Its a shame although I have known for years or perhaps decades, and that too being an ardent, born and practising Hindu, I still finally got to read this lifechanging book only very recently. Reading for months now from my desktop Kindle. About to finish. Who am I to even review God’s own writing. This book is not fictional and this book is for those who are born outside the Hindu India to understand about the Hindu philosophy/Hindu Dharma. Why, even all of us Indians could make the best use of Shri Yogananda ji’s excellent autobiography – the kind of which I have not come across so far. Not that I am a voracious reader. Being part of the Hindu society makes most things familiar to me. Still the book holds my interest totally and I kind of don’t want it to end. I have been reading rather slowly for that reason. REason for my slow reading is that, if I finish a book fast i forget it in a flash whereas slow reading helps me retain the subject matter for long.
Anyway, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Nothing more to add. Except that, in this dry desert that is my second residence, I experienced a total of 6 rain draps in a span of 2 weeks. 3 rain drops during a walk before national prayers were called for rain. That when I checked with my spouse who was walking besides me was refuted by him that I began doubting myself. As if to confirm my doubts, the week after the national prayers, 3 more subtle rain drops fell on me. Both the times, as it is my practice, I was chanting the Lalitha Sahasranama in my mind. I chant Sahasranama always in my mind while I go for walks. For me, IT WAS LALITHA ANNOUNCING HERSELF TO ME. Just cool 3. No more raindrops. Nobody else felt them. Just 3 + 3 = 6 that grazed my skin so softly, so feebly ,and that too the first one caressing my crown – my scalp. The beauty of faith. I leave it anyone who reads this to believe this or not. But I don’t have to be reading Yogananda ji to believe in my Lalitha. I am enjoying Her subtle leela with me for years now. Very recently She gave me another unbeatable vibe. A stone is a stone if that is what you believe in. An idol becomes God when you believe God dwells in the stone.
Blessed to be born a Hindu, blessed to have been born in my punya bhoomi Bharat (India). My birth is probably REQUESTED. Souls ask to be born in my country. Evolving of faiths happens only with the arrival of the Avatars. Only Hindu Dharma has been NON STOP producing saints and avatars, hundreds and even thousands of them, for centuries and centuries now.
Before I close this post, I add one incident from a friend’s life story. Her name was Bindhu. She was my bosom school friend’s sister. We met almost everyday at school. We drifted apart. She moved to her native state Kerala. Worked for a central government department. Became a mother to two beautiful daughters. Just into her 40s, she was afflicted with kidney cancer. Died within 3 months. But Bindhu was a follower of Sri Sri. She had completed her entire course of Art of Living and had perfected a particular breathing (Yoga) technique. As the course progressed, she was becoming detached from everyone. The course seemed to have brought in a change with her. Before she passed away, she told her sister that she was peaceful, she did not fear death as she kept seeing her last 7 births then for sometime or ever since she was bedridden (for a week’s time). That made her accept her current role and her current body as temporary abode. Her sense of attachment at that point of time sounded shocking to her parents and family. Her sister and my best buddy until today, was stunned. I am using original names here. Once she was detected with kidney cancer at an advanced stage and was not given any hope, Bindhu went to see Sri Sri for one last time. Gurudev paused for a moment at a distance and looked away it seems. HE KNEW without being told – that’s what my friend says. And Bindhu accepted her destiny. After hearing this real life incident, I think of the mahans, India is producing even today. Sri Sri – for the first time in my life, I want to listen to his speeches and follow his Art of living. As I have already chosen a path to nurture my spiritual instincts, I am hesitating that’s all. All this I am saying, happened just 15 years back. This is the beauty of my holy Bharat.
You missed something so precious and unmissable in your life, if you don’t read this book. So, it goes without saying that there is no excuse of any Hindu skipping it or missing it. I am too late but better late than never.
At the back of my mind is always the omnipresent Lalitha. Its like I cannot shake Her out of my system. She is there behind my thoughts and actions; behind my every second. The books has widened my horizons of thoughts.
The swamijis of the last century: Shirdi Baba, Ramana Maharishi, Ramakrishna Parahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Shri Lahiri Mahasiya, Shri Yuketeshwar, Shri Yogananda Parahamsa, Shri Ananda Moi, Sri Aurobindho …. the list goes on and on and one.
Even in present times we have the Siddhas and great swamijis in our midst in India. Sai Baba of Puttabarthi is no more. His centenary anniversary was held very recently. Hindu dharma is the only faith in the world that has been producing avatar after avatar for millennia.
May Dharma prevail to eternity. Sanatana Dharma ki Jai (Hail Hindu Dharma)!
Watched the super animation flick during the 14 hour nonstop from the US to Doha as a lone traveler. It drew the attention of my next seat neighbour who gave me unbelieving looks! Well, I love children’s pictures. Loved watching ‘flow’ and ‘frozen’ with my granddaughter. Wanted to watch Moana too but my granddaughter is scared of Moana’s dad so said a big ‘NO.’ However the 3.5 year old can croon to most songs especially the Moana one (along with the Frozen) and I love watching the video of this sweet song that has captured my little one’s heart! Thanks to her I am getting aware of latest children’s pictures to which I am getting addicted! Leaving out the Lord of Rings and Harry Potter, I watch the rest made for kids. My son grew up watching Lion King with us parents who were also mesmerized by the Bug life etc., over 25 years back. Now its my granddaughter’s turn to lure me into amazing pictures made for kids! I loved the Frozen. The Flow, runaway academy award winner over Disney’s colossal blockbusters, rooted me to the couch in amazement. Never watched anything like that before. And you have to watch it with a toddler or a kid under 5! Missed Mufasa that my granddaughter watched in the cinemas with her dad. Thank god, I caught up with Mufasa on the flight! Loved every minute of that. The prequel was not only justifying, it was equally captivating. That it did not end up as disappointment, rather proved to be so enthralling is wonderful. Mufasa, Sarabi, Simba are part of all our families! Moana 2 was also there for in the selection in the flight menu that I gave a miss. Waiting to watch Moana 1 with my granddaughter first next year!
how my 3.5 yr granddaughter sings Moana! she made this my favourite one too!
