The unsung saga of 18tH ROYAL GARHWALI RIFLES

Indian National Movement: the longest struggle of freedom that any country in the world went through and what makes it all together different is its unique nature “Non Violence embedded with extremism” .Who were the real heroes? Gandhi? Bhagat Singh? Vallabh bhai Patel? They were the leaders ,what made the national movement successful was the participation of that common Indian man who believed in them,who actually thought that burning the foreign clothes would bring his/her country independence Yes it was these unnamed,unsung heroes that brought light to India in the midnight of 14^th august 1947

In this post  we will talk about one such hero _18^th ROYAL GARHWALI  RIFLES .the period was  1930 ,freedom movement was going through an inactive phase .On 25 april 1930 Events in Peshawar took a dramatic turn. Gaffar Khan’s Pathan movement (who were called khudai khidmatgars)stayed non violent ,but it attracted large number of pathans who joined them in the hope that they would free them of the clutches of exploitative moneylenders.In six months from 1929-1930 the congress membership rose to 50000 from 500 .The British freely used aerial bombardment and arrested Gaffar Khan

This led to a massive upsurge in Peshawar with crowds confronting armored troops and defying all laws leading to intensive firing at Kishakahani Bazaar .According to official estimates 30 were killed but the death toll in real was 250-300 .

  A remarkable incident took place .Two platoons of Second Battalion of 18^th ROYAL GARHWALI RIFLES .all Hindu troops facing a Muslim crowd  ,refused to fire,broke ranks and fraternized with the crowd handing over their weapons they were later to declare before their court martial and were shot by canons on the charges of sedition

That was the passion to die for the country,that was the extent of Hindu-Muslim Unity  ,that was the junoon when people did not fear death and lets salute those real heroes …………Never ever forget their sacrifice…………sehar   

        

Train from.........PAKISTAN

Once again this story has its origin in a train ,it so happenned that I was on my way to my hometown & as soon as the train left Delhi ,I opened up a book and was engrossed in reading .Around me was a family with 3 kids who were howling & shouting &throwing things on floor,in short taking all the benefit of them being “the little ones” After an hour a voice said

“Maaf kariyega mohtarma,aapko in bachhon ke karan badi takalluf uthani pad rahi hai”

I said “ Nahi Nahi ye to chote bachhe hain” whereas in my mind I was thinking “Aisa kaun bolta hai yaar( who says like this )” and the well known human mind’s curiosity didn’t let me read ,I asked to the gentleman where were they going to ,got a reply “Nagpur” and then to Amravati . I said” coming from delhi?”

And got  a reply which solved the mystery of that urdu accent “ We are coming from PAKISTAN”

Pakistan??? I never knew Bilaspur Rajdhani comes from Pakistan .The gentleman laughed , told that they came to delhi and then are moving towards Amravati to visit a childhood friend  of his mother who is seriously ill

Friend?? Ok,our history books say once we were one and many of prominent activities of freedom struggle took place in lahore

After exchanging pleasentries ,I came to know that the gentleman Dr Shaukat was also a doctor and his lovely wife told me with almost a child like enthusiasm that her sister is also a doctor and was settled in Dubai .Why Dubai?i asked to which I came to know that Pakistan is still not a very progressive society when it comes to women working but then she also defended instantly saying things are changing and they would return back to their country to vote ,the first time for 37 year old Nagma

After some time I was offered “Peshaver ka halwa”,”khajoor ki kachori” and “lahore ka namkeen” which looked mouth watering but the logical mind screamed “You should not take any food from strangers” and the probability of risk grows when the strangers are from other side of border .Well I gave a look to the yummy food stuff and politely refused

The talks with Dr Shaukat revolved aroud the girl education ,medical field,exaggerating problem of power cut and it was refreshing to know from him that the youth wants change ,they want to get educated ,no politics of hatred ,want to work and bring about a change in the attitude of outside world towards their nation

Nagpur comes early morning,when they left ,bid a “Khuda Hafiz” ,mother of Dr shaukat kept a hand on my head and wished me”Barkat” from her Khuda Dr Shaukat and Nagma  wished me”behisaab khushiyaan” while I prayed for the good health of the Indian friend of the Pakistani lady

