Catching up with School friends

  it is always wonderful to cath up with school friends. One of the advantages of Internet is the connectivity. As students we all studied together at Kendriya Vidayalaya in class 9th and 10th in 1970's and 1971  In Secunderabad. Most of us were children of Army Officers or Railway officers and we're in constant motion in new places  when our parents got transferred. We kept in touch with close friends for a year or two and then moved on. It is interesting that many of us got together through the Internet after more than 40years. Most of us are placed in different parts of India and some in US, Canada and U. K. We try to meet once a year and hardly feel that time has passed by. We still feel the 15 year or 16year old at heart. Now we will be celebrating our 60th year and four of us in the core committee went around the town on 28th December, 2015, looking for a place to meet and had lot of fun just being together in each others company.

Talk at Maulana Azad National Urdu University on Muslim women and Girls education

 On 11th December, 2015, I was invited talk on Muslim Women's and girls  education. Had a talk on Muslim Women's and girls education at Maulana Azad National University. I get a chance to practice my Urdu in these lectures. Thank you Prof. Kanchana Illiaha for inviting me. Met my old students Taha, Faiz who are faculty there. I was very happy to see the whole of History Department with Prof Kaw, Danish being present. Met many old friends Shahida and others.

Connecting with Ranjit and Rita bandopadhyay

 On 10th December, 2015, we were able to connecting with old friends.at the wedding of the son of Biltu.   It is really great to connect with old friends and though we were meeting Ranjit and Rita after many many years  probably thirty, we could just connect and start talking as if we had met last week. Indeed a great evening.

Samira Birthday celebrations

On 7th December, 2015, joined the  Birthday celebrations. Went back to the childhood days of my children with the birthday celebration of our neighbours daughter, a real princess our lovely and cute little Samiara. God bless you.

Key note address to an International Peace Group

 On 16th Novemeber, 2015,I was invited to give the key note address to an International Peace Group. Peace the much needed commodity After the killing of innocents in Beirut, Paris I strongly feel the world needs peace. I was very happy to be part of an International group that organised a convention for the cessation of wars and the establishment of peace along with Osmania University. The International Women's Peace group a Korean Based organisation is St the forefront of this and I hope we do see a day where there are no more fights in the name of religion, territory and economy.

Training of women elected representatives

 It was a real interesting experience to be part of a training programme on Sensitization on Sexual Harassment to Women Elected Representatives of PRIs on 3rd Novemeber, 2015. Women from Himanchal Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Telangana and many other states were there. The women from Rajasthan had never traveled alone and came with their husbands. it was an interesting experience to listen to these women and share their problems and issues. I am sure the women will go back more empowered and sensitized. Thankyou NIRD ,  Gyan Mudras ji and Suchitra Pujari for making me part of this programme.

Shanti Ghidiyal

 My college days friend Shanti Ghildiyal came to Hyderabad on 30th October, 2015. We had a lovely time for three days. We spoke of the lovely memories of the past and the lovely time we had in Hyderabad during the mid seventies.

Meeting my brother Col. Prakash Tewari

 Met my brother in Hyderabad on 28th October, 2015, after a long gap yesterday. He is very busy traveling and was in Hyderabad for an evening. He had just come for a press Conference and was leaving the next morning. Met him for dinner and had a great time. The traffic  was chaotic and thanked my stars that I do not commute to the city every day.

Joys of being a teacher

 The October of 20th, 2015, was a very happy day. One of my students Barnali has got a job as an Assistant professor in the Centre for Women's Studies, Dibrugarh University and has joined there and came to meet me. My other student Prabhu Balasubramanian from History successfully defended his Ph. D thesis. Indeed a happy day and a sense of fulfilment.

Prof. Mark Lindley

 Prof. Mark Lindley from Germany gave a very interesting talk on Ecological Sensibilities in the Modern Western Culture a historical survey to the Department of History and the Research Scholars forum.