This is a must watch for cricket aficionados. Picture made with the backdrop of rural Tamil Nadu where the game of cricket is like religion, there is not a moment of lull or what we call ‘thoivu’ in Tamil, in the entire film. Not sure when this flick was released. Another thing is, the story dwells upon the life and times of SC or scheduled caste people whose plight has remained very backward for centuries. As notified communities, they receive government quotas in universities and jobs which has come under flak from forward communities of India. In reality, in spite of the sops that came their way, the community drew courage to come out in the open only after the 1970s or so. Kudos to the film director who obviously must come from a rural setting himself. This picture to me came across as a classic – as classical as the Carnatic music and the dance form Bharatnatyam. Only the form of creativity is different. But the spirit in the picture is so invigorating. Nobody plays the victim card unlike in ‘Pariyerum Perumal’ (which is of different genre under same category), and the entire picture is on a positive note which is a welcome change in attitude for this community that is emerging from darkness that cloaked them for generations. After Dhanush’s Asuran, I swore never to watch a picture of theirs. Neither can I stand those directors like Pa Ranjith who made ‘Kala’ with Rajnikanth. You cannot justify by any act of violence, whatever injustice was historically done to you.
The forward communities of India are like the over-cultivated farmlands that have lost their soil nutrients. The notified communities of India are the freshest brains that when tilled can yield mindblowing yields. Super bumper harvests. Its like farming on a fresh parcel of alluvial soil that has never been sowed upon before. This is how I see the reserved categories of this country. They hold so much of promise for a bright future with their untapped potential. Backward communities are the future of the world as the forward progressive ones go stale with time. This is the law of nature and that is how civilizations rose and fell for eons.
The hero Harish Kalyan comes as a breather. This is my second picture of him, the first being ‘Parking.’ I get to watch such offbeat films only with my son who being the next gen knows what to pick. Otherwise, I am kind of blank on the current filmy scene in India except for the blockbusters. In fact I came to know that a hero called Harish Kalyan exists only 3 days back! He is a refreshing face. Not sure if he has some filmy background or support system. If he is a newbee who is completely on his own like Siva Karthikeyan, then my heartiest congratulations to him. He is a natural and he has a great future. In fact he could be the next Siva Karthikeyan.
A realistic film that totally caught me off guard. The fertile rural Tamil Nadu is brimming with innocence. Look at the most backward pockets in my state – and they are still doing absolutely well! It shows the healthy lifestyle of not only Tamils but also Indians in general whose lots have improved with times.
As a cricket lover, I enjoyed this picture. Without the knowledge of cricket, you may still watch it but you could miss some subtle nuanced cricket plays and terms. Some delightful interchange could be lost on you.
Highly recommended.
Watching a bevy of pictures with my son: PS1, PS2, Mei Azhagan (these 3 were repeats for me), Parking and then this one Lubber Pandhu.
This low budget picture which I learn was a box office grosser proves that you don’t have to be flashy, glitzy, sophisticated etc., to succeed. A shoe string budget can still give a slick flick with perfect script, story and screenplay direction.
Before I close, my heartiest congrats to the entire team and especially ‘Gethu!’ Heartwarming film. I especially appreciate the spirit and sensibility of the director in not playing the SC victim card but just throwing a hint to those who may not be aware of the community (that is notified in gazette by govt of India. ) Indian muslims can take a leaf out of this picture to appreciate the blessings that come their way being born an Indian citizen. The blue passport is much respected around the world.
Plus, wherever whichever corner of the globe you may go today, you see injustices. All historic injustices cannot be undone overnight. We have to accept reality but at the same time take care that WE DON’T TURN MONSTERS WHEN WE GO FOR WITCH HUNTING. This is what I liked about this picture the most. For scheduled castes of India, this must be an important reckoning. India a lot fairer country. Enjoy the motherland with open heart. Being part of the largest democracy in the world with the kind of inclusivity we have for the most marginalized, is not something you can find even in the first world nations.
Of course we can watch this picture for JUST CRICKET. Wholesome family entertainment with ABSOLUTELY ZERO VIOLENCE CONTENT OR VULGARITY. Characters have strength. And what a subtle sense of humour that flows like a steady stream throughout the picture! We can leave out the politics. My views are my personal observations, that’s all.
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Wrapping up the week with ‘Good night’ – another low budget family friendly lighthearted feelgood flick and ‘Thiruchitrambalam’ – surprise one from Dhanush who I steadfastly avoid. Along with ‘Thalaivettiyan Paalayam’ remake of ‘Panchayat’ in Prime, screen comes down for interesting tv show with my son in the US.
Watched this super animation movie at home over the weekend with my son and granddaughter. This is animation of another level. What a delight to watch the flick with a 3 plus little sweetie who thoroughly enjoyed it frame to frame! I could not decide where to focus on: on the antics of my little granddaughter or the picture! The film was an Oscar winner not surprisingly! A compulsory watch! Highly recommended. Imagine a 3-4 year old crooning to Moana and Bare necessities! Pure bliss!
Got to watch Meyyazhagan (or is it Meiazhagan) in Netflix and Amaran in cinemas today in Doha. After a long time, watching meaningful films without an iota of violence or sex felt good.
Meyyazhagan: Hero Arvind Swamy once our heart throb omg can’t believe! Now he looks like our neighbourhood mama but I have to agree that we all too have become typical middle aged mamis! Finally seeing Arvind Swamy like this was kind of satisfying! Loved the flow of this picture which some found to be dragging and pointless. Exactly for me this was very much appealing. Such a ‘yadaartham.’ Kudos to Karthi who practically lived his role. Such a happy-go-lucky character. Is it a coincidence that he lands this kind of roles. After PS 1 & 2 and Meyyazhagan, one feels compelled to think so. He is too good and comes off as a natural. In PS I did find him to be a bit overacting. The overenthusiastic character play just fit him perfectly in Meyyazhagan.
