Last week Monday (18-12-2009), our kid's nanny had a mild heart attack and she was admitted in ICU of Vijaya Hospital at Vadapalani. So I and my wife started a bit early from Office (only after 6) and drove directly to hospital and we reached there by 8.00PM and were very anxious to see her as she was in ICU, we came to know that she was ok by this time and doctors have told her to be moved to a normal ward by that night and that she can be discharged the next day after certain Cardiology tests. So we went in one by one and met her and spoke few words to her and came out. We have told her relatives that we would bear all the expenses of her treatment (she is a single -meaning not married and she would be around 45-50). Few things surprised me - there were around 15-20 people, her relatives, neighbors etc waiting outside the ICU right from 4PM, I wondered if I were in ICU, would I have around even 5-6 people there?. Though these people are poor, when it matters to help or support among them, they are the first to come.
So I and my wife with our kid were waiting from 8pm to 10pm that day outside the ICU, which happens to be an open space. In these two hours I noticed few things and I thought that I would write it up some where.
This is a hospital that was started by some 'Reddys', so it happens to be a Telugu Management Hospital and so you could see lot of Telugu people coming here for treatment from Andra Pradesh.
And for the patients, who are admitted in the hospital, they are allowed only one person with him/her in the ward at night, rest of the people have to sleep in the open space or at the verandas. The hospital has an announcement system where in they would call by the name of patient in case any help is needed. And if you think of such a cold weather now in Chennai, it is a very difficult thing to sleep in an open space at nights. And when I discussed about this with my friends, they informed me that this is the procedure in most of the hospitals, even in Apollo.
I was in the hospital for nearly 2 hours and I saw around 6 emergency cases being brought in, and they were taken to ICU (none of them were accidents, but most of them were old people with some serious problems). One govt ambulance came at around 9.40pm (thanks to TN govt that they now have a good ambulance service). And there were 3 family members of the patient. The patient was an old man around the age 80+, his wife an old lady should be around 80, his son 45+, and their son-in-law 40+. This person had an operation some time back in Urinary Bladder it seems, and now that again he has some problems, he has been brought here based on few people's suggestions.
This son and son-in-law were running to the reception immediately once the ambulance stopped and the old-person was lying unconscious in the stretcher, the old-lady was sitting nearby him. She wanted to get down and no one was nearby, so I gave her a hand, got her luggage - the medicine bags, reports, some vessels etc and got her down and was holding her for sometime as I felt that she may fall down, she was so weak. These people are telugu people and so I couldn't understand much of what she spoke, but could understand that she was very depressed. Now her son came to her after talking to the receptionist and was telling her that "We could have taken him to Govt hospital"..and she was bit upset and was silent and she told him "Un appada" meaning ("he is you dad da") and he replied "whoever - it is money isn't it?". And the moment she heard her son saying this, tears spread out all over her eyes and she wasn't able to stop crying for few mins. Her son-in-law came and told her that not to worry and they both will do the best. There were tears in my eyes as I could not accept what that son told his mom and these old-people - both of them are very lean, short and gave a pathetic figure.
So this is what I was thinking, we as Children, never ever in life, in what ever state we may be, we would need to be careful while dealing with our parents, we should live for them and make them happy till the last moment of their life. Last thing they need from us is the love and care. And normally after we are married, we tend to give less importance to them. We need to give them freedom, love and of course money - if they have only a less income via pension or any other means. In a married life, we have to strike a balance between the family that we belonged to and the new family we are in. This isn't easy as it sounds to be, as we may lose a side, if we don't have the right balance. We need to cover-up few things, say few lies to make everyone happier.
Next as a parent, we need to save and have something for ourselves and also be able to manage by ourselves till we die. This may sound impractical, but I have seen few people doing that. They split the assets and divide it among their children and also have a big chunk for them. But even then I would say at an old-age you need a big support from your children in case of these emergencies. So it is always better to be nice to our children, son/daughter in-laws so that they also like us. Normally many people tend to show their in-laws their strength and finally may end-up in a pathetic situation.
I was so sorry for that old-lady, I am not sure of how they are now, but definitely I pray for her to have a peaceful life with her husband till their end of life.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Friday, December 19, 2008
Operation Bluestar
Article Published in rediff.com on June 03, 2004, these are the views of General Kuldip Singh Brar who carried out the operation..
Twenty years ago almost to the day an event occurred in Punjab that shook the Republic of India to its very foundations.
Sikh extremists seeking to carve an independent country had been slowly but surely taking control of the state over the previous couple of years, striking terror in the hearts of politicians, law-enforcers, and the general population.
The killings began in 1983 with a murder here, a shootout there. Through the year, however, the frequency of attacks and the toll kept rising and by May 1984 dozens of innocent people were being murdered daily in cold blood, all in the name of 'freedom.'
A massive religious cleansing movement was underway in Punjab, which had become India's granary after the Green Revolution of the mid-to-late 1960s. Law and order had collapsed, and the corrupt and demoralised Punjab police was simply not up to the task of restoring it.
Heading this bloody movement was Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a preacher turned separatist who ran his terrorist campaign from the confines of the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, in Amritsar. Bhindranwale openly defied the Indian State from his sanctuary. But the police dared not enter the temple complex, for fear of outraging the sentiments of the Sikhs, arguably India's most dynamic and popular minority community.
With the situation rapidly getting out of hand, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took a momentous decision. She ordered the Indian Army to move into Punjab and decisively tackle the terrorists who were armed and aided by Pakistan.
To flush the terrorists and their masterminds out of the Golden Temple complex, the army launched what is possibly its most controversial action, Operation Bluestar, under the command of Major General Kuldip Singh Brar (who later retired as lieutenant general).
But the operation, which began in the wee hours of June 6, 1984, was like a dagger through the heart for Sikhs everywhere. Thousands railed against the Indian State, the army, and all those who were connected in any way with the operation. A large number of Sikh soldiers, enraged by rumours that the Golden Temple had been damaged (the temple itself remained untouched, though the Akal Takht was damaged), deserted the armed forces. Author Khushwant Singh famously returned his Padma Bhushan award in protest. Captain Amarinder Singh, now the chief minister of Punjab, resigned from the Congress party. Four months and three weeks later, Indira Gandhi paid the ultimate price for ordering Operation Bluestar.
Twenty years on, rediff.com takes a fresh look at the events of June 1984 and the circumstances leading up to them.
The Rediff Interview/Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar (retired)
When military officers retire, they move into what the armed forces euphemistically call 'civilian areas,' where the likes of you and me live. But when Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar retired, he had to reside in the cantonment area of Mumbai, in a bungalow guarded by a huge black gate, with army soldiers and policemen on watch round the clock.
Brar is probably the most protected army officer today, in service or retired. And all because one fateful night, 20 years ago, the then major general commanded Indian Army soldiers who entered the Golden Temple.
Operation Bluestar, as the mission was called, to flush out militants from the holiest Sikh shrine [on par with the Vatican for Catholics and the Kaaba for Muslims; the Hindu faith has no single equivalent to the Golden Temple] remains till date one of the military's most difficult missions.
The army had been ordered to destroy the movement to create Khalistan and to cleanse the Golden Temple of all the militants hiding there, including the leader of the militants, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
June 6 marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, the codename for the operation to enter and capture, dead or alive, the militants and terrorists who had turned the Golden Temple into their fortress.
At his home in Mumbai, the retired general agreed to journey back to that difficult time in an interview with Deputy Managing Editor Amberish K Diwanji. The first of a four part interview to understand the logic behind the Indian Army's most controversial operation.
Twenty years later, how do you look back on Operation Bluestar?
I look back in sorrow that it had to happen.
Apparently, the government had no other recourse. The events in Punjab had reached a complete breakdown.
The Sikh militants were in total control of the state machinery. There was a strong feeling that Khalistan was going to be established at any time. [Jarnail Singh] Bhindranwale was being seen as a prophet; he was making very strong speeches against [the then prime minister] Indira Gandhi and non-Sikhs; and trying to send a message across to the rural areas that the Sikhs are being given second-grade treatment and that it is high time we formed our own independent state of Khalistan. There was a strong possibility of Pakistan helping them and I think there was the possibility of a Bangladesh being repeated.
I can't comment on the inside of politics, but I assume that after taking everything into consideration, the prime minister and the government decided this was the only course of action left if we were to keep this country together, to prevent its fragmentation, to prevent Khalistan. And having seen reports of about 2,000 militants inside [Amritsar's Golden Temple] with any number of machine guns, different types of weapons, it was clearly beyond the capabilities of the police force to flush out the militants from the Golden Temple; the task had to be entrusted to the Army.
As a soldier, if I am given an order, I obey it and 20 years later, all I can say is I wish the situation had never risen that such an order had to be passed. And God forbid we have to do it again.
How did you motivate the soldiers?
No soldier enjoys or cherishes taking up arms against his fellow citizens. But they also know that there are many situations, be it in Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Punjab or Kashmir, where the Army has to be called in. When the Army is called in, we don't think about of religion, caste, creed, ethnicity; we are sworn to the Constitution of India, our primary role is to safeguard the national security of the country and we have to act on orders to do so.
