I was born at Bihar. The land which was once the epicentre of India's culture and prosperity. It is the land which gave to the world, the likes of Gautam Buddha, Lord Mahavir, Guru Govind Singh, Chanakya, Ashoka the great & Chandragupta Maurya. It is the land where people from all across the world would want to come and study in its prestigious Nalanda University. Bihar never disappointed any one. It welcomed & embraced every individual who would want to study a thing or two about the Indian culture & philosophy.
In my childhood, I always read that from kashmir to kanyakumari and from Gujrat to Arunachal, India is one. I was told to put the country before religion, region & state. I was told that Indians are very patriotic,cultured,kind and hospitable. I was also told that India is a beautiful country where you can witness unity in diversity.
One day I decided to explore my India. One day I decided to have a taste of its diverse culture, language,dress & eating habits. One day I decided to see the hospitality of my fellow Indians.
I went to the East. The land that is synonymous with art, literature & philosophy. I was very happy to be here but my happiness was short lived. I was told that I am a Bihari. I was told that I am from a corrupt & a uncivilised state. When I fared well in exams, teachers asked me if I had cheated ! I was heart broken.
I decided to go to the South. The land of majestic temples. The land favoured by Swami Vivekanand for his meditation. The land where people have still been able to preserve the Vedic culture. I was very excited to be here. But my excitement vanished in thin air, when I was made to realise that I was a Hindi speaking North Indian ! I had not imagined even in my wildest of dreams that speaking Hindi would be considered as a crime in my own country! I felt sad.
I decided to move to the west. The land that never sleeps. The land that is believed to be the most cosmopolitan place of my country. The land that is known for its struggle against oppression. The land which has transformed millions of dreams into reality. I was exuberant to be here. But soon my exuberance melted like ice! People frowned at me when I tried to celebrate Chath, a festival which I have been celebrating all my life. They saw it as an attempt towards polluting their culture. I was flabbergasted to know that a festival honouring the Sun god can pollute the culture of my fellow Indians, who read the same Ramayan & same Mahabharat as I do, and who receive light and life from the same Sun God as I do ! I was sad to know that the feeling of regionalism had not even spared the gods! I was told that I am a guest of this land & must behave like one! I was disgusted and heart broken on the fact of being treated like a guest in my own country.
Finally I decided to move to the North. The land of the kings. The land which has not lost its prosperity despite witnessing the barbarism of invaders for centuries. The land which is renowned for its versatility. The land that is famed for the colour, joy and happiness in its air. I thought I have reached my dream destination. The people looked like me, they dressed like me, they spoke the same language & they ate similar food. Finally I had a sigh of relief. But soon my opinion took a U turn. I was told that I am an outsider and should behave like one. And the person telling this to me forgot that once upon a time, even he was an outsider here!
I went into a deep slumber. I started questioning the validity of what I had read in my childhood. I started wondering whether I am an Indian first or a Bihari first. In the quest of my identity I decided to leave India and see what's happening in and around the world.
Today I am not in India. This is not my country. I am a guest here but I feel happy when people say that I am an Indian. I feel happy when they say good things about India. I guess this is my identity. I guess its the foreigners who have helped me restore my identity which had got lost in the crowd of my fellow countrymen.
I don't know whether the slogan of 'unity in diversity' is a myth or a reality. However, I know one thing for sure that I am a proud Indian and will remain one, till the last breath of my life. Vande Mataram.
PS: The article was written by the author when he was at Singapore. It comprises of partly true and partly fictitious incidents. The author wants his country men to rise above the feeling of regionalism and think like a true Indian. After all- united we stand, divided we fall.
Long live the Indo-Russian friendship
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| The architect of Indo-Russian friendship |
Russia and India have shared a symbiotic relationship benefiting both the parties. During the time of cold war, USSR needed a strong nation through which it could make its presence felt in the Indian subcontinent. While, India needed USSR to maintain an edge over Pakistan, which always enjoyed the support of USA. After the dismantling of USSR, Russia needed India to keep its crumbling economy intact, and India needed Russia for a Soviet era type continuous supply of arms and ammunitions. Hence, the ties between Russia and India continued to remain strong even after the fragmentation of USSR.