Amaran was simply great. How many young men lay down their lives for Mother India so readily. And we are here squabbling about petty things living materialistic lives not even aware of the men who guard our borders so that we can go to sleep in peace every night. A moving picture throughout and a heavy subject, it brought instant tears to my eyes in some scenes. Wonderful or rather realistic picturization even if it may be make-believe sets erected for the purpose (for the climax scene for instance). How the director mobilized those frenzied crowds for some shots is unbelievable. Logistics simply beats the logic! Looks like a group of Kashmiris were brought to Chennai and were actually trained to act in the film! Kashmir has been Hindu for 10000 years. The change is there only in last 400 years. 9600 years of peace and 400 years of bloody violence. Tell me what went wrong there and why.
Adi Shankara established one of the (Shankara) Mutts in Sri Nagar in the 7th century CE. The dating is by the British historians. Poorna river was mentioned a a hundred kilometers away from its current location as per original Shankaracharya life history. The river probably changed its course after a few centuries. It means, the original lifetime of Adi Shankara as per most ancient scriptures, could have been around 1st or 2nd century CE or even earlier in the BCE but the British put it at &th century CE. Anything older than Christ they cannot admit! For them world functioned only since Jesus came to earth! So the Shankara Mutt in Sri Nagar is that historic. For whatever reasons, Adi Shankara got the vigrahas (idols) back to Sringeri. It is said that he had visions of Islamic invasions and feared the destruction of shrines, so after establishing the mutt, he got back the original moola vigrahas back with him. You cannot disconnect history completely from the land. Even today Hindus continue to live in Kashmir. In last few years, Kashmir is thankfully returning to normalcy shedding violence. This is mostly growth driven. Economics is the base reason for trouble in any part of the world.
So many young lives wasted out there. Its deplorable that young men in productive age take to stone pelting and arms training and terror there completely misled by the militants. Generations of Kashmiris have lost their way and their lives for this reason. If you cannot co-exist with fellow Indians, you cannot live with anyone else in the world. But the picture is amazingly neutral. We have to give credit to the producer-director and for the screenplay-dialogue writer for carefully steering away and staying clear of politics, especially international politics. Not once Pakistan is mentioned or even hardcore terror is mentioned. No reference to religion. Maintaining that neutrality is very tough given the scene of action. I liked the way they treated this subject lightly yet profoundly. It shows that you can treat sensitive subjects so thoughtfully without having to affect anyone badly. Its important for those in media and in entertainment industry to stay unbiased and neutral. Its understandable why there is this representation angle even in Hollywood pictures giving token representation to every single minority group. That inclusiveness is what will sustain peace in the world.
Having said that, proud to be born in this punya bhoomi Bharat (INdia), the one and only country in the world with 10000 year unbroken Hindu civilization. Richest culture, rich in every way. I don’t want my nation to chase plastic prosperity. May humanity and culture prevail which are the best gifts we can leave for our future generations. Its okay when you are lived-in for millennia and millennia, you tend to be overcrowded and poor. My heart swelled in pride seeing how the sons of Bharat, Mother India, are defending her, laying down their lives in her defence. Not everybody is after money. Armed forces are one of India’s poorest paymasters. Services are not exactly lucrative. Yet when young men and women want to choose serving in our armed forces, it means they put nation first. If India can get aggressive at all, if Hindus can get aggressive, then it means its for a very good reason. I don’t want to talk more on Kashmir than this. But not a square inch anyone can wrench from India: our brothers and sisters in armed forces will see to that our territorial integrity is protected whatsoever and howsoever.
Finally, Major Mukund Varadarajan will be remembered as one of the bravest and selfless sons of India. You feel guilty and sad that such a young and brave life is snuffed out so early. Fate is cruel. My heart goes out to Indhu and and their little daughter.Theirs is a beautiful and inspiring love story.
Sai Pallavi slayed it literally! Siva Karthikeyan was good too. The one who played his mother was a pro. Was it Rahul Bose. He is probably curated for this kind of motivating roles. That the picture could be shot in Kashmir locales involving hundreds of Kashmiris by a Tamil director-producer from down south with a dusky hero, is testimonial to the fact that Kashmiris are changing for the better and are with India. I can’t believe the Kashmiris turned up in droves to partake in the filming of such a courageous story. It means they belong with rest of India without a second thought.
Sai Pallavi – the natural beauty with no make up, no glossy costumes, simply down to earth and such a natural all the way with no faking: she is my kinda heroine! After seeing the loud brashy types jingling with no stuff, she comes across as someone with grace and substance and of course, understated elegance.
I can’t help thinking about the spirit of our men who work in some of world’s harshest conditions to make life better for their beloved ones back home. I hear all the time about those working in oil rigs etc., at a 70 C temperature in peak summers. Rest of us can fly to our vacations because of these men.
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Happened to read this online although never got to watch ‘Aadujeevitham.’ Its heartwrenching real life story based in Saudi. It suffices to say that until this day, we have Najeebs still suffering for no fault of theirs in Arab states. This Najeeb was lucky to get liberated after all his ordeals. Its a miracle he survived not only his master but also the harsh living conditions and his adventurous escape panning the most horrid and arid deserts of the world, one fine day. His trek through this uninhabitable scorching sand dunes lasts for weeks. His goat days unwittingly prepare him for this desert voyage just like his underwater tough existence prepared him for his goat days. His mental balance is admirable and his physical fitness cannot be underestimated given the poor nutrition he ingests by way of sparse food intake. Finally his freedom from the Saudi jail becomes the true godsend. It crushes our heart to learn that he has been held as illegal labourer after all by his employer, without a proper licence. Through all this I could not help noting how devoted Najeeb is. How he pins every responsibility on Allah and pardons every single offender with a grace that is extremely rare to find. He only bemoans his own fate never someone to come up with accusations. Its a big takeaway for me really. In short, Najeeb comes across as a very sweet soul. For the kind of torment he is subject to, anyone could be ending his life or ending up like his predecessor buried beneath the desert soil. For a soft creature, Najeeb also comes across contrastingly as an emotionally intelligent person who learns how to wait it out patiently and when to play his cards smartly. He makes his calculated moves avoiding risks. His calm acceptance of his situation, resigning to reality and then working doggedly but quietly towards a solution speaks volume about his strength of character. Even the book is a very reluctant version of the statement pried out of real life Najeeb after repeated appeals by the author. Najeeb’s personality is also enhanced from the fact that he is not glorifying his heroic adventure but wants to stay low key.