Why did the army go in just after Guru Arjan's martyrdom day, when the number of devotees is much higher?
That was a coincidence. You must try and understand that perhaps the government had just about three or four days to carry out the operation. We had some sort of information that Khalistan was going to be declared any moment. You try and figure out that one fine day, Bhindranwale declares Khalistan and hoists the Khalistan flag...
The Khalistani currency had already been distributed; Pakistan was pumping in money, they wanted a strong part of India, which is Punjab, to secede and for India to disintegrate.
Can you imagine if one fine day Khalistan has been declared, what would have happened? Pakistan would have recognised Khalistan and crossed the borders to support Khalistan, like we did in Bangladesh. The Punjab police might have crossed over to support Bhindranwale...
Did you fear that happening?
Of course! After all, emotions then were very high. I am not saying that the entire Punjab police would have crossed over, but a large section might have. If there could be desertions in the army, then the police, who were in Punjab, who were privy to Bhindranwale's speeches, might have [also deserted]; they were also emotionally charged by what was happening.
Moreover, Hindus and non-Sikhs were leaving Punjab while Sikhs in Delhi and Haryana were moving to Punjab, causing further fear and apprehension. The law and order situation in such a case would have been beyond the police force and difficult for the Army.
Would we have been on the border to stop Pakistan? Would we have been working on maintaining law and order with huge migrations underway? Would we be disarming the police and militia for fear that they might go over to the other side?
It would have been a task well beyond the army. So whether we could have waited a few days is something the politicians can best answer. But the impression given to us was that we had very little time.
Next: 'There is always a limit to how much any country can take
In the second part of a four-part interview with Deputy Managing Editor Amberish K Diwanji, General Brar looks back at the compulsions that forced him to send his men into the Temple:
Part I: 'Pakistan would have recognised Khalistan and crossed the borders'
Were you given a timeframe within which to act?
The fastest possible. When I met my CO [commanding officer] Lieutenant General K Sundarji [then General Officer Commanding, Western Command; he later became Chief of Army Staff] at Chandimandir [in Chandigarh], he told me he would fly down in 48 hours to hear my first briefing. Time was at a premium.
So we moved all night and got our forces into Amritsar and then the Temple.
What about a siege to flush out the militants?
A siege is easily spoken of. A siege is only effective when you are able to make the people under siege unable to continue to stay under siege. That means they have no water, no food, no electricity, no ammunition and are forced to surrender or to capitulate.
But, in the Golden Temple, there is no shortage of water. There are any number of wells; besides there is the Sarovar [the Holy Lake on the premises of the Temple]. There are a number of generators. There is no shortage of food -- every day, thousands of devotees flock to the Temple bringing with them food and provisions, so there is enough food to feed a few hundreds of thousands of people for over a month [food is served free of cost to the devotees every day in the Golden Temple; this food is made from offerings by the devotees], and here we are talking of forcing the hand of a few thousands…
The other problem of a siege was that, once laid, word would have spread to the hinterland within 24 hours. Every villager in Punjab would be told the Golden Temple was under siege. In those days, every rumour or fact was exaggerated; such messages are sent out emotionally, thus surcharging the atmosphere. People would have picked up their swords or lances and hundreds of thousands would have converged on Amritsar and the Golden Temple and besieged the army that was besieging the Temple! We can't fire at these people, and we can't surrender, so what are we to do? We didn't want such a situation to arise.
After asking the militants to surrender [on June 5], we waited and waited. It soon became 8 o'clock, then 9 o'clock and was nearing 10 o'clock. We were worried. We had to finish the operation before dawn [around 5.30 am] for fear of mobs amassing around the Temple. The news would spread fast that we hadn't cleared out the militants, then we would be under siege. People must understand these things.
It is very easy to say to we could have laid siege, we could have postponed it for a day or two, or carried out the operation without the loss of life. It is only we, who were there at that time, who know what our limitations and needs were. Our soldiers went into what you would call a death trap. They had no cover, they were out in the open [when moving from the entrances to the various rooms and sections where the militants were hiding]; in contrast, the militants had barricaded every window and were heavily armed…
So ultimately you had to finish off the operation in 48 hours, because you feared Pakistan coming in?
That was the biggest fear. It had to be a surgical operation and one that caused the minimum damage with least loss of blood but it had to be as quick as possible because once word got around, there would have been a flood of people… like the Brahmaputra. When the Brahmaputra floods, there is nothing you can do. No amount of sandbags can stop the flood.
What about the innocent pilgrims inside?
We were to go in at 7 pm [on June 5]. Since afternoon, we used the public address system to keep asking those who were inside to surrender. We told them we don't want to come in, we pointed out that there were pilgrims inside, there were women and children inside, and we told the militants that if they want to fight it out, do so but for God's sake to at least send the pilgrims, the old, the young, out safely. But until 7 pm, nothing happened.
I asked the police if they could send emissaries inside to help get the innocent people out, but the police said that anyone sent inside would not come out again. They said the militants were no doubt keeping the pilgrims as a sort of trump card, believing their presence would stop the army from coming in. Eventually, about 100 sick and old people were let out, but not the rest. They told us the others were not being allowed to come out.
I feel sorry for the innocent people who died in the crossfire.
In the fight, you were dealing with a former superior, Major General [retired] Shahbeg Singh [a highly decorated army officer who, after being dismissed from service for financial irregularities, became a close accomplice of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale].
Yes, and he knew something was up because the day before, I had walked around the Golden Temple in civilian clothes and seen the militants and the barricades. And he saw me taking my rounds so he knew something was up. We had gone into Bangladesh together.
Was he a formidable enemy?
He was a very seasoned soldier who won the Mahavir Chakra [India's second highest bravery award in war] in 1971, who had to leave the army for whatever reason. He was a highly emotional person and had joined with Bhindranwale. Perhaps he believed that with the pilgrims inside, the Indian Army would not come in but he never realised there is always a limit to how much any country can take.
How difficult was the operation?
It was in the middle of the night. One cannot see and one is out in the open and under fire from the militants holed up behind barricades. Plus I was constantly screaming at the men inside that come what may, they were not to fire in the direction of the Harmindar Sahib [the sanctum sanctorum where the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, is kept during the day] and that even if there was fire from that side they were not to return fire. Later, there were a couple of bullet holes in the Harmindar Sahib, which could have been the militants' fire or odd stray fire from the soldiers. Otherwise there was no damage to the Harmindar Sahib.
Even at the Akal Takht [seen above], there would have been no damage. Our soldiers tried to lob stun grenades [which release gas that momentarily stuns people without causing any collateral damage]. But the Akal Takht was completely sealed and there was no way to lob the stun grenades inside. And when our soldiers were crawling towards the Akal Takht for some commandos to get in, they were being mowed down by enemy fire. They were being killed by the dozen, it was a terrible sight.
As you know Bhindranwale had shifted to the first floor of the Akal Takht. How did the Sikhs allow that? It was against the religion's tenets. The Akal Takht is where the Guru Granth Sahib [the Sikh holy book] is kept at night after being taken from the Harmindar Sahib. No one is allowed to stay above the Guru Granth Sahib, but Bhindranwale and his immediate accomplices were living on the Akal Takht's first floor.
The members of the SGPC [the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee which has managerial control of the Golden Temple and other gurdwaras in India] were living elsewhere in the Temple. They had long lost control of the situation and had no say in what was happening. The writ of Bhindrawale ran not just in the Golden Temple or in Amritsar but throughout Punjab.
Why were the tanks brought in?
Tanks were brought in late to illuminate the Akal Takht, so that the soldiers could see where they were going and to momentarily blind the militants in the glare of the lights. Those who have seen these huge halogen lights know these lights fuse in 20, 30 seconds, so the tanks had to keep going in and coming out. It was not an easy task at all.
Next: 'You are not acting against any religion but against a section of misguided people'
In the third part of a four-part interview with Deputy Managing Editor Amberish K Diwanji, General Brar talks about his feelings as a Sikh who sent soldiers into his religion's most revered site.
Why were you were chosen for the task?
I have no idea. I was then commanding 9 Division [as a major general] based in Meerut. Two of my brigades comprised of Sikhs. My brigades were in Meerut, Delhi, Jalandhar, and I was asked overnight to move to Amritsar. A division was sitting in Amritsar, but it was moved to the border in case Pakistan decided to move in. I had no clue as to of the layout of the Golden Temple; I had to set up an operations room and I was given charge of the paramilitary and the Punjab police.
I could not tell them why I was there for fear word might leak out, so I didn't tell the others until just before the operation. The wheat agitation [farmers had threatened not to send wheat out of Punjab] was happening in Punjab then and killings were rising.
When you were summoned from Meerut, did you know what was in store?
