My One and Only Aunt ( ' Massi ' )

When we are born, we are bound to be surrounded by number of relatives. During our childhood, they shower you with lot of love,affection & gifts. My Aunt is one of them.
                   She is a very intelligent lady & a very important part of my life, since my childhood. In my initial years of growing up, she meant so much to me , that when I was being taught about fingers of my hand, I always called my baby finger as , " Baby Massi. "
                                                          A very hard working, enterprising, generous & lovable,aptly describes my Aunt.A brilliant student & a topper throughout her academic career, she chose a career, where she could serve the society in a positive manner.With her dedication to work & duty, she rose to be a Director of Social Welfare Department in Canada, where she is settled. A very interesting talker & a smart debater, she can enthrall her audience with her vast knowledge & command over the English Language.
                                           I have been told by my mother that she was very attached to their father. (' My Nanaji' ) One day, my grandfather, ( ' My Nanaji ' ) who is a doctor, was leaving for the hospital, without meeting her, she ran after him, barefooted. With the result, she got swear burns on the soles of her little feet, due to the burning heat of the courtyard floor.
                                Like my mother, she too believes in perfection, whether it is cooking or cleaning up the house or any other household chore. It is a fact that she is an excellent cook. I have tasted so many tasty dishes of hers, like, ' Vegetable Palao' & seriously, a major share used to be mine.
                                 She is also a globe-trotter. She has travel led all over the world & since, we are in India, she makes sure that we too visit some of the historical & heritage places of our country. She thoroughly gives us a grand time, wherever we go for a holiday.
                                                      My ' Massi ' is always elegantly dressed & turns heads, wherever she goes. It is a pleasure to be in her company.
                                                          She has a generous heart & showers all of us with lavish gifts.
                                                                Very loving & dedicated daughter, she took great care of her parents & always enjoyed their blessings. A great sister to her siblings & one of the most loving & affectionate mother to her daughter, truly a woman of substance.
                                                  I would like to conclude this post by Yajur Veda's quotation :
                                                      " Attractiveness & magnetism of man's personality
                                                         is the result of his inner radiance."

Variety of life / Moods.

Life has many shades. In fact, I should say that our mind or mood has many hidden shades. Sometimes we are very happy & some moments are there, when we are quite sad. There are times, when we want to act like a crazy buffoon, that is, wanting to laugh like a Jack Ass. On the contrary, there is a span, when our mind is devoid of any emotion or it is completely sad or serious.

                  Wow! Mind is capable of playing so many roles, in a few seconds. In a way, we can say, our mind doesn't remain dull, with so much variation in moods.
                        Thomas Carlyle has given a perfect simile, regarding variation of moods.
                                          He says :
                                                          " There are good and bad times, but our mood changes more 
                                                                often than our fortune."                                                         
                    There is another funny quotation on different moods:
                                                                              " To understand me, you have to meet me & be  
                                                                                  around me. And then only if I'm in a good 
                                                                             mood-don't meet me in a bad mood. 
                                                                                           - Avril Lavigne.
Finally, I want to wind up, by sharing few lines, from one of Percy Bysshe Shelley's famous writings:
                     " When my cats aren't happy, I'm not happy. Not because I care about their mood, but , because I know, they're just sitting there, thinking up ways to get even. "         
  

Hindi - Our National Language

Every country has a national language , like France has French , Britain has English , Canada has English & French , Pakistan has Urdu , Bangla Desh has Bengali & Nepali has Gorkhali .
                     Our national language is Hindi  , the language of Hind ,  that is India  . Most of the people in India speak speak Hindi  . It is derived from the ancient language  , Sanskrit  .
                          All the work in the government offices is carried on in Hindi  . All the correspondence & file work in all the Central Government Offices is done in the national language  . It binds the whole country in a strong bond of unity & one-ness  . Our national language reflects our ancient inheritance & rich traditional culture  .
              India is a vast nation with many states  ,  which has a regional language of their own  .  But Hindi  , being the national language is spoken all over the country & can communicate with everyone of our countrymen in the Hindi Medium  .
                                                  It is taught all over India in all the schools  . Students benefit & enrich their knowledge from its rich literature  . Every Indian is proud of his national language & takes great pride in speaking & writing Hindi  .
                                         All the sign boards  , landmarks  , names of Railway Stations  ,  Airports  , Bus Stands  , etc ; are written in Hindi along with the regional language of the respective state  .
                              Hindi is a part & parcel of our national life  . We are proud to be the inheritors of  this rich language  .                 

