Nurture yourself to be sensitized - not sensitive

Nurture yourself to be sensitized  - not sensitive

The Pandemic Co-Vid 19 has positioned people of my age in a quandary, for we are sandwiched between those who carried us on their shoulders; and those whom we carried on our shoulders.  We don’t know if we have to deal with the depression of the qualified yet unemployable young at home, or venerated unemployable at home, keeping aside our own depressions, anxieties, concerns, apprehensions and worries.

In a situation like this, when frustrations of a successful actor - befitting the position of a role model, ending in his suicide, is definitely a misguiding signal to the youth, making our state of affairs more complex.  At the same time, the elderly at home, especially those with terminal illnesses, would then any day endorse euthanasia.  The thought of loss of either of them, is a big blow to deal with for the rest of the family. 

All this would be valid, if death were the established source of end of existence.  Maybe, it is, but, unfortunately, it is not so for the family, because every death leaves behind a trail of agony, anguish and rancor for those who have to live through it.

Any amount of research done on the cause for such a drastic step seems to have been in vain, especially keeping mind the case of Sushant Singh Rajput, who had his fair share of name, fame, money, position, and all that we think complete our circle of life expectations.  What therefore could be the reason for such a ghastly act? 

My take on this is - our high expectation of wanting more than what is doled out to us and the reality thereof falling short of these expectations.  For all practical purposes, he was a successful actor with a fair share of fan following; and he was just in the entry mode; hence, in all probability, his high expectations betrayed him.

Permit me to say that a person considering suicide as the best solution is being very selfish because he is so blinded by his own feelings that he becomes un-empathetic and inconsiderate towards the feelings of the rest of the family, the pain and sorrow that they have to go through.  A poignant scene in the epic movie 3Idiots sensitizes the audience to this reality.

Situations, posers, hardships, are all a part of the grind that all of us have to go through, how we deal with them is in our hands.  Speaking to friends, relatives, mentors, counselors, professionals, can any day augur well for the individual.  Above all, being compassionate and considerate about the rest of the family, will definitely allow the individual to think of alternate options to deal with the situation differently.  We cannot control the nature and behavior of the other people in our life, however, we can change the way we react to it.  If we stop being over sensitive in reacting to people around us, then I feel that battle is won.  

Prakash F Madhwani

17^th June 2020

Amitabh Bachchan - Perseverance Personified

Amitabh Bachchan - Perseverance Personified

The Big B Amitabh Bachchan, came into entertainment industry in 1969-70, the time when he had to play second fiddle to the greats of those years.  Then with Zanjeer, he broke all shackles and zoomed to stardom ruling the industry with almost every movie being a big hit

Misfortune struck when he met a Near Death Experience while shooting for the movie Coolie, he was out of business for a while and almost written off; but he bounced back and how!  The secret again was - Tremendous grit and perseverance indeed.

Then ABCL happened, and people wrote him off, looking at his huge losses, debts and controversies.  He may have gone through his share of woes, till KBC happened; and once again he was back in business, rising from the ashes like the legendary bird Phoenix.  With his perseverance he repaid every rupee and regained the glory that was the middle name of Big B.  He justified the legendary song, “A man and his will to survive”.

From Zanjeer to Gulabo Sitabo, he has had a long journey of over 5 decades; failures must have been there, but undeterred; he just moved on, accepting roles all and sundry, not knowing what appeals the audience. Probably this dialogue from his movie Sarkar sums it up for him; Mujhe jo sahi lagta hai main karta hoon, fir chahe wo bhagwan ke khilaaf ho, kanoon ke khilaf ho ya pure system ke khilaaf.

Today, at the ripe age of 78, he is one of the busiest actors with assignments of movies, TV, Commercial ads, Social Message Commercials, OTT movies and all that is needed for screen presence. Here, I would like to quote his dear friend Shatruji, from one of his interview -“Iss umar mein bhi Paa, Pink aur Piku jaisi picture sirf Amitji hee kar sakte hai, aur koi nahin.” How true indeed.  From the stern faced Narayan Shankar of Mohabatein to the young at heart Dattatraya Vakharia in 102 Not Out, he has been a man who intrigues every spectator with his versatility, and as I mentioned earlier, Perseverance.

His long fleet of cars, his assets worth thousands of crores, and all that one would aspire in life, he proudly possesses, but his greatest trait is - humility; willingness to work with anybody and everybody, and respect for his co-artistes.  All this apart, his unconditional love and respect for his parents, is a lesson for all of us to emulate; as he has often quoted this to be his secret for success. 

Big B is indeed Perseverance Personified, and even after 50 years in this entertainment industry, his dialogue from 1981 hit Kaalia, “Hum jahan khade ho jaate hain, line wahi se shuru hoti hai”, holds good.  He still is a force to reckon.

The grit, determination and perseverance of Big B is a lesson for all of us.  Long live Amitabh Bachchan ji.