Off they went and with them went the “Peshawar ka halwa,Khajoor ki kachauri” from my eyesight,the train left nagpur and sleep was gone from my eyes .Suddenly I realised that in the pace of modernisation are we forgetting human values? As we have closed ourselves into AC Compartments have we closed the way to our hearts too??gone are those days when every journey to village in the sleeper compartment ,sharing the home cooked meals with strangers earned us friends to whom our parents used to send postcards?? And then the biggest question: who is more dangerous- a gang of men who can rape you in the light of a metro city, the sick people who ogle you when you wear a short dress and make you feel naked, a group of so called left wing extemists who kill their own men with such a brutality that can’t be judged in any parameter of humanity…….or a stranger family from a nation ,a neighbouring nation who is always portrayed as an enemy.If you happen to find an answer ,do let me know……….till then stay safe and keep the women around you too safe…..Seher

(P.S.- The views expressed in the blog are personal and if you happen to be a crazy lunatic under the mask of a patriot,please spare yourself from the difficulty of reading )

Celebrate the month of love with V SPOT CAFE

THE FRONT WALL

A Warm sunny Sunday that took me to V SPOT CAFÉ at Saket through Blogadda’s “Let the treat follow,Let the words flow” contest and hey it was a day well spent , A cafe which embraces you with its Rock On ambiance as soon as you enter : Colorful interiors,funky one liners,an amazing bar,a cool staff that keeps you engaged with some interesting games &of course the whole feel of Channel V everywhere .

What makes VSPOT Café different from others is its varied menu ,that too in a very affordable prices .If you are looking for a place where you can get high on soft drinks and finger licking food,where you wish to dance and enjoy with some cool names of breezers and cocktails ,V SPOT Café is your answer .We ordered a “Rumble in the Jungle Pizza” and two shakes –Chocolica and nutty delight to keep it light The pizza was thin crust ,well cooked and delicious .The shakes were so beautiful to look at that it felt a crime to disturb the whole look 

A brief chat with Mr Bappi –the floor manager ,he told us that the cafe has many outlets in different cities and is a big hit among the youth who look for a great place to hang out .The cafe regularly comes up with interesting theme parties like the  “Ghost Theme” at new year and Mr Bappi politely refused to divulge us the details of Valentine Day theme saying it’s a surprise but it would be best in the town……..I am planning to check out that surprise.Are you?

As is the tradition of the cafe to keep your guests engaged Rajeev,an employee dared us with some  interesting games like blowing up the egg without cracking it up &balancing a shot glass on a 100 rupee note ,we were destined to loose and we lost ,to our amazement Rajeev did it in a very clean and experienced way .The cost of losing up was to face a Dare and Rajeev asked us to convince the Manager and two other guests to dance .after a brief round of girlish convincing they agreed ,we joined them too to shake legs on “Gangnam Style"

                                                                                                                                                                                                             It was a great day, Do check out this amazing cafe at Saket and gurgaon for some awesome food,a great DJ ,a place where you are dared to play a game and everyone cheers ,for the funky napkins and lest I forget its washroom where you can record a message,upload a photo that’s played on Channel V   (now isn't that SUPER COOL) 

February is a month of autumn,cool weather,friendship,love,romance,dates …so visit this cafe ,write a blog,tweet,post a status update and Let the treat follow ,Let the words flow……………THANKYOU  BLOGADDA

"“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one

” 

Go find your one such moment at VSPOT Cafe

ON ARMY DAY...........NEVER FORGET....BECAUSE THEY NEVER FAIL AND NEVER FORGET TO SERVE

ON ARMY DAY..........a post in gratitude to the men who serve our country amid all odds away from their homes and families to held that tricolor high 

"We murmur daily and complain
Of irritations, minor pain,
And yet we stand, in freedom's gain,
View sacrifices with disdain.
This very day, around the globe,
The faithful stand upon the Hope,
Their bodies marred, their lives laid down
To gain a share of Heaven's crown.
These humble heroes meekly stand
And place their trust in nation's hand;
They count their sorrows wholly blest
To serve a calling o'er the rest.
Although their human lives be spent,
No enemy can circumvent.
With mortar mixed from martyr's blood,
The nation will stand through fire and blood"

For a while just say a word of thank you to these soldiers as we are sleeping peacefully at our homes as they are out there serving in tough terrains and harsh weather
"करता हूँ मैं देशभक्तों नमन