Not at all. It came as a big surprise. I was called for a meeting to Chandimandir [Chandigarh] on May 31. In fact, my wife and I were all set to fly to Manila... the Philippines... on the night of June 1; I was off on a month-long vacation. We had our tickets and our travellers' cheques ready and, on May 31, I get this call asking me to come to Chandimandir. So we drive at night from Meerut to Delhi and I tell my wife to buy the gifts from Cottage Industries and tell her I'd take the helicopter to Chandimandir and get back by evening so that we could take the night flight to Manila. At Chandimandir, there were cars waiting for me and maps laid out on the table and I was told I'd have to take a flight to Amritsar.
I said I was going on vacation to Manila. [Lt General Ranjit Singh] Dayal [chief staff officer to Sundarji and in charge of Amritsar during Operation Bluestar] and Sundarji conferred with each other and later told me I'd have to cancel my leave. So I said give me two minutes to call my wife and tell her that I am not returning to Delhi and to cancel our tickets. In fact, our hosts did not even know we were not on the flight and were waiting for us at the airport; it was only later when they saw the news on television that they realised why I had not made it to Manila.
As a soldier, you don't question why. You do your task. I would say Sundarji and Dayal had faith in me. I had been involved in anti-insurgency operations in Nagaland and Mizoram and was thus tested.
But how did you feel as a Sikh? Are you very religious?
I am religious but in moderation. I am not a person who has to be in a temple every single day, but I have a fear of God. I respect religion, and respect the fact that I am a Sikh.
But as I said earlier, a Sikh or a Hindu has no meaning here [in the armed forces]. You don't even think about it. You are convinced you are not acting against any religion but against a section of misguided people who have held the country to ransom, who are ready to fragment this country...
But the operation did hurt the sentiments of hundreds of thousands of Sikhs, including many who had never supported the militants.
Certainly, I don't deny that. But this had to happen and yes, many were hurt by what happened.
My own mama [mother's brother] who lives in London -- he didn't keep long hair, he used to smoke, visit pubs and I used to stay with him whenever I was visiting the UK -- suddenly changed. He began to grow his hair and beard; he used to regularly participate in the functions at Southall [in London] where the Sikhs vowed revenge; he went to Pakistan; he swore he'd have never have anything to do with me. He broke ties with my parents… his own sister.
Then just three years ago, I was in London and found out he was dying of cancer. I decided I must see him and went to the hospital. The staff told me he had about 24 to 48 hours to live. When they informed him of my presence, he told them to bring me to his bedside and he held my hand; he had tears rolling down his cheeks and he told me he now understood I had to do whatever I did.
I got a letter from a Sikh gentleman in Canada who said that after reading about Operation Bluestar, if he had had the chance, he would have killed me. But he said that after reading my book [Operation Bluestar: The True Story], he realised the people who had let the Sikhs down were some Sikhs and the internal politics of the Akalis, and he understood that, as a soldier, I did what I had to do. He said I cleaned the temple.
He even offered to pay for translating the book into Punjabi so that more people could read it. In the event, my publishers did the translation and this book has gone into 10 or 11 reprints and is now easily available outside gurdwaras all over Punjab.
How about your parents? There is this well-known story of how the mother of General Dayal [also a Sikh] refused to eat until her son personally assured her that the Harmindar Sahib was safe. Were your parents similarly perturbed?
Not so much. They were, of course, upset that I, as a Sikh, had commanded the operation. But my father too is a soldier [D S Brar served in World War II and retired as major general] and he understood the compulsions of a soldier. In fact, they didn't even know I was commanding the operation until the whole thing became public.
In this concluding instalment of a four-part exclusive interview with Deputy Managing Editor Amberish K Diwanji, General Brar talks of how he motivated his soldiers to participate what was undoubtedly the single most traumatic operation by the Indian Army ever.
Soldiers are God fearing. How did you motivate your men to carry out the operation in a holy shrine?
On the day we went in, I decided I must talk to the men personally and tell them what we were doing and why we were doing it. I began at 4 am in the morning [of June 5], spent half an hour with the first unit; then half an hour with the next unit and so on. To every one of them, I explained this was not a mission against any religion or a temple, but a mission against some militants who have defiled the temple; it was no longer a place of sanctity but a defiled place and we were going to clean it out.
Even so, I told my men if any one of them wanted to opt out of this operation, they were welcome. I gave them my word that they would not be hounded nor would their unit commanding officer mark them negatively.
No one put his hand up to back out, not in the first, not in the second, not in the third…
In the fourth battalion, one hand went up. It belonged to a Sikh officer, Second Lieutenant Jasbir Singh Raina, in the unit commanded by [Lieutenant Colonel] Mohammad Israr [Lt Col Israr of the 10 Guards would lead the first unit into the Golden Temple]. I told Raina if he wanted to stay out, he need have no fear in doing so. Raina replied he had a request: he wanted to be the first person to enter the Golden Temple to wipe the militants who had defiled his holiest shrine. I was very happy and told Israr that Raina must be allowed to lead the first charge.
The moment Raina entered, he came under a withering fire and suffered serious injuries to his legs. Yet, he refused to pull out. Israr Israr rang me up saying Raina was refusing to evacuate. I then ordered Israr to get Raina out and into the waiting ambulance. Months later, when he received the Ashoka Chakra [the highest bravery award in peace times], he came to receive the award in a wheelchair. I had tears in my eyes because I remembered this young boy standing up to say he wanted be the first to enter. These are things that not many people know.
As a commander, you have to explain it to your men. I told them I was going in, but if they didn't want to do so, I understood and promised them no harm. Yet, not one person walked away. Not one.
You are still paying a price for your role in Operation Bluestar with all this security at your home.
One knows that. You have to pay a price and one has to be careful. But I look at it this way: if your time is up, it is up. You can die in your sleep, in your car, walking on the road. Nothing can stop that from happening. There have been attempts on my life but so far none have succeeded. I am fortunate to be here, but tomorrow I may not be here.
Of all the internal operations by the Indian Army, this would have been the most difficult one.
It was also the most traumatic, the most painful. I remember briefing the Foreign Correspondents Club [in New Delhi] after the operation and one person asked me how we could do it. I found out he was British, so I asked him if militants take over St Paul's Cathedral, killings start in the cathedral and despite your best efforts, you can't stop that, how would the British army react? He agreed the British army too would enter the cathedral.
Then there was the case in Saudi Arabia, when the Kaaba was taken over by terrorists. Traditionally, no non-Muslim is supposed to go near the Kaaba but, to end the terrorist takeover, the Saudis called in French commandos and killed every terrorist.
As a soldier, this is what I have to do.
Many military officers who are now seeking to avoid using the Indian Army in civil operations. Do you agree?
Very much! The last thing the army wants is to be deployed within India for law and order operations. But places like Nagaland, Mizoram, Kashmir, Punjab… they come under a different category. Here, there are armed insurgents and militants, with sophisticated weapons, financed from abroad, heavily motivated, ready to give up their lives… The police forces with their 303 rifles [of World War II vintage] and their outdated method cannot tackle such militants beyond a level. That is when there is no choice. The army has to step in.
Now the army has been able to prevail upon the government to set up a paramilitary force -- the Rashtriya Rifles -- commanded by army officers but including policemen. Every army chief has told the government that it is not in the interest of the army for it to enter civil situations, because it is at the cost of our morale and our operational ability. I can tell you that the government is strengthening such forces, but till such time as they become self sufficient, the army will always remain as a back up force. How else would you deal with the situation in a place like Kashmir?
Twenty years ago almost to the day an event occurred in Punjab that shook the Republic of India to its very foundations.
Sikh extremists seeking to carve an independent country had been slowly but surely taking control of the state over the previous couple of years, striking terror in the hearts of politicians, law-enforcers, and the general population.
The killings began in 1983 with a murder here, a shootout there. Through the year, however, the frequency of attacks and the toll kept rising and by May 1984 dozens of innocent people were being murdered daily in cold blood, all in the name of 'freedom.'
A massive religious cleansing movement was underway in Punjab, which had become India's granary after the Green Revolution of the mid-to-late 1960s. Law and order had collapsed, and the corrupt and demoralised Punjab police was simply not up to the task of restoring it.
Heading this bloody movement was Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a preacher turned separatist who ran his terrorist campaign from the confines of the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, in Amritsar. Bhindranwale openly defied the Indian State from his sanctuary. But the police dared not enter the temple complex, for fear of outraging the sentiments of the Sikhs, arguably India's most dynamic and popular minority community.
With the situation rapidly getting out of hand, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took a momentous decision. She ordered the Indian Army to move into Punjab and decisively tackle the terrorists who were armed and aided by Pakistan.
To flush the terrorists and their masterminds out of the Golden Temple complex, the army launched what is possibly its most controversial action, Operation Bluestar, under the command of Major General Kuldip Singh Brar (who later retired as lieutenant general).
But the operation, which began in the wee hours of June 6, 1984, was like a dagger through the heart for Sikhs everywhere. Thousands railed against the Indian State, the army, and all those who were connected in any way with the operation. A large number of Sikh soldiers, enraged by rumours that the Golden Temple had been damaged (the temple itself remained untouched, though the Akal Takht was damaged), deserted the armed forces. Author Khushwant Singh famously returned his Padma Bhushan award in protest. Captain Amarinder Singh, now the chief minister of Punjab, resigned from the Congress party. Four months and three weeks later, Indira Gandhi paid the ultimate price for ordering Operation Bluestar.