Unforgettable moments of Indo Russian friendship
1971, Indo Pak war was on its full swing. That is when USA, the self proclaimed policeman of the world, tried to flex its muscles against India by asking Task Force 74 of the United States Navy to sail towards Bay of Bengal. This misadventure of USA was cut short by our strategic ally USSR, which dispatched its ships and submarines containing nuclear weapons, in support of India. USSR was also instrumental in helping India in its endeavour of securing a place for Bangladesh in the United nations, thereby, sealing all the options for Pakistan to lay a claim on Bangladesh, sometime in future.
In the 80s, India urgently needed an air superiority fighter to counter the F 16s that were supplied to Pakistan by USA. It found the answer in the form of MIG 29s, which were supplied to India on a priority basis, even before the orders of the Soviet Air force had been fully met.
The success story of Su 30 MKI is another testimony of India's strong ties with Russia. India purchased Su 30 from Russia and converted it into an extremely potent bird by fitting Israeli, French and Indian components in it. Before the advent of Su 35, even the Russian Air Force didn't have any fighter that was as advanced as the Indian Su 30 MKI ! Compare this with the American attitude of not sharing the F22 (the best aircraft in its arsenal) even with its closest allies like Japan, UK, Israel & Australia !
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| A fully loaded Su 30 MKI : pride of the Indian Air Force |
"It is understood that in May 1997 an Indian Air Force MiG-25RB overflew Pakistan. The aircraft entered Pakinstani airspace sub-sonically at around 65,000ft and was undetected. Then having overflown and photographed strategic installations near the capital, Islamabad, the aircraft turned back towards India. Perhaps to rub Pakistani’s noses in it, the Foxbat pilot decided to accelerate up to Mach 2 and dropped a large sonic boom as he exited Pakistani airspace. A number of Pakistani F-16As were scrambled, but had insufficient time to make an effective intercept".
Mig 25 Foxbat : The legendary fighter aircraft
India has also been benefited by Russian expertise and help in the field of Space Research. ISRO still uses a Cryogenic engine that is made in Russia. It is believed that many Russian scientists and engineers worked on India's ultra secretive submarine project, and helped India come up with INS Arihant, our first indigenous submarine. Soon Russia shall lease its Akula class nuclear submarine (the quietest and the deadliest class of Russian submarines) to India. The indigenous Kaveri engine is often sent to Russia for tests. There are reports that Russia shall be helping India in building shore-based test facility (SBTF), which is critical for the flight testing of the naval version of LCA.
Today, the Indo Russian defence co-operation have reached a stage, wherein, India supplies to Russia, the components of Su series of fighters, that are exported to third countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
Criticism of Indo-Russian relationship
One defence deal for which Russia is heavily criticised in India is the Admiral Gorshkov deal. This Aircraft carrier has witnessed severe delays and cost escalations. Hence, the critics of Russia do have a reason to be unhappy. However, one must also keep in mind the fact that $ 974 million for an Aircraft carrier (the original price of Admiral Gorshkov), was a throw away price, and in a way, a gesture of goodwill from Russia's end. In an answer to a RTI request, Indian Navy accepted that the cost of Admiral Gorshkov was decided on the basis of a mere "visual examination" (perhaps because of the unparalleled trust between the two sides). At that time, both the Russians and the Indians were under the impression that some amount of repairing would make this vessel good enough to be used. However, only when the work started, did they realise that repairing alone was not enough. Many parts had to be completely replaced. And hence, the Russians were not completely unreasonable in escalating the cost of Admiral Gorshkov.
In the words of Vice Admiral SPS Cheema, an aircraft carrier of the size of Admiral Gorshkov is likely to cost between $3 - $ 4 billion, "and that too understandably without spares, training, infrastructure and documents cost". This is comfortably more than the $ 2.35 billion (with all the support & spares), which the Russians are now charging us for Admiral Gorshkov.