जाँ पे खेला बचाया है तुमने वतन
ज़ुल्म सहते रहे गोली खाते रहे
बीच लाशों के तुम मुस्कुराते रहे
कतरे-कतरे से तुमने ये सींचा चमन
आज करता हूँ मैं देशभक्तों नमन
साँप बनकर जो आए थे डसने हमें
कुचला पैरों से तुमने मिटाया उन्हें
कर दिया पल में ही दुश्मनों का दमन
आज करता हूँ मैं देशभक्तों नमन
सर झुकाया नहीं सर कटाते रहे
देख बलिदान दुश्मन भी जाते रहे
माँ ने बाँधा था सर पे तुम्हारे कफ़न
करता हूँ मैं देशभक्तों नमन."

-(the poem in hindi is through a post on Indian Army Fans FB Page)

I FOUGHT,FOUGHT &THEN SURRENDERED

I write this post in utter disappointment and sadness as “Nirbhay”/”Amanat”/Damini (whatever you name her) passed away and succumbed to injury she got during her brutal rape .I cried like I lost a family member and so did everyone She was me,she was you and she was every girl who dreams for a career,for family ,for love,for marriage but never dreamt to live because she thought it was so very normal but No :a barbaric day ,6 demons and she is now confined to coffin it seems she came for a mission to shake up the sleeping nation where women are still second class citizens,where tolerance for eve teasing is very high ,where women are raped every 22 minutes ,where political class seems to cash on rapes .The capital of country erupted in rage ,in anger and a biggest leaderless movement started and the air of Delhi echoed “WE WANT JUSTICE” and came the most shocking and insensitive response from the “so called” representatives of citizens ,Some foolish comments from moral policing to Dented painted comments But the country cries ,screams in grief that “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” .I write this letter as a rape victim to shake everyone so that the bastards get a punishment that one could never dare to rape someone
“If I am raped tomorrow,
Leave me on my own,
Please don’t forward messages for my sake,
I am not worthy of your status’ ache.
Don’t give me your pity,
Don’t pray for my soul,
You are the same people who did not care when I lay there in a hole.
Your E-protests are not getting me justice,
Nor my sisters any protection,
The government is going to sensitize the issue,just to win the coming election.
First they objectified me,
Now the turn is yours,
How dare I step outside, I am just meant for the household chores.
Don’t console my fatherDon’t try to cheer up my mom,
It’s something you can forget tomorrow, but for them I’m forever gone.
I am dead now,
Humanity died with me
For I am a girl, I deserve every bit of this, I’m not to be seen equally.
This society is esoteric
A ‘fatal lie’, a ‘deadly truth’
It propogates such evil, and is the one to protest that it is ruth.
It cries for me and still mocks my death
For a few days later you’ll all forget, hundreds like me will come and go,
For we are all going to reap what we once did plow,
Years ago the seed was sown,
‘She is a woman, she has to be tamed and made to moan.’
Now live with it, and dance with joy,
See her being meddled with, like a cheap plastic toy.
For she is a girl, she deserves every bit of this,
For her’s is weak and Mightier is His !”The recent Incident of Delhi Gang rape shivers the nation down the spine .Rape is much more a mental scar than physical injuries It makes me wonder is this the same society where goddess in the name of Laxmi,Durga and Kali are worshipped Somewhere we associate our families pride,izzat,samman with the women and its so easy to come and play it with .The girls trauma ,torture is disturbing ,barbaric and hey why this hell – just because she went to see a movie ,she took. a wrong bus?? .Any bastard can rape a girl and throw her out of moving bus? My head hangs in shame today when we call ourselves a developing country ,100 years of Delhi’s heritage and blah blah .It was her today ,it would be me tomorrow ,day after your own daughter .So just don’t sit back and ponder over the deteriorating law and order ,make yourself heard ,don’t let this outrage die down ,Media +citizens should pressurize the government to take a stern action ,Castrate the bloody bastards ,hang them so that next time someone even thinks about such act ,the treatment meted out to those bastards keeps them back
“They spoilt me ,I fought
They forced themselves upon me ,I fought
They laughed ,I shivered
I could see hundreds of people walking ,I screamed
I looked for darkness around ,I shrieked
I fought ,I fought and then surrendered
Surrendered amid those animals,their ghastly hands
And then I saw a light ,I saw my mom ,waving her hands through my hair
I saw my dad saying you are my princess
I cried,I cried and then closed my eyes…….
” Don’t tell your daughter to stay safe at home ,ask your son to behave properly “