Twenty years on, rediff.com takes a fresh look at the events of June 1984 and the circumstances leading up to them.
The Rediff Interview/Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar (retired)
When military officers retire, they move into what the armed forces euphemistically call 'civilian areas,' where the likes of you and me live. But when Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar retired, he had to reside in the cantonment area of Mumbai, in a bungalow guarded by a huge black gate, with army soldiers and policemen on watch round the clock.
Brar is probably the most protected army officer today, in service or retired. And all because one fateful night, 20 years ago, the then major general commanded Indian Army soldiers who entered the Golden Temple.
Operation Bluestar, as the mission was called, to flush out militants from the holiest Sikh shrine [on par with the Vatican for Catholics and the Kaaba for Muslims; the Hindu faith has no single equivalent to the Golden Temple] remains till date one of the military's most difficult missions.
The army had been ordered to destroy the movement to create Khalistan and to cleanse the Golden Temple of all the militants hiding there, including the leader of the militants, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
June 6 marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, the codename for the operation to enter and capture, dead or alive, the militants and terrorists who had turned the Golden Temple into their fortress.
At his home in Mumbai, the retired general agreed to journey back to that difficult time in an interview with Deputy Managing Editor Amberish K Diwanji. The first of a four part interview to understand the logic behind the Indian Army's most controversial operation.
Twenty years later, how do you look back on Operation Bluestar?
I look back in sorrow that it had to happen.
Apparently, the government had no other recourse. The events in Punjab had reached a complete breakdown.
The Sikh militants were in total control of the state machinery. There was a strong feeling that Khalistan was going to be established at any time. [Jarnail Singh] Bhindranwale was being seen as a prophet; he was making very strong speeches against [the then prime minister] Indira Gandhi and non-Sikhs; and trying to send a message across to the rural areas that the Sikhs are being given second-grade treatment and that it is high time we formed our own independent state of Khalistan. There was a strong possibility of Pakistan helping them and I think there was the possibility of a Bangladesh being repeated.
I can't comment on the inside of politics, but I assume that after taking everything into consideration, the prime minister and the government decided this was the only course of action left if we were to keep this country together, to prevent its fragmentation, to prevent Khalistan. And having seen reports of about 2,000 militants inside [Amritsar's Golden Temple] with any number of machine guns, different types of weapons, it was clearly beyond the capabilities of the police force to flush out the militants from the Golden Temple; the task had to be entrusted to the Army.
As a soldier, if I am given an order, I obey it and 20 years later, all I can say is I wish the situation had never risen that such an order had to be passed. And God forbid we have to do it again.
How did you motivate the soldiers?
No soldier enjoys or cherishes taking up arms against his fellow citizens. But they also know that there are many situations, be it in Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Punjab or Kashmir, where the Army has to be called in. When the Army is called in, we don't think about of religion, caste, creed, ethnicity; we are sworn to the Constitution of India, our primary role is to safeguard the national security of the country and we have to act on orders to do so.
Why did the army go in just after Guru Arjan's martyrdom day, when the number of devotees is much higher?
That was a coincidence. You must try and understand that perhaps the government had just about three or four days to carry out the operation. We had some sort of information that Khalistan was going to be declared any moment. You try and figure out that one fine day, Bhindranwale declares Khalistan and hoists the Khalistan flag...
The Khalistani currency had already been distributed; Pakistan was pumping in money, they wanted a strong part of India, which is Punjab, to secede and for India to disintegrate.
Can you imagine if one fine day Khalistan has been declared, what would have happened? Pakistan would have recognised Khalistan and crossed the borders to support Khalistan, like we did in Bangladesh. The Punjab police might have crossed over to support Bhindranwale...
Did you fear that happening?
Of course! After all, emotions then were very high. I am not saying that the entire Punjab police would have crossed over, but a large section might have. If there could be desertions in the army, then the police, who were in Punjab, who were privy to Bhindranwale's speeches, might have [also deserted]; they were also emotionally charged by what was happening.
Moreover, Hindus and non-Sikhs were leaving Punjab while Sikhs in Delhi and Haryana were moving to Punjab, causing further fear and apprehension. The law and order situation in such a case would have been beyond the police force and difficult for the Army.
Would we have been on the border to stop Pakistan? Would we have been working on maintaining law and order with huge migrations underway? Would we be disarming the police and militia for fear that they might go over to the other side?
It would have been a task well beyond the army. So whether we could have waited a few days is something the politicians can best answer. But the impression given to us was that we had very little time.
Next: 'There is always a limit to how much any country can take
In the second part of a four-part interview with Deputy Managing Editor Amberish K Diwanji, General Brar looks back at the compulsions that forced him to send his men into the Temple:
Part I: 'Pakistan would have recognised Khalistan and crossed the borders'
Were you given a timeframe within which to act?
The fastest possible. When I met my CO [commanding officer] Lieutenant General K Sundarji [then General Officer Commanding, Western Command; he later became Chief of Army Staff] at Chandimandir [in Chandigarh], he told me he would fly down in 48 hours to hear my first briefing. Time was at a premium.
So we moved all night and got our forces into Amritsar and then the Temple.
What about a siege to flush out the militants?
A siege is easily spoken of. A siege is only effective when you are able to make the people under siege unable to continue to stay under siege. That means they have no water, no food, no electricity, no ammunition and are forced to surrender or to capitulate.
But, in the Golden Temple, there is no shortage of water. There are any number of wells; besides there is the Sarovar [the Holy Lake on the premises of the Temple]. There are a number of generators. There is no shortage of food -- every day, thousands of devotees flock to the Temple bringing with them food and provisions, so there is enough food to feed a few hundreds of thousands of people for over a month [food is served free of cost to the devotees every day in the Golden Temple; this food is made from offerings by the devotees], and here we are talking of forcing the hand of a few thousands…
The other problem of a siege was that, once laid, word would have spread to the hinterland within 24 hours. Every villager in Punjab would be told the Golden Temple was under siege. In those days, every rumour or fact was exaggerated; such messages are sent out emotionally, thus surcharging the atmosphere. People would have picked up their swords or lances and hundreds of thousands would have converged on Amritsar and the Golden Temple and besieged the army that was besieging the Temple! We can't fire at these people, and we can't surrender, so what are we to do? We didn't want such a situation to arise.
After asking the militants to surrender [on June 5], we waited and waited. It soon became 8 o'clock, then 9 o'clock and was nearing 10 o'clock. We were worried. We had to finish the operation before dawn [around 5.30 am] for fear of mobs amassing around the Temple. The news would spread fast that we hadn't cleared out the militants, then we would be under siege. People must understand these things.
It is very easy to say to we could have laid siege, we could have postponed it for a day or two, or carried out the operation without the loss of life. It is only we, who were there at that time, who know what our limitations and needs were. Our soldiers went into what you would call a death trap. They had no cover, they were out in the open [when moving from the entrances to the various rooms and sections where the militants were hiding]; in contrast, the militants had barricaded every window and were heavily armed…
So ultimately you had to finish off the operation in 48 hours, because you feared Pakistan coming in?
That was the biggest fear. It had to be a surgical operation and one that caused the minimum damage with least loss of blood but it had to be as quick as possible because once word got around, there would have been a flood of people… like the Brahmaputra. When the Brahmaputra floods, there is nothing you can do. No amount of sandbags can stop the flood.
What about the innocent pilgrims inside?
We were to go in at 7 pm [on June 5]. Since afternoon, we used the public address system to keep asking those who were inside to surrender. We told them we don't want to come in, we pointed out that there were pilgrims inside, there were women and children inside, and we told the militants that if they want to fight it out, do so but for God's sake to at least send the pilgrims, the old, the young, out safely. But until 7 pm, nothing happened.
I asked the police if they could send emissaries inside to help get the innocent people out, but the police said that anyone sent inside would not come out again. They said the militants were no doubt keeping the pilgrims as a sort of trump card, believing their presence would stop the army from coming in. Eventually, about 100 sick and old people were let out, but not the rest. They told us the others were not being allowed to come out.
I feel sorry for the innocent people who died in the crossfire.
In the fight, you were dealing with a former superior, Major General [retired] Shahbeg Singh [a highly decorated army officer who, after being dismissed from service for financial irregularities, became a close accomplice of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale].
Yes, and he knew something was up because the day before, I had walked around the Golden Temple in civilian clothes and seen the militants and the barricades. And he saw me taking my rounds so he knew something was up. We had gone into Bangladesh together.
Was he a formidable enemy?
He was a very seasoned soldier who won the Mahavir Chakra [India's second highest bravery award in war] in 1971, who had to leave the army for whatever reason. He was a highly emotional person and had joined with Bhindranwale. Perhaps he believed that with the pilgrims inside, the Indian Army would not come in but he never realised there is always a limit to how much any country can take.
How difficult was the operation?
