BEYOND

None dared to walk past
the past guarded by trust：
beliefs might crumble fast,
emotions lost in petty wars.
Who shall rise beyond ego
to clear the old white dust?

The horizon seemed near.
I hurried but the sunrise was far!
Illusive, like a mirage it stayed.
The closer I moved, the farther it went!
I lost handful of my life's faith
beyond stupidity of chasing old fame!

How do you measure passion?
No, not love...I mean... passion!
Quantify your compromises,
your lust for all worth... worthless?
Or spend your sleep
in the arms of your dreams... dreams
waiting to get stripped
by the society that gifted you these?

Your destination isn't your destiny.
You are bonded by the evil weak.
Walk beyond your confusions
into the strengths of your soul
as you had run into the horizon
to catch the elusive sunrise old.
You are not to be enslaved
by what must command you not.
You must rise beyond your grave
into goodness the world has not got!

THE SERIOUSLY AMAZING PUNDIT

Often

No...no...

Many a time, from my negligible list of blog followers, I receive a very interesting question: Why is it that you aggressively blog for a month and then remain dormant for another? Do you search for motivation?

Yes... and no. Yes, because, the inner drive to write down a blog post requires some motivation for logging in and typing. No, because my world is full of stories. I do not have a photographic memory but, I have words...lots of words which are not Tharoor-ish, of course, but they can carry meanings for everyone.

Saying this, I can recall an incident of a pundit whom I had met at my previous place of residence, and developed a non-religious friendship with him. Yes, non-religious, because we talked of everything but religion. He would speak of humorous stories of his village where a person was named 'Patang' at his birth because his parents loved Kaka (Rajesh Khanna). A man named 'Aamram' went to sell mangoes to the daily market, and found a pot of gold coins near his mango trees. There was a beautiful lady who would visit his village during Ram Navami and play the role of 'Sita', and leave. She would not talk much to people. Later, after 3 years or so, people found out that the lady was actually a boy who was doing this to support his family of ailing father and three sisters. Often his stories were unreal, which he would reveal at the end of the tale. But, all of them had a taste of Indian-ness which can make any scriptwriter go gaga over them. All the while, it would seem real to me. I tried to delve into this man's level of intelligence. He could develop a story with such minute and realistic details that anyone would believe it to be true. I would tease him to write these stories and get them published. He would say that there was no higher form of peace than speaking the stories to friends and laugh together. It was like instant audience feedback, free from expectations and bias, he would say. 

My pundit had a habit of clapping his hands when excited. The temple would echo with his claps and our sounds of laughter. Often, he talked of the lands which he had traveled in his life, how frauds through the language of 'gods' cheated the illiterates and the poor. He said that he was once approached by a gang of so-called 'baba's to join them and earn by cheating people. He refused, and left that place because it was turning into a mess.
He cooked the best halwa. On fourth Sunday of every month, he would cook gajar ka halwa, and we would have them together in the evening at around eight o'clock. On asking where he had learnt the recipe, he would say, "Let some things remain secrets. Otherwise, people will say that I am not an interesting person. You focus on eating, and do not try to be an archaeologist now." Saying this, we would laugh heartily. I mean, the way he spoke, there was a flavor of sweet humor, and that is what I have preserved for my life.
Pundit Ji was an amazing person. I remember the way he sat on the third or fourth step of the temple, and spoke stories with a glow on his face. Often I would wait for the day to end so that I could know another story from him. I didn't have frustrating days back then, because anything discouraging was neutralized by the old man's tales.  

The art of Pundit Ji bringing together different stories of life makes me wonder how the interpretation of intelligence is limited to professions. Intelligence is beyond professional excellence and smart tricks. Although these may define a bit of it, yet it is not exhaustive. It may exist in the minutest of a man's behavior and art. For me, the pundit was intelligent because he looked into life in the simplest manner. He built simple rules for himself, and one prime rule: never hurt anyone in any way. That was the biggest lesson for me.

And, just as he would want it, everything I have written in this blog post is not true. There was no Pundit Ji. But there are people who can sum up to become one!

SCRAMBLE-GAMBLE: the WhatsApp Game

I have seen and learnt that desperate times need desperate measures. However, desperate times also bring some good sidekick innovations with them. 

The world is utterly distressed, and a bit afraid of the curses of the CoVID-19 pandemic. Humankind was not prepared for this kind of unseen micro-scale enemy, we must agree. The world is fighting against this disaster together, while lockdown and curfew rules remain to be imposed subjected to various amendments as per the regions or countries.

People have lost physical contact but the virtual world has brought them together. Families are gathering on social media and conference calls. Reunions are happening, and I bet they are as memorable as ever. This post is a short one on one such re-union where 're' stands for 'repeated' because the individuals involved were never far and had met often before the pandemic struck.