Poem by Gulzar

 Such a beautiful poem. I had this poem in person from Guljar when he came to our University. Our generation has grown up with both books and computers so we can relate so well to this poem. I keep thinking that the present generation which has grown up only with computers, I pads, smart phones cannot relate to this poem.

kitabein jhankti hain band almaari kay sheeshon se

badee hasrat se takti hain

maheeno ab mulaaqat nahi hoti

jo shameein in ki sohbat main kata karti thein, ab aksar

guzar jaatee hain computer kay pardon par

badi bechain rahti hain kitabein

unhe ab neend mein chalne ki aadat ho gayi hai

badi hasrat se takti hai

jo qadren vo sunati thi

ki jin ke cell kabhi marte nahi the

voh qadren ab nazar nahi aate ghar mein

jo rishte vo sunati thi

vi saare uDdhe uDdhe hain

koi safa palat ta hoon to ek siski nikalti hai

kai lafzon ke maani gir pade hain

bina patton ke sukhe Tund lagte hai vo sukhe alfaz

jin par ab koi maani nahin ugte

bahut si istelahen hain

jo mitti ke sakoron ki tarah bikhri padi hain

gilason ne unhein matruk kar daala

zabaan par zaiqa aata tha jo in safhe palatne ka

ab ungli click karne se bas

ik jhapki guzarti hai

buhat kuch tah-b-tah khultaa chalaa jaataa hai parde par

kitabon se jo zaati rabta tha kat gaya hai

kabhi seeney pe rakh ke lait jaate the

kabhi godi mein rakhte the

kabhi ghutno ko apne rehl ki soorat banah kar

neem sajde mein padhaa karte the, chhoote jabhee se

woh sara ilm to miltaa rahegaa aainda bhi

magar who jo kitabon mein milaa karte the sookhe phool aur mehke hue ruqe

kitabein maangne, giraane, uthaane ke bahaane rishte bante the

unkaa kyaa hogaa,  woh shayad ab nahi honge!

Books peep through the closed glass doors of the cupboard

With much longing and desire, they stare through

For months now, we don’t meet

Those evenings that would be spent in their company, now often

They pass by, staring at the computer screen

The books remain very restless now

They have fallen into the habit of sleep walking

With unfulfilled desire, they stare at me

The norms and values that they used to narrate

While the cells (battery) wouldn’t die (as they did so)

Those norms are not visible in the house anymore

Those relationships they would narrate

Those have been left incomplete

When I turn a random page, it lets out a soft cry

Some words have lost their meaning

The letters and words seem like dried trees without leaves

On which nothing of meaning grows anymore,

Just many terminologies

Just like clay-pots were left scattered

When glasses made them obsolete

The taste of turning pages that could be felt on the tongue

Now, on the click of a finger, it happens in the blink of an eye (goes unnoticed)

A lot of layers are opened and peeled on a computer screen

That personal relationship that used to exist with books, has been cut off

Sometimes one could just lie down with a book on their chest

Sometimes they would be placed in your lap

Sometimes the knees would become a book stand

Sometimes they would be touched to the forehead, in a half-prayer

All that knowledge and wisdom, will surely keep coming to us, in the future as well

But those dried petals and leaves that would be discovered in the pages of a book,

Those relationships that were formed in the borrowing, dropping, picking up of books

What will happen to all of that?

That may not happen any more

Joys of Convocation , 2015

 Convocations are such a happy time in the University. I just came out of the 17th convocation on 1st October, 2015. Three of my students got their Ph. D degrees but Han was in Bangkok, Thailand and Jeeva was in Silchar, Assam and hence only Ashita was there. Missing you Han and Jeeva and it was great to see Ashita collect her degree from the Chancellor. Unfortunately  the photograph is not all that bright but it did not dim Asita's or my joy. I now want to see Ashita settled for the others have settled and I wish all of them a bright future.

Post Convocation

 I got a call in the evening and was invited to join all the MA Batch students who had come to Hyderabad  for the convocation. It was fun connecting with the students. Some of these students have gone to different Universities like JNU, Jamia Milia, Delhi University  to do M. Phil's, others have joined coaching for Competitive exams, some have joined Projects. It was a fun filled evening  catching up with students and I will remember this batch as a very active one that was very good at organising events and was very savvy with technology and very visible  on the Internet. I hope they all settle well and I wish them all a bright futures Indeed a great way to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti with my dear students.