Only yesterday, I was reading about the Kerala maid sentenced to death in Yemen, because in her attempt to flee from her torturous employer, she had to end his life. What drives the employees to such a sad state of affairs losing self-control. What brings out their wrath. In the circumstances it helps to remember those like Najeeb who retained his sanity and wisdom under most trying conditions. Its his life saver.
Those in the lowest levels of hierarchy sometimes undergo the worst experiences in middle east. Their semi-skilled state makes it easier for exploitative employers to manipulate them and use them to their advantage. I hear many sob stories emanating from the Middle east. But the Goat days by Benyamin which was originally penned in Malayalam is a nightmare unlike anything I have come across. HOwever let not some unfortunate cases let you imagine the worst about gulf states. YOu have to remember that millions of Indians also at the same time make it good here and happily make the GCC nations their second home. Even in Malaysia, a friend’s employers took possession of the family passports as far back as in the year 1997. And this was that of a working professional. Legally its an offence in all these countries trying to strip of their employees of their basic human rights. Expats first much educate themselves about their own rights. Secondly, always stay connected with the embassy at least online. Staying in touch with the NRI community is a must for your own safety. Thirdly, air your grievances immediately and seek solutions. Or spread the word. Appraise someone of your living conditions. Have your communication channels open for instance with the local grocery, your co-workers etc. IF something is fishy, REPORT to the embassy or High commission or fellow NRIs. It may save you from tricky situations. Keep your family updated and equip your family to act on behalf of you if they don’t hear from you.
Again, we find Indians as top CEOS of banks and hypermarket chains and industrial houses in the middle east. Even hospitals and academies and schools and other businesses are founded and managed and headed by Indian nationals. We don’t find Indian labour much because, INdian labour is supposedly expensive. Even 25 years back in Malaysia I was told that Indian labour is unaffordable, so the cheaper alternatives such as Pakistanis, Bangladeshis were the options. Semi-skilled labourers like aircon technicians, plumbers, electrical workers, supervisors etc., may be the lowest rung of Indians employed in the gulf states. You can’t even find fellow Indians as billing clerks or selling garments and lipsticks in the malls. To that extent, the Indian employment levels have improved and gone far ahead. Indian medicos are most sought after. Indian restaurants are the most crowded. Normally we have only mostly good stories to relate. Very few unfortunate cases are out there calling for our attention.
Those like Najeeb must have ended up in the sorry state because of the cunning of some unscrupulous recruitment agents. Indian govt banned Indian women from working as maids since long. Those Indian ladies who find employment in foreign countries as househelp do it illegally. You cannot find INdian women working as housemaids in any part of the world. However poverty may push some women to get work visa in one category and work as housemaids in reality. Same may be true about Najeebs of middle east. Those who end up in such tragic situations must have violated the stipulated norms of Indian government for NRI workers.
You are talking about Najeeb. What about the Kerala women and women from Pakistan, Nepal etc., who end up in the red light districts of Dubai etc. Women don’t get employment permit generally in the gulf states. They are eligible to work only as nurses in hospitals or teachers. Other working women in middle east normally are on dependent visas of their husbands. From the point of employment, their visa status may change. But we hear stories of Kerala women getting work visas in gulf states and ending up in forced prostitution. Once they go into that line, there can be no turning back. Although I have not directly come across any such case, these news keep floating in NRI circles always. Women are the worst victims. They may be recruited as staff nurse but be held as hostage and introduced to flesh trade as bonded labour. Fearing persecution of the society, they resign to their destiny. Women must double check their employer credibility before taking up an oversees job. But again, these are semi-literate, semi-skilled women dying to make a killing in middle east. They won’t listen to words of wisdom.
This book fascinated me as we have made middle east our second home in last some 15+ years. NRI now since 1997-98 although I keep shuttling between Chennai and middle east. There is good and bad everywhere, is all I can say.
I have to round up the review (if I can call that) with the observation that I find it really strange that someone like Najeeb who is the son of the soil living so close to the holy abode of Lord Aiyappa must be a follower of Islam. It really makes no sense to me at all. Some countries like the Philippines for instance have no god so they have embraced Christianity in total. Bharat is the cradle of human civilization. Hindu Dharma is the mother religion for other faiths that are too new. If you have to find god in the deserts of Arabia forgetting your local deities, then I guess everything you do has to be removed from reality. The master of Najeeb is the reality check for Indian muslims. Kerala people are obsessed with gulf money. Although we ourselves may have made our livelihood from middle eastern job, I am very proud of the fact that my home state Tamil Nadu contributes to LOCAL ECONOMY and those in my state have built their lives from contributing to domestic growth paying taxes. Kerala is superficial in everyway. No local glory. Shut out the gulf channels. They are finished. Tamil Nadu on the other hand like the other states of India, is economically independent. We have a robust and well oiled machinery of manufacturing and production line and employment systems that guarantee the livelihood of millions. We create job opportunities and engage the masses productively which is important in the long run to maintain balance and prosperity. Overdependency on foreign sources can make you vulnerable to transitions at a later stage. Loyalty of Kerala muslims is NOT to Allah but for the dirhams that come with their middle-eastern positions. Life is much easier. But remember, there are millions of Hindus who also make a living in middle east, entirely employed on MERIT basis. These Hindus are mere employees and their loyalty shall always be with Dharma and India. You don’t have to become the slave to your employer. You can retain your dignity. It irritated me to read how Najeeb for no reason other than Islam tolerated the utterly inhumane treatment meted out to him. Would the same Najeeb have put up with his situation had his master been a Hindu and the setting was somewhere in Rajastan in India?