The Dog Show In My City

The Dog Show is an annual feature in my city . Every year, in the month of February, the local authorities hold the dog show in the premises of the Chandigarh Club for the benefit of dog lovers . Dog owners from all over the city , bring their pet dogs , to participate in the show .
                           It is really thrilling to watch the different breeds  of dogs like the furry Pomeranian s, the ferocious bull dogs, the proud Alsatians, the droopy cocker spaniels & so many other breeds prancing away in front of the judges & putting up an interesting show of the different tricks & feats, they have been taught, by their owners . It is obvious that long & laborious hours must have gone into the training of these dogs . It was definitely a field day for these dumb friends of ours . Their healthy bodies with their fur & skins gleaming with the thorough brushing by their masters must have given them . Their bright eyes shining & brand new collars around their neck spoke volumes of the love & attention showered on them by their proud masters . A few of the dogs won so many prizes & excelled themselves in each event , like jumping through a burning  ring , holding the basket in their teeth & going shopping for their master , bringing newspaper to the master , etc .
            People were spellbound at some of the intelligent tricks of these dogs .
                         The cream of the town had gathered to see the show . the Governor of Punjab gave away the prizes to owners of the winning dogs .

Transparency in Admission Process-Need Of The Hour

Private schools must strike a balance as far as the admission process is concerned . Under the RTE Act, every child is entitled to quality education , irrespective of caste & status . A few private schools have already taken a positive step allotting some seats to students belonging to the preferential category . Such constructive steps will go a long way in imparting quality education to students & ample satisfaction to parents .  

Mega Mock Drill in Tricity

Mock  Drills , to make people aware of various steps to be taken during natural disasters , should be organised in participation with general public . There should be no scope of glaring gaps in mega drills .
                        The media rightly points out that there should be an accurate amount of co-ordination, planning & execution, while undergoing these mock drills.
                     Some residents feel that the un -organised crowd or onlookers, who witness these mock drills should be more of a help in creating an orderly & swift execution of these mock drills.
                              Few more concerned residents feel that there should be a marked lane on every roadside for the ambulances & fire tenders to pass at the time of natural or man made disasters. They feel that a holistic & an integrated approach should be thought of,  in case of disaster management.
                                                 I read it in the internet that a survivalist kit should be kept ready at all times apart other from tools & gears, required in case of an emergency or a natural disaster. Undoubtedly, websites do help a great deal , in guiding people to deal with the hazards of  natural disasters.
                                       It is true that people are nonplussed during any kind  of disaster, (natural) but a sound & pre- planned mind can work wonders during any natural calamity.
                                                   

Need for a Separate Cadre, Selection Commission in Chandigarh

Some citizens feel that it is essential to have a separate service cadre in Chandigarh . ( UT Service Cadre) Over here, there is a lack of cadre posts, so officers from other states come here, on deputation . They are least concerned about the difficulties of local  youths, who have no jobs. Various schemes such as the IT hub, education city & various other schemes  have never been completed . With the result, chance of employment opportunities for the youth have finished . In other states,  according to local citizens, there is a state quota & so youth from other states come here to finish their education & later get jobs, easily in their own respective state .
                                    Some citizens rightly feel  that officers on short duration of deputation, do start some projects, but fail to complete it , during their stay. After their transfer, those specific projects have to be shelved .
                   In the end , I would like to add a very important point ( which echoes the opinion of others too) that the bureaucrats ( officers on deputation) in the UT ( Chandigarh) administration are not at all justified  in their keenness of bringing more officers to the UT from their parent cadres . Due weight age should be given to the officer's capability & achievement in the field of administration. 
                         