I know that during this lockdown, all of us, you, me and others have become serious members of different social media groups, WhatsApp being one and the most common among them. Right from 'Class of 2012 (or ____)', 'Humans of Neighbourhood', 'The Musical Attorneys', 'Go For Grocery', 'Office Work-From-Home Association', 'CoVID Avengers', 'Lockdown Pros', 'Lockdown Foodies' to 'Cousins', 'Family', 'Family Except Egoistic Maria', 'Only Husbands', 'Only Wives', 'Kitty Party' and others, we are spending some useful/ useless time on these groups. The 'Good Morning' messages which we had hated earlier, are now our alarms. The insults and leg-pulls are now our pastimes. While people are doing wonderful comical videos, some are recording serious narrations with fewer views. Everyone is having a taste of their self-created karma (...not that right, I guess!).

One of my maternal cousins came up with the idea of creating a WhatsApp group to celebrate online birthdays of some of us, which, unfortunately fell during this lockdown. We call it the 'Goswami Service'. Now, we are a healthy group of of five, ranging from 30 down to 15/16. 

Sorry...I mean the ages. Smile!

So, we started with celebrating birthdays of one of us, and after throwing GIFs of cakes and thank you's, and sighing on the misfortune of staying indoors and having China as our neighbour, we realized that we had nothing much to do regularly. So, we started creating topics of discussion like favourite songs, five favourite films, favourite foods and stuffs like these. But, we felt these were non-recurring events: one message was enough to cover the topic. These helped us realize that honesty can be best practised during idleness. Choosing a favourite from a pile of endless favourites is the most difficult task: we realized this.

Then we invented one of the most interesting games, the SCRAMBLE-GAMBLE. The game is not new. You have all seen 10-13 jumbled words forwarded as a message on WhatsApp. What we did was polished the message, and turned it into an interactive game. The rules were pretty simple.

• One person shall post a jumbled word in English, and a valid hint. The others shall try to post the correct answer.
• No scientific names were allowed. Anyway, they would be in Latin.

We were a bit speculative of the implementation of the game. But, we decided to give it a try. We started, and it became a blockbuster exercise for the mind. We are learning new words now. Plus, the younger ones are somehow getting prepared for aptitude tests in a way or the other. We started the game to engage ourselves, but, now the game engages us, and relieves us of the stress.

A few snapshots of the game are shown here.

Example 1:

Example 2:

Example 3:

The 'Goswami Service' thank you for reading this post, and urge you to try this game with your friends. We know you may feel somewhat offbeat to introduce it at the beginning, but, we tell you, if it can bring together individuals from diverse age groups, it can do wonders for your schoolbatch or office time-pass groups.

I dedicate this post to the members of the 'Goswami Service' for whom I stand (just kidding): Man-I, Man-II, Mun, Sum and Tri.

Thank you, and stay safe!

THE AFTERNOON RAINS

Solace is a kind word
in a gruesome world,
surrounded by wounds
of forgetful truths,
besieged with guilt
of vice and filth!

How deceiving can life be!
All lies were covered in
one single coffin buried deep
in the mind's blurring sea.
All I have done right
are the wrongs, I suppose:
I went in for many a fight,
I lost not, death was close!

I cannot undo my deeds.
In karma I place my beliefs!
The first afternoon rains
clap for my claims:
the beats on the roofs
like horses' matured hoofs
urge me to lull into solace,
a kind word I fear to face.
Death can be kind too,
pay a visit without a clue,
I shall depart then without a fuss
if that's what kind karma wants!

HOPEFUL MOURNINGS

Dawn of hope
from the hilly slope
brought the skies,
blue, bright and white.

Sunrays warm,
warmed her heart:
that filthy germ,
well, could not hurt!

Doctors and pills
ate up her bills,
she borrowed breads
from the newly weds.

Scarce milk,
no fried beans
and she screamed
like, in bad dreams.

Was this fair?
Death in the air,
life smelt rare:
all grief and fear.

Deceptive time
shows its might-
only a month,
all crushed and burnt!

WARCRY

The war isn't mine,
it is as old as the wine,
old as the cuckoo's song:
Spring's back, see the morn.

Swords and shields,
bows and javelins
fill my armory fast.
Warcries and songs,
big drums and horns
adorn my batallion vast.

I chose this fight.
I know what's right.
History may turn old.
I'll stay strong and bold.
I bear no fear,
unto victory I steer.
Death is but an illusion.
This war is my salvation!

TRUTH OF LIFE

Mishra Ji is the most popular priest in the colony, because he does rituals for the poor too. He doesn't accept a coin from them.

That day, Mishra Ji's daughter, Rittika, was getting married. He was happy but his instants of joys were interrupted by impulses of sadness as he sat infront of his wife's photograph. He moved his fingers over the photo as if he could feel her, and tears rolled down his face. Rittika was not just his daughter, but, she was like a mother to him. From breakfasts to medicine, she took care of everything. Now, she is leaving, and Mishra Ji felt strange.

But he must tell her the truth now. He is already in his late sixties. God may send his messenger anytime soon. Anyway, he was contented with his life. He has got the best of joys, and a beautiful angel in Rittika. 

But, how shall he approach her?

If she breaks down?

If she never forgave him?

How will he live his remaining days with her anger?

It was his fear of letting her go that he did not disclose this to her.

But this wasn't the time to think for himself. She deserved to know. Mishra Ji kept the photograph on the table. He was beginning to stand up when Rittika entered the room.

"Papa, what are you doing here? My friends wish to greet you. And uncle has arrived. He looks superb!"