That is why I say, nobody can be loyal to India the way we Hindus are. Nobody can love India the way Hindus will. And nobody can bomb India and damage-destroy India the way Indian muslims can! Nobody can betray India like the Indian muslims would – not even the Indian christians. The Indian christians are an educated lot. They use their brains. There was also this news yesterday in the media: of how 10 Indian muslims set fire to forest reserves in Uttarkhand. If anyone is capable of this kind of sabotage to the mother country where they eat their food, sleep on the earth and breath the air, it is the muslim ummah. Loyalty and gratitude have no meaning in their dictionary. If world is taking a critical view of the muslims, its not without reasons.
REading the Goat days, my heart ached because I am human and human suffering does not make me differentiate between people. I find Najeeb to be an exemplery character. His is a beautiful soul. It does not matter to me whether he is muslim or Hindu. But it also pained me to note that so much of a Kerala muslim’s faith, loyalty, gratitude etc., lies with the merciless Arab to who he will remain nothing but the underdog forsaking dignity. Converts are the worst hypocrites you may come across.
Having said that, hats off to the Indian embassy. So many nations don’t care. But India takes best care of her citizens in whichever part of the world they may be. We have even insurance covers now. A tremendous spade work was done in this regard by Smt Sushma Swaraj who was our external minister. Last heard, even rich arab sheikhs now prefer enrolling their kids in Indian CBSE schools that charge a single digit fraction of the kind of fees levied by international schools. And kids attending Indian schools have the competitive edge like none other. You also see the Hindu mandir coming up in Abu Dhabi. There are two sides to every coin. But being an Indian citizen, you know you are in far more advantageous position than other nationalities. If a Najeeb still happens, its because of the foolishness of individuals in which governments have no role to play.
I am re-blogging what I did in 2015 in yet another blog of mine. Poachers is the inspiration.
Book Review: ‘The Tusk That Did The Damage’ – by Tania James
August 29, 2015
ELEPHANT POACHING RESUMES IN KERALA/INDIA?
Felt a strange ‘deja vu’ reading this book. Read the excerpts in ‘The Hindu’ over an year back I guess. The synthetic achchan, Shakti mustard oil, sambar masala, the name Ravi Verma and then the mention of (some random) blogger and a few more could be the reason. Quickly checked out the first publication date: 2015 it says.
At the outset I believed the book was authored by an American American (!) I mean a caucasian so were surprised beyond limits that tusker names like Sooryamangalam Sreeganeshan must roll out so freely from the author’s imagination/research. This is possible only if you have an intimate knowledge and familiarity with the terrain and that kept playing at the back of my mind. The exact depiction of Kerala landscape, people, culture, toddy (!), elephants, wildlife parks everything was perfect. It was only when I was in the last 10 pages I cared to look up the author. Not a surprise that Tania James is an Indian American with roots in Kerala.
Aware of elephant torture in our temples, I still believed elephant poaching was rarest in India unlike it is in Africa where rampant hunting down of the species threatens the globe with their inevitable extinction in near future. Tampering/trespassing with forest/wildlife reserve and/or any illegal encroachment is a serious criminal offence in the country. I have observed from an NH project how even the highways are planned and mapped taking into due consideration the habitats of the native species and the flora & fauna of the land. The impression was, poaching stopped with the British barring one or two exceptional cases here and there. Natives have captured stray elephants to train for battles, festivals in the past but rarely for tusks – or it was so believed.
So almost after a clean dry period of 20 years, poaching has shockingly resumed in south Indian forests with forest officers hand in glove with poachers in the inhumane, dastardly act.
Indian elephants register casualty in unnatural circumstances owing chiefly to electrocution (by electric fences installed by industrious farmers) and rail accidents but elephants being poached in India in recent times is bothersome and shocking news. Elephant death statistics have recorded a zero to bare minimum under poaching so as not to make a headline. Until I read the book, I had assumed elephants were safe from poaching in India, with only our tigers having to live under the scare. Single-horned Rhinos of Assam for another.
So the book has arrived just at appropriate time as a caution. A thorough investigation is mandatory in the poaching issue and offenders must be brought to book. Repeat offenders must be dealt with severely and if there does exist a network as alleged/illustrated in the book upto Dubai for tusks, the angle must be explored by all means.
The story is a moving narration, first person accounts of an innocent and aspiring young man, a woman film maker and the rogue elephant itself. Reminded of the tamil film ‘Kumki’ and to a certain extent couldn’t help wondering if the picture could have been a major influence with the book. Good sense of humour the author has interspersed through out the book. That helped in lightening up tense situations as the story was otherwise like one very serious affair.
My empathy is with Indian Elephants always- such a sad species. When the ‘gravedigger’ is made an orphan, it broke my heart. Every elephant killing is like driving a spear through my heart. To fell such a magnificent but a benign beast, one has to be a monster. Evil personified. Its not a matter of will power or skill. Its a matter of one’s heart. For what I hold for the Elephant is reverence, awe, affection. An elephant as we know generally is otherwise a gracious, gentle giant. Unless provoked, it never disturbs anyone.
I have had my share of jumbo safaris, elephants bathes but now regret it very much. Never imagined, how even the ritual bathing could be torturous to the animals. Someone tweeted: ‘Imagine yourself naked in a room and being fondled by a crowd of onlookers. This is how pet animals/zoo animals must feel.’ Ever since I am thinking about even the zoos. Zoos are not pleasant places but they are the last refuge when it comes to conservation of rare species going extinct which can be bred in safety, away from poaching threats. And zoos have to be financially viable so opening them up for tours is necessary. How the human wave pressing from all over could be disturbing not only to the pachyderms but to all zoo animals. Yes, why should we wanna go near the tuskers? We can maintain a distance with them and enjoy from afar. When I did my elephant safaris twice, I kept caressing the elephant head, for the love of it. Its long hair almost 10 cm tall in the head was so prickly and thick. It was then I understood why people wear ‘ananudi’ (elephant hair) rings. I have seen them in jewelry shops in Chennai. Even the mahout (pappan) asked me if I wanted an elephant hair as souvenir and I was utterly taken back. Plucking one from the elephant must definitely cause it a lot of pain. I touched the old lady (in Elephant Park, Munnar), gave her fruits and asked her if she would remember me. Telling her I loved her was important then. In Thekady to our bewilderment, 3 of us were put over a single male elephant. The keeper said, elephants can bear weight, can carry logs. True, the young male did not even heave a heavy breath on carrying us triplet. The burden was no issue I guess. But it did give us a guilty feeling. In Karnataka, limited myself to giving the elephant its bath in Kaveri. Recently from some Elephant Facebook pages I have been learning how Elephant Art (paintings by elephants), Elephant Safari everything is disguised and presented to tourists as acceptable/not inhuman. Good marketing by tourism industry with a keen business mind. In truth, even these are not appreciable. Wherever and whenever possible, the calves must be returned to where they belong – the wild. Elephants are not for our amusement.