Some people also criticise Russia for the poor supply of spare parts and shoddy after sales service. However, we must keep in mind that after the disintegration of USSR, Russia was fighting for its survival on a daily basis. Those were difficult & uncertain days for Russia. Its economy was in shambles, its resources had got distributed amongst newer nations, there were reports of its scientists fleeing to foreign countries and its factories producing defence products needed to be reorganised & rejuvenated. Under an environment of such mayhem, it is natural for a country's service to take a dip, and Russia was no exception to it. Today, Russia has come out of all its problems and hence, we don't often hear about the problems, which were a norm in the 90s or early 2000s.
Conclusion
Any deal that involves two parties is bound to have its own share of differences and problems. Take for example the Hawk deal or the Mirage 2000 upgrade deal. We did face problems with UK and France respectively. Forget about two countries, even when two friends or brothers get involved in a deal or work together on a project, they do come across some differences. So how can we expect two huge countries like Russia and India to sign deals worth billions of dollars, in a manner that is as smooth as a butter!
India and Russia may have some minor issues at a microscopic level, however, at a holistic level, they enjoy a relationship that is not often witnessed in international politics.
The Indo Russian friendship has withstood many a storm and has seen many good times together. With the progression of time, our friendship has gone from strengths to strengths. From a complete buyer-seller relationship of yesteryears to becoming partners, India and Russia have crossed many milestones together. Today, India and Russia are jointly producing Brahmos and PAKFA, which is the fastest and the most accurate cruise missile of the world, and one amongst the only three fifth generation fighter aircraft of the world respectively.
Brahmos Missiles: A testimony of unrivalled Indo-Russian relationship
Both Russia and India are each other's tried and tested friends. Our relationship is based upon the virtue of equality and upon mutual needs & respect. Such a friendship is bound to get stronger and stronger with the passage of time.
References and related readings:
(1). History of Indo-Soviet military cooperation
(2). Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
(3). 1971 war: How the US tried to corner India
(4). Mig 25 Foxbat
(5). India to get Russian nuclear submarine
(6). HAL to supply components for Sukhoi fighters to Russia
(7). Mededev blasts Gorshkov management, asks them to hurry up
(8). Sam Manekshaw, Hero of 1971 war with Pakistan dies
(9). Gorshkov to cost 2.3 billion after negotiations
(10). Pakistan Air Force
(11). Top LCA-Navy team in Russia for talks
(12). Task Force 74 : Wikipedia
(13). Su 30 MKI : Wikipedia
(14). Mig 29 : Wikipedia
(15). Mig 25 : Wikipedia
(16). Admiral Gorshkov : Wikipedia
Why should one be proud of being an Indian?
- Albert Einstein
"India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition."
- Mark Twain
"India Conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border."
- Hu Shih, former ambassador of China to USA
Nothing better summarises, India & its contribution to this world, than the above mentioned statements made by some notable personalities.
The world would not have been able to progress from the Old Stone Age to the present day Cyber Age without Decimal, zero and Calculus, which were all invented in India. Arthshashtra, the first book of Economics cum Strategy Management was written in India by Kautilya. In ancient times, Nalanda and Taxila were the highest seat of learning all across the world. They were in those days what Harvard, Wharton or LSE are today. The mystic world of space and astronomy were first decoded in India. During the Gupta period, no one had to lock his house while going out, and no one in the village or town had to sleep with a hungry stomach. It was a period in the world History, where literacy, science, technology & arts were at their zenith. One may come across hundreds of mighty empires which flourished under the power of sword, but one will seldom come across an empire which provided the quality of life which Gupta period in India did.
Some of the oldest books of the world like the Vedas, the Ramayan and the Mahabharat were written in India. The knowledge & teachings of these books are nothing but India's gift to the mankind.