Methods of Reforming Policing System In Chandigarh

Transfer of UT police officers & their merger with DANIPS ( Delhi & Andaman Nicobar Island Police Services ) can help in decreasing crime rate & reforming the policing system in Chandigarh, to some extent . The transferred police officers will take time to adjust in new cities & environment & will have no links with their old touts . As a result, they will not be able to misuse their power or position . Besides this, the officers who perform commendable jobs should be awarded with promotions & appraisals.
                                        Some dignified personalities of Chandigarh rightly feel that the above mentioned merger & transfer of officers to other UTs like in other forces will go a long way in reforming the policing system & checking the crime rate in the city . They feel that the city has become stronghold of the Chandigarh cadre DSPs for many years due to their long stay . Some regular features like factionalism, internal strife, verbal spats in public, developing an image of a divided force have tarnished the image of the police force . People rightly feel that the entry of new incumbents will break the cartels formed by the police officers due to their long stay in the city .
                                                          Some defense officers  positively believe that transfer of UT police officers will help them in sharing the experience of police officers of other cadres .This will also help in getting rid of stagnation.
                           In the end, as someone has rightly said, positive police officers can bring a lot of improvement in the policing system of Chandigarh, in fact in the whole country .    

Dispensaries Of Municipal Corporation in Chandigarh

Dispensaries under the Municipal Corporation present a dismal picture. First of all, cleanliness should be the top priority. Patients as well as attendants should have an access to all basic amenities in washrooms. Plumbers, electricians & carpenters should be hired to repair all basic damages at the dispensaries. Employment should be given to well-qualified doctors, nurses, ward boys & maids.Plenty of rooms should be made so that two or three doctors or may be more, could attend to the huge rush of patients, easily & quickly.
           Some residents of Chandigarh feel that patients , instead of going to private hospitals, will go to these dispensaries, for their personal ailments, only, if the doctors  know their job well and put their skills in their daily practice.They feel that creating additional posts for the well- qualified & experienced doctors & attracting them to these dispensaries with special perks will go a long way in making these a first option for patients.
                 Some doctors also feel that these dispensaries should be well equipped, for the welfare of public. Only those patients, who require tertiary care should be referred to big hospitals, like, PGI . They feel that in case of any unfortunate incident, all city hospitals must be able to provide necessary treatment to victims.
                                    All these measures should definitely attract the patients to get their medical treatment done in these dispensaries.

Need of the hour- Wider Roads, Flyovers & Underpasses in Chandigarh

Valuable measures, which can be taken to solve the traffic jam problem in Chandigarh are few, but viable. Firstly, the authorities can stagger the traffic by asking the school or office authorities to change their timings. Roads should be widened & more lanes should be added for cycles, auto-rickshaws, cars & buses. Those not following the lanes should be fined heavily. Metros & underpasses can be started too to overcome the problem.
                   Veteran citizens of this city are of the view that the substructure of  the city should be considered in a gradual manner to build plenty of  flyovers,  multi- storeyed/ underground parking & slip roads to help the commuters drive smoothly.
                                                  Similarly, some citizens also feel that traffic suffocation  can also be eased by arranging traffic signals at all T-points in order to prevent commotion & mishaps. They feel that
 construction of short pedestrian crossings, wider sidewalks & footpaths will prove helpful for commuters.
                                         There are some residents of Chandigarh, who feel that the state Transport authority should encourage people to use public transport. They feel that this will help in curbing traffic jam problems.According to these residents, FM Radio Stations can also help in teaching people, the benefits of public transport.I feel that such  Radio Stations can also give tips on avoiding, creating a traffic jam.  
                          Last but not the least, Car Pooling can also help commuters, positively in traffic chaos problems. Few families can pool in together to go in one car either to their offices or drop their kids to their schools. This will certainly reduce the number of vehicles on the road, resulting in, less rush on roads.
                                Hopefully, all these arrangements & precautions can decrease the stubborn traffic congestion problem in our (certainly) ' City Beautiful ' , Chandigarh.

State of Green Belts in City Beautiful.