Prakash F Madhwani              21^st June 2020

Together……. Forever……..

Together……. Forever……..

A snap shot on my desk for my approval,

A floral braid, vermillion forehead, a petite belle;

For my life partner, my mother’s best proposal.

The snap shot on my desk, my life partner, this belle.

Through the summers, with our now adult children,

A complete family, now with their spouse and children.

Amidst diabetes, B P, cataract and all travails,

Into our sunset years; and pronto – our golden jubilee hails.

The postings, the promotions, the retirement,

Pre natal, postnatal tensions, and life’s commitments;

Shaky hands, waned legs, grayed hair, balded pate,

The belle in the snap shot remains by me, my eternal mate.

Did we go through life, or did life go past us?

We didn’t realize how the years saunter.

The journey we started together, continues,

So do the squabbles, the irate tones, the wants & don’t wants.

No- nothing seems to have changed,

Yet times have certainly changed.

And through all this, we stand by one another,

Life partners, forever and ever…….

Prakash F Madhwani

24^th Aug 2009

This poem is dedicated to those lucky few couples, who have completed their golden anniversary; a commendable achievement indeed.

Home coming

I retrieve and darn your moth smitten

Tattered booties and mittens;

I knitted them for you – my baby

Before we heard your first cry.

Wow! How time has flown,

Soon, you flew out to a world unknown,

Your spouse, your tots, I barely know,

Attached or Distanced, like a tree and its bough.

I look up at the smiling half moon,

I smile and recall – as a tiny tot

Your love for the glowing full moon,

Wanting it to play, Oh! How you fought.

Oh! Its been years and years,

Since I saw you, your wife, your tiny tots,

The best tiding of your visit home – in full lot,

Drowns the sorrowful tears, with joyous tears.

I smile back at the smiling half moon too,

As I await your short break – coming home,

Stare at the endless list of things to do,

Pace the home, where to begin from.

Booties and mittens is what I had for you,

And that’s where I begin this time too,

Mother’s recipe, savouries of your choice,

Oh dear! I yearn to hear your little ones voice.

How long your stay would be, I see not,

But, every moment of it I shall cherish,

That I’ve promised myself and the whole lot,

For, soon, in a mundane rut, how we perish.

Swami Vivekananda, a brief insight

Swami Vivekananda is considered as the thundering monk, who created awareness amongst the youth of India, at a time when there was a dire need of direction for our youth. His message is so universal in nature, that it is applicable to our youth of today, as much as it was 150 years ago. While discussing about Swami Vivekananda with some elderly people, I thought it was time to refresh my memory from my school and college readings about Swami Vivekananda, and the end result is this article.

I am sure all of you have seen Lage Raho Munnabhai, you remember the scene when he enters the library to study about Gandhiji. And then what does he do, he picks the smallest book on Gandhiji. Well, I too had a similar experience; I started my preparation on Swami Vivekananda with a small pocket book, and then book after book, I found it so fascinating and inspiring – the end result being this comprehensive matter.

On 12^th Jan 1863, in the well known Datta family of Calcutta, a family known for affluence, philanthropy and scholarly learning, was born a monk of India, to this day regarded as the thundering monk Swami Vivekananda. 12^th Jan is observed as World Youth day, to commemorate his birthday, because he was a true icon for the youth, and it’s a matter of pride for us that he was an Indian.

Let me begin with a few things that he strongly advocated.

Do not believe in a thing because you have read about it in a book.

Do not believe in a thing because another man has said it was true.

Do not believe in words because they are hallowed by tradition.

Find out the truth for yourself. Reason it out. That is realization.

So, you too can take a clue from this and instead of accepting all that I say as gospel truth, it becomes your bounden duty to research on your own, and ascertain yourselves about the formidability of his teachings. As regards this subject of Vivekananda, there is an ocean of information available and what I have here is a very small fraction. Since you are all internet savvy, you can also go on to the Swami Vivekananda sites and get lot of information especially from the London centre, which is more active in this field than many of us Indians. And I can guarantee you that once you understand his words, you will be a transformed youth, transformed for the betterment of yourself as an individual and for all of you collectively as the youth of the society who are the future of our nation.

The other aspect he stressed on was to be fearless, be courageous and have presence of mind. Let me take a detour here - in lighter vein, may be that is where Salim - Javed drew their inspiration from and used the famous dialogue in the legendary movie Sholay, wherein Gabbar Singh says Jo dar gaya samjho mar gaya. But let me warn you that that fearlessness and courage he is talking about is not to become a Gabbar Singh, but fearlessness in upholding the true values of life, honesty in our every action and courage to fight for the upliftment of the society.

The next point is - he advocated that everyone is quite free and independent to teach what he likes, if you have the spirit within, you will attract others……he said, “individuality is my motto. I have no ambition beyond training individuals. I know very little and that little I teach without reserve; where I am ignorant, I confess; I am a sanyasin. As such, I hold myself as a servant, not as a master in the world”.