The story of King Harishchandra who was an apostle of truth & honesty. And the life of Lord Ram are an example for the entire world. How many 'would be' kings renounce their crown and wilfully go to an exile, to keep up their father's promise (like lord Ram did in Ramayan)? These are the values which don't just build a nation but do a world of good to the entire mankind. In other words, Indian history is not just about science, arts & literature, it is also about establishing a value system in the society.
Yoga which has become a fad in the world today, originated in India. Aurveda, music, dance etc also originated from the Vedas. Look at the amazing temples of South India. They are architectural masterpieces and Engineering marvels.
Talking in terms of military warfare, Martial arts was first introduced in India. Tipu Sultan is believed to be the first man in the world to have used missiles. Today we swear by the name of Geneva convention, but look at the practises of the ancient Indian warriors. They would never attack an unarmed enemy. They would never attack an enemy who is running away or is showing his back. They would never attack someone who has surrendered. They would never attack anyone below the waist and they would never fight in nights. Aren't these practises good enough to dwarf the protocols of modern day Geneva convention?
One may finish counting the number of stars in the Sky, but he may still be left with many virtues of India, that are yet to be counted ! Since I am a petty mortal, so I am in no mood to undertake this impossible mission. I will better conclude this article through the following song from one of Manoj Kumar's classics:
Idol worship (murti puja ) in Hinduism : right or wrong ?
Artistic depiction of Lord Krishna's cosmic form
Hinduism is a religion which cannot be described in words, which cannot be confined to any boundary and which cannot be kept stagnant. It comprises of the oldest scriptures of the world, which have been guiding and nurturing people since centuries, and which would continue to do so till the presence of the mankind, through their ever evolving philosophies.
"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti."
"Na tasya pratima asti"
There is no likeness of Him.
[Svetasvatara Upanishad; chapter 4:19]
"Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam."
His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.
[Svetasvatara Upanishad; chapter 4:20]
"na tasya pratima asti"
There is no image of Him.
[Yajurveda; chapter 32:3]
"shudhama poapvidham"
He is bodyless and pure.
[Yajurveda; chapter 40:8]
The answer of this argument is quite simple. The Hindus do believe that god has no form. He is Nirakar (formless). However, we also believe that being the almighty, he is capable of taking any form. And he blesses his devotees through the form, in which the devotees worship him (Bhagwad Gita, Chapter 11). That is why we worship him in the form of icons. Let me quote a couple of verses from Svetavatara Upanishad to support my point:
"Subtler than the subtlest, stable in the midst of great confusion, the creator of all, bearing many forms, holding the entire universe in his embrace, when one knows him as the auspicious, a great peace shall descend upon him."
"You are woman. You are man. You are the son and also the daughter. As an old man you walk with a stick. being born you assume faces in many directions."
(Svetavatara Upanishad; chapter 4:3)
Thus, from the above mentioned verses we can conclude that god has no specific form, but he is capable of taking any form. Hence, there is nothing wrong in worshipping him in the form of icons.
Unfortunately, there are a set of people who criticise certain practises associated with Hinduism, under the influence of their prejudices and biased views, and also on the basis of their limited knowledge of Hinduism. Murti Puja, which is better known as idol worship (referred to as icon worship in this article) is one such Hindu practise, which is heavily criticised. The aim of this article is to explain the logic behind Murti Puja, and to counter the misinformation that is being spread against this beautiful Hindu concept.
Argument against Icon worship:
Many people argue that the scriptures of Hinduism do not support icon worship. They quote incomplete verses from Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagwad Gita to prove their point, and to infuse confusion in the minds of the Hindus. Therefore, I shall explain the verses that are most commonly used by such people to support their casual claims.
The most common verse used by the detractors of icon worship is :
"Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste"
The twisted explanation of this verse, which they give is as follows :
"Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste"
The twisted explanation of this verse, which they give is as follows :
"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti."
'Sambhuti', according to them means created things. For example table, chair, icon, etc. And hence, they claim that when Hindus worship icons, they go against their own scripture. However, truth is far from it. This is neither the correct verse nor the complete verse. Needless to say, one must never get judgemental on the basis of incorrect & incomplete information.