It was in the middle of the night. One cannot see and one is out in the open and under fire from the militants holed up behind barricades. Plus I was constantly screaming at the men inside that come what may, they were not to fire in the direction of the Harmindar Sahib [the sanctum sanctorum where the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, is kept during the day] and that even if there was fire from that side they were not to return fire. Later, there were a couple of bullet holes in the Harmindar Sahib, which could have been the militants' fire or odd stray fire from the soldiers. Otherwise there was no damage to the Harmindar Sahib.
Even at the Akal Takht [seen above], there would have been no damage. Our soldiers tried to lob stun grenades [which release gas that momentarily stuns people without causing any collateral damage]. But the Akal Takht was completely sealed and there was no way to lob the stun grenades inside. And when our soldiers were crawling towards the Akal Takht for some commandos to get in, they were being mowed down by enemy fire. They were being killed by the dozen, it was a terrible sight.
As you know Bhindranwale had shifted to the first floor of the Akal Takht. How did the Sikhs allow that? It was against the religion's tenets. The Akal Takht is where the Guru Granth Sahib [the Sikh holy book] is kept at night after being taken from the Harmindar Sahib. No one is allowed to stay above the Guru Granth Sahib, but Bhindranwale and his immediate accomplices were living on the Akal Takht's first floor.
The members of the SGPC [the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee which has managerial control of the Golden Temple and other gurdwaras in India] were living elsewhere in the Temple. They had long lost control of the situation and had no say in what was happening. The writ of Bhindrawale ran not just in the Golden Temple or in Amritsar but throughout Punjab.
Why were the tanks brought in?
Tanks were brought in late to illuminate the Akal Takht, so that the soldiers could see where they were going and to momentarily blind the militants in the glare of the lights. Those who have seen these huge halogen lights know these lights fuse in 20, 30 seconds, so the tanks had to keep going in and coming out. It was not an easy task at all.
Next: 'You are not acting against any religion but against a section of misguided people'
In the third part of a four-part interview with Deputy Managing Editor Amberish K Diwanji, General Brar talks about his feelings as a Sikh who sent soldiers into his religion's most revered site.
Why were you were chosen for the task?
I have no idea. I was then commanding 9 Division [as a major general] based in Meerut. Two of my brigades comprised of Sikhs. My brigades were in Meerut, Delhi, Jalandhar, and I was asked overnight to move to Amritsar. A division was sitting in Amritsar, but it was moved to the border in case Pakistan decided to move in. I had no clue as to of the layout of the Golden Temple; I had to set up an operations room and I was given charge of the paramilitary and the Punjab police.
I could not tell them why I was there for fear word might leak out, so I didn't tell the others until just before the operation. The wheat agitation [farmers had threatened not to send wheat out of Punjab] was happening in Punjab then and killings were rising.
When you were summoned from Meerut, did you know what was in store?
Not at all. It came as a big surprise. I was called for a meeting to Chandimandir [Chandigarh] on May 31. In fact, my wife and I were all set to fly to Manila... the Philippines... on the night of June 1; I was off on a month-long vacation. We had our tickets and our travellers' cheques ready and, on May 31, I get this call asking me to come to Chandimandir. So we drive at night from Meerut to Delhi and I tell my wife to buy the gifts from Cottage Industries and tell her I'd take the helicopter to Chandimandir and get back by evening so that we could take the night flight to Manila. At Chandimandir, there were cars waiting for me and maps laid out on the table and I was told I'd have to take a flight to Amritsar.
I said I was going on vacation to Manila. [Lt General Ranjit Singh] Dayal [chief staff officer to Sundarji and in charge of Amritsar during Operation Bluestar] and Sundarji conferred with each other and later told me I'd have to cancel my leave. So I said give me two minutes to call my wife and tell her that I am not returning to Delhi and to cancel our tickets. In fact, our hosts did not even know we were not on the flight and were waiting for us at the airport; it was only later when they saw the news on television that they realised why I had not made it to Manila.
As a soldier, you don't question why. You do your task. I would say Sundarji and Dayal had faith in me. I had been involved in anti-insurgency operations in Nagaland and Mizoram and was thus tested.
But how did you feel as a Sikh? Are you very religious?
I am religious but in moderation. I am not a person who has to be in a temple every single day, but I have a fear of God. I respect religion, and respect the fact that I am a Sikh.
But as I said earlier, a Sikh or a Hindu has no meaning here [in the armed forces]. You don't even think about it. You are convinced you are not acting against any religion but against a section of misguided people who have held the country to ransom, who are ready to fragment this country...
But the operation did hurt the sentiments of hundreds of thousands of Sikhs, including many who had never supported the militants.
Certainly, I don't deny that. But this had to happen and yes, many were hurt by what happened.
My own mama [mother's brother] who lives in London -- he didn't keep long hair, he used to smoke, visit pubs and I used to stay with him whenever I was visiting the UK -- suddenly changed. He began to grow his hair and beard; he used to regularly participate in the functions at Southall [in London] where the Sikhs vowed revenge; he went to Pakistan; he swore he'd have never have anything to do with me. He broke ties with my parents… his own sister.
Then just three years ago, I was in London and found out he was dying of cancer. I decided I must see him and went to the hospital. The staff told me he had about 24 to 48 hours to live. When they informed him of my presence, he told them to bring me to his bedside and he held my hand; he had tears rolling down his cheeks and he told me he now understood I had to do whatever I did.
I got a letter from a Sikh gentleman in Canada who said that after reading about Operation Bluestar, if he had had the chance, he would have killed me. But he said that after reading my book [Operation Bluestar: The True Story], he realised the people who had let the Sikhs down were some Sikhs and the internal politics of the Akalis, and he understood that, as a soldier, I did what I had to do. He said I cleaned the temple.
He even offered to pay for translating the book into Punjabi so that more people could read it. In the event, my publishers did the translation and this book has gone into 10 or 11 reprints and is now easily available outside gurdwaras all over Punjab.
How about your parents? There is this well-known story of how the mother of General Dayal [also a Sikh] refused to eat until her son personally assured her that the Harmindar Sahib was safe. Were your parents similarly perturbed?
Not so much. They were, of course, upset that I, as a Sikh, had commanded the operation. But my father too is a soldier [D S Brar served in World War II and retired as major general] and he understood the compulsions of a soldier. In fact, they didn't even know I was commanding the operation until the whole thing became public.
In this concluding instalment of a four-part exclusive interview with Deputy Managing Editor Amberish K Diwanji, General Brar talks of how he motivated his soldiers to participate what was undoubtedly the single most traumatic operation by the Indian Army ever.
Soldiers are God fearing. How did you motivate your men to carry out the operation in a holy shrine?
On the day we went in, I decided I must talk to the men personally and tell them what we were doing and why we were doing it. I began at 4 am in the morning [of June 5], spent half an hour with the first unit; then half an hour with the next unit and so on. To every one of them, I explained this was not a mission against any religion or a temple, but a mission against some militants who have defiled the temple; it was no longer a place of sanctity but a defiled place and we were going to clean it out.
Even so, I told my men if any one of them wanted to opt out of this operation, they were welcome. I gave them my word that they would not be hounded nor would their unit commanding officer mark them negatively.
No one put his hand up to back out, not in the first, not in the second, not in the third…
In the fourth battalion, one hand went up. It belonged to a Sikh officer, Second Lieutenant Jasbir Singh Raina, in the unit commanded by [Lieutenant Colonel] Mohammad Israr [Lt Col Israr of the 10 Guards would lead the first unit into the Golden Temple]. I told Raina if he wanted to stay out, he need have no fear in doing so. Raina replied he had a request: he wanted to be the first person to enter the Golden Temple to wipe the militants who had defiled his holiest shrine. I was very happy and told Israr that Raina must be allowed to lead the first charge.
The moment Raina entered, he came under a withering fire and suffered serious injuries to his legs. Yet, he refused to pull out. Israr Israr rang me up saying Raina was refusing to evacuate. I then ordered Israr to get Raina out and into the waiting ambulance. Months later, when he received the Ashoka Chakra [the highest bravery award in peace times], he came to receive the award in a wheelchair. I had tears in my eyes because I remembered this young boy standing up to say he wanted be the first to enter. These are things that not many people know.
As a commander, you have to explain it to your men. I told them I was going in, but if they didn't want to do so, I understood and promised them no harm. Yet, not one person walked away. Not one.
You are still paying a price for your role in Operation Bluestar with all this security at your home.
One knows that. You have to pay a price and one has to be careful. But I look at it this way: if your time is up, it is up. You can die in your sleep, in your car, walking on the road. Nothing can stop that from happening. There have been attempts on my life but so far none have succeeded. I am fortunate to be here, but tomorrow I may not be here.
Of all the internal operations by the Indian Army, this would have been the most difficult one.
It was also the most traumatic, the most painful. I remember briefing the Foreign Correspondents Club [in New Delhi] after the operation and one person asked me how we could do it. I found out he was British, so I asked him if militants take over St Paul's Cathedral, killings start in the cathedral and despite your best efforts, you can't stop that, how would the British army react? He agreed the British army too would enter the cathedral.