It is a fact that the higher authorities have failed to maintain the name given to Chandigarh as ' City Beautiful '. Besides, the poor up- keeping of parks & not been able to repair the street lights, there are dumps of garbage all over the city which are not only eye sores but are also extremely harmful for health. The newly appointed people should monitor all this & occasionally conduct surprise checks. This will go a long way in keeping the concerned staff alert. Letters of appreciation will be an added incentive to the concerned staff. The higher authorities could also institute awards for the best- kept wards of the city.
                                       Some honorable citizens have rightly expressed their views by saying that the higher authorities should remember their promise of keeping our city beautiful & should remember the four lines of  Robert Frost's poem, 'Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening ' , which,  the First Prime Minister of India, (our country) Pandit  Jawahar  Lal Nehru, used to keep it written on his table. Those lines are :
                        ' The woods are lovely, dark & deep,
                           But I have promises to keep,
                            And miles to go before I sleep,
                             And miles to go before I sleep.'    

PLAQUES A SCAR ON CITY BEAUTIFUL

Plaques installed by officials for self-glorification has blotted the city beautiful. The irony is that after installing the plaques, the officials do not even bother to visit the area again. Most of the parks are a shambles. Nothing is being done to maintain these. A group of residents should hand over a memorandum to the administrator, requesting him to do the needful.
                                                                         Some prestigious citizens have rightly pointed out that the senior authorities launch projects with much fanfare, but when it comes to maintaining these, they choose to look the other way.They completely forget about the projects, started by them.  Instead of installing plaques for self-glorification, they should maintain green belts. they should live up to the expectations  of residents. In fact, they should complete their projects in time. 

Hazards of Encroachments in Chandigarh

Some people rightly feel that the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has failed to protect its prime land from encroachers across the city. According to them, a large number of areas have been encroached upon by land-grabbers in parks, city roads & other areas meant for public & a majority of these encroachments are made at behest  of well-connected persons.
                                                                        Certainly,(according to some citizens) Councillors can play an active role in changing the face of this city, which is plagued with a dearth of open spaces so-called encroachments by requesting the concerned resident of their respective area, to get their mess cleaned up, even if it means, hiring an extra labor. Some worthy citizens have rightly given the example of Nehru Park, Sector-22, Chandigarh, which is one of the best- maintained gardens of the city & this has happened only with the efforts of the Area Councillor.
                                                           Its my personal opinion, a meeting should be arranged between the MC officials & the shopkeepers. The shopkeepers should be made aware of the severe accidents, which can occur, due to these encroachments.They should be informed that commuters are going to suffer without any fault of theirs. If all these efforts are going waste, then these market owners should be heavily fined.

Giving Birth To A Girl Child - A Stigma ?

Today in the morning, my mother & my neighbors stopped a vegetable vendor to buy some veggies. When my mom went out,she saw him, talking to somebody on the mobile.While displaying the various seasonal vegetables, he talked on the mobile for a while & then, after sometime, he ended his talk. There was a tinge of sadness, in his conversation on the mobile. So my mother, including the neighbors, asked him automatically about his problem.
                                           He started narrating his family problem that his sister-in- law's(wife's sister) daughter has given birth to a girl child & her in- laws have not bothered to go & bring the daughter-in-law home, along with the baby. Unfortunately, they are unhappy that their daughter in law has given birth to a daughter. This has sent the young mother into a shock & all her family members are wondering as to what steps, they should take to persuade their son-in-law & his family to take back his young wife & new born baby daughter.
                        In our Indian society, literate as well as illiterate people are obsessed with the dogmatic thought that their generation should carry on with the birth of the sons. They refuse to believe that the daughters are more caring & these days, they are rubbing shoulders with the menfolk. You go to any office, bank or government or private organisation, there is not a single department, where you won't find a girl/woman, holding the fort, efficiently & successfully.
                                  Why don't the people, who hate the birth of a girl realize that a baby girl, who is so tender, needs a gentle care & pleasant atmosphere to grow up. When she will go out of her house to study & later on, for work, she will be able to face the world confidently, if she will have a congenial atmosphere at home.
                May God give sense to those who refuse to welcome the birth of a baby girl. ('beti')  

' Your Highness' - Our Maid.