Saying this, she heartily laughed. She was happy.

"Beta", Mishra Ji uttered.

"Yes, Papa. Are you feeling okay? Ah! Do not tell me you forgot the meds."

"No, Beta. I am fine. I need to tell you something."

"Papa, I know. Every father speaks to his girl before the marriage. You've already told me those ideal advice. You worry so much."

Rittika's joys made things difficult for Mishra Ji. He simply smiled.

"Ok. Let's go now. They are waiting." Rittika was in a hurry.

Mishra Ji chose not to speak. But then...
"Beta, listen to me once. It is important." insisted Mishra Ji with a voice of reluctance.

Rittika paused. This did not seem the usual talk.

"Yes, Papa." She held his hands.

"Beta, this is one thing I have been trying to tell you since long. But I hope today is the time to speak the truth to you. You deserve to know."

"Yes, Papa."

"Beta...you are not our biological daughter. You were adopted. But, I promise this adoption never came in the way of loving you more than my daughter. I know you must be..."Mishra Ji could not complete his words and broke down.

"Papa," Rittika said in a calm tone,"I know that." And she smiled.

Mishra Ji was shocked. He just looked at Rittika and spoke nothing.

"Papa, Maa told me on her deathbed. She asked me to look after you and never to let you know that I know this."

Mishra Ji listened.

"I have never felt anything different from being your daughter, Papa. In fact, I am fortunate to get someone like you and Mom. The adoption is only a piece of paper for me, nothing else. Your parenthood is more than anything I know. I love you both, and I am your daughter. There is no alternate truth in that."

Mishra Ji felt like salvation. He felt proud of his little girl.

"So, now, Pundit Ji" Rittka said cheerfully, "You set aside these stupid thoughts because Ballu has already started stealing the ladoos from the kitchen. Aunt Misi is troubling the cooks for not putting extra flour in those bhatures, and I am going mad at Simpi for not bringing my earrings on time. You have a hell lot to catch up with."

Mishra Ji hugged his daughter.

He adjusted his dhoti and shouted,"Ballu. I will lock you up in the store if you do not stop stealing."

Notes (for non-native speakers): 

1. ladoo: round Indian sweet made with various ingredients.

2. dhoti: a white piece of Indian wear for men, used to drape around the body down from waist to legs.

3. bhature: flour made round flat pieces, oil fried.

THE PROFESSOR'S DREAM

June 12, 2019

Prof. Verma walked with a gentle pace to attend to the doorbell. There was a young man standing with a folder in his hand and wide smile on his face.
He bowed down to touch the professor's feet, and said, "Sir, this is Sohum Koushik, Batch of 2012, Mechanical Engineering."
"Please come inside. Although I can recall not much, but it is nice to see you again."
"Sir, I understand that. I was not the brightest in class. Managed to get one point above the average." smiled Sohum.
"Ah! It is fine. Grade points do not matter if you have ideas. Finally, if you are satisfied enough to have a peaceful cup of coffee in your retirement days, it means you have done good on this planet." The professor laughed.

"Sir, this is why I admire you. That is why I have come here to see you. Mother says that the one who teaches the principle of life is someone you must always be grateful to." said Sohum.

"Oh! I feel so great. What do you do now? IT or core?"

"Sir, I have co-founded an organization with my friend. We develop machines for organic farming right from sowing to harvesting. We have co-operative societies which provide these on minimal rent to traditional farmers. Later, the products are sold online and offline. Our organization provides the online platform at zero cost."

"Wow! I feel proud of you, son. You are giving back in a nice way."

"All credit to you, Sir. During our final semester, you had asked if each one of us had decided on our next journey. I could not answer you then. I skipped this in the feedback form too. Everyday I fought with myself to get this answer. You had said that one day each one of us would know the purpose of our dreams. I had no dream back then. But that day came to me and I could finally decide what suited me. I have prayed since then that I shall meet you to thank you for those words. This brought me here."

Prof. Verma's eyes moistened with pride. He felt his life fulfilled. He said, "Thank you for your feedback, my son! This is the best till date."

KERALA COFFEE

How pleasant were those evenings
spent in solemn peace,
you by my side with the Kerala coffee
warmed on the earthen stove!

Fries with a pinch of salt
tinged our tongues and soul,
Your eyes beamed with dawn
as we forked on the same prawn.

What was it you kept saying?
Wish we could live for days
in the Island of the Unknown,
fishing on the love newly born.

I still enjoy being in your arms,
the evenings are still pleasant.
I will cook our fries today.
We will have Kerala coffee again!

WASHED AWAY

Sanjana started walking fast. She had not expected the rains so soon although she had come across some forecast of drizzle during night hours. The wind slapped hard across her face, and her clothes were dreadfully drenched.

"What an evening!" she thought. The day had already troubled her much. Now the rains...

Somehow, she brought herself to a bus stop. She sat on the bench, and tried to dry herself with the little white towel she drew from her bag. After a minute, she stopped trying, and simply sat there.

The air was still blowing hard but she felt a sense of peace. She stopped thinking of her clients at the office and paused her boss' instructions in her head. She ignored the thoughts of her failed motherhood and the society's ugly remarks. Back in her mind, she omitted everything that would make her weak.