Then there was the case in Saudi Arabia, when the Kaaba was taken over by terrorists. Traditionally, no non-Muslim is supposed to go near the Kaaba but, to end the terrorist takeover, the Saudis called in French commandos and killed every terrorist.
As a soldier, this is what I have to do.
Many military officers who are now seeking to avoid using the Indian Army in civil operations. Do you agree?
Very much! The last thing the army wants is to be deployed within India for law and order operations. But places like Nagaland, Mizoram, Kashmir, Punjab… they come under a different category. Here, there are armed insurgents and militants, with sophisticated weapons, financed from abroad, heavily motivated, ready to give up their lives… The police forces with their 303 rifles [of World War II vintage] and their outdated method cannot tackle such militants beyond a level. That is when there is no choice. The army has to step in.
Now the army has been able to prevail upon the government to set up a paramilitary force -- the Rashtriya Rifles -- commanded by army officers but including policemen. Every army chief has told the government that it is not in the interest of the army for it to enter civil situations, because it is at the cost of our morale and our operational ability. I can tell you that the government is strengthening such forces, but till such time as they become self sufficient, the army will always remain as a back up force. How else would you deal with the situation in a place like Kashmir?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
School Days..
Carmel Hr Sec School, Nagercoil.. this school is known for its strictness and probably one of the best schools in Nagercoil. And being a Boys School it had its own advantages and drawbacks to me as a student. It gives the greatest freedom for boys when there are no opposite sex near by, you talk what ever your feel to say, you do what ever you feel to do. But more are the negatives than the postives..the class rooms always feel like missing something, no one to care about you in the class (may be there is a chance - had it been a Co-Ed), no one to prove your heroism etc..
And the teachers are almost seen as villains by us, none of the teachers missed to carry a cane, and some teachers would collect money from students to buy a cane, and more it wears and tears, the next round of collection would start to buy a new cane to replace the old one.
Each and every teacher was more individualistic in their own ways. I studied in Carmel from 1990 to 1996, to be specific from 6th to 12th Standard and in a pure Tamil Nadu State Board Syllabus in English Medium (hmm..). I had come across lot of teachers in those six years, but only a few are in my heart..and I know for sure that these teachers will live in the hearts of almost all the students of the school. And interestingly not many teachers would remember me as I am neither an outstanding student in the class, nor a worst student in any form - be it studies or any extra curricular activities. I am pretty much an average student through out my schooling.
First and foremost, I would start with my All Time Favorite Teacher - Shenbagaperumal - A fair bit short man who comes from somewhere near Muttom, though he is a terror among students for this strictness and his punishments, he is so much beyond excellent in teaching SCIENCE. No one can ever explain or make understand things like him. He had some different policies to students, few are below
-No student should play cricket in School and out of school - if he happens to see any one playing cricket on Saturday or Sunday, he would punish them on Monday in school. I still remember Tejy being punished for that matter for playing cricket in the Police Camp Ground.
- No student should eat icecreams , if he happens to see us enjoying icecreams during lunch break, we are gone. We had a tough time dealing with him on these aspects.
- No student should buy anything from the School Canteen, here again the punishments will be severe.
My guess on why he had those polices could be - Cricket is a time killing sport and so he doesn't want us to kill our time on that. And Ice creams obviously are not good to health. And the school canteen will always have a bit higher price than the shops opposite to the school.
I had and always have a great respect for this man for his discipline, punctuality, talent, strictness, cleanliness -here I mean Carmel is a Christian Management School, he never spoke about religion or anything while lots of other teachers used to do.
His way of asking questions to students in the classroom is something that would bring our heartbeats to the maximum speed, we would not know to whom he is going to ask that question. He would face the left side of the class and still say "4th Boy in the 3rd Bench on the right side". And those minutes are some of the toughest minutes of my life to see through.
His punishments would be so severe - you need to show your two hands together and his cane would land on both of our hands for at least 5 times for not answering a question..
And when he teaches you can't get out of the topic for a small nap or a day dream..in the middle of the class, he suddenly would ask somebody "What did I say last?"..and I have not seen much guys answering him, they end up getting punished for this.
Such a wonderful teacher in Science, he of course is my all time favorite teacher. I don't know whether he has retired, how and where he is..but he is one man who could have easily changed the academic life of lot of students. I admire you Sir.
I am feeling sleepy now ..and when I start again I will take you through approaches of various teachers in my School - Carmel.
And the teachers are almost seen as villains by us, none of the teachers missed to carry a cane, and some teachers would collect money from students to buy a cane, and more it wears and tears, the next round of collection would start to buy a new cane to replace the old one.
Each and every teacher was more individualistic in their own ways. I studied in Carmel from 1990 to 1996, to be specific from 6th to 12th Standard and in a pure Tamil Nadu State Board Syllabus in English Medium (hmm..). I had come across lot of teachers in those six years, but only a few are in my heart..and I know for sure that these teachers will live in the hearts of almost all the students of the school. And interestingly not many teachers would remember me as I am neither an outstanding student in the class, nor a worst student in any form - be it studies or any extra curricular activities. I am pretty much an average student through out my schooling.
First and foremost, I would start with my All Time Favorite Teacher - Shenbagaperumal - A fair bit short man who comes from somewhere near Muttom, though he is a terror among students for this strictness and his punishments, he is so much beyond excellent in teaching SCIENCE. No one can ever explain or make understand things like him. He had some different policies to students, few are below
-No student should play cricket in School and out of school - if he happens to see any one playing cricket on Saturday or Sunday, he would punish them on Monday in school. I still remember Tejy being punished for that matter for playing cricket in the Police Camp Ground.
- No student should eat icecreams , if he happens to see us enjoying icecreams during lunch break, we are gone. We had a tough time dealing with him on these aspects.
- No student should buy anything from the School Canteen, here again the punishments will be severe.
My guess on why he had those polices could be - Cricket is a time killing sport and so he doesn't want us to kill our time on that. And Ice creams obviously are not good to health. And the school canteen will always have a bit higher price than the shops opposite to the school.
I had and always have a great respect for this man for his discipline, punctuality, talent, strictness, cleanliness -here I mean Carmel is a Christian Management School, he never spoke about religion or anything while lots of other teachers used to do.
His way of asking questions to students in the classroom is something that would bring our heartbeats to the maximum speed, we would not know to whom he is going to ask that question. He would face the left side of the class and still say "4th Boy in the 3rd Bench on the right side". And those minutes are some of the toughest minutes of my life to see through.
His punishments would be so severe - you need to show your two hands together and his cane would land on both of our hands for at least 5 times for not answering a question..
And when he teaches you can't get out of the topic for a small nap or a day dream..in the middle of the class, he suddenly would ask somebody "What did I say last?"..and I have not seen much guys answering him, they end up getting punished for this.
Such a wonderful teacher in Science, he of course is my all time favorite teacher. I don't know whether he has retired, how and where he is..but he is one man who could have easily changed the academic life of lot of students. I admire you Sir.
I am feeling sleepy now ..and when I start again I will take you through approaches of various teachers in my School - Carmel.
Friday, November 02, 2007
சத்தம் போடாதே...
Commentary by Dinesh..one of my Verizon friends..
வழக்கமான காதல்/Action/Comedy மசாலா இல்லாமல் ஆந்திராவில் நடைபெற்ற சமுக முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்ந்த ஒரு உண்மை சம்பவத்தை திரையில் பார்க்க வேண்டுமா ? - Go for "சத்தம் போடாதே"
குடி பழக்கத்தால் ஆண்மை இழந்த கணவனாக "Chennai 28" Nitin Sathya, அவரின் இளம் மனைவியாக பத்மப்ரியா ஆசைப்படி குழந்தையை தத்து எடுக்க முதலில் சம்மதிக்கிறார். நாளடைவில் தன் தாழ்வு மனப்பான்மை மற்றும் குற்ற உணர்ச்சி காரணமாக ஒரு நாடகமாடி குழந்தையாய் மீண்டும் ஆசிரமத்தில் விட்டு விடுகிறார். குழந்தையை மறக்க வேலைக்கு செல்லும் பத்மப்ரியவை சந்தேகப்பட்டு சித்திரவதை செய்கிறார். இது பொறுக்க முடியாமல் சத்யாவை விவாகரத்து செய்கிர்ரர் பத்மப்ரியா.
நொடிந்து போன பத்மப்ரியா வாழ்கையில் தன் அண்ணனின் நண்பரான ப்ரிதிவ்ராஜ் நுழைகிறார். ப்ரிதிவ்ராஜ் பத்மப்ரியவைய் திருமணம் செய்கிறார். இந்நிலைஇல் முதல் கணவனான சத்யா இவர்கள் வாழ்கையில் நுழைய இடைவேளை.
இடைவேளை வரை முதலில் சோகமாக பிறகு கலகலப்பாக நகரும் படம் பிறகு "Thriller" அக மாறுகிறது. சத்ய பத்மப்ரியவை கடத்திவிட்டு "Gas" வெடித்து இறந்தது போல் "Setup" செயும்ம் காட்சி வசந்த் தன் முந்தைய படமான "ஆசை" நினைவுட்டுகிறது.