That is the level of humility we have to elevate ourselves to, to confess what we know not, to act as servants of society, to respect that individuality because we know every individual is different.

Na mata, na pita, na bhrata, na bhandhu, you don’t have to await their judgment, except the judgment of your conscience. Every night, before sleeping, if you ponder on the actions and deeds you have gone through during the day, and you may have fooled your master or the boss, but if your inner conscience says you are wrong, then your head will hang in shame in your own eyes. You may copy or even steal notes from your friend and present as your own, you may bribe a peon to get the exam sheets, you may carry chits in your sleeves to the exam hall, all this happens, and if you remember the movie Lage Raho, Circuit gives these ideas to Munnabhai, but in the movie his conscience doesn’t permit him, that is the realization that Swami Vivekananda talks of that we must have. Realization is not getting magical and yogic powers, realization is honest to self, righteous conduct, respect for elders, especially the parents and the teachers. Don’t cheat yourself, you may get through for the day, but you will not get ahead in life.

Going back to the courage to confess that was mentioned earlier, we put up a false front in the society, among friends, then quietly sneak up for confession. In the church, you will find a confession box, how many of you have used it? How many of you go to temple and do this or go to Tirupati to absolve yourselves, or take a holy dip to absolve yourself. All of us do. Right. But when we come back, old account is squared up, all sins and bad deeds are now washed off, so we can restart now. Correct! Last semester I cheated and got through, went to the temple, put 100 rupees in the hundi, now I can cheat afresh. Yes, you can do it, provided, the man in the glass, your inner self, approves of it. If the man in the glass does not approve of it, then remember, you have to transform yourself. When each one of you is transformed, then only the society will be transformed. You and I form the society, you and I curse the society that means we are cursing ourselves isn’t it. Endorsing Swami Vivekanada’s preaching on this, Mahatma Gandhi has said, You be the change.

Let me take you to the famous Parliament of religion now. Swami Vivekananda’s talk at the Parliament of religion in 1893 is most significant because that was the first call of awakening the people to realize that all religions are equal – sarva dharma samanatva. All else that was spoken at this world parliament of religion is long forgotten, but to this day Swami Vivekananda’s preaching are still cherished and quoted world over. He opened the eyes of the people that every religion is rich in its philosophical depth, in spiritual intensity, in individual vigour of thought, in breadth and sincerity of humanity and human sympathy. He pleaded the people to search for truth and arrive at our own first hand experience of reality and divinity.

At this Parliament, representing Christianity was Cardinal Gibbons, the highest prelate among the Roman Catholics, and the other speakers included Annie Beasant of theosophical society, Dharmapada of Ceylon Buddhists, Majumdar of Brahmo Samaj and representatives of Islam, Shintoism, Jainism and other religions.

With these erudite speakers sat a first timer Swami Vivekananda. Yes my dear friends, it was his maiden speech, like you and me and all present here, he too had stage fright, trembling legs, dried mouth, fluttering heart, and an audience of 7000 people from various religions, cultures and races. When he rose, he offered his prayers to Goddess Saraswati and when he said, Sisters and Brothers of America, it sent an instant message of reverence to all assembled there, and instantly they arose in their seats and gave him a thundering standing ovation. He spoke to them in a natural manner, with candid warmth of a brother. He spoke straight from his heart, he spoke with utmost sincerity. If all of us adapt this in life, even we too will be heard and accepted with that sort of admiration.

He said that religions are divided into three parts, the rituals, the mythology, the philosophy. Our rituals may vary, our mythological characters and stories may vary, but our philosophy is same, it is the common thread of all religions, preaching humanity human sympathy and ethical living, be it at your college in your academics, at home with parents, socially with friends or later in your life, in service or business. He pleaded for termination of sectarianism, bigotry and fanaticism. He said let this conference bring about the death knell to fanaticism, infinite is God and infinite are the ways to reach Him. Friends, he was an orator by divine right, a model representative of his race, a perfect master of English language, the sensation of the world’s parliament.

I mentioned bigotry, sectarianism, fanaticism; let me bring a coincidence to explain this. The date of the parliament of religion is unique, it has a triple coincidence. In 19^th Century, on this day, this parliament was held as a show of bigotry but Swami Vivekananda opened the eyes of the world here. On same date in 20^th Century, to open the eyes of the world to sectarianism, Mahatma Gandhi started his first satyagraha in South Africa. And now in 21^st Century, on the same date there was a blatant show of power and fanaticism, when the twin towers were razed to ground. Yes my friends, it is Sept. 11, what a coincidence, a strange coincidence indeed. The only difference is today we don’t have the beacon light, the guiding hand of a Vivekananda or a Mahatma amidst us. That’s our misfortune, but let us pray that we have one soon.