Sanjana was beginning to like the rains. The rains which she was cursing a few minutes ago now seemed to accompany her. Kisses of the wind made her feel better. She must be thinking of good things. Good things always make life better.

Just then, her phone rang.

The other side spoke, "Sanju, how long? I have cooked pakodas. Come fast."

Sanjana smiled, "Yes, my dear. Reaching in 30 minutes." and hung up.

The rains made her realize that life is full of good things, just like the rains, a plate of pakodas and her dearest chef: her husband!

The rains washed away her pains that evening!

WHAT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT!

Just to save you time, this post is going to be short as it reflects on what we have not done in the past few years, jeopardizing the preservation of our Indian-ness, some way or the other. This 'Indian' thing, we are beginning to lose now. 

We are so accustomed to those social media posts on religious clashes, judging one another through someone else's eyes, attacking religions and retaliating with equal abuse, that we have lost the urge to discuss positive aspects on what this country is built of.

No one talks of the herbs of India. I bet the new generations are unaware of the types of medicinal plants which our grandmothers loved to cook. This may seem boring and all the more, less-broccoli-ish to you, but, this country has hundreds of herbs and greens which are native to this soil. I am not asking you to boycott restaurants and bars...no, no, I do not have a nationalist propaganda here. I write this as a common Indian. Frankly speaking, I do not myself know most of the names of these plants, but, this lockdown has exposed me to this thought that amidst all the clamour for rights and politics, we didn't have time to preserve this. My mother cooks some of the finest dishes using the local herbs and plants. These are delicious, which make me wonder often if these can be promoted. Of course, they can be. Well, do not look at these from the perspectives of Ayurveda. I know most of you are more inclined towards the matchstick culture rather than the earthen lamp culture. You need faster results. Take these as way of your food habits. Logically speaking, this doesn't even need to be invested upon: these are foods which can help achieve a balanced diet than most of the things on the counter outside. It is nature's gift to this land, and we are too westernized to know of them.

In the fights and riots for temples and mosques, we forgot to discuss about the architectural beauty of these monuments. We must have done educational tours to some of these places, but, perhaps, there is more we can do. Yeah...it is archaeology, I know, but there are pretty interesting things to extract from the designs of these structures. Everyone is awestruck when they see the marbles and granites in/on these monuments, but how many of us really wish to learn more of these? Not much of allied research is done on these structures. How many mobile applications have people built, which can explain simulated working of the structures at Jantar Mantar? Have you ever thought of these?

Probably, there are other examples of such kind. But, I have found these to be the most relevant. We need to talk to our children of these things. We need to speak to them of the marvels. As parents and citizens, we need to embed these into the bedtime stories. This land is blessed with the capabilities to learn from many cultures. Do not throw away any of them. It is never too late. We can still motivate ourselves to know what has made this country strong and beautiful.

LOCKED DOWN, NOT PUNCHED DOWN!

This post is in reference to What are you doing in this lockout ? Housework ? Creative activities ? Praying ? hosted on IndiBlogger. I thank the blogger who has hosted this thread.

This question is one of the most popular questions now, and has been put up by many platforms including TV channels. But, I am glad that this has been taken up on the blogging platform, because it reaches out to more people and most importantly, the content stays on the web.

I love explaining things (you got to forgive a teacher), but here, I shall move in points, rather than continuous content.

#1: Teaching! The lockdown must have vacated the colleges but has not stopped teachers from teaching and students from continuing their studies. I have been preparing video lectures for two engineering undergraduate courses, and sharing them with my students since the lockdown has started. Now, teaching online is extremely different from classroom teaching, because, you are talking to the screen in front, and you need to keep track of time. I do not prepare long lectures because students may face problems while downloading them, keeping in mind that the students come from various places across the country! If you ask me the experience, well, it feels good when students ask doubts through e-mails. A student's doubts are the biggest gifts for me, because it means he/she has gone through the lecture(s) carefully!

#2: Research! Being in the profession of engineering education, research is an integral part of self-improvement, and professional contribution to the society and country. I have consistently attempted at continuing my research with limited resources. I do not wish to talk technical here, but, I hope this is something directly related to the society. I, along with my students and a colleague, am designing a system which can judge the overall protein content in chicken egg albumin (egg white) and cow's milk using instantaneous electronic properties. This shall help the beneficiaries of the healthcare sector (women, children, sportsperson and the elderly) or any domain where food proteins are important. We hope to design an affordable device so that it reaches the common men. Positive results indicate a big 'yes'! 

#3: Household Works! I have been helping around the house, cooking a meal (am not a bad cook) and cleaning stuffs, now and then. I have selected a prayer book from our temple, and am thinking of digitizing it, because the book was written long ago and has worn out. Currently, it is unavailable in the market, and was published locally. Unfortunately, the author expired years ago. Written in my mother tongue, I think it is essential not to lose a book as such, which can act as a helping hand to many. I urge you to take up such activities using your scanner, and recreate worn-out books of traditional value. This will be a tribute to the authors.