The correct and the complete verse from Isha Upanishad is as follows:
andham tamah pravisanti ye' sambhut imupasate,
tato bhuya iva te tamo ya u sambhutyam ratah.
(Isa Upanishad, verse no 12)
And the correct translation of the above mentioned verse is as follows:
Into blinding darkness enter those who worship the unmanifest (meaning hidden self, the non being , imagination etc), and into greater darkness those who worship manifest alone(meaning visible world,illusion,icons, material wealth etc) . He who understands both unmanifest and manifest together, crosses death through unmanifest and attains immortality through manifest.
After reading the complete and the correct verse as well as its translation, one can safely say that, either the critics of icon worship have a very shallow knowledge of Hinduism or they are deliberately misinterpreting our scriptures, to prove their loose theories.
Some other verses quoted by the detractors of icon worship to prove that god does not have any form, hence, he should not be worshipped in the form of icons, is as follows:
"Na tasya pratima asti"
There is no likeness of Him.
[Svetasvatara Upanishad; chapter 4:19]
"Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam."
His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.
[Svetasvatara Upanishad; chapter 4:20]
"na tasya pratima asti"
There is no image of Him.
[Yajurveda; chapter 32:3]
"shudhama poapvidham"
He is bodyless and pure.
[Yajurveda; chapter 40:8]
The answer of this argument is quite simple. The Hindus do believe that god has no form. He is Nirakar (formless). However, we also believe that being the almighty, he is capable of taking any form. And he blesses his devotees through the form, in which the devotees worship him (Bhagwad Gita, Chapter 11). That is why we worship him in the form of icons. Let me quote a couple of verses from Svetavatara Upanishad to support my point:
"Subtler than the subtlest, stable in the midst of great confusion, the creator of all, bearing many forms, holding the entire universe in his embrace, when one knows him as the auspicious, a great peace shall descend upon him."
(Svetavatara Upanishad; chapter 4:14)
"You are woman. You are man. You are the son and also the daughter. As an old man you walk with a stick. being born you assume faces in many directions."
(Svetavatara Upanishad; chapter 4:3)
Thus, from the above mentioned verses we can conclude that god has no specific form, but he is capable of taking any form. Hence, there is nothing wrong in worshipping him in the form of icons.
Significance of icon worship:-
1.The idea behind icon worship is to promote harmony and brotherhood. Icons (murtis) are normally made of stone/iron or other hard objects, which is a reminder of the fact that, Hindus have such high respect for every creation of the god, that they worship even the hard objects created by him (such as stone, iron etc ) as the god himself. So one can just imagine the respect, which a Hindu will have for a human being, which is the supreme creation of the almighty.
2. While praying, one needs to meditate and concentrate on the almighty. Concentrating on a particular icon helps the devotee remain focused, and prevents their thoughts from wandering off. After constant practice, if one reaches an advanced stage of concentration, then he does not need to worship icons. For example, the Brahmarshis or the Maharshis, who used to go to the forest for tapasya, needed no icons as they could focus on shunya(zero). But not every one on this planet has such high level of concentration, therefore, icon worship becomes necessary for such people.
1.The idea behind icon worship is to promote harmony and brotherhood. Icons (murtis) are normally made of stone/iron or other hard objects, which is a reminder of the fact that, Hindus have such high respect for every creation of the god, that they worship even the hard objects created by him (such as stone, iron etc ) as the god himself. So one can just imagine the respect, which a Hindu will have for a human being, which is the supreme creation of the almighty.
2. While praying, one needs to meditate and concentrate on the almighty. Concentrating on a particular icon helps the devotee remain focused, and prevents their thoughts from wandering off. After constant practice, if one reaches an advanced stage of concentration, then he does not need to worship icons. For example, the Brahmarshis or the Maharshis, who used to go to the forest for tapasya, needed no icons as they could focus on shunya(zero). But not every one on this planet has such high level of concentration, therefore, icon worship becomes necessary for such people.