Swami Vivekananda during his travel through the length and breadth of India has several interesting encounters and anecdotes that make interesting reading. Once it is said that a dog ran away with his bread, and he ran behind it saying, oh Lord! Please stop, Let me butter the slice for you. For a man who could see God in a dog, you can imagine how difficult it must have been for him to see the evil effects of caste system. He claimed that his Guru, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, had asked him to dedicate his life to regenerate his motherland, because she was obscured with starvation, ignorance and above all superstition. Renunciation of wants and greed will rid us of starvation, and studying the Vedas will wipe out the ignorance of mind and self imposed shackles of superstitious beliefs including the caste system. He used to share his meals with the shudras much to the displeasure of his observers, but he said that to humanity and human sympathy man is one, there is no caste to the being. Here, I am reminded of the famous Kannada song, kuladali kil yavudo, hucchhappa mathadalli melyavudo, hutu sayuva halu, manshya manshyara madhye, mel yavudo kil yavudo. Once we are dead, our mortal remains know no caste, or faith or religion.

The success of his mission is celebrated even to this day because he showed our country India to the western world in a different light, which they had never seen or heard of. To them, a realized, learned monk coming from India was a shocking revelation, which later was converted into immense veneration. It is amply proved by the fact that many followed him and came to India in search of self realization.

He had prophesized that he will not see the 40^th year of his life, and on 04^th July 1902, he entered into Samadhi, when he was 39 years 5 months and 24 days old. Like the fabled last supper, he had one last meal with his devotees in the Belur Math and insisted that he would serve, and when the dinner was over, he washed their hands and dried them with a towel. An embarrassed Sister Nivedita said she should be doing this, and he simply said “Jesus washed the feet of his disciples”. How prophetic. He was so well learned and evolved, that shackles of religion could not bog him down. To him religion was ethical living, humanity and human sympathy.

Knowledge of the self, of the scriptures and of the religions will make you realize that ultimately, everything comes from our Vedas and Upanishads. Aham Brahmasmi, I am the Brahman the creator or the generator, Krishnam Vande Jagatguru, the operator who teaches us how to lead a life through the holy gita, this jeeva within us is Shiva, the destroyer - Generator, Operator, Destroyer, G O D that is GOD for all of you. He is within me, within you, within one and all. Hence, when we meet and greet others, there should be humility, divinity and above all sincere morality in our every action, in every walk of life.

Friends, I must have got carried away and been fervent or emotional at times, but that is the power of Swami Vivekananda, you become ardent and passionate about his preachings once you read them and follow them. When I started my talk, I told you about my beginning with a small pocket book – you too can follow suit and as the saying goes, the proof of pudding is in tasting. I urge all of you also to read about him and his writings and I am sure it will bring about a transformation within you. Your outlook to the world and the suffering in the world will change. Swami Vivekananda’s writings and preaching are his identity and though he is not with us today, he still inspires us through these books as a friend, a philosopher, a guide. Swami Vivekananda had a message of awakening for the nation, hope for the nation, dreams for the nation, and all of you – the youth of the nation have to pledge to yourself, to carry forward this dream, and for that the first step is do not cheat the man in the glass. That is a small leap for yourself but a giant leap for the mankind.

Just Change in Twenty Ten

The New Year Twenty Ten rings my door bell,

Joined by luck, health, wishing All is Well.

With pomp and gaiety, into my den –

I merrily usher in the New Year Twenty Ten.

I smell freshness from the bouquet of flowers,

I feel the chilly breeze, enjoy drizzly showers,

As I sit down to verse, with my pen,

And merrily usher in the New Year Twenty Ten.

I also pen down my moments of anguish and despair,

In the year gone by, when life was unfair;

I shred the list to bits and pieces when done,

And merrily, I usher in the New Year Twenty Ten.

Hope – is How Optimism Pushes Everyone,

I too move on with a dream of only one resolution;

Let me Just Change – myself, my ways, then -

I merrily usher in the New Year Twenty Ten.

Dad, I saw you.....

A young lad got married and settled down gloating over his moral and disciplined up bringing. He was pondering on this, and he realized that he should pen his thoughts in the form of an epistle of gratitude to his dad. He started every sentence with; “You may not be aware Dad, but I was observing you…..”

Dear Dad,

I saw mum and you celebrate my first painting, which proudly adored the refrigerator like a master piece; and you encouraged me to paint another master piece of mine.

I saw you appreciating me for being what I am, never compared me with my friends and their achievements; thus inspiring me to improve myself by competing with self.

I saw you feeding the dogs, cats and birds every morning; and learnt compassion for all living beings.

I saw you pray to God for inspiration to be a better person and guidance to deal with worldly issues.

I saw you lending a helping hand to friends, relatives and neighbours, especially those in hospital for medical treatment; thus teaching me to support those near and dear to us.

I saw you keeping in touch with other family members; even if others were being reticent; and today, they love and respect mummy and you because you were genuine in your concern for them. I learnt how important it is to be one with the family.

I saw you completing all your responsibilities even when you were fatigued or debilitated; thus teaching me the importance of our responsibilities and duties.