#4: Magazine! We, a group of guys, had started an online magazine way back in 2014. We had kept the objective of uplifting new and young writers. The magazine is ad-free and entirely non-profit. It has worked like magic since we started! All of us belong to different professions and are working at different locations, but this is one bond which brings us together. You may read the magazine at: http://guwahatian.guwahaticity.in/. So, I have been busy now and then in preparing the next issue of the magazine.

#5: Blogging! Since I have been maintaining this blog for long, I have got some time now for adding content which is not otherwise possible during full-time working days. IndiBlogger is a perfect platform to read and respond to new content. Free from negativity around, it feels good create a new post.

The post ends here, but, your responsibilities do not.

I request you to act sensibly, and not propagate hatred of any kind during this CoVID-19 outbreak. The whole world is watching, and as Indians, all you can do is to refrain from commenting on stupid posts, sharing videos which may spark communal imbalance, holding rallies, moving outside without good reasons and creating ruckus of any kind. Before you do something, just think of the doctors and nurses who had not had a proper meal for long. Imagine the plight of the policemen. Some may be corrupted or you must have seen improper behavior from them, but they are out on the streets ensuring that we are inside. 

Thank you for reading this.

Jai Hind!

WHERE DO YOU BELONG?

Image by garyandrews from Pixabay

Where do you belong,
my warrior?
The restless winds
are here
seeking answers to
your sins
the borders impose
on your skin.

The blood you've rinsed,
the cuts you've cleaned:
how many confessions
have amputated your beliefs?

Hell is only six feet long,
three feet wide:
therein lies the peace
for which we fight,
death is like 
a poet's rhyme
there is a meter
but no lyrical time!

You are a hero,
my warrior!
You are a gem
of a kind!
No sins you possess,
the borders, witnesses!
Swords kill the skin,
not the might.
The legend stays.
We toast and smile!

PHAGUN: THE NIGHT'S WAIL

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

The Banyan twigs

broke the night's silence:

mysterious howls

of the Phagun

encouraged 

her night's wail,

and she woke up!

"Huh! Will it ever end?"

...

deaths and hunger

numerous,

troublesome wails

furious,
the moon half-soaked in

the air, 
all so wild and chaotic

just like the honeybees

lost in their little trips!

She decided

to stay awake,

avoid nightmares,

seizures,

and not think awhile.

She knew

she wasn't desperate

but was void of words

for herself, for friends:

unbelievable how times
had changed!

She stayed still.

The howls started

to enthrall her, 

the night seemed

so friendly ne'er.
Was it the druggish Phagun?
...

The feeble coos

of the pigeons

welcomed the Phagun.

This Phagun wasn't different:

creation's elements

conspired not to wail,

but, to sincerely convey:

Wait for your Spring

just like 

you wait for your morning!

ASSAM: YOU MUST HAVE HEARD IT ALL WRONG!

[This post is inspired by What is that one thing you would like to share about your village, city or state that many are not aware? Do you try to create awareness? hosted at Indiblogger. I thank the blogger who created the thread!]

Disclaimer: This post does not rant on the ignorant attitude of the people. It simply tries to make them aware that coming to straight negative conclusions, based on what their grandfathers told them about Assam, is nothing, but mild stupidity. I am not here to say that this state is the best of all because every place is beautiful and has admirable cultures. But, this place is still underrated and has enough reasons for you to fall in love with. With time, we are trying to establish ourselves in the world!

First of all, I would like to place a few misconceptions/ myths about Assam, which most people from other parts of India carry throughout their lifetimes until death, without visiting the place. There may be more (I have travelled less), but, these are some which I have encountered throughout my lifetime until this point of writing this post.

Misconceptions/Myths:

#1: Assam is all jungles and no civilization: At a time when the Mughals were imposing wild taxes on the Sultanate, Assam was enjoying the glorious rule of the Ahoms. So, the myth is all wrong in the first place. For people who have never visited the state (a visit does not mean that you spend a night or two inside a hotel room in the capital city), and relied on their grandpa's evening tales and political propaganda of Central India, and much more than that, have a hatred for the cultures of East India because they think that theirs are the best, you need to understand that we have more plants to contribute to Ayurveda than you can imagine.

#2: The Assamese and Bengali languages are the same! Just because the alphabets are similar, it does not mean that the languages are same. Yes, I agree and support the fact that we share linguistic similarity with the Bengali language, but, Assamese language has its own grammar forms. Both the languages have unique beauty! Since I can read, speak and write both the languages, I am the right person to address this myth! All Assamese pronunciations have soft 's', which, somehow indicate a pronunciation without the touch of the tongue to the palate (roof of the mouth). In brief, if you wish to speak Assamese, you need to know the use of the alphabets. Doing a crash course in Bengali will only help you in understanding fragments of the language, but not its beauty in entirety. You can simply imagine the difficulty when I say that I had to learn speaking the Bengali language (I love this language), and it took me 1 year to come to an amateur level. 

#3: It is not 'Asami'...call it Assamese or Asomiya or Asamiya: See. I understand your familiarity with words which you hear often! But, just like your English classes, where the words, 'herd' and 'heard' sound the same but mean different, similarly, 'Asami' and 'Asamiya' are different. It is 'Asamiya', not 'Asami'. Actually it is 'Axomiya' with a soft pronunciation of the 'x' but we do not mind at all even if you take the pain of saying 'Asomiya' or 'Asamiya' or the 'Assamese'. Do not eat away the 'tail of the word' just because you are lazy or ignorant!