PS: Many of you must be wondering as to why have I used the term 'icon worship' instead of 'idol worship'. Well, one of my friends, Chris, who is a U.K. based practising Hindu, once informed me that when we use the term 'idol worship', many a time, the native speakers of English (citizens of USA, England etc), end up getting the impression that we worship false god (as the word 'idol' also means false). Hence, the correct translation of murti puja is icon worship and not idol worship. Please pass down this message to all the Hindus.
References:
(1). Isa Upanishad, verse IX - XIV
(2). Svetavatara Upanishad, Chapter IV
(3). Bhagwad Gita, Chapter XI
Related reading:
For more insights on Hinduism, please Visit Chris' blog:
Group Captain Sachin Tendulkar (Indian Air Force)
" I have seen god play Cricket. He opens the innings for India".
"If Cricket is a religion then Sachin is its god".
"Commit all your crimes when Sachin is at crease, for even the gods shall be busy watching Cricket".
These are some of the many proverbs that are associated with Sachin, who can now be safely termed as a Legend.
When Don Bradman, who is considered to be the all time best batsman of this world, says to his wife that Sachin reminds him of himself. And when Shane Warne, who happens to be the all time best leg spinner of the world, says that he gets nightmares of Sachin, then there is nothing left for any writer to write about this great cricketer who has troubled the statisticians more than any other batsman of this world.
Recently, this extra ordinary Cricketer received an extra ordinary surprise, when the Indian Air Force decided to decorate him with the honourary rank of Group Captain. This is what an elated Sachin remarked on learning this news:
"It is indeed a great honour that I have been considered for honorary Group Captain in the IAF. As an Indian I am proud to be associated with the dynamic force and I shall do my very best to be brand ambassador for the force".
What separates Sachin from most of the other famous sportsmen of his time, is the fact that he has never let the adulation of the fans get on top of his head. He is as focused on his game today, as he was when he first joined the Indian team as a 16 year old. This man has no private life. Every movement of his; is under constant scrutiny of the fans and the media. His smile can become a news and his missing smile can become a breaking news. Yet, he has never got involved into any unwanted controversy. He has always remained calm and composed in public. He manages his off field life with the same finesse with which he executes his shots in the Cricket field. Sachin is not just a wonderful Cricketer, but also a complete team man and a great patriot. It is no surprise, that when ever he is asked about his records, he stresses more on the performance of the team and victory of the country.
These are exactly the qualities which represent the values and ethos of the Indian Armed Forces. Therefore, the Indian Air Force couldn't have thought of a better person than Sachin for this prestigious post.
Sachin's association with the IAF would be symbiotic for both the parties. No award in Sachin's coffers can match the X factor that is associated with the uniform of the Indian Air Force. Moreover, Sachin is believed to have a fetish for speed. So a chance of sitting in the cockpit of one of IAF's fighter aircrafts and flying at a speed, that is faster than the speed of sound is an opportunity, which Sachin would love to grab with both the hands. As far as IAF is concerned, Sachin would do a world of good to them in terms of Brand Awareness and Brand Association. Just as Amitabh Bachhan's or Shahrukh Khan's endorsement, gives to their fans, a reason to be associated with Himani Navratan Hair Oil, similarly, the sight of Sachin in IAF's uniform, will give to his fans, a reason to be associated with IAF (Brand Association). In the past, there was a sudden increase in the interest of people towards joining the Territorial Army, when kapil Dev and Mohan Lal decided to join the same. Sachin's inclusion in IAF is expected to generate the same excitement and same interest of people towards the IAF (enhanced Brand Awareness).
A gift to Sachin fans:
Watch a very old rare video of a young and a shy Sachin:
Related reading:
The game of survival
One of the most stunning videos I have ever watched. Hats off to the man/men who filmed it.
The last scene is quite captivating. I was spell bound after watching this video so thought of sharing it with all.