I saw you lying down alone, with moistened eyes when you were deeply hurt or in grief; and remembered thereafter that shedding a tear in sorrow is not a sign of cowardice.

I saw you showering your love and affection to your ageing parents, my grand parents; gently placing your hand on their shoulder as a mark of reassurance and support to them. Today, my compassionate attitude towards my elders is appreciated, the seeds for which were sown by you.

I saw you sit through the night by the side of your ailing mother, and today, I too peep in once I a way during the wee hours of the night to see mum and you sleeping well. You may say history repast itself, if so, so be it, but thanks to you for this teaching.

I saw you appreciating mummy’s finger licking preparations, or even a simple cup of tea in the evening, as I was playing on my video game in the adjacent room. I remember to follow suit with my wife too as I see my son surfing the net in the room yonder.

I remember the day a toast got burnt, while mummy was busy packing me off to school and you quietly ate it without a complain; for you respected her preoccupation in taking care of me.

I saw you showering your love to mummy with an occasional hug or a peck on her cheek and now ensure that I take care of my wife likewise; for I learnt that there is no sin in being naughty or flirty with your wife.

I saw you maintain calm composure and silence when our neighbour came to fight with you over a petty issue. I saw you gently diffuse the matter without offending him or getting into a verbal dual or argument. I learnt that there is so much of peace in this attitude. Why trouble myself, when I know that we cannot change certain things and situations in life. I may not be having your tolerance and patience; but I must admit that remembering your tolerance and patience during difficult times, really inspires me today.

I saw you treating our driver and other workers with sweets and luncheons during various festivals, taking care of their well being all the time.

I saw you treat vegetable vendors and rickshaw drivers with respect and remember how they spoke gently and affectionately with you.

I saw you spending your free time in reading good meaningful books, listening to soothing music or attending a discourse. I would be busy with my toys and games as you would narrate your learning experience; but I did pick a few things despite my preoccupation. Today, when I ponder on those random thoughts, I realize the life’s lessons you were imparting to me.

I saw you maintain a positive attitude, I saw your encouraging words, I saw your body language when struck with misfortune and adversities. Today, my friends and relatives appreciate this trait in me.

I have friends who became addicts to tobacco over the years because in some cases their addicted fathers sent them to those petty shops to buy things for them. Fortunately, you never had any such addiction and now all my friends appreciate me for being free of all these addictions.

Dad, I promise to you that I too will live a similar life of being a good role model and set a good example to my children. I know that just as I was observing you, I am being observed by my children every moment.

Your loving son.

The gist of this aphorism is that what we as mummies and daddies preach and correct our children is of little consequence; because what really influences them is how we behave ourselves, how we lead our lives, how we present ourselves, how our actions can inspire them.

Exorbitant Parking Fees at BIAL

The BIAL charges Rs.60/- as the barest minimum-parking fee for four wheelers; which all commuters feel is a rip off. The free parking at P4 allots only 10 minutes, which is too short a time, especially if you have a senior citizen to be escorted and assisted and again return to car. It is time that BIAL comes up with a viable solution of either free parking of at least 20 to 30 minutes or reduce overall parking fee to Rs. 30/- per hour; because the fee of Rs.60/- for minimum 2 hours is highly impractical. No visitor to the Airport must be spending more than 30 minutes under normal circumstance. So, on an average, 20 to 30 minutes is more than sufficient and to pay Rs 60/- for that much time seems preposterous.

As a matter of fact, parking of vehicles is a facility that BIAL is supposed to offer to its commuters; but they are charging exorbitantly for a facility that they are otherwise supposed to provide.

It is also to be noted here that vehicle parking fee apart, they are already collecting a massive User Development Fee of Rs.260/- per passenger, which by itself is a substantial income, besides of course all the rentals from various shops and establishments in their premises.

Considering all these aspects, I am sure they can consider giving a parking lot with first 20 to 30 minutes free or reduce it overall to Rs.30/- per hour rather than the existing Rs.60/- per 2 hours.

Akruti Bhatia case - School Princiapal being victimised

This is with reference to the death of a student Akruti Bhatia of Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi. In the moments of grief, sentiments and emotions run high and the anguish of parents is understandable. I offer my sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family, May her soul rest in peace.
In instances like these, parents, quickly pounce on to attack the school authorities and do not want to take the blame on themselves; they want to pass on this onus on the school authorities - this is not fair. Going by the statement of Ms. Goldy Malhotra, the Principal, she has done the best she could for the child. It is announced that an enquiry is being made, till then parents should behave properly and await judgment. However, my point here is that it is easy to say the negligence is on part of school authorities, what about the negligence of the parents?
A point to consider is that Asthma is a long term ailment, and this is not the first attack that Akruti Bhatia has had, there have been many previous instances. On that particular day too, she must have had discomfort from morning, then too she was sent to school. The normal tendency of parents is that however sick a child may be, the parents insist on sending child to school, they feel the child will be better off at school rather than sit at home. The same thing probably applies to this case too. Parents cannot take the school to task, without accepting their own responsibility.
Another point to note is that instances of this nature are very stray and rare, for which no school in the entire country or may be in the world too would be equipped to handle such a situation, and putting the blame grossly on school authorities is not fair. Teachers are not medical professionals.