#4: Assam's staple food is momos! Oh! My...my! If I start listing out the foods we, the Assamese, cook, probably, I shall have to bring my mother to write a blog on it. Yes, we love momos, and you will find some of the best momos here, but that is not our staple food. Our staple food is rice, and we produce some of the best qualities of rice with wide variants. We have GI tag for 'chokuwa' or 'komal saul' which is the name for a winter rice variety. The rice is special because you need not cook it. Just soak it in water, and consume it. Good, isn't it? Well, there are better things out here. We have varieties of vegetables and greens, and lot many ways to cook them. For non-vegetable food lovers, you will love the home-style meat varieties of chicken, mutton, duck and pork. You will love the fishes out here, particularly, the freshwater fishes. Have a taste of the 'masor tenga' which is prepared with fish and tomatoes/ tamarind/ 'thekera' (Garcinia pendunculata), and it will eliminate your 'wholesale' ignorance!

#5: Assam means 'terrorism'. I know most of you have in your minds, the old stories of terrorism about this state. My question to you is: Why did you never search for the positivity in the place? The state had incidents of terrorism in the past, but, currently, it is peaceful out here. You can get the feedback from your friends who visit the place, or those who are studying here. After coming out of the disastrous events in the past, the place has tried to catch on with development, and if the people of mainland India possess such mindsets, it will be difficult for the people of the state to progress.

I have finished my list of a few myths about the state. Let us now focus on a few more things which you must not have known earlier! I will not describe things which you usually find on the travelers' guide or the internet; rather, I will pinpoint some of the interesting bits! It will, obviously, not cover everything, but, let us keep the rest for you to discover!

The best Army Cadet at the National Defence Academy is conferred the Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal! Lachit Borphukan was a commander of the Ahom Army and led a handful of Ahoms in the epic battle of Saraighat against the thousands of Mughals, and gave the Mughals a taste of guerilla tactics, diversion intelligence and naval fights! And to add to that, he was sick during the war! While building the famous embankment at Saraighat to restrict the movement of the Mughals, he punished his uncle by killing him because the latter was too lazy to complete building the embankment. His most famous words were "The uncle is not greater than the country!" So, you have a hell lot to cover if you are to know one of the most interesting thriller wars of Indian history. The National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune, has a statue of the Borphukan ['Borphukan' is a title for an Army commander which was conferred by the Ahom king during their reigns.] 

Also, the Ahoms ruled for a period of around 600 years, one of the longest reigns at a time when India was invaded and looted. 

The Eternal Lamp, as I call it... We have the idea of monasteries (Vaishnavite) called 'Namghors'. One such namghor, the Dhekiakhowa Bor Namghor, located in the Jorhat District in Assam, was established in 1528 by Sri Sri Madhavdeva, a disciple of Srimanta Sankardeva, whose contributions to the Assamese literature and culture, are magnanimous. In this Namghor, there is a lamp which has been burning since its inception in 1528. 
Here, I do not like to emphasize on the period/ duration; what I wish to say is: imagine the generations of discipline being passed on, just to keep a lamp burning. That is a symbol of faith- forget religions and the gods- observe the practice; this is what defines a civilization. Discipline! And this teaches us of our ability to thrive on consistency!

A quarter of Makkah, and the Temple of Vishnu! Hajo is a place in the state which is home to a khanqah (a monument for prayers), known as the Poa Makkah (Mecca) and the Hayagriva Madhab Temple. 'Poa' means a quarter, and 'Poa Makkah' refers to a quarter of Makkah. So, it is believed that offering prayers here would gain quarter of the blessings for the prayers at Makkah (Mecca). An epigraph states that it was built during the reign of Shah Jahan in Central India. The Poa Makkah was looked after by the Ahom king even after the expulsion of the Mughals from Assam, and therefore, the preservation of this uniqueness of the place attracts people from all religions in the state. 

The Hayagriva Temple, on the other hand, is a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists. The location, Monikut Hills, finds reference in the Kalika Purana. Interestingly, the temple has a pond (Madhab Pukhuri) which is home to the black soft-shell turtles (declared 'extinct in the wild' by IUCN). People feed the turtles, and consider them as sacred. So, if you can link things to modernity, the temple here not just blesses people, but also, takes part in wildlife conservation! Must have been a news report in the media houses had it been mainland India, isn't it? 

Just a reference here: Jadhav Payeng, the man who built a forest: you must've heard of him. Well, he is one man we are simply proud of! 

Uddhab Bharali: the man of 'patents'! For those who do not know of this man named Uddhab Bharali, I would like to say that he is our 'Phungsuk Wangdu'. Having over 100 innovations for the masses, this man has been redefining traditional innovation since long. He helps the differently-abled people through his innovations. A simple and visionary Assamese, he deserves more attention than he has got, not for popularity, but to teach our kids what giving back to society means. And he does not hold high degrees and affiliations. He had to abandon engineering due to financial burden of his family, and later created some of the best machines India can be proud of! No doubt, he is a Padmashree!