Another thing, its irritating and again bothersome that wildlife must be so much photographed or filmed for someone’s thesis (for personal gains) or selling in the media (the telecast rights). Just how much revenue does our forest dept mint out of permitting foreign crews from recording the wildlife in their natural settings with their sophisticated equipment. Wildlife photography must be totally banned in India and elsewhere. Recall this from Night Safari in Singapore where we were warned not to shoot pictures in darkness out of concern for scaring the animals. But rigorous check was not carried out to see if anyone carried a camera. Some violated the rules and its true the night creatures panicked and scurried here & other when even the shots were captured in Night-vision mode. The purpose of night safari was lost.
Photography of trained/domesticated animals is okay perhaps. In Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nad, we boarded a govt jeep that screeched in maximum decibels that no wonder none of us spotted anything in the park. But in the reserve shoulder adjoining the park, we luckily spotted a herd of wild elephants browned with mud bath. It was disturbing to see that even these were used to traffic noise and human scent that the herd tore the trees and munched away the shoots and branches without sparing us a glance as if they did not care who spotted them or clicked them.
I don’t feel good watching wild tiger pictures. That jeeps drive so close to them and that humans are no strangers to the big cats is distressing. For personal victories and gloating over Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, every dude with a DSL cam heads to our national wildlife parks & sanctuaries for shooting prize winning pictures that he/she thinks are his/her trophies. Why do we want audience for everything. I find the idea unsettling.
Treetop cottages in Wayanad (Kerala) and Topslip (Tamil Nad) are always in our mind. This is a quiet and undisturbing way to observe and enjoy wildlife. I guess most sanctuaries in India including Ranthambore etc offer this facility.
Top slip reminds me of a friend’s experience. You have to return with your jeep/car by 6 pm to base cottage there, for elephants will be on prowl in the wild with sunset. The friend’s family could not. They were near the summit when they came face to face with a herd of wild elephants. The head of the family switched off the lights and the engine, downed the windows just a fraction to let in breathing air as the family huddled closer to each other in the car. They were surrounded by 10-15 big bulls and cows and calves who were feeling all sides of the car with their trunks. The family held their breath and sat immobile, going to sleep without a sound as hours clicked, hostage to surrounding inquisitive wild elephants. Wouldn’t have taken the tuskers a minute to upturn the car. Finally only around the dawn the elephants left quietly and the badly scared guys made their u-turn. Next day they were warned by the forest dept for overstaying.
The so-called wildlife photographers, in my opinion, do much more damage to nature that they say they revere. Their pictures with tigers & elephants shall encourage a lot more travelers into the parks which is not desirable. This is one ground where I would not want awareness in our people. Lesser the footfall in the forest reserves/sancturies, the better.
The tribals living at the edge of forests face not only conversion threat (by evangelists) (!) but also find themselves mired at the centre of human-animal conflict. It’s a catch22 situation no doubt. The delicate balance existing between them who have lived with nature for generations and the precious wildlife has to be maintained at any cost. One more survey to carry out: conversion rates of native tribals by foreign sponsored NGOs & missionaries. Curious why the author has not made a point on that.
The author’s fiction, even if imaginary, serves what purpose. One more filming with light flashes amid fast disappearing wildlife, one more DVD, one more research grant – filling whose pockets, boosting whose egos, to whose advantage. What did the wildlife or even the tribals benefit from the outcome. Wonder if a single rupee would have gone towards the Indian elephant that the filmmaker (or perhaps the author) professes to care for. Raising awareness is a point. There is enough awareness without having to make fresh pictures, without having to venture a further kilometer within Indian forests or hovering around frightened captured young cows & calves in nurseries.
I did like the part about reunion of separated calves with their mothers. This has to be given impetus and the ingenious way of not touching the calves with human hands during rescue is good. Even those captured/nurtured by human hands finally seem to make it to the wild which is heartening. The way it must be.
Do we have statistical data on captured elephants/strays in India. Data on temple/church/mosque elephants. Because in Kerala, even churches and mosques use elephants for processions/celebrations. What is the exact figure of temple elephants in Kerala/Tamil Nad/Karnataka or generally in India/South India. What about private ownership, licencees. Why has not the forest department come out with a table on domesticated elephant population. Why not make the figures public.
The book did make an engrossing read only next to ‘The Elephant Song’ by Wilbur Smith. The characters, the dialogues, the setting everything was natural. Tragic was the death of Mani-Mathai and also that of Manu but then by now I have had enough of fictions that I know the twist always lies in ‘punishing’ the ‘promising’ ones that shall leave the reader with a kind of longing… More tragic is the fate of the Indian elephant…
As a wildlife enthusiast and lover of the Indian elephant, I cannot thank enough the producers of Poachers (Amazon Prime), the mini series that highlights the poaching menace in Indian forest reserves. Slick and sharp, the episodes are to the point and cannot come crisper. Not a single minute of sag. Real life story. Before I proceed, all round applause to Nimisha Sajayan, who plays the Forest department cop attached to Kerala state. She is backed by a very well cast crew including the ones who play the roles of Neel Banerjee Kerala state wildlife director, and Alan, a part-time wildlife dept staff and IT person. Its heartwrenching watching this series, but is a must for wildlife lovers around the world. Following some elephant pages in social media, it was heartbreaking for me even recently to note the tragic poaching of three wild tuskers who towered to the skies, within the Amboseli national park range in Kenya, Africa. India is a natural elephant country so we know what it takes to have the wild elephants roam about our forest corridors. India without her elephants is unimaginable. I have covered quite a few reviews in my blog on wild life and especially on elephants/Indian elephants. Its no open secret that the ivory contraband smuggling goes hand in hand with underground mafia dealing in dope and/or arms. Its in national interest to see to that the nexus is thwarted. Funding terror can only be the next step away.