Parents should consider the future of other asthmatic children and if they become too unruly, then the future is bleak for asthmatic children to get admission into schools. Parents will ask for medical history and the moment, there is a problem child; schools may refrain from admitting such children. It is a probability.

Sindhi Movie Pyar Kare Dis screening in Bangalore

On 28th Mar 09, Sindhi Federation of Bangalore, along with National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language, conducted a one day acting workshop and talent search for Sindhi Channel for Sindhi artistes, which was conducted by the famous director Shri Kamal Nathani, actors Shri Jiten Lalwani and Shri Prakash Ramchandani. More than 60 participants from all over Bangalore participated in the professionally organized work shop, which was well appreciated by all participants. This was one of the first of its kind on an experimental basis and the success of this has encouraged them to conduct many more all over the country.

For Bangaloreans, who are waiting for such an exposure, this work shop was a great treat.

Since its inception, only 19 movies have been made in Sindhi language in India , though there are several artistes in Bollywood and Gujarati drama, cinema and theatre, who are originally Sindhis, but due to non availability of a State to showcase their films, the audience is too scattered for dedicated screening. Pyaar Kare Dis, one of the best Sindhi movies made by Shri Kamal Nathaniji in 2007 was screened in 800 seating capacity Sindhi auditorium of Sindhi School and College on two days 28th and 29th Mar as a part of Sindhi week end celebrations and attracted record crowds. The screening was in the presence of the artistes of the movie Shri Jiten Lalwani, Shri Prakash Ramchandani and director Shri Kamal Nathani

Sindhi Federation of Bangalore and NCPSL celebrate Cheti Chand, the Sindhi New Year

FIRST OF all, on behalf of all my Bangalore members, I thank NCPSL for giving us an opportunity to host a programme in Bangalore for promotion of our Sindhi language. With the grace of Jhulelal and the support of all our local volunteers, as also the participation of various dignitaries from all over the country, not to forget the support of NCPSL, the programme was a grand success.
I herewith give a small write up on the details of the two-day programme, which may be shared with our brethren all over the country through various newsletters and print and electronic media.
Dignitaries who graced the occasion:
Suresh Keswani, Chairman Linguistic Minorities,
Justice (Retd) I.S. Israni
Dr. Manohar Kalra,VC, University of Kota,
Manohar Matlani, Director, NCPSL
Parmanand Khattar, Former Gujarat Minister,
Baldev Matlani, Lakshmandas Khubhandani
Lachhmandas Keswani, Renu Idnani
Shyam Jumani, Dr Ravi Tekchandani
Durga Thavrani, Srikant Bhatia
Prof C J Daswani, Veena Shringi
Hasso Dadlani, Ramesh Warlyani
Amar Daulatani, Sudesh Sachdev
An exclusive acting workshop in Sindhi for Sindhis, by Sindhis, was organised to find talent amongst our Sindhi youngsters. The workshop attracted as many as 60 aspirants. The workshop was inaugurated by I D Israni, with Dr Manohar Kalra and Manohar Matlani as other guests of honour. The workshop was conducted by Kamal Nathani, Jiten Lalwani and Prakash Ramchandani. In his inaugural speech, Shri Israni, urged the youngsters to consider the option of serving the country through various State and Central Administrative posts. Many youngsters were inspired by his speech and were later heard of seeking administrative services as their future career option. The workshop was followed by an audition judged by eminent delegates, and three people were awarded special recognition and ten others were among top performers. Certificate of participation, along with a small memento was presented to all the workshop participants.
The venue was Golden Jubilee Hall and Sindhi Auditorium of Sindhi Seva Samiti, the sponsors of Sindhi Schools and Colleges; and on this occasion, Suresh Keswani inaugurated the additional school block, built to expand the school capacity.
Lunch was provided for all the delegates and participants. This was followed by a movie show of the movie “Pyaar Kare Dis”, which was again well appreciated by the audience.
The annual Cheti chand celebration by Sindhi Federation of Bangalore, was special this year for three specific reasons:
a) There were a host of dignitaries from all over the country b) Local lad Khel Ratna and Padma Pankaj Advani was to be felicitated and c) Musical programme of Sindhi songs by world famous singer Kajal Chandiramani.
Considering these aspects, the participation was greater than usual. The programme began with the house offering their condolences to the Saint of Bangalore Pujya Shri Dada Amar, who breathed his last earlier this month and President of South India Sindhi Federation Shri Lalchand Nichani, whom we lost during the year.
I S Israni along with other dignitaries from NCPSL felicitated Pankaj Advani and appreciated this youngster for becoming the Ambassador of Sindhis at such a young age; he was indeed youth Icon for Sindhis. The Past Presidents of Sindhi Federation of Bangalore and current year Sindhu Ratna and Sindhu Achiever awardees were honored on this occasion.
This was followed by the entertainment programme by Kajal Chandiramani. This was a treat to Bangalore Sindhis, who were glued to their seats from start with dedication to Jhulelal Saheb to the conclusion of about two hour programme with Pallo.