Folks, did you have enough of Indian folk culture? The Assamese people do not represent a race or a caste or a religion. It comprises of tribes and the indigenous, people from different religions and communities, creating an amalgamation of some of the extraordinary cultural representations under the same umbrella. Bihu is the state festival of Assam, celebrated and observed three times in a year in accordance with the agrarian calendar. You will find much about 'Bihu' on the internet, but you must not be knowing the other folk forms. Assam hosts 'jikir', which are Sufi-like compositions citing the praises of the Almighty. The 'Borgeet' is a similar style of vocals and music customary to the Vaishnavite monasteries and institutions. The 'Sattriya' dance again refers to the dance form born out of these institutions. The 'Lokgeet' which means songs of the people or folk songs in strict translation, are mesmerizing, and will lead you through the beauty of the rural traditions. And believe me, these are performed by people from all sects and religion. You will find people conducting their researches in the universities here on these subjects.

The points I have placed here are only shadow of what the state is like. The common representative elements/ individuals of the state, like tea, gamocha (the traditional garment/ towel), bamboo, one-horned rhinoceros, National Parks, Kamakhya Temple, Majuli, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Pratima Pandey Baruah, Zubeen Garg, Papon, Anurag Saikia, Hima Das, and many more are what you will find on the web. 

I thank you for reading this post, and wish that you will teach your kids to locate this state on the Indian map, and tell them of the truths here despite the fact that they may not find these in their textbooks! 

Have a nice time!

জয় আই অসম | (Hail Mother Axom)

ALL IN A WHILE

In the dream
where Time and Fate met,
Time asked Fate:
Is this right, my Love?
Fate replied:
Alas!
This is supposed to be my Time,
how could I escape Myself?
Ah!
The world shall curse,
how shall I forgive Myself?
...
...

THE WHITE COAT

[This is a tribute to the doctors worldwide, fighting against the pandemic, #CoVID19.]

I didn't have a chance
to speak to you once:
last week was brutal
how could I call?
Your words linger
on the dinner table:
mother is strong still,
I lie myself every minute!

Your white coat stays...
the one you had forgotten
to carry that noon.
Liza wears and plays,
will be a doctor, she says.
I feel you in her,
wish not to lose her!
No...no...not weak am I,
I haven't shed a tear.
I wish not to let you down!
I hope you are home now
to rest your heart for now!

I write not for you,
am not good with words,
I write for our little one
as a memoir of this moment
of grief and pride,
pledge and sacrifice,
for when she grows,
she shall read these words,
and adorn the white coat
you had forgotten
to carry that noon...
that unforgettable January noon!
Adieu! 

CoVID19: LESSONS AND LIFE

[This post is inspired by What lesson do you think the world should learn from the Corona virus disease (COVID-19)? hosted at Indiblogger.]

This blog post is nothing new: it is a reminder or a redial to the things we know subconsciously, but seldom think of them. Probably, we are too engrossed in our professions, or we do not wish to think much negative! However, time and again has proved that being practical is equal to being sensible, and amidst all human emotions that exist, service to others is the richest investment!

When the CoVID19 broke out, none did think that an illness so casual shall challenge the basis of human existence. In times of technological advancement and biological excellence, CoVID19 was expected to be contained by the superpowers of the planet. Alas! The illness grew into a pandemic, and the disease attacked the basic involuntary actions in the human body: touching one's face, nose and eyes. If thought closely, regular human habits are a prey to this viral attack. It's plan of attack is simple, isn't it? And who thinks of cleaning face and hands every 30 minutes. It does not even qualify the unhygienic thresholds! Despite all irreversible, there are a few things which we may keep for ourselves to be passed down to the generations to come. Reading the content below may seem like moral science classes, but do think of the situation we are in, and try to relate it to the thoughts below. CoVID19 has proven that anything is possible on this mysterious planet!

Hygiene must be re-spoken! Hygiene must be re-spoken, and not re-defined, because our cultures have already mentioned them. It is with time, and man's blind dependence on technology that has made him complacent! He was beginning to think that every allergy or stomach upset can be cured over the counter or phone! The Indian culture and many of the Asian cultures insisted on cleaning oneself after returning from outside! We were doing everything perfectly but then, our stupid divisions of castes brought about superstitions and interference from foreign forces tried to prove that our methods were wrong, and things could be done much easily! We agreed because we had never seen deaths due to not cleaning after returning from outside! Well, here it is! CoVID19 will teach you! What about the Namaskar! I know there are high possibilities of some of you thinking about me. To clarify, I am not a theo-political freak who blindly follows some groups going about preaching cow urine. I speak on behalf of myself only after seeing the disaster outside my door!

Harming others is like subtracting years from your lifespan! This is a short span of life we have got. Instead of utilizing it, we spend envying others, planning revenge, outsmarting, bullying and judging people, asking their religions, fighting for temples and mosques, attacking beliefs, eating up money,... The list goes on. Mustn't we think of creating sustainability in the society, educating the literates, patronizing poor talented humans, sensibly using resources and not breaking laws on roads?