About Poachers, I have done this copy & paste job from Google:
The series is based on the real-life events of “Operation Shikar” that unfolded between 2015 and 2017, spearheaded by the Kerala Forest Department. Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) assisted in the investigations along with the police and others who risked their lives to unearth India’s largest poaching syndicate.
This article also may be of interest in this regard:
My takeaway from the series is the knowledge that ivory is also used to make small trinkets to instill interest in (new) (fresh) buyers hoodwinking law enforcement in broad daylight. This may be done by honing/sharpening the tusks of the temple elephants or elephants in captivity. Such a pruning of the domesticated elephant tusks may yield just enough shavings to cater to small buyers. There must be artisans devoted to the crafting art with the promise of a small/discreet market. Ultimately this may lead to sustained interest and big buyers who may be collectors of the exotic. So the only way to stop the tusk pruning of the tamed elephants is that, they may have to be let loose in the wild. NO MORE TEMPLE ELEPHANTS, NO MORE ELEPHANTS IN CAPCIVITY, NO MORE ELEPHANTS FOR ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. Destroy the ivory as and when found. China, needless to say, is the first and worst international ivory market. When buyers create a demand, a supply chain can possibly be established especially in weaker territories. Its one tough job out there for our forest department officials.
It was shocking to note that the big Ambani pre-wedding party had a prop of an elephant – drumbeating about the virtues of Vantara at the same time. How hypocritic. Vantara will be zilch investment luxury forest safari lodge for the who-is-who of India, no more. Very clever Ambani marketing. Looks like they took over 200 ailing elephants for the project from all across India. Anyone who loves wildlife, will never do this:
‘On Leopard Rock’ must have been posthumously published in Smith’s name. It is his autobiography. As a couple of his works as published/written/completed by third person after his lifetime, my favourite author’s lifestory also disappointed me thoroughly . I think its high time AUTHORS STOP AUTHORIZING ANYONE TO PUBLISH BOOKS IN THEIR NAMES AFTER THEIR LIFETIME. This is because I am sure, if the author may be around, he/she would be editing the manuscript until the nth moment. They may retract their earlier opinions, they may add more to the subject. Plus the pseudonyms of the fictions completed by third parties on behalf of original authors give away themselves. However in this case, my disappointment has got to do more with the author’s lifestyle.
Its true we must not associate the authors with what they preach in their books. Before coming to the subject, let me record here what I liked about Smith’s story. I liked his determination, self-confidence bordering on overconfidence! His fluid imagination and ease of language. His prose like none other! He chartered his own path and remained offbeat throughout his career. His AUTHENTICITY matters to me most. He wrote ONLY FROM HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES drawing very little or almost nothing from outside resources. This Smith reiterates in the last many pages of his book: of how it is important for writers to be AUTHENTIC AND PARSIMONIOUS – which means NOT DEPENDING ON INFORMATION SOURCES to build up stories. I think its a big takeaway for all aspiring authors. For me, even if I am just an amateur blogger, its a very useful tip. Even otherwise I don’t lift others’ ideas. But plagiarism is a big headache I know. There are quite a few who may want to slip into others’ shoes faking identities! The originals keep it low! One more thing: being parsimonious means keeping your resources limited, which is kind of akin to being authentic. Here and there you can quote and unquote but nothing more than that passing reference. We simply cannot hijack others’ imagination and intuitivity as our own. Only living a well traveled life and drawing from the experience of the deep well called life can lend your writing the stamp of authenticity.
Secondly I liked the zest for life in the author: how from fishing for marlin in the Atlantic/Pacific to salmon in Alaska, to hunting the king of the jungle lion (in self defence) and from skiing to snorkelling, Smith left no stone unturned when it came to living life to its fullest is awesome. This kind of spirit is infectious. It proves how successful he was around the world that enabled him to live life kingsize. Why he even owned a piece of exotic island in the Seychelles! Got himself a fourth wife half his age! But there stops the admiration for Wilbur Smith the adventurous author for me.
For all the African love that Smith professes and showcased in his works, and for the way he grew up and drank Africa literally, I wish he had done something more to Africa. It looks like he consumed every single penny he made – as connoisseur of choicest wine to big shopper and world class traveler that he was. True, creative people need an alcove to bury themselves in to discover themselves. Still how really empty and hollow his lifestyle sounds to my ears after all his heroics with words. From someone who talks too much, you expect REAL SUBSTANCE IN LIFE. Its not just Smith. Many artistes disappoint us with their actual persona when they cannot measure up to the image they create in the public mind with their works. Their selfishness bores you and saddens you after a point. Its I, Me, Myself out and out. Absolutely zero empathy for any cause. How Smith sounds almost uncaring when writing about apartheid in South Africa appears callous to me. But cleverly he seems to balance it with his reference to kinship with Mandela and at the same time Jon Botha who he incredulously credits with easing the racist policies. He never seems to take a side. He must have been one very politically correct fellow who bothered about only one thing: his name and fame and money. He though seems to have learnt his lesson rubbing shoulders with celebrities of America. In short, there seems to have been the big void of SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN WILBUR SMITH that sounds sorely disappointing.
Until he lived, I had not a single book of his unread. Post his demise, I found that the book published in his name WAS NOT REALLY HIS. Couldn’t have been. Someone killed it. May be a hired author. Or may be a similar author who was writing for a fee his autobiography from notes/manuscripts left behind, left out some good portions that would have shown Wilbur Smith as a better man, a compassionate, empathetic human being.
What always gets on my nerves is how these Brits hunted down virtually most of the stunning wildlife of Africa, India etc. In India, an Englishman drove herds of elephants into ambush and killed over 330 Indian wild elephants in one single day with rifle shots. Its a historical record. Today it is these people who are lecturing the world on conservation. The damage done to Africa is worse. The way Smith talks about his landed estate in Africa also got under my skin. Whose bloody property! Finally he seems to have moved to UK – which sounded good. And look, who is talking about immigration these days.