Local singing sensation Satram Amarchand pitched in with a couple of numbers on this occasion. At the end of the programme, Suresh Keswani briefly addressed the house, appreciating the efforts of Bangalore brethren for putting up this grand show.
This was followed by lunch and thereafter the brethren reassembled for the screening of the movie Pyaar Kare Dis.
The highlight of the two-day programme was that the programme was compered entirely in Sindhi by the Master of Ceremonies - President of Sindhi Seva Samiti and Hon. Secretary of Sindhi Federation of Bangalore, Prakash F Madhwani. All speeches including the welcome by Rajkumar L Kukreja, reception committee chairman Biharilal H Menda and host committee chairman Madan Doulatram, besides those by the dignitaries from NCPSL was done in Sindhi. Finally, the excellent teamwork of Bangalore brethren in organizing the stay, conduct of programme, transportation and all other amenities, was highly appreciated by one and all.
Some of the delegates who stayed back, visited the heritage city of Mysore on the next day.

Terrorist attack on Sri Lanka cricketeers

Dear Sir,



The attack by terrorists on Sri Lankan cricketers confirms all the claims from all corners of World that Pakistan is the breeding ground for terrorists; there are no two ways to it. Whilst Pakistan on one hand wants to negate and deny the truth; the terrorists on the other hand have displayed their power of destruction of peace, on their own soils, under their very nose - to make their presence felt. Its high time global action is initiated to condemn this ghastly act.



As far as South Asian countries conglomerate SAARC, NAM and other such International bodies are concerned, they have been proved ineffective in bringing about peace, because the single point agenda of terrorists is disruption of peace, anywhere and everywhere in the world; and spread fear, panic and terror amongst the ordinary citizens. SAARC had not yet found solution to Pakistan – India military rivalry, and now with this attack they have one more fresh issue of Pakistan – Sri Lanka rivalry is bound to brew post this attack, and it is to be seen how they handle this issue. The cancer of terrorism has its genesis in Pakistan, is being nurtured in Pakistan and the cure for this also has to come from Pakistan; until it doesn’t firm up itself, nobody in the world can help them.



With this attack, they have severed their relationships for sports fraternity, because no country would now want to send their sportsmen to Pakistan for any type of sports and risk their precious lives. Sportsmen are ambassadors who bring fans together through their chosen sport; these types of ghastly acts will seal all such avenues of togetherness and brotherhood.



Yours sincerely,



Prakash F Madhwani

Kapil Dev Kaa Jawaab Nahin

India’s victory in 1983 World Cup, proved one thing and that is that Kapil Dev has always led by example, and this time too he has done the same by enrolling himself in army as Lieutenant Colonel. His new avatar will definitely be a big morale booster to other army men. I am also confident that his move will inspire many youngsters also to serve in the armed forces. He is the new brand ambassador for our Army.

Instead of promoting hair gels, shampoos and what not, instead of putting up a face on the hoardings and adverts to join the army; he is leading by example, by himself first enrolling into the army. You are a true follower of what our saints have said, “You be the Change, the change begins with you.” Hats off to you Sir.

Gandhi Jayanti And Ramzaan coincide on 02.10.2008

2nd October is observed as Meatless day by the Law of the Land, and this year 2nd October is said to be the date of the conclusion of the sacred Ramadan month and observation of Ramzaan Id, the day of celebration a part of which is the sharing of Mutton Biryani, by the Law of the Muslim religion. It is going to be a matter of national concern for all Indians as to what is more important; observing Meatless Day in honour of the father of the nation or upholding the sentiments of the minority religious community of Muslims by observing Ramzaan with Mutton Biryani. A quixotic and paradoxical situation, for which we hope and pray for divine intervention for an acceptable solution.

God, the Eternal Mater of the Universe, the creator and the protector of our lives, is himself paradoxically rendered helpless today and all his abodes, be it the churches, mosques, gurudwaras or the temples need Police Protection. All these abodes which are meant to be safe havens that give salvation to mankind are threatened by the very mankind He has created. I am sure, even god who is inside, answering prayers of His devotees, is not in full concentration because He is concerned if there is enough police protection outside to guard His own abode.

In this context, I have a message for God; Oh! God, I feel sorry for you, and Dear God, when we are in trouble our friends say, God be with you, here in your case, I don’t know how to console you God. Oh! God, please take care of yourself.

Pankaj Advani - Keep it up!