     These days, it is so difficult to find a house maid. Even if we find one, we have to be at her beck & call.
             She is rightly known as, ' Domestic Goddess. '
                      Our middle aged is very neat & clean & is truly worldly wise. The moment she enters our house, she is full of complaints about her aches & pains. But gradually, when you start asking about her neighbors,  her daughter-in-law, her sons & last but not the least, her grand daughter, whom she adores, her tone changes.
                       Like a typical mother-in-law, she is critical about her son's wife. But when you ask her about her grand daughter, her eyes start shining. She starts imitating her grand daughter's dialogues & compares her with all the top heroines of Bollywood.
                                                           Her husband is a rickshaw puller. But he is a drunkard, though like a typical Indian housewife, she doesn't talk ill about him.
                                 One of her sons is hardly earning, but she dreams of  marrying him to an educated girl of a fairly good family.
                                   Like a typical domestic help, she takes quite number of leave. But when she does so, she is sincere enough to inform us, that very day. Right early morning, when we are half asleep, our mobile starts ringing & obviously, we are not happy to receive the information that she is not coming. Then half heavyhearted, we have to clean the utensils & do other household chores, which normally are done by her.
                                Let me tell you about her efficiency, too.She is very fast & excellent at cutting vegetables.She cuts & washes spinach very promptly.
                          Very rarely, she refuses us any work. When we ask her to get something from the market, she willingly does so & with the leftover money, she is sometimes tempted to buy a toffee or sweet for her granddaughter. We gladly let her do so & sometimes, give her money to get something more for her grand daughter.
                    She has all the the gossip about  her ' Mohalla' & entertains us, while describing the different characters, living near her house.
                                                   She loves having strong tea, laced with sugar. Still it is difficult to please her, while making ' her kind of tea.'
                                                         Another very interesting characteristic about her is that whenever we buy  some vegetable  from the nearby market, she twists her lips in a peculiar manner & says that she can get better stuff, from the market, near her house.
                                                                    In conclusion, we can say that she is a very contented person, but aspires to make a better living for herself & her family.


            

My Niece

Myself & my niece are best of friends. I would like to narrate some incidents, which I have shared with her.
             She has grown up now & is very caring & loving.
          When she was a very small kid, we were inseparable.
                       She is my sister's daughter & my brother-in law is a doctor. Whenever there was a get together, she was more than willing to sit on my lap. As soon as she used to come with her parents at our place, she used to jump with excitement in her father's lap.One could see a cheerful expression on her face, particularly, after seeing me at the front door.
                                                                Later, when my niece had started walking, (which was very early) she used to move from one place to another real fast. She was very observant & used to get curious about many things lying in the kitchen & in the living room. Like a typical child, she used to make an imaginative tea  & used to insist that we should all have it. We, in return, like proper good guests, used to appreciate it  & say that it is very nice.
                                   She is still a 'joy' of our life. But since, we are talking about her childhood, I must tell you that she was an 'apple of everybody's eye'. She was pampered thoroughly, whether she was in maternal or paternal house.
                                 As we are very fond of each other, I have to narrate this sweet incident. One day, my sister was feeding pancake to her. At that very moment, her paternal grandfather's brother came with his wife. As chance would have it, I also dropped in for some work, at that very moment. As soon as my niece saw me, she looked at her guests & made a cute gesture, with excitement, indicating my presence.You can very well imagine, as to, how I must have swelled with happiness.
                                                                   The best part about our relationship is that when my sister & brother- in- law were in Halwara, near Ludhiana, myself & my mother used to visit them quite often & stay there for few days. And when it was time to leave their place & as soon as, I used to sit in the car, my niece used to start crying. With a heavy heart, I used to get down & hold her tightly. After sometime, when we used to leave from their place, stealthily, without her knowledge, I used to literally sob for quite some time & later on, ring up my sister to find out about my niece's welfare.
                                                                                Now, too, she is full of antics. She is very fond of jumping about in the whole house & often gets hurt. Once, she managed to break the most beautiful glass round table of the living room in her house. We were all there & we could not get angry with her because she was herself feeling very bad about it. Thank God ! She didn't get hurt.
                                               She is very fond of acting on the stage & thus she has participated in number of plays in her school. She has lots of friends & is a complete extrovert personality. Her teachers & even the Principal of her school are very fond of her.
                                                                In the end, I would like to conclude that she really knows as to how to wrap everybody around her little finger, with her sweet & endearing nature.
.