricket – only boundary and sixer make sense, everything else is Greek. But I still awake till one in the morning watching the match and also try to take leave from my job just to watch you play. I go hoarse screaming. I say, “Did you see that amazing catch?” and I forgive the five you dropped. I sit in the rain and watch you… and then you drop a catch and give the other team fifteen runs in wides and no balls, just as a little gift. My frustration crosses boundaries when your shots fail to hit them. And often, yes often, when you leave no stone unturned to get back to the pavilion as soon as its possible, making ‘n’ breaking records of the smallest score ever made, you fans express their hate just as they do their love for you. Like everyone of them, I too get mad & angry and ask - why on earth they made him Captain and as for the other chap, did you see the way he just stood there, why is he even playing cricket, forget being in the First Eleven.Okay Team, we get mad, furious, fill the newspapers with angry letters to the editors, scream, rave, rant, yell. We don’t treat you all that well when u lose. And often when we lose a match, you can sense that the crowd is furious and frankly all you want is a hot bath and sleep. But have some patience with us too. Our eyes are sore and our throats are husky as well. And, by the Great Guru, we’re pissed off: you’re the First Eleven! And it is a goal of sorts, but now for higher things, centuries and advertising contracts…You are the quasi-gods. Cricket is our religion and you are the Mecca. Do you realise what that means? Do you realise what YOU mean? You are the heroes. You had the hopes and dreams of over a billion people on your shoulders & you still have. I realise that is a heavy burden, and I hope you realise it too. Because every time you loose, just as you lost the World Cup, though a part of me knows it was just a game, somewhere else I’m lost and upset. Am disillusioned. Am slowly dying. I suppose you’ve heard all this before.But think about this: The posters stay up there. We still go broke buying tickets to those matches, and the stadiums are full to bursting because – we love you. Hold that thought. We do love you. May be it doesn’t seem that way when you disappoint us. We’ve been harsh, unkind. But after we’ve gone on for fifteen minutes about how unworthy you are, we sit down to watch the next match. Do you need a bigger proof?And while you’re holding thoughts, hold this one too: no love is baseless. There is always a reason. If you really were the worthless team we say you are when we slam you, we would not bother to gather our expressions to reassure you of our timeless faith. Matches lost or won, it would not make a difference.But there is a reason, and the reason is this: you are a great team. Not just great individual players. Yes, you are that too, but cricket is a team sport. One man can, maybe, just maybe, bring home a victory, but it’s the team that brings home the cup. And you are a great team. Okay, you take time, to get your act together, to believe that you can do it, to know that you need to want to win, to know that you have more than that in you. You have made it this far – could you manage that without the hunger, the thirst for success?Many Champions Trophies ‘n’ World Cups have come and gone, and there are other more matches, there always are. We believe in you and certainly hope you believe in yourselves. You will win those matches. Not just for yourselves. Do you realise that it is not your hunger alone but ours as well? Think about it!”

With due regards ‘n’ hope
Shweta Sirohi Gupta

(Just Any Indian)

published in 'THE INDIAN, a Sydney based fortnightly paper' Volume 1, Edition 6, April 19,2007

मेरा पहला कदम

ब्लॉग जगत में मेरा पहला कदम
पहले ही दिन इतने हम-कदम!
मानना पड़ेगा यहाँ बड़ी बात है
हर एक की बात में करामात है ।
लो हम भी हो गए चिट्ठा जगत में शामिल
अब आ गए हैं तो कुछ ना कुछ तो करके जायेंगे हासिल ।
यूँ तो हर ब्लॉगर का अपना-अपना अलग मुकाम है
पर यहाँ आकर लगता है सबको बस यही एक काम है ।
ईशवर करे ब्लॉगिंग भी कोई 'ट्रेंड' ना बन जाये
जो भी आए, आत्मसात के लिए आये ।
तो चलिये बढ़ाये चलें अपना ये रेला
एक-एक अकेले से ही बन गया ये मेला ।
आईये अपने विचारों का इन्द्रधनुष बनायें
कुछ लाल, हरा, नीला आप पिरोयें, कुछ पीला हम मिलाएँ ।