Indo Russian 5th generation fighter aircraft flight tested
Finally the much awaited Indo Russian 5th generation fighter aircraft, PAKFA was flight tested for the first time yesterday. Here goes the picture of this beauty:-
This aircraft is being touted as the challenger of USA's F 22, which is the only operational 5th generation fighter aircraft at this moment.
The video of the flight test can be viewed here:-
The first look of this bird suggests that it will be an extremely manoeuvrable aircraft with a greater range and a larger weapon load than F22. However its RCS is expected to be higher (less stealth) than that of F 22. It would be interesting to see the serviceability and ease of maintenance of this aircraft. F 22 is an Elephant to maintain. Owing to its high maintenance and low serviceability, F 22 is often dubbed as the 'Hanger Queen' by its critics. Cost wise, PAKFA is expected to be much cheaper than F 22.
It will be produced in two versions. The Indian version christened 'FGFA' will be slightly different than the Russian one. It will be a twin seater (unlike the Russian version which will be a single seater). It is likely to have more composites and it will also have different avionics. India will induct 250 of these state of the art birds in its Air Force.
Salutations to Netaji on his birthday
Netaji reviewing INA troops in Singapore after formally taking command
Today is the day when one of the most valuable flowers of the independence movement blossomed in the garden of India. Today is the day when Netaji, the man who I admire the most, took his first breath in the holy land of India. He was one of the first Indians to have passed the civil services exam, but he didn't join it as he didn't want to work under the British Flag. He just wanted to show them that we Indians are not inferior to any one. He was the only man who could challenge the authority of Gandhiji in Congress. He managed to become the president of Congress even against the wishes of Gandhiji. It was an achievemnet in itself but Netaji left that position too.
There has always been a great amount of mysticism surrounding his personality. He was put under house arrest by the British but he managed to give them a slip . Thereafter, he went to Afganistan and then to Germany, met Hitler and then moved to Japan. Finally he formed the strong Indian National Army and fought with the British in Burma and North East.
He was an enigma in life and a mystery in death. Officially it was claimed that he died in a plane crash in 1945 and his ashes were kept in a temple at Japan. But many people were not prepared to buy this theory. They always believed that Netaji used this as a decoy to go incognito. Owing to massive public demand, three commissions (all at different times) were set up to clear the mystery surrounding Netaji's death. The first two commissions stated that he did die in 1945. But the last commission (Justice Mukherjee commission) stated that he didn't die in 1945. The DNA of the ashes kept at the Japanese temple didn't match the DNA of his off springs. Moreover Taiwanese government informed the commission that no plane carrying Netaji ever crashed in Taiwan. Government of India rejected the findings of this commission and thus the mystery surrounding his death still continues.
Journalist Anuj Dhar conducted an independent enquiry of his own on this issue. In a special series with Hindustan Times, he claimed that a mysterious sadhu named Bhagwaanji, residing close to Ayodhya, was infact Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. His full series can be read here:-
Incidentally, Anuj has also written a book on Netaji titled 'Back from Dead: Inside the Subhas Bose Mystery'.
Great men evoke admiration with their words as well as their silence. Similarly, they generate curiosity with their life as well as their death. No one can confidently say whether Netaji died in 1945 or not. However, one can safely and proudly conclude that this enigmatic man was an amalgamation of grit,determination and wisdom. And It is because of people like him that we are a free country today.
Jai Hind.
Related Reading:-
(1). http://www.missionnetaji.org/
(2). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Subhas_Chandra_Bose
Related Reading:-
(1). http://www.missionnetaji.org/
(2). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Subhas_Chandra_Bose
The power of sixth sense
Welcome to the future gentlemen. Pranav Mistry demonstrates how his 'Sixth sense' technology is going to change the way we interact with our physical world :-
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tv/TED-India-Pranav-Mistry/videoshow_ted/5231080.cms
Kudos to the Indian brain.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tv/TED-India-Pranav-Mistry/videoshow_ted/5231080.cms
Kudos to the Indian brain.
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