These are simple tasks, yet, they seem so ideal that we have replaced them with easy going ways! If the average lifespan is 60, say, doing any act to harm others is like subtracting a few years from your lifespan of 60. That is your effective lifespan on earth, and instead of using it for good, if you throw away for the sake of living it, then you are worse than the corals which 'die' to serve the ecosystem!

Being practical does not mean being 'emotionally active'! Being 'emotionally active' may mean both in the positive and negative senses. Positively active directs to the action of being overwhelmed with positive emotions like love, gratitude and supervision. Negatively active directs to the action of possessing negative emotions like jealousy, arrogance and sense of harm. Often, we take sides without learning the risks involved! For example, when the Chinese arrived at Italy from their homes after the Chinese New Year, the Italians hugged them to show support for the Corona virus outbreak back in China. This has cost them more than anything: an outcome of being positively active in emotions! On the other hand, a few people in India went out even after the lockdown was declared, carrying the risks of getting infected: an outcome of being negatively active in emotions. Being practical means weighing all possibilities available, and learning the reasons behind the result. We have stopped being practical because we have been feeding the media houses with our thirst for 'breaking news'. Anyone including me gets attracted to any news flashing on our TV screens, which are sufficient to create opinions silently sponsored by them. The lesson which we must take home is to include these in our education: taking up case studies and explaining to the masses through classes!

I hereby conclude this blog post. I wish you all, safety and good health! Hope the old days shall revive soon!

We only understand that life is precious when we see deaths around, and are reminded of our evil doings.

5 THINGS TO DO DURING CoVID19 ISOLATION/LOCKDOWN

Mankind is in its difficult phase now. The pandemic CoVID19 has taken an unexpected avatar, affecting much more than expected. In these times, it is appreciable that all of us have stood together, keeping aside our differences. Also, kudos to the people providing essential services to the society. They are fighting the war for us on a bigger scale, but, we can help them by isolating ourselves and break the chain of the spread!

It is natural that most of us must be feeling irritated at times during this isolation tenure. However, this time shall pass, and this is the best of all that we can do to contribute to history. In my opinion, this time can/must be utilized to discover the best in ourselves, which, otherwise, cannot be done amidst professional obligations and work. 

There may be numerous ideas, but, I shall list out 5 of them. They may seem obvious, but, I have laid it down for you so that you can have a headstart!

1. Explore yourself! You must have that 9 to 5 job or be busy in carrying out your businesses. However, deep down, you must have a wonderful hobby. If, in case, you do not, then this is the time to pursue one. Learn new things. If you used to write bad poetry in your college days to impress your girl, then, write again. Compile 20 of them, and publish them once this phase gets over. It is easy to get published these days. 

If you love baking chicken, this is the time to share your recipe with the world. Create a YouTube channel and share your knowledge. Or you can share your mother's favorite food and its recipe with others. 

Students who have just appeared for their high school exams can draw, record recitations and stories on phones and write for online magazines. This is the right time to get yourself involved in creating a positive space for all. Also, students may watch wonderful documentaries and interviews of scientists and philosophers, which shall help them stay motivated throughout life!

[Note: However, do not misuse social media to create nonsensical videos which frustrate people around. Do something useful! Evolve! Create!]

 2. Read, Read, Read! No doubt, reading makes a person wise! Read your favorite book, manuscript of research or film scripts or anything which can enthrall you. Do a review of these books and share with your friends. Or you can make a collection of good quotes from these books/ stories and create a newer version of a wonderful resource to motivate people.

3. Watch Movies! Movies are not mere sources of entertainment. They can create a positive impact on the minds of the young and old alike. People have started appreciating ideas after they have watched a certain film. Also, films are good sources of learning new words, and expanding your vocabulary. Anyone can watch films with this motive to get double benefits out of it: entertainment + knowledge! With many online hubs getting popular, good films are just clicks away! Share good movies with your friends, and appreciate the work put behind these silver screen marvels! 

4. Write a Blog! Start blogging. Blog is a wonderful way to make progressive contributions to your society. Use blogger.com or wordpress.com to write blogs. These are simple websites designed to publish your words in the form of a web-link. You can publish your hobbies and stuff (Points 1, 2 and 3) and videos/ photographs too. Try to do beautiful things for your people around. Share funny incidents of your life on your blog and get going! Sometimes, putting a smile on someone else's lips is worth writing!

5. Help! Finally, do not forget to help those who are left alone in these times. There are many daily wage laborers and beggars who will have a difficult time surviving. We know that the government is trying to provide reliefs to these people, but, as citizens, we can support the government by lending some of our stuff, especially, food. We cannot fill all the gaps but our help can give them the hope of looking for a positive future, and satiate their hunger for a meal or a day! You need not come in direct contact with them as this is the period of precautions. You can keep a table/ tool outside your home. You can keep packed foods on the table so that they can pick them up without coming in contact with you.

"The biggest weapon of mankind is its spirit of overcoming fear, and intelligence of waiting for the right opportunity!"

Thank you for a read. You are most welcome to add more to this list! 
Believe that you are a wonderful individual and you can do positive deeds for your people!

Stay safe from the CoVID19.