I respect knowledge, sense of adventure, skills, mastery of arts and sciences etc. But those who don’t have these abilities are in no way less. Its not an open invite for the bolder ones to go and conquer rest of the world. By the same law, reverse immigration is taking place now as Africans and Asians are pouring into Europe and America – in the age of passport and visa. Nature will balance everything and restore the equilibrium. Course correction will happen, whether we like it or not.
All said, the Smith characters are etched in my heart: especially Taita. Thanks to him, I am more and practically educated! Read his books years and years back so I don’t remember details. Incidentally, his first books is what I read first of his as well: When the lion feeds. Sean Courtney is someone I can never forget in my life! Almost fell in love with him in my younger age – never mind he is fictional!
I grew up adoring Smith which is why his lifestyle to me is a big disappointment. I expected him to live a more fruitful life that would have benefited humanity in some way other than by way of his writing. Social responsibility must be the basic commitment for individuals who may be highly influential in any society. When I wrote a review on one of his books ‘the Seventh scroll’ on Egypt, I had an uncanny feeling that Smith read that. I saw many hits from South Africa and UK. There were repeated hits going on for days. I can’t explain how or why. I just knew in my heart that Smith read my review. I think I got a mail also from his office or whoever, may be his agent, asking how much I liked Smith. I don’t remember because in those days, my son was in standard 12 or Engineering I think, so I paid least attention to these things. In fact even Jeffrey Archer was in Landmark signing his books. I didn’t go because I had to cook and do puja at home! Now I can’t believe I did that! But at that point of time, home came first always! I don’t remember what I did with the mail about Smith. Whether even I replied, I am not sure. But that confirmed to me that somehow he must have come across my review and that he read it personally. To my knowledge, he remained a very tech savvy person updating himself on all frontiers. His demise also I was aware of. It was well reported in Indian print media. With Seventh scroll, I always believe in my heart that my lifetime favourite author read my review and probably thought of me for a second!
I can’t help smiling at Wilbur Smith writing about Taita wanting to plant himself somewhere in the picture, portraying himself quintessentially in his murals to mark his place in eternity. Isn’t the author doing the same with frequent reference to himself on many occasions in the book?! Perhaps Wilbur Smith thinks he is the modern day Taita. His vivid imagination and detailing of things is spellbinding. Its like i was seeing a 3D picture! I have loved each and everyone of his books right from day one and so ‘The Seventh scroll’ also lived up to my expectation.
This is part of my review and somehow I believe right now that this inspired Smith to refer to himself as Taita in his autobiography! Like, he is confirming my suspicion!
Anyway a life lived too well, exuberantly! All round! Nothing lacking really. What an amazing amazing life filled with adventure and good fortune and creativity and sheer happiness and contentment! For this I have to hand a trophy to Wilbur Smith posthumously! Gifted author, gifted human being. One in many billions. Lucky. Old and limited edition. They don’t come like this any more.
Virat Kohli of India surpassed compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of scoring highest nos of centuries in ODIs in the semi finals between India and New Zealand played at Wankhade stadium, Mumbai. What a win for the hosts as both Virat and Shreyas Iyer scored a ton each for India to set a formidable target for the guests. It was still reachable. Had Mitchell stayed at the crease and if only Ravindra Jadeja had dropped one of those three crucial catches off Mohammad Shami, the team still would have stood a good chance giving India a tough fight to make it to the final. Shami was the Player of the match. Anyway good cricket was played out today. I wouldn’t have really minded had India lost. Losing to a team like New Zealand is an honour. Going down fighting is noble. That is how the match played out. There is a complaint that India asked for change of pitch. So far as both the teams settled for and played at the same pitch, it must be of least consequence. Cricket is a gentleman’s game. You must be more concerned about the ‘timed out’ wicket claimed by Bangladesh against Sri Lanka. I am giving here some snatches: a copy & paste job from Google search results:
Why Matthews timed out?
The umpires determined that Mathews was not ready to face the ball within that two-minute allowance. He subsequently suffered an issue with his helmet, causing further delay,” the MCC stated. The MCC ruled that Mathews had not informed the umpires about the helmet change within the two-minute allowance.
What happened between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh match?
Sri Lanka players refuse handshake after Bangladesh win
As soon as Bangladesh got the winning runs via leg byes in the 42nd over, the Sri Lanka players shook hands with the umpires and walked off. They refused to shake hands with the Bangladesh batters – Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Towhid Hridoy – in the middle.
Has anyone ever been timed out?
The only player in any form of international cricket to be dismissed by being timed out is Sri Lankan Angelo Mathews in a group stage match against Bangladesh during the 2023 Cricket World Cup in Delhi on 6th November.
Shakib and Mathews have their say on controversial dismissal after Bangladesh claim three-wicket win
Angelo Mathews has labelled Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan “disgraceful” following the Sri Lanka skipper’s timed out dismissal and his side’s exit from the ODI World Cup.
Shakib triggered a debate on the spirit of cricket before smashing a rapid 82 in the Tigers’ three-wicket victory, which eliminated Sri Lanka from the tournament with a match still to play.
Allrounder Shakib collaborated in a 169-run stand with Najmul Hossain Shanto (90) to help Bangladesh chase down a 280-run victory target in 41.1 overs on Monday.
Read about being ‘Mankaded!’ Well, no comments.
Anushka was sitting pretty in the stands in her breezy dress absolutely delighted by the way Kohli went after his world record. It was a treat to watch her reactions. She blew a flying kiss at Virat on his 50th ton in one day internationals that he promptly returned! This husband-wife chemistry and lovestory is so enchanting. It underscores what we must never allow to dim in our lives: the spark of romance in our marriage as we age. The star-studded stadium was packed to the hilt. Noticeable VIP: Nita Ambani, casual and elegant once again plus none other than the one and only DAVID BECKHAM!
Shami smashed another record hauling 7 wickets in a single ODI match in world cup.
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