Dear Editor,

Sindhi Federation of Bangalore, the apex body of the Sindhis in Bangalore is indeed made proud by our worthy son Pankaj Advani for his brilliant double in World Billiards Championship, and achieving this feat second time, is indeed commendable. He is our community’s brand ambassador especially amongst the children of Gen X and Gen Y. We congratulate him for his success and wish him God speed for his future endeavours.

With best regards,

Prakash F Madhwani

Hon. Secretary, Sindhi Federation of Bangalore, #10/7, K K Road, Bangalore 560001.

U Me Aur Hum - A comparison with Bassera and Khilona

Movie buffs are constantly working on making comparisons and arriving at contrasts and similarities between movies and i have my two cents to contribute here for you, me aur hum. This ajay devgan directorial venture, reminiscent two classic movies; one is khilona, and the other is bassera. in khilona, mumtaz takes cares of a deranged sanjeev kumar post shock, with utmost love and understanding; and this besides a similar repeat shocking scene brings back sanjeev kumar to his original self.in shashi kapoor, rakhee, rekha starred bassera, rakhee feigns insanity after recovery, but is detected by poonam dhillon, a parallel to which is seen in you, me aur hum; wherein kajol feigns forgetfulness and is detected by ajay devgan.the contrast from bassera here is that, whilst rakhee is let to reside in the asylum, ajay gets his wife home and gives kajol his unconditional love, care and understanding to help her lead a normal life. To that extent the movie conveys a positive message to the society that needs to be appreciated.

Mumbai Meri Jaan - Review

Mumbai meri jaan is the latest flick to borrow its title from age old vintage classic songs, starting from the trend setter DDLJ about 15 years ago, to the other co - releases Bachna Ae Haseeno and Jaane tu ya jaane na. In fact, Nishinkant Kamat also delectably uses the classic old song in the final scene depicting that Mumbai is as much a “Meri Jaan” to a Mumbaikar, even today, as it was 4 to 5 decades ago.

The story line depicts irony in our day to day lives, especially in the news reporter who makes stories out of incidents, becomes a story herself; or a cop who sees his alter ego in his conscientious colleague and laments at having no true success story to narrate about his service, on retiring after 35 years of successful service; or how a split second decision of changing bogey from I Class to II Class can change your life. It also shows how our preconceived notions or prejudices can be belied by the reality of the situation; as a man biased against a community is destined for sun shine in life from that very community person.

I give 10/10 to the director on detailing and would like to quote one particular scene, which I wonder how many viewers have observed. When Suresh (Kay Kay Menon) and his friend go to Yusuf’s house, there is a picture of Shirdi Sai Baba on the cupboard in this Muslim’s house. Frankly, my friend and I were for a moment chuckling at this oddity, which we thought was the director’s oops moment, a blooper; only to realize later that it was his Oomph moment, when Yusuf shares Shirdi Sai Baba’s Prasad with Kay Kay, justifying Baba’s picture in his house. Full marks to you sir.

The other interesting act is of Irfan Khan, his angst against the society, his well rehearsed cycling style, his pompous walking style on his success of ruling the lives of people followed by his coming out into the crossroads of life, hands spread standing over a cross on the streets as though he is the Jesus whom he prays and whose photo adorns his house.

All these aspects make the movie an absolutely outstanding movie, leaving a sense of optimism and positivity at the end of the day, in otherwise our banal situations. Full marks also to Soha Ali Khan, Irfan Khan, Maurya for outstanding performances. A special mention of Paresh Rawal, for probably the most stupendous performance and by far his best performance in my opinion.

Good Bye, Team India

By commercialising the game, one thing is proved that the players will not be playing for their motherland or for patriotism; they will be playing only for money, with a capital M. It also goes on to prove that money will play a major role in the direction that any game will move into henceforth. So, it’s bye bye for Team India and Hail Money, henceforth.
Prakash F Madhwani

Numero Uno Sania Should Play in Bangalore

First of all I take this opportunity to congratulate Ms. Sania Mirza for being elevated to Numero Uno position in Asia. This being her first outing within the country after she attained this great distinction of being elevated to this No. 1 position, she should not disappoint her local fans. She should keep all the deterrents aside and play in Bangalore. On behalf of her Bangalorean fans, we can only request her to reconsider her decision through these columns.

Farah Khan delivers triplets on 11th Feb 2008

Hurrah Farah

Farah khan the famed director of the latest hit Om Shanti Om was blessed with triplets on Monday at Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai. This is probably a divine gesture to her success of the movie with three names, Om, Shanti and Om except that in her case it is not two boys and one girl but two girls and one boy.

Going by the success that these three (reknowned to be potent) words of Hindu religion have brought to her, it would be a step in right direction to name her children Shanti Om Shanti. Besides this, Muslim actors using Hindu names is nothing new, the biggest example being the legendary Dilip Kumar Saab, nee Yusuf Khan.

Prakash F Madhwani