ப்ரிதிவ்ராஜ் எப்படி பத்மப்ரியவை மீட்கிறார், உளவியல் ரீதியாக பாதிக்கப்பட்ட சத்யா என்ன ஆகிறார் என்பதை தன் வழக்கமான ச்வாரச்யத்துடன் சொல்லிஇருக்கிறார் வசந்த்.
பாடல்கள்.."அழகு குட்டி செல்லம்.." பாடலில் குழந்தையின் 100 விதமான சிரிப்பை பதிய வைத்து நம் தொலைந்த முகங்களை முன் நிறுத்துகிறார்.ஒரு பெண்ணின் உச்சகட்ட சோகம் மற்றும் சந்தோசத்தை "பேசுகிறேன் பேசுகிறேன்.." என்ற ஒரே பாடலை இரு வேறு காட்சி அமைப்பில் நிறுத்தி இயக்குனர் கைதட்டல் பெறுகிறார். மிகுந்த பொறுப்புணர்ச்சியோடு எடுக்கப்பட்ட கதையில் இடைவேளைக்கு பிறகு வரும் 2 பாடல்கள் - மொக்கை :-(
வசனம்.."என் தங்கச்சி வேணும்னா உங்களா இன்னும் Divorce பண்ணாம இருக்கலாம், ஆனா நான் உங்கள எப்போவோ Divorce பண்ணிடன்" - பத்மப்ரியா அண்ணன் சொல்லும் காட்சி "Super"அண்ணன் - "எதற்காக அவன Divorce பண்ண maatree?பத்மப்ரியா - "அவர் எதையுமே என்கிட்டேந்து marachadhille டா, அதான் அவர விட்டு வரமுடியலே" என்னும் காட்சி நிஜ வாழ்கையில் சில குடும்பங்களில் உள்ள நிலைமையை பிரதிபலிக்கும் விதமாக உள்ளது. Divorce ஆகி பிறந்த விட்டுக்கு வரும் பத்மப்ரியாவாய் பார்த்து அப்பா பேசும் வசனம் "சரியா விசாரிக்காம உண்ண அவனுக்கு கட்டி கொடுதுடேநேமா" - பெற்றோருகளுக்காக....Climax கட்சிக்காக "Cameraman" க்கு ஒரு "ஒ" போடலாம் - அருமையான frames.
உளவியல் ரீதியாய்க பாதிக்கப்பட்டவரின் செயல்பாட்டை நேர்த்தியாக திரையில் நிறுத்திஇருக்கிறார் வசந்த்.
சத்தம் போடாதே - Emotional pot-boiler.
தினேஷ்.
வழக்கமான காதல்/Action/Comedy மசாலா இல்லாமல் ஆந்திராவில் நடைபெற்ற சமுக முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்ந்த ஒரு உண்மை சம்பவத்தை திரையில் பார்க்க வேண்டுமா ? - Go for "சத்தம் போடாதே"
குடி பழக்கத்தால் ஆண்மை இழந்த கணவனாக "Chennai 28" Nitin Sathya, அவரின் இளம் மனைவியாக பத்மப்ரியா ஆசைப்படி குழந்தையை தத்து எடுக்க முதலில் சம்மதிக்கிறார். நாளடைவில் தன் தாழ்வு மனப்பான்மை மற்றும் குற்ற உணர்ச்சி காரணமாக ஒரு நாடகமாடி குழந்தையாய் மீண்டும் ஆசிரமத்தில் விட்டு விடுகிறார். குழந்தையை மறக்க வேலைக்கு செல்லும் பத்மப்ரியவை சந்தேகப்பட்டு சித்திரவதை செய்கிறார். இது பொறுக்க முடியாமல் சத்யாவை விவாகரத்து செய்கிர்ரர் பத்மப்ரியா.
நொடிந்து போன பத்மப்ரியா வாழ்கையில் தன் அண்ணனின் நண்பரான ப்ரிதிவ்ராஜ் நுழைகிறார். ப்ரிதிவ்ராஜ் பத்மப்ரியவைய் திருமணம் செய்கிறார். இந்நிலைஇல் முதல் கணவனான சத்யா இவர்கள் வாழ்கையில் நுழைய இடைவேளை.
இடைவேளை வரை முதலில் சோகமாக பிறகு கலகலப்பாக நகரும் படம் பிறகு "Thriller" அக மாறுகிறது. சத்ய பத்மப்ரியவை கடத்திவிட்டு "Gas" வெடித்து இறந்தது போல் "Setup" செயும்ம் காட்சி வசந்த் தன் முந்தைய படமான "ஆசை" நினைவுட்டுகிறது.
ப்ரிதிவ்ராஜ் எப்படி பத்மப்ரியவை மீட்கிறார், உளவியல் ரீதியாக பாதிக்கப்பட்ட சத்யா என்ன ஆகிறார் என்பதை தன் வழக்கமான ச்வாரச்யத்துடன் சொல்லிஇருக்கிறார் வசந்த்.
பாடல்கள்.."அழகு குட்டி செல்லம்.." பாடலில் குழந்தையின் 100 விதமான சிரிப்பை பதிய வைத்து நம் தொலைந்த முகங்களை முன் நிறுத்துகிறார்.ஒரு பெண்ணின் உச்சகட்ட சோகம் மற்றும் சந்தோசத்தை "பேசுகிறேன் பேசுகிறேன்.." என்ற ஒரே பாடலை இரு வேறு காட்சி அமைப்பில் நிறுத்தி இயக்குனர் கைதட்டல் பெறுகிறார். மிகுந்த பொறுப்புணர்ச்சியோடு எடுக்கப்பட்ட கதையில் இடைவேளைக்கு பிறகு வரும் 2 பாடல்கள் - மொக்கை :-(
வசனம்.."என் தங்கச்சி வேணும்னா உங்களா இன்னும் Divorce பண்ணாம இருக்கலாம், ஆனா நான் உங்கள எப்போவோ Divorce பண்ணிடன்" - பத்மப்ரியா அண்ணன் சொல்லும் காட்சி "Super"அண்ணன் - "எதற்காக அவன Divorce பண்ண maatree?பத்மப்ரியா - "அவர் எதையுமே என்கிட்டேந்து marachadhille டா, அதான் அவர விட்டு வரமுடியலே" என்னும் காட்சி நிஜ வாழ்கையில் சில குடும்பங்களில் உள்ள நிலைமையை பிரதிபலிக்கும் விதமாக உள்ளது. Divorce ஆகி பிறந்த விட்டுக்கு வரும் பத்மப்ரியாவாய் பார்த்து அப்பா பேசும் வசனம் "சரியா விசாரிக்காம உண்ண அவனுக்கு கட்டி கொடுதுடேநேமா" - பெற்றோருகளுக்காக....Climax கட்சிக்காக "Cameraman" க்கு ஒரு "ஒ" போடலாம் - அருமையான frames.
உளவியல் ரீதியாய்க பாதிக்கப்பட்டவரின் செயல்பாட்டை நேர்த்தியாக திரையில் நிறுத்திஇருக்கிறார் வசந்த்.
சத்தம் போடாதே - Emotional pot-boiler.
தினேஷ்.
Friday, August 24, 2007
IT Intelligence
Once upon a time there was a shepherd looking after his sheep on the side of a deserted road. Suddenly a brand new Porsche screeches to a halt. The driver, a man dressed in an Armani suit, Cerutti shoes, Ray-Ban sunglasses, TAG-Heuer wrist-watch, and a Pierre Cardin tie, gets out and asks the Shepherd: "If I can tell you how many sheep you have, will you give me one of them?"
The shepherd looks at the young man, and then looks at the large flock of grazing sheep and replies: "Okay."
The young man parks the car, connects his laptop to the mobile-fax, enters a NASA Webster, scans the ground using his GPS, opens a database and 60 Excel tables filled with logarithms and pivot tables, then prints out a 150 page report on his high-tech mini-printer.
He turns to the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1,586 sheep here." The shepherd cheers, "that's correct, you can have your sheep." The young man makes his pick and puts it in the back of his Porsche. The shepherd looks at him and asks: "If I guess your profession, will you return my animal to me?" The young man answers, "Yes, why not".
The shepherd says, "You are an IT consultant ".
How did you know?" asks the young man. "Very simple," answers the shepherd. "First, you came here without being called. Second, you charged me a fee to tell me something I already knew, and third, you don't understand anything about my business.
Now can I have my DOG back?"
The shepherd looks at the young man, and then looks at the large flock of grazing sheep and replies: "Okay."
The young man parks the car, connects his laptop to the mobile-fax, enters a NASA Webster, scans the ground using his GPS, opens a database and 60 Excel tables filled with logarithms and pivot tables, then prints out a 150 page report on his high-tech mini-printer.