And lastly some lines by "Farhan Akhtar" which i so wanted to share

"What is this country that i live in

with no equality

and quality of life differs from 

a husband to wife,boy to girl

Hey mister,are you the same

contributing to national shame

where is all of this going

what will emerge from these seeds that we are sowing

What is this country that i live in

that takes away her right to love

and brutalises with an iron glove

rapes her without fear

no justice for her tear

what do i m going to tell my daughter

that she is growing as a lamb to slaughter

we have got to make a chane

REBOOT,REFORM,REARRANGE"

CELEBRATE INDIAN WAY OF LIFE WITH A "PI"

“LIFE OF PI” – A movie which was strongly recommended by everyone and I always had a plan of watching it for I am an ardent admirer of stories of courage, will power, adversity ,no doubt my favorite show .on television happens to be"i shouldn't be alive" and ya the movies was so beautiful

This blog post is for an idea that I loved about the film – An Indian way of life in its pure and honest form avoiding being judgmental or criticizing .We all here are born and brought up in an environment that may seem mysterious to an outsider –Religion is an integral part of our life and so is science .We all have a mother in our family who warns us of all possible disasters that may occur if we don’t perform our morning prayers and a father who explains us that reasoning and science is the biggest god. We grow up. we form our own affinities, make friends from diverse religions and beliefs ,we counter, we debate ,we dine together over festivals still debating someone declaring he is an atheist ,someone a staunch vegetarian and somehow we fail to notice that religion in some or other way has slowly crept into our lives

And this is WE –we have been like this from the great Indus valley civilization like this only .we have our own set of superstitions ,our own favorite gods among the crores of them each having their own weird stories ,our own castes and preformed set of rules for clan n caste ,the system may seem to have weakened from ages but it still persists and its here to stay forever

With all our imperfections ,our flaws it’s the same country where science evolved in ashrams and gurukuls –be it medical science or the chemical ones and Life of Pi was all the more adorable because may be in a very small form –it showed the world a real and apt picture of Indian way of life .India is not only a country of child trafficking and” slumdogs” ,India is just not a country where you halt for “PRAYING” after eating and before falling in love ,India is not only a country of loud mouthed punjabis who dream to settle in Canada ,India is just not a country of weird NRIs it’s a place of some of the best brains and creative persons,India is just not a country of Kamasutra it’s a country of charaksutra too ……..its a country which is so deeply ingrained in spirituality but still progressing in the 21st century and that’s why I expect the global cinema to portray

"SHADOWS OF WAR" MY ENTRY FOR GET PUBLISHED CONTEST

The Idea : Its a story inspired by a real life story ,story of a girl and boy and their sweet romance which turns into madness when the boy turns into a soldier and the girl into a woman .A story of longing,a story of distance ,a story of waiting sleeplessly for your loved one,a story which is effected by war

What makes the story real ;the story is real for every soldier has a sweetheart ,every soldier has a love story ,every soldier has a memory of those days spent with his love ,kissing passionately and days spent in each other's arms ,for every story that is somewhere lost in glories of war

Extract :
Recalling back the old times when we met brings a cute smile on my face.it happened so that we used to study in same coaching class and i have not yet said hi to the guy ,i knew a guy used to come straight from his badminton practice all in a mess and one fine day sir scolded me for not recalling some facts ,i had this “i don’t remember” look in my eyes and looking up our eyes crashed ,he smiled n his eyes said “chill ,it happens ” and we smiled…………….i still remember that smile

Suddenly from the next day he started coming well dressed and me wondering ;what happened to him? (much later he revealed that it was to impress me) *TING* and we continued our hi n byes

One fine day he asked me could i help him in his presentation ,i said yes why not (as if i was the only angel on earth) but reason was he was too cute to say no ,next day in class i gave him a paper saying i had jolted down the points which would help him and after an hour asked the permission from sir to leave early as i had a wedding to attend to ,he stood up in a second saying”sir i need to leave early too,have to work on presentation “.So we both left early with separate but imp works n had a talk in the parking space and were so engrossed in talking that later realised that the other guys from class were coming out and it just became clear that we were talking for full hour n actually we both had to leave early (Don’t giggle)…

Endnote: This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal andHarperCollins India