He turns to the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1,586 sheep here." The shepherd cheers, "that's correct, you can have your sheep." The young man makes his pick and puts it in the back of his Porsche. The shepherd looks at him and asks: "If I guess your profession, will you return my animal to me?" The young man answers, "Yes, why not".
The shepherd says, "You are an IT consultant ".
How did you know?" asks the young man. "Very simple," answers the shepherd. "First, you came here without being called. Second, you charged me a fee to tell me something I already knew, and third, you don't understand anything about my business.
Now can I have my DOG back?"
Friday, August 10, 2007
..and this is Confidence
A hypothetical situation where 20 CEOs board an airplane and are told that the flight that they are about to take is the first-ever to feature pilot less technology: It is an uncrewed aircraft. Each one of the CEOs is then told, privately, that their company's software is running the aircraft's automatic pilot system. Nineteen of the CEOs promptly leave the aircraft, each offering a different type of excuse.One CEO alone remains on board the jet, seeming very calm indeed. Asked why he is so confident in this first uncrewed flight, he replies: "If it is the same software that runs my company's IT systems, this plane won't even take off.”That is called Confidence!!!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Its time, when a pencil teaches you!!
1. It tells you that everything you do will always leave a Mark
2. You can always correct the mistake you make
3. The important thing in life is what you are from inside and not from out side
4. In life you will undergo painful sharpening which will make you better in whatever you do
5. Finally, to be the best you can be, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you
2. You can always correct the mistake you make
3. The important thing in life is what you are from inside and not from out side
4. In life you will undergo painful sharpening which will make you better in whatever you do
5. Finally, to be the best you can be, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you
One Extra Bedroom........
A Thought Provoking Article... worth reading !!!!!! I don't know if it is true but it is written beautifully. Its for all Indians staying abroad for more money without their family. ONE BEDROOM FLAT... AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER'S LIFE...- A Bitter Reality As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Software Engineer and joined a company based in USA , the land of braves and opportunity. When I arrived in the USA , it was as if a dream had come true. Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would be staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have earned enough money to settle down in India . My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat. I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down. Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was actually enjoying hopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going through all the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I was forced to select one candidate. In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3 days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it was time to return to USA , after giving some money to my parents and telling the neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA . My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a week sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing. After two more years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked me to come to India so that they can see their grand-children. Every year I decide to go to India . But part work part monetary conditions prevented it. Years went by and visiting India was a distant dream. Then suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick. I tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could not go to India . The next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was no one to do the last rights the society members had done whatever they could. I was depressed. My parents had passed away without seeing their grand children. After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and my wife's joy we returned to India to settle down. I started to look for a suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property prices had gone up during all these years. I had to return to the USA . My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in India . My 2 children and I returned to USA after promising my wife I would be back for good after two years. Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and my son was happy living in USA . I decided that had enough and wound-up every thing and returned to India . I had just enough money to buy a decent 2 bedroom flat in a well-developed locality. Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me and gone to the holy abode Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after staying in India , had a house to his name and I too have the same nothing more. I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM. Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This damned cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children asking I am alright. Well at least they remember me. Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be performing my last rights, God Bless them. But the question still Remains 'was all this worth it?' I am still searching for an answer................!!!! --- By an Indian SE who was in US.
People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime.
People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for a reason, you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die, Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.
When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall, the season eventually ends.LIFETIME, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway);, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall, the season eventually ends.LIFETIME, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway);, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
A Love Story
There was once a guy who suffered from cancer... a cancer that can't be treated. He was 18 years old and he could die anytime. All his life, he was stuck in his house being taken cared by his mother.He never went outside but he was sick of staying home and wanted to go out for once. So he asked his mother and she gave him permission. He walked down his block and found a lot of stores. He passed a CD store and looked through the front door for a second as he walked. He stopped and went back to look into the store. He saw a young girl about his age and he knew it was love at first sight. He opened the door and walked in, not looking at anything else but her. He walked closer and closer until he was finally at the front desk where she sat.She looked up and asked "Can I help you?" She smiled and he thought it was the most beautiful smile he has ever seen before and wanted to kiss her right there.He said "Uh... Yeah... Umm... I would like to buy a CD." He picked one out and gave her money for it."Would you like me to wrap it for you?" she asked, smiling her cute smile again.He nodded and she went to the back. She came back with the wrapped CD and gave it to him. He took it and walked out of the store. He went home and from then on, he went to that store everyday and bought a CD, and she wrapped it for him. He took the CD home and put it in his closet. He was still too shy to ask her out and he really wanted to but he couldn't. His mother found out about this and told him to just ask her. So the next day, he took all his courage and went to the store. He bought a CD like he did everyday and once again she went to the back of the store and came back with it wrapped. He took it and when she wasn't looking, he left his phone number on the desk and ran out... !!!RRRRRING!!! The mother picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"It was the girl!!! She asked for the boy and the mother started to cry and said, "You don't know? He passed away yesterday... " The line was quiet except for the cries of the boy's mother. Later in the day. The mother went into the boy's room because she wanted to remember him. She thought she would start by looking at his clothes. So she opened the closet. She was face to face with piles and piles and piles of unopened CDs. She was surprised to find all those CDs and she picked one up and sat down on the bed and she started to open one. Inside, there was a CD and as she took it out of the wrapper, out fell a piece of paper. The mother picked it up and started to read it.It said: Hi... I think U R really cute. Do u wanna go out with me? Love, Jacelyn The mother opened another CD...Again there was a piece of paper. It said: Hi... I think U R really cute. Do u wanna go out with me? Love, JacelynLove is... when you've had a huge fight but then decide to put aside your egos, hold hands and Say, "I Love You"
Best Time of My Life
It was June 15, and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape. As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day, he noticed I wasn't full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas's age, so I asked him, "What was the best time of your life?"Without hesitation, Nicholas replied, "Well, Joe, this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question:"When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents, that was the best time of my life.""When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that was the best time of my life.""When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts, that was the best time of my life.""When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.""The Second World War came, and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America, that was the best time of my life.""When we came to Canada and started a family, that was the best time of my life.""When I was a young father, watching my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.""And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health, I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life."
A Bag of Kindness
These words from my second grade teacher at the end of the day echoed in my mind all evening. I was dreading the next day because I knew we wouldn't have any macaroni at home. Living in an alcoholic environment we never had too much of anything laying around our house except beer bottles.I trudged home after school with my mind working overtime. Where would I find macaroni? I knew that the local bottle depot at the edge of town gave twenty cents for a case of beer bottles so I decided that I would collect some bottles and maybe I could buy a small box that evening at our local corner store.When I got home I started collecting the bottles and before long I had a nice pile in the back of my wagon. I started off to the bottling depot with my little brother Able in tow. We had a mission and no one would stop us.When we arrived at the depot they counted our bottles and gave me the eighty cents. I felt very wealthy and as we walked back into town. Able was bouncing up and down asking to see the money. I showed him several times then asked him to get in the wagon so I could pull him. Truth be known I just wanted to enjoy feeling those coins in my pocket and I didn't mind pulling him as the price for this little freedom.We got to the corner store and entered to the smell of fresh bread baking in the back. I think we must have looked like we had rabies the way our mouths were watering. Able looked at me and at once I knew I would be going to school the next day with no macaroni.We bought two loaves of bread and two jelly doughnuts (which we ate on the way home). When we arrived there was the usual party going on upstairs so we gathered my other siblings and went to the basement where we shared the bread with some strawberry jam.We all fell asleep with Johnny Paycheck booming from the ceiling above that night.The next day as craft class neared I began to think about the macaroni again. I was in anguish as the teacher asked why I didn't have any macaroni."Weren't you listening when I asked you all to bring it John"? She asked sternly.I was mortified, I didn't know what to say and as the other children started laughing. Then out of nowhere this little girl Rosalyn who sat beside me turned to me and said "Here you can have some of mine". The way she said it, so nice, and the kindness in her eyes made me start to cry and I ran from the room in shame.I never did take her macaroni or thank her for the offer. I couldn't speak to her again because I was sure I would see my own shame mirrored in her eyes.I often think about Rosalyn and the way she turned to save me that day. I spent a great deal of my life letting the bricks of anger, hurt and rejection wall me in. I kept good people like Rosalyn out and surrounded myself with the kinds of people who I thought I was.I eventually did see that and I have changed my life. My own daughter is eight now and I have had the opportunity to send her to school with her own little bag of macaroni. I wrapped it up with a heavy heart that morning thinking of those turbulent days past. I thought of Rosalyn and the little gift she tried to share with me and I give a silent prayer of thanks for all the people like her that make this world a better place to live in.
Always know your objective first...
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked theDirector, "what is the criteria that defines a patient to beinstitutionalized? ""Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, we offer ateaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket to the patient and ask the patient toempty the bathtub."1. Would you use the spoon?2. Would you use the teacup?3. Would you use the bucket?Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person wouldchoose the bucket as it is larger than the spoon."No," answered the Director. "A normal person would pull thedrain plug."He flunked..... .....There is a difference between an objective and actions! Unless youunderstand your objective, you will be wasting your time in yourActions. Always know your objective first.
Monday, July 